Chapter 78: Becoming a demon(chapter 77)
previously in chapter 76
The boat, adorned with a purple grade, bespoke its special nature, and Oliver's smile indicated his satisfaction with the option he chose. With a deft motion, he activated the Miniaturization option, shrinking the ship down to a toy-sized object that he could easily store in his shell home. "This was a nice harvest," he remarked, content with his acquisitions from the realm before preparing to depart. "Well, I can come back anytime I want," he concluded, opening a portal to a random location.
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Chapter 77
As he arrived back on Earth, Oliver couldn't help but lament his frequent returns to this familiar realm amidst the vastness of the multiverse. Sensing something amiss, he glanced upward just in time to catch two figures hurtling towards him. With reflexes honed by experience, he effortlessly caught them, revealing them to be two women, one adorned in a Wolverine costume while the other appeared injured.
"Are you alright?" Oliver's deep voice resonated with concern as he settled them down gently. The injured woman, revealed to be partially mechanized, caught his attention, prompting him to assess her condition. The Wolverine composed herself, sniffing the air with a feral growl before acknowledging Oliver's assistance.
"Thank you, we are fine," she assured him before tending to her injured companion, Lady Deathstrike. Before they could converse further, another figure arrived at remarkable speed, her concern evident as she addressed Wolverine.
"Wolverine, are you okay?" It was Rogue, who landed gracefully before them. Wolverine nodded in affirmation, attributing their safety to Oliver's intervention. As Oliver shifted back to his human form, the three women regarded him curiously.
"Well, ladies, I guess this is where I leave you," Oliver remarked, feeling a bit awkward under their scrutiny. With a swift teleportation, he vanished from their sight, leaving Rogue and Wolverine to exchange glances.
"Damn, he was big," Rogue commented as they watched Oliver disappear.
- scene change-
Inside his shell home, Oliver examined the crimson crystal with a mixture of anticipation and trepidation. The crystal, emitting a high purple aura intensity, denoted its peak purple status.
[ Name: Crimson Heart Crystal ]
[ Grade: Purple (Peak) ]
[ Description: Within this crimson crystal lies the condensed essence of high-level demons, their blood frozen within the icy depths of Antarctica. ]
[ Option 1: Demonic Core (Rank: D) (Passive) - Grants the consumer a demonic core, enabling them to transform into a new, unseen demon bloodline. While in demonic form, the user possesses superhuman abilities, unmatched strength, speed, and resilience. ]
[ Option 2: Lightbane Aura (Rank: D) (Passive) - Surrounds the consumer with an aura that grants immunity to light attributed spells and curses. ]
[ Option 3: Inferno Mastery (Rank: D) (Passive) - Allows the consumer to not only generate hellfire at will while in demonic form but also control it with precision. The hellfire burns hotter and consumes everything it touches. ]
[ Durability: 100% ]
Taking a deep breath, Oliver braced himself for the transformation. With a determined resolve, he consumed the crimson crystal, causing an immediate reaction within his body. His muscles convulsed, and dark purple lines began to manifest, spreading across his skin like crackling lightning. Each line emitted a soft glow, intensifying with each passing moment as Oliver endured the excruciating pain of metamorphosis.
Sitting in a lotus position, Oliver's body underwent profound changes. His muscles deflated and reshaped, his hair cascaded down like a torrential rain before being replaced by a sleek black mane. His skin cracked and crumbled, revealing smoother, unblemished skin beneath. New hairs sprouted, jet black in hue, while his eyes transformed into a mesmerizing shade of purple.
But the transformation didn't stop there. Deep within Oliver's body, a core formed—a pulsating red crystal that gradually turned obsidian black as it filled with a swirling mist of black and purple. Bone wings erupted from his back, causing blood to splatter as they pierced through his flesh. Black feathers adorned the skeletal structure, while two pairs of ebony horns emerged from his forehead.
As the changes subsided, Oliver stood tall, his once fiery appearance now replaced with a dark, gothic allure. His height diminished slightly, settling at a striking 6 feet 2 inches. Surveying his altered form, he marveled at the newfound sensation of lightness that suffused his being.
"I feel so... light," he mused, flexing his hand and conjuring a flickering black flame that danced harmlessly upon his palm. With a thoughtful expression, he noted the consumption of the black gas within his core as he wielded the hellfire.
Exiting his shell home, Oliver found himself on a random apartment rooftop, the cool night air swirling around him. Sensing a presence, his purple eyes briefly gleamed as he glimpsed a dark alleyway in the distance. There, amidst the shadows, lurked a creature—small, with fiery red skin, horns, and glowing eyes. It was an imp, and Oliver sensed there were more lurking nearby.
"Huh, so I can sense demons," Oliver mused to himself, his senses heightened by the surge of strength coursing through his veins. With a determined grin, he crouched down, feeling the rooftop beneath him crack under his weight before leaping effortlessly across the urban landscape. He landed with a soft thud in the dimly lit alleyway, where the shadows danced around the dumpsters and fire escapes.
The imps, sensing his presence, scuttled from their hiding places, some clinging to the walls while others leaped towards him with malicious intent. Oliver's gaze met theirs, and in that moment, they knew he was a force to be reckoned with. With lightning reflexes, he seized the first imp by the head, his touch igniting the creature into ash within seconds.
"Surprisingly effective," Oliver remarked, his voice tinged with mild surprise. He had expected some resistance from the demon against his hellfire, but it crumbled before his power without a fight.
Watching the remains of the imp disintegrate and scatter into the night breeze, Oliver felt an odd detachment settle over him. It was as if his emotions were veiled, his expressions muted. Yet, rather than feeling unsettled, he found a strange sense of familiarity in this state.
"Well, that was worth the wait," he sighed contentedly. The crimson crystal, forged from the blood of thousands of higher-ranking demons frozen within the heart of Antarctica, had proven to be as potent as he had hoped. Its unique properties had unlocked new abilities within him, granting him insights into the supernatural world that surrounded him.
Overwhelmed by the flood of new sensations and perceptions, Oliver decided to indulge in a bit of sightseeing. With his newfound powers, the world around him seemed to teem with unseen energies and hidden secrets, waiting to be discovered. Some beings hid from him the moment he passed by, while others simply stared, intrigued or fearful. "It's quite odd to see the world from this perspective," he mused to himself, observing a little imp demon quivering in fear. What Oliver was unaware of was that he was emitting large amounts of demonic energy just by existing, suffocating some while intriguing others.
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Author's Note: Well, I've just started volume 6 (which is the second-to-last volume), and I think you guys are going to like it. Anyways, you have one more somewhat peaceful chapter before everything goes awry, and many readers are going to be sad. Hopefully, you enjoy this chapter, and I'll see you in the next one.
Weekly Power Status
-- Power
Ranking 
-- Power
stone