Monarch of Darkness, Arsene

Screw this old man! He was just glaring at me. Now he is blushing?! What the hell!

"Amelia Bloodgrave, now that has such a nice ring, doesn\'t it?" The little succubus shamelessly spouted.

"Darling." I pridefully said, feeling hundreds of eyes judging me. "No need to brag about your hubby."

Glancing at the envious eyes of the local disciple. A demonic glint flickered through my heart of those who stared a little too hard.

"Return the manual by the end of the month. Now get out! The both of you." Aiden adamantly voiced, glaring at me with a judgy eye, " and you better treat our Amilia correctly, or else!"

"That\'s right, Mr. Bloodgrave, treat me right!" Added Lilith giggling over my head.

Placing the soul manual into the ring of Bael, I rushed out, "How the hell do they like you so much? You were here maybe a month or two! That\'s bullshit!"

"I\'m cute and talented." She answered without skipping a beat. "What more can anyone want? No need to be jealous."

"That is true." Soaring into the skies, Lilith leaned in and pointed me in the right direction.

Returning to my barren cave, I sighed, "Is your place better?"

"Much, but I live with Ty and Arkanos. No room for my screams to echo unhindered," she whispered, nibbling on the tip of my ear.

"I\'m going to be surprised we can last a week," I painfully groan, fading from her grasp like a misty ghost.

She giggled and pointed down towards that cultivation mat. "Sit, let\'s get started."

Growing a bit solemn, I complied and sat in the lotus position upon the simple mat and took a deep breath. Calming my soul, a wave of Soulforce raced through my blood, forcing me into a state of enlightenment.

Within my demonic lineage, I held five soul artes. Each of them used to defend against attacks to the soul while also granting me other abilities like heightened senses or soul abilities meant to cripple my enemies.

Skimming through the five bloodline Soul Artes, my eyes suddenly grew focused as Lilith began drawing a strange rune in the air. Weaving her fingers through the darkness like a magical dance. Her eyes turned amethyst, and her hair a deadly silver.

"I may not have a soul, but you do. Study what I don\'t have." She weakly muttered, turning a deep shade of ashen.

Activating my Royal ability, my vision suddenly turned into a sea of Weaves that connected infinitely. However, as I gazed at Lilith\'s rune glistening with abyssal qi, the knowledge I thought I would gain did not come.

"Keep Looking!" Lilith howled as my mind began to wain a the massive drain.

Blinking my eyes into focus, I stared heavily as the milliseconds began to flick by. Trying to comprehend what Lilith had shown me, blood raced from my nostril, drenching my robes.

Focusing as much as I could, a string of information began to flow through my head as night began to creep into my line of sight. Taking away the light, I groaned as the rune within Lilith\'s hands began to fade away.

Halting my Soulforce, I broke off Zariel\'s ability and coughed up a mouthful of blood, littering the floor with my insides. At the same time, my cheeks turned cold as snow.

"Why did it take so long?" I muttered faintly.

"Your eyes are a substitute for Zariels. It\'s what he understands, not what you see. This was the first time he had ever seen such a rune, I am sure." Lilith foolishly answered, "Oops. I wasn\'t supposed to say that."

Taking a moment to myself, I sighed, "You are going to kill the both of us, you know. Stop telling me things."

"Your the one who was mad that I didn\'t tell you anything, now you\'re mad that I do?"

"You\'re killing me with your damn logic, woman." I coldly scolded as my vision began to return.

The devil in my line of sight chuckled with cheeks white as snow, "Shall we try again in two hours? I think I can recover in time by then."

"Same," I agreed, beginning to chant the Path of Abyssal Night.

Calming my heart, a healing aura flowed through my mind as something once more clicked, "Damn, it was never about the abyssal soul rune, was it. It\'s the Path of Abyssal Night. You wanted me exhausted, so I would be forced to use it.

"And now you know it can heal your soul. Why not change whatever law or rule you need to employ and add at least a bit of that path? After all--"

"Those of my race will be using it, and the Path of Abyssal Night is only for me." I finished as she nodded with a gleeful smile.

"My hubby is so smart, but it\'s both. Please do remember my Soul Rune. It\'s quite powerful."

Not bothering to speak a word, a few hours once more began to pass before Lilith and I started a new training session. Focusing profoundly on the Weave as my eyes, it was not long before I grasped Lilith\'s soul rune that was utterly useless to me as it only affected those with an Abyssal Soul.

However, within the infinite Weave it held, I gained a new grasp about this rune and started to add my own knowledge of the Path of Abyssal Night and the five Soul Artes held by Bael.

Changing the inner mechanics of Lilith Abyssal Soul Rune, I summoned the Devourer manual. Reading its content, I could not help but be both disappointed and joyful.

Most of this book was in tatters, but from what I gathered. This Arte used the Laws of Darkness to form a mist around the soul that ate anything that touched it. Like a bottomless abyss, it would feast upon the power and intent of anything that grew close to the soul.

This, however, was a problem as it would usually drive the host crazy. I didn\'t really see a problem when adding bits of the Path of Abyssal Night and Baels Soul Artes.

Once this Soul Rune was complete, I should be able to devour souls with just my Divine Sense or form a defense that uses the Path of Abyssal Night.