What was happening was not an unnatural phenomenon, quite the opposite really. In truth this was something anyone with a falna would eventually experience in some form. This sublimation of the soul was a step toward godhood with the falna and the progress of the individual themselves as the catalyst. I knew about it due to the records left behind by the level nine who was killed by the one eyed black dragon. It was supposed to be a gradual process however with the final step from level nine to what lay beyond being the one that ended it, making one an immortal demigod.-
At least that was the theory anyways. Unfortunately my situation was a bit special as I was going down a "blasphemous" route through cursed energy. The advancement of cursed energy towards godhood was a matter of "walking like them till they walk like you" imitating gods until there is no difference between you and one. In this case I was imitating their full integration with a domain. It was ironic really that it wasn't my first cursed technique I was doing this with but my secondary technique.-
It wasn't a mere upgrade to the technique but a true realization of it. With my mind and soul both fully focused on the singular goal of burning away what bound these soul fragments I had punched a hole through the barrier that separated the technique from becoming one with me. On a conceptual level I had, if even for a moment, become the living embodiment of hellfire. I didn't have cursed flames anymore but true hellish fire waiting to be born into the world at my command. I was unfortunately incomplete however. I couldn't directly take godhood or even demigodhood at this point.-
I didn't have a single cursed technique, I had three. Becoming integrated with one left another two I still had to achieve the same for before I could take that step. This was both a blessing and curse if i'm being frank. It was a blessing because more domains means being a stronger god in the end but a curse because it meant my path was so much harder than anyone elses. There was good news on this front though as the [hellfire] technique fully integrating like this meant that the barrier to do the same for my [hell's forge] technique was now much thinner.-
This shouldn't come as a surprise since the [hellfire] technique was originally derived from the [hell's forge] technique. One of them advancing naturally meant the other would take some benefit as well as a result. This profound change lasted much longer than the time it took me to come fully back to lucid thought. It was a strange feeling really, like I was constantly burning up and simultaneously having growing pains but in my soul. That is to say I felt like absolute dogshit when my thoughts returned to me.-
If it were merely my body being ill or something like that i could fix it with a bit more than a thought. This however was a change of the soul and thus outside my reach to influence. As a result of this however I was forced to hole up on this floor and hope to whatever was listening that no monsters came by since I was next to defenseless. My cursed techniques were out the window because my cursed energy itself was roiling ominously within me and I was terrified it would erupt if I even attempted moving it.-
I didn't bother lying about this either when Hestia eventually called me on my coin.
"You what!?" she yelled through the coin in horror.
"Yeah yeah I know. I wasn't expecting it either but look on the bright side, i'm pretty sure I have a foot in the god-door now." I said casually.
"That's the problem!" she screamed in frustration.
I kinda pitied her since I could understand what she meant but it's not like I could exactly undo the change. See now I was in the awkward position where I was more divine than mortal and that was a VERY big deal. My soul had already been close to a spirits before this point but now it was something beyond that.-
Unlike spirits however my body was not a fragile thing that would break easily. I had an adventurers body and now had power that could genuinely threaten a god. If my new state of being got out somehow the other gods would definitely come calling. They'd want restrictions, oaths and even quite likely my erasure. My hell fire wasn't tied to the falna alone anymore after all, it was fully part of me. Even without the falna I could still use it without any trouble.-
Additionally I was also fairly certain I was immortal now. Not in the I couldn't be killed sense but in the I didn't age anymore kind. In theory I could have done the same using my technique but this was innate and required no maintenance. To no surprise the changes to myself stabilized after a few days but the transformation was incomplete as I needed my falna updated to fully cement and finish it up. I could at least use my now sludge like cursed energy again. A change that felt very weird by the way since I was used to it being more air like and not so solid.