The blinding red light exploded across the cave, searing through the darkness and painting the walls in violent streaks that made Soren blink until his eyes ached. The shadows he had clung to vanished instantly, replaced by a presence that felt alive, pressing at him from every angle
''Shit, what's going on!''
Soren instinctively raised his arm to cover his eyes, the red light was the only thing that he could see, making him momentarily forget about the voice that sounded through his head. Moments later the light died down, the familiar darkness embracing him. Soren on edge now frantically looked around, his neck craning in all directions, now focusing his ears to try pinpoint which direction the voice came from
'What the hell. Am I hearing things again. I've finally gone insane haven't I? Dear god'
The cave spoke now louder, ''At last I have found it'''
Whilst the voice spoke the usual darkness of the cave now began to be illuminated by a low red light bringing Soren's near surroundings into view. The surrounding light now started to condense into a single point becoming larger not forming an object but instead a large ball of light. Soren seeing this took a step back, his breathing now becoming more rapid, ''Ah I'm really going insane now''
The large ball of light spoke, ''Wow, what an interesting way to activate my left over magic technique, I must say eating another person would be pretty low on the list on what I would expect''
Soren, his heart racing now puts both hands on his ears, ''This must be because I killed you Adrian, I'm seeing this weird shit''
''I'm very much real and I have been waiting a long time for someone like you''
''Waiting?'' Soren responds
''Yes, waiting for a successor. Someone to inherit my magic''
'What is even going on, this is all going to fast. Successor? Inheriting magic? All of this bullshit is too foreign too me, they never told us any of this stuff back at the castle'
Soren, now looks back up at the ball of light, ''What even are you?''
The ball of light now moves closer to Soren, ''You could say I am what remains of a certain person's will, waiting to be activated to serve it's purpose. Now that purpose involves you''
''Me?''
The ball of light shines brighter, ''Yes I'll make you inherit my blood magic, the magic of the great Saint of Salvation. You will be my successor''
Soren almost dumbfounded, ''Saint of Salvation?''
''Oh right, you look young you might not know since those bastards tarnished my name. Does the Slaughter Devil sound familiar''
Soren just remained there in silence still confused, he only arrived in this world two years ago how was he suppose to know the history of this place
The ball of light vibrates more frantically now, ''Oh why is my successor, such an idiot, you must know someone powerful. Tell me kid who is your king''
''King Stormguard'' Soren's says sheepishly
''Ah him, I was part of his and the other kings and queens cohort, too bad they all conspired and killed me''
''Conspired? Why?''
''I wonder why as well? Anyway accept my essence now inherit my legacy''
Even after going through such tragedy many other people would have their mental state weaken making them open to being swayed and enticed with new found power. Yes, Soren's mind is fragmented, he has killed his own friends with his own hands and now his mind has broken even further since eating Adrian, however he is different. It's almost as if his personality switches during times of adversity. At times like this his brain forces itself to analyse, to use, to adapt. He now unusually becomes more level headed, now asking the ball of light
''How can I accept your magic anyway I'm not affinate to it anyway, what's the point''
There is a moment of brief silence before the ball of light bursts out laughing, ''You don't have an affinity to blood magic?'', it says mockingly. ''I have never seen someone more suited for it it my life and that's including myself''
''But Alaric told me otherwise that I'm suited for empathy magic''. Soren says in a lower tone npw even more confused
The ball now lights up even further, ''You said Alaric! Are you close with Rael?''
''No, I was summoned''
''You summoned! Ah I see, now it makes more sense it is that time now isn't it. You are a prophesied one and they lied to you, how interesting. I'm surprised they didn't kill you right off the bat after learning that there could be another potential blood magician''
''Kill? Why would they kill me?''
The ball now amused, ''Why wouldn't they? That's why they killed me their sworn comrade, all of them saw the potential of my magic and they were scared! No worries now these are just a dead man's ravings. Anyhow haven't you noticed anything strange? Didn't it hurt for you to form a mana core- no two mana cores! Rank 2 so early! Truly worthy of being a prophesied one and my successor''
'I thought that it was normal for it to hurt, but my true magic pathway is blood magic? How weird, why would Alaric lie and say it was empathy magic'
''Well, I don't have all the time in the world here, accept my essence now''
Soren instinctively moves back, ''Wait if you were killed for having blood magic that means the same will happen to me, so why should I accept then''
The ball no moving closer, ''Well if you don't accept it you won't be able to leave this forest''. It's voice now chuckling, ''You have no other way out of here unless you take my offer. Once you take my essence you will be transported out of here''
''What's in this for you and what does take your essence even mean, tell me''
''I will be giving you a fragment of myself that carries my will and with it both my earlier memories and understanding of blood magic. You will also progress faster to rank 3 after accepting my essence''
''How'', Soren replies
''Don't you think it was weird that after how many years six rank 5s appeared out of nowhere. We all gained something special after killing a certain dragon that allowed us to accelerate our growth. Now I will give that to you''
''You still haven't answered what is in this for you. Your basically giving your life's work to a complete stranger and for what''
''Ah so many questions, but to answer I will tell you about myself so you will understand''
''I will tell you how the Saint of Salvation became the Slaughter Devil''