Devouring Dragon Heir-Chapter 16: Ch New Quest

Klaus slowly became aware again. His body, which had been wracked with pain just hours before, now felt different. A deep hum of energy filled his muscles and veins, buzzing beneath his skin.

It was a new feeling, like a powerful engine had just started inside him. He slowly opened his eyes, blinking at the dim light in the room. He realized he was on the floor, next to his bed.

He pushed himself up, his limbs moving with surprising ease, almost lighter than before. As he sat up, he noticed a strange, sticky black substance covering his skin. It was thick, like goo, and had a faint, earthy smell mixed with something metallic.

He touched his arm, and the dark goo came off on his fingers. These were impurities, waste products, his body had been holding onto.

The pills had worked, not just changing him, but deeply cleaning him from the inside out. It was a clear sign of the intense transformation he had just endured.

He stood up, feeling a new kind of vitality flowing through him. The aches were gone. He walked towards the small washroom in his room.

He needed a shower to wash away the unpleasant goo. As the cool water streamed over his skin, he felt even more energized, the last traces of the night’s agony washing away, replaced by a sense of raw power.

While the water ran, he decided to make use of the time. He focused his mind and called up the system panel. His mind was clear now, ready to absorb new information. He opened the [Laws] panel.

The screen showed a list of ten different elements. Each one had "0%" next to it, showing he had not yet mastered any of them.

[Laws]

WIND - 0%

FIRE - 0%

WATER - 0%

EARTH - 0%

ICE - 0%

SHADOW - 0%

LIGHT - 0%

THUNDER - 0%

TIME - 0%

SPACE - 0%

Klaus stared at the list. A question formed in his mind, something he had never expected.

Do I have an affinity for every single one of these elements? It seemed impossible. In this world, most mages were lucky to have an affinity for one or two elements. Only truly rare talents might have three. Having all ten felt like a cheat, a power far beyond what he knew was normal.

[Yes, host. You have been given the highest level of affinity with all the elements. This means you can practice all of them together. However, it is advised to pick up one or at most two basic elements first. This is important keeping in mind your immediate priorities, helping you gain strength quickly and efficiently.]

Klaus looked at the list again, feeling a bit overwhelmed by the choice. It was a huge advantage, but also a complex decision.

He voiced another question that had been lingering in his thoughts, a doubt from his experiences and readings.

"System, are these the only elements in the universe? I’ve heard stories and legends. Shouldn’t there be a holy element or a demonic element? I have heard of churches and demon worshipers who use these. Also, I’ve heard of seers who can have an affinity to fate. Are those other elements simply not available for me?"

["Host, those are something called concepts. Concepts are advanced forms of laws and elements. They are deeper, more complex powers derived from the basic elements and fundamental universal laws.

A concept can only be fully understood and mastered once your comprehension of the basic laws grows to an advanced stage. Only after achieving a significant understanding of the core elements can a being begin to grasp and wield these concepts."]

Klaus thought about this. It made sense that there were higher, more complex levels of power beyond the simple elements he saw listed.

This system was far more intricate than just elemental magic. But then, he remembered something else about power in this world.

"Then why do certain beings, who are not even at that advanced level, seem able to use these concepts? I’ve heard of powerful demonic creatures or ancient bloodlines wielding powers that sound like what you call concepts."

[These concepts can be inherited through bloodline. For example, in vampires, the energy they control is blood. This ’blood’ concept was comprehended and mastered by their ancient ancestors.

Because of this, their descendants can use it through their bloodline, even if they don’t fully understand the underlying laws themselves.

This is also the reason the power division among such races is often based upon the purity of their bloodline. Greater bloodline purity means a stronger, more direct connection to and control over the inherited concept.]

Klaus finished his shower. He turned off the water, grabbed a towel, and dried himself thoroughly. His body felt completely new, light, and incredibly responsive.

The brutal transformation had been worth it. He felt packed with a quiet, humming power, ready for anything. He quickly pulled on some clean clothes.

"Alright," he said, deciding to put aside the complex topic of concepts for now. "I guess that’s a headache for later." He knew he needed to focus on immediate strength first.

He turned his attention back to the system panel. He wanted to see how his skills had changed, and what new abilities he now possessed.

"Open the skills window," he commanded.

[DING!] The screen shifted, displaying his skills and traits.

-------------------------------------------------

[SKILLS]

F RANK - Passive Aggro

E RANK - Slash

D RANK - Swift Step

B RANK - Herculean Strength, Haunt

MYTH RANK - Dragon’s Might

DIVINE RANK - Origin Absorption, Dragon God’s Sight

---------------

[TRAITS] freēwēbηovel.c૦m

C RANK - Natural Hunter

B RANK - Roach

-------------------------------------------------

Klaus’s eyes scanned the list.

"I have two Divine skills now, huh?" he murmured to himself. The thought brought a surge of potent satisfaction.

Origin Absorption, his unique power to take abilities from others, and now Dragon God’s Sight, a new ability to perceive the unseen. These two divine skills felt like an unstoppable combination.

They were core to his being, tools for his ultimate goal.

the new haunt skill was absorbed from the man he had killed earlier

His eyes then moved down the screen, landing on the "Traits" section. His gaze fixed on Roach (B). An annoying, almost disgusted expression settled on his face.

This trait was a constant, bitter reminder of the Heavenly Will’s nasty game, of his five years of desperate struggle. He wanted it gone.

"System," he asked, his voice low and firm, a hint of his deep-seated anger returning. "Can I remove this trait, Roach?"

[Ding! 10 Dragon Points will be deducted! Would you like to proceed]

Klaus didn’t hesitate for a second. He had 1000 Dragon Points from the newbie gift pack. 10 points were a tiny price to pay to get rid of such a hateful mark.

"Do so, please!" he commanded.

[DING!] Another notification flashed on the screen.

[Trait - Roach has been extracted from the host and has been transferred to the Inventory!]

"To the Inventory??" Klaus was genuinely surprised.

He had expected the trait to simply vanish, to be erased from existence. He hadn’t thought it could be extracted and stored. He immediately opened his [Inventory] panel.

The screen showed a vast, seemingly empty grid of columns and rows, indicating an infinite storage space.

In one of the columns, a small, dark, mysterious orb had appeared.

It pulsed faintly "Will I be able to absorb the trait again with the help of the orb, can I make others absorb the trait?"

[affirmative]

He smiled wryly,

"I guess I still don’t know much about this world"

he mumbled to himself. The system was full of hidden features, and the world itself held more secrets than he could have imagined.

This confirmed his earlier thought.

The system had more layers than he initially realized. He knew he needed to understand the ’Sacrifice & Fuse’ function next, especially since it was where he might use these strange orbs.

"Please show me the Sacrifice and Fuse feature," he requested, his curiosity piqued.

A new panel opened in front of Klaus, replacing the inventory screen.

It looked very much like the crafting or alchemy interfaces he had seen in video games in his previous life.

There were clear, empty boxes on the screen, obviously meant for placing items or even skills. Below these boxes, two distinct buttons glowed brightly.

One labeled [Fuse], and the other [Sacrifice]. The interface was clean and remarkably user-friendly, easy to understand at a glance.

He could immediately see the potential here. He could turn useless items into valuable draw points, or combine existing items and skills to create new, more powerful ones. The possibilities were endless.

As Klaus was still looking at this interesting interface, a new, sudden DING! Sounded in his mind. It was louder, more urgent, more attention-grabbing than any of the previous notifications.

[DING!! A Main Quest has been assigned!!]

Klaus’s eyes snapped to the screen. A new, larger panel had appeared, overlaying everything else. Its words were stark and clear, impossible to ignore.

---------------------

[MAIN QUEST: Revenge Against the Heavenly Will]

Difficulty - SSS

Description - The Heavenly Will of a lower world has dared to toy with the sole inheritor of the Devouring Dragon. Make it regret its choice!

Task - Defeat the Heavenly Will.

Reward - ?????

Time Limit - None

Failure Penalty - Death

------------------------------

Klaus stared at the quest screen. An SSS difficulty quest. This was the highest rank he knew. The reward was unknown, but the question marks screamed of a significant reward.

The failure penalty was death, absolute and final. But the description... "make it regret its choice!" It perfectly echoed his burning fury, his newly forged life purpose.

This wasn’t just a system quest assigned by some abstract code. This felt like a direct challenge, a personal mission from the very core of his being. It was exactly what he wanted.

A smile, cold and unyielding, slowly spread across his face. It was not a happy smile, but one of grim resolve, etched with the memory of past pain and a future of vengeance.

He did not hesitate, not for a single second. He reached out and, with a firm thought, accepted the quest immediately. The panel shimmered, confirming his acceptance, and then faded slightly, moving to the background of his vision, a constant, silent reminder.

The path was clear. His purpose was absolute.

-------------------------------

Hey pals, how are you all? Have some time for a review?

-------

Also,

Recently I made a small change to Chapter 5. To clear out Klaus had not absorbed the camouflage skill from the chameleons. Due to insufficient number.

This fact is now more elaborated and clarified in Chapter 5. The rest is the same.

Follow current novℯls on f(r)eewebnov𝒆l