The Demons Gift and Trouble

Right now, the Demon was heading behind the overgrown tree along with twenty attendance carrying Stigma's body on a pillowed stretcher, while the remaining spectators stayed behind to reconstruct the damage done from their fight.

With the previous battle, Stigma's soul had sustained too much injury to allow the Demon to return him to his body or it would affect in his health in the future.

When the Demon gained the ability to think a stream of information had entered its mind, all of which was how the realm function and the position of such areas. So it new where to go along with the residence.

As they went closer behind the tree, their footing have changed from roots to stone pavements, the pathway they followed had lead downwards into the tree's roots with a stone gate guarding passageway.

On each side of the wall light lanterns were hanged leading further inside, as one would look closer each was patterned with a different design: from one lantern one can see the design of small animals running in a forest, another had flowers blooming from the coming spring, or even water flowing down a stream or a mountain.

If one stops to admire each on they last until the entire day to understand each piece.

From a third person's perspective, seeing about wenty faceless people carrying a mangled body of a child along with a horned demons following behind, made the image in whole looked like an offering ceremony to an evil deity.

As they got closer, the Demon had not once showed its playful character from before, instead it had showed a serious expression, emphasizing how serious the matter was when they enter here.

To this realm, the tree has the greatest value over everything else as it represents it lifestream, thus defensive measure were made to protect it from the best of their abilities.

One of the precautions was using the Heavenly Beast Souls that Stigma absorbed to act as guard dogs, since they only act by instinct, they would attack anything that was deemed a threat. However, these beast only follow orders to those who are superior or those who beat them to submission.

Another precaution was to use over two hundred or so attendance acting as support on logistics as well as long range attackers.

Some areas had numerous living stone statues as extra security when needed, if intruders entered.

Finally the Little Black Demon, once Stigma leaves, there has would no caretaker to this place, such that the Demon took it upon itself to be the overseer and the acting adviser during Stigma's absence. To add his own measure of defense, it had been placing seals and talismans all over important areas such as this Healing Spring, by using his knowledge on Demonic Arts.

The reason for protecting such a tree, was because it contains most of the energy that Stigma absorbed through the skill 'Soul Eater', be it elemental, Zen, pure, complete or incomplete; they must all go through this very tree.

Its overall function was to circulate the flow of Zen energy in the air as to maintain and heal the realm's areas along with the inhabitants, but its primary function was to keep any elemental energy from escaping out from his soul. Thus protecting it was the Demons first objective once he had laid eye on it.

The Demon had said to be born ahead of time but lacked any form intelligence, but after gained his free will, it began to form numerous formations of seals before Stigma's arrival. Preventing anyone excluding himself and Stigma along with anyone permitted to enter.

But such a task had to be rewarded.

In exchange for protecting such a treasure, as long as they remain there, the Demon along with denizens gain unlimited supply of Zen energy, along with limited immortality.

The energy that naturally flows through out the realm allows them to heal, along with strengthening themselves to a minor degree, but at the price that they must revert back to their lowest level - the Zero Tier.

But as Stigma grows, so does the Zen and the denizens. So if they remain in this realm, they are invincible.

As explained before, the Demon has the major role of managing the entire world: be it Daily Operations to delaget each task, Liaising or Meeting Stigma when he arrives via Death, Delegation to any new residence to their roles, Enforcing Policy by beating new residence into submission via force, as well as Self - Training via consumption of Zen energy along with Stigma's or Humans souls.

But it takes great priority into Security protocol, logistics on placing where the newly absorbed elemental energies should be placed. The Heavenly Beast Souls falls in that category as they follow the concept of being energy.

So far Stigma had absorbed about nine or so elements and about a dozen beast souls, each with different function and blessings. But the most prize one should be the Pure energy.

Pure energy is the prime element for healing arts, one of the most sought after abilities by all beings in the world because of its rarity. But Stigma's method to acquire it was unique, so it must follows conditions. That also applies under all categories.

Even with conditions, it had already proven itself to be quite effective, based on how the wolf leader's quick recovery when it absorbed it, then all its injuries vanished.

After going through a long pathway, they finally arrived to their destination - the healing spring. The spring was a circular pool filled with water with zero impurities, and the contents were enough to fill an entire family swimming pool.

As the name implies, this spring has special properties to produce healing effect. Once a soul baths in it, pain from wounds that were recently received or old wounds that date back dozens of years ago will recede and can help speed recovery once the soul returns and the body will heal in due time.

Another of its abilities was to remove stress, exhaustion and negative energy, but best of all it can even remove curses.

But this spring cannot be removed from this realm, since it will evaporate in the air.

From the ceiling the Demon can perfectly see the elements he had placed here, fire, water and pure energy was placed on the spring along with using the earth energy to maintains the ground to remove any impurities to mix.

After surveying the entire pool of water he signaled the attendance to place Stigma into the water and let him submerge.

After going through a one sided battle, exhaustion had hit Stigma making him pass out and unable to feel anything around him especially pain.

Starting from arms multiple bruising can be seen, it was Stigma's mistake to constantly block from the Demons right swings mistaking the difference in their strength was only by a margin. From his legs, visible blood veins could be seen from pushing his muscles beyond their capacity.

His hands had deep cuts from constantly pulling his makeshift rope to his limit, a set of his bones were broken from the ribs, femur and even his left arm. Due to the size difference, being crushed under the momentum and weight of the Demon was no laughing matter.

If Stigma's endurance and vitality wasn't boosted from the Beast, then he would have immediately died from the first drop or the first attack.

After being submerged for a few minutes, the Healing Spring started emitting light and Stigma's injuries were starting to heal, the torn flesh from his body were being recovered, his stiff bulging muscles were receding back to his body[1].

When the Demon saw that Stigma's face had turned from an unhealthy appearance then finally regaining its natural color. It finally returned to its playful demure.

"Wonderful...truly magnificent Dear Sir, your find on True energy is truly - divine...." After looking at Stigma's progress in healing, it returned back to the smiling Demon that only wants to annoy and jumped into the spring.

When it came in contact the spring it felt a small burning sensation, clearly the purity of the water was high enough for the Demon to gain injury. So the Demon stopped it's attempt to get closer, since it new the deeper it entered, the more the burning sensation will increase, so it only starred in the hourglass that one of the servants brought.

The remaining time was over two hour, long enough to heal and recover Stigma's injury and fatigue at the progress he was going through.

When the Demon was facing Stigma's body he looked at the top of his head then grinned, after being taken away it had placed a seal, using it as an experiment that if he cannot enter then his Demonic arts or his soul can enter.

Once he say the key word the seal will begin its function - to record messages or memories.

The Demon started forming hand seal and made his chant, finishing the sign it began the ritual by placing his index finger to his head and began his message. That was his present to his new master, along with a part of its soul for Stigma to absorb.

When it was done, it pointed its finger over Stigma and a small orb floated and entered in his head through the seal, the seal was just a delay spell that once Stigma left the seal will release and the message will be relayed.

Halfway through the ritual, Stigma opened his eyes and noticed he was floating in water, when he turned his head he saw the Demon by the edge but could not move his lips to call it out. With his limited vision he could see it talking but he could understand, finally when he looked up he saw an orb floating around him.

"Oh, You seem to be awake Dear Sir."

The Demon noticed Stigma's opening his eye moments ago and made small talk about his success.

"You are currently inside a special spring that will heal you. Which perfectly matches in where you should merge a part of my soul, since you would be feeling - the worst experience you can ever imagine."

After it spoke, the orb started to enlarge then started forming into a head with two small horns on top of its head, when Stigma looked down, its top and bottom jaws had rows of sharpened teeth that stretched all the way to its cheeks.

Its two eyes were out of their sockets with black irises, moving around as if it was going through extreme Nystagmus[2] looking for something. It had no visible limbs except a small tail, and like the Demon it was black all over, with similar tattoos on its body.

Just the presence alone gave Stigma great unease, he had no idea what that was and only glared at the Demon for an explanation.

"I hope you accept my little - gift. A part of my soul, enough to make you go through a break through, its just that you will understand why many consider this training - suicidal." The Demon then gave his wide grin as it bowed to Stigma giving him, the gift of a demon.

When the Demons soul's spotted Stigma, both of its eyes stared at him for a moment, then gave a horrendous howl that could make anyone pass out and turn deaf with bleeding ears. It's howl was something similar to hearing a thousand Death Whistles[3] at an extremely high pitch.

Without warning the orb descended and started to swallow Stigma whole, leaving him no time to retaliate. As Stigma struggled inside it eyes started to go bloodshot and started to compress into a smaller size, and each time it got smaller the air around Stigma started to make him the weight of death looming over him.

But instead of being crushed under the pressure outside, he was experiencing similar to suffocation even if he took large deep breaths he still couldn't feel air. As the soul continued to shrink, the more Stigma felt like the air never existed.

As Stigma struggled from his 'breakthrough' the Demon only stared at him with a gleeful expression with his stretched out grin.

"Calm down Dear Sir, you have already fought me so it won't kill you, so accept my soul, after all, if I killed you I would take a part of your soul go through a similar experience of suffocation. The process was only just my souls combining with yours, and only my souls happens to be more - aggressive."

Merging with another soul is in fact no laughing matter, like how Cheng Xuan merged with Stigma, their souls would collide then both sides would try to overtake one another, it was just that Cheng Xuan was older, hence he was able to control the body and gain Stigma's abilities such as using Zen energy.

But Demons are born with strong souls and would try to overtake anything, so if Stigma did absorb the soul he would have to experience a portion of the Demon's 'madness'.

The entire process had continued on after thirty minutes, but Stigma felt like he was going through an entire three hours of suffocation, a mystery as to why he was able to live afterward.

Finally catching his breath he let his body float aimlessly on the spring. To help regain his senses, he tried to drink the spring in mouth fulls, strangely enough after drinking just once had he fully regained his senses and his exhaustion had slightly disappeared. Later he heard the sound clapping by the side, but ignored it with him still feeling the lingering pain.

"Congratulation Dear Sir, you have succeeded in breaking though the First Tier. I hope this will be a lesson to you, that you should consider not going through this over and over again, after if you try to attempt such a gamble in tacking three stages at once....Ah passing out already, oh well, guess I will have leave it to the message, Goodnight Dear Sir, only two hours have passed in the other world so do visit again."

The Demon then bowed and as Stigma layed on the water, his eyes felt heavy and his vision was failing, with no more danger he left himself on the water.

Being fatigue got the best of Stigma, so he tried to not pass out and relax as the Demons said, moments later he forgot the sensation of being suffocated, then felt the sensation of being covered in cold water, like he was swimming in a cold river.

As he relax the orb finally made its move and assimilated itself in Stigma's body, when in fact his body is the actual soul, before Stigma was going through immense amounts of pain far worse that he had experienced before, but soon subsided.

Normally the cultivation method that the Demon used should be a one sided deal, it's method could only be described as 'Suicidal' or 'Pure Madness'. Since Cultivators would have to commit suicide every now and then just to use it namely stopped their heart from beating, and with the demon taking part the cultivation, it was a gamble with 'high risk with low return' as they fought to the death just for one side to be the winner.

But the Demon residing in Stigma's soul was seeing the bigger picture of his development, and it wasn't going to risk anything with his masters life, cause if his master died to quickly - it dies as well.

So it eating Stigma's soul, was just a roundabout way for Stigma to notice the danger and be more alert. If it did eat Stigma's underdeveloped soul now, it would live a short life and die without going any further.

So it choose to 'sever a finger to save an arm', and wait for Stigma to get stronger, and for it to enjoy itself - and gain it all.

Afterwards the Demon faded away from Stigma vision, he woke up an realized that he was looking at an ceiling of a tent he was staying in.

When he sat up he heard a man arguing about and ranting about privileges, along with removing the residence by force if necessary. Looking around he found out that no one was here anymore, and all his belongings were beside his bed.

"GET OUT NOW! THIS IS YOUR FINAL WARNING FROM A FOLLOWER OF THE NAGA CLAN!!!!"

"What the hell? I woke up after that hellish experience only to find myself back into trouble again...Haa!!!"

[1] I'm not to clear on the terms athletes use when they strain their muscles, basically Stigma had been overexerting himself and was going through the pain, like how athletes push themselves through training when their body can't take anymore.

[2] Nystagmus - Nystagmus is a vision condition in which the eyes make repetitive, uncontrolled movements. These movements often result in reduced vision and depth perception and can affect balance and coordination.

[3] Death Whistle - a type of whistle used by the Aztec during rituals or war, it had different appearance, along with different uses that I found from different sources, so it varies to what you can find, it just sounds like a coffee maker or a person screaming in pain or distress for the first time.

In case your curious about the sound, this is the closest I can get for you to understand, if not look at

a different source, so here the link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_V0ReICPsN8