Unholy Player-Chapter 57: Second Round

As he knelt beside the wolf, he drew a throwing knife from his belt and drove it into the creature’s flesh, slicing through the skin with rough, dragging strokes.

The wolf thrashed in pain, but Adyr didn’t flinch. He leaned down, sank his teeth into the exposed meat, tore off a chunk, and began chewing.

After a few bites, he swallowed. As the fresh flesh slid into his stomach, he felt a surge of revitalizing energy flood his entire body.

The bleeding from his wounds began to slow. The aching in his limbs softened into a soothing numbness. fгeewёbnoѵel.cσm

His body was healing fast.

It was his innate trait from the Dawn Raven. Now part of him as a Dawn Human. The ability to recover by consuming raw, life-filled flesh.

Without lingering on the sensation, Adyr took another bite. Then another. And another.

He ate with urgency, tearing through muscle and sinew before the wolf’s life had fully slipped away, converting every bite into raw life energy. With each swallow, the meat vanished from his gut, dissolved into pure vitality, sealing wounds and rebuilding torn flesh.

His wings reformed first, restoring their span and structure. Even his severed arm had begun to regenerate, muscle and bone knitting slowly from the shoulder down.

Only when the wolf took its final breath did Adyr stop.

His wings were fully restored. His body bore no visible injuries, except for his arm, still missing everything below the bicep.

He figured he’d need a few more meals like this to recover it completely.

Just as the thought crossed his mind, a crack echoed from the trees nearby.

Then came the familiar haze—the dulling of his senses.

Without hesitation, Adyr launched himself into the sky.

At that exact moment, the alpha wolf lunged at where he had just stood, missing him by the blink of an eye.

"You damn terminator," Adyr chuckled, watching the wolf’s mangled body from above.

Its face, already half gone from before, had now been joined by fresh damage—large sections of flesh and muscle torn from both sides of its abdomen by the last explosion, exposing parts of its ribcage. Its right hind leg looked nearly obliterated, twisted, and shredded beyond use.

And yet, the stubborn beast kept moving, staggering forward like some undead monster.

"Ready for round two?" Adyr grinned, pulling a throwing knife from his belt and launching it toward the wolf.

From the sky, he had the clear advantage—but his body was already worn down, and he couldn’t maintain flight for much longer. So he had to finish it fast.

The wolf managed to dodge the knife—barely—but even that motion told Adyr everything he needed.

He noted the delay in its steps, especially the drag from its injured hind leg. That was its weak point.

He drew two more throwing knives.

The first missed as the wolf dodged again, but unable to fully maneuver with its damaged hind leg, the second struck cleanly, burying itself into the side of its skull. It didn’t go in deep, but it was enough.

Without pausing, Adyr drew two more knives and hurled them in rapid succession.

The wolf avoided the first, but the second struck the same spot as before, slamming into the embedded blade and driving it deeper—this time into the brain.

The beast staggered.

Then, after a brief, trembling pause, it collapsed.

Adyr hovered a while longer, watching closely. Once he was certain the creature was truly dead, he began to descend slowly, cautiously. But the moment he drew closer, that familiar dulling of his senses returned.

He immediately pulled back and rose higher again.

"You’ve got to be kidding me... still not dead?"

The wolf looked lifeless, completely still. And yet, the oppressive effect it had on him remained.

He kept his distance, circling above with sharp, measured eyes. After several tense seconds, the reason revealed itself.

From the dead wolf’s ear, a black worm roughly the size of two fingers slowly slithered out.

It writhed across the ground, its oily skin gleaming under the sunlight like polished obsidian.

And just then, as if to confirm what had been gnawing at the back of his mind all along, a system message appeared before his eyes.

[Spark detected]

[Name] Null Maggot

[Path] Nether

[Rank] 2

[Ability] Senses Fade / Flesh Fortify

Description: Null Maggots are typically found in areas densely populated with living creatures. On their own, they are weak and defenseless, too small to fight or flee. To survive, they seek out powerful predators and burrow into their brains, embedding themselves deep within the host. From there, they slowly gnaw away at the creature’s senses and spirit, feeding off its vitality.

Ability – Senses Fade / Flesh Fortify: Null Maggots possess two abilities that ensure their survival and make them truly feared.

Using their first ability, Sense Fade, they dull the target’s perception, making it difficult for the victim to notice their presence. This allows the maggot to slip into the body through a soft tissue opening and burrow its way into the brain.

Once embedded, they activate Flesh Fortify, enhancing the host’s muscle mass and overall physical attributes. The host becomes significantly more durable, and even those nearby may experience a minor physical boost. This evolution grants the host enough strength to defend both itself and the parasite within.

"Holy... It’s really a rank 2 spark," Adyr muttered in disbelief as he landed and cautiously approached the worm. This thing had nearly killed him.

The closer he got, the more his senses dulled. By the time he picked it up, his vision had nearly faded, and his sense of touch was almost entirely gone.

But that didn’t matter. In this state, he knew it was harmless—at least as long as it stayed limp and motionless between his fingers.

And sure enough, the system message he’d been waiting for appeared moments later.

[You have captured a Rank 2 Spark. Begin subduing process?]

– Cost: 100 Energy

Unlike before with the Dawn Raven, this time the system didn’t ask whether he wanted to undergo evolution. It asked if he wanted to subdue the spark.

That could mean only one thing: if he subdued it, the spark would be sent to Dawn Land, and he would be able to use its powers as if they were his own.

Of course, he couldn’t use the ability that required entering a host and enhancing its body. But Sense Fade was usable, and in battle, it could be a decisive advantage.

The only issue was the energy cost. It was very high. But worth it.