The dawn was weak, a pale smear over the horizon, but it did nothing to cleanse the forest of its stain. The bodies of the fallen were already beginning to rot in the mud, the scent of blood thick in the air, mixing with damp earth and decay. Lilith stood among the carnage, her chest heaving, hair matted with gore, her crimson eyes alight with a madness that thrilled me. I pulsed inside her grip, humming with approval. Every kill, every scream, every drop of blood had fed me.
[Energy: 62/100]
[Passive Active: Bloodlust Synchronization]
[Skill Ready: Rending Spin (Cooldown Available)]
I guided her slowly forward, the forest behind us silent save for the drip of congealing blood. Ahead, the trees thinned, revealing the jagged outlines of mountains and valleys stretching across the horizon. The land itself seemed vast, ancient, cruel—a world shaped by blood and ambition, just as ours would be.
"Lilith," I whispered, "look beyond. See the world we will shape."
Her gaze followed mine, and for a brief second, she paused, letting the enormity of the terrain sink in. There were forests and rivers, jagged cliffs, swamps where the ground was treacherous, and plains that stretched endlessly, dotted with villages that had yet to feel our presence.
I pulsed again, calling her attention to the names carved into the maps of my memory. "This forest, this land,it is called the Morath Woods. To the north lie the Ashen Plains. The rivers beyond are called the Vermilion Flow, and over the mountains lies the Kingdom of Kaelith."
Lilith's lips twitched, a mixture of curiosity and anticipation. "And all of it will feel our touch?" she asked softly, almost in awe.
"Yes," I hummed inside her. "Every corner of this land, every human that calls it home,they will know despair. And we will grow stronger with every soul spilled."
The first village came into view: a cluster of wooden huts and thatched roofs, smoke rising from chimneys. Farmers were already tending the fields, unaware of the crimson shadow that approached.
[Energy: 63/100]
[Skill Node Available: Unlock 1 Passive]
I felt the pull of potential here. A chance to feed, to grow, to awaken further.
[Passive Unlock Options:]
→ Predator's Instinct – Senses heightened near prey, increases critical strike chance.
→ Crimson Path – Kills leave traces that guide the user to further victims.
→ Vengeful Echo – Each enemy slain temporarily enhances next attack damage.
I hummed softly, directing Lilith toward the village. "Predator's Instinct. Let her senses guide us."
Her steps became more deliberate, measured, and lethal. Even as she approached, the villagers remained oblivious, some tending sheep, others carrying water from the well. The stench of livestock mingled with the forest's blood, a natural perfume to mask the anticipation building around us.
Lilith's lips curved into that terrible smile, the one I had grown to crave. She raised me slowly, letting the morning sun glint across my blade, a lure and a threat. Then she began.
The first man she encountered was a farmer carrying a basket of grain. He froze at the sight of her, but the realization came too late. Lilith's Rending Spin struck first, tearing through his torso. The basket of grain scattered across the ground, his blood spraying over it like crimson paint. He screamed once, wet and ragged, before collapsing into the mud.
[+3 Soul Fragments]
[Energy: 66/100]
Another tried to flee toward the well. Lilith spun, guided by me, slicing through his back with a clean, merciless stroke. His lungs expelled a bubbling cough as blood poured from his mouth, staining his hands and the water beneath him.
The villagers' screams began to rise now. Mothers grabbed children, men tried to arm themselves with farming tools. I pulsed inside Lilith, activating the Predator's Instinct. I could feel the fear radiating through the humans, each heartbeat a pulse of energy waiting to be consumed.
She moved like a shadow made of blood, spinning, striking, tearing through those who dared resist. One man's arm was ripped off, another's skull split by a single, precise thrust. The mud beneath us became a river of red, carrying limbs and viscera as Lilith danced among it with lethal grace.
[+7 Soul Fragments]
[Energy: 73/100]
Amid the carnage, I began observing the systems of the world—the economy, the settlements, the hierarchy of power. Kaelith, to the north, was the central kingdom, controlling trade routes, rivers, and resources. Villages like this one were tributaries, sending grain, livestock, and taxes upward. The people lived in constant fear of raids, taxes, and the harshness of nature. It would be easy to exploit.
I whispered into Lilith's mind. "Notice the stores, the granaries. The livestock. Their wealth is concentrated here in small places. Spread despair, weaken their trust, and the world will crumble faster."
She nodded, her grin widening. She drove me through a granary, tearing open the doors, spilling grain and splintering wood. The humans in there were crushed by beams or sliced by my edge, their screams echoing in the confined space. I felt the pulse of energy, watching our influence spread, watching our system feeding, growing.
[Energy: 79/100]
[Skill Ready: Rending Spin]
As the village fell silent, I drew Lilith's attention to the river beyond—the Vermilion Flow. From there, trade routes connected the villages to the Ashen Plains and the Kingdom of Kaelith. It would be simple to follow, to hunt, to expand our influence.
The bodies left behind were more than corpses—they were tools. Each death spread fear, weakened the economy, disrupted labor. The villagers' fields would go untended, their livestock escape or die, and soon Kaelith would notice—but too late.
I pulsed inside Lilith, excitement humming in my core. "Every kill, every act of terror, strengthens us. Every scream strengthens me, strengthens you. We will bend this world to our will."
Lilith wiped blood from her cheek, licking it from her fingers. "I love it. Every last one. And the world won't even know we exist until it's too late."
We moved from hut to hut, river to granary, leaving crimson traces in our wake. Each time we passed, I absorbed energy from fear and death. I began to recognize patterns in the villagers' screams—their panic, their terror, their desperation feeding me in a rhythm.
[+10 Soul Fragments]
[Energy: 90/100]
A soldier from Kaelith arrived, drawn by reports of screams. He moved quickly, armor clanking, spear raised. Lilith turned slowly to face him, her blood-slick hair falling over her eyes. I guided her, energy pulsing.
[Skill Ready: Rending Spin]
He lunged. Lilith pivoted, spinning, slicing through his armor, tearing open muscle and tendon. His scream ended in a wet choke as blood poured from a shattered ribcage. The villagers who had survived fainted in terror, some weeping silently, some trying to flee.
[+5 Soul Fragments]
[Energy: 95/100]
By the time the sun rose fully, the village was a ruin. Bodies lay strewn across the fields, the mud slick with gore. Lilith stood among them, laughing softly, spinning me lazily in her hands, as if the massacre were a dance.
I pulsed with pride and hunger, my system reporting progress:
[Energy: 100/100]
[Level Up Available: 1]
I hummed into Lilith's mind, guiding her forward. "The world awaits. Kaelith, the Ashen Plains, the rivers, the trade—every corner will fall. But we grow stronger first. We grow, and we spread despair."
She nodded, her grin wide and unholy. "Lead me, Asmodius. Lead me through the world. Let them all scream."
And so we did.