Through its undead senses, it detected an anomaly.
A visible sonic boom, a literal shockwave of sound, appeared just in front of its eyes, a few hundred ters away, directly outside the crumbling walls of its sanctuary.
But before the Lich could even fully realize what was happening, before it could react , a flash of pure, focused energy passed through the air.
All the Lich could perceive in its last, fleeting monts was a beam of strange, vibrant energy, a concentrated torrent of power, being emitted directly from the blade of the sword that the human held.
anwhile, Klaus had just decimated the dungeon boss, the Necrolord, without waiting for another mont.
The powerful S-rank Lich, despite its imnse energy signature, was no match for his direct, overwhelming assault combined with the new, raw power surging within him.
He was feeling a terrifying urgency, a sensation like he was on the verge of losing control of his anger and frustration. He needed to absorb the core and get out.
---------- the next Day ---------------
Klaus was now sitting inside the quiet inn room,
the faint sounds of the bustling capital city reaching him as a distant hum.
His entire attention was fixed on the translucent status screen floating before his eyes.
The tir for the latent draconic trait awakening was almost at its end.
[Latent draconic trait awakening.....] 00:05
Only about five seconds remained for the countdown to reach zero.
Yesterday, inside the Undead Cetery dungeon, he had felt profoundly weird. An intense sense of disdain had washed over him, making him feel as if the nurous S-rank monsters, even the formidable Death Knight general, weren’t worth his full attention.
His patience had worn thin almost imdiately.
In his escalating irritation, he had even foregone a prolonged engagent with the dungeon’s final boss, the Necrolord.
Instead, he had gone straight for the kill, activating his most powerful offensive technique.
He had unleashed the Third Form - Star Sword’s Cry, an attack he usually reserved for truly formidable opponents or desperate situations, to obliterate the Lich directly without bothering to engage in a drawn-out fight or any conversation.
-------
THIRD FORM - STAR SWORD’S CRY: Unleash a beam of star energy infused with the host’s elental laws to obliterate an enemy.
---------
Backed by his now vast S-rank mana pool and the power of his four awakened elental affinitiesIce, Fire, Earth, and Darkness the attack had been devastating.
Although the System had inford him that true fusion of elents into a single, unified attack was a stage that would co later,
he could still ticulously combine and layer his elental powers to create extraordinarily potent results, as seen in the devastating,
multi-elental beam that had instantly incinerated the Necrolord.
After the Lich was gone, Klaus had hurriedly located and absorbed the dungeon core.
The Undead Cetery gate had vanished instantly, just like the six before it, adding another layer to the widespread panic across the continent.
Klaus, true to form, had then imdiately disappeared using Phantom Veil and Apex Velocity, returning to his room without a trace.
Since then, he had remained inside his room.
Every ti he even thought about the people going about their lives on the street below, an unsettling urge welled up within him, the impulse to make them kneel, to impose his will upon them using the sheer force of his Dragon’s Might.
It was a pervasive, almost overwhelming desire to assert dominance over anyone weaker than himself.
"Well, that is a very unhealthy thought," Klaus mused, recognizing the insidious nature of these sensations.
He knew that if these impulses were to escalate, they could quickly get out of hand, leading him down a path he had no intention of pursuing, at least not yet.
[Ding!!! Trait ’Draconic Pride (Divine)’ has been awakened prematurely!] The System’s notification chid, cutting through his thoughts.
"Prematurely? Why does this sound like trouble?" Klaus asked, a frown creasing his brow.
The word "prematurely" implied sothing had happened before i should have.
[The Host must know that this trait was ant to be unlocked later on, when the Host crossed the Mortal Realm and ascended to a higher Plane, not so early in the Host’s journey.] The System’s explanation confird his suspicions. This was not supposed to happen now.
"What?? Can’t you remove it, like you did with the Roach Trait?" Klaus demanded, thinking of the annoying, useless trait he had shed early in his journey.
If the System could remove one, surely it could remove another, especially one with such potentially dangerous side effects.
[Divine traits are inseparable. Once awakened, they are permanently bound to the Host’s essence.] The System’s answer was firm, leaving no room for negotiation.
"But why did this happen? System, didn’t you plan all these things out?"
Klaus pressed, a genuine note of frustration entering his voice. He had co to rely on the System’s seemingly omniscient planning.
[The Host is right. The System had considered every variable in the Host’s journey to keep things tily and organized.
However, an unforeseen variable had occurred to the Host, about which even the System had not anticipated.]
"What is it?" Klaus said, a cold dread beginning to seep into him. He was sweating profusely, the implications of an "unforeseen variable" from a system that seed to control his destiny being deeply unsettling.
[The dungeon cores] the System nad in a plain voice.
As the System uttered those two words, Klaus fell silent.
A barrage of thoughts, conclusions, and theories lined up in his head.
The dungeon cores he had been absorbing were not just energy sources; they were fundantal anchors of realms, imnsely powerful concentrations of mana and unique properties.
Absorbing seven of them in rapid succession, especially their essence and power, must have triggered so unforeseen resonance within his nascent Devouring Dragon Bloodline, pushing its awakening far ahead of schedule.
The sheer density of consud power, far exceeding what the System had projected for his current stage, had forced the activation.
Soon, he sighed. There was no point in complaining now. The trait was active, and it was permanent.
"Well, can’t complain now, can we, System? Show the effects of the trait."
-------------------
Divine Trait: Draconic Pride
Pride of the dragon god, the most unyielding being of the universe. This divine trait embodies the pure, unadulterated sin of pride, manifesting as an overwhelming and unyielding self-importance.
Side Effects:
- Absolute ntal Fortitude: The wielder becos immune to mind manipulation of any kind, including fear, charm, confusion, and demoralization. Their imnse ego simply rejects any external influence that would contradict their own will or perceived superiority.
- Aura of Contempt: The wielder inherently sees anyone weaker than them with disdain. This isn’t just a ntal state; it passively projects an aura that can cause those of lower rank or power to feel belittled, insignificant, or even physically uncomfortable in their presence.
- Compulsory Confrontation: The wielder cannot back down from challenging individuals stronger than themselves. Their pride demands they always assert their dominance, regardless of the odds or strategic wisdom. They will actively seek out and escalate confrontations with any entity they perceive as strong.
- Universal Narcissism: The wielder’s self-importance and narcissism are highest in the universe. This manifests as an unshakeable belief in themselves and their ability, making them resistant to advice, criticism, or even acknowledging their flaws.
- Damaging Pride: If the host manages to humiliate their enemy through a decisive blow, a mocking display, or a dramatic turn of events, all their subsequent attacks deal 50% more damage for a short duration. This effect fuels their ego, pushing them to seek not just victory, but absolute, crushing superiority and public humiliation of their foes.
- ????
------------------------------
Klaus looked at the screen, montarily speechless.
"Damn!!" he finally uttered.
The sheer scope of the trait, both its boons and its drawbacks, was staggering.
Even though there were significant side effects that seed deeply inconvenient, the last effect, Damaging Pride, was almost a divine boon for him. A 50% damage boost, even for a short duration, was an insane power spike. It truly rewarded his growing arrogance.
"Though the Aura of Contempt is too troubleso," Klaus mused, already envisioning scenarios. "I better remain quiet in public, or a mob of angry, humiliated people cos after ." His pragmatic side quickly calculated the potential social fallout.
[Mighty Host can just deal with anyone if the Host finds them annoying.] the System chid in, its voice completely devoid of emotion, yet sohow Klaus detected a hint of... sothing.
"System, are you trying to tease due to the trait?" Klaus asked, his eyebrow raising.
The System’s response felt uncharacteristically glib.
[The System does not possess the capacity for emotional expression or the ability to ’tease’ the Host.]
"But why do I don’t I feel anything like that while talking to you?" Klaus pressed, realizing the irony of the situation.
He felt disdain towards others, but the System’s neutral presence didn’t trigger the trait’s effects.
[The trait ’Draconic Pride’ works only when the Host is in the presence of living, sentient beings, whose weaker existence can be perceived by the Host.
the trait’s effects wont work on people who host considers part of his kin.]
"Okay, is it... can I control the effects a bit in other cases?" Klaus inquired, hoping for so leeway.
The idea of being constantly compelled by his own pride was off-putting.
[Since the trait is divine, it is not possible to control the trait directly. However, there are so ways to avoid the effects of the trait on normal people.
For example, not saying anything, or maintaining significant physical distance. The Host is also free to lie, although that would be difficult as your words will inherently carry the weight of your pride.]
Klaus sighed, running a hand through his hair as he listened to the System’s advice.
It seed his future interactions with weaker individuals would beco a delicate dance.
He would have to be careful, or simply choose to ignore the urge to assert dominance unless it was tactically advantageous.
"I guess I will get used to it eventually," Klaus mumbled, a trace of resignation in his voice.
He knew this trait would profoundly change his personality and his approach to the world.
The road ahead would be interesting, to say the least.
his personality had just gone from a pragmatic, cynical survivor to a potentially tyrannical overlord, all because he absorbed a few too many dungeon cores.
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