Lord of the Time: I Can Reincarnate Infinitely

As the red mist dissipated in the dungeon, Michael, now in his Tier 3 Angel of Blood form, surveyed the aftermath. The fusion of the Tier 5 vampires had granted him immense power, but his attention shifted to Caleb, who stood in the corner, recovering from the shock of the recent events.

Michael approached Caleb with a triumphant smile. "Well, young one, you've proven to be more resilient than I expected. It seems your high spiritual power saved you from the fate that befell the others."

Michael pointed at the five prisoners who fell unconscious. After all, they were in proximity to someone who advanced to a high realm.

Caleb, still catching his breath, looked at Michael. "What did you do to them? What was that red mist? Did you just fucking absorb them?"

Michael chuckled, his tone almost paternal. "That was the culmination of their energy, their essence, being absorbed into me. A necessary step for my ascension."

Caleb's eyes widened with realization. "You absorbed them? All of them? Including your right-hand man? You're a lunatic, really..."

Michael nodded, his expression unapologetic. "Yes, Draco and the others have become a part of my strength. Sacrifices for the greater good, you could say."

Despite the shock and surprise brewing within Caleb, Michael's demeanor shifted. He held out a small pill in his hand, radiating a dark energy.

"Now, young man comes the next step in your journey. The Tier 7 pill of the Shadow Path," Michael declared, a hint of anticipation in his voice.

Caleb eyed the pill with suspicion. "I don't need your pills or your paths. I'll find my own way."

'Damn it! Give it to me! He is actually giving me an already-made pill? Still, that won't poison me, right?'

Michael's patience wore thin, and with surprising speed, he forced the pill into Caleb's mouth. Caleb struggled against the intrusion, but Michael's strength proved insurmountable. The pill went down Caleb's throat, leaving him mentally and physically exhausted.

The effects of the Tier 7 pill began to manifest within Caleb. Dark energy surged through his veins, his body undergoing a transformation. The process was swift, and Caleb crumpled to the ground, overwhelmed by the intensity of the experience.

As the energy settled, Caleb realized he had advanced to Tier 7 of the Shadow Path, becoming a Shadow Assassin. Mixed emotions welled up within him. He had achieved a new level of power, but the means by which it was forced upon him left a bitter taste.

"Marvelous! I've tried for thousands of years the same method. I've forced the pills on them. Without exception, most of them died or mutated in Apokalips! You've succeeded! You're really the one that will help me! HAHAHA!" Michael, who was supposed to be calm and composed, suddenly let out a maddened laughter. He looked at Caleb heatedly, as if looking at a treasure. "I've noticed since I first saw you. You have abnormally high spiritual power. It seems that all my theories are right after all! Be proud, you're the only super genius I've seen in my entire life."

In Michael's opinion, Caleb was a monster. A figure that is bound to change and dominate an era. Unfortunately, he would die in his hands today.

"You forced this on me," Caleb spat out, his voice a mixture of anger and slight joy. "I could've found my own path without your interference."

Michael, undeterred, smiled. "The path to power is not always a choice, young one. Sometimes, it is thrust upon you. Rejoice in your new strength."

"Fuck you. You just need me to become Tier 6, right? So you could do your ritual and sacrifice the six of us?"

"That's right..." Michael responded with amusement.

Caleb, still reeling from the forced ingestion of the Tier 7 pill, found himself facing another unexpected ordeal as Michael, in a fit of apparent madness, produced a Tier 6 pill and shoved it towards him with unbridled fervor.

'Fuck!' Surprised by the sudden assault, Caleb's instincts kicked in, and he managed to clench his teeth, refusing to let the pill enter his mouth. Michael, however, displayed an unnatural strength, overpowering Caleb's resistance and forcing the Tier 6 pill into his mouth.

The dark energy from the pill surged through Caleb's veins, and he felt his body undergoing another transformation. The intensity of the experience pushed him to the brink, but to everyone's astonishment, Caleb endured. As the energy settled, Caleb stood, now a Tier 6 in the Shadow Path.

Michael, equally surprised and impressed, circled Caleb with a pleased smile. "Remarkable, truly remarkable! Not only did you survive the Tier 7 pill, but you also ascended to Tier 6 with the Tier 6 pill! Your resilience and talent are truly something to behold, young one."

Caleb, still catching his breath, glared at Michael. "Damn, bastard!"

Michael chuckled his tone a mix of praise and pity. "You, my dear, what's your name again? Have been chosen and been born for a glorious purpose. A purpose that not many are fortunate enough to embrace."

Caleb, fueled by a mix of defiance and confusion, demanded an answer. "What purpose? To be your puppet? Your sacrifice?"

Michael's expression turned contemplative. "Oh, no, young one. Your purpose is far greater than that. You are the key to my ascension, the catalyst that will propel me to the higher realms of power. Your sacrifice, if you choose to see it that way, is for the greater good of the City of Phenos."

Caleb, angered by the revelation, retorted, "I won't be a pawn in your games. I won't be sacrificed for your so-called greater good."

Michael's eyes gleamed with mockery. "Whether you accept it or not, your fate is intertwined with mine. Your talent, and your spiritual power, are the very qualities that make you the chosen one. Embrace your purpose, for you are destined for greatness."

Caleb shuddered. 'Crazy!'n/ô/vel/b//in dot c//om

This is the first time that Caleb encounters such a person who thinks highly of himself. Glorious purpose? Did Michael think of himself as a kind of god? Well, Caleb also knew that Michael lived for millennia or longer than that already. He always stood above others and was used to position in power. Such an experience would make anyone's ego the strongest.

'Sigh... why did I encounter such a final boss this early? Damn it! This guy is literally the major villain in this world. No! The one that controls everything in the city behind the scenes!'