Throne Of The Forbidden God

Contract of Blood and Darkness

The pain that had just been shattering his body suddenly vanished, replaced by an emptiness so cold it felt like it was burning. Ravian opened his eyes, but he did not see the rocks of the Abyss of Soul Annihilation. He did not see the Shadow Predators. There was only an eternal darkness stretching out without limit.

"Where am I? Am I... truly dead?" Ravian whispered. His voice was no longer hoarse  instead, it echoed clearly in that void.

"You are in the Zero Consciousness Space. The threshold between existence and annihilation," a formless voice replied. It was cold, flat, and vibrated with undeniable authority.

Ravian tried to move his hands. He saw his body or at least the projection of his soul floating in the midst of the darkness. "That voice again. You... the Forbidden God System?"

"Correct, Host. I am the legacy of an entity that has been erased from the history of the Astrala Continent. I am the answer for those who have been rejected by the heavens."

Ravian laughed bitterly. "Rejected by the heavens? That’s a nice term for a defective piece of trash like me. So, what do you want from me? Why save me?"

"I did not save you, Ravian Arkana. I only provided a choice. This system requires a vessel possessing pure hatred to contain the energy of Hell. In this entire continent, at this moment, no one hates the world more than you."

"Hatred..." Ravian clenched his fists. Images of Kaelan’s face as he stepped on his foot and Xuelan’s look of disgust flashed like lightning. "Yes, I hate them. I want to destroy every inch of the glory they take pride in."

"A fine desire. However, power does not come without a price. Are you ready to pay that price?"

Ravian looked toward the source of the voice, which seemed to come from all directions. "Tell me. What is the price? My life? I almost lost that just now."

"More than just your life. The price is your humanity. If you accept this contract, you will no longer be part of the human order you once knew. You will become a predator to cultivators. You will be an enemy to those who call themselves orthodox. You will never taste peace again."

"Peace?" Ravian spat into the darkness. "This world never gave me peace when I was a good man. They insulted me, broke my bones, and threw me here when I was no longer useful. If becoming a demon is the only way to make them beg for mercy, then I will do it gladly."

"A very logical decision. However, there is one more thing. Your current physical body... is too weak. Too disgusting to hold even a single drop of the Forbidden God’s energy."

Ravian was stunned. "What do you mean?"

"Your defective spirit meridians are trash. Your fragile bones are a burden. To become the Heir of Hell, your human body must be completely destroyed. We will remodel it from zero. Every inch of your flesh will be burned, every bone will be broken and reconnected with black fire. This process will make the pain you felt at the edge of the abyss feel like a mosquito bite."

"You want to destroy me to rebuild me?" Ravian asked with a trembling tone.

"Exactly. I will give you Hell Meridians. An energy pathway that does not draw power from the universe, but from the suffering and death of your opponents. You will grow by preying on those who consider you trash. How about it? Do you still wish to proceed, or would you rather die peacefully at the bottom of this abyss as a failed human?"

Ravian fell silent for a moment. He thought of his father who ignored him. He thought of Xuelan, who betrayed their childhood promise for the sake of reputation. He thought of Kaelan, who laughed as he threw him to his death. If he died now, they won. They would live happily upon his suffering.

"To hell with humanity," Ravian hissed. His eyes glinted with an eerie red light. "I don’t need peace. I need fangs. I need the strength to rip all their throats out."

"Confirmation received. Initiating the signing of the Eternal Blood Contract."

Suddenly, a massive black scroll appeared before him. The scroll was not made of paper, but of thick smoke that radiated an aura of death. In the center, there was an empty seal waiting to be filled.

"Drop your soul essence there," the System commanded. "With this, you officially become the sole Host of the Forbidden God System. There is no turning back. Betrayal of this contract means permanent soul annihilation."

Without a shred of hesitation, Ravian moved his hand. Even though he was in soul form, he could feel his will manifesting a drop of blood-red light that emerged from his chest. The light floated and touched the seal on the black scroll.

Wuuush!

Black fire exploded from the scroll, consuming the entire consciousness space. A heavy, ancient laughter seemed to echo in the background, celebrating the birth of a new monster.

"Contract bound. The identity of 'Weak Ravian' has been erased from the system of fate."

"Now, give me that power!" Ravian shouted amidst the blazing black flames.

"Patience, Host. This evolutionary process requires extraordinary mental fortitude. Remember the reason you chose this path when the pain comes. If you faint, your soul will shatter, and I will seek a new, more worthy host."

"I won't faint! I won't die before I see Kaelan’s head under my feet!"

"Good. Let us begin the first stage: Total Deconstruction."

Ravian felt his consciousness being pulled back to the real world at a terrifying speed. The sensation of falling hit him again. In an instant, he once again felt the cold of the bottom of the Abyss of Soul Annihilation. He felt the Shadow Predators preparing to pounce on him.

However, before those monsters could touch him, something extraordinary happened.

From within his solar plexus, a spark of black fire appeared. The spark was small, but its temperature was so extreme that the ground beneath Ravian’s body began to melt.

"What is this... it’s so hot... Aaaagh!"

Ravian howled as the black fire began to crawl out of his veins. He could see his skin starting to crack like dry earth in the summer heat. From those cracks, a blinding black light radiated outward.

"System! What is happening?"

"This is the Baptism of Hellfire," the System’s voice echoed again, this time feeling much closer, as if it were whispering right in Ravian’s ear. "This fire is burning away every useless human cell. It is obliterating your shattered spirit meridians to make room for the Hell Meridians."

Ravian tried to stand, but he fell back down. It felt as if thousands of hot needles were being driven into every nerve in his body simultaneously. He could hear the sound of his broken bones beginning to explode one by one under the pressure of the incredibly dense energy.

"Stop... the pain... it’s too much..."

"Remember Xuelan, Ravian. Remember her face as she turned her back on you," the System’s voice deliberately triggered his memories. "Remember Kaelan’s kick that crushed your ribs. Will you give up now? Will you let them win?"

"No..." Ravian gritted his teeth until one of them cracked. The blood coming from his mouth was no longer red, but pitch black and emitting hot steam. "I... will not... give up!"

The black fire grew even more violent. Now, Ravian’s entire body was enveloped in a cocoon of fire that soared high into the abyss sky. The shadow predators that had wanted to prey on him now fled in terror, frightened by the aura of an apex predator that had just been born.

Ravian felt his heart stop beating for a moment. Inside his chest, a jet-black core began to form, pulsing with a rhythm synchronized with his new heartbeat.

"Deconstruction process complete. Initiating the stage of reconstruction for the Hell Meridians and Demon Bone Structure."

"Ugh... aaaakh!"

Ravian felt an even more horrific sensation. If before he felt his body being destroyed, now he felt his body being stitched back together with glowing barbed wire. His shattered bones began to knit together, but with a density far exceeding steel. His new meridians began to spread like powerful tree roots, piercing through every corner of his flesh and internal organs.

The pain reached its peak. Ravian’s vision went white. His consciousness was on the brink. However, every time he almost gave up, the whisper of vengeance in his heart reignited the fire of his spirit.

"Keep enduring, Heir," the System murmured. "This is only the beginning of your magnificent suffering."

The black fire exploded once more, creating a shockwave that collapsed several cliffs around the bottom of the abyss. In the center of the resulting crater, Ravian’s body rose into the air, shrouded by an aura of darkness so thick that even the light from outside seemed to be swallowed into it.

The transformation process had just entered its most dangerous stage.