Angelina walked inside the cave with hesitant, almost trembling steps.
The stale, tallic scent in the air mixed with the damp odor of moss, and every droplet of water that fell from the stone ceiling echoed like a warning.
Her footsteps were soft, yet they seed loud enough to awaken sothing lurking within the darkness.
A mont later, a figure suddenly rushed toward her, its movent swift enough to make her breath hitch.
The mont Angelina saw the approaching silhouette, she froze.
Compared to the last ti, when the figure had looked completely disheveled, crawling on all fours like a feral creature while producing guttural, animalistic sounds... this version looked unsettlingly human.
The dripping water, the faint heat that pulsed through the cave walls, and the heavy air pressing against her lungs made her shiver as she waited for the figure to approach.
Even though she had known him for years and had t him countless tis, she still couldn’t suppress the instinctive fear slithering down her spine as he drew closer.
It was then she realized sothing chilling. The figure had slowly begun to radiate an aura that demanded her respect, an aura that tugged at her mind and urged her to step toward him rather than away.
She clenched her fists and forced herself to hold her ground before lifting her voice.
"Have you finished your cultivation?"
Damien’s deep chuckle echoed through the cave, the sound bouncing off the stone walls with a strange, oppressive weight.
For a mont, Angelina swore that the laugh itself carried enough pressure to make her knees buckle.
She resisted, fighting the instinct to kneel. Yet even with her resistance, her body folded, and she found herself kneeling on the cold ground.
A soft, pleased chuckle drifted toward her, and the next second Damien stepped fully into view.
The darkness made it difficult to see his face, but Angelina knew without doubt that sothing about him had changed.
His height, which had once been rely above average, now towered as if he belonged to a different class altogether.
The oppressive pressure and chilling aura radiating from him were so overwhelming that she couldn’t even lift her gaze to et his.
"I’ve finished a part of my cultivation," Damien’s deep voice echoed, "and I’ll move to the next stage soon, since you brought my food."
Angelina’s fingers trembled as she handed him the large plastic bag filled with human at.
The weight of at least twenty kilograms had pushed the blood out of her hands long ago, making them numb and cold.
When Damien smiled at the sight of the contents and murmured,
"You’re so good," before taking the bag, warmth finally rushed back into her fingers, forcing a shaky sigh from her lips.
Damien crouched until his eyes aligned with hers. "Since you’ve been so good to , I’ll grant you a wish. Ask for whatever you want."
Angelina lowered her head before speaking softly. "I want a power that can steal another person’s success... or their success rate."
A slow smirk tugged at Damien’s lips. "Does such a thing even exist?"
"It does," Angelina replied imdiately.
For the first ti, Damien’s amusent faded. His expression stilled, and his voice beca eerily calm. "Where did you see it?"
"Hannah Blue," Angelina whispered. "One of Arthur’s admirers."
"How can you be sure?" Damien’s tone deepened, the air shifting with subtle nace.
"I saw her success rate," Angelina explained. "It was minus ten. But the mont she stepped near her family mbers, her success rate beca zero... and then plus ten."
Damien’s eyes glinted with interest. "I want to et."
Angelina blinked in confusion before understanding dawned on her. Her voice trembled. "You... want to et Hannah?"
Damien’s eyes sparkled with clear intent, and although a smile curved his lips, Angelina’s heart trembled violently. ’He’s becoming more dangerous every day...’
She forced herself to speak. "Are you asking to... kidnap Hannah? Are you planning to take her power and give it to ?"
The air shifted sharply.
In the blink of an eye, Damien’s hand clamped around her throat. The pressure was so sudden and imnse that all the air in her lungs vanished, replaced by burning panic.
She clawed at his wrist, struggling desperately, but he tightened his grip.
"Stay still."
The mont those words left his lips, her limbs froze. It felt as if invisible chains wrapped around her, preventing even the slightest movent.
Her lungs scread for air, her vision blurred, and internal panic clawed at her ribs while her body refused to obey her frantic mind.
Damien leaned closer. "You’ve been a good little dog I raised," he whispered, his tone dripping with cold amusent.
"A dog shouldn’t bite its master. You should be loyal and do as I say... not question . If you dare question again in the future, you won’t lose just a few breaths. You’ll lose your life."
Angelina’s face drained of all color. Her thoughts spiraled. ’I’m going to die... I’m really going to die here...’
She looked up at Damien with wide, desperate eyes that silently begged for forgiveness, pleading for her life. The silent apology finally seed to satisfy him. His hand withdrew, releasing her.
Air slamd back into her lungs, and she collapsed forward, coughing violently as she gasped for breath.
Damien stepped back as if he had never touched her.
"I’ll answer your question now that I have punished you to my heart’s content. I’m not planning to steal Hannah’s power. But I can give you any other power like hers. As long as you find soone else with that ability, I’ll take it... and give it to you."
Angelina nodded shakily, her hands trembling as she drew deep breaths.
Damien’s eyes flickered with displeasure. "Did you dare not to answer ?"
Angelina’s heart dropped. She shook her head quickly. "No."
"Use your words," Damien warned. "If you dare respond to without speaking again, I’ll kill you on the spot."
Angelina swallowed hard. "Yes."
"Good. You can leave."
Her legs felt unsteady, but she rose and walked away. Dirt clung to her clothes and skin, and her breathing remained uneven.
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