Tai took a deep breath as he dispelled the darkness around him. He looked at Berthold's dead body and turned around to enter the city.

It was done, and even though he knew that not every UEE soldier was bad, he was definitely not going to join them now. Maybe he might work with them, but that would be it.

Extending his hand to touch the walls of the city, he was about to enter when he felt a sharp pain in his chest. Tai coughed out blood as he looked down and saw the blade of a katana stabbed right through his heart.

Berthold pulled out the katana and Tai stumbled around, falling down on the ground. "H-How?"

Tai's regenerative healing factor tried to heal his body, but it wasn't strong enough to heal his heart fast enough to keep him alive. After all, it took about a day for his leg to regenerate when he gained the upgraded skill.

Berthold let out a deep, bellowing laughter as he looked down at Tai, staring down at him. "I guess I'll tell you. You're dead anyway. It's the skill I gained from my trial. It lets me revive myself and heal all my injuries once every day."

Tai coughed out blood as he felt his body slowly giving out.

'No, no, no, no, no. Don't die. I CAN'T die here,' Tai thought, but he was slowly running out of options. 'If I don't have a heart, I'll just make my own..."

Tai channeled his darkness to surround his heart. The darkness combined and merged with his punctured heart, helping it beat. He also cast Ki Healing alongside the darkness to heal his other injuries.

██████ Darkness Manipulation has leveled up

+1 status point

██████ Darkness Manipulation has leveled up

+1 status point

██████ Darkness Constructs has leveled up

+1 status point

██████ Darkness Constructs has leveled up

+1 status point

██████ Darkness Constructs has leveled up

+1 status point

Ki Healing has leveled up

+1 status point

Ki Healing has leveled up

+1 status point

Ki Healing has leveled up

+1 status point

Tai was bombarded with a sea of notifications, but he ignored them as he was standing by death's door. He could feel his body slowly giving out as Berthold stood above him, laughing unaware of the things that were happening in Tai's body.

His heart, that was now permanently merged with the darkness, was slowly beating, but it wasn't enough. Even if the stab to his heart was fixed, his lung was also punctured, so he also used his darkness to mend his lung, permanently binding them.

'Come on, come... on...' Tai was losing his consciousness. With every second that passed by, it became harder and harder to keep his eyes open, until they finally did, and he lost consciousness, but even then, his body tried to keep him alive. The heart-shadow hybrid tried to beat, and his lungs worked with it to breathe. The ki that was healing him was also on overdrive.

Ki Healing has leveled up

+1 status point

Ki Healing has leveled up

+1 status point

Meanwhile, in Tai's head, Tai was looking around in the endless darkness.

A loud, mocking laughter could be heard. "Lookssss like you're in quite the trouble."

"Shut up. Why don't you help me?" Tai asked the voice.

"I already have. All you need to do issss accept the darknessss," the voice said.

"I have accepted the darkness."

"No, you haven't. You need to let the abyssss flow through you and it will take care of you. Let your body be overtaken by the darknessss, and become one with it."

Listening to what the voice said, he tried to do it. He was in his mind, and in his mind, he could do anything. The darkness was abundant in his mind, and the weird entity could somehow enter his mind space, but it was still his.

Tai channeled the darkness around him, the most that he had ever controlled at once. He could feel his body become stronger and stronger.

He could feel the darkness invade his mind, and try to take control. No, he wouldn't do that. Tai was going to use the darkness, and not let it control him.

The darkness seemingly whined as Tai resisted. No matter how hard the darkness tried, it could not take control of him. Defeated, Tai earned the darkness's respect.

You have learned a skill: Darkness Empowerment

+1 status point

Darkness Empowerment has leveled up

+1 status point

Darkness Empowerment has leveled up

+1 status point

In the real world, a black smog started appearing around Tai, which alarmed Berthold.

"Still not dead, huh?" He grabbed his katana, and this time, aimed for Tai's head, but it was repelled back.

No matter how hard he thrust his sword, a dark energy kept repelling his attacks, protecting Tai from any harm.

The smog became thicker and thicker, and slowly transitioned from gas to solid. The now solid smog was stuck on Tai's body like armor, only this one seemed 'alive'.

The black armor was hard to protect its master from attacks, but also flexible, allowing it to cover every part of Tai's body with no exposed spots.

Tai's body began to beat faster and faster until he finally woke up. He stood up and looked at the now terrified Berthold. His appearance was menacing. His armor was pitch black, covering all of his body, even his eyes, but he could see just fine.

With every movement, the armor followed its master's commands.

The abyss has taken a liking to you

You have become one with the darkness, a hard feat for many, but you still have a long way ahead of you

You have learned a skill: Darkness Physiology (I)

+1 status point

Tai could feel the darkness flow through him. 'Hey, isn't this too overpowered?' he thought to himself.

"Not many could do what you did." The entity said, laughing. "In fact, most who try are overtaken by the abyss, forever controlled by the darkness."

You have gained a skill: Enhanced Dexterity

+1 status point

Due to your body being part darkness, you have gained Enhanced Dexterity

Dexterity is always minimum 100