Chapter 329
Phanthom savored the experience, but even as the joy of the moment faded, a pang of regret entered his thoughts. Perhaps he had ended the general’s journey too soon. Had he allowed the general more time to bask in the false adoration of the crowd, to believe in his greatness until the very last moment, the reward might have been even sweeter.
"I should have let him indulge in his spotlight until his death," Phanthom mused to himself. "His ambition would have been so much more... appetizing."
He glanced toward the portal leading to the Abyss, where Malzor, the fourth-stage gargoyle demon, commanded the demons. Malzor had ambition of his own—raw and unchecked—and Phanthom couldn’t help but wonder what might happen if he played a role in helping Malzor fulfill that ambition. How much more satisfying would the reward be? How much more radiant would the golden light become?
For now, the battlefield had quieted. The ogres had fallen back, protected by the Tower Master’s shield, and the demons had retreated for the time being. But Phanthom wasn’t concerned with the immediate battle. His gaze was now set on the grander game—the ambitions yet unfulfilled, the stories yet to be told.
Meanwhile, Far away from the battlefield, Ikenga and Keles watched the scene unfold with silent interest. Ikenga wore a bright smile, his eyes gleaming with satisfaction. Phanthom was making remarkable progress, far more than Ikenga had anticipated. It was clear to him now that the use of power—true power—depended not on the strength of a curse but on how the individual wielded it. And Phanthom was beginning to understand this.
Ikenga knew that Phanthom didn’t yet comprehend the full significance of the golden essence he had just absorbed. The cursed being likely saw it as little more than a curious energy, a fleeting reward for his involvement in the fallen ogre general’s final moments. But Ikenga understood its deeper value. He considered stepping in, educating Phanthom on what he had just gained, on how this golden essence differentiated him from other cursed beings. Yet he held back, deciding against it. It would be more intriguing to see what Phanthom could achieve through discovery and instinct alone.
The Golden Essence, as Ikenga knew, was far more than a mere reward—it was a transformative force. It represented the purity of a fulfilled desire, an ambition brought to its natural, positive conclusion. For most cursed beings, the feeding process was primal and brutish. They devoured negative emotions—ambition steeped in greed, despair soaked in hopelessness—without truly understanding the cost. They consumed without thought, like beasts, and in doing so, they became trapped in the cycle of their own darkness. Their growth was chaotic, their power stained by the very emotions they absorbed.
But Phanthom and his siblings were different. Phanthom’s golden essence wasn’t born from basic ambition tainted by frustration or unfulfilled desire. No, it was something more refined, more complete. It was still ambition, yes, but ambition that had been guided, nurtured, and ultimately fulfilled in a positive, purposeful way. Ikenga mused on the analogy: it was like comparing an uncooked meal to a finely prepared dish. The raw ingredients of ambition were there, but it was through Phanthom’s actions—helping the Ogre General realize his goal, even in death—that the ambition had been "cooked," transformed into something nourishing, something far more potent than the raw hunger of negative emotions.
This distinction was crucial. The golden essence didn’t just feed Phanthom’s power; it also refined him, elevating him beyond the mindless consumption of base emotions. It wasn’t just about strength—it was about balance, about understanding the emotions he touched and shaping them into something greater. In this way, Phanthom was not only absorbing ambition but also embodying a more profound connection to the very emotions that fueled his curse.