Obtaining 10x rewards! Reincarnated into a novel as a side-character!

He took a slow step forward. The mirrored floor didn't even ripple beneath him—it recoiled.

[Cosmic Void Gaze]

His eyes glinted with a streak of violet. He stared straight at the demonic soul. Just a simple gaze was enough to penetrate any defenses the Demon King's soul had been harboring.

The space itself seemed to bend around that gaze, as if the void had recognized one of its own.

A primordial force answering its own reflection.

The Demon King's pupils shrank as he met the gaze from the monster of a human boy.

Those eyes… they sent a chill down his core. It was as if he were looking at something unknown, something ancient and vast.

He felt naked, as if all his secrets were laid bare before the human boy he had never met before.

Every sin, every ambition, every scar in his soul—exposed.

His voice drew him out of the stupor.

"A potent fragment of the soul of the once mighty demon… yes, you are exactly what I need…"

The demon noticed the boy extending his arm toward him, and a bone-chilling feeling enveloped him.

Centuries of battle-honed instincts were ingrained into his very soul; he knew when he faced a predator. He knew when it was something that could threaten his life.

And right now, he was sure that what came next would be something similar.

"Wait a moment!" His mouth moved in panic, outside his control, as he tried to buy himself time.

Oliver paused, his eyes still gleaming with a mysterious light as he looked at the piece of demonic soul.

He waited. He wanted to hear the last words of the once Demon King. He wanted to know what it was that the fragment of soul wanted to talk about.

"What is it?"

The Demon King paused, form steady. He looked a little calm now that he was given time.

"I will tell…" the Demon King whispered in the silent space, while at the same time, he started thinking of countermeasures to the dangerous boy in front of him.

"You call yourself human… but you're not. Not anymore. Look inside. That thing in you… it's changing you. The smile you wear—that's not yours."

The Demon King felt crazed the more he spoke. He had never seen something like this before.

"I can see it clearly… something you are not able to…"

Oliver fell silent as he heard the Demon King's words.

For a moment, the weight of those words pressed against his mind like a phantom hand.

There was a tense silence in the dark space. The Demon King was thinking of ways to kill the boy right there—but could not.

He was just a small fragment of his former soul with no real power. The village and everything connected was just a small illusion he was barely holding together.

He had no real power, and he did not wish to perish.

'As long as I trap him here, this kid will never be able to get out.' he thought sinisterly.

But to do that, he must first gain the trust of the human. Only with his consent could he hope to achieve that.

To deceive the human and lock him forever.

Just as he was about to speak further, he heard Oliver's chilling voice.

"Interesting. But you've already served your purpose."

No anger. No hesitation. Just a simple declaration of end.

Swish!

His hand stretched forth. A terrifying wave of energy shot out of his body. The space started to tremble violently as if an earthquake were shaking everything.

Before the Demon King could even realize what was going on, the abyssal energy consumed everything, leaving nothing behind.

Crack!

Crack!

Crack!

The dark space started to form cracks under the influence of potent abyssal energy, as light slowly started flooding inside.

Not warm light, but cold—clinical, exposing, absolute.

Oliver remained rooted to his spot, not moving, his eyes in deep thought as the dark space around him shattered into countless particles and light once again enveloped everything.

'Not a human… huh.'

He remembered the demon's words and didn't doubt them. Although he knew better than to trust the words of a demon, somehow he could feel it himself.

He had an inkling, but was not sure. It started when he had consumed the heart of the demoness from the city. He felt a subtle change inside him—something had clicked in his mind, but he could not figure it out.

Was he no longer human?

A hybrid?

Or was he evolving into something new?

'Maybe my bloodline is being altered by the Abyss, or…'

He could feel the intense spike in the Abyss energy after consuming the soul, although fragmented, it still belonged to a once mighty demon.

He felt an inner sense of satisfaction from the consumption of the soul.

His body felt light and full of energy, he felt as if his strength had alos increased by several folds.

It was a liberating feeling.

But something inside him was stirring at the same time as well.

An unknown force which had slowly taken root…

He thought of various things, but it was not a guarantee.

It was intriguing.

'If I am really no longer a human, then aren't there possibilities of opening new paths?'

His eyes shone brightly as he came out of his stupor.

A small smile was on his lips as he thought of something devious.

'If I can make it work, then it would change everything.'

He looked around himself and found he was in a rocky area, probably some sort of cave.

"This is a perfect place…"

He could tell it was a secret hideout that the Demon King's soul had been using to control the village.

"Anyways…"

He waved his hand, and the storage ring shone momentarily before a giant serpent's body appeared before him magically.

"If I am going to do it, then I better prepare everything in advance."

His stomach growled silently as he looked at the demonic beast of terror.

_____________________

Join for FREE at : patreon.com/WinterDragon573