Chapter 50 - 50 - Who is System?
But the Soulshifter paid no heed to Eclipse's protests. It was too eager to seize Bong's life force and claim its 12-year reward. Its malevolent ego, akin to a dark mist, emanated from the dagger and hung ominously in the air. It swiftly and directly entered Bong's body.
Eclipse, slightly behind Bong, observed this ominous event. As the Soulshifter's ego merged with Bong's being, he felt a strange sensation. He was transported into a vast, boundless void - a realm of emptiness and darkness, with no perceivable end.
He was not alone; there was an omnipresent watcher, an all-seeing eye above him. This experience filled Soulshifter's ego with fear and a deep sense of foreboding, as if it were being watched from every direction.
Within the infinite void, the all-seeing crimson eye dominated the space, fixated on the pitiful ego that had dared to challenge it. The ego, once filled with eagerness and pride, now trembled uncontrollably. It realized the futility of its audacious attempt to seize Bong's life.
As the ego gazed into the countless crimson eyes watching it, it felt an overwhelming sense of fear and insignificance.
Suddenly, in the midst of this dark void, something extraordinary occurred, from the obsidian ground of the void, darkness coalesced and melded together, gradually giving rise to an entity. As the entity took shape, it assumed the form of a woman with flowing, blood-red locks cascading like a fiery waterfall. Her eyes gleamed with a haunting crimson hue.
She was draped in a long, flowing robe, its fabric a rich, deep crimson that seemed to be woven from the essence of blood itself. The fabric billowed around her, giving her an almost regal presence. Yet, beneath this grandeur, her lips bore a haunting red, and droplets of what appeared to be blood trickled from her form.
"By what audacious folly, have you ventured into my domain?" The entity's voice thundered like the utterance of a primordial god addressing a mere insignificant being.
"I am the creator, and I can be the destroyer of all that you are, " The entity spoke with an air of undeniable authority.
Hehehe, I get it, you see. You, I don't have to be scared of you at all, because even you're tied up by the boring old contract stuff. I'll just take what's mine, as we agreed. And guess what? You can't stop me."
"And oh, just to remind you, you're not the one who made me. Nope, not at all. It's all thanks to Ashren - the Infernal Forgemaster. You're just borrowing his cool powers. You can't really boss me around, only Ashren can, hehehe, " The Soulshifter's laughter took on a more sinister yet oddly whimsical tone.
The entity's face showed worry. Soulshifter had figured out what she was up to. Now, she couldn't really stop him from taking those 12 years from Bong. She had tried hard to stop it because she knew Eclipse might use this skill to help Bong's mission in the future. But each time he did, it would cost Bong some years of his life. The exact price was known only to Eclipse and Soulshifter.
Bong was unique among vampires. Unlike them, he was already immortal and couldn't replenish his age. Other vampires could gain life from others, but he gained power and skills. So, deducting years from his age was a significant matter for him. It would take a long time for him to evolve into a higher being.
As the unknown entity pondered over all these thoughts about Bong, something unexpected happened in the void. A sudden, bright light appeared, filling a portion of the void with its radiance.
"You shall not meddle in the grand scheme of our plans. Stay away from our quest for revenge. As per your request, I believed it was best for me to handle this personally."
Upon hearing the voice of the entity that had suddenly appeared in the void, Soulshifter trembled in fear as recognition dawned on him.
"What I told you before is true. I am both the creator and the destroyer. Every power that I grant to my hosts, their predecessors reside here in this void, in this emptiness. This realm was my creation, designed to hold the essence of every power within it. But it was my mistake that an anomaly appeared in the form of you," The entity explained.