However, on the surface of his body, a layer of dark golden armor began to coalesce, not put on, but growing from beneath his skin.
The armor covered his chest and abdomen, shoulders and back, arms and legs; each piece of armor was like polished metal, shimmering with a cold glint.
The surface of the armor bore intricate patterns, not runes but some ancient, living designs that flowed slowly.
Dark red magic sigils surfaced beneath Duke's skin, spreading from his neck to his fingertips, from his chest to his waist, resembling a precise map and also a blazing flame.
The sigils flickered with his breath, causing the surrounding shadow energy to quiver with each pulse.
His hair grew longer, dropping from short to shoulder-length, changing from black to dark gold, with the tips rippling through the air, leaving faint spatial ripples.
