"What did that bitch tell you?" the knight growled.
"You are drunk on power now."
Apophis laughed, clearly amused.
"Hey, do not blame me.
Your host rejected my offer." She gave a sharp grin.
"If anything, you should curse your own luck.
I have never seen anyone like him, fighting his own guideline."
Ben's eyes narrowed.
The space around him began to crack and bend.
With each second, his strength surged and climbed to a new peak.
He knew the system was not completely wrong.
Maybe he was drunk on power.
But this was the first time in his life he felt truly in control.
Not guided.
Not manipulated.
Free.
It made him feel complete.
"You feel it too, do you not, system?" he said quietly.
"The power I am absorbing."
"Yes," the knight answered, his voice sharp.
"It is corrupting you."
Ben's gaze hardened, but his tone stayed calm.
"Maybe you are right.
But now that I have felt this, I can see it.
I can tell which part of my strength is yours, and which part is hers."
