章節 15: Devourer tentacles.

When Damon read the explanation of the Devourer skill, he knew it could be a very useful skill, and it was pretty much self-explanatory. However, he wasn't sure whether it absorbed during contact with the target or from a certain distance.

Either way, he had to take a gamble. Since he was unable to utilize void energy, the Devourer skill was the only offensive skill he had.

The moment Brooks' mighty hands pounded the ground, it caused debris to fly in different directions, striking most of the crowd and killing or injuring them. Damon spotted an opening and hopped onto Brooks' hard, robust back like a predator pouncing on large prey.

"Get off me!" Brooks shouted, swatting a pesky Damon away from his back. Yet, Damon held tight, dodging each of Brooks' palms; it was quite challenging to hold on with one arm.

The once hemorrhaging severed arm ceased bleeding and healed, preventing any blood from spurting out.

Brooks was agitated by the three-legged cockroach attached to his back. In a split-second decision, he secured his foothold and jumped backward in an attempt to crush Damon to the ground.

"I knew you would try that."

It was then that Damon activated the Devourer skill. Suddenly, an unexpected force seized Brooks' movement as his legs trembled.

A crimson-red radiant glow simmered with heavenly grace, forming into intricate tentacles that slowly crawled along Brooks' body from Damon's fingers. As they moved, they multiplied, wrapping around Brooks, who was somehow paralyzed from their touch.

As the tentacles enclosed him, Brooks was uneasy. He couldn't move and just watched as they covered and constricted him.

Eventually, they stopped their progress on Brooks, then they latched hard onto his skin like leeches, and suddenly the energy cloak that powered him surged into the tentacles, draining him.

"Ahhhh!! Fuck!!" Brooks cried out in pain, his energy being devoured by the tentacles, sternly restricting his breath in the process.

His muscle fibers suddenly **caved** in as each of his bones crumbled, breaking apart and being sapped by the tentacles. The bones tore through his skin, and upon contact, they disintegrated into energy particles before being absorbed by the tentacles.

His skin cracked like glass before blood burst through his flesh, painting the ground red as it eroded his flesh.

Silence fell over the atmosphere as no one moved, staring with bulging eyes at the gruesome scene. Flesh just fell off Brooks' bones like tenderized chicken and momentarily evaporated into energy particles absorbed by the tentacles.

Brooks screamed due to the excruciating agony; however, no one retaliated, absorbed in the scene. His screams later died down as he choked on his own blood with a ripped-open belly, missing his organs, leaving nothing but a hollow space.

The life in Brooks' bulging red-veined eye was lost, and his body collapsed lightly to the ground, emitting large streams of red liquid, succumbing to his horrid fate.

Damon, who had distanced himself the moment the skill was activated, was perplexed at the sight.

"Oh my. I didn't expect that skill to be this powerful and this gruesome," Damon thought. The skill lived up to its name in the aspect of devouring.

The crimson tentacles slowly evaporated, seeing their host had died. As they did, a barrage of notifications filled Damon's sight.

❰Enemy has been devoured❱

〘100exp rewarded〙

❰First time killing a Curseweaver❱

〘100exp rewarded〙

❰Quest to defeat your enemy, completed❱

Level up!!

Level 5 [300/500exp]

〘+3sp〙

"What was that thing?" Michael blurted, bewildered by his observation. This kind of ability, he hadn't heard or seen before, and it fascinated him greatly.

However, a Curseweaver had just been killed, the most valuable asset to humanity had just been reduced to pure ground paint.

❰The regeneration of your arm is now in progress❱

〘To increase the speed of regeneration, 200exp is required〙

"Yes, do it, damn it," Damon replied without hesitation, his arm still hurting, and the thought of becoming handicapped felt uncomfortable. Although losing exp slowed his progress a little, he could always get more.

〘-200exp deducted〙

Level 5 [100/500exp]

As soon as the exp was deducted, a sudden throb ran through his arm and his flesh started to peel off like banana peels to the floor. A new arm burst through, emerging in place of the former arm.

"Wow, that was fast. I guess the 200exp was worth it."

The dead silent atmosphere was interrupted by a slow, rhythmic clap that grabbed the attention of everyone.

"That was quite a show, wasn't it? Defeating one of my strongest followers, a Curseweaver. You should know how valuable a Curseweaver is, and for killing one, especially one under me, you'll have to pay the price by replacing him," Michael said. This was a golden opportunity for him, a Curseweaver with multiple abilities, something unheard of, and if he could get someone like that under him, he would be unstoppable.

Damon stood off the ground, brushed off his clothes, while also checking his now regenerated arm before staring directly at Michael.

"I don't know who the hell you are. I was just kidnapped and ended up here. Not to mention, forcefully compelled into a death match, and you bastard want me to join your little 'princess party' ?"

"Of course, it's quite an honor to work under me," Michael said proudly.

"I think you might have been dropped on your head when you were a baby. I don't work for f*king idiots," Damon replied.

"How dare you speak to me like that?!" Michael shouted as he dropped into the ring.

"I guess I roused him up a little too much; curse my bad tongue," Damon thought. He didn't think this through; the match had exhausted him, and fighting again wasn't wise. He had no knowledge of how strong Michael could be.

From his attitude and having Curseweavers under him, Damon knew he couldn't be a weak opponent.

"Either way, I am not going down without a fight," Damon thought, taking another stance. A hint of concern lingered in his heart as he glanced at his HP.

[Health: 1/10]

❰Warning: Death imminent when health reaches zero❱

"One hit and I'm dead. *sigh*. As long as I give the bastard pain for putting me through this, it's worth it."

"Hehe, you might have defeated Brooks, but I ain't that easy to defeat, no matter what tricks you might pull...." Michael's speech was interrupted when he spotted a moving projectile heading towards him.

However, he was too late to respond, and it crashed into the middle of the giant crater.

Boom!!

****