Rip!
The sound of flesh tearing echoed through the air as two massive bulges on Muria's back swelled and finally burst open. A pair of bloodstained bone wings emerged, unfurling behind him.
As the skeletal wings appeared, crimson muscle fibers began to grow and spread across them at a speed visible to the naked eye. Membranes began to form between the bone spurs, and soon, a pair of iconic demon wings took shape, fully extending behind Muria.
But the changes didn't stop there. The external skeletal structures that had previously only grown around Muria's joints began to thicken and harden. These obsidian-colored exoskeletal plates, matching the hue of his skin, spread across his entire body.
In no time, the external skeleton transformed into a full suit of bone armor, enveloping Muria completely. This was not just a result of fusing the heart of the Balor Flame Demon Lord—it was an innate development of Muria's reincarnated body. Once his power reached a certain threshold, these changes occurred naturally. The fusion of the Balor's power merely acted as a catalyst, accelerating the process.
"Kid, the power you've been hiding far exceeds my expectations. You're even stronger than that giant was," the ghost fiend remarked. It stared at Muria, now radiating an oppressive aura, with a trace of confusion in its eyes.
The ghost fiend couldn't help but wonder—why hadn't this powerful being intervened earlier when it had been dominating the giant? Why had Muria merely stood by and watched?
But now wasn't the time for such thoughts. The ghost fiend had to focus on defeating what appeared to be a foe on the same level as itself.
"Strength alone won't be enough," the ghost fiend murmured, addressing itself as it gazed at Muria. "No matter how strong you are, your power will eventually run dry. When that happens, you'll end up just like the giant."
With that, the ghost fiend burst into arrogant laughter. This time, it refrained from confronting Muria directly. Its fear of Muria's flames—which had the ability to scorch even its soul—was too great to bear again.
Instead, the ghost fiend melted into the omnipresent black mist that blanketed the area. Moments later, pairs of crimson eyes began to emerge from the mist. These were the corpse minions—remnants of the lives the ghost fiend had harvested and transformed into its loyal pawns.
In the next instant, the summoned corpse minions surged toward Muria like an overwhelming black tide, intent on drowning him in their numbers. For the ghost fiend, these disposable pawns were nothing more than tools to drain Muria's strength.
Muria watched the oncoming tide of undead and reached downward. From the molten pool of lava beneath him, a massive greatsword forged from magma slowly rose to the surface. Grasping the hilt, Muria lifted the weapon with ease.
"Domains, huh? I've played with those for so long they've become boring," Muria muttered as he surveyed the black mist surrounding him. He drove the magma greatsword into the ground.
A radiant golden-red shockwave rippled outward, spreading from Muria as its epicenter. As the wave expanded, his domain unfolded.
Blazing flames erupted in the air, devouring the surrounding black mist in a fierce clash of opposing forces. The mist dissipated wherever the fire touched, and the obscured landscape around Muria gradually came back into focus. But this came at a cost: the temperature of the air rose drastically.
The plants, long drained of vitality by the black mist, spontaneously ignited in the oppressive heat, and the earth began to char. Cracks appeared in the ground closer to Muria, and molten lava churned within them.
What had once been a desolate, deathly land shrouded in black mist transformed into a fiery domain of destruction—a land of molten lava and searing heat.
Within Muria's fiery domain, the weakest of the corpse minions disintegrated into charred remains without him having to lift a finger. Those that survived were forced to tread through molten rivers of lava to approach him. Many fell to the magma, consumed by its heat before they could reach him.
As the strongest among the remaining minions finally neared Muria, massive fiery giants began to rise from the molten pool surrounding him. These elemental creatures, born of Muria's power, engaged the advancing undead in battle.
Ignoring the fiery giants and the corpses locked in combat around him, Muria began to walk. Each step he took melted the ground beneath his feet, leaving glowing footprints filled with bubbling lava.
Within his domain, Muria could sense the black mist, now completely enveloped by his fiery aura. The mist writhed and shifted, desperately seeking an escape.
The ghost fiend had realized the gravity of its mistake. It hadn't just kicked a steel wall—it had walked straight into a pit of spikes. Death was now all but certain.
"Come out already. Didn't you say you wanted to devour me? Why are you hiding now?" Muria asked with a mocking smile, watching as the black mist grew thinner within his domain.
His body was still changing. The purification process brought on by the Balor Flame Demon Lord's heart wasn't yet complete. A single heart of a Balor could contain over 30% of the demon lord's total power, and Muria was now experiencing its full integration.
"You… you're not a Hellspawn. What exactly are you?"
In the distance, over a thousand meters away, a thin wisp of black mist gathered to form a face. The ghost fiend's expression was twisted with fear as it questioned Muria.
"A moment ago, you were so certain I was a Hellspawn. What's with the sudden denial?" Muria replied cheerfully. He found the ghost fiend's drastic change in attitude amusing.
"Don't take me for a fool. I've seen true Hellspawn before. No Hellspawn, no matter how many times they awaken, ever grows wings!"
"What's so special about wings? Maybe I'm just a mutant," Muria retorted dismissively.
"Mutant? Rubbish! The power of a Hellspawn is only compatible with a few specific forces—ours, and the Thunder Beasts. Beyond that, their power rejects all others!"
The ghost fiend's voice turned into an enraged shout, feeling as though Muria was treating it like an idiot.
"Thunder Beasts? What else?" Muria's interest was piqued by the ghost fiend's slip of the tongue.
Even now, with a peak Legendary-level Balor heart fused into his body, Muria could feel as though he were on the verge of bursting. Yet he still craved more power—craved to devour the ghost fiend to fill the gap within him.
And now, from the ghost fiend's words, it seemed there were even more types of power he could potentially integrate.
"You're a fraud! You're no Hellspawn. That's common knowledge to us!"
The ghost fiend's fear grew as it sensed Muria's power continuing to rise. Panic-stricken, it shouted madly as its remaining black mist coalesced in the farthest corner of Muria's domain. The fiend hurled itself at the barrier, desperately attempting to escape.
"No, I am a Hellspawn," Muria said with a calm smile. "I'm just… a special case. If you don't believe me, trust your instincts. Don't you still feel a desire to devour me?"
The ghost fiend froze for a moment, then hesitantly probed its instincts. To its horror, it realized that the primal urge to consume Muria was still there—and even stronger than before.
But this also made it painfully aware that Muria likely felt the same hunger toward it.
"No! I won't let you!" The ghost fiend howled in despair, slamming against the domain's barrier with renewed intensity. Its black mist swirled into a towering figure nearly 100 meters tall, striking the fiery walls again and again. But the barrier held firm.
"If I devour you, what kind of changes will I experience? Care to enlighten me?" Muria asked as he suddenly appeared behind the ghost fiend, his voice tinged with curiosity.
"Spare me!" The ghost fiend's composure shattered completely. Its pleas echoed through the domain. It, an immortal being, had survived countless battles—even the one that had led to its exile. But now, it faced the terrifying reality of being consumed in this remote, insignificant corner of the world.
"No answer? Then I suppose I'll let instinct take over and find out for myself. You shouldn't be able to poison me."
Muria whispered softly, then opened his mouth wide. A terrifying force of suction emerged, locking onto the towering figure of black mist.
Under the pull of Muria's devouring power, the ghost fiend's massive form disintegrated into streams of black energy, which flowed into Muria's body.
Even the faintest traces of black mist lingering in the fiery domain were drawn in.
"Spare me!" A weak will reverberated within Muria for a brief moment before he snuffed it out without hesitation.
The ghost fiend's energy, now fully absorbed, gathered in Muria's heart. A chilling sensation spread through his chest as its power merged with his.
"Interesting." Muria closed his eyes, savoring the experience. When he reopened them, his irises glowed crimson—identical to those of the ghost fiend he had just devoured.
______
(≧◡≦) ♡ Support me and read 20 chapters ahead – patreon.com/INNIT
For every 50 Power Stones, one extra chapter will be released on Saturday.