Nether core

After Dax's battle, he noticed the guard's lingering gaze, astonishment written all over his face.

"Follow me, madam Dalia request an audience with you." The demon guard said leading the way. "He followed through dimly lit passages, weaving through multiple turns before arriving at a magnificent gate. Seven cores, eerily similar to the ogre's, were embedded in its structure."

"Enter!" A soft feminine voice exclaimed through the room. Dax walked in observing his environment, at the center of the sat an extremely beautiful woman. She scanned Dax from head to toe, the more she observed the more Dax caught her eyes. "You are extremely handsome you put my other partners to shame." She licked her lips in a seductive way. Her eyes lingered on Dax long white hair. 

She couldn't take her eyes off him. There was something truly off about this human—something *inhuman*. 

Dax was alert, his sharp instincts picking up on her lingering gaze. Her eyes stayed on him for too long, but his gaze was also fixed on her. Her beauty was otherworldly, like the first day of creation itself. 

"Beauti…" Dax hesitated. *This is strange,* he deep in thought, his mind racing. 

*Finally, Master, you realize there's something off. Well, Master, you're being influenced by this woman.* 

Dax's eyes narrowed. He focused his gaze on her, activating **Origin Eyes**. In that moment, his vision went dark. The room filled with black strings, writhing and twisting like shadows given life. Dax's eyes widened. He had encountered someone truly terrifying. 

"Are you done looking?" Dalia asked, her tone laced with a hint of anger. 

Dax averted his gaze, his back instantly soaked with sweat. The weight of her presence was overwhelming, and for the first time in a long while, he felt a flicker of unease. 

"Human, your fight was thrilling," Dalia said, her voice now carrying a playful edge. But beneath the playfulness, her curiosity was unmistakable. "What did you do to your weapon toward the end of the battle?" 

"Your answer will determine your survival," Dalia said, her voice cold and commanding. An oppressive aura filled the room, weighing down on Dax until he dropped to one knee. *This woman's power is no joke,* he thought, gritting his teeth. 

In that moment, a voice echoed in his mind, filled with pride and anger. "Why do you kneel? Truly a disgrace." 

Dax's eyes widened. *Who are you?* he asked internally, but the voice fell silent, as if it had never spoken. 

Returning to reality, Dax felt the pressure lessen. He stood up, his expression calm but his anger barely restrained. "I possess an ability that influences weapons," he replied, his voice steady. 

Dalia's eyes widened in shock. She couldn't believe what she was hearing. "Are these changes… permanent?" Dalia's voice held a dangerous curiosity. 

Dax hesitated for a moment before answering. "Yes." 

Dalia took a deep breath, her gaze narrowing. "But that doesn't explain your… peculiar actions of cannibalism. In human society, such behavior is looked down upon. Can you explain yourself?" 

Dax smiled, a low chuckle escaping his lips. The chuckle grew into full-blown laughter, echoing through the room. "Madam Dalia," he said, calming himself, "you of all people should understand. It's simply for survival, my lady." 

He walked over to her table, picking up a dagger. Without hesitation, he replicated what he had done to the Bloody Edge. Before Dalia's eyes, the blade was enveloped in a black goo. As it dried, the goo cracked and fell away, revealing a completely new blade. 

Dax held out the dagger to Dalia, his expression calm and confident. But in that moment, a dark shadow materialized from nowhere, pressing a blade to Dax's neck. Killing intent covering the room, this figure was ready to kill him on the spot

"Mela!" Dalia's voice cut through the tension like a whip. 

Hearing her name, the shadow—Mela—instantly retracted her blade and took her place behind Dalia, her expression unreadable. 

"Human, I apologize for my partner's rudeness," Dalia said, her tone sincere. 

This surprised Mela. Her master had *apologized* to a human? She hid her anger well, ensuring it didn't show on her face, but her resentment simmered beneath the surface. 

"What is your name, human?" Dalia asked, taking the modified dagger from Dax. 

"Madam, I am Dax Godfall," he replied, his gaze flickering to Mela for a moment. 

---

**Dalia's POV** 

*Is this boy even human?* Dalia thought, her mind racing. *His aura doesn't even smell like one. With those eyes that pierce into one's soul, he could even withstand the pressure I released—I, Dalia of the Awakening Realm. Ahh, I'm so curious. This boy is shrouded in mystery.* 

She examined the dagger in her hand, her shock growing. "A 6-star elemental weapon." she murmured, her voice barely above a whisper. The dagger had been an ordinary blade, but now, without any resources or materials, it had become a 6-star weapon. 

Weapons were ranked from 1 to 10 stars. Surpassing the threshold of 10 stars, a weapon became a **soul weapon**—a weapon bound to one's soul. While one could possess multiple soul weapons, each one weighed heavily on the soul. Only those in the Ascension Realm could wield such weapons. 

Dalia poured her mana into the blade, and in that moment, it began to bleed, much like the Bloody Edge. She sensed the potent blood element radiating from the dagger—pure, untainted, and incredibly powerful. 

*This is unreal,* she thought, her heart racing. *This is the purest blood element I've ever felt.* 

Her gaze shifted back to Dax, and all she could see was a monster. 

Dax, noticing her stare, returned a smile that could captivate the heart of any woman. Even with his face streaked with blood, he was undeniably handsome. 

Looking at Dax, flashes of the past disturbed her mental state. Memories of her family's massacre, She felt revenge wasn't to far from her reach. 

Dalia was once the fourth princess of the Dargon Region, a land ruled by **Thil**, the Demon King of Wrath and one of the Seven Demon Kings. Dalias mother was the third concubine of Thil and his favorite mistress. 

**Azula**, Thil's first wife and queen of the Dargon Region, was as cruel as she was cunning. Consumed by jealousy , she orchestrated the assassination of Dalia's mother. But Azula didn't stop there. She personally killed Dalia's two younger brothers, ensuring their mother witnessed their deaths before meeting her own end. 

At the time of her family's massacre, Dalia had been in the **Evil Forest** with the royal guards. She, too, was attacked, but the treacherous terrain allowed her to barely escape with her life. For months, she recuperated in hiding, her body and spirit broken but not defeated. 

When she finally returned to the Dargon Region, she m disguised herself under a new identity, on arrival she was met with the devastating news of her family's fate. The emotions that followed were overwhelming—**wrath**, **sadness**, and **confusion** swirled within her, each one vying for dominance. 

In the end, these emotions fused into a single, unshakable purpose: **revenge**. 

Returning to reality, Dalia's mind raced. She remembered the question she had asked the human earlier. "No… it can't be. A Godfall? You're from *that* clan—the clan that killed the envoys of the gods." Her voice trembled, her hand shaking slightly. *My mind hasn't been stable since meeting this human. So, this is the reason.* 

She cursed herself for not realizing it sooner. "I should have known from the white hair," she muttered under her breath. But something still didn't add up. His left arm wasn't strange like that of the Godfall's. 

"Dax," she said, her tone sharp and demanding, "don't lie to me. I have other ways to get the truth out of you." 

Dax was taken aback by her reaction. His memories were still blurry, but he was certain that this body originated from the Godfall clan. With all seriousness, he replied, "I will never lie about my origins." 

Dalia fell silent, her mind swirling with thoughts. The revelation left her in deep contemplation, the weight of its implications pressing down on her. 

Breaking the silence, Mela leaned in, whispering into Dalia's ear. "It's best to kill this human. His clan is dangerous and unforgiving. If they see him in this state, it will be trouble." 

Coughing lightly, Dalia broke the silence, her mind made up. She didn't want to dig too deeply into Dax's secrets—not yet, at least. "How would you like to be our weapon enchanter?" she asked, her voice smooth and laced with a selective tone. "I know this might seem like an insult to your abilities, but I don't fully understand what you're capable of." She smiled, her expression both charming and calculating. 

In that moment, Dax saw an opportunity laid out before him. But he didn't accept immediately. Instead, he leaned back, a devilish smile spreading across his face. "And what do I gain if I accept?" 

Dalia's smile didn't waver. "Firstly, you'll gain your freedom. But you'll work for me for three years. During that time, you'll be paid a hundred thousand middle-grade mana stones annually and granted freedom within our walls." 

Dax laughed—a deep, unrestrained laugh that echoed through the room. This situation was all too familiar. In his past life, countless beings had sought to make him an asset, each one underestimating his worth. *Well,* he thought, *this isn't a bad way to start my journey.* 

"What's so funny about my master's proposal?" Mela snapped, her eyes blazing with anger. 

Dax ignored her, his gaze fixed on Dalia. "I accept your proposal, but I have one condition: I must be allowed to fight in the colosseum." 

Dalia was taken aback by his request, but after a moment, she simply nodded. "Agreed." 

As Dax turned and walked out of the room, Mela muttered under her breath, "This man is crazy." 

"Mela, arrange the visitor's quarters for him. That will be where he resides for the time being," Dalia ordered, her tone firm but reluctant. 

Mela bowed slightly, her expression tight. "Yes, mistress," she replied, her voice tinged with disapproval. 

---

**Dax's POV** 

Returning to his cellar, Dax searched for Korg. "Bat man!" he shouted, his voice echoing through the dimly lit space. 

From the shadows, Korg emerged, his expression a mix of annoyance and relief. "I've told you, I'm not 'Bat man.' I don't even know what that is," he grumbled, walking over to Dax. Without warning, he pulled Dax into a tight hug. "I'm glad you're alive." 

Dax froze, shocked by the gesture. This was the first time anyone had shown him affection since arriving in this world—and he certainly hadn't expected it from a demon. 

Korg was someone who had lost everything. As Dax's cellmate, he had come to see him as a friend, even if Dax was a bit… unusual. 

"For your concern, I have a gift for you," Dax said, his tone calm but carrying a hint of something deeper. Korg didn't notice the blade strapped to Dax's back. 

Dax snapped his fingers, and in that moment, the ogre's core appeared in his hand. Activating **Origin Eyes**, he analyzed Korg's body, pinpointing the exact location of his core. A bright purple flame burned above it, wisps of black swirling within. But when Dax averted his gaze to his core, he saw only a shattered, lifeless remnant. 

"Dax, why are you looking at me like that?" Korg asked, his voice trembling with unease as he noticed Dax's intense stare. 

Without a word, Dax plunged his hand, still clutching the ogre's core, into korg's chest just below the sternum. His fingers closed around Korg's core, his eyes widened in disbelief. 

"Dax, stop! What are you doing?" Korg's voice was barely a whisper, filled with fear and confusion. 

Dax ignored him, his focus unwavering. 

**(Synthesis)** 

*Do you wish to fuse the Demonic Ogre Core to the shattered Xorian Core?* 

**Yes/No** 

"Yes," Dax said, his voice steady. 

In an instant, black goo enveloped Korg's core, fusing it with the ogre's core in a swirling, chaotic dance. 

*What would you like to name this core?* 

Dax thought for a moment, a wide grin spreading across his face. "Nether Core." 

*Synthesis complete. Nether Core created.* 

Dax removed his hand from his chest, the wound healing almost instantly. "My last gift to you," he said, opening Korg's mouth and pouring a bottle of **Awakening Potion** into it. 

As Korg passed out, Dax stood, his expression unreadable. 

"Master Dax, please follow me," one of the guards called, stepping into the cell. 

Dax glanced down at Korg one last time. "Survive," he said softly before turning and leaving the cell. 

*First Synth Creature created.* 

*Lab unlocked.* 

*Memories recovering: 70%.*