Chapter 10 – The First Evolution
The Crimson Devourer’s words lingered in the air.
"You two... must never become angels."
For a brief moment, no one moved.
Azrael slowly raised his sword.
"I wasn’t planning to ask for your permission."
The Crimson Devourer’s chest eye narrowed.
"...Arrogant."
Its massive body blurred.
Despite its enormous size, it moved with frightening speed.
It appeared directly in front of Azrael, swinging a crystal-covered fist.
BOOM!
Azrael crossed his sword to block.
The impact launched him through three abandoned cars before he finally rolled to a stop.
His arms went numb.
"So..."
He coughed, forcing himself to stand.
"...that’s its real strength."
The boss hadn’t even completed its evolution.
Yet it was already overwhelming.
"Azrael!"
Seraphina rushed toward him, but three Crimson Legionnaires cut her off.
They attacked with flawless coordination.
One aimed high.
One attacked low.
The third circled behind her.
"Genesis Growth!"
Thick vines burst from the broken road, wrapping around two of the Legionnaires.
The third broke through.
Its spear thrust toward her shoulder.
Before it connected—
Slash!
A streak of blue lightning flashed past.
The Legionnaire’s spear snapped in half.
Elena stood between them.
"You heal."
"I’ll handle these."
Seraphina smiled.
"Be careful."
"I always am."
The battle split into three fronts.
Elena fought the Legionnaires.
Seraphina supported both battlefields with buffs and healing.
Azrael faced the Crimson Devourer alone.
The boss grinned.
"So..."
"...the destroyer stands alone."
Azrael rolled his shoulders.
"More than enough."
He activated his status panel.
Azrael
Level: 3
Authority: Oblivion
Evolution: 5%
Strength: 30
Agility: 29
Vitality: 18
Spirit: 18
"I’ve gotten stronger..."
"But not enough."
The Devourer charged.
Azrael dashed forward instead of retreating.
The two collided head-on.
BOOM!
The shockwave shattered every remaining window around the shopping mall.
The Devourer threw a punch.
Azrael ducked beneath it.
His sword carved across the monster’s ribs.
The wound wasn’t deep.
But it was enough to make the boss roar.
"You little—"
Before it finished speaking, Azrael attacked again.
Another slash.
Then another.
He wasn’t trying to deal massive damage.
He was building momentum.
The Devourer swung its tail.
Azrael jumped over it.
He landed on the monster’s arm and sprinted toward its shoulder.
"The eye..."
"That’s its weak point!"
He raised his sword.
The Devourer reacted instantly.
Its shoulder eye opened.
A crimson beam erupted at point-blank range.
Azrael crossed his sword just in time.
BOOM!
The explosion hurled him high into the sky.
Blood streamed from his forehead as he tumbled through the air.
His HP dropped sharply.
HP: 41%
Seraphina gasped.
"He’s hurt!"
Without hesitation, she stretched out both hands.
"Genesis Blessing!"
Golden light shot across the battlefield and entered Azrael’s body before he hit the ground.
His wounds rapidly healed.
HP Restored
41%
↓
76%
Azrael landed on one knee.
He smiled toward his sister.
"Perfect timing."
She gave him a thumbs-up.
"Don’t die."
"I’ll try."
The Crimson Devourer growled.
"The healer..."
"...is troublesome."
It suddenly ignored Azrael.
Instead, it charged toward Seraphina.
"No!"
Azrael’s expression changed instantly.
He pushed his body to its limit.
His surroundings blurred.
For the first time...
He disappeared.
The next instant—
He appeared directly in front of Seraphina.
Even he looked surprised.
"What...?"
The boss’s fist collided with his sword.
The ground beneath his feet shattered.
The System chimed repeatedly.
New Skill Learned
Shadow Step
Allows the user to instantly dash a short distance.
Mastery: 1%
Azrael grinned.
"Nice."
He immediately used the skill again.
Flash!
He vanished.
Reappearing above the Devourer’s head.
"Oblivion Crescent!"
A black arc crashed into the monster’s shoulder.
The crystal armor finally broke apart.
The second eye burst.
Black blood erupted from the wound.
The Devourer screamed in agony.
Boss HP
2,320
↓
1,780
The System displayed another message.
Critical Weak Point Destroyed
Boss combat efficiency reduced by 20%.
Elena finished off the last Legionnaire.
She looked toward Azrael.
"You actually did it..."
The Crimson Devourer stumbled backward.
Its breathing became ragged.
The evolution it had paused earlier suddenly restarted on its own.
Boss Evolution
72%
↓
73%
↓
74%
"It’s still evolving!"
Azrael frowned.
"So damaging it isn’t enough."
The Devourer laughed despite its injuries.
"The King’s blessing..."
"...cannot be stopped."
Dark crimson energy poured from its wounds.
Instead of dying...
Its body began repairing itself.
The shattered armor slowly regenerated.
Seraphina looked horrified.
"It’s healing!"
Azrael remembered the System description.
"Only ordinary wounds heal."
He tightened his grip on his sword.
"My Oblivion Authority prevents regeneration."
He looked closer.
The injuries caused by Oblivion Crescent remained.
Everything else had already healed.
"So that’s the answer."
He smiled.
"I just have to keep cutting."
The Crimson Devourer roared and raised both arms toward the crimson sky.
Every Abyssal Spawn within sight suddenly stopped moving.
Their bodies began dissolving into crimson mist.
The mist flew toward the boss.
One...
Ten...
Fifty...
Hundreds of monsters sacrificed themselves willingly.
Their life force entered the Devourer’s body.
Its evolution accelerated dramatically.
Evolution Progress
80%
85%
90%
"No!"
Elena shouted.
"If it reaches one hundred percent, it’ll become a Disaster-Class Monster!"
The System immediately responded.
Emergency Quest Updated
Stop the Crimson Devourer’s evolution.
Time Remaining:
02:00
A timer appeared above the boss’s head.
Two minutes.
That was all they had left.
Azrael looked at Seraphina.
She looked back.
Neither of them needed to speak.
They had fought together their entire lives.
One glance was enough.
Seraphina nodded.
"I’ll create the opening."
Azrael smiled.
"I’ll finish it."
Golden energy erupted around Seraphina.
Flowers bloomed across the shattered street.
Vines burst from every crack in the pavement, wrapping around abandoned cars, broken buildings, and collapsed streetlights.
Everything she touched came alive.
The entire battlefield became her domain.
The Crimson Devourer roared as enormous roots wrapped around its arms and legs.
It struggled violently.
The roots cracked...
But they held.
Azrael closed his eyes.
He took a slow breath.
Darkness gathered around the Oblivion Iron Sword.
For the first time, black lightning danced along its blade.
The air itself began to tear.
Even Elena instinctively stepped back.
"That pressure..."
"...what is he doing?"
The System’s voice echoed in Azrael’s mind.
Evolution Requirement Fulfilled.
Host has surpassed the limits of a Mortal.
Beginning First Angelic Evolution...
Synchronization
5%
↓
10%
A black halo slowly formed above Azrael’s head.
At the same moment, a radiant golden halo appeared above Seraphina.
The halos shone for only a few seconds, but the surge of power they released swept across the battlefield like a tidal wave.
The Crimson Devourer’s eyes widened.
"...Impossible..."
"...Halo Bearers..."
The twins opened their eyes simultaneously.
Their first evolution had begun.