Eldritch Assassin: Reincarnated With An SSS-Rank Devouring System
Chapter 40: Ancient Seal Fragment

Chapter 40: Ancient Seal Fragment

A translucent window flared to life, glowing faintly in the dim room.

The details scrolled past:

———

[Status Window]

Name: Kael Veyne

Level: 8

Race: Human (Eldritch Hybrid)

Bloodline: Eldritch Devourer (Stage 1 – Unchained)

Rank: Initiate Devourer

Affiliate: House Veyne

Experience Points: 2090/5100 EXP

Blood Points: 6 BP

Titles: "The Silent Blade" & "Breaker of Fate"

[Attributes]

>>> Strength: 32

>>> Dexterity: 28

>>> Constitution: 24

>>> Mental Cognition: 17

>>> Health Bar: 92%

>>> Devourer Corruption: 0.5% (Increases with overconsumption—mutation risk at 10%+)

[Abilities]

>>> Devour Essence (Active) – Absorb 70% primal energy of a slain enemy over ten levels above. (Increases by 2% per 50 levels.)

>>> Assimilate Traits (Passive) – 10% chance to steal abilities from devoured foes. (Increases by 10% per 100 levels.)

>>> Abyssal Endurance (Active) – Temporary resistance to damage when Primal Energy is critical)

>>> Eldritch Reversal (Passive / Triggered Ability)

>When Kael is pushed into a losing state (below 20% HP or outmatched in power), his body enters a Controlled Mutation Phase.

>Temporarily boosts Dexterity, Strength, and Mental Cognition by 30%.

>Duration: 30 seconds.

>Cooldown: Once every major battle.

>Control is retained, unlike uncontrolled bloodline bursts.

>>> Bloodline Advancement:

>Devourer Bloodline Stabilization

The corruption threshold now rises slower.

>Passive regeneration of +1 Blood Point every 12 hours outside of combat.

>Unlocks the ability to sense other bloodline hosts (corrupted or evolved) within a 1 km radius.

[Skills]

>>> Night Predator (Trait) – Enhanced stealth, vision, and reaction speed in darkness.

>>> Adaptive Regeneration (Trait) – Minor wounds heal quickly. Large wounds require BP.

>>> Predator’s Instincts (Trait) – Heightens battle awareness, improved reaction time, and the ability to predict subtle enemy movements.

>>> Eclipse Step – Merge briefly with shadow and reappear up to 10 meters away. Can only be tracked during use by opponents 10 Levels above you.

Cooldown: 45 seconds.

———

His experience points sat at 2090/5100 EXP, with 6 Blood Points banked. His attributes were solid, and his health was nearly full at 92%, but the Devourer Corruption at 0.5% made him pause, a reminder of his bloodline’s lurking danger.

Kael’s eyes lingered on his abilities. Devour Essence and Assimilate Traits were growing stronger, their potential tied to his kills. Abyssal Endurance and Eldritch Reversal had saved him against the Hollow Devourer, their triggered boosts were a lifeline in desperate moments.

The Bloodline Advancement was one of the new ones; its passive regeneration and bloodline detection were a subtle but constant advantage. His skills—Night Predator, Adaptive Regeneration, Predator’s Instincts, Eclipse Step—felt sharper and honed by the dungeon’s trials.

He leaned back, his fingers tracing the edge of the bed. He had advanced eight levels since his reincarnation a week ago. A climb that would’ve taken others months, even with primal stones or alchemy pills.

The thought brought a faint smirk to his face, but it faded quickly. A fast cultivation meant nothing if House Veyne fell to its rivals. Dorian’s face flashed in his mind; the noble with his arrogant smirk was a thorn in his side.

Kael’s gaze shifted to his cloak, spread over the chair, where two glowing orbs lay hidden in its folds. He reached for them, their warmth pulsing against his palm.

The first one, from the Trial of Morality, was a deep green, its surface swirling with faint mist. The second, from the Trial of Dominion, glowed crimson, its light sharper and almost alive. He set them on the desk, their glow casting eerie shadows across the room.

With a gentle squeeze, he broke the green orb first. It shattered like glass, light spilling out, coalescing into a dark, flowing cloak that hovered before him.

Kael’s system pinged, identifying it:

———

[Item: Bloodthread Mantle]

Grade: Refined Grade

Effect: A light-black cloak that dampens aura presence and provides minor primal energy resistance.

Bonus: Slight movement speed buff during stealth or evasion.

———

He ran his fingers over the fabric, its texture light but sturdy, almost liquid under his touch. He wore it over his shoulders, feeling its weight settle, his aura dimming slightly as if the cloak swallowed his presence. A perfect tool for an assassin like him.

The crimson orb was next. Kael hesitated, its glow more intense, almost warning. He crushed it, the light flaring briefly before condensing into a small, rusty metal fragment, no larger than a coin. It looked unremarkable, like a broken piece of junk, but the system’s prompt told a different story:

———

Item: Ancient Seal Fragment

Grade: ????

Fragment of a primordial seal suppressed by the world. One of the eighteen pieces required to open an Ancient Ruin.

———

Kael’s heart thudded in his chest, excitement surging all over his body. An Ancient Ruin could hold power beyond imagination—artifacts, techniques, or knowledge lost to time.

But the challenge was daunting. Eighteen pieces, potentially scattered across the world with some likely guarded by factions far stronger than the Valoria Kingdom.

He turned the fragment in his hand; its edges looked rough, but its surface was etched with faint, unreadable runes. Without the system, he’d have tossed it as worthless. He tucked it into a hidden pocket in his new mantle, his mind racing.

Finding the other fragments would mean navigating a web of enemies, but the rewards could tip the scales for House Veyne.

Kael stood, pacing the small room, his boots silent on the wooden floor. The mansion was quiet, save for the distant howl of wolves echoing through Wolfswood.

His bloodline stirred, sensing no other hosts nearby, but the words of the Hollow Devourer lingered. "You’ll break eventually". He shook his head, pushing the thought away. Control was his ultimate weapon, not surrender.

He returned to the desk, checking his knives. The obsidian set gleamed, their poison faintly green in the lantern’s light. The Abyssal Fang felt heavier than before, its edge sharper since absorbing the Hollow Devourer’s essence.

Kael’s fingers traced its hilt, his mind drifting to Sera. Her awakened fire affinity, her painful loss, and her potential loyalty to House Veyne—they were assets but also a responsibility. House Veyne needed more than warriors; it needed unity, something fractured by his elder brother, Torren’s growing ambition.

~Knock~knock~

A soft knock broke his thoughts. Kael’s hand went to his dagger, but he relaxed as Sylvara’s voice came through the door. "Kael? You awake?" Her tone was hesitant, almost shy.

He opened the door, finding her in a nightgown, her wolf figurine clutched tightly. "Can’t sleep?" he asked, stepping aside.

She nodded, slipping in and sitting on the bed’s edge. "The wolves are quite loud tonight. Feels like they’re... calling out to something." Her eyes flicked to the window, the forest’s darkness pressing against the glass.

Kael sat beside her, his voice gentle. "They’re always watching, Syl. You’ll understand them clearer soon." He didn’t mention her gift to anyone, not yet. She wasn’t ready to understand her bond with the wolf spirits.

Sylvara leaned against him, her voice small. "Torren’s been meeting people lately. Weird strangers. Mother doesn’t know about it." Her fingers tightened around the figurine, her worry plain.

Kael’s brows furrowed, his silver eyes hardening. Torren’s ambition was a growing shadow, one their mother hadn’t fully grasped. "I’ll handle it," he said, his tone firm. "Get some rest. We’ve got work tomorrow."

She nodded, yawning, and shuffled back to her room. Kael locked the door again, his mind turning to the challenges ahead. The Ancient Seal Fragment was a distant goal, but Wolfswood’s survival was immediate.

Since he was part of the family now, he’d play the part of a good son by protecting Wolfswood from the greedy predators.

He lay back on the bed, slowly drifting into a controlled sleep with Abyssal Fang underneath his pillow.

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