A ghost of a smile, a fleeting flicker of amusent, touched Don's lips as he watched Michael's outburst. He rembered, with a clarity that spanned millennia, the first ti the three of them had co together. Ghost and Hunter… they'd bickered like an old married couple, their animosity as palpable as the power that radiated from them.
It had been… entertaining, to say the least.
Don, of course, hadn't known the full extent of their history. He hadn't realized they were both from the sa world, hadn't understood the depth of their shared past, the tangled web of rivalry and resentnt that bound them together.
Now, watching Michael's face contort with fury, he understood.
"That bastard," Michael growled, pacing back and forth, his fists clenched. "That goddamn snake in the grass! He told you about the System? How the fuck did he even know?"
A terrifying thought struck him then.
"Unless…" He trailed off, his eyes widening in horror. "Don't tell … that son of a bitch got a System too?"
The thought of Hunter, that ruthless, power-hungry madman, wielding the sa kind of power as Michael… it sent a shiver down his spine. He'd seen firsthand the carnage Hunter could unleash, the casual cruelty with which he ruled his own twisted little empire.
And now… to imagine him with a System…
Michael shuddered.
He suddenly felt a surge of sympathy for the poor souls trapped in Hunter's universe. If they thought he was a handful, well… they hadn't seen anything yet.
At least, Michael thought grimly, Hunter was confined to his own reality. For now.
Michael, if he'd been a character in a book, knew exactly what the readers would be saying. They'd be throwing their goddamn Kindles across the room, screaming about how he never utilized the System to its full potential, how he played it safe, how he was too hesitant to unleash his full power.
And they'd be right.
But Michael wasn't Hunter. He wasn't a power-hungry psychopath, reveling in chaos and destruction. He had limits. Lines he wouldn't cross.
Hunter, on the other hand… well, Hunter was a different story. Giving that bastard a System was like giving a pyromaniac a flathrower and a map to the world's largest fireworks factory.
It was a recipe for disaster. A cosmic-level shitstorm waiting to happen.
At least he's contained to his own universe, Michael thought grimly. For now, anyway.
"Okay, so Hunter's being a dick," Michael said with a sigh, running a hand through his hair. "But right now, he's not the problem, is he?" As unpredictable and dangerous as Hunter was, Michael knew he wasn't the imdiate threat. Hunter was a lot of things— a charming psychopath in black leather who loved to wreak havoc and leave a trail of broken hearts and shattered skulls in his wake—but he was also cunning. He knew how to pick his battles. And pissing off a fully powered-up God of Darkness probably wasn't high on his to-do list. At least not yet.
"Tell about these Ogas," Michael pressed, turning back to Don. "What else do you know about them? Where do they co from? What do they want?"
Don shook his head, his expression grim. "They are… elusive, Ghost. Masters of concealnt. They left few traces, and those they did leave were… confusing, contradictory. They did not seem to belong to this universe. They were… visitors, like you."
Don paused, choosing his words carefully. "If you want to know more, you will have to seek them out. Perhaps your System can offer so insight... or perhaps you will find answers in your own universe, when the ti cos."
"Great," Michael muttered. "More mysteries."
"For now, your priority is to mask the System's radiation, Ghost. Absorb the blood. Use the ti it buys you to prepare."
Michael nodded, knowing Don was right. But he couldn't afford to linger here. He had unfinished business to attend to. A crumbling Skyhall to claim, a score to settle, and a certain manipulative God of Ti and Space to put in his place.
"Look, I appreciate the advice, Don. But I can't exactly hang out here forever. I got shit to do." He glanced towards the shimring portal, still swirling faintly in the distance. "How long will this absorption take, anyway? If ti flows differently here, who knows what'll be waiting for when I get back."
As though Don had read Michel's mind, he addressed the concern of ti flow in different universes.
"Ti moves differently within this… bubble. It was designed this way, Ghost. A safeguard, of sorts. I knew you would co here, one day, and I wanted to ensure you had the ti you needed."
He gestured toward the vial. "Relax, Ghost. Absorb the blood. By the ti you return to your own universe, only a few hours will have passed."
"Well, that's a relief," Michael said, letting out a breath he hadn't realized he'd been holding. He shot Don a grateful look. "Thanks, Don. I owe you one."
No wonder the people of Everlight worshipped this guy. And in Michael's universe, he was practically a legend—an Ancient God spoken of in hushed whispers, a being of imnse power and wisdom.
Don was the real deal. A model god, even if he was a bit… stoic. Michael had to admit, the guy was pretty damn cool. He couldn't help but wonder what kind of shit Don had gone through to beco the kind of deity who never cracked a smile. Must have been so seriously heavy stuff.
But right now, that vial of blood was calling to him.
"Ti to get this show on the road," he muttered, holding the vial up to the light. It pulsed with that eerie crimson glow, the energy within it thrumming against his skin.
"System," he thought, focusing his will. "Absorb this."
Don nodded, a flicker of understanding in his dark eyes. "I will leave you to it, Ghost. Good luck." And with that, he vanished, lting back into the shadows as if he'd never been there.
[Alert: Host has initiated absorption of Ancient God blood.]
[Does the host agree to proceed with absorption?]
[Estimated absorption ti: 4 days (local ti bubble). ]
Four days… Michael frowned. It was longer than he'd hoped, but Don had assured him that ti flowed differently in this… bubble. He had to trust him on that.
[Additional information: Absorption of Ancient God blood will result in imdiate breakthrough to Pri God Level.]
Michael's eyes widened. Pri God level?
Holy shit.
He'd always figured he'd have to grind his way to that level, slowly accumulating power by devouring seeds of darkness and battling his way through hordes of increasingly powerful enemies. But this blood… it was a shortcut. A one-way ticket to the top of the goddamn power pyramid.
"Well, what are we waiting for?" he said, grinning. "System, proceed with absorption. Let's do this thing!"
The mont Michael gave the confirmation, the vial in his hand pulsed, the crimson glow intensifying. A strange warmth, a tingling sensation that spread from his fingertips up his arm, washed over him. It wasn't unpleasant… not at first.
Then the blood began to vaporize.
Wisps of crimson smoke, shot through with threads of gold, rose from the vial, swirling around Michael's hand. The vapor, as if sentient, pulsed and throbbed, seeking a way in.
Michael watched, srized, as the vapor seeped through the gaps in his armor, swirling around him, coiling around his limbs like spectral serpents. He felt a surge of power, a rush of raw energy unlike anything he'd ever experienced.
And then the pain hit.
It was a searing, white-hot agony that exploded in his chest, radiating outwards until it consud his entire being. He gasped, his vision blurring, his knees buckling beneath him.
It wasn't like any pain he'd ever experienced. It wasn't the physical pain of a broken bone or a gaping wound. It was sothing deeper, sothing that touched his very essence, his soul. It felt like his entire being was being torn apart, atom by atom, and then reassembled in a crucible of fire.
He gritted his teeth, a guttural roar ripping from his throat as he fought against the overwhelming tide of pain. He tried to stand, to fight back, but it was useless.
The world around him, the vibrant colors of Don's kingdom, the warm sun, the gentle breeze… it all faded, replaced by an encroaching darkness that swallowed him whole.
And then, everything went black.
From the outside, Michael was a still figure sprawled on the grassy hilltop, the vial that once held Don's blood lying empty beside him. His armor, usually gleaming with dark energy, was dull, the runes etched into its surface flickering weakly, as if struggling to contain the forces raging within.
The first day of his four-day absorption passed in silence, the only sound the gentle rustling of leaves and the distant chirping of birds. But as the sun began to set, casting long shadows across the beautiful landscape, sothing changed.
A tendril of black smoke, thin and wispy at first, curled upwards from Michael's body, twisting and coiling in the air like a restless serpent. It was followed by another, and another, until a swirling vortex of darkness enveloped him, obscuring his form from view.
Deep within the darkness, Michael was lost in a sea of dreams, visions, and sensations. But one thing cut through the haze, a sound that was both familiar and… alien.
Voices.
Hundreds, thousands, millions of voices, whispering his na, chanting his titles, pleading for his favor, his guidance, his protection.
The prayers of his worshippers.
He'd felt their presence before when he first ca to the realm of gods. But this… this was different.
It was a torrent, a tidal wave of raw faith and devotion washing over him, seeping into his very being, filling him with a power that was both intoxicating and terrifying.
[Alert! Worship Energy Cultivation ability unlocking.]
[Initialization sequence comncing: 72 hours remaining.]
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