Astral villain system: The saint's demonic ascension

CHAPTER SIX

Theon's eyes drifted open, a burst of russet and fire visible in them. He inhaled deeply, a manic smile playing by the corner of his lips.

He looked at his hands. Healed. The rifts, black lines, weird veins, all gone. Skin flawless and smooth. If anything, he appeared younger than before, just like those tales of witches who drain other people's energies to maintain everlasting youth.

The dark energy around him had thinned considerably, even the creatures hitting the barrier had gotten weaker after their energies got drained alongside the netherworld wasteland's energy.

Theon closed his eyes, and inhaled deeply. He could see it clearly. Inside his core, the little golden seed recovered from the black worm had gotten bigger. In his blood were streaks of golden light.

His divine bloodline was slowly awakening after more than fifteen years of dormancy! Just that this time, the body it powered had none of the bright righteousness the Dravorn family was known for.

“Heaven's path second tier.” Theon's eyes shone on seeing the purity of the aegis flowing through his meridians. Due to his stagnation, he had made the library his home, immersed in self learning. Hell, he knew more than most teachers of the Nyxar dominion.

“Don't rejoice yet.” The system poured ice into his excitement. “You only broke through so fast because you were in the netherworld wasteland. There's an abundance of negative aura here. With your powerful physique helping you keep together as you transform it, it was only a matter of how fast you could absorb without falling apart. Once you leave here, it will be different. Energy isn't that abundant. Unless you plan to go about exterminating clans to generate resentful energy for your absorption.”

Something flashed in Theon's eyes, maybe calculation, maybe hunger.

“Is that so? Since this place is the most perfect for cultivation, I can't leave without making the most of it now, could I?”

His eyes went to the cracking barrier and the surviving beasts, blinded by the scent of blood, still trying to get in.

“Warning!” The system beeped. “The barrier might break apart any moment. Formation root destabilized.”

Theon stood up, quickly adjusting his blood soaked shirt. “You mentioned that the system welcome pack could only be accessed once I reach heaven's path. I'm already there.”

A blue screen appeared before him, showcasing the system welcome gifts he got. Only two still had the ‘locked’ symbol attached to them.

He tapped on a spear image. Almost immediately, the spear manifested in his hand, made from a heaven grade gubar iron. Basically, a heaven grade artifact. It felt heavy, but usable, its tip glistening and waiting for blood.

He tapped on another icon, two gloves appeared on his hand.

Almost immediately, the barrier finally shattered.

The owl-lion creature lunged at him. Theon answered with a vicious strike to the head. The creature howled, others paused, surprised on seeing such a strong entity messed up by a human.

Theon grinned broadly at it. “It's been nearly seven hours, yet you persevered on my trail. Tell me, are you in love with me?”

“Yiii!” The creature screeched, claws extended, diving towards him.

With a movement technique Theon once learned but failed to implement due to his poor cultivation, he bent at an awkward angle, the spear splitting the creature diagonally, from the neck, down to the waist line.

The strike was vicious, precise. Zero hesitation, and went straight to the beast’s core. Theon’s previous years were spent reading. Of course, he knew numerous deadly creatures and where to make the killing blow.

He swept up the fallen beast core. Some meters away, the shocked creatures finally snapped out of it. Sure, the prolonged prowling and losing of essence took a toll on the owl-lion, but a mere human shouldn't be able to kill it in two strikes. Especially one so weak. Who the hell was he? Or was it his weapon?

Five of the creatures howled and rushed at him together. The rest took the hint and circled him, pouncing on him with feral intensity.

But there was no trace of fear on his face despite being outnumbered. Just precision, cold calculation, the screech of his foot sliding against the sand following his footwork, and the whoosh of the spear, dancing around the battlefield.

******

By the time Theon was done, his body was blood soaked, sweat dripping down in thick rivulets. Blood was dripping down the tip of his spear.

Thane looked around him, at the mountain of corpses surrounding him. Even monsters above heaven's path phase died under his hands. Of course, he didn't leave unscathed.

His skin was torn open again. This time, by multiple claws and teeth, leaving bloody gashes. But he didn't feel the pain. All he smelt was blood, and the rush of power rushing into his body.

[Ding! Hatred points increased to one thousand]

[Ding! Hatred point increased to one thousand three hundred]

[Ding! Hatred point increasing to one thousand eight hundred. You're almost at the bloodlust threshold where your presence attracts animosity from demonic beasts]

Ding!

Ding!

Ding!

With each beep of the system, power rushed into his body. He stretched out his right hand absorbing the lingering resentment left by the beasts before they died, alongside their beast cores.

Something in his lower belly was pulsing hard, like a pot about to boil over. He felt the thud against his prime meridian, then a warm rush of power.

Heaven's path, fourth tier. Each cultivation level was divided into five minor bridges. Which means that if he worked hard enough, his next breakthrough would be to the next phase. The grandmaster level.

Theon chuckled, his shoulders shaking. It soon became a full blown laughter, echoing all around the quickly darkening wasteland. “So this is what it feels like to be strong. Fucking great!”

In the distance, a powerful growl reverberated. Theon began to move. There was no time. Once it was dark, powerful territorial demons of the wasteland would come out for night hunt. Before then, he should be gone, with trails erased.

Following instructions from the system, he ignored his unstable meridians and hurried to find the portal.

Something frightening happened without Theon's knowledge. The blood on the spear all disappeared, swallowed by the mysterious artifact. But for now, finding the portal was more important.

*****

NYXAR DOMINION, DARK FOREST (Academy's forbidden ground.)

Students with torchlights surrounded Archmage Solvyn who was standing before the Netherworld platform, face stoic, hands behind his back as he watched the portal.

“It's here. I saw that trash unlock the portal and jump in.” Someone shouted.

Theon had been reported missing, and investigation led the academy to the portal.

The expression on Solvyn’s face was indecipherable, just watching the portal steadily. “Fine. Since there is no conclusive evidence he's trapped here, I will have to close the gap in the portal and strengthen the seal.”

Something cold and triumphant settled behind his eyes, even as he pasted a sorrowful expression on his face.

The students moved fast, bringing forth the items as if they've been waiting years for it.

A loud rumble suddenly came from the portal, like the roar of a mighty beast. Solvyn's eyes narrowed, quickly gathering battle aegis on his palm.

Students ducked behind barriers, hands going to weapons, eyes glinting cautiously.

Pah! Gasps followed. Then shock. Some people’s faces turned white, like they’d seen a ghost. It was Theon Dravorn. And his appearance here didn't make sense. He should have died.

Theon noticed them too, his eyes sweeping through the audience lying in wait. Almost immediately, a soft ‘ding’ came from the system.

“First mission issued. The host is required to frame two people for murder. And the damage intensity must last for at least a year to be considered effective.”

Theon's eyes narrowed sharply, moving through the gathered people like a predator weighing his prey.

His lips curved slightly upward in a secret smirk. Victim found. It was time to farm hatred.