Chapter 52: Chapter 52: Devil In The Details [2]

Azrael opened his eyes to an unfamiliar ceiling, feeling the fabric of a bedsheet pressed against a chest that was not truly his.

Melissa slept naked beside him, her breathing soft in the morning light.

A small smile crept up his face, curling his lips before he even realised it was happening.

’What is this?’ he thought to himself, raising a hand to touch the corner of his mouth in mild disgust.

He was a king of the Abyss, an architect of ruin who had never comprehended basic human emotions like comfort or quiet joy.

This fragile mortal shell was already polluting his mind with its weak biological chemicals.

He pushed the blankets aside and walked into the small bathroom, looking directly into the clear glass mirror above the sink.

Black hair fell over his forehead, and red eyes stared back, glowing with a faint light.

A small scar rested quietly on the side of the neck, serving as a permanent remnant of the violence this vessel had endured.

This was him now.

The true King of Hell was trapped inside a human boy’s flesh, and the bloody path to this world’s damnation had only just started.

While he was pondering the severe limits of his new mortal body, a blue screen appeared abruptly in front of his face.

[Awakened -----> Master Progress 100%]

[You have achieved the requirements for a breakthrough.]

[Your body is changing.]

Azrael could feel the mana inside the new core rapidly increase, doubling in size and density within mere seconds as the energy flooded his veins.

It looks like even the foolish Goddess of Life could not take back the blessing she had already given to this human, and the magic was forced to adapt to the presence of his soul.

[You have reached Master]

[Name: Shane Newman]

[Age: 18]

[Stage: Master (Anomaly)]

[Rank: SS]

[Level: 50]

[Strength: 99 (Max)]

[Agility: 99 (Max)]

[Stamina: 99 (Max)]

[Intelligence: 99 (Max)]

[Mana: 99 (Max)]

[Charm: 99 (Max)]

[You have unlocked a unique skill ticket]

"What is it, my lord?" Melissa peeked from behind the bathroom door.

She leaned her chin on his bare shoulder and looked at his confused expression in the mirror.

"This floating screen of light," Azrael pointed a finger at the blue text.

"What is its purpose?"

"Those were bestowed upon the humans by their pathetic gods," she explained softly, wrapping her arms around his waist.

"They use these windows to gain new skills and keep track of their own power. But here is the truth. It is nothing more than a leash disguised as a divine gift. The gods are terrified of the unknown, so they assign numbers to strength and rank to value, making mortals believe that growth is a straight path."

"Mm," Azrael grunted, dismissing the box with a wave of his hand.

"Mortals crave strict structures because they fear the chaos of true freedom. They need a rigid system to tell them they are worthy, failing to realise that true power is not a ladder you climb, but rather an ocean you drown in."

He did not care about the system or its arbitrary numbers.

This mortal body for sure cannot withstand the true weight of his power right now.

The muscles are too tight, and the bones are far too brittle.

He needs to train this vessel to handle the Abyss before he can wield his full authority.

Thankfully, nobody could trace even a faint hint of demon essence inside him due to Raviel’s clever masking spell.

Now, all he wanted to do was retrieve Raviel’s hidden pendant and start summoning his supreme demons to conquer this world.

Later that morning, the noisy academy cafeteria was bustling with ignorant students.

Azrael walked into the large hall with Melissa by his side, and his sharp eyes immediately scanned the room to land on the golden-eyed boy.

Zephyr sat totally alone at a long wooden table.

He looked deeply confused and lost in his own thoughts.

He had already reported the night’s events to Principal Boros, including the unfortunate death of the Ray.

Since the boy had no family left, the academy administration would quietly take care of his remains.

’Mortals always blame themselves for the cruelty of fate,’ Azrael thought to himself, reading the human guilt written all over Zephyr’s face.

’He wonders what went wrong and why the boy did not wait for him in the woods. He carries the burden of the world as if every death is a personal failure, failing to understand that death is simply the only honest promise life ever makes.’

Mia was watching Zephyr from a quiet distance.

She slowly walked over and took a seat right near him.

Zephyr looked up in genuine surprise, as Mia never actually talked to anyone by her own choice.

But before they could share a quiet moment, Kiara ran up the path from the dorms and burst into the cafeteria.

She marched right over to sit beside Mia while panting hard and sweating through her uniform.

"Is he here yet?" Kiara asked, her voice filled with panic.

"Who?" Zephyr asked, clearly confused by her sudden arrival.

"That guy. The top ranker. Is he okay?" she demanded.

Zephyr looked shocked, wondering how a vampire knew about their secret mission in the woods.

Then, Azrael and Melissa walked past the double doors.

They moved side by side through the crowded room, acting like two lovers without a single care in the world.

Her pale hands were wrapped tightly around his arm, and they walked together so close you would not believe it.

They sat down at an empty table to eat.

Zephyr stood up, wanting to confront the boy about the horrors of the previous night and demand answers.

But before he could even take a step, Kiara walked up fast and moved right near Azrael’s chair.

"What the hell are you thinking?" Kiara snapped, lifting her boot to kick the back of his chair hard.

Azrael slowly turned his head and looked back at her.

He kept his red eyes emotionless, as he felt nothing but mild annoyance at a loud insect buzzing in his ear.

"What do you mean?" he asked, his voice flat and cold.

"Where were you last night?" she asked, leaning down so only their table could hear her accusations.

"Your blood was acting strange. It was boiling and thrashing, and I could feel the agony through our pact."

Blood is the river of life that carries the burden of sins and memories.

"Why do you care?" he asked simply.

He turned his back to her and picked up his fork to start eating the tasteless human food.

"Oh, you are playing dumb now," Kiara growled, her noble pride deeply wounded by his careless dismissal.

"Then I will just cut off your family’s medicine next month. Let us see how you act then."

Kiara bluffed, expecting him to beg or negotiate.

She expected the desperate human who would do anything for his sick sister.

But Azrael did not get angry, nor did he offer a plea for mercy. 𝒇𝙧𝙚𝓮𝔀𝓮𝒃𝙣𝓸𝒗𝒆𝒍.𝙘𝒐𝒎

He simply swallowed his bite of food and replied with indifference.

"Let them die."

Both Mia and Zephyr’s eyes widened upon hearing that.

The golden-eyed hero stared at the back of the boy’s head, a chill running down his spine.

Something is definitely wrong.