Gluttony

How long had it been?

Minutes?

Hours?

I did not know.

My mind felt completely dull and my body continued twitching.

A bright light flashed as soon as the dagger had pierced into my abdomen, digging deep into my mana core.

I could practically see the warm, crimson liquid flowing down my stomach to the lines that connected the spiral.

I had felt such a jolting pain that every part of me went crazy.

I had howled such a loud shout that I was worried Grandma would come inside.

For what I was doing right now was nothing holy or good.

No.

I knew that the method written in the Book of Sin to awaken my physique was actually a demonic one. 

It did not follow the norms of nature and wasn't classified into an ideal element like the others.

Heh–

I let out half a chuckle, after all; my physique was anything but normal.

The Empty Physique has been known by different names throughout centuries…hiding in the darkness due to its overwhelming presence.

It was such that an individual with this physique was born once every thousand years!

The golden light of the circle started to fade as a flash of pale lavender rose from the edges of the spiral.

The colour moved along the spiral as it covered the whole design.

I tried to keep my eyes open as I saw the lavender hue climb the spiral and inch towards me.

It danced along the edges of the spiral, slow and deliberate, like it had a purpose.

It moved closer to me.

My breathing was shallow, each rise and fall of the chest shaky as the warm light faded entirely, replaced by the eerie chill of the lavender glow.

I wanted to back away, to retreat from whatever was happening, but my body refused to move.

The hue reached my toes first, a faint tingle spreading through my skin as it climbed higher.

I flinched, my muscles twitching subconsciously.

It did not hurt, but there was a strange sensation—like ice brushing against my skin.

I clenched my fists, nails biting into my palms as I tried to hold myself back.

The lavender hue continued its slow, inevitable advance.

When it touched my legs, I couldn't suppress the gasp that escaped my lips. It wasn't cold anymore—it was warm.

Too warm.

A suffocating heat seeped into my skin, making it feel like the glow wasn't just covering me but sinking inside, sinking deeper with every passing second.

"What the hell…" My voice was hoarse, barely a whisper as I watched the lavender hue climb higher, covering my body like a second skin.

It reached my stomach, spreading across the wound where the dagger had pierced into my core.

And the numbness that had kept me going disappeared.

"AHRGHHH—"

The pain flared again, sharp and electric, forcing my head to snap back as a ragged scream tore from my throat.

I could feel every single part of the skin around the wounds burn.

I wanted to claw at it, to rip the glow away, but my hands wouldn't move.

They stayed limp at my sides, trembling as the light moved over my chest, up my neck, and finally to my face.

When it covered me entirely, I felt a stream of information gush inside my mind.

My mind seemed to absorb the information like a sponge as I continued to understand what was happening.

My breaths came in short and ragged intervals, the lavender pulsing faintly, matching the erratic rhythm of my heart.

Then, it happened.

A sudden gush of water erupted from the edges of the spiral, flooding the circle in an instant.

The sound was deafening, a rush of liquid crashing against the blood-soaked lines.

The force of it sent droplets spraying into the air, shining faintly with the same lavender hue that encased me.

I froze, my eyes wide as the water swirled within the circle, moving unnaturally.

It wasn't spreading outward; it stayed contained, following the lines of the spiral like it was alive.

And then it turned towards me.

The water surged, swallowing the blood-drawn circle as it rushed to my feet.

It moved too fast for me to react, wrapping around my legs and climbing higher, just as the lavender glow had done moments before.

"No—wait!" My voice cracked, and the words choked as the water reached my chest.

It was cold—bone-chillingly cold—to the point that I stopped feeling my body.

The moment it touched the lavender glow, the water changed.

Its crystalline clarity was replaced by the same pale hue, turning into something otherworldly.

The glow and the water merged, indistinguishable from one another as they wrapped around me completely.

I couldn't breathe.

The water pressed against my face, covering my mouth and nose, but it didn't suffocate me.

Instead, it felt like it was seeping inside me, bypassing the need for air entirely.

I gasped instinctively, but no water entered my lungs.

It was… surreal.

Before I could make sense of what was happening, the water lifted me from the ground.

My body rose slowly, hovering a few feet above the ground.

And just then, I felt an extremely soothing sensation wash over the hole in my abdomen.

I glanced down, wide-eyed, watching as the lavender liquid filled the gap, sealing it shut. The muscles and skin around it regenerated seamlessly, leaving behind a faint, glowing mark—a spiral that mirrored the one I had drawn on the floor.

But it wasn't just healing.

I could feel strength surging into my body.

My arms, once limp and trembling, now felt solid, as though steel had replaced the bone beneath my skin.

My chest expanded with a newfound vitality, breathing steady.

It was like every impurity on my body was washed away with the pale liquid.

Pulsing one last time, I saw it drawing inward, disappearing into my body.

My veins glowed faintly with an almost invisible light as the last of it vanished, leaving no trace of its existence.

I hovered in the air for a moment longer before gravity took hold, lowering me gently to the ground.

With a loud thud, I crouched on one knee, my breathing deep and even.

My hands clenched into fists subconsciously, and I could hear the satisfying crack of my knuckles echo through the silent room.

I stared at my hands, turning them over as the strength within me surged uncontrollably.

It was intoxicating.

A grin tugged at the corners of my lips, slow and involuntary.

The power coursing through me was unlike anything I had ever felt—a mixture of strength, vitality, and something far darker.

I tried to suppress the laugh that bubbled in my chest, but it spilt out anyway, soft at first, then louder.

"Heh…"

My shoulders shook as the sound grew, the laughter spiralling into something manic, something uncontrollable.

The sheer euphoria of the transformation overwhelmed me, and I threw my head back, letting the sound echo through the room.

"Haha… HAHAHA!"

Yes!!

I had finally done it.

I had awakened the body of Asur-

Of one of the Seven Gods. 

I had awakened…

Gluttony.

*** 

The world I lived in wasn't one of fairness.

Power dictated your worth, and the paths to achieving it were limited.

For most, strength came from mastering mana arts—manuals that helped an individual harness the mana inside their core and use them as a channel.

There was only a finite amount of mana arts and techniques, which made it very hard for the people to gain access to them.

The worst part was that while everyone was born with a mana core, only a handful of them had the potential to become a mage.

Then there were the Sinners.

People who went against the world order and integrated themselves with a hollow. 

By integrating with a hollow, you not only gain access to that creature's abilities...But occasionally, you also take on their 'bodily characteristics'.

Some grow too tall, develop wings and some can even become invisible.

While these 2 were the only paths an individual could take to gain strength, there was another path.

A path... that could give you all that and more.

It was the rarest and most coveted of all: A Heavenly Physique.

Only a few people were born with these gifts, granted by nature itself as though she had chosen them for a greater destiny.

These physiques weren't mere physical traits; they were foundations of power, limitless in their potential.

They dictated what one could achieve, what heights they could reach, and how far they could leave the rest of us behind.

Heavenly physiques came in many forms. Some were simple but powerful—the kind that would enhance a single trait, such as strength, agility, or stamina.

Those born with these common physiques were often revered in their local communities, and hailed as prodigies destined for greatness.

Then there were the rarer physiques, ones tied to the elements.

Fire, water, wind, earth—individuals with these gifts could command the forces of nature themselves, bending reality to their will.

Such physiques were the kind of thing you'd find in old stories, where a single person could hold back armies or reshape landscapes.

And above them all were the legendary physiques. They weren't tied to mere traits or elements; they wielded abilities capable of altering the course of history.

These physiques were the things of nightmares and dreams alike, containing enough power to destroy cities with a flick of their hand. Even things such as space and time were in some of their hands.

These wielders were gods among mortals.

Yet, even among the legends, my physique was something else entirely.

It wasn't bound by the conventions of this world. It wasn't constrained to enhancing a single trait or aligning with an element.

No, my physique defied definition.

It didn't just stand apart from the others; it surpassed them.

The Empty Physique.

For years, I had thought it was a curse.

Some cruel joke played by fate, chaining me with the worst possible trait a person could have.

A body that could neither harness mana nor hold any elemental affinity. It was a hollow shell, devoid of potential.

I had carried that shame like a collar around my neck for as long as I could remember.

But now…

As the truth began to settle in my mind, it was almost unbearable.

The Book of Sin hadn't lied.

My so-called curse wasn't just some defect. It was a mark, something deeper, darker, and far more twisted than I could have ever imagined.

It wasn't just a hollow shell.

My physique… my existence... was tied to one of the Seven Deadly Sins.

The realization tore through me like a blade.

"Mom… Dad…" My voice came out like a rough whisper, trembling as it cracked under the weight of my emotions.

'Now I know why you had gone out on my birthday.' I thought, subconsciously bitting at the insides of my cheek.

It was to get that book. 

The Book Of Sin.

***