The moment Arjun whispered YES—
the world didn't change.
The courtyard didn't explode.
No thunder fell from the sky.
Nothing dramatic happened outside.
But inside Arjun's body…
something far worse began.
A heat crawled through his veins like molten metal.
The Soul Binding Pill—a curse meant to enslave him—didn't spread chains through his meridians.
It dissolved.
It melted.
It screamed.
It became food.
🔊 [Devouring foreign energy…]
🔊 Refining…
🔊 Assimilating…
Arjun's eyes lowered slightly.
His breathing stayed calm.
But his heartbeat…
It wasn't normal anymore.
It sounded like war drums.
Elder Vayu stood only a few meters away.
At first, his expression was relaxed.
Confident.
Like a man who had just placed a leash on a tiger.
But then—
His smile faded.
Because he felt it.
The Soul Binding Pill was still inside Arjun.
Yet it wasn't binding him.
It was disappearing.
Elder Vayu's eyes narrowed.
"What did you do…?"
Arjun didn't answer.
He didn't need to.
The air around him began to tremble.
Not from cultivation pressure.
From something older.
Something that didn't belong in Iron Mountain Sect.
Something that felt like a sealed beast waking up.
Even Rudra—still on the ground—felt it.
His face turned pale.
His teeth started chattering.
"This… this aura…"
He tried to stand.
His legs failed.
He collapsed again like a broken animal.
Elder Vayu's expression finally changed.
Not anger.
Not arrogance.
But caution.
The kind of caution a hunter feels…
when he realizes he has become the prey.
Arjun raised his hand slowly.
His fingers clenched.
And the system flashed.
🔊 [Talent Seal Fragment Resonance: 2/3]
🔊 Beast King Core integration: 100%
✅ Sealed Talent awakening condition met.
Arjun's vision darkened.
The world turned black for one heartbeat.
Then—
a door opened inside his soul.
Not a normal door.
A prison door.
A seal carved with countless ancient patterns.
And behind it—
something looked back at him.
A presence.
A consciousness.
A hunger.
Arjun's pupils shrank into thin lines like a predator's.
His veins turned faintly red.
His skin… didn't just harden.
It changed.
It looked like iron…
but it felt like something living underneath.
Like armor made of blood and bone.
The system spoke again.
🔊 [SEALED TALENT AWAKENED!]🩸 TALENT: DEVOURING BODY (D-Rank → ??? Growth Type)
✅ Effect 1: Absorb pills/poisons/curses as energy
✅ Effect 2: Consume enemy essence after kills
✅ Effect 3: Automatically adapts to damage
⚠️ Warning: Talent grows by killing and devouring
The disciples watching from afar didn't understand any of it.
But they felt it.
Their instincts screamed:
RUN.
Because Arjun didn't feel like a disciple anymore.
He felt like a calamity wearing human skin.
Arjun opened his eyes fully.
And when he did—
his gaze wasn't human.
It was empty.
Cold.
Ancient.
Like death itself had learned how to walk.
Elder Vayu slowly stepped back.
His voice was low.
"You… are not normal."
Arjun smiled faintly.
"I know."
Then he turned his head slightly and looked at Rudra.
Rudra's body trembled.
He tried to speak bravely, but his throat betrayed him.
"A-Arjun… listen… we can talk…"
Arjun tilted his head.
"Talk?"
He walked toward Rudra slowly.
Step.
Step.
Step.
Each footstep made the ground crack.
Rudra crawled backward, eyes wide.
"No… no… don't come closer—!"
Arjun crouched down in front of him.
Then he whispered gently:
"You wanted me to crawl, remember?"
Rudra's lips shook.
"I… I was angry! I didn't mean—"
Arjun grabbed Rudra's ankle.
And pulled.
Hard.
DRAGGGG!
Rudra screamed as his body scraped across shattered stone.
"AAAAAA!! STOP!!"
Arjun dragged him like trash.
Like meat.
Like an animal meant for slaughter.
The crowd went silent.
Even the elder didn't stop it.
Because Elder Vayu was watching Arjun now…
like he was watching a weapon that might turn on its owner.
Arjun stopped dragging Rudra right under the hanging corpses.
Rudra looked up.
And saw the carved word on their skin:
TRASH.
His face twisted in horror.
"No… no…!"
Arjun looked at the corpses and spoke calmly:
"You made this."
Then he looked back at Rudra.
"So you'll pay for it."
Rudra tried to scream.
But Arjun's hand closed around his throat.
Not choking yet.
Just holding.
Like a promise.
Arjun leaned closer.
"You said you'd take my head."
Rudra's eyes rolled.
"I-I won't! I won't! I swear!"
Arjun continued, voice soft:
"You said you'd slaughter everyone who spoke my name."
Rudra shook violently.
"I lied!! I lied!!"
Arjun nodded.
"Good."
Then his fingers tightened.
Rudra's face turned purple.
His hands clawed at Arjun's wrist.
Arjun didn't care.
He stared into Rudra's eyes, watching the fear bloom.
Then—
🔊 [Devouring Body activated: Enemy essence detected]
✅ Target: Rudra (Inner Disciple, Top Ten)
✅ Status: Alive
✅ Devour option: PARTIAL / FULL
Arjun didn't devour yet.
No.
That would be too fast.
He wanted Rudra conscious.
He wanted him to understand.
Arjun whispered:
"Beg properly."
Rudra's eyes bulged.
He forced words out.
"P-please… please spare me… I'll give you pills… spirit stones… anything…"
Arjun smiled.
"Anything?"
Rudra nodded desperately.
"Yes! YES!"
Arjun leaned in.
"Then give me…"
"…your cultivation."
Rudra froze.
His eyes widened like someone stabbed him.
"My… cultivation…?"
Arjun nodded.
"You took my dignity."
"You took my future."
"You took my life and made it a joke."
"So I'm taking something more valuable than your life."
Rudra began crying.
"No… no… please…"
Arjun's voice became colder.
"You have two choices."
He raised two fingers.
"One…"
"I crush you here."
"Two…"
"You live."
"But as a corpse that breathes."
Rudra trembled like a child.
He looked toward Elder Vayu with desperate hope.
"Master! MASTER HELP ME!"
Elder Vayu didn't move.
He didn't answer.
Because Elder Vayu wasn't sure anymore…
if he could help.
Arjun looked up at the elder.
And for the first time, his voice carried something deeper than revenge.
A warning.
"Elder."
"If you interfere…"
"I will devour you next."
Silence.
A deadly silence.
Then Elder Vayu spoke slowly.
"…Do it."
Rudra's soul shattered.
"No… no no NOOO—!"
Arjun placed his palm on Rudra's chest.
Not a strike.
Not a punch.
A grip.
A devouring seal.
His veins glowed red.
His eyes flashed like burning embers.
🩸 DEVOURING BODY — PARTIAL DEVOUR!
Rudra screamed.
Not in pain—
in terror.
Because he could feel his cultivation being eaten.
Like his meridians were being ripped out one by one.
Like his spirit root was being chewed.
His aura collapsed violently.
His body convulsed.
His hair turned slightly gray.
His skin lost color.
In seconds…
Rudra went from a proud inner disciple king…
to a trembling, weak husk.
The system chimed.
🔊 [PARTIAL DEVOUR COMPLETE]
🎁 +1,500 Points
🎁 +1 Iron Body Stage Progress
🎁 Skill upgrade available
✅ Iron Body Stage: 1/10 → 2/10
Arjun released Rudra.
Rudra fell to the ground like a corpse.
His eyes were empty.
His mouth opened and closed like a dying fish.
He couldn't even cry anymore.
Arjun looked down at him.
And whispered:
"Now crawl."
Rudra tried.
His arms shook.
He moved one inch.
Then collapsed.
Arjun smiled.
"Pathetic."
Then Arjun turned away and walked toward Elder Vayu.
The elder's eyes were sharp.
"Are you satisfied?"
Arjun didn't answer immediately.
He stepped closer.
Then he said:
"I'm not satisfied."
"I'm not even finished."
The elder's face stiffened.
Arjun continued:
"You killed my life slowly for years."
"So I will repay this sect…"
"slowly."
One word at a time.
One scream at a time.
One body at a time.
Elder Vayu's aura rose.
The air grew heavy again.
"So you plan to rebel?"
Arjun's eyes met his.
Cold.
Sharp.
Fearless.
"I'm not rebelling."
"I'm correcting the world."
Then the system chimed again—quiet but deadly.
🔊 [New Mission: Become the Sect Nightmare]
📌 Objective: Break the inner disciple tower
🎁 Reward: Talent Seal Key Fragment x1 (2/3 → 3/3)
🎁 Bonus Reward: Bloodline Lottery Unlock
Arjun's lips curved.
He turned his head toward the inner disciple tower in the distance.
And whispered:
"Good."
Then he started walking.
Not running.
Not hiding.
Walking straight toward it.
Like a king marching to his throne.