Ryan Carter was in excruciating pain all over (when Brian was still alive, his body already had many old wounds). Just as he was about to stand up, he felt a wave of soreness throughout his body, couldn’t help but cry out “Aiyo!” and plopped right back down.

As for Logan Bennett, who had forcibly taken him away, Ryan Carter had absolutely no good feelings. The world where Logan Bennett lived was also completely unfamiliar to Ryan Carter. However, from the memories left behind by Logan Bennett, Ryan Carter knew that practicing demonic arts could strengthen the body from the very beginning, and at higher levels, one could even fly, burrow through the earth, move mountains and seas—nothing was impossible.

Although Ryan Carter thought Logan Bennett was a bit crazy, the fact that he could take Ryan Carter and fly straight to the moon made Ryan Carter somewhat believe in the truth of those descriptions about flying and burrowing in the demonic arts.

There was a faint trace of demonic energy inside Ryan Carter. With a “might as well try” attitude, and in order to increase his chances of survival, Ryan Carter recalled the obscure incantations for cultivating demonic arts. Following the first stage, “Solid Body,” he began desperately focusing his mind, trying to control that faint trace of demonic energy.

Ryan Carter concentrated, and according to the “Solid Body” technique, began to control that faint trace of demonic energy. He found that, just as Logan Bennett had said, wherever he directed his thoughts, the demonic energy would follow.

Delighted, Ryan Carter thought to himself that although Logan Bennett seemed a bit mad, the demonic cultivation method he left behind was actually somewhat effective. Thinking this, he held his breath and focused again, operating that faint trace of demonic energy in his body as described in the “Solid Body” technique.

When Ryan Carter’s stomach started to growl, he finally woke from his cultivation. He didn’t know how long he had been practicing, but he felt that the pain in his body had lessened considerably, and he had regained a bit of strength. After just a short period of cultivation, he already felt these effects. That old lunatic Logan Bennett must have practiced for a long time—no wonder he even dared to go to the moon. Ryan Carter could imagine just how powerful he must have been when he was alive.

As soon as he stopped cultivating, Ryan Carter noticed something strange—the trace of demonic energy, once he stopped, no longer circulated in an orderly fashion as described in the “Solid Body” technique, but instead wandered throughout his flesh, bones, hands, feet, and head—every part of his body.

The first stage, “Solid Body,” is a kind of forging of the body, a process of strengthening the muscles, skin, and bones. In this stage, besides slowly refining the demonic energy, some fanatical cultivators would also use various methods to repeatedly strike their bodies, causing constant injury, so that the demonic energy could temper the body both inside and out, speeding up the process.

“This demonic cultivation method is basically self-torture! But Brian was always doing this kind of thing. Maybe when I get back to the Magic Martial Academy, I’ll be able to cultivate ‘Solid Body’ even faster. Looks like being Brian isn’t without its benefits after all!”

Ryan Carter sighed inwardly, planning to leave this place first. As soon as he thought of this, he suddenly realized how stupid it was to have stayed in this tomb for so long. The foul stench around him was unbearable.

The dim light came from above his head. According to Brian’s memories, Ryan Carter knew there was a large hole above—used for dumping broken bones and skeletons. He stood up, feeling sore all over, his body covered in scars. Six years of torment had left Brian’s body extremely weak, and with only poor-quality food to eat, he was nothing but skin and bones, barely over 1.6 meters tall.

Stepping on moss, Ryan Carter dragged his frail body and struggled to climb upward. After a while, and after falling five or six times, Ryan Carter finally climbed out of the tomb. Looking at the full moon shining over the land, silver light bathing the graveyard, Ryan Carter felt a surge of joy at being reborn as a human.

Feeling the demonic energy still wandering through his body, Ryan Carter comforted himself, thinking that surviving this disaster surely meant good fortune to come. And this time, he had something to rely on—the secret demonic cultivation method left by Logan Bennett, which might help him achieve dreams he’d never dared imagine before.

But Ryan Carter didn’t know that the trace of demonic energy left in his body by Logan Bennett not only helped him with “Solid Body,” but was also a seed. While this seed was changing his body, it was also changing many of his thoughts. The evil ideas that used to fill his mind but he never dared act on—this evil seed might make it so that even if he wanted to control himself, he might not be able to.

Chapter Two: The Dangers of Ignorance

The Babylon Magic Martial Academy of the Lancelot Empire occupies a vast area and is renowned throughout the empire. It is the most important training ground for the empire’s magicians and knights.

Within the academy, the magic school is divided into the Light, Dark, Fire, Water, Wind, Earth, Thunder, Summoning, and Space departments. Each department has its own teaching building, library, laboratory, trial ground, and living area. The entire academy is like a small city.

The Necromancy department, where Brian worked as a menial laborer, is a branch of the Dark department. Because necromancy deals with skeletons, corpses, and other dark creatures, and because necromancy has been in decline for many years, it is not only the least popular among all the departments, but also the weakest. Even students from other branches of the Dark department look down on necromancy and refuse to associate with its students.