Chapter 351: It is high time you do your thing.

"Honestly, I was only looking for some blood.

The Heart was a pleasant surprise."

This was what Lucian was planning from the very beginning.

Demons had two ways to grow, continue gathering demonic energy, use that energy and gather again, repeat the process till you grow and reach your potential.

Or...

Consume a stronger demon’s blood and raise your very potential itself.

Of course, there was usually a process involved, dilution, preparation, slow introduction and whatnot.

Consuming blood far beyond one’s level directly could destroy the body, yes, Lucian knew that all very well but...

Lucian was different.

He had already done it once.

He drank an entire jar of pure, undiluted High Incubus Blood and...

He survived.

He didn’t just survive, his body changed, it accepted the foreign blood and it made it his.

So when Lucian learned that somewhere inside House Arcelis, there was preserved blood of an Archdemon, the thought crossed his mind.

What would happen if he drank it?

It was dangerous, maybe suicidal.

Lucian knew that.

He wasn’t delusional.

But...

It was a risk he was willing to take.

That was why he followed Neroth’s voice even though he knew the Archdemon was manipulating him, because he too was manipulating the Archdemon to get what he wanted.

And the reason he didn’t say anything to Vivienne was because he thought Neroth was observing him, which he was, so it was, in some way, a wise decision.

"Heh."

That was when Neroth let out a small laugh.

"Oh, Lucian."

He sighed.

"You truly are like Varek."

Lucian didn’t react to those words. Neroth did not care, his amusement returned as he started talking again.

"This makes it even better, you knew there was danger and still walked into my design knowingly because you thought you could take something from me.

That blind arrogance..."

Neroth took a small pause, then, his voice became ugly.

"Truly deserves what comes next."

Lucian narrowed his eyes at those words and just then—

Something changed inside him.

Lucian’s body froze, his pupils widened, then, everything around him, the chamber, the formations, everything disappeared.

Lucian found himself inside darkness again.

Only, this time, it wasn’t Neroth’s dream anymore. This darkness was different. Lucian could feel that immediately.

It was... his own.

Then, a figure appeared.

And even though it was Lucian’s first time seeing him, he recognised him instantly.

Neroth.

It wasn’t his complete physical body, it was something... deeper.

It was his soul.

A gigantic silhouette formed from black blood and burning black veins, horns curving backwards came out of his skull, with unusually long limbs.

Lucian saw countless faces appear and disappear all over his body, faces twisted in agony, screaming, crying.

It was... the very manifestation of suffering itself.

That vile, demonic presence filled Lucian’s space and Lucian...

He stood before this large silhouette in his tiny, human form.

Neroth looked down at him, then he smiled.

"Now..."

He spoke and this time, his voice did not come from everywhere like before, it came directly from him.

"...it is time you understand."

Lucian stared upward.

Neroth spread his long arms and the darkness shook.

"You consumed my Heart, which contains my Original Blood, my Will and my Authority."

The Archdemon’s smile widened.

"You didn’t steal my power, you invited me inside."

Vile, dark energy exploded outward. Lucian’s clothes whipped violently, the entire inner space was completely dominated by Neroth’s presence.

"Lucian Cross, I survived death, I survived an Army of Ancient Vampires that came after me, I survived nine hundred and eighty-three years trapped inside my own Heart, without a proper body and you think...

You will be the end of me?"

He asked a simple question.

It was honestly amusing.

To think a human who was barely two decades old invited an Archdemon inside his body and somehow hoped... he would gain power from it?

It was... foolish.

But...

This foolishness was what gave Neroth what he wanted, so—

"I am grateful, Lucian Cross."

He spoke.

"...you gave me a living body.

A body that I will now make mine."

The Archdemon spoke as his hand reached for him, Lucian narrowed his eyes as he tried to dodge, but before he could, Neroth’s fingers already closed around him.

And with that—

The entire space became even darker than before and Lucian—

He felt his entire existence ignite with pain.

And it wasn’t just physical pain, Lucian also felt something... deeper. Pain forced directly into his consciousness and Lucian—

"AAAAAAGGGGGHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!"

He screamed in agony.

Memories that weren’t his flooded through him, wars, torture, millions of different screams, bodies torn apart, demons kneeling, vampires burning, wolves screaming and witches and humans begging.

Lucian clenched his teeth as his very consciousness began to tremble, the fragments of his existence being erased.

And Neroth laughed.

"This is where you pay the price for your arrogance.

This is where you disappear."

His Will crashed against Lucian.

It was like something ancient and enormous was trying to pour itself into a vessel too small to contain it. The result couldn’t be more obvious, the vessel would break, there was no question about it.

Lucian felt foreign memories trying to overwrite his own.

Neroth’s name, Neroth’s instincts, Neroth’s anger, Neroth’s hunger, Neroth’s very identity, all of it pressed down.

"AAAAAAGGGGGGGGGGGHHHHHHH!!!!!!"

Lucian screamed in agony as his knees gave out, his vision blurred as he felt Neroth’s enormous form tower above him, taking away his consciousness permanently.

Then—

"...you know."

Lucian spoke up.

"It is high time you do your thing."

Neroth frowned at those words.

"What are you...?"

He tried to ask, Lucian, however, ignored him.

He focused on something else entirely, something he had bet on.

"We will actually be erased if you don’t do something, you know?"

He spoke again.

And this time, Neroth’s face changed.

Something was wrong.

Lucian...

His consciousness should have been erased by now, so...

Why was he still conscious?

Who was he talking to?

Neroth started searching through Lucian’s memories to get the answers, but then—

It happened.