Asher had finally reached the peak of Soul Hunter and sat down in his training room, realizing that he was now powerful enough to comprehend the powers of the next Fallen Soul from the Tome of the Fallen Souls.
If he had the choice, he would have done it earlier, but he wasn't strong yet until now.
The pages containing Doomfall's abilities were unlocked. He knew engraving the runes shown in these pages was no small deal and could kill him if he was not careful.
Yet, his eyes glowed with the fascination of comprehending the power of Doomfall, and he was confident he would succeed.
He knew for this grimoire, the time it takes to comprehend wouldn't be much on the outside, though when the grimoire absorbs his mind into its world, it definitely could feel like a lot.
Just as he closed his eyes and focused, the world around him seemed to warp and distort, suddenly replaced by an endless, smoky plane bathed in a dull, scarlet light.
He found himself standing on this nightmarish landscape, heat shimmering off the hellish ground, stinging his skin.
"Uhh…." But he suddenly grimaced as an overwhelming presence seemed to press down on him, choking the very air.
In the distance, a monstrous silhouette emerged, growing in size and dread with each passing second, until it towered over him, its figure dark against the fiery light. Its form was horrific - a monstrous tiger-like beast with red skin and blazing eyes.
Its teeth were sharp and strong as steel, and its terrifying claws were enough to tear even mountains like paper.
Hot vapors came out of its maw, and its sheer size and muscular body were enough to make one feel despair in its presence.
But what made it even more terrifying was how, unlike an ordinary tiger, it had no fur. Instead, on its red skin, there were small red hot spikes all over its body, even on its face.
Asher took a slow deep breath, his throat suddenly dry as Doomfall, took notice of him.
"You think you are worthy?" The words weren't spoken but rather reverberated through Asher's soul like the echo of a monstrous roar, filled with the promise of devastation.
For a moment, the world around Asher seemed to falter, the might of Doomfall nearly overwhelming him. The searing pain of his synapses firing off on overdrive felt like he was being struck by a hundred lightning bolts, his soul on the verge of being consumed.
"I…I do," Asher's response was not vocal but a surge of will, a defiance against the dread pressing down on him.
Doomfall raised its chin briefly, its blazing eyes resting on Asher, "Then prove your will to me, mortal. Or die! ROARRRRR!!!!"
The world around him darkened as the beast roared, the force of the roar shredding through the imaginary space like an earthquake, causing the ground under him to shake violently.
What was this dreadful aura he was feeling from this spirit? It was the first time he was facing something that shook his very soul.
Doomfall's terrifying aura washed over him, weighing heavily on his mental self. The pure malevolence of the aura was suffocating, like a hundred iron chains dragging him down into the depths of despair.
He could sense his self weakening, slowing, blurring at the edges as the infernal aura leached away his strength.
"Aargh!" Asher collapsed on the ground, his entire body shivering like a leaf as he desperately struggled to keep himself from getting his mind torn apart.
Doomfall's gaze burned with contempt, its enormous form shrouded in an infernal aura. It shook its head with a growl that caused the very ground beneath Asher to tremble, "Weak... too weak. Your will is plagued by uncertainty, mortal. In this state, you are better off dead," it rumbled, its voice a cacophony of untamed power and savage disdain.
The condemnation echoed like a death knell through the searing air, sinking into Asher's heart.
The relentless onslaught of Doomfall's power seemed to erode his resistance, his mind faltering, buckling under the immense pressure.
He felt as though he were falling, descending into a chasm of despair, his spirit shattering under the weight of his perceived failure. His consciousness began to fade, the edges of his world blurring into darkness.
Despair began to drown his thoughts as he realized he was about to die.
Just as the last remnants of his will were on the verge of shattering, a soft voice echoed through the tumult.
It was a familiar sound, a tether anchoring him in the maelstrom of despair, "Asher!" it called.
Isola's voice, her tone laced with urgent concern, seeped into the fiery world, cutting through the smoky haze that clouded his mind.
And the next moment, he felt like this voice was pulling him away from this nightmarish world and this hellish spirit whose silhouette began to fade.
With a gasp, Asher's eyes snapped open, the stark light of his training room flooding his vision. He was back, lying on the cold stone floor, the nightmare landscape replaced by the familiar surroundings of his room.
Hovering over him were Isola and Merina, their faces etched with worry. Isola's sapphire blue eyes met his, a storm of relief washing over her features as she saw him regain consciousness.
"Master! Are you alright?" Merina, her dark blue eyes glistening with tears and flickering with concern, helped him sit up as she tried to wipe away the drops of sweat trickling down his face.
Breathing and sweating heavily, Asher looked at them, feeling the residual energy of his ordeal ebbing away.
Doomfall's image still danced in the back of his mind, a reminder of the terror he had just faced. He was still taking rapid breaths, wondering if he really got back while everything around him was just blurry and faded.
Isola shot a glance toward Merina, her eyes silently conveying a message of calm.
Merina seemed to understand and gave a small nod, letting go of her Master and allowing Isola to take the lead.
Asher still looked dazed, his gaze distant and unfocused, lost somewhere in the haunting memories of his encounter with Doomfall.
His body shivered slightly, an aftershock of the mental battle he had endured. These mythical Fallen spirits were surely beings that were beyond his comprehension. And that was just the power of a fraction of their true souls.
Isola reached out, her fingers gently closing around his arms, "Asher?" she called, her voice a soft whisper.
He didn't respond, his eyes still unfocused, a part of his mind seemingly stuck in that terrifying realm, "Asher," she said again, this time more firmly, her grip tightening on his arms.
This time, her voice seemed to reach him. His gaze flitted over to her, his eyes momentarily confused before a flicker of recognition sparked in them.
His vision cleared, and he took in the sight of Isola and Merina crouched beside him, concern and worry etched on their faces.
Isola shook her head at him, her brows furrowing, "Why, Asher? Why would you try to comprehend such a dangerous grimoire now?" she asked, her tone laced with exasperation and relief.
If something had happened to him, then…Isola didn't want to imagine such a scenario.
Asher blinked at her, taking a moment to process her words. He closed his eyes and took a deep breath, the chilly air of the training room filling his lungs and grounding him back into reality, "What... What happened?" he asked, his voice husky.
"Y-You pushed yourself too far. You scared us…" Merina chimed in, her voice a soft tremble while trying to hold in her tears.
She knew it was dangerous but since he successfully had done this in the past, she waited a bit longer before calling Isola. She didn't want to unknowingly hinder her Master from comprehending something, though it seemed her instincts were indeed right.
"Scared you...?" Asher echoed, opening his eyes to look at them again, understanding dawning on him as he finally got a hold of his thoughts.
Isola nodded, her hand still wrapped around Asher's arm, steadying him, "Merina was keeping an eye on you when you were busy comprehending," she began, her voice sounding distant as she recalled the harrowing events, "But she noticed that you were writhing in pain a few hours in, so she called me for help."
Asher's eyes flickered to Merina, and she met his gaze with a small nod.
Merina, who usually had a composed demeanor, looked shaken after everything she just witnessed.
Isola continued, "When I got here, you were completely out of it. I've been trying to reach you for what felt like an eternity, and to be honest, we thought you were lost," Her gaze softened, relief seeping into her words, "Thankfully, I managed to break through just in time. It was close, Asher. Too close."
Asher swallowed hard, his mind grappling with the reality of what had happened. With the help of Merina, he managed to pull himself up to a sitting position. He blinked rapidly, trying to process the fact that he'd been on the verge of dying.
He let out a long sigh, frustration seeping into his voice, "I...I didn't think I'd fail. I was so sure I could do it," he confessed, rubbing a hand across his face. He was also heavily disappointed since he was expecting to learn powerful abilities before going on the quest.
His confidence was hammered since his progress in strength as a demon was increasing smoothly until now.
However, what he had just experienced made him realize he was far from being sure of anything. Inwardly, he knew what Doomfall meant when he said his will was plagued by uncertainty.
And it was all because of her. Since the day he learned who killed his mother, something within him has never been the same.
Pushing up from the floor, Asher's movements were still a touch shaky, the aftermath of his near death experience lurking beneath his surface.
With a grit of his teeth, he managed to stand, wavering a bit before regaining his balance.
"Where are you going, Asher?" Isola asked, worry lacing her voice. Her hand extended halfway to him, stopping short as he began moving towards the door, "You should rest, you've been through..."
"I'm fine," Asher interjected, his voice more gruff than he intended. His hand rested on the doorknob, hesitating before turning it, "We should all focus on preparing for tomorrow."
"But..." Isola started, her protest cut short as Asher left, and the door clicked shut behind him, leaving Isola and Merina in the training room, the echo of his departure lingering in the air.
They looked at each other, a shared worry and determination filling the space.
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