Dark Divinity

The team quickly fell into defensive stances, bracing for the anticipated impact. Their gazes scoured the surroundings, looking for any indication of an impending threat. However, when the moment of impact passed, it became evident that the anticipated conflict didn't happen. The anticipated force or attack failed to materialize, leaving a tense silence in its wake.

Gara's surprise was evident as he observed the human's retreating figure through his thermal sight. "He's not attacking?" he asked, bewildered. The human, rather than engaging, had drilled deeper into the ground and passed underneath them, disappearing from view.

The tension in the air eased slightly as the others exhaled in relief. It was rare for Gara to be so serious about an opponent, and the potential fight they had narrowly avoided had left them shaken. They had dodged what could have been a fierce confrontation, a reality that hit them hard.

However, Akelia's voice, tinged with apprehension, cut through their momentary calm. "Uhmm, guys…it's not over yet," she said, her tone betraying a hint of fear. "Sand wyrms…dozens of them."

As the words sank in, the ground beneath them began to tremble with increasing intensity. The vibrations were unmistakable, a sure sign of something massive and dangerous moving beneath the surface. The humanoid intruder had not been seeking a fight but was instead fleeing from a swarm of sand wyrms that were now closing in on their location.

The group's relief turned into immediate action. Gara's expression shifted from surprise to determination. "Everyone, prepare yourselves!" he ordered, his voice brooking no argument.

Akelia readied her summoning skills, Yena braced for physical combat, and Small Kree, though still shaken, prepared to use his abilities once more. They positioned themselves strategically, ready to face the impending swarm of sand wyrms that was fast approaching. The vibrations grew stronger,

The chaotic scene erupted with terrifying speed. The group had barely begun to react when the sand wyrms burst forth from the ground with brutal force. The suddenness of the attack left them no chance to mount a defence.

'seven hells!', Akelia gasped in shock as she stood face to face with dozens of giant colossal wyrms. There was no way she could survive this— so she didn't.

Akelia was the first to fall. A small sand wyrm erupted from the sand and burrowed straight through her chest, ripping out her heart in a ghastly display. Her scream was cut short as the life drained from her instantly.

Yena fared no better. A colossal sand worm emerged, its maw wide and unyielding, and tore her in half. The violence of the attack was merciless, and her agonized cries echoed briefly before being swallowed by the desert's darkness.

Small Kree, despite his efforts, was overwhelmed. The giant sand wyrm's gaping jaws closed around him, swallowing him whole with a final, decisive gulp. His struggle was brief, his fate sealed by the monstrous creature.

Gara, the last survivor, fought desperately against the onslaught. His abilities, gained from his recent consumption of the sand wyrm, allowed him to put up fierce resistance. Yet, the sheer number of sand wyrms proved too overwhelming. They swarmed him with unrelenting fervour and dominance, and notwithstanding his best efforts, he was eventually overwhelmed by the sheer magnitude of his pursuers.

The group's screams drifted into the night as the sand wyrms consumed their prey in an extremely ruthless and dreadful manner. The desert, once silent, now bore witness to the horrific feast, leaving nothing behind but the echo of their final moments and the relentless hunger of the sand wyrms.

…..

 Omen grappled with a profound sense of guilt, an emotion he had rarely experienced. The weight of responsibility for the deaths of others—innocent and unknowing—pressed heavily on him. His [beast-summoning aura], which he had initially assumed was passive, had unintentionally summoned a full herd of sand wyrms. The realization of his actions came too late; by the time he understood the consequences, the sand wyrms were already hot on his trail.

Desperately, Omen had managed to quell the summoning aura, but the damage was done. The desert wyrms, with no other sources of food for miles, turned their relentless hunger towards him.

Fortune unexpectedly favoured him. Omen's exogene signature sensing ability allowed him to detect a nearby group of humans, camped in the distance. Realizing the opportunity, he used their presence as a diversion. The sand wyrms, driven by their insatiable hunger, would be distracted by this new source of potential prey.

With determination, Omen made his way toward the group of camped humans using [Instant drill] beneath the black sand. He manoeuvred through the desert, his mind racing with the urgency of his escape. As he reached the camp, the chaos he had hoped for ensued. The sand wyrms, drawn to the new prey, surged towards the humans, creating a chaotic and violent scene.

Amid the confusion, Omen seized his chance to escape. The desert, now filled with the roars and turmoil of the sand wyrms attacking the camp, provided the cover he needed to flee. The guilt of his actions lingered, but survival was his immediate focus as he vanished into the darkness of the desert, leaving behind the chaos he had inadvertently caused.

Omen's heart weighed heavily with the realization of the suffering he had inadvertently caused. As he phased out of the sand to recover his exogene, his thoughts were clouded with a deep sense of guilt. The lives lost, and the chaos he had set into motion all seemed to intertwine with his actions, leaving him to grapple with his conscience.

He recalled the brief encounter with the thermal form, the humanoid creature that had tried to use Soul Manipulation against him. Fortunately, he had gained Soul Immunity just before that moment, an ability that had seemed oddly fated. The immunity had protected him from the attack, but it did little to ease the guilt he felt.

Omen's mind wrestled with the justification of his actions. "At least I'm not supposed to feel bad; they attacked me first...in a way," he reasoned, attempting to quell the pangs of guilt. However, the realization that the group's actions had been in self-defence only deepened his sorrow. They were merely reacting to the threat he had unwittingly brought upon them.

Unknown to him, something else was happening at that very moment.

…[Emotion: guilt] [Emotions stolen until tranquilly: 3/100].

Then, as he stood amidst the cold, dark expanse of the desert, something extraordinary occurred. He began to sense foreign energies flowing towards him from the direction he had just escaped. The energies were distinct and unfamiliar, but they were undeniably powerful.

The flow of energy was strong and pervasive, but then the pain came.

"Ahhhhhh!!!!" What the fuck! Omen swore loudly as his voice echoed across the wide desert. The pain didn't seem to be stopping any time soon as the foreign energy drilled eagerly into his skin. What the fuck was this! Omen didn't recall killing anything so far, why was there suddenly an influx of powers? And just as the pain had begun it stopped instantly. He immediately searched his bottomless soul for whatever had entered him, and he gasped in shock!

Omen was stunned by the realization. Although he had not directly killed those four people, he found himself absorbing their abilities. His thoughts turned to Isolde, whose death he had witnessed firsthand, yet he had absorbed her ability despite not being the one responsible for her death. This suggested that his ability to absorb potential might not be strictly tied to the direct causation of death. 'What the fuck am I even saying?'

He considered the possibility that all deaths in his vicinity could trigger his ability to absorb skills, but he had previously discounted this theory. On the first day of the chaos in the mess hall, three people had died, yet he had absorbed nothing from those deaths. This inconsistency made him question the validity of his initial theory…

Another angle he pondered was the emotional connection he had felt towards Isolde. Could his absorption of her ability be linked to the tenderness and [---] he experienced? 'Wait what!'

Omen immediately backtracked his thoughts 'he had felt tenderness and…'. Suddenly he couldn't even recall what he'd felt then during Isolde's death, but suddenly the entire memory vanished from his mind, and he was lost in thought for a few seconds.

…He was now able to absorb abilities from deaths he caused, even if indirectly. This new insight into his powers brought a mix of shock and reluctant acceptance. Omen immediately reviewed the abilities he had gained. The passive skills were [Super Agility] and [Gluttony]. While [Super Agility] was an incredible asset, enhancing his speed and reflexes, [Gluttony] was less appealing. The idea of dying from food poisoning, especially with his body's current rejection of food, made [Gluttony] less desirable. However, the other active skills were a significant boon as well.

The other active abilities he had acquired included incredibly valuable powers. Although he was still absorbing the implications and potential of these abilities, the overall gain from his recent encounters was substantial.

With the new [Beast Summoning] ability, he could counter his previous issue with his malicious aura. The control over summoning creatures was a valuable asset, allowing him to summon any creature he had killed with his own hands. However, he could only summon one creature at a time, and it took a significant amount of time for a summoned creature to be available again once it had died. The ability was amazing for him, he already had several slain creatures by his hands, and they were going to continue rising in the future.

The real gem though among his new abilities, however, was the [Soul Manipulation] skill. This power offered vast potential as long as his opponents weren't immune to soul magic. The ability to manipulate souls could turn the tide of any confrontation, making it a formidable addition to his arsenal.

Omen's calculations were almost complete. He had killed eight people out of the fifty different species, including Clay before the purge had officially begun. According to the overseer's announcement, the purge would end when only twenty-five participants remained. Given his current tally, the end of the purge was likely imminent.

…..

Omen's journey through the black desert came to a sudden halt as the familiar sensation of drifting through space enveloped him. He reappeared in the snowy, vast landscape of the purge point, now reduced to the last twenty-five survivors. The shift from the oppressive desert heat to the cold, snowy terrain was stark, and Omen took a moment to appreciate the change.

As he scanned the area, he observed the remaining participants. Each of them had demonstrated formidable strength and endurance to have survived this long. The arena was filled with individuals of varied appearances and abilities, all battle-hardened and wary.

Omen stood patiently amidst the crowd. His black clothes, caked with the dried blood of sand wyrms, were a stark contrast against the snow. The lack of water in the desert had left him in this state, and he knew it might draw unwanted attention. Despite this, he remained unnoticed for the moment. His reputation among the few survivors was minimal; they only knew him for his night vision ability. The realization that he had survived while Gara's team had not already started causing whispers among the group though.

'Seems like this Gara guy's influence is on par with Jacobi. Too bad he didn't make it, he would have made a potentially powerful ally' Omen's gaze swept over the survivors, noting the varied reactions to his presence. Among them, Tame and Malek seemed unsurprised by his survival. Tame's expression suggested he had anticipated it, while Malek's red-faced scowl remained impassive, betraying little emotion.

The circulating rumours about his alliance with Kiba and the formidable Red Giant, Malek, had cast a long shadow. Despite the general perception of Omen as one of the weaker participants, the backing of such powerful figures had caused unease among his peers.

Isaac's absence was noticeable, and while Omen searched for any sign of the formidable phantom warrior, he found none. Instead, his eyes settled on Anna. Her gaze met his with an intensity that belied the relief he hadn't expected from her.

Omen's paranoia surged as Anna approached. Her reputation as a seductive and manipulative demoness was well-earned, and their history was far from friendly. The last time they had met, she had vowed to kill him. The prospect of her approaching him now, especially with the promise of her deadly intent still looming, filled him with unease.

As she reached out to clasp her arms around his, Omen instinctively wanted to step back. But in that moment of hesitation, he experienced a profound realization. He was no longer the weak, vulnerable participant he once was.

The strength and confidence he had gained from his recent battles and the new abilities he had acquired gave him a new sense of power. His hesitation turned into a firm resolve. He was no longer at the mercy of those who might seek to manipulate or harm him. He had become a formidable force in his own right.