Asher felt his senses spinning before slowly settling down. The moment he touched the baby Kraken, he suddenly felt like going to his Damned Dimension, as if he instinctively felt it was the only place that could make him feel better.
And the next moment, he was already standing in the Dimension of the Damned.
The dark green rocky terrain of this hellish world stretched out before him, desolate and eerie. The sky, a shifting mosaic of broken mirrors, reflected the fiery embers that the continuous eruptions of the surrounding volcanoes flung into the air.
The atmosphere was stiflingly hot, pressing against his charred skeleton as if it were a physical weight, though it didn't bother him in the least.
Yet, what truly shocked him was not the familiar sights of his dimension but his own flaming skeletal form.
"No way…" He flexed his bony fingers, the blaze wrapping around them like a second skin. His Hellbringer form, a sight that shouldn't have been possible considering how he shouldn't be able to use mana for a while after falling sick.
He also wasn't in pain anymore and felt like he was back to normal.
*Kreee…*
Before Asher could fully process his state, a soft screech snapped him out of his thoughts. Spinning around, his eyes inwardly widened upon seeing the baby Kraken.
"What the hell…" The fact that the baby Kraken somehow got itself into his personal dimension was not what shocked him the most.
It was the uncanny sight before him that resembled his own.
A creature that was once full of vibrant life was now a bare, skeletal shadow of its former self, yet there was something hauntingly beautiful about it.
The baby Kraken, a massive crustacean creature, now sported an eerie skeleton form ablaze with a spine-chilling emerald green flame.
Its exoskeleton, previously sturdy and formidable, had been replaced by a spectral lattice of charred bones that glowed in the menacing dark green fire.
Its once powerful, robust pincers now appeared like skeletal relics of what they used to be, their formidable power substituted by an ominous, ghostly beauty.
Where flesh and shell once existed, only the intricate design of skeletal framework remained, each bone distinct and sharp, every detail accentuated by the dancing flames.
The baby Kraken's haunting eyes, once lively and full of curiosity, were now replaced by glowing orbs, burning brightly with the same dark green flame.
They were set deep within the skeletal structure of its head, lending a haunting depth to its gaze.
It almost seemed as if the creature was trapped in a constant state of awe and fear, as it slowly moved around its pincers, studying its own blazing form.
Asher shook his head slowly, wondering how this was possible. It was common knowledge that the Kraken was the guardian of the seas, and that meant the last elemental pathway it could possess was the fire element.
He knew the mother Kraken used his bloodforce to probably finish creating its offspring, but he never expected it to manifest in this way.
Did his bloodforce alter her original bloodline? Was that even possible?
Was this the reason why the baby Kraken refused to go into the seas after sunset? Does it possess a dual nature of fire and water?
Asher couldn't wrap his head around it since he had never heard of it, and it would be impossible since fire and water can't coexist together.
He then narrowed his eyes as he observed that the uncanny spectacle of its skeletal form ignited a wave of distress in the baby Kraken.
*Kree! Kree!*
It began to emit panicked screeches that echoed throughout the forsaken landscape. The sound, surprisingly enough, stirred an unexpected instinct in Asher.
Although he would be least bothered about the distressed cries of a beast, each of its screeches seemed to squeeze something within him.
Before he knew it, his blazing skeletal form moved with an unnatural swiftness, defying the norms of his usual demeanor.
A plume of dark green flames trailed behind him as he rushed towards the panicking creature, his skeletal features seemingly hardening into a mask of resolution.
"Easy, big girl..." Asher's voice reverberated around the desolate dimension, surprisingly soft and comforting as he caressed its pincers. It felt strange, even to him. However, his words seemed to have a calming effect on the big baby Kraken.
*Koo…*
Despite its initial fear, the baby Kraken soon grew calmer, its screeches turning into low whines.
The creature's blazing eyes fixed on Asher's skeletal form, seemingly recognizing his aura.
As it moved one of its skeletal pincers to touch Asher, a strange yet peaceful silence descended upon them.
The baby Kraken seemed to recognize that the same strange transformation that had befallen it had also occurred to Asher, providing it with a sense of security and reassurance.
Asher, who had decided to not get drawn to anyone, found himself inexplicably drawn to the baby Kraken.
He watched as its form glowed and flickered in the ethereal glow of their shared green fire. It was a creature of a different kind, one devoid of the cunning and deceit he'd come to expect from both demons and humans alike.
The feel of its skeletal pincer against his own was oddly comforting. He felt a strange sense of tenderness fill him, a sensation he had long since barred from his heart. Was this how a person gets affected once a beast imprints on them? How did this happen without him even realizing it?
But he let it linger, this alien warmth, as he watched the beast, as innocent and clueless as a human child, trying to comprehend its transformed self.
Asher found himself studying its eyes, finding them almost mirroring his own – a shared confusion, a shared transformation, a shared solitude.
It was an uncanny reflection that caused him to wince inwardly, but also revealed to him the very innocence he had been searching for.
This beast, unlike those that could talk, scheme, and betray, held no such faculties. Its heart, unlike his own, was unburdened by past grudges or betrayals.
It was a heart that beat in rhythm with the simplicity of nature, pure and free from deceit just like Isola said.
This realization made Asher feel oddly at ease, the walls around his heart wavered, not dismantled, but certainly shaken. He understood that here, in this creature, lay an opportunity, an unprecedented chance to shape its emotions towards him.
An assurance that even under Isola's influence, if he could form a strong bond with the creature from its formative stages, it would remain eternally loyal to him and would never betray him no matter what happens.
He knew this was one of the reasons why people loved to have beasts as companions and raise them from the moment they were born. This realization didn't strike him until now since he never thought too deeply about it, nor did he get the chance.
The fact that it also could assume Hellbringer form only went on to show that it had a deep connection to him.
He looked straight into the glistening orbs of the baby Kraken who appeared almost comical with its skeletal form outlined in dark green flames.
"How about getting a name for yourself, Callisa?" His voice was soft, laced with an undertone of amusement, though he didn't expect a response from the creature.
"Kroo! Krooo!"
To his astonishment, Callisa began snapping her pincers together, almost as if clapping in joy. A series of bright green flames spurted out from her, casting an otherworldly glow on Asher's charred skeleton.
He didn't know if she even understood him, though he did hear experts saying how beast companions can sense their Master's thoughts. But there was no solid proof to this theory.
Still, Asher's eyes flickered with surprise and mirth as he realized Callisa's joyous reaction to her new name, "So, you like the name Callisa, do you?" He asked in a playful tone.
Callisa responded with an even brighter burst of dark green flames, her eyes glimmering with a unique form of happiness. The silent proclamation of acceptance from her caused an unusual sensation of warmth to curl in Asher's chest.
He also realized that despite her being a newborn creature of the sea, Callisa possessed a higher intelligence than a human infant.
Suddenly, Asher remembered that he had got a pop up in his head after coming here. He immediately checked out what it was,
[ New Passive Ability Awakened ]
[ Mark of the Damned - With just a touch, you can mark any being bonded to you and temporarily let them gain the power of Hellbringer and enter the Dimension of the Damned ]
'Is this what really happened?' Asher felt that it now made sense and remembered touching Callisa before they ended up here.
[ New Talent Awakened ]
[ Cursed Mark - Upon using the Mark of the Damned, you will instantly sacrifice 50% of your MP. When your MP gets exhausted or revert to your original form, any being with the Mark will revert to their original form (1 / 20) ]
"Oh well…not surprised, are we?" Asher mumbled with a sarcastic scoff as he took a look at his gradually dwindling MP, which was already below 50%.
However, he felt that it was worth the price since he could have an undying Kraken beside him who won't fall until its or his MP ran out.
He then wondered if this ability was the reason his bloodforce got a jumpstart to let him use his powers again, even though he wasn't really sure about it.
Feeling that he should get back before his disappearance causes a panic, he said, "Let's get back, shall we, Callisa?"
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