The sky over the Crimson Dominion burned red as Raven returned from the forest. Her arm was bandaged in scraps of cloth, blood seeping slowly through. The fight with the Feral Sylph had left her wounded, but not weak. Never weak.
Ash hovered behind her, silent and watchful as always.
She stepped into the center of the ruins, cleared the mossy stones, and began marking the ground with crimson chalk made from her remaining berries and bone ash. With steady hands, she sketched the lines of the Minor Ritual Circle, guided by her system's glowing outline.
A ring of sharp, angular runes encircled a burning eye at the center. It pulsed with heat before the ritual even began.
Insert Rare Component: Bloodleaf (10)
Offer Blood to Seal the Pact
Warning: The ritual will increase Hellgate Progress and attract attention. Proceed?>
"Yes," she said aloud. "Let them watch."
She crushed the Bloodleaf in her fist, letting the crimson sap drip onto the circle. It hissed as it touched the stone. The lines flared to life, glowing bright red.
Then, she bit into her thumb and let her blood fall into the center.
The moment the final drop touched the sigil, the ground trembled.
A deep growl rolled through the ruins like distant thunder. The fire pit flared. The shadows stretched and twisted unnaturally.
Ash bowed, kneeling in the dirt beside her. Even the spirit knew what was coming.
Infamy +2
Hellgate Progress: 15%
The First Prince Stirs: Aamon, Keeper of War and Wisdom, has marked you.
You have been chosen as a Vessel Candidate.>
Raven's breath caught.
A voice, ancient and hungry, whispered inside her skull. "Raven of the Crimson Dominion. I see your spark. Feed the fire, and I will come."
She smiled wide, amber eyes glowing with ambition.
"Soon," she whispered. "Soon, I'll summon you all."
A new screen blinked into view:
Effect: +10% to Battle Awareness, +5% Damage with Improvised Weapons
Note: More Boons unlocked as more Princes mark you.
Beware: Other Transmigrators will sense the shift in power.>
That last line made her laugh. "Pfft... hahaha....Let them sense it. Let them tremble....hahaha"
Far off, somewhere across this cursed world, other transmigrators would now feel the tremor—an echo in their systems. A ripple in their calm.
One of them had made a pact with Hell.
And her name was Raven.