Throne Of The Forbidden God

The Reconstruction Process

"Aaaaaaaaaaaaaakh!"

Ravian’s scream pierced the silence of the Abyss of Soul Annihilation, louder than the howling winds that usually haunted the place. His body floated a few inches off the ground, trapped in a wildly spinning cocoon of black fire. Every second felt like a year of torture in the deepest hell.

"System! Stop! My head... it feels like it’s going to explode!" Ravian screamed in a hoarse voice.

"Synchronization of the Demon Bone Structure has reached ten percent," the System’s cold voice echoed, ignoring its host's pleas. "If I stop now, you will become a pile of boneless meat. Do you wish to return to being the trash that crawls at Kaelan Arkana’s feet?"

"D-damn you..." Ravian hissed, his tears evaporating instantly from the extreme heat. "Don’t mention... that bastard’s name!"

Crack!

The sound was so loud it echoed off the canyon walls. Ravian’s spine shattered into a dozen pieces, only to be forcibly reconnected by strands of black fire crawling into the gaps of his nerves.

"Warning: Mental pressure has reached a critical limit," the System reported flatly. "Activate Consciousness Stabilization Protocol. Host, visualize Lin Xuelan’s face. Imagine her beautiful blue dress as she stands beside your brother. Imagine her looking at you with disgust."

"Shut up! I’m already... imagining it!" Ravian gritted his teeth until his gums bled. The blood was black, thick, and smelled of sulfur.

"Good. Use that hatred as an anchor. If you lose consciousness, your soul will be cast into nothingness," the System said again. "Continuing spinal cord reconstruction. Beginning the formation of the Hell Meridians."

Ravian felt a sensation like thousands of glowing iron caterpillars crawling under his skin. His previously weak network of blood vessels began to be replaced by deep black energy pathways pulsing with wild power.

"What is this? It feels... like my blood is being replaced with boiling liquid metal!" Ravian struggled, but his hands were locked by the air pressure created by the system.

"That is the essence of eternal darkness," the System replied. "Human spirit meridians can only hold thin natural energy. Your Hell Meridians will absorb every negative emotion, pain, and death around you. You are turning into a predator, Ravian. Do not complain like prey."

"I am... not... prey!"

The first night passed in unending screams. Every time Ravian was about to lose consciousness, the System would trigger memories of his betrayal, forcing his anger to flare up again and keeping his soul awake amidst the storm of pain.

The second day began with the destruction of his internal organs. His lungs were scorched, and his heart stopped beating for several minutes as the black fire reshaped cardiac muscles capable of pumping hellish energy to every nerve ending.

"System... how long has it been?" Ravian asked weakly. His voice now sounded heavier, containing a strange, inhuman vibration.

"Twenty-six hours have passed," the System answered. "Physical condition: Forty percent human, sixty percent Forbidden Demon. Beginning reinforcement of muscle tissue and skin."

"Xuelan... she must be smiling right now," Ravian muttered, his eyes now a dull red staring into the void. "She must think... I’ve already been digested by the monsters of the abyss."

"Most likely true," the System chimed in without sympathy. "She is enjoying a lavish banquet as the future wife of the primary heir. Meanwhile, you are burning here. Is that fair, Host?"

"Of course it’s not fair!" Ravian exploded, his energy overflowing and shattering the surrounding rocks. "This world has never been fair! That’s why I will destroy the system! I will destroy every God who created these damn rules!"

"Save your energy for the third day. This is the final stage: The Demon Marrow Baptism."

The third day was the quietest suffering. There were no more screams. Ravian could only remain silent, his body stiff as a statue as the black fire seeped deep into his bone marrow, replacing every drop of his red blood cells with the essence of the Forbidden God.

His skin tone, previously pale and sickly, slowly turned healthy, but with a mysterious dark hue. The wounds all over his body vanished, leaving skin that was smooth yet as hard as steel.

"Reconstruction process one hundred percent complete," the System’s voice sounded clearer, almost proud. "Initialization of Hell Meridians: Active. Beginning physical synchronization with the gravity of the Abyss of Soul Annihilation."

The black fire enveloping Ravian slowly faded, then was sucked into the pores of his skin. Silence once again ruled the bottom of the abyss. Ravian fell to his knees, his breath heavy, creating black steam every time he exhaled.

"I... I’m still alive?" he whispered. He looked at his hands. There was no more trembling. His fingers looked strong, with nails that were slightly sharper and glinting.

"Try to stand, Host," the System commanded. "Remember your paralyzed left leg? Remember your right leg that Kaelan crushed? They are gone."

Ravian was stunned. He slowly moved his left leg. There was no dead weight of lead. There was no stabbing pain. He felt a very dense flow of energy coursing through it, ready to be detonated at any moment.

He shifted his weight onto both feet.

Step.

Ravian stood tall. For the first time in his life, he stood without the help of a cane, without leaning against a wall, and without humiliating pain. His back was perfectly straight. His head looked up toward the sky far above.

"Incredible..." Ravian clenched his fists. The power he felt was so massive, as if he could shatter a mountain with a single punch. "My legs... I can feel them. I can feel every grain of dust beneath my feet."

"Don't get too excited," the System warned. "Your body has indeed changed, but your cultivation level is still at the bottom. You have just obtained the perfect vessel; now you must fill it with power."

Ravian smiled. It was not the smile of a weak youth who usually begged for mercy. It was the cold smile of a hunter who had just found his fangs.

"You’re right. This vessel needs blood," Ravian said. His eyes flashed red in the total darkness.

Suddenly, a growling sound echoed again from behind the rocks. The Shadow Predators that had previously fled were now beginning to return, attracted by the strange and tempting scent of energy from Ravian’s body.

"They’re coming again," Ravian muttered. He felt no fear. On the contrary, his heart pounded with bloodthirsty excitement.

"First Mission Detected," the System’s voice echoed with a challenging tone. "Target: Kill ten Shadow Predators. Reward: Movement Technique 'Hell Step'. Failure: Death."

Ravian cracked his neck, creating a crisp snapping sound. "Death? That left me a long time ago, System."

One of the predators lunged from the darkness, its black fangs aiming for Ravian’s neck. Its speed was far beyond what an ordinary human could see. But in Ravian’s eyes, the movement felt slow, like an insect trapped in honey.

Ravian did not dodge. Instead, he took a step forward, his new feet treading the ground with a force that cracked the stone floor.

"Lunchtime," Ravian hissed.

His hand moved like lightning, grabbing the monster's jaw mid-air. With one powerful jerk containing the explosive force of the Hell Meridians, he tore the creature's head apart until it shattered into pieces.

The monster's black blood sprayed onto his face, but Ravian felt no disgust. Instead, he licked the blood from his lips, feeling a small amount of energy being absorbed into his body through the system.

"More!" Ravian shouted, his voice shaking the bottom of the abyss. "Bring them all to me!"

He stood there, surrounded by dozens of pairs of red eyes that were now beginning to tremble in fear. For the first time in the history of the Abyss of Soul Annihilation, the prey had turned into the most terrifying predator.