The System Awakens: Rise of the Champion - Chapter 148

Chapter 148: Chapter 148: The New Generation of High Humans – 3
“How do you feel, Shiru?” Damian asked, looking at the first pure-blooded High Human he had created as the Human Progenitor.

Since Damian had given a small piece of his own unique essence along with the evolutionary racial essence, Shiru had not only evolved into a pure-blooded High Human, but all her racial abilities, among other things, had been greatly enhanced due to Damian’s influence.

Just by having a minute piece of his unique essence inside her, Shiru could now be considered the High Human with the most potential, assuming Damian wouldn’t create another High Human using his unique essence.

An evolutionary racial essence is a unique essence that contains the genetic material and codes for a being to evolve into that race.

This essence also contains a small piece of energy from a Progenitor, which triggers the evolution process.

The only beings capable of creating this essence are the Progenitors themselves, and even then, they can only create the evolutionary racial essence of their respective races.

Usually, the evolutionary essence itself is more than enough to evolve someone.

Once a being evolves, they not only become part of the race that the Progenitor rules over but are also bound to the Progenitor, as their essence will be coursing through their existence and would continue to pass on through generations until the end of time or until another Progenitor comes along and introduces their own evolutionary essence.

Until then, the influence of the original Progenitor remains absolute.

Even now, Damian’s own Progenitor’s essence was inside Shiru, binding her to him.

But since Damian had also included his unique personal essence, Shiru’s transformation had become even more extraordinary.

Her talents and abilities had become stronger than they should have been through normal evolution.

On top of that, she had gained an attunement to one of the energies Damian possessed, the Dark Essence, and had become a Dark Energy Cultivator.

“I feel strong. My senses… I can sense everything… and I feel like I want to fight them,” Shiru said, pointing at Maria and Elfie as her eyes glowed with an intense purplish-black light.

Maria and Elfie, seeing her gaze, felt a deep fear welling up inside them.

They also felt an instinctual urge to fight back, but they knew that Shiru had now become far stronger than them.

Fighting her might even mean death, as her power had grown to terrifying levels.

Damian smiled knowingly.

He understood why they felt that way. It was because of the conflicting energies inside them, the holy power in Maria and Elfie and the dark essence within Shiru.

Their very energies were itching to clash against one another.

Damian’s eyes glowed faintly as he looked inside Shiru.

He could clearly see the dark essence coursing through her newly evolved body.

She hadn’t cultivated it yet, but once she did, she would grow even stronger, and her dark essence reserves would increase significantly.

“Come with me,” Damian said, his figure disappearing in an instant and reappearing at the training grounds of the Circle of Ouroboros, a territory he had just purchased moments ago using the system’s territory management function.

“You guys can come too,” Damian’s voice echoed in their ears.

Without hesitation, everyone followed and soon arrived at the training grounds.

“Take this, Shiru,” Damian said, tossing a steel sword toward her.

She caught it, her expression a little uncertain.

“Let’s fight,” Damian said casually.

“M-My lord… F-Fight?” Shiru stammered.

It wasn’t just her, everyone felt fear creeping into their hearts, even though Damian had only challenged Shiru.

It was an understandable reaction.

After all, they had witnessed Damian’s overwhelming strength, enough to stand against higher Tower Realm beings.

Not to mention, he was also a ruler of Hell, which alone was enough to strike fear into even the bravest warriors.

Everyone had seen how even a vampire countess, who should have been powerful enough to challenge lower-level gods, couldn’t even scratch him, and Damian hadn’t even used his full power against her.

They didn’t even want to think about what Damian’s true power level was.

Those who tried to imagine it only felt deeper fear.

“It’s alright, Shiru. I just want to see how much you’ve changed. Your personality has shifted a lot after your evolution, and I want to assess how much your strength has changed as well, especially with the racial boost of the High Humans, which should have greatly increased your base physical attributes,” Damian said, arms crossed.

“And don’t worry, I won’t attack you. You’ll just attack me, and I’ll evaluate.”

“A-Alright, my lord,” Shiru muttered, gripping the sword tighter.

“Use your full speed and strength, and try to land a strike,” Damian instructed.

Shiru nodded, holding the sword with both hands.

She launched forward at full speed, accelerating like a bullet, aiming a heavy strike at Damian’s torso, all while Damian stood calmly, observing her.

As the sword neared Damian’s neck, it suddenly stopped mid-air, caught between Damian’s two fingers, as if it was nothing.

Shiru had expected this outcome, but she was still disappointed that her full-powered strike couldn’t even get past Damian’s fingers.

“Hmm… very interesting. It seems my influence enhanced your evolution more than I initially thought,” Damian muttered thoughtfully.

Just from defending her strike, Damian had easily judged the strength and force behind it.

He already knew Shiru’s base physical stats, and now, after evolution, her state had risen even higher, boosted by his racial abilities and slightly enhanced further by the dark essence now circulating inside her.

“Here,” Damian said, lifting his finger and tapping her forehead lightly.

Suddenly, a flood of foreign information rushed into Shiru’s mind.

“I’ve given you one of the strongest cultivation techniques for dark essence, along with a few sword techniques once used by a powerful fallen angel from Hell,” Damian explained.

Shiru’s eyes widened at the mention of a fallen angel from Hell.

She knew that Damian himself ruled over Hell and that he had defeated that fallen angel to take his place.

To be gifted techniques once used by such a powerful being by her lord, the Progenitor of Humanity, left her speechless.

“You might even become stronger than that fallen angel,” Damian said before turning to address the others.

“As for the rest of you, I have the power to grant strength to anyone who agrees to do everything I say from now on. As evidence, I can turn any of you into High Humans, just like Shiru, if you sign a contract,” Damian said, his gaze piercing into the two High Humans and the ordinary humans Maria had brought.

“I don’t care where you come from or what language you speak, as long as you agree to obey me. I promise I won’t be unfair. However, if you even think of betraying me, you are agreeing to let me kill you in the most painful way possible,” Damian finished coldly.

As soon as he finished, a series of notifications appeared before everyone he was looking at:

[You have received a contract from the leader of the faction Circle of Ouroboros.]

[Do you accept?]

With just a thought from Damian, the humans or High Humans could have been forced to follow him.

But he still chose to give them a choice.

The two High Humans didn’t hesitate for even a second.

They immediately accepted the contract.

The ordinary humans that Maria had brought, however, took a few seconds to think it through.

Damian had not suppressed his terrifying aura as a ruler of Hell and the Progenitor of Humanity, so they were not directly under his control.

Nevertheless, they were fully aware of his overwhelming power and were trying very hard not to show the fear on their faces.

The humans knew they would never receive an offer like this again in their lifetime.

They understood exactly what kind of powerhouse Damian was, and they knew that everyone around him would undoubtedly become some of the most powerful beings in existence.

After a few more seconds, a series of notifications appeared in front of Damian’s field of vision.

[Noah Ravenfang has accepted your contract invitation]

[Cara Ravenfang has accepted your contract invitation]

[Eric Walcrown has accepted your contract invitation]

[Pietro Grimaldi has accepted your contract invitation]

[…. has accepted your contract invitation]

[…. has accepted your contract invitation]

“Nice choice,” Damian smiled as he pointed his hand toward them.

A few seconds later, drops of blood appeared above his palm and shot toward the two High Humans and the remaining humans, including Maria and her seven sisters, striking their foreheads simultaneously.

As soon as the blood touched their skin, it crept into their bodies, merging into their bloodstream.

The same process that had once occurred within Shiru began happening within each of them.

Within seconds, their bodies released a white, cloud-like energy, enveloping them and forming cocoons of evolution.

They had entered the state of evolution and would soon be reborn as pure-blooded High Humans.

“Seriously? You’re just going to turn them into High Humans like that?” Sir Holloway asked, unable to comprehend what was happening.

Evolution was something every being in the Tower Realms desperately sought through all kinds of means, and yet here was Damian, effortlessly evolving a dozen beings at once.

“Well,” Damian said, smiling, “for the next plan I have been formulating, I figured it would be easier if I had some manpower. I think this is a good way to start the rise of my faction, the Circle of Ouroboros.”

“Are you thinking of expanding your faction? That should be easy. After your display of power, many people would be dying to join. A being with stronger followers will naturally grow stronger as well,” Sir Holloway replied.

“Expanding a faction?” Damian chuckled.

“You don’t get it. It is not about expansion.”

“This is the beginning of my conquest.”

Damian’s eyes glowed with a strange golden light, and an excited expression spread across his face, making Shiru, Elfie, her brother, and even Sir Holloway swallow nervously in intimidation.