[Bloodline: Spirit Devourer (SSS)]

[Description: Your ability to devour the Spirit of those who have fallen before you is the strongest there is.]

[Bloodline Passive #1: Upon defeating an enemy, there is a chance to be able to devour some of their Spirit. The amount of Spirit devoured will depend on how much the enemy possessed.]

[Bloodline Passive #2: You gain 10x the amount of Spirit per level.]

[Bloodline Passive #3: ???]

---

"Hm."

Much like [Classes] and [Talents], bloodlines also had their own status windows.

They came with descriptions, passives, and abilities that shaped how powerful the wielder could become.

The [Spirit Devourer] bloodline currently only had two passives unlocked, but Stark knew more would appear later as he grew stronger.

The first passive was simple enough: by defeating enemies, he could now permanently absorb a portion of their spirit.

No more relying solely on equipment or level-ups.

And what made it even more powerful was that the gain was permanent.

Unlike gear bonuses, which disappeared once unequipped, this would stay with him forever, directly added to his own stats.

That alone made it a terrifying power.

He didn't fully understand how it worked yet, or what exactly triggered it, but that didn't matter.

Just knowing it existed was enough to make him grin.

'Permanent growth,' Stark thought, his eyes reflecting the faint red glow of his bloodline interface, 'That's insane.'

A piece of equipment's spirit bonus was always temporary, tied to the item itself.

But permanent attributes? Those were bound directly to his soul.

As for the second passive, it was equally impressive.

Normally, every player in [Eternal Soul] gained 5 points in all attributes, plus another 5 free points to distribute per level.

That was the standard.

But now, thanks to this bloodline, Stark would gain ten times that amount, for Spirit alone.

"Only for Spirit though," Stark muttered, nodding to himself, "All others stay at 5."

Still, that was more than enough. With every level, he'd become exponentially stronger.

This bloodline was, without question, one of the greatest rewards he'd ever received.

Even if it had nearly cost him his life, the result was worth it.

He glanced at Kaiser's corpse.

The massive, lifeless body still lay there, unmoving, its crimson skin faintly shimmering with residual energy.

"Hah," Stark smirked.

"I think I get it."

[Eternal Soul] loved teaching players how their new powers worked, often through indirect hints or environmental cues.

This time was no different.

Kaiser's corpse hadn't vanished like normal monsters did—it was a clear clue.

A test.

Anyone with a brain could guess what to do next.

The first passive of his new bloodline practically begged to be used.

Stark took a slow breath, closed his eyes, and focused inward.

A faint crimson glow began leaking from his body, swirling like smoke.

His veins pulsed with energy, faint red lines spreading across his arms.

Ding!

[You have activated "Spirit Devourer."]

He opened his eyes and immediately noticed it—a faint red line forming between himself and Kaiser's body.

The connection pulsed, faint but steady, drawing something invisible through the air.

"Same thing he did to me," Stark murmured.

The difference was obvious, though.

Kaiser had been able to use this ability in battle, draining his enemies while they still lived.

Stark, on the other hand, could only activate it after the target's death.

Still, that was more than enough.

He watched quietly as the crimson thread flowed into his chest, the energy burning for an instant before settling into his core.

Ding!

[You have devoured 4 Spirit from "Kaiser, The Spirit Devourer."]

"Damn."

Four points. It wasn't much compared to what Kaiser had stolen from him earlier, but it was still something.

He could feel it, the faint but undeniable increase in his power.

The start of something greater.

'It'll build up over time,' Stark thought, closing his panel, 'I'll get it all back eventually.'

He stretched his shoulders, glancing one last time at Kaiser's body before turning away.

The next class advancement would be at level 75, and reaching it wouldn't be easy.

"This one's gonna take a while," he muttered to himself.

First, he'd need to return to the city past the [Land of Mist], regroup, and prepare for the next event.

Then he could focus on the upcoming zones.

He took a step forward—

Fwish!

A sudden wave of icy energy filled the air.

The temperature dropped in an instant, and a chill ran down Stark's spine.

Every instinct in his body screamed danger.

He froze mid-step, slowly turning his head.

A figure stood behind him, tall, graceful, and radiating an aura so powerful it made the air itself tremble.

Without hesitation, Stark raised his staff.

Blazing Meteor! Elemental Spears!

The ground cracked as he unleashed his spells.

A massive meteor blazed into existence, accompanied by five glowing spears of fire, ice, wind and earth.

He launched them all at once toward the figure.

The attacks roared through the air, heading directly toward the figure that appeared.

But as he turned around... Stark realized who the figure was.

"Neris?" Stark whispered, his eyes narrowing.

---

[Judge Emissary, Neris (Level ???)]

[Rank: ???]

[HP: ???]

---

She wore the same white robe embroidered with gold, her face hidden beneath her hood.

The faint golden light around her body gave her an almost divine presence.

"Oh, shit," Stark muttered under his breath, "I already launched the spells."

He had no way to cancel them once cast. But Neris didn't even move.

She simply stood still, hands clasped before her, as the spells struck.

Boom! Bam! Bam!

Explosions flared around her, but she didn't react.

When the light faded—

-0! -0! -0!

Gray numbers floated in the air.

"Holy shit…"

Zero damage. Not even a single point of reduction, just complete immunity.

'Each of those spells had over two and a half million base damage,' Stark thought in disbelief, 'Her resistance completely nullified them.'

Neris didn't flinch. She simply looked at him.

It was clear she didn't consider his attacks an insult, just an instinctive reflex.

And she wasn't wrong. Stark hadn't meant to attack her.

He had reacted out of pure survival instinct.

Still, that reaction showed him something important.

This woman, this emissary, was far beyond anything he could currently handle.

"It seems…" Neris spoke at last, her voice calm and melodic, echoing faintly through the mist, "you have acquired… your very first… bloodline."

Her tone carried authority, as though every word weighed on reality itself.

"Heir… of… Oblivion…"

"Yeah," Stark said simply, lowering his staff, "Had to do it to get stronger."

"Good…" Neris nodded, a faint smile curving her lips, "Oblivion… cannot… be weak… especially… for what comes next…"

Her words made Stark pause.

She always spoke like she knew more, like she had seen the entire path ahead of him. And maybe she had.

Neris had appeared before him twice before.

The first time, in the [Abandoned Temple of Fate], she had revealed herself briefly—almost like an introduction.

The second time, during his trial for the [Heart of Sanctuary], she had spoken again, her voice guiding him forward.

And now… she had returned once more, right after his first bloodline acquisition.

'She appears at every major milestone,' Stark realized, 'Always when I gain something important.'

It wasn't random. Nothing in [Eternal Soul] was random.

"You have… to keep… going…" Neris said softly, "The ancient gods… are slowly… realizing… that you are… alive…"

Her words carried a weight that sent a faint chill down his spine.

But Stark didn't hesitate. He nodded firmly. He had no plans to stop.

Before she could fade away again like she always did, Stark spoke up quickly.

"Wait," he said, "Before you go, I have a question."

Neris paused, looking at Stark directly as if telling him to continue.

And...

"What is the [Soul Continent]?"

The moment he uttered those words, the air changed.

The temperature dropped even further, the mist around them thickening like a shroud.

Neris' eyes narrowed beneath her hood, a glint of light piercing through the shadow that covered her face.

Next chapter will be updated first on this website. Come back and continue reading tomorrow, everyone!

If you find any errors ( broken links, non-standard content, etc.. ), Please let us know < report chapter > so we can fix it as soon as possible.