Level Up Family

Ding!

[Host has detected an ancient power connected to one's ancestral roots, Innate Hell Power is awakening]

Ding!

[Innate Hell Power is awakened: forcefully learning Darkness Sutra.]

Ding!

[Host is bounded by the System, cannot learn external forces.]

____

When Grevlin grew conscious enough to hear those words, he found himself in a red space with a black book hovering before him. It had the very same characters shown on the manuscript Seth had taken out, but from a glance, he could tell that this was more complex and powerful.

Buzz! It made a droning noise as powerful red energies rippled from it, seeping into Grevlin's hovering body. Still, as if it was continuously being repelled by something, it couldn't fully integrate with Grevlin's body.

As a result, it felt as if countless critters were trying to eat him from the inside out, causing him to cry out in pain,

"Ahhhhh! Mother! Father! Help meeee!"

Grevlin cried out, never feeling such pain before in his life, but no matter how much he shouted or cried, the pain only grew worse by the minute as if he felt as if he was going to die at any moment.

After a long time of intense pain, Grevlin's eyes turned red, his manner growing desperate, he felt as if he would commit suicide, but in this instance, he could see the images of his father, mother, and sister.

Tears ran down his eyes as he felt the pain unbearable, but he soon gripped his fists tightly as if he found a new spirit, the look in his eyes became unyielding, having a firmness that was far beyond any child his age.

"I... I cannot give in; I must resist, I have to go back to see mother, father, and sister! I WON'T GIVE UP!"

When Grevlin said those words, the world around him started to dim, it became shrouded by an even more sinister power as if it could portray his will.

Instantly, the strange and unusual black cube had appeared, floating before Grevlin, whose body continued the tug of war between dark energies. It didn't glow like the book but carried a dull and rather empty appearance as if it was the source of nothingness itself.

However, when Grevlin saw it, he felt strange as he could hear an ancient voice in his soul.

"Inheritor of Darkness, answer my riddle and I shall save you, speak nothing and I shall leave you to your fate."

Grevlin didn't even hesitate as he felt as if he would be ripped apart at any moment; he shouted in answer while bearing the pain, "I will answer!"

As if invoked by his words, the Eternal Dark Rubix glowed in black lights. One so dark that it even began to swallow the energies of both Grevlin and the hovering book.

In seconds, the world around Grevlin grew dimmer, losing the color of redness as nothing remained. Now, only Grevlin, the book, and the Eternal Dark Rubix were left in this voided world. They floated about through its emptiness as the voice sounded again in a resonant manner.

"I am the one who sees the end, the light which left the dark, the destination of all existing things. What am I?"

When Grevlin heard those words, his eyes had a flicker; even the pain from the tug of war of energies that fought within his body had died down. In fact, he found himself in a trance if his mind was being influenced; he didn't know why, but when he heard those words, he felt a deep connection with it, as if the person who spoke it had a great relation to himself.

As such, Grevlin didn't even hesitate and felt it natural when he opened his mouth and answered in a similarly resonant voice.

"I am death..."

As if his answer was correct, the Eternal Dark Rubix instantly glowed in an even richer amount of black light; it expanded at an alarming scale, while the book tried to resist by releasing an endless number of red energies. Still, as if it fruitless, it was swallowed by the darkness.

Now everything, including the world, had all become encompassed by its darkness. The voice then sounded once more with a pleased tone,

"Huhu... excellent, I look forward to your... no, our destiny of eternal darkness."

With those words said, the cube swallowed everything, ripping the world apart before it flew into Grevlin's forehead and vanished. Now, only an unconscious Grevlin remained floating into nothingness as an unusual series of system notifications sounded once more.

____

Ding!

[An unknown power is detected, Host is forcefully learning Darkness Sutra.]

Ding!

[Host is bounded by the System, cannot learn external forces.]

Ding!

[Host is bounded by the System, c-c-c-c-c-c-annot learn external f-f-f-forces.]

Ding!

[System is affected by a greater force, temporarily shutting down.]

Ding!

[System has been rebooted; a greater power is now in effect.]

Ding!

[Host has partially unlocked the Status - Heir of Darkness.]

Ding!

[Status is now in effect; the powers of darkness have no limits - Host has learned the Darkness Sutra.]

__

After an unknown amount of time, Grevlin had awoken to find himself lying down on a comfortable bed. For some reason, though unconscious, he heard the prior notifications.

'This... what happened? Did I really learn it?'

Grevlin, though in surprise, he wanted to call out the system sheet to see his details. But sadly, he didn't have the chance for someone was seated before him.

"Little apprentice, are you okay?" Seth asked with a look of concern on his face.

Grevlin was the youngest of his apprentices and most talented, he felt shocked when he saw the strange change that occurred prior, but in his perspective, Grevlin only glowed in a black light before falling on the ground unconscious.

He was panicked and thought that his technique must have caused a negative reaction, he didn't know what he'd do or how he'd explain to his father if something bad happened to him. Luckily for him, Grevlin was more special than he thought and had survived the disaster.

Grevlin sighed because he didn't have time to check his stats, but he sat himself up from the bed and replied, "Master, I'm fine."

Hearing him speak, Seth felt more joyful and relieved, his look of worry fading as he became more at eased when he spoke, "That's good, that's good, as long as your okay, you don't have to try to learn my technique again, I shouldn't have been so stubborn in the first place. From this day, I will ne—"

Seth was about to say something, but Grevlin gave him an odd look as he spoke, "Master, I've learned it."

Seth continued to speak as he didn't hear his words, "I will never let you learn it again, my stubbornness caused me to lose many disciples over the years, and that isn't a good thing. I have to learn to accept that not everyone can learn my leg—"

As if he only now heard Grevlin, Seth looked at him with surprise once more, halting his words as he asked, "What did you say?"

Grevlin looked at him with his innocent eyes, and he waved his hand, causing a black power to form over it, one which had cryptic runes flowing at its core.

Seth was stunned; his mouth opened wide in as he exclaimed, "This is impossible! How can there be such pure power of darkness? It's even rich with those runes... did you really practice my technique or the source?"

Seth was confused and bewildered, he was shocked that Grevlin could learn it despite his condition, but even that didn't compare to the fact that he had studied it with such unusual differences.

'In all my years, I've never seen anything like, just what kind of monstrous child is this? Is he some of the ancient demon reincarnated?'

Seth thought as he stared at Grevlin with concern, but Grevlin only looked at him calmly and innocently; he waved his hand, causing the powers to vanish as he smiled.

Seth let his guard down at this, he sighed thinking to himself, 'Maybe I'm overreacting, such a pure and talented child, since he's so talented, then I must train him to the best of abilities... pushing him well beyond even my past heights.'

With his mind now calm and decided, Seth spoke once more, "Very good, you did well, my apprentice, from this day forward, I'll train you personally, you no longer need to attend those boring class sessions, I will teach you everything they can and more. Of course, I won't take away your time from that little lass Anna, haha."

Grevlin tilted his head at those words, showing an even more innocent look. Seth slapped his own head for saying such things to a child; he changed the topic.

"Oh yes, about you learning that technique of mine, always remember, never tell anyone but your parents, okay."

When Grevlin heard that, he nodded his head and replied, "Yes, master."

Seth felt Grevlin to be even more adorable; he tapped his shoulder and spoke, "Come on now, let's begin your first official training before the day ends."

'Training? This should be fun.'

Grevlin thought as his eyes lit up, he then followed behind Seth, who guided him from towards a different area, rearing to begin his first ordeal, but as Grevlin's training began, Marius was about to start his own first adventure as a Seeker.