[Don, the connection is now complete, and you may choose your skills.]
Don struggled to form his words, but all that came out was, "Wait! Wait! What is happening here? What does it mean that I am connected to The Source? How are you speaking in my mind? And what is this thing on my chest?"
[Unfortunately, I cannot answer now. I can only say this: You were deprived of your birthright, and this is a small compensation for everything. I am not a God or a wish-granter, so you must understand that you did not absorb Me. I am merely resting inside you because I am bored. Now, choose your skills.]
"Wait! Wait! Why do you keep talking about my birthright? What is that exactly? And how did I escape death? I've never even left this city!" Don shouted.
[Time is running out, boy. As I said, I cannot answer now.]
"Damn it! Fine, fine, calm down, Don." Don took a long breath. He hadn't just become superhuman; he had become a host for a rude Source that wouldn't answer his questions. "Now, I must think about my skills. Source, what are the limits to my choices?"
[Any skill you name is yours. Of course, it will have limitations initially, but as you level it up, it will become stronger than what you ask for now.]
"Anything? Truly anything? Even if I wished for Immortality?" He said the word "Immortality" in a low, nervous voice.
He had only heard of Immortals from the old man, who used to say, "Boy, in the past, the Immortals all asked only to see Me, to light up their lives. You must know that it is an honor for any Immortal to have Me look at them." The old man truly was mad, but his strange imagination had opened up many ideas for Don.
[Yes, you may have it.]
"Alright then, the first skill is Immortality."
[Skill synthesis in progress... Integrating multiple skills... 10% of energy drained... Skill formation complete.]
Immortality: No matter what happens, you will not die. Your body regenerates upon destruction. Your sense of pain is almost non-existent. But beware: if your head is severed or your heart is destroyed, you will visit the Underworld. If Death or one of his subordinates sees you before you return, you will become his slave.
"Amazing!" Don said excitedly. But he then asked aloud, "Why is Death mentioned again? And what is the speed of my body's regeneration?" Just as he was about to continue, he heard The Source in a warning tone:
[Hold on.]
Don collapsed to the floor, unable to scream. The pain made him convulse on his bedroom floor. His mind was being destroyed, and his body was being rebuilt again. If the pain of the initial Source connection was like a small child's, this pain was like that of an adult man. Don passed out and couldn't hear the Source's subsequent words:
[My dear, our son truly did it. I will guide him. I will protect him. I will eradicate all our enemies. This is the beginning. The universe will be our beloved son's feast. Wait, my love, until the world ends. We shall meet again, Alfred.]
At this time, in the Royal Palace, King Magenda the Eleventh was looking out of his chamber window at his city, but something was wrong. The King's eyes were vacant, and he was unclothed. Behind him, Queen Dora Antion Coleman slept on the Royal bed, which was made of the finest silk.
As one looked closely, the King was holding a pulsing heart that had not stopped—the Queen's heart. He looked at it blankly, then bit into it and began to eat it as if it were all he had.
Then a voice came from behind him: "Well done, my King! Eat, eat, eat for my sake! Today you devour the heart of your family; tomorrow you will devour your city, then your beloved continent!"
The King did not speak. After finishing the heart, he looked at his wife's body. All that was in his mind was: Beautiful. Oh, my dear, beautiful as always. I truly want to devour you, my darling. Then he moved and began tearing at his own body with his teeth. The sound of flesh in his mouth was like the sound of chewing rubber. He began to eat, not knowing when this had started. He was weeping; tears mixed with the blood and then it disappeared. Then he laughed maniacally and finally his mind broke .
If you looked outside the room, everyone in the palace was dead. The guards, the princes—all were dead.
Then a burst of laughter echoed throughout the palace, and the voice spoke again: "Eat, my darling, eat! Hahahahaha! Eat, you dog! Hahaha!" Then the voice turned to rage: "This is the fate of every human! You are merely food for us! You are nothing but livestock! Why the resistance? Why do we allow livestock to choose, indeed?"
It was a demon, specifically possessing the body of the Queen's personal maid.
She completed her laughter and took a black stone from her hand. She cut her finger, and a drop of blood fell onto the stone, changing its color to red. Then, a picture of the fifteen-year-old boy appeared before her. She knelt, full of dread and respect, and said, "Long live the King of Blood! Long live the ruler of all demons!"
Then she said to him, "My King, everything is done. We await your arrival now."
The Blood King smiled and replied, "Excellent work. I am on my way." She then made the image vanish.
This was the beginning of the demon invasion.