The Third Prince Of Darkness

Chapter 175: Eat

I jogged my hands over my body, but every touch sent shivers through me. Everything about the body I now inhabited felt alien, like a dark force from another existence. This was not just a body; it was a prison, carrying the pain-filled memories of a forgotten past. I had lived as another identity for so long that even recognizing my former self was a struggle.

Annaxor's eyes bore into me with a piercing gaze, one that seemed to delve deep into my soul. Facing him in this new reality was like being lost in a nightmare. He felt like a force from the past, something not entirely of this world. His gaze alone intensified the fear of ceasing to exist.

Suddenly, Annaxor lunged at me and delivered a powerful kick to my stomach.

"In the spirit realm, all souls are equal... or rather, their physical strengths are. Yet, I'll torment you until you lose your mind here," he said.

The kick sent me sprawling to the ground, pain coursing through me. I quickly scrambled to my feet, my breathing heavy, but something had changed. I was no longer as estranged from this body. With each movement, I began to adapt, discovering the limits of this new form and gathering strength to resist Annaxor.

When he noticed the faint smile creeping onto my face, his anger deepened. As he charged toward me again, I swiftly stepped back, creating some distance and changing my stance.

Annaxor's strength was monstrous, his every move like a storm of destruction emanating from his tensed muscles. He rushed at me and grabbed me by the neck, his grip so tight it threatened to choke the life out of me.

His power was overwhelming. Every part of my body ached as I struggled, but a spark of resistance flickered within me. Giving up was not an option.

My arms trembled weakly, each motion heavy and futile, like a boulder rolling down a mountain. Annaxor lifted me into the air and then slammed me to the ground with tremendous force. My back collided with the hard surface, and I felt my bones crack. Yet, he didn't give me a moment to stay down.

I shook as I tried to rise again, pain searing through every inch of my body, but I knew I had to stand.

Then I heard Annaxor's cold laughter. He fought with such precision that every move seemed to command death itself.

"I've had plenty of time to perfect my techniques, kid. So end this pointless struggle and surrender your body to me." Enjoy new stories from ???

Breathing heavily through the pain, I locked my gaze onto Annaxor's face, searching for the terrifying sharpness of his serpent-like eyes. Each movement felt like a step closer to death. But something stirred inside me—a fire of defiance, no surrender.

Clenching my fists, I mustered all my strength to break free from Annaxor's grip. My eyes sought a glimmer of hope in the surrounding darkness.

It was then I noticed a void—or perhaps a doorway—in the distance. Instinct urged me to run toward it, but first, I had to escape Annaxor's grasp.

I didn't let his cruel smile escape my sight for a moment. Though his power was suffocating, my survival instincts sharpened in this merciless spirit realm. The pain was so immense that I felt as if I might lose my connection to this body. Yet, something—a force—kept pushing me to rise.

With every ounce of my strength, I flexed my arms and forced his hand off me. My body felt drained, but my inner resistance fueled my movements. In one swift motion, I grabbed Annaxor's wrist and twisted it tightly. His cold eyes flickered briefly with surprise before the faintest smile returned.

"Well, aren't you feisty?"

I aimed a kick at his knee and managed a partial hit. Then, with everything I had, I turned and ran toward the door. Although our physical strength was supposed to be equal in this realm, he somehow ran faster than me. I knew he would catch me eventually, but I reached the door just in time, slamming it shut behind me.

I could hear Annaxor pounding relentlessly against the door, but for now, I was safe. I needed to think. How could I escape this place? Annaxor was immensely powerful, but he had dragged me here for a reason. More importantly, he wanted my body.

If he needed my body, then he must depend on it to return to life. This meant he couldn't simply kill me. What I saw in the cave earlier must have been only a fragment of Annaxor's full strength, likely constrained by time or circumstance.

He could have ended me at any moment, but instead chose to summon me here. This indicated that I might have leverage to negotiate. Still, provoking and deceiving a being that has lived for thousands of years was a perilous gamble, and I wasn't eager to risk my life.

Then I heard a sound behind me. My gaze shifted from the door, and I turned to see a figure in the shadows. I couldn't make out their features clearly, so I moved closer. Standing there was… me. Or rather, Ethan.

He stared back at me, but there was no trace of humanity in his eyes. He looked more like an animal—a primal creature.

"Hello?" I said cautiously.

"Heee?"

He couldn't form proper sentences, likely because I had taken over his body. But an idea struck me. In this spirit realm, where all souls shared equal strength, fighting two spirits instead of one doubles my strength.

Ethan's strange gaze only deepened my unease, but I realized something crucial: here, the body reflects the soul. This being was not truly me. Yet he could become a key part of my plan in this unforgiving world, where everything was interconnected. Now, I had to figure out how to use this connection to my advantage.

I approached him, but as I got closer, I noticed a mirror in the corner. This mirror didn't reflect anything; instead, it seemed to show something, almost like a television. When I looked into it, I felt as though divine knowledge was flowing into my mind. I couldn't quite understand what it was, but I suddenly knew how to defeat Annaxor. However, to do so, I would have to give up my humanity.

It would be worth it—it had to be. Out there, in the real world, there were people I loved waiting for me, people who needed me.

With that resolve, I turned toward Ethan's soul, who, from what I could tell, possessed the intelligence of a monkey. I approached him and began beating him with all my strength. Although he tried to resist, he had not spent years training like I had. It didn't take long for me to overpower him.

At that moment, Ethan's original soul became more transparent. Trusting my instincts, I opened my mouth wide and began eat his translucent spirit.

As I consumed Ethan's soul, I felt something changing within me. With each bite, each fragment, a powerful energy grew deep in my soul.

Eat Ethan's original soul wasn't just a physical or spiritual transformation—it was a complete redefinition of who I was.

When the soul was finally gone, the power I felt was overwhelming, like a storm raging through me. I closed my eyes and connected with a newfound awareness echoing in my mind. I now contained two souls within me, which meant I was twice as strong as Annaxor.

Annaxor, just as I had done to Ethan's soul, sought to consume mine and thus take control of my body. So, this was how a human body was claimed. But what would happen if I consumed Annaxor's soul instead? He had nobody, only a massive sword—a weapon I suspected was one of the most powerful in this world. After all, it was said to slice through dragons as if they were mere fish.

Rising to my feet, I turned toward the door. When I opened it, I saw that the room behind me had vanished entirely. Annaxor stood before me, but he was now half my size.

He lifted his head to look at me. "What have you done?"

Without answering his question, I swung a punch directly at him.

Annaxor staggered back a few steps, stunned by the force of the blow. Although smaller, his gaze still held that frightening authority and danger. It was as if he could recover in an instant and counterattack. This time, however, I felt a different power within me, an energy formed by the merging of two spirits that transformed me into a completely different being.

Annaxor straightened up and gave a light laugh. "You think you have the advantage over me, brat? In the spirit world, the rules are fluid, but even the rules can't stop me!"

Annaxor's laughter echoed as I firmly planted my feet on the ground, taking a defensive stance. I could feel the power of the two merged souls coursing through my veins. However, this strength was like an uncontrollable storm; I had to rein it in and maintain my focus.

Annaxor charged at me with incredible speed, throwing a powerful punch. I narrowly dodged it, but it was enough to reveal how deceptive his speed truly was. When his fist struck the ground, I felt a tremor ripple through the earth beneath us. He followed up with a knee aimed at my chest, but I quickly sidestepped to evade the blow.

I countered with a punch of my own, aiming for his jaw. However, at the last second, he pulled his head back, reducing the force of the impact to a minimum.