Zamazo's grin stretched into sothing sinister, his sharp teeth glinting under the faint glow of the formation. He clasped his hands together, and the energy emanating from the formation surged, growing tenfold in intensity. The air around them beca charged with a palpable nace, crackling with dark energy that sent shivers down anyone's spine.
"It's simple," Zamazo began, his voice carrying a cold edge. "Stand for five minutes, and your body will break through to the next limit." His eyes glead with perverse delight as he observed Jack writhing in pain. The sight brought back twisted mories of his own suffering. He recalled Erebus laughing as Zamazo—a frail, bullied child—was rcilessly beaten by others. Only his hard-earned skills had saved him back then. Now, watching Jack struggle felt like poetic justice—a taste of the tornt he himself had endured.
But deep down, Zamazo knew the brutal truth: Jack's odds of success were slim, no more than thirty percent. Even the elite warrior-caste demons, born and bred for battle, could barely withstand a minute of this ordeal on their first attempt. For Jack, a re human, untrained and still unable to access demon transformation, the challenge was almost insurmountable. Only the demon Sentinels and Generals, with their imnse power, could endure past five minutes.
There was no way a normal human could accomplish such a feat—even if that human bore the soul of the reincarnated Demon King.
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Jack staggered as a monstrous pressure bore down on him. His knees buckled, trembling as if begging to collapse under the weight. The energy pouring into his body was overwhelming, a storm of darkness and corruption that seared through his very being. Every fiber of his muscles scread in agony, and the oppressive aura made it nearly impossible to stay upright.
Despite the unbearable pain, Jack's resolve burned brighter. He clenched his fists, his nails digging into his palms. He had heard Zamazo's words, and he wanted this.
He wanted strength.
The chains of his previous life, the helplessness and insignificance he had felt—he was determined to shatter them. He envisioned himself rising to a place where no one could belittle him, where their words would falter before his presence. Even if he reeked of filth, they would have no choice but to bow before him.
'I have to do this!' Jack gritted his teeth, his mind a fortress of determination. Closing his eyes, he tried to drown out the chaos within him, focusing solely on his will to endure.
The energy swirling around him wasn't entirely real, he realized, but it was infused with potent elents of darkness and corruption. These malevolent forces clawed at his mind, trying to break his focus. Yet, Jack refused to yield. He planted his feet firmly on the ground, a silent declaration of defiance.
Alisha and Missy stood just outside the formation, their faces etched with concern. The formation's dark glow obscured much of what was happening inside, but Jack's agonized expression told them all they needed to know.
"Is this how we'll train too?" Alisha asked, her voice tinged with worry. Unlike Jack, she wasn't a warrior. As a mage, her strength lay in her intellect and mastery of spells. The thought of enduring such a brutal trial made her uneasy.
Zamazo scoffed, his tone dripping with disdain. "No. You couldn't use the formation even if I wanted you to. It would kill you." His words were blunt, almost dismissive, as if her question had been a waste of his ti. His eyes remained fixed on Jack, studying every twitch and grimace with morbid curiosity.
The truth was, Zamazo tolerated Jack. The humans accompanying him, however, grated on his nerves. Their presence felt intrusive, unwelco. Yet, he refrained from acting on his disdain. Annoying Jack was a risk he wasn't willing to take. Not now, when the balance of power was so precarious.
He exhaled sharply, turning his gaze toward Alisha. "Your training will be with ," he said curtly.
With a wave of his hand, a fruit materialized out of thin air. Its surface glowed faintly, pulsating with an otherworldly light. Alisha eyed it warily, but her suspicion quickly gave way to intrigue and, finally, greed.
"A Soul Replenishing Fruit?" she asked, her voice barely above a whisper. She recognized it instantly. The fruit was a priceless treasure, capable of sparking wars among n.
Zamazo nodded and tossed the fruit to her. "You've overexerted your spiritual energy—or karma, as you call it. It's affecting your soul. That fruit will replenish what you've lost and aid in healing your guardian spirit. The little creature's been suffering because of your stubbornness."
Alisha caught the fruit, her fingers trembling slightly as she held the rare artifact. Its significance wasn't lost on her. Normally, advancing from one magical level to the next took years of careful training. Overloading the magical core could lead to catastrophic consequences, including the shattering of the core itself. But the Soul Replenishing Fruit was a ga-changer. It allowed mages to push beyond their natural limits safely, advancing realms without risking their lives.
Without hesitation, Alisha bit into the fruit. A surge of energy flooded her body, warm and soothing, like a gentle wave washing over her soul. But just as she began to relax, an unfamiliar sensation gripped her. The warmth turned chaotic, a force that felt alien and destructive.
'Is this not the Soul Replenishing Fruit?' she thought, panic flaring within her. Had Zamazo tricked her?
She opened her eyes, scanning her surroundings for the source of the disturbance. Her gaze landed on Jack. The chaotic energy was emanating from him, rippling outward in dark, jagged waves. His body seed to pulse with an unnatural force, the darkness coiling around him like a living thing.
Jack's vision blurred as the pain reached a crescendo. Every cell in his body scread in protest, yet he refused to fall. The dark energy coursing through him felt alive, sentient, as if it sought to consu him from within. But amidst the chaos, a spark of clarity ignited in his mind.
'This power... it's mine to command.'
With a roar, Jack dug deeper, tapping into reserves of strength he hadn't known existed. The energy around him shifted, no longer overwhelming him but bending to his will. The formation's glow intensified, casting eerie shadows across the chamber. The air grew thick with tension, a battle of wills between Jack and the malevolent force within the formation.
Zamazo's eyes widened, his smug deanor faltering for a brief mont. "Impossible..." he muttered under his breath. The boy was doing more than surviving—he was adapting, harnessing the darkness instead of being crushed by it.
Alisha and Missy watched in stunned silence as Jack's presence seed to grow, filling the room with an aura that was both terrifying and awe-inspiring. The chaotic energy that had frightened Alisha monts ago now felt subdued, controlled.
Jack opened his eyes, and for a fleeting mont, they glowed with an otherworldly light. "Five minutes?" he rasped, his voice hoarse but steady. "I'll last as long as it takes."
Zamazo's grin returned, but this ti, it was laced with genuine respect. "We'll see," he said, his tone carrying a hint of anticipation. The true test was just beginning.
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