The Ancestral Power

Arthur felt something come over him and blinked.

He could feel the tension in his muscles, the lingering sense that something had changed inside him, but it wasn't fully tangible yet. He needed a moment, just a moment to sort through everything that had happened.

He raised a hand, his voice rough as he spoke to Theodore. "Hold on a second."

Theodore gave him a glance, clearly confused, but shrugged and turned back to the stove, muttering under his breath. "Aye, fine. No rush."

Arthur didn't answer him. Instead, he focused on the faint buzz in his mind—the unmistakable presence of his notifications, waiting for him to check them. He hesitated for just a second, then pulled up the screen.

The messages filled his vision, and he scrolled through them quickly.

The power of a new sin has been used, old sin has been overwritten.

Abilities have been removed, check your status.

Arthur frowned, a knot forming in his stomach. Overwritten? He knew what it meant but what sin had he come in contact with? The words felt ominous. What had he lost? What had changed? The absence of the constant hunger, the gnawing need for indulgence... it felt different, but he couldn't place why. He felt lighter, but emptier.

He kept scrolling.

Hidden quest completed: Remove yourself from the claws of the Original Sin of Gluttony.

Rewards: Excalibur piece 2/4, Blood Tear

Arthur's eyes narrowed as he read the rewards. He recognized them—the Excalibur pieces and the Blood Tear. He had gotten them before without really paying them any mind. He didn't really know where they had come from or what they really meant, but they felt... familiar, like fragments of something far bigger. Something he really couldn't give a rats ass about right now.

His attention shifted as a new message appeared.

Personal quest completed: Save Savúl

Reward: 1 Sin Ability Point

Arthur tilted his head slightly, his frown deepening. Sin Ability Point? He didn't recall seeing anything like it before, but the name was self-explanatory enough. Probably had something to do with the fact that his sin had changed.

Another notification replaced the reward screen.

New abilities available. Choose one to unlock:

Infernal Surge: Channel the raw energy of Wrath, granting a temporary boost to strength, speed, and endurance.

Overwhelm: Unleash a devastating attack that temporarily stuns enemies in a wide area.

Rending Strike: A precision strike that deals massive damage and inflicts bleeding.

Arthur's pulse quickened as he read the descriptions. Wrath. That single word resonated with the burning sensation quietly smoldering inside him. He didn't need the system to spell it out for him—he knew that this was his new sin, the force that had replaced Gluttony.

He hesitated, his mind racing. Each of the abilities had its appeal, but this wasn't a choice to be made lightly. Whatever he chose would define how he could use this newfound power.

Arthur closed the notification for now, saving the decision for later. He didn't want to rush it. There was too much going on already, and he needed more time to understand what exactly had changed within him.

He exhaled slowly, pushing the strange sensations down for now. The burning desire to consume, to feed, was gone. It had been replaced, but with something sharper, something more volatile. The shift was unsettling, but he couldn't afford to let it distract him.

"Arthur?" Theodore's voice broke through his thoughts, and he realized he'd been standing in silence for too long. "Ye still with me?"

Arthur turned, forcing himself back into the present. His eyes met Theodore's, who was watching him with a worried expression.

"Yeah, I'm fine," Arthur said quickly, his voice steadying. "Just... trying to process everything." He forced a smile, though it didn't quite reach his eyes. He could feel the unfamiliar power burning quietly beneath his skin, and it unsettled him.

Theodore studied him for a moment longer, then nodded. "Aye, well, don't go stewin' on it too much. There's breakfast here, and ye need tae eat."

Arthur sat at the table, his fingers idly tracing the edge of the wooden surface. The smell of breakfast filled the room—eggs, sausages, and something fried that Theodore had managed to scavenge together. It should have been comforting, but instead, the air felt thick, as though everyone was holding their breath.

Theodore hovered by the stove, his movements deliberate but stiff. He glanced over his shoulder once, his eyes briefly meeting Arthur's, before turning back to the sizzling pan. Across the table, Savúl sat silent, her eyes fixed on her folded hands. The tension between the three of them was almost suffocating.