The Outcast God System: Rise of the Cursed Heir

Glitches in the Dark

The Abyssal Alpha Bone Wolf lunged, its shadow momentarily eclipsing his body before its massive claws slammed into the ground exactly where he had been standing. He rolled to the side, feeling a sharp gust of wind that sliced through several strands of his hair. This creature was far faster and stronger than its pack.

"System, provide an analysis!" he shouted internally while stabilizing his stance. Abyssal Alpha Bone Wolf. Power Level: Spirit Gathering Stage - Level 8. Warning: The host's current physical strength is insufficient for a direct collision.

"Who cares about a direct collision?" He smirked, even though the corner of his lip was torn and bleeding. "I just need it to touch me."

The wolf growled, a sound that vibrated deep within its chest. It wasted no time and lunged again.

This time, it used its spiked bone tail like a whip. He intentionally didn't dodge completely. He let the tail lash his left arm, tearing flesh down to the bone.

"AAAAKH!"

Warning: Bone damage to the left arm detected. Activating Pain Conversion Engine. +400 EXP... +400 EXP...

The pain was excruciating, as if his arm were being burned alive, but at the same time, the Void energy within his body surged violently. He gripped the wolf's tail with his intact right hand. Black lines beneath his skin glowed brightly. "Void Absorption... active!"

A current of black energy flowed from his palm, forcibly draining the life essence from the Alpha. The creature howled in agony, trying to pull its tail away, but he wouldn't let go. He was a leech thirsty for life.

They wrestled on the rocky ground until a violent impact threw them both into a narrow passage that sloped sharply downward.

They slid down, hitting stone walls until they finally landed in a vast cavern chamber. A dim purple light enveloped the place, originating from strange crystals growing on the ceiling.

The Alpha Bone Wolf tried to stand, but its body was too withered from the drained energy. With one final blow reinforced by Void energy, he crushed its skull. Target destroyed. +1500 EXP. Congratulations. Host has ascended to Spirit Gathering Stage - Level 7.

He lay there panting beside the monster's carcass. However, the relief didn't last long. He began to feel something strange.

The air in this room didn't feel cold like the rest of the abyss. The air here felt... stinging. His skin began to redden, and every hair on his body felt as if it were being surged with painful static electricity.

Warning! Warning!

The system's voice suddenly became noisy, more urgent than usual.

Detected Ancient Essence Radiation. Danger level: Lethal. Host's molecular structure is at risk of collapse. Immediate evacuation of this area is advised within 60 seconds.

"Radiation?" He tried to stand, but his legs felt weak. "What do you mean?"

This area is an energy leak zone from the core of the abyss. Ordinary cultivators would crumble into dust within minutes because their bodies cannot withstand the burden of this unstable energy.

He looked toward the purple crystals above. They weren't just glowing; they were pulsing. Each pulse sent a wave of heat that tore through his pores. Blood began to seep out from his pores not from a wound, but from the overwhelming energy pressure. Time remaining: 45 seconds. Cellular damage is occurring.

"Wait..." He paused, enduring the stinging pain that began to crawl across his entire body. "System, you said any pain would be converted into power, right?"

In theory, yes. However, this radiation will destroy your internal organs faster than the system's current regeneration speed.

He leaned his back against the hot crystal wall. A mad idea formed in his mind an idea that could only occur to someone who had nothing left to lose.

"If I continue to take constant damage from this radiation... wouldn't that mean I'd gain non-stop EXP?" he asked in a raspy voice. Warning: That is a suicidal act. The system does not recommend using this glitch because the host's mental threshold may not be able to withstand prolonged pain.

"A glitch? So this really is a glitch?" He laughed, though the laugh ended in a cough of blood. "This world never gave me justice, System. His father was betrayed, his mother murdered, his sister imprisoned... and he was born without talent. If I have to become a 'cheat' to destroy them all, then so be it!"

He sat cross-legged right in the center of the brightest part of the room. The heat was unbearable. It felt as if every inch of his flesh was being sliced by millions of tiny, invisible knives.

"Activate Pain Conversion Engine. Don't turn it off. Let this radiation destroy me, and let your system rebuild me!" Command accepted. Activating Extreme Cultivation Mode: Pain Conversion Loop. Detecting constant damage... +10 EXP... +10 EXP... +15 EXP... +20 EXP...

"Aaaaggghhh!"

His eyes bulged wide. The pain far exceeded the time he formed the Void Meridians. This was pure, relentless agony. He felt as if his brain were boiling inside his skull.

The image of a weeping Elara and Kael's arrogant face were the only things keeping him conscious amidst this energy storm.

Warning: Energy pressure reaching maximum limit. Host's body is beginning to experience fractures in the bone structure.

"More!" he screamed, his voice barely audible amidst the roar of energy in the room. "Give me... more!"

Time seemed to lose its meaning. Day and night did not exist at the bottom of this abyss; there was only a horrific cycle of destruction and recovery. Every time his cells were destroyed by the radiation, the system forced them to grow back stronger, denser, and hungrier for energy.

One day passed...

His body no longer looked human. His skin blackened, then peeled away, replaced by a new layer with a metallic purple tint. He no longer screamed. His voice was gone. He could only take shallow breaths, savoring every second of this hell.

Two days passed...

His consciousness began to waver. He stood on the threshold between madness and enlightenment. He began to see the flow of energy in the air no longer as a threat, but as food. The Void Meridians within his body spun like a violent whirlpool, swallowing every particle of radiation that tried to destroy him.

"I... will not lose..." he whispered to the void. "Kael... you gave me this abyss... thank you for the gift." Three days passed...

Suddenly, a massive explosion of energy occurred within his chest. All the pain that had been accumulating abruptly vanished, replaced by an incredibly cold silence. The system's mechanical voice sounded crystal clear, as if echoing from another dimension. Initial Evolution Complete.

Unnatural rank jump detected. Initializing energy stabilization... Congratulations, Host. You have reached: Spirit Gathering Stage - Level 9 (Peak).

He opened his eyes. The purple light in the room was no longer blinding; now, it felt dim compared to the energy radiating from his own body. He stood up, and the movement caused dust and dead skin to fall away, revealing a new body that was much sturdier and filled with a thick aura of death.

He clenched his fist. The power he felt now... this was no longer the strength of a crippled teenager. This was power born from the deepest core of suffering.

"Level nine," he muttered. "It only took three days in this hell to achieve what usually takes years for the 'geniuses' of that clan."

He walked toward the cave exit, each step leaving a trail of cracks on the stone floor. He stared into the darker depths of the abyss, where the auras of far more terrifying monsters began to be felt.

Warning: Host is now entering the middle zone of the Forbidden Abyss. High-level entities detected.

He didn't stop. Instead, he quickened his pace. The pain he had felt had left a permanent mark on his soul a hunger that would never be satisfied until he saw the Arbian Clan razed to the ground.

"Good," he said, staring into the darkness ahead. "The stronger the monster, the faster I can return to the surface."

However, his steps halted when he heard a voice. Not a monster's growl, nor the system's voice. It was the echo of a little girl's voice calling his name from behind the cold stone walls.

"Big brother... help me..."

His heart pounded. "Elara?"