Transmigrated with my corruption system-Chapter 15: The Devil in the Mirror

Barely a moment after the words parted from his lips, the air before him shimmered violently like liquid light.

Slowly, wisps of dark energy unfurled, filling the air around him, mixed with streaks of crimson.

He watched in wonder as the energy circled around him before forming a familiar cocoon that encapsulated his entire being.

"Here we go again," he sighed as beams of energy rushed from the cocoon and surged into his body.

The reaction was instant as a soul-rending pain tore through him.

His fists clenched tightly, jaws clamped together as he fell to his knees.

Dark veins surfaced across his body, shooting waves of energy through him. As time passed, the veins glowed with a crimson sheen.

The waves of power increased. His skin pulsed, and the sound of bones breaking repeatedly as he was reforged echoed within the cocoon.

The only thing keeping him sane was the rate at which he could feel raw strength being pumped into him.

Before, he had been confident that at full strength he could easily take on a level 10 F-rank being.

But now that limit was constantly being broken and redefined. Level 15? 20? He couldn’t be sure. His thoughts crashed together as time slowed to a crawl, submerging him in the sensation of evolution.

The pain eventually receded like last time as streams of warm energy rushed into his body, soothing his aching form. Only this time was different.

As the warm energy flooded him, he felt a warm liquid slowly ooze from his skin, dark and slimy in color. A sharp, pungent smell assaulted his nostrils.

It dropped to form a pool of sludge on the ground. As he inspected it further, the frown on his face cleared, a giddy chuckle erupting from his mouth.

"Impurities," he muttered in astonishment. Residual particles that accumulated within one’s body, part of what imposed one’s limits.

The only way to cleanse them was through high-grade natural treasures. Yet evolving his Corrupted Mortal Physique had brought about the same result.

It was too good to be true. As the slimy liquid was purged, his pores opened and his being felt utterly refreshed.

Even more so, if in battle he could previously exert only a hundred percent of his abilities, this would grant him an additional five percent, highlighting just how powerful this was.

His thoughts were cut short as cracking sounds drifted into his ears. Regaining focus, he saw the energy from the cocoon fully drained, now reduced to a dry shell with microfractures racing across its surface.

Moments later, a sharp crack echoed as it fully collapsed, revealing his frame once more.

Looking down, where the pool of sludge once lay, there was nothing. He inhaled sharply as a single name came to mind.

Monarch of Darkness. Ever since he had awakened the talent, he had felt as if he were connected to an endless power source of destruction.

The only reason he hadn’t unleashed it was because he wanted to go completely wild when he did, no holding back.The fear of causing unnecessary destruction was far from his mind.

Still, from time to time, it couldn’t help but seep out, like it did now swallowing the pool into darkness. The gesture sparked his curiosity, but he inhaled sharply, suppressing those thoughts. All in good time.

First, it was time to see the full magnitude of what the evolution of his physique had brought. After all, it had cost him 5000 points. It couldn’t be bad, right?

Taking a peek at the system interface, the doubt on his face vanished, replaced by a delighted expression. And with good reason. He nodded, pulling up the system notifications.

[Ding! Congratulations. Mortal Corrupted Physique has evolved into:]

[Intermediate Mortal Corrupted Physique]

(0/10,000)

[Ding! The Intermediate Mortal Physique has birthed the first innate skill: Corrupted Tempest!]

(Corruption is power, and power is glory. When fighting against stronger opponents, gain a five percent boost across all stats for a brief moment.)

"This," Ulric breathed, reading through the description. If his physique evolving had only granted him this skill, it would still be more than worth it.

A small advantage against stronger opponents could be enough to tilt the scales, even in life-and-death battles.

He was surprised a skill like this didn’t have a refractory period where one would experience weakness afterward. The only limiting factor was that it could only be used briefly.

"Nice," Ulric nodded. Innate skills were gained only from perfecting a skill or being naturally born from one’s talent or physique.

He hadn’t expected to gain one this soon, but it was more than welcome. Shifting his thoughts, he dismissed the interface and walked to a magnificent mirror at the edge of the room, lined with rare metals.

When he stepped before it, a gasp escaped his lips. Before his advancement, he had definitely been handsome, but that had been a boyish charm. What stared back at him now was devilish. 𝒻𝑟𝘦𝘦𝘸ℯ𝒷𝑛𝘰𝓋ℯ𝘭.𝘤𝘰𝘮

His hair had grown longer, now falling freely to his shoulders, crimson streaks running through it.

His eyes had already been crimson, but now they almost seemed to glow. His face had grown more chiseled.

The muscle arcs across his torso deepened, as if sculpted into the perfect physique. His frame had gained a few more centimeters to top it off.

Taking a moment to absorb it all, he closed his eyes and clenched his fists softly, feeling raw power thrumming within him, causing the wind to stir at the mere gesture.

He wasn’t sure how strong he was, but from the memories of the old host, he was certain he could easily take on peak F-rank level 25 beings.

The thought nearly made him burst into mad laughter. For now, it was only a theory. But tomorrow, in the dungeon trials, the full scale of his power would come to light.

Feeling restlessness well up inside him, his gaze shifted to the two girls lying dreamily on the bed.

He would have to find a way to make them stronger quickly. That way, they would last longer and grant him more corruption points.

But for now, he sighed and dropped to the floor, taking a lotus position. He sank into meditation, trying to acclimate to the power within him.