Transmigrated with my corruption system-Chapter 8: Monarch of Darkness

Cold silence descended on the platform as the crowd turned to stare at Ulric, curiosity burning in their eyes.

It’s warm, he thought as he placed his hands on the orb. Must be the aftereffect of Cedric awakening his fire talent.

A few seconds slowly slipped by with no visible reaction from the orb. Soft murmurs drifted through the crowd, brows furrowing in confusion as multiple conclusions were already being drawn.

"Could it be a blank talent?" one youth muttered, causing those around him to inhale sharply.

The worst fate an unawakened could face, apart from awakening an F-rank talent, was a blank talent.

A sentence condemning them to the life of regular mortals. Soon the murmurs grew louder, expressions in the crowd becoming more defined.

Some stared at him with pity flashing in their eyes, others with disdain. Despite his status as heir, without strength to back it up, it was all meaningless.

Some girls in the crowd even looked at him perversely. Sure, he hadn’t awakened a talent, but his striking face remained. Thoughts of turning him into a sex slave made their blood boil with excitement as their fantasies ran wild.

The murmurs were cut short as Cedric, near the podium, broke into a fit of maniacal laughter. His finger rose haughtily as he taunted Ulric, unable to restrain himself.

"After all that grand display... this is what you amount to? Pathetic! If you lick my toes and beg for my forgiveness..."

His words froze in his throat as he caught Lyra’s glare from the side. He didn’t know why, but those icy blue eyes sent shivers racing down his spine.

"Wait, something’s not right," a girl in the crowd suddenly muttered, pointing at Ulric, who had remained calm throughout the commotion. "The orb’s colors... they’ve vanished!"

Her words spread through the crowd as everyone stared intently, blank looks covering their faces.

Normally, even when prodigies awakened high talents, one color would dominate while the others still glimmered faintly.

But what they were seeing now was impossible. The hovering orb was pitch black, like a sphere of pure darkness.

The longer they stared, the more dumbfounded their expressions became.

Slowly, dark wisps of energy oozed from the orb, spreading across the platform and the ground below, filling the entire hall in darkness.

Barely a moment later, a crushing aura emerged from within the shadows, pressing down on everyone present. A terrifying realization took root in every mind.

The youth before them hadn’t awakened a blank talent, but something far beyond their comprehension.

What happened next only confirmed it.

"A-awakened talent... S-rank!" Mistress Aria stuttered, her eyes blinking rapidly as she struggled to process her own words.

The crowd erupted as her voice carried through the hall.

At the same time, the orb cradled in Ulric’s palms began to shake violently, the energy within buzzing uncontrollably.

Then, in a mesmerizing display, a pillar of darkness shot upward, streaking into the sky.

***

Elsewhere in Tempest City, as the phenomenon unfolded. An old man sat behind a rusty shop, various goods spread out before him.

A young girl stood in front, browsing casually, before her gaze settled on a pill.

"What does this pill do, Grandpa Alaric?" she asked innocently.

Hearing her sweet voice, the old man broke into a sheepish smile, a cunning glint flashing in his eyes.

"Ohh, that... it’s a pill of immortality. You’re lucky you came now, it’s the last of its kind. Swallow it, and you’ll ascend to godhood instantly."

"Godhood?" the girl repeated playfully, twirling a strand of hair. "But didn’t you tell me yesterday it should be crushed and used as incense?"

"Argh...yes, yes! What do you know?" the old man muttered quickly. "It works that way too."

"But didn’t you also say..."

"Just buy it, you little cheeky brat!" the old man snapped. Before their exchange could continue, a pillar of darkness erupted from the city’s center, drawing attention from everywhere.

"Woah," the girl murmured softly, eyes widening. "What is that?" 𝐟𝚛𝕖𝚎𝕨𝗲𝐛𝚗𝐨𝐯𝐞𝕝.𝐜𝗼𝗺

The old man’s eyes sharpened instantly, his sluggish demeanor vanishing as a whisper slipped from his lips.

"It’s a heavenly occurrence... an S-rank talent has been born."

As the words settled, his figure flickered into a mirage, vanishing toward the depths of the city, toward the Greyson residence.

***

Elsewhere, atop a secluded mountain. A middle-aged figure stood clad in immaculate white robes, a gleaming sword resting in his hands as he chanted softly.

"The way of the sword is ever-changing, flowing as an eternal stream. I guide the sword, and the sword guides me. Together, we are one."

As the chant ended, he rose slowly to his feet and casually swung the blade downward.

For a moment, nothing seemed to happen.

Then the illusion shattered.

A massive crack split the ground between his feet, tearing into a crater that stretched hundreds of meters down the mountain, nearly cleaving it in half.

An astounding display of power, yet the man remained unimpressed. Just as he prepared to return to meditation, a pillar of darkness pierced the sky, drawing his gaze upward.

A soft smile curved his lips.

"An S-rank talent... a worthy disciple to inherit my way."

His figure vanished in an instant, heading toward the city below.

***

At the outskirts of Tempest City. A woman came into view. She wore high-grade armor that accentuated her voluptuous frame, golden eyes gleaming beneath hair that cascaded down to her full hips.

Drenched in crimson, she surveyed the carnage around her. Dozens of beasts radiating E-rank aura lay crushed, with even a D-rank beast reduced to pulp beneath the massive hammer resting in her grip.

"Aww... the fun’s already over," she muttered softly, resting the hammer on her shoulder as if it weighed nothing. "Maybe I shouldn’t have killed them so fast."

Just as she turned to head deeper into the outskirts, a pillar of darkness erupted into the sky, instantly catching her attention.

"An S-rank talent?" she murmured dreamily. She’d read about them, but never met one. Especially not one so young.

A wild thought flared in her mind, making her body tremble slightly. From what she knew, S-ranks possessed ungodly growth rates, gaining in weeks what others took years to achieve. Even stamina.

Finally, she thought, lips parting slightly. A man who could outlast me.

"I’ve never slept with an S-rank talent," she whispered.

As the words slipped from her lips, her hand drifted to her groin, drawing a helpless groan from her throat. All this fighting had left her aching.

Time to vent. With that, her figure flickered, vanishing toward the depths of the city where the pillar had originated.

***

Back inside the Greyson residence, Ulric inhaled sharply, feeling the energy in the orb grow more intense with no sign of stopping anytime soon.

But the orb couldn’t contain it. Cracks slowly spread across its surface, branching into microfractures.

Then, with a sudden explosion, the orb detonated into nothing. The light died down as the darkness covering the hall slowly began to unfurl.

"T-this..." Mistress Aria mumbled, growing even more shocked. The awakening orb was strong enough to resist the full force of an E-rank being, why had it suddenly detonated?

Was the energy within the orb that monstrous?

At the side, Ulric stood in silence, a flicker of confusion in his eyes. Did the orb burst because he had awakened an S-rank talent, or was it because S-rank was the peak it could awaken?

If it were any other person, they would have been haunted by the thought. But instead, he pulled up his corruption system. Under the talent tab, a new entry lay waiting.

He stared at it for a moment, the confusion fading from his eyes as he murmured quietly,

"Peak S-rank talent: Monarch of Darkness."

Lifting his head, he slowly looked down at the rows of youths, each and every one of them starstruck to the core.

Awakening an A-rank talent was already a legendary feat... but S-rank was just... sacred.

Before he could make sense of what was happening, the sound of knees thudding to the ground echoed through the hall.

Wherever he cast his eyes, everyone fell to their knees in a bowing gesture as soft chants slowly began to echo.

"Lord Ulric! Lord Ulric! Lord Ulric!"

The voices grew louder with each passing second. Inhaling sharply, Ulric took a step back, the chants filling his ears, the reverence burning in their eyes catching him off guard.

Still, it made his blood boil as a light of understanding slowly dawned on him. Since the dawn of the city, none had ever awakened such a talent.

He was the first precedent..Turning slowly, he watched as Mistress Aria and Lyra fell to the ground, joining the chants.

He tried to stop them, but they remained adamant.

At the side, Cedric, Lady Valeria, and the small group were pulled to their knees as well. Unwillingly, by the press of the crowd.

Watching all of this, Ulric smiled faintly.

All of this called for a celebration. And he knew just the thing.