The Seal of the Lost Power

The wreckage of the caravan and the Malevolent Spirit hovering in the air painted a terrifying picture deep within the forest. The entity's glowing purple eyes were fixed on Diego and his team. The cold, eerie energy radiating from it created a heavy oppressive aura that even Kael's healing magic struggled to suppress.

"Formation! Kael, protect us. Roric, attack! Elara, distract it!" Elara quickly gave commands. She gripped her sword tightly, beginning to focus her air magic into the blade.

Diego focused on his System interface. The "Life Essence Absorption" ability was still pending to be copied. Gaining this ability could be their greatest advantage against the Malevolent Spirit. However, it was a risky move. The entity's power far surpassed that of any beings whose abilities he had copied before.

"I'm going to copy this ability!" Diego shouted. "You all distract it!"

Roric scoffed, "Are you crazy, Fruz? Copying that thing's ability? It'll drain you dry!" But seeing the resolve in Diego's eyes, Roric's expression turned serious. "Alright, but be quick!"

Roric unleashed massive fireballs from his hands, attacking the Malevolent Spirit. Although the flames seemed to pass through the entity's translucent body, the entity trembled slightly. The Malevolent Spirit turned towards Roric, and a thin, purple ray shot out from its glowing eyes, hurtling towards Roric.

"Roric, look out!" Elara cried. She quickly stepped in front of him, forming an "Air Shield" with her sword. When the ray struck the shield, it shimmered, and Elara staggered back a few steps, a pained expression on her face. The Malevolent Spirit's attack was far more powerful than they anticipated.

Kael immediately rushed to Elara's side and activated his healing spell. Elara's wounds began to heal rapidly. "This thing's attacks are incredibly strong! And I think it's absorbing magic too!"

As Diego endured the Malevolent Spirit's attacks, he focused on the "Copy" button in his mind. The entity's power was overwhelming him. A cold tremor passed through his body, as if his life force was slowly being drained. But he refused to give up. The faces of his family flashed in his mind. He would avenge them. With all his might, he pressed the button.

From the Malevolent Spirit's body, a burst of intensely glowing purple energy, more potent than anything he had ever seen, surged towards Diego. This flow was not just an ability, but a fragment of the entity's very essence. Diego's body convulsed, and he fell to his knees. His eyes closed, beads of sweat appearing on his forehead. He felt as if a thousand needles were simultaneously piercing his body.

Ability Copied: [Life Essence Absorption (Malevolent Spirit)] - Level 1 New Ability Added: [Soul Drain] New Ability Added: [Shadow Bind]

Diego took a deep breath and opened his eyes. The terrifying sensation in his body was gone, replaced by an incredible feeling of power. The Malevolent Spirit's ability was now his. Moreover, he had gained new abilities like "Soul Drain" and "Shadow Bind."

The Malevolent Spirit looked at Diego's sudden surge of power in astonishment. Its purple eyes glowed even brighter, as if enraged. It moved to attack Diego again.

"Now it's my turn!" Diego shouted. "Soul Drain!"

He extended his hand towards the Malevolent Spirit. A wave of purple energy erupted from his palm, striking the entity directly. The entity trembled in pain, and faint, purple energy particles, similar to those of the caravaneers' souls, began to spew from it. These particles were drawn into Diego. With each particle absorbed, Diego's power grew, while the Malevolent Spirit weakened.

"What is he doing?" Roric shouted in amazement.

Elara's eyes were wide with shock. "He's... he's absorbing the thing's life essence! Just like it did to the caravaneers!"

The Malevolent Spirit began to shriek desperately. Its cries tore through the silence of the forest. The entity's translucent body grew increasingly faint, losing its power. Although Diego couldn't fully control the ability, his infinite mana allowed him to use this new power to its full potential.

"Shadow Bind!" Diego slammed his other hand to the ground. The shadows on the ground suddenly came alive and began to ensnare the Malevolent Spirit. As the Spirit became bound by the shadows, its movements were restricted, and its power diminished further.

Elara didn't miss this opportunity. "Now, Roric! Attack with all your might!"

Roric formed a massive fireball in his hands. This was his most powerful attack. "Flame Burst!" The fireball struck the weakened Malevolent Spirit, now bound by shadows. There was a tremendous explosion. The forest trembled.

After the explosion, the Malevolent Spirit's body disintegrated in a burst of purple light. All that remained were a few faint purple energy particles hanging in the air. These soon vanished. The purple mist hovering over the caravan also slowly dissipated.

The team was breathless. They had achieved victory, but this was an enemy unlike any they had encountered before.

"Did we do it?" Kael whispered, still in shock.

Diego nodded. He was exhausted, but the feeling of power within him was incredible. In his mind's System interface, the "Life Essence Absorption" ability glowed. And beneath the ability, a new notification appeared:

Letter Level Increasing... C -> BB

A powerful wave of energy surged through Diego's body. He was now a BB-level hunter. This placed him above most of the hunters in the Hunter's Guild.

"This entity... it was a Malevolent Spirit," Elara said, her voice still filled with astonishment. "The ones spoken of in prophecies... Their emergence heralded great catastrophes that would disrupt the world's balance."

Roric looked at the bodies of the caravaneers on the ground. "So, this was just the beginning?"

Diego nodded. "I believe so." In his System interface, after copying the "Malevolent Spirit's" ability, a new tab had appeared: "Ancient Knowledge." When he tapped the tab, information, seemingly incomprehensible ancient script but translated by the System, flowed into his mind:

Malevolent Spirits: Entities from Ancient Times. They Feed on Life Essence. They Emerge to Disrupt the World's Balance. Their Appearance is a Sign of a Great Power Vacuum.

Ancient Prophecy: The World Stands in Balance by the Power of the Ancient Letters. When This Balance is Broken, Malevolent Spirits and Their Masters, with Their Dark Armies, Shall Rise. Only One Possessing Infinite Mana, Capable of Copying All Abilities, and Unraveling the Secret of the Ancient Letters, Can Restore the Balance.

Diego's eyes widened. Infinite mana... copying all abilities... This directly related to him. And "The Secret of the Ancient Letters"... This pointed to a much greater mystery beyond his awakening in the village.

"This isn't just a beginning," Diego said, his voice more resolute than ever before. "This is the start of a war."

The team looked at Diego. Their faces held both astonishment and a new determination. This quest had drawn them into far more than just finding a caravan. Now, they were pulled into a war that could change the fate of the world. And in this war, Diego's unique abilities and his team's unwavering support would be their greatest weapons.