Primordial Lust System

[ Ding! Soul proficiency increased! ]

[Soul progression: 0.1]

[Current range: 5 metres]

[ Ding! Soul proficiency increased! ]

[Soul progression: 1.0]

[Current range: 50 metres]

***

"Huh?" Aurelian inhaled sharply, feeling waves of energy slam into him, different this time. Instead of warm currents surging through his body, a chilling cold seeped into his chest, spreading in waves.

And each time it did, a splitting headache tore into his skull, as if his head were being pried open. The pain was unimaginable, but he gritted his teeth; the rewards were far too great to give up.

His Sphere of Perception was growing at a monstrous pace, from a meagre five metres to over fifty in just an hour. It was nothing short of stupendous.

Every tiny detail within that range unfolded at the back of his mind, as if he were staring intently at everything simultaneously.

Godlike. With this, blind spots would soon cease to exist for him.

Channeling all his concentration into his sphere of soul detection, he slipped into a trance-like state, locked in a cycle of repetition. Scoop a pile of red origin stones, toss them into the Vortex of Doom. Rinse and repeat. The concept of time slipped from his grasp.

Seconds bled into minutes, then hours, as his detection sphere grew to monstrous levels.

A hundred metres. Two hundred. Three. Four. Five. And beyond.

The higher the range, the more stones he consumed to push it further.

And as he continued, a mystical change began to unfold. All that energy, directed into his soul, absorbed like a true vortex, started reshaping him.

His already high clarity soared to monstrous levels. His thought process sharpened to frightening precision. He felt as though, if he faced an opponent now, he could predict their attack patterns from a single move, or form an effective combat strategy to defeat them instantly.

It was as if he were evolving into some terrifying battle grandmaster.

But the origin stones vanished at a rapid rate. Eventually, he hit a wall. A mind-splitting headache tore through him, forcing him to stop.

His eyes snapped open. Only this time, they were different. The abyssal crimson hue receded, replaced by his natural obsidian black. Normal at first glance, but on closer look, they resembled twin voids, shimmering black holes that seemed to suck in everything they touched. The pressure they emitted was suffocating.

His gaze flicked back to the notification screen. A smirk curved his lips.

[ Ding! Soul proficiency increased! ]

[Soul progression: 20]

[Current range: 1000 metres]

He was at the center of it all, a vast sphere stretched outward, one thousand metres in every direction. Information slammed into him of everything happening in real time.

The data was overwhelming. Without his enhanced clarity, the flood of information might have fried his brain.

He remained seated in a lotus position, adjusting to the drastic change. From once relying only on his eyes, to now perceiving a thousand-metre radius, the transition was monumental.

But with time, he grew accustomed to it, molding it into his new normal. The process took longer than expected, but it was worth every second.

Exhaling sharply, his eyes opened once more. Calmness flickered across them. A faint smile touched his lips.

"It's done," he muttered, bathing in the afterglow of his accomplishment.

His clarity also shed light on something else, his limit. He had always suspected it. His weakness.

With his current E-rank, there was only so far his soul could stretch. Reality-altering, yes, but still bound by rank. There were limits he couldn't break. At least not yet.

But that didn't discourage him. With his heightened clarity, new perspectives unraveled before him, ways to harness his strength more effectively, fresh applications of his abilities, deeper layers of potential waiting to be explored.

All of it, now visible at the very core of his being.

Just as he was about to slip into another moment of epiphany, Aurelian's head suddenly tilted toward the outer ranges of the dungeon. There, he could feel a presence stepping into his domain.

"Huh?" Aurelian breathed. "Strange," he muttered under his breath, his figure straightening as he rose to his feet, hands clasped behind his back as he waited.

The aura radiating from the newcomer was unlike anything he had ever felt before. Normally, a being's aura was either overbearing, emitting crushing pressure capable of killing weaker lifeforms—or ambient, carrying a serenity that soothed everything within its reach.

But this one was neither.

It carried a calm dominance, an undeniable sense of control that seeped naturally from the figure's very being, yet the way he bore it was… tranquil.

It was all too baffling.

Aurelian's eyes narrowed as the figure stepped into view. A seemingly handsome youth, short dark hair, pale black eyes that carried an air of mystery. The longer Aurelian studied him, the sharper his curiosity grew.

"We meet again, Aurelian Draeogor," the youth said with a snicker, a playful smile tugging at his lips as he locked gazes with him.

"You know me? Have we met before?" Aurelian asked, brows furrowing at hearing his own name spoken aloud. Then again, with his recent feats, more and more were beginning to recognize him.

"The fight you had with that brat… I saw part of it. Ever since, I've been meaning to have one of my own."

"Hm?" Aurelian's frown deepened. He could sense the youth wasn't simple, but couldn't pinpoint why. Even when he probed him with advanced appraisal, the result was unsettling. With beings who vastly outclassed him, at least question marks would appear. But here there was...nothing.

"You came here to challenge me to a fight?" he asked, eyes narrowing.

"No. I came here for the red origin stones."

"Huh?" Aurelian arched his brows, his gaze flicking toward the dwindling pile of stones. No longer the endless sea he had uncovered earlier, but still valuable. His treasure. And he wasn't the type to hand over treasure easily.

"You're a little late. They're mine now. The only way you're getting them is if you defeat me," Aurelian murmured, that familiar battle-hungry fire rising within him.

The golden-tusked boar hadn't been fulfilling, but this youth was different.

"Guess… I'll be having that fight sooner than expected," the youth said, pride lacing his voice, as though the very concept of losing was foreign to him.

"Good." Aurelian smirked. "It's only fair I know the name of the ones I fight, isn't it?"

A moment of silence stretched between them. Then the youth's gaze locked into his, and he muttered:

"My name… my name is Azrael Chaos."