Rex thought nothing of it, favorability from a wandering soul should be nothing for him.
Even the System said that it has no effect on him.
But he should've known that this soul that came from the black rose is an important entity for the Countess of the Dark Lunirich, she actually cried for whoever was buried in this place. Surely, favorability from this person also grants him favorability from the Countess too.
Additionally, the way the Countess looks at him changed.
It's hard to explain with words but he felt like the Countess' gaze has turned softer.
Now he realized that the entity buried here is more important than he anticipated, the Countess even declares that she will give her full support and boost him to the First Ascension without going through the normal trial.
Maybe, since the dawn of time, he was the only Werewolf to get this privilege.
In a way, this is the ultimate sign of favorability.
'What does she mean by me resembling him? Who do I resemble?'
Although there were a couple of questions inside his mind, Rex suddenly realized that Calidora and Delta were backing away slowly. Hearing the Countess' declaration, the two thought that it wouldn't be good to stay close to him.
"Use your power to enhance your build, this is going to hurt..."
Listening to what the Countess said, Rex tries to activate his enhancement skills.
Despite not being fit himself, he still decided to try. His body was exhausted from what he did to Gistella, and also the fact that it hasn't been that long since finishing the fight against the Supernatural Elders speaks volumes.
Rex tries to focus on strengthening himself, but he finds it very hard to do.
Even with his very best attempt, harnessing the power of the moonlight strains his body and makes the wounds throb violently. Focusing on his red force, he also finds it's not responding to his will too. Additionally, the mana and spirit energy inside of him were only able to barely make him stronger.
<The user's body is exhausted, and all powers have been weakened severely>
Upon seeing this, he could only sigh as he was too weak right now.
Not having the presence of Evelyn beside him is a real problem, but he couldn't go to her right now. It's going to take him longer to fully recover, "I think we need to postpone this. My body is not responding to me, I'm completely exhausted"
Finding that Rex is not fit, the Countess slowly puts her hand down in response.
It's a bummer that he couldn't receive the blessing at this sacred moment, but her hand suddenly stopped mid-way and she glanced over her shoulder to the sky. A look of worry can be seen on her face for a brief moment.
Pondering for a moment, a frown then appeared on her face before she turns to Rex again.
"Bear with this Royal Black Prince. Clenched your teeth, we need to do it right now"
"Wha- Wait! I'm not re-"
Swoosh!
Disregarding what Rex was trying to say, the Countess vanishes from her spot.
Like a literal untraceable phantom in the night, she quickly reappeared right in front of him. Grabbing his forehead forcefully, a surge of dark energy started to travel into the Countess' arm and flowed directly into Rex.
Under the enchantment of the dark energy, Rex's King Mark was forcefully activated.
"Krraaaagghhk!!"
Rex shouted at the top of his lungs and grabbed the Countess' arm instinctively, but he couldn't budge her arm and fell to his knees weakly. It was no use, he was too exhausted to fight back properly right now.
Like an endless stream river, the dark energy keeps gushing into Rex's King Mark.
It was violent and excruciatingly painful as the Blood Moon's kingly energy inside of him was being suppressed heavily and replaced by the Dark Moon's kingly energy, this sensation keeps on going as the veins all over his body bulged.
Out of nowhere, almost as if she was in a hurry to finish, the Countess poured more in.
Despite his shout, the Countess didn't mind it and kept going.
Calidora and Delta watch as Rex's King Mark that glowed with red kingly energy started to be corrupted with the black color. Under the intense dark energy, it didn't take long before his King Mark turned completely black.
Both of them knew that the pain would be unbearable.
Rex has never been shouting like this, at least the two of them have never seen him in such a state. If even he couldn't bear to restrain his hoarse voice, then the pain should be out of their imaginations.
Not stopping at that, the Countess pushed even more, drowning Rex in a sea of pain.
Most of the people close to Rex know that he has a very high pain tolerance level, but this moment overwhelms him completely. Of course, this is not the most painful thing he has ever experienced.
But the volume is way bigger, and the pain provides no gaps for him to take a breath to rest.
Rex feels like he was suffocating while being tortured at the same time.
As the intensity of the Dark Moon's kingly energy grew, an outer black ring started to appear around Rex's King Mark. It was the ring that symbolizes a Werewolf reaching the First Ascension and is worthy to enter the upper echelon of the Werewolf hierarchy.
Exactly as she declared, the Countess actually boosts him without a proper normal trial.
What seems to be a minute at most feels like an eternity for Rex.
Time slowed down and stretched on for hours despite being a minute at most, such an intense amount of pain is capable of rendering his senses of time useless. However, he refused to give up and is determined to endure it to the very end. As long as his body doesn't melt, then he always believed he can sustain as much pain as needed.
If it could make him stronger, then no amount of pain will make him succumb completely.
Just when his patience was starting to be tested by the pain, it suddenly stopped abruptly. The pain was gone in an instant, and Rex's body instantly becomes relaxed once again. He panted heavily but he was left in a worse state than earlier.
But as he recuperates for a few seconds, he felt a burn on his forehead.
Grabbing his forehead, he could feel his King Mark glowing with the Dark Moon's kingly energy. It was a familiar sensation. If not for the exhaustion that dawns on his body, he would've felt powerful.
<Congratulation! The user's Dark Moon King Mark is now active!>
<First Ascension in the user's Dark Moon King Mark has been achieved, and the user has been rewarded with a moon ability, Seize of Twilight!>
Looking at the notifications from the System, Rex exhales deeply.
Reaching the First Ascension in his Dark Moon King Mark should be a great boost for him, but he now feels even worse thanks to his unhealed wounds. Considering the stress his body experienced earlier, this doesn't come as a surprise for him.
"I told you I'm not ready, why are you being so forceful" Rex muttered mildly.
But as he said that, the Countess replied in a monotone voice, "I suggest you stand up and prepare yourself, Royal Black Prince. Seems like the others were displeased for you being chosen by him"
Upon hearing this, Rex raises his gaze to look at the Countess in confusion.
It was then he saw the Countess' back facing his way as she looks skywards. Additionally, at the same moment, Rex also saw a weird occurrence in the night sky that left him completely baffled and even more confused.
To his surprise, he saw eight moons decorating the sky with different colors.
"What in the world...?" Rex mused in horror.
Although he wanted to believe what he was seeing right now, his vision is blurry, and he couldn't help but feel like his eyes must've been playing a trick on him. Eight moons in the sky are surely not true.
He believed that he must be too exhausted and started hallucinating right now.
But then, a voice came from the side, "Rex, are you okay?"
Just as he was witnessing something unimaginable, Calidora approached him from the side without a care in the world. Rex is now even more certain that he was only seeing things. If it's real, then she should've been more worried about the eight moons in the sky rather than his condition.
"Can't you see that?" Rex pointed at the sky in question.
Calidora raises her right eyebrow questioningly and gazes at the sky. But contrary to what Rex is expecting her to react, she doesn't seem to be disturbed by the sight, "What's wrong with the sky? It looks normal"
Albeit he was now certain that he was hallucinating, the Countess interrupted him.
"It's reality, Royal Black Prince. Get up and use that power of yours that you used to break my shackles" the Countess said, her eyes then squinted in the face of the eight moons. "None of them has a Champion yet except for Garland and Ethna, but I don't think I could block all of them at once"
Upon hearing this, Rex snapped out of his daze instantly.
Maybe he was feeling out of it due to the exhaustion and migraine inside his head, but he now realized that this is not a hallucination. It's real. Seems like for whatever reason, he evokes the wrath of the Lunirich Gods.
'Goodness, one after the other. I can't even recuperate properly...'
A savage look crossed his face as now realized the situation, his body started heating up from the anger swelling inside of him, 'I'm very angry now, I'm very angry... Why do all of you likes to taunt and attack me for reasons I don't even know? This is bullshit!'
Crack!
Rex slammed his fist on the ground and cracked it, he was starting to lose it.
The fact that he was completely exhausted as well as having so much to deal with right now makes him frustrated. He has enough on his plate already, yet these Lunirich Gods decided to add another problem while he was in this state.
"Unreasonable!"
Crack!
"Arrogant!"
Crack!
"Pathetic!"
Crack!
Under the immense anger, he kept pounding the ground to vent the suffocating feeling.
Glaring at the eight moons that were being boorish for attacking him when there was a bigger threat for the Werewolves other than him, Rex gritted his teeth as the blood inside of him pump faster.
Despite his anger, his body is still exhausted, and he became even more frustrated.
Rex then summoned the Silver Eye from his inventory and stabbed it to the ground, he then uses it to climb back to his feet once again, ignoring his legs that were shaking violently. He fought his exhaustion with every fiber of his being.
Clang!
Calidora who watches him from the side being angry was confused.
But when she activated her Eyes of Terror in the next second, her eyes widened and her gaze instantly went over to the night sky. She was surprised to see eight moons glowing brightly in the sky.
'Seems like the Werewolf Gods were not happy with him, but for what reason?'
No matter what it is, this wouldn't end with a display of power.
Glancing to the side, Calidora was worried that Delta who was oblivious to the situation would get into the mix. Due to that, she decided to mount her and forces her to gallop away before the situation escalated.
On the other hand, Countess flew to the sky and spreads her power to the surroundings.
Rex who was in a berserker state started transforming into his Werewolf form, he's grinding his teeth in anger thanks to his anger. In the next second, he then pulls the Silver Eye and points it at the sky.
"I have enough of this!! I'll declare an open war to all of you Lunirich Gods!"
"If any of you value your Godly lives, then don't meddle with this. However, those foolish enough to try and kill me, I'm ready! Come straight at me! Pick your champions and attack me!! Or better yet, come down here yourself. This lesser being will teach you the euphonious meaning of pain and death!!"
"I'll teach you to value your Godly lives because I'm coming to take them!"
ROARR!!
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