Chapter ten: Cycle one
Chapter ten: Cycle one
[Congrats on achieving cycle one]
His chest tightened as the words sank in, almost as if something inside him had shifted—something fundamental, like a crack appearing in the surface of a glass, spreading outward until it fractured the whole of his being.
[Your soul grows…]
An unfamiliar pressure in his chest, a sensation like a bruise forming deep within. He swallowed hard, the taste of bile sharp on his tongue. His legs, once shaky from hunger and exhaustion, felt oddly... stronger. The pain in his gut had dulled into a persistent gnawing, the kind that had become background noise in his life.
He was in the room again with no windows, only a door and table with that tablet.
He could feel it.
A weight, forming deep in his chest, solidifying as if some foreign force was settling into him, taking root. It was an unfamiliar sensation, like a seed buried in his very soul, its edges digging into the core of who he was. The hunger that had plagued him was no longer the only thing pulling at him. This weight... it was something new, something more.
He blinked, trying to clear the fog in his mind, and looked around. The room—sterile, empty—surrounded him once more. The same room he had woken up in, over and over again, with no windows, no escape. Just a door, a table, and the tablet that never stopped watching him.
His gaze fell to the surface of the table, where the tablet sat, its black screen smooth and silent.
His hand reached out before he could stop it. The cold, glassy surface of the tablet met his touch, and it flickered to life instantly, words appearing as if summoned by his very presence.
[Welcome, Cycle One. Your journey has begun.]
The screen pulsed, glowing faintly as the words shifted, changing like the air before a storm.
[Your soul is now fused with new energy. The hunger remains, but it is no longer a weakness.]
[View your new self?]
[Yes or no]
Without fully understanding why, William pressed his finger to the screen, selecting "Yes."
The moment he did, the air around him seemed to shift. A ripple passed through the space, and for a brief second, the room seemed to distort as if reality itself was bending around him.
Then, the screen flashed brightly. It was as though a mirror had appeared before him, only this one was more than just a reflection. It was a window into something deeper, something that felt raw and alien.
He saw himself—but not exactly.
His form shimmered in the reflection, the outline of his body glowing faintly with the same eerie light that had enveloped Max's essence when he had passed. His features were sharper, more defined, as if sculpted by something beyond the limitations of his human frame. The weight inside him seemed to resonate through his reflection, rippling outward like a silent wave.
Name: William
Cycle: One
Soul Essence: 2/1000
Hunger: Growing
Power: Latent
True Name: Harbinger of Famine
Class: Cannibal Lich King
Aspect Rank: Divine
Description:
"You are an abomination that defies the natural order of both life and death. A mockery of the cycle that should have been, yet you persist. Not even the most powerful beings, not even I, would have allowed you to exist if they could have prevented it. You are a creature of death—a Lich King, bound in eternal undeath—but unlike others of your kind, you carry within you the remnants of humanity, the essence of a soul unwilling to surrender to oblivion. You are a Cannibal, devouring all that crosses your path, feeding on both flesh and soul, breaking every rule, every law of nature with every breath you take. The very fact that you exist, that you still walk this broken world, is a testament to the malleability of fate itself. But know this: You are not the master of your destiny—only the pawn of your own hunger."
Attributes:
Eidetic Kinesthesia: "You have the ability to memorize and mimic any form of movement as soon as you lay eyes on it. This gives you the reflexes of any master, whether it's fighting, running, or other physical feats."
Monarch Beyond the Grave: "Even among the dead, there is a hierarchy. You are the monarch of the living dead. All undead follow your commands without question. Hostile undead are suppressed innately by the nature of your regal presence."
Philanctory:True immortality is a lie, but you have found a way to defy oblivion. By binding your soul to a vessel of your choosing, you ensure that death is not the end—at least, not immediately. Should your body perish, your soul will return to the phylactery, allowing you to reform anew. However, this comes at a cost. If your phylactery is ever destroyed, your existence will be erased completely, along with all memories, power, and influence you once held.
Frostborne – Naturally thrives in extreme cold, resistant to freezing temperatures. Can exude an aura of frost, chilling the air around it. Gives a minor frost affinity.
Dread Presence – Instinctively radiates an aura of fear, paralyzing or unsettling those nearby. The effect intensifies with proximity.
Hunger's Call – Can influence the minds of weak-willed beings, pushing them toward madness or submission. Prolonged exposure may corrupt victims, turning them into lesser Wendigos.
Flaw: Eternal Hunger: "To live forever, one must forget. Your immortality is imperfect. Every time you suffer fatal wounds and die, you lose a part of yourself until nothing remains but a shell of your former self. Cursed to be a spirit, your hunger for human flesh never ends."