Hitman with a Badass System - Chapter 1352

Chapter 1352 Worship Energy Cultivation ability

A ghost of a smile, a fleeting flicker of amusement, touched Don's lips as he watched Michael's outburst. He remembered, with a clarity that spanned millennia, the first time the three of them had come together. Ghost and Hunter... they'd bickered like an old married couple, their animosity as palpable as the power that radiated from them.

It had been... entertaining, to say the least.

Don, of course, hadn't known the full extent of their history. He hadn't realized they were both from the same world, hadn't understood the depth of their shared past, the tangled web of rivalry and resentment that bound them together.

Now, watching Michael's face contort with fury, he understood.

"That bastard," Michael growled, pacing back and forth, his fists clenched. "That goddamn snake in the grass! He told you about the System? How the fuck did he even know?"

A terrifying thought struck him then.

"Unless..." He trailed off, his eyes widening in horror. "Don't tell me... that son of a bitch got a System too?"

The thought of Hunter, that ruthless, power-hungry madman, wielding the same kind of power as Michael... it sent a shiver down his spine. He'd seen firsthand the carnage Hunter could unleash, the casual cruelty with which he ruled his own twisted little empire.

And now... to imagine him with a System...

Michael shuddered.

He suddenly felt a surge of sympathy for the poor souls trapped in Hunter's universe. If they thought he was a handful, well... they hadn't seen anything yet.

At least, Michael thought grimly, Hunter was confined to his own reality. For now.

Michael, if he'd been a character in a book, knew exactly what the readers would be saying. They'd be throwing their goddamn Kindles across the room, screaming about how he never utilized the System to its full potential, how he played it safe, how he was too hesitant to unleash his full power.

And they'd be right.

But Michael wasn't Hunter. He wasn't a power-hungry psychopath, reveling in chaos and destruction. He had limits. Lines he wouldn't cross.

Hunter, on the other hand... well, Hunter was a different story. Giving that bastard a System was like giving a pyromaniac a flamethrower and a map to the world's largest fireworks factory.

It was a recipe for disaster. A cosmic-level shitstorm waiting to happen.

At least he's contained to his own universe, Michael thought grimly. For now, anyway.

"Okay, so Hunter's being a dick," Michael said with a sigh, running a hand through his hair. "But right now, he's not the problem, is he?" As unpredictable and dangerous as Hunter was, Michael knew he wasn't the immediate threat. Hunter was a lot of things— a charming psychopath in black leather who loved to wreak havoc and leave a trail of broken hearts and shattered skulls in his wake—but he was also cunning. He knew how to pick his battles. And pissing off a fully powered-up God of Darkness probably wasn't high on his to-do list. At least not yet.

"Tell me about these Omegas," Michael pressed, turning back to Don. "What else do you know about them? Where do they come from? What do they want?"

Don shook his head, his expression grim. "They are... elusive, Ghost. Masters of concealment. They left few traces, and those they did leave were... confusing, contradictory. They did not seem to belong to this universe. They were... visitors, like you."

"Well, what are we waiting for?" he said, grinning. "System, proceed with absorption. Let's do this thing!"

The moment Michael gave the confirmation, the vial in his hand pulsed, the crimson glow intensifying. A strange warmth, a tingling sensation that spread from his fingertips up his arm, washed over him. It wasn't unpleasant... not at first.

Then the blood began to vaporize.

Wisps of crimson smoke, shot through with threads of gold, rose from the vial, swirling around Michael's hand. The vapor, as if sentient, pulsed and throbbed, seeking a way in.

Michael watched, mesmerized, as the vapor seeped through the gaps in his armor, swirling around him, coiling around his limbs like spectral serpents. He felt a surge of power, a rush of raw energy unlike anything he'd ever experienced.

And then the pain hit.

It was a searing, white-hot agony that exploded in his chest, radiating outwards until it consumed his entire being. He gasped, his vision blurring, his knees buckling beneath him.

It wasn't like any pain he'd ever experienced. It wasn't the physical pain of a broken bone or a gaping wound. It was something deeper, something that touched his very essence, his soul. It felt like his entire being was being torn apart, atom by atom, and then reassembled in a crucible of fire.

He gritted his teeth, a guttural roar ripping from his throat as he fought against the overwhelming tide of pain. He tried to stand, to fight back, but it was useless.

The world around him, the vibrant colors of Don's kingdom, the warm sun, the gentle breeze... it all faded, replaced by an encroaching darkness that swallowed him whole.

And then, everything went black.

From the outside, Michael was a still figure sprawled on the grassy hilltop, the vial that once held Don's blood lying empty beside him. His armor, usually gleaming with dark energy, was dull, the runes etched into its surface flickering weakly, as if struggling to contain the forces raging within.

The first day of his four-day absorption passed in silence, the only sound the gentle rustling of leaves and the distant chirping of birds. But as the sun began to set, casting long shadows across the beautiful landscape, something changed.

A tendril of black smoke, thin and wispy at first, curled upwards from Michael's body, twisting and coiling in the air like a restless serpent. It was followed by another, and another, until a swirling vortex of darkness enveloped him, obscuring his form from view.

Deep within the darkness, Michael was lost in a sea of dreams, visions, and sensations. But one thing cut through the haze, a sound that was both familiar and... alien.

Voices.

Hundreds, thousands, millions of voices, whispering his name, chanting his titles, pleading for his favor, his guidance, his protection.

The prayers of his worshippers.

He'd felt their presence before when he first came to the realm of gods. But this... this was different.

It was a torrent, a tidal wave of raw faith and devotion washing over him, seeping into his very being, filling him with a power that was both intoxicating and terrifying.

[Alert! Worship Energy Cultivation ability unlocking.]

[Initialization sequence commencing: 72 hours remaining.]