This evolution was unlike his previous ones, where even the soul representation of his talent had never truly manifested "outside."
The change reminded Michael of sothing he had once read on the Supers Forum.
Talent Mutation.
It was said that if one was fortunate, during advancent to Rank 3, their talent could undergo mutation and beco strengthened. The phenonon was common enough that when it didn't occur, people often considered it simply bad luck instead of seeing it being seen as the normal outco.
Michael wondered if that was what had happened to him.
Had this evolution strengthened his talent ahead of ti?
He didn't know. But the thought left him expectant.
Resolving himself, Michael's body within the Damaged Coffin of the Forgotten reached into his soul space.
At first glance, everything looked the sa as before-his spear and the cauldron(the soul-representations of his talent), floating in the void.
The cauldron's surface appeared unchanged.
But the mont his senses brushed against it, a shudder ran through him. Sothing was different.
Driven by instinct, he attempted sothing he had never managed
with the cauldron before. Sothing he had only been able to do with his spear and the coffin.
He tried to draw it out.
And-
It answered.
The cauldron stirred, rattling in his soul, before it suddenly tore free of its place and erged.
Michael's eyes widened. "It... actually ca out!"
However, there was a difference.
Unlike his spear or coffin, which always manifested as solid, tangible things, this cauldron was... different. It looked real-its surface glead faintly, its body massive and imposing-but Michael could tell with just one glance that it wasn't fully physical.
It was an illusion form.
A projection of his talent given shape.
Yet, even in this hazy, illusory state, the mont the cauldron appeared, a stream of information entered Michael's mind. It wasn't a voice, nor was it text. It was instinct. His talent whispering to him what had changed.
The cauldron could now eat.
The word pressed into his mind with such certainty that he froze. Eat?
Devour.
The vague idea carried weight, but no specifics. Feed it, and it would consu. For what purpose, Michael couldn't tell. But he knew instinctively it wouldn't be sothing simple.
Even so, a problem rose imdiately. If it could eat... what exactly could I feed it with?
The question lingered until, in the corner of his awareness, another thought surfaced. His body in the Land of Origin stirred, eyes narrowing toward the pile of corpses at his side. Most were useless husks, their souls long stripped away by Prince. To other necromancers they were worthless, but perhaps-
Michael hurriedly moved one into his storage space.
Inside the coffin world, he extended his hand into that sa storage and pulled the corpse out. With a heavy thud, the body landed beside him, massive and grotesque even in death.
The instant the corpse appeared, the cauldron shuddered. The illusionary surface trembled, and faint ripples of light coursed along its body. It was like watching a starving beast catch the scent of food.
Michael's breath quickened. "So that's it... it wants this."
Following instinct, he didn't resist. He allowed the cauldron to act. At once, light spilled from the cauldron's illusory rim. Threads of brilliance stretched outward, coiling around the corpse. The body rose from the ground as if weightless, shrinking steadily as it floated toward the cauldron. Inch by inch, it compressed, its massive fra folding upon itself until it was no bigger than a fist. Then, with a final pull, it vanished into the cauldron's shadow.
Boom.
A muffled vibration echoed through Michael's soul. The cauldron emitted a deep hum, its surface glowing faintly as if sothing within it had ignited. Waves of light rolled across its body, painting it with
epheral patterns.
Michael's eyes widened in shock.
"So it really can..." His words trailed off as instinct scread at him to use the Eye of Truth.
He obeyed instantly. His gaze sharpened, soul energy pouring into his eyes as he activated the gift. The world shifted into threads, illusions
peeled away, and yet-
All he saw when he looked at the cauldron was fog.
Thick, impenetrable fog.
The Eye of Truth, which had stripped apart the very structure of a
Law, revealed nothing here.
Michael's heart pounded. That alone said more than anything. If even the Eye of Truth couldn't pierce its workings, then the cauldron's evolution was far beyond ordinary.
He drew a steady breath and forced himself calm. The cauldron was his talent. It wouldn't harm him. If it had changed, then that change
was his to claim.
Still, he needed to know more.
It was at this mont, a series of panels suddenly appeared in front
of him.
[Devour Complete.]
[Essence Assimilated: Monster Corpse (Rank 3).]
[Evolution Points: 355.]
Michael froze. Evolution Points?
Michael wasn't a stranger to Evolution Points.
They were, in fact, the very foundation of his current strength.
But when had they ever co from this?
Until now, Evolution Points had always been tied to the soul. He gained them by increasing the number of undead under his command, or by consuming spirit crystals and specialized potions that nourished the soul. That was the system he had grown used to.
Yet now, after feeding a re corpse to his cauldron, the familiar notification had appeared.
Evolution Points... from direct devouring?
The realization struck him like lightning.
If corpses could truly be converted into Evolution Points, then this changed everything.
Monster corpses were sothing he never lacked-not if he put his
mind to it. If the cauldron could turn them into usable essence, then
as long as he had a steady supply of bodies, he would never run short
of points again.
His lips tightened, a tremor of excitent running through him.
This wasn't just a small change.
This overturned the foundation of his progression.
This... changed everything.
*
A/N: Thanks for reading today's chapters and I hope you enjoyed it.
Deeply sorry for the delay in updates. Sothing happened with privilege settings.
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