Rise of the Devourer

Book 2: Chapter 6 — Resolve

Noah’s life became agony.

The bones shattered within a moment, yet that was merely the start. The worst pain began in the healing, as slowly, step by step, he felt Tony move each fracture back into place. Lifeblood roared in a frenzy, working to heal, but the Doc was faster, breaking the bones moments before they healed.

Anger burned in Noah, the torment making him thrash in futile resistance. The process continued regardless, there was no stopping now. One by one, bone by bone, his body broke, first the right leg, then the left. He lost count of how many times his body was fractured as Tony brought each piece back into place, reconstructing it. He asked the Abyssal Symbiote to stop, but each time he did, the pain only got worse, and the Doc, more ruthless.

He hated the man. Hated that he knew Noah’s limits more than he himself did. Each cut, each incision, each stitch and fracture done at just the time when his healing was about to catch up, but never delayed to the point where he had any reprieve.

By the time they reached his ribs, Noah began to beg. Death would be kinder than this torment.

“Meditate. The pain is merely a sensation. Ignore it, do not let it overwhelm you,” the Doc said, not stopping for a moment. There was no kindness in his voice, no mercy or sympathy. Just cold precision as he ran his scalpel over Noah’s body, cutting through his flesh.

Noah grit his teeth, feeling the piece in his mouth starting to crack under the force. He closed his eyes, focusing purely on his breath.

Breathe in. Breathe out.

He felt [Ray of Hope] blanket his mind, letting him cling on with all he had. The rhythm of his breath was the only support he had. Everything faded. The world, every crack of his bones, or the clang of the scalpel, or even the brimming light glowing on the ceiling. All that remained was the dark, and his own breath.

He did not know how many times he had passed out. Even the lack of consciousness did not feel real, as he faded in and out of a dreamed haze.

When he opened his eyes again, his body was bandaged all over, covered in a dark gooey black coat. The Doc walked up to Noah, pulling up his eyelids and shining a light into them, checking if he was conscious.

“Good, you’re still there,” he said, patting Noah’s shoulder. “The worst of it has passed. Mostly.”

Noah stared at the man, his mind still stuck in a daze. “What…” he mumbled, trying to form words before he found even his jaw and teeth hurting.

“Don’t speak. Not yet,” the Doc said, hushing him. “Your parasite has gone to sleep to recover. It worked hard to replace every bone and muscle in your body. Your creature… it is a genius. The tensile strength of your muscles and tendons are beyond human limits now. Your skeleton can likely shatter rocks if you smash it against anything. And it has only just begun,” the Doc said, his voice shivering as if in reverence, as he ran a hand down Noah’s face, before covering his eyes. “No, a human is too fragile. You won’t be a man any longer, I’ll make you a living demigod.”

With those words, Noah found his eyes closing shut. As his mind drifted through the darkness, he saw Aurelia standing next to him. A dream? He could’t tell. She held his hand, and whispered something. Noah could not remember, but he knew the words had comforted him. Her visage was replaced by his mother’s, she stood in the dream, healthy once again in front of him, as she grabbed him in a hug. Noah reached back, but found her form fading into mist from his touch. The darkness retreated from his mind.

The second time he regained his thoughts was worse. No longer did he feel dazed and numb, and every sensation within his body now screamed at him. He tried to move, but found the chains still holding him in place.

He had to be awake for this one.

Needles pierced his eyes, slowly, as liquids flowed into them. The sensation was akin to having fire poured directly into his brain. The pain was enough to stop his heart for a moment, forcing the Doc to redirect Tony to bring his heart back.

Guess I’ve died thrice now.

When they were finished with his eyes, his brain came next. Starting from his spine, the Doc inserted needles in between his joints. The process was strange, turning his entire body numb before periodically sending pulsating currents through every nerve inside of him. Noah grit his teeth, but by now, his meditation was practiced.

The rhythm of his breath flowed steadily, as his mind separated itself from the pain, simply regarding it with calm observation. He could feel his body moving against his will, muscles tensing.

The chains that restrained him had started to crack against his pull, and the Doc had to transfer him to a different table as the one he’d lain on began to fail under his strength. As Noah opened his eyes, his new vision let him perceive colors he had never seen before, as he saw the Doc look down upon him. No longer did the man look ecstatic, but instead, a frown now hung upon his face.

“It’s almost done,” he spoke, glancing sideways as if searching for something. “I’ve grafted over a thousand people in my lifetime, Noah. Do you know how many would’ve survived this?”

Noah stared in silence for a long moment. “I don’t know,” he rasped.

“Three. Including you, that is,” the Doc said. “But for the first time, I’m afraid I may have created something I shouldn’t have.”

The man did not speak any further, turning away as he left Noah in the dark of the chamber. Noah did not dream, he could no longer tell when he meditated, or when his mind had fallen asleep. There was little difference in the two any longer.

But even through the dark, his awareness had expanded. He felt his skin heal, the scarred flesh joining seamlessly. His muscles grew, but they weren’t merely larger, but denser. Far denser than they had been. His body trembled, fevers filling his night as he sweat. Even his pores were new. Smaller, more efficient. Every strand of hair was different, the follicles now thicker.

Through the worst of the nights, he could feel Tony, beating alongside his heart in his chest. Every part of him was joined with the symbiote now, each thought between the two of them seamlessly communicated. He understood the creature more now, its hunger, its desire for life, and it understood him, comforting him through the agony.

Closing his eyes, Noah once again sank into the darkness, letting Tony take over.

***

Tony was happy. A wild contrast from how his master felt, but Tony could not help but be happy. He was being useful! He had gained many levels, reaching level 24 so quickly.

Life continued to pour out into Tony as he worked endlessly. He was free now, to change, adapt, and modify. But this work was hard. Tony’s instincts guided him, but very quickly he realised that he lacked the skill the doctor had.

And so, he began to learn.

It started slowly, from the bones, as he began to restructure and shape them. Each time the bones broke, Tony would redirect the life, growing them back denser, stronger, with more flexibility built into them. But soon, Tony hit a dead end. The bones could only grow to certain limits, limits that were not strong enough or good enough. To continue growing them, Tony would have to change the structure fundamentally.

But changing was difficult. Changing meant redoing the entire process and going from the beginning to the end. It would mean Master would suffer, and Tony did not want that.

Spreading across the bloodstream, Tony slowly began to gather his scattered body. He had grown rapidly, feeding on the life, but now, the life-force was no longer sufficient to keep up. He had to grow more, much more, and faster.

But what was stronger than bone? Something that Tony could use? The symbiote vibrated, thinking it over. It wished it could talk to the doctor. Maybe he would know. But communication was still difficult, and Tony could not build vocal cords without consuming too much life-force. It would endanger the master’s life and that was something he could absolutely not do.

Frustration brewing, Tony waited for the bones to break again. It took time now, a single spell not enough to break them, but as the cracks formed and the healing began, an idea came to him.

What if… what if instead of growing bone, Tony let his body fill the gaps?

It was a strange thought. But it made sense. Tony could become anything. Muscle, tendon, cartilage. If he could infuse himself into the master’s body, he could allow the body far more versatility.

But… would Tony still be himself at that point? Where would he reside? His body was the source of his spell, his consciousness. If he merged that into the master’s body…

The thought made Tony afraid. It was a new feeling. He had never felt afraid to die before, but now death terrified him. Dying meant that he would no longer be able to experience this world.

But at the same time, Tony wanted to be helpful. He wanted to help his master, who was going through a lot of pain to improve. How could Tony give any less than his very best at this point?

Determined and with his resolve firm, Tony began. Dark particles separated, flowing around the body as they began to fuse. The symbiote seeped into the cracks in Noah’s bones, reinforced his heart, and veins, healing tears in his muscles, his eyes, and his ears. Every inch and every part of Noah’s body fused with the Abyssal Symbiote.

A consciousness diffused itself across Noah, as Tony merged with every part of Noah’s body. Life-force hummed, flowing throughout Noah as his body rebuilt itself one last time, reforging itself into a new form.

Tony felt content as his mind mingled with Noah’s, forming something new. Words flashed in front of him, informing him of his success.

You’ve reached level 25!

Rank increased to Advanced.

Ability [Diffused Transformation] obtained!

He hoped Master would be proud.

***

Noah opened his eyes, blinking awake as he looked up at the ceiling. There was a strange sensation present within him, but he could not describe what it was. Pulling himself upright, Noah looked down at his hands. The chains were gone now.

“Oh, you’re awake,” the Doc said, walking up to him, before pressing a hand to his chest.

Noah looked at the man, not sure what to think or feel. His memory felt patchy, like he could not separate dream from reality.

“How long…?” he asked.

“A week,” the Doc replied, continuing to check on Noah’s body. “Alright, no signs of injury, no signs of atrophy, all recovery has been good,” the Doc said, stepping back.

“It’s done then?” Noah asked. It… didn’t feel real. The time he’d spent here felt so much longer than it was. Like an eternity had passed between this week.

“It’s done, yes,” the Doc said. “I… honestly, I don’t think I could’ve created this even if I wanted to. It was your summon that did it. He should be sleeping now,” the Doc said, before walking up to his table as he picked up a mirror and handed it to Noah. “Have a look for yourself.”

Taking the mirror, Noah pointed it at himself.

The first thing was his hair. It was white now, like the color of pure snow, even his eyebrows were pure white. His eyes were a different shade as well, a deeper reddish hue to them. But while his hair had grown white, his skin had taken on a light bronze hue.

Noah looked at his body, glancing down at himself. His muscles had grown, but their bulk had not changed massively. Yet, at the same time, he could feel just how much denser they were. His monstrous arm had changed as well. Slowly moving off the table, Noah stood up, finding himself a little wobbly. He looked around, realizing he had grown.

“It’ll take you a few more days to return to normal. Your body has been birthed anew. It can grow a lot faster now, but to see real development you still need to train. That said, physically, you’re in peak human condition— no, no that’s wrong. You’re in a condition far beyond what any human at your level could ever hope to achieve.”

Noah looked at the Doc, who watched him with what he could only call pride. He watched his tormentor, the man he’d imagined killing so many times in the last week, and then, letting out a breath, he allowed the anger to fade.

“Can I have my clothes?” Noah asked.

“I’m afraid your old ones won’t fit you anymore. But I’ve got some you can borrow,” the Doc said, handing him a shirt and some pants. Noah grabbed the clothes, putting them on before he turned to look at the Doc.

For a moment, the man flinched and Noah realised something.

The Doc felt afraid.

Staring at the man silently, Noah gave him a nod. “I’m heading out.”

“Wait, Noah- you shouldn’t just walk out there,” the Doc said, heading after him, but Noah ignored the man. His eyes hung on the many notifications in his notifications folders, waiting to be seen. But he did not open them, he did not care right now.

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