Two weeks after the danger beast wave, in Daigo's house, His wife was in labor and an old woman was helping her.
She said "AHHHH... It- it's hard to even breathe..!"in pain.
Daigo's holding her hands anxiously.
Old woman said "Stay calm, my dear. Every mother walks this path. Breathe… You're wife of a warrior, daughter of a mother. This child will be born strong because you are strong. Now… push one more time!"
"Aaahhhhh" She's clenching her teeth, groaning.
"Dont give up! There... there it is! I can see it!" At last, the baby was born. Old woman takes a breath with relief, smiling peacefully
"My... baby..."
Old woman's gently holding the baby, checking the umbilical cord " Healthy… and strong. I can feel it—his destiny will carve a long and powerful path."
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One month after the born, the weather had started to warm, and the dry season was approaching.
The entire village had gathered in front of the black log. There were around 100 people present.
The villagers wore simple and rather patched clothes.
They were wearing necklaces and bracelets made of bone, stone, and thread.
An elderly woman who helped with the birth, laid face down a crying baby on the black log and began piercing the tips of all ten fingers with a thin, bone-like needle.
A 4-5 year old child held a woman's hands and asked, "Mother, why is granny Chiyo hurting the baby?"
This old woman's name was Chiyo, she was wife of the village chief.
The woman padded the child's head and said, "This is a tradition passed down from our ancestors, dating back 1,000 years. When the dry season comes, all the new born babies blood is offered to the black log. When you were a baby, your blood was offered too." with a smile.
The child, with a confused look, asked, "What happens if we don't offer our blood, Mother?"
The woman smiled and replied, "Nothing happens, my dear. We do this only to inherit the strength of our ancestors."
The child nodded with a confused expression.
The baby's blood started flowing all over the black log while baby's crying.
The diameter of the black log was about 5 meters, and the baby was about a meter away from the stone.
Blood from all sides of the black log slowly began to flow toward the center, toward the stone in the shape of an inverted T.
Tribe peoples looked at the black log with serious or curious expressions. Daigo and he's wife waited with great concern on their faces. The baby lying there was theirs.
At the beginning of the dry season, the tribe offers the blood of children to the black log.
The black log is produced by a powerful plant-type danger beast. The stone in the center of the log was passed down from their ancestors 1000 years ago.
Before their ancestor passed away, he created a village around this black log. He told his children and grandchildren that if they offered the blood of those under one year of age, descended from he's blood would gain its power. This had been a tradition for 1000 years.
The blood started to gather around the stone, and the baby stopped crying. He looked at the stone with curiosity, as though something was calling to him.
Ding!
The baby turned its head toward the source of the sound and saw a transparent screen floating just beside it. Strange symbols, unknown to the infant, began to form in the air.
"Candidate's blood is compatible."
The screen vanished, and the baby felt a powerful force pulling from the stone. Slowly, it began to move toward it. After a few minutes, it had reached the stone.
Ding!
The transparent screen reappeared, and new letters started forming. The baby curiously reached out with its bleeding fingers, but they passed through the screen. He looked confused.
"Spiritual Compatibility Test started."
The baby felt something invade its mind. Baby tried to clutch his head with its tiny arms.
Seeing this, Daigo and his wife stepped forward in panic, but Genzo calmly stopped them and said "Do not fear. Everything is normal."
They continued watching anxiously.
After a while, the lowest row of symbols on the stone building's walls began to glow. The dimly lit room, barely illuminated by a few candles, was now filling with blue lights from the glowing symbols.
Everyone shocked
Ding!
"Lowest Compatibility Level: Passed."
Genzo stroked his beard with a happy expression and said "Our ancestor and the spirit of nature have granted this child great power. Other than Daigo, no one in the village has ever inherited this much strength."
The symbols continued to light up, climbing higher and higher. Genzo's expression changed. His eyes widened in shock.
"Mid-Level Compatibility Test: Passed."
"High-Level Compatibility Test: Passed."
Gradually, every symbol on the stone building's walls lit up. The entire space was now glowing with a blue hue.
Genzo stood frozen in disbelief. In his eighty years of life, he had never seen anyone inherit this much power.
"Full Compatibility Test: Passed."
BZZZTT
At that moment, the baby noticed the invisible panel slowly turning red. As he curiously reached out toward it, the symbols on the walls gradually shifted from a dim red to a deep blood-red.
Genzo's eyes widened in horror. Daigo and his wife turned to him, their faces pale with fear.
"ELDER! WHAT'S HAPPENING!?" Daigo shouted, panic was clear in his voice.
"I-I don't know! This has never happened before!"
Upon hearing that, Daigo stepped toward to the Black Log to save his son... but a powerful wind blasted him backward.
The stone began to tremble and slowly forced itself out of place… and then—
"HAHAHAHAHA!"(a deep, sinister laugh echoed)"FINALLY! FINALLY, I'VE FOUND A COMPATIBLE BODY!"
No one noticed the voice that had just appeared…
…except for one person in the ritual.
Though honestly, even if a baby had noticed it—what could it possibly do against that old fox…
BZZZZZZT
"User confirmed. Integration starting."
The text changed again. Ten streams of blood shot out from the baby's fingertips toward the stone. At the same time, red electrical currents surged from the stone into the baby's body.
At that moment, an invisible spirit emerged from the stone and entered the baby's body.
A painful cry echoed throughout the stone building.
Kato stood frozen in shock, then suddenly launched himself toward the Black Log to save his nephew. But a strong wind threw him into the stone wall too.
Minutes passed, and the baby's energy started to fade. He had lost so much blood, and it continued to flow.
Meanwhile, the brightness of the wall symbols began to dim.
About 15–20 minutes after the red symbols began to shine, they completely went out. The baby had stopped crying. His eyes, once black, were now glowing red.
Ding!
"Host successfully possessed."
Kato, Daigo, and Genzo rushed to the baby. Kato quickly checked his pulse and shouted,
"He's alive!"
The entire village let out a collective sigh of relief.