Warlock Ch 259. Catastrophic Damage
Damian sat up in bed, his muscles pleasantly sore but his mind racing. Victoria and Evelyn were asleep, curled up on either side of him, their breaths soft and even. The dim glow of his system interface hovered in the air, begging for his attention.
He rubbed his temples and muttered, "Okay, let's see what the damage is." He waved his hand, expanding the interface, and the cascade of notifications hit him.
[System Notification]
[Congratulations! New Vampire Skill Unlocked: Crimson Dominion Lv 1]
[Crimson Dominion Lv 1]: Releases an aura of bloodlust that weakens enemies' physical and magical defenses within a 20-ter radius. Simultaneously, allies gain lifesteal and increased attack speed. Cooldown: 3 minutes
[Congratulations! New Vampire Skill Unlocked: Bloodforge Aura Lv 1]
[Bloodforge Aura Lv 1]: Converts damage taken into blood energy, which can be unleashed to heal allies or deal massive damage to enemies. Cooldown: 5 minutes
[Congratulations! New Witch Skill Unlocked: Hex Lv 1]
[Hex Lv 1 ]: Summons a spectral weave of hexes that immobilizes enemies or turns them into animals. Cooldown: 4 minutes
[Congratulations! New Witch Skill Unlocked: Mystic Veil Lv 1]
[Mystic Veil Lv 1]: Envelops the caster and allies in a protective shroud that absorbs damage and nullifies one spell per person. The veil lasts 20 seconds or until broken. Cooldown: 6 minutes
[Congratulations! Ultimate Warlock Skill Unlocked: Eternal Shadow Nova Lv 1]
[Eternal Shadow Nova Lv 1]: Releases a massive burst of shadow energy, dealing catastrophic damage to all enemies within a 50-ter radius. Enemies hit are inflicted with Fear and have their healing abilities disabled for 15 seconds. Cooldown: 24 hours.
His jaw dropped, and he blinked at the notifications. "Wait, what?! All of this… just from that?" He glanced at the two won in bed and shook his head with a mix of disbelief and amusent. "You two are sothing else."
Slipping out of bed, Damian grabbed his pants and pulled them on before heading downstairs. His stomach growled loudly, reminding him of how much energy he'd burned. "Okay, food first, then I'll process... all of this insanity."
Damian descended the stairs, his mind still reeling. His fingers instinctively flicked through his system nu as he walked into the kitchen. "This is unreal," he muttered. "These skills… they're not just strong. They're busted." He took so food.
Sitting at the table, he scrolled to the details of Eternal Shadow Nova. His eyes widened as he muttered the description aloud. "Catastrophic damage… fear… healing disabled? That's like… the ultimate trump card. There's no way I can use this in the exam. They'd throw in a council dungeon the second I cast it!"
He took a bite of food and leaned back in his chair, the fork dangling from his hand. His gaze drifted to the interface, and a grin tugged at his lips. "But... it'd be fun to see their faces if I did," Damian muttered, his tone half-amused, half-serious. The thought of unleashing Eternal Shadow Nova during his exam had a wicked appeal, but even he wasn't reckless enough to pull that stunt—not yet, anyway.
The sandwich was Evelyn's cooking, simple and comforting. He hadn't realized how hungry he was until now, the plate steadily emptying as he popped the last bite into his mouth. He washed it down with water and exhaled, leaning forward onto the table as he let his thoughts wander.
That's when his eyes caught the faint glow from the cauldron brewing near the fireplace. Its low, simring heat cast a soft orange hue, and a bubbling sound broke the quiet hum of the night. He narrowed his eyes. Evelyn had clearly intended to leave it overnight—no big deal. But the faint, rhythmic pulse of energy from Victoria's bloody parchnt on the floor was a different story.
The magic formation glowed faintly, a deep red hue that pulsed in ti with sothing unseen, like a heartbeat. Damian stared at it for a long mont, a strange sensation curling in his gut. 'I guess what I did to them earlier is connected to this,' he thought. 'No way that's a coincidence.'
Shaking his head, he leaned back again, rolling his shoulders. The room was quiet, save for the cauldron's bubbling and the distant hum of the magic formation. He let out a slow breath. "What am I even doing?" he muttered, running a hand through his hair. His gaze drifted to the ceiling, back to the parchnt, then to the cauldron again.
"Maybe ditating wouldn't hurt," he muttered. "Can't let them have all the fun." He smirked to himself, but the smirk faded as the idea settled more firmly in his mind. ditation wasn't sothing he did often anymore, not since... well, since everything. But the planets aligning like this, the subtle hum of magic in the air—it was an opportunity he couldn't ignore.
"Fine," he said to the empty room, standing up. "But I'm not using Victoria's blood magic formation. That's a hard pass."
He walked to a clear spot on the floor, away from the parchnt and the cauldron, and knelt down. With a flick of his wrist, his system interface opened, and he scrolled through his skillset. 'Dark Chains, Void Rift, Shadow Barrier...' None of them suited what he needed. Instead, he conjured a basic magical formation from his own mana, weaving shadows into the air until they coalesced into intricate, glowing lines on the floor beneath him.
The formation shimred with dark energy, pulsating softly. It wasn't flashy, but it was uniquely his—a reflection of his power as a warlock. Damian settled into a cross-legged position at its center, closing his eyes as he let the hum of the formation wash over him. The magic coursing through his veins synchronized with the subtle rhythm of the room's latent energy, pulling him deeper into a ditative state.
His breathing slowed. The world around him faded. The faint bubbling of Evelyn's cauldron and the pulsing glow of Victoria's blood magic dissolved into nothingness. All that remained was a vast silence, thick and all-encompassing.
When Damian opened his eyes, he wasn't in the living room anymore.
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