Demon Core Exorcist

2. Valak, The Whispering Demon

Nathan didn't know when, but a hand had already gone through his stomach. In shock, he looked down to see the grey-skinned arm with sharp, long black nails through his body.

His vision was blurry, and his gaze became unfocused. In the distance, he could see the silhouette of a man, about twenty-three years of age. He had black hair, but his facial features could not be seen.

Just like Nathan, the man had a grey arm going through his stomach. His face couldn't be seen, but from the slight tilt of his mouth, it was obvious that the man was smiling.

Looming over him was a horned shadow, with a mocking grin on its face. The shadows cleared, at the face became visible, its red eyes staring at Nathan, its mocking grin more profound.

"Run, Nathan"

The man with an arm through his stomach said through burps of blood. The grin on the face of the demon became more profound.

"Yes, run Nathan, or I, Valak, will kill you"

"No"

Nathan's eyes became focused again. He turned his head to look at the smirking Valak. It was like Valak was having a kick out of seeing Nathan suffering.

"If I'm going to die, then I'm taking you with me"

Valak grinned as he removed his hand from Nathan's stomach, leaving behind a fist-sized hole.

Nathan fell to his knees and started forming hand seals, determination never leaving his face.

"Let's see what you can do, Nathan, my boy"

Valak was never afraid of Nathan. After all, he had been stalking Nathan for five years now, so he knew that Nathan had just awakened a few days ago. So with his measly novice core, there was nothing that Nathan could do, which would be alarming to him.

Nathan ignored the condescending look that Valak was giving him and continued forming hand seals in fast succession.

Two years ago, right before he left his father's house, he went into his dad's library and took a book. Not just any book, but a book that his father cherished to the point of hiding it in a safe.

He took the book and studied its contents of the book before running away from home.

What were the contents of the book, you may ask? It was a skill book, a skill book that held a very powerful skill.

And it was the hand seals for this skill that Nathan was performing.

Valak still had the mocking grin on his face as he looked at Nathan performing the hand seals. He had studied humanity for a while, so he was sure that he knew most of the skills of humanity. But he just couldn't seem to recognise the skill Nathan was trying to use.

Suddenly, the wind flowed faster, and the neon lights flickered. Valak suddenly had a bad premonition.

"This is bad"

"Too late...."

Nathan grinned as a glyph formed above his hand that had just finished forming the last seal. It was in the shape of an open maw with multiple rows of sharp teeth.

"Devourers' Maw"

Hearing the word that came out of Nathan's mouth, Valak was no longer grinning,

"How did this brat get this skill?"

Normal glyphs glowed golden, representing purification and holiness, but this glyph glowed a fierce red colour as blood started coming out from Nathan's eyes, nose and ears.

Valak was alarmed. Because he underestimated Nathan, he had not set up any defences, he didn't expect Nathan to possess such a skill, talk, more be able to perform the skill.

He was never afraid of dying anyway, but never thought he would die like this. Valak was resigned to his fate.

From the open maw glyph, a beam of red, the size of a human man, was shot out. Everything it made contact with was absorbed, more like the important parts were absorbed.

And as if by coincidence, Nathan's phone was also absorbed.

The red beam made contact with Valak, and he was being taken apart piece by piece. It should be extremely painful, but Valak made no sound. The useless parts of his body, as decided by the skill, were incinerated, while the useful parts flowed through the beam towards Nathan.

The useful parts included his heart, his core, his bones, organs that were compatible with Nathan, his horns and, surprisingly, a piece of his soul.

All of this was compressed into what looked like a ping pong-sized red ruby colored core, beautiful to the core.

The core flowed through the beam and made contact with what were deemed the useful parts of Nathan's phone.

The two materials fused, and the colour of the orb changed to a jade blue colour with glowing white circuits on its body. The core was the size of a ping pong ball and floated towards Nathan.

All of this happened in the space of a few minutes. By the time the skill was over, the jade blue orb had already shot into Nathan's body through the hole in his stomach.

Nathan didn't notice it and slumped to the ground.

"This wasn't how my journey was supposed to end"

He was reluctant, but he closed his eyes, embracing his death and fell unconscious.

At this point, a glowing blue HUD-like screen appeared in front of him.

[ALERT: SYSTEM INTEGRATION HAS BEGUN]

[PROGRESS:0/100%]

[DOWNLOADING SYSTEM FUNCTIONS]

[ASSIMILATING INFORMATION FROM WEB]

[PROGRESS: 57/100%]

[UPLOADING SYSTEM INFORMATION]

[INTEGRATING DEMONIC CORE]

[PROGRESS: 73/100%]

[SEALING UNSTABLE ENERGIES]

[HEALING WOUNDS]

[PROGRESS: 100/100%]

[ALERT: SYSTEM INTERGRTION SUCCESSFUL]

[ALERT: HOST HAS GAINED "THE DEMONCORE EXORCIST SYSTEM"]

[ALERT: CONGRATULATIONS]

Of course, Nathan was unable to see any of these.

It was at this point that a jade blue, almost violet light covered Nathan. His wound started healing at a pace visible to the human eye.

But it didn't stop there. Nathan was originally very handsome, but the blue light took it a step further. He was now a whole lot more muscular, not very buff, but lean. All his muscles were defined and chiselled as if sculpted by an expert.

Even though he was lying on the ground, it was obvious that his height had increased by a few centimetres. If he was previously like a TV star, now he was the goal of most TV stars.

The light receded into his body and everywhere became quiet and still. If not for the steady breathing of Nathan, nobody would know that there was someone here or that a battle took place here.

****

A pair of heavy eyelids fluttered open, staring at the white ceiling in front of them. The previously brown eyes were now a slight violet colour, staring at their surroundings.

"Am I in hell?"

Nathan's thoughts were said out loud as he sat up on the bed, taking in his surroundings. This was his room.

"Then I'm in heaven because there's no way something this amazing will be in hell"

It was at this point that a young boy rushed into the room.

He was about six feet one inch tall, with black hair and blue eyes, under a pair of rectangular glasses. Worry was written on his face as he sat down on the bed beside Nathan.

"Jin.. then am I not in hell?"

"What the hell are you talking about?"

Jin was exasperated.

"You leave for the whole day without telling anyone, and I find you passed out in an alley that looked like a warzone. What happened to you?"

From what Jin said, Nathan was able to deduce a few things.

"So I'm not dead"

Nathan said again, trying to understand what was going on.

"Of course not, what are you talking about?"

It was at this point that Nathan quickly raised his shirt, and what he saw made him speechless.

'The hole is gone'

Nathan was sure now, something had happened while he was passed out, thinking he had died.

"Just freshen up, I'll make us something to eat"

Jin finally gave up and left the room. Nathan was saying a whole lot of confusing things, and he, Jin, did not want to stress his brain. After all, he had an exam to prepare for in the next three days.

With Jin gone, Nathan had some time to gather his thoughts, and he had come to a conclusion: after killing Valak, he somehow managed to miraculously survive.

"Shut the f*ck up, brat, you didn't kill me"

Nathan heard a voice, like someone was speaking directly into his mind.

"Who's there?"

Nathan was cautious; he was ready to get into a fighting stance immediately.

"It's me, your uncle Valak"

"Valak? where?"

Nathan looked around but couldn't see anyone. Just hearing that name made him angry beyond belief.

"Inside you"

He heard a teasing voice, as if the person speaking was waiting to see his reaction and burst out laughing.

And to be sincere, it was working.

Valak was the source of Nathan's five years of trauma, and to hear that he was inside him made him angry beyond belief.

It was at this point that changes started happening in his body.