The Damned Demon

Chapter 832  What It Means To Be An Immortal

Rebecca stood in the center of the dark, ancient hall, the air heavy and suffocating with this dark, divine mana.

Around her, the old walls were etched with dark green veins, their faint glow a cruel mockery of hope. Skully stood motionless nearby, his charred flesh and skeletal form barely illuminated by eerie green magma seeping from his bones.

"Begin," Skully commanded emotionlessly. "Remember, I can only guide you. Whether you live or perish is entirely up to your willpower and talent. I can only help to a certain extent."

She nodded, a fierce determination igniting in her eyes. Closing them tightly, she reached out with her senses, feeling the violent currents of mana swirling around her. Taking a deep breath, she began the dangerous task of absorbing the raw, untamed power.

"URGHH!"

The moment she drew the mana into her body, a shock of searing agony exploded within her. It felt as if molten iron had surged through her veins, burning through every nerve and muscle fiber. "AAARGHHHHHH!!"

She fell to her knees, screaming as her skin blistered, cracked, and peeled.

Skully's voice cut through her torment, calm and dispassionate. "The mana in these ruins is far stronger than anything you've encountered. It will break your body down quickly if you falter. Push through the pain. You can't control it, but you can try to bond with it or die."

Rebecca's eyes flashed open, tears of agony streaming down her cheeks as she gasped for breath. Gritting her teeth, she fought against the overwhelming desire to give in, using every ounce of her focus to redirect the destructive force tearing her apart. The mana battered against her mana circuits, making them look fragile while threatening to obliterate them entirely.

'I can't break,' she whispered desperately in her mind, her voice barely audible. 'I can't..."

Hours turned to days, each moment an eternity of unbearable suffering. Rebecca lay trembling on the cold, cracked stones, her body curled into a fetal position, fingers clawing helplessly at the ground. Her breathing was ragged, each gasp accompanied by a fresh wave of torment.

"Do not surrender," Skully's hollow voice reminded her relentlessly. "If your will fails, your mana circuit will collapse, and so will your soul. You must fight. If not for yourself, fight for those you care about."

Despite the excruciating pain, Asher and Oberon's face flashed in her mind upon hearing his words.

She squeezed her eyes shut again, her teeth biting deeply into her lower lip, drawing blood. She envisioned being able to be there for them. The thought sparked a new fire within her chest.

'I won't fail,"' she hissed in her mind, forcing herself upright despite the pain tearing through every limb. Blood dripped from her fingertips, mingling with the mana that surged violently around her. She braced herself, her body shaking uncontrollably.

She redoubled her efforts, channeling the corrosive mana carefully through her veins, forcing her circuits to adapt or break. Her mind teetered on the edge of madness, her vision blurred by tears and agony. Yet, every time she nearly collapsed, her determination forced her back onto her trembling feet.

Days blurred into a continuous loop of torture. Rebecca's screams echoed throughout the ruins, yet she refused to stop. Each cycle of pain was a brutal teacher, forging her resolve harder, shaping her will into unbreakable steel. Her body, though battered, burned, and bleeding, somehow endured.

Amidst all this, Valeria silently watched over the two while feeding Twilight.

Finally, after what felt like an eternity, Rebecca's tortured body ceased trembling. The pain receded like the tide, leaving her eerily numb. Slowly, she opened her eyes, blinking away the tears. She felt a newfound clarity, an intense, profound strength simmering deep within her chest. Her mana circuit pulsed steadily, vibrant, and powerful.

It was as if a whole new world was opened to her...a world she didn't even know existed before.

Her breathing stabilized, her heart thundered with exhilaration, and she looked around, astonished to feel herself still alive. With a surge of excitement, she mentally checked her status. Her eyes widened in disbelief and pure, incredulous joy.

"Impossible," she breathed, staring in wonder. "Level 35...?"

"HAHAHAHAHAHA!"

A wild, triumphant laugh burst from her lips, echoing through the ancient ruins. She felt like she was dreaming upon realizing that she achieved the impossible. It was a known fact that nobody could go beyond level 34, and wise ones of the past had said it was the limit placed upon them due to being a mortal.

She jumped to her feet, ignoring the incredible power pulsing through her veins, and spun toward Skully, her expression glowing with unbridled excitement.

"I told you I could fucking do this!" she shouted, her voice echoing victoriously. "I'm not trash! Hahahaha! Does this mean I'm no longer mortal? Have I truly shed my mortality?!"

Skully remained still, his expressionless face revealing nothing. His voice came flatly, almost disappointingly calm. "No. You are still very much a mortal."

Rebecca's exhilaration shattered instantly, her smile slipping into confusion and disbelief. "W-What the hell does that mean?" she asked, a hint of frustration creeping into her voice. Her gaze darted toward Asher, who still sat motionless, wrapped in thick dark-green tendrils of mana.

She was momentarily surprised to see that he still hadn't woken up. But her mind reeled back to her previous thoughts.

"If that's the case," she pressed, pointing sharply toward Asher, "shouldn't he be mortal too? What does being immortal even mean then?"

Skully tilted his skull slightly, the dark-green magma pulsing in his hollow sockets as he regarded her dispassionately, "Immortality is not merely crossing levels or barriers. It is something far deeper—something that defies the natural laws of this universe. You, Rebecca, have achieved what most mortals cannot, but true immortality is an entirely different path, far beyond simply reaching level 35."

Rebecca's brows knitted deeper in confusion, her previous confidence now overshadowed by doubt. "Huh? What exactly is true immortality, then?"

Skully answered in a deep, resounding echo, "True immortality cannot be expressed or explained in just a few words. But the crucial distinction about immortality is having growth potential beyond the limits of this universe. Look at him," Skully briefly looked towards Asher as he added, "He can increase his power exponentially without needing any assistance once he's on the right path. But you..." Skully's voice paused deliberately as his gaze settled back onto Rebecca, "You needed my help to prevent you from dying and underwent a taxing process merely to reach level 35."

Rebecca's expression twisted into bewilderment, her voice tinged with frustration. "Merely? I surpassed the limits of this world! According to your definition of immortality, that qualifies me as immortal, doesn't it?"

"No," Skully responded flatly, shaking his skull slightly. "The devils set the secondary limit at Level 34 for reasons only they know. But the true limit is beyond that. Even during the era I lived, only two beings managed to cross that threshold. One was a human who ruled my civilization, and the other a demon."

Rebecca's eyes sparked with intrigue, her lips curling into a knowing smirk. "Let me guess...that second individual killed your king and destroyed your civilization, didn't he? Was he that immortal demon you mentioned?"

Skully nodded silently.

Rebecca crossed her arms, her tone becoming sharper and more suspicious. "Yet you still won't reveal why you're aiding us, despite having once been human? Anyone else in your position would seek vengeance, going on a massacre after having their entire civilization wiped out by a demon. Yet here you stand, training us. Hmph, you better not be fattening us up for some crooked, twisted plan to exploit us later."

Skully offered no reply, standing utterly still, his presence mysterious as ever as he turned around to walk away.

Rebecca watched his retreating form, a swirl of frustration and curiosity burning within her chest. Unable to hold back her inquisitive nature any longer, she called out sharply, "But who killed that big bad immortal who destroyed your civilization? Was it a devil or an angel? Only one of them should be able to kill someone that powerful."

Skully stopped abruptly, his skeletal hand gripping his staff so tightly it shook ever so slightly, almost imperceptibly. The moment passed as swiftly as it had appeared. Without turning around, his voice emerged devoid of emotion, colder than the air around them, "No. He killed himself."

Rebecca blinked, her mouth falling open in stunned disbelief. "Huh?" she managed weakly, confusion and astonishment etched clearly across her face. She stepped forward instinctively, ready to bombard him with more questions, but before she could utter another word, Skully had resumed his slow, deliberate pace away from her, his figure melting into the encroaching shadows.

She watched him disappear, knowing that he wouldn't say anything more to her.

Still, her curiosity burned brighter than ever, mingled now with a deepening sense of unease.

As the tense silence lingered, unnoticed by Rebecca, Asher's aura began to surge dramatically.