Chapter 8 – The King’s Command
The Crimson Devourer’s voice echoed through the streets.
"The King... wants... you alive."
Silence fell over the entrance of the shopping mall.
Azrael tightened his grip around the Oblivion Iron Sword.
"So the monsters can talk now..."
Elena’s expression darkened.
"Not all of them."
"Only monsters that have evolved far enough."
"Evolved?"
She nodded.
"The stronger they become, the smarter they become."
"The System doesn’t only evolve humans..."
"It evolves everything."
The realization sent chills down everyone’s spine.
If monsters continued evolving...
Then one day...
They would become as intelligent as humans.
Outside, the Crimson Legionnaires stopped marching.
They raised their crimson spears simultaneously.
The Devourer roared.
The assault began.
BOOM!
A dozen Legionnaires rushed the barrier at once.
Their spears glowed crimson before slamming against the golden shield.
The barrier trembled violently.
Safe Zone Stability
79%
78%
77%
"It’s dropping too fast!"
One of the survivors cried out.
Azrael opened the Quest Board.
There had to be something they were missing.
A new quest blinked before his eyes.
Emergency Quest
Defend the Safe Zone
Objective:
Repel the monster assault.
Reward:
+800 Evolution Points
+20 Free Attribute Points
+Rare Equipment Chest
Failure:
Barrier Destroyed
All survivors eliminated.
Azrael closed the window.
"We’re fighting."
Elena smiled.
"I was hoping you’d say that."
Seraphina raised her staff.
"I’ll stay behind and support everyone."
"No."
Azrael shook his head.
"We fight together."
Their passive skill activated.
Twin Resonance Activated
All Attributes +20%
A warm current surged through both of them.
Azrael felt lighter.
Faster.
Stronger.
Seraphina’s golden aura expanded until it covered the entrance of the mall.
The Legionnaires attacked again.
This time...
Azrael charged first.
The barrier opened just enough for him to pass through before sealing behind him again.
"What is he doing?!"
One of the survivors shouted.
"He’ll be killed!"
Azrael ignored them.
His eyes locked onto the nearest Legionnaire.
The creature thrust its spear.
Azrael sidestepped.
The crimson spear scraped past his shoulder.
Before the monster could recover—
Slash!
The Oblivion Iron Sword sliced through its shield.
The monster stared in disbelief.
Its shield...
Had been cut in half.
Azrael smiled.
"So armor isn’t enough."
He twisted his body and delivered another strike.
The Legionnaire’s head fell to the ground.
Enemy Defeated
+40 Evolution Points
The remaining soldiers surrounded him.
Five.
Ten.
Fifteen.
Their coordination was flawless.
Every attack came from a different angle.
Azrael found himself retreating.
"They’re trained..."
Inside the barrier, Seraphina lifted both hands.
"Genesis Blessing."
Golden light descended upon Azrael.
Buff Applied
Strength +10%
Agility +10%
Healing Over Time
Duration:
Five Minutes
Azrael felt his muscles surge with power.
"So this is support magic..."
He dashed forward again.
His movements became noticeably faster.
One Legionnaire attempted to block his attack.
Clang!
Its spear shattered.
Another rushed from behind.
Azrael spun.
His sword carved a black crescent through the air.
Two more monsters collapsed.
Meanwhile...
Elena leaped over the barrier.
Blue lightning surrounded her katana.
"Flash Step!"
She disappeared.
The next instant...
Three Legionnaires fell apart simultaneously.
Azrael couldn’t hide his surprise.
"She’s gotten stronger."
Elena smirked.
"I leveled up."
The battlefield quickly turned into chaos.
Monster after monster fell.
Evolution Points continued increasing.
Evolution Points
640
680
720
760
The Crimson Devourer watched everything in silence.
It hadn’t moved.
Not once.
Almost as though...
The Legionnaires were merely testing them.
Then...
The giant eye on its chest began glowing.
The System immediately reacted.
Warning
Boss Skill Charging
Please Interrupt
"What does that mean?"
Elena’s face turned pale.
"We have to stop it!"
"Now!"
The three of them rushed toward the Devourer.
Too late.
The eye opened completely.
A massive crimson beam erupted toward the barrier.
It struck with overwhelming force.
BOOOOOOM!!
The entire shopping mall shook violently.
Windows exploded.
The floor cracked.
The survivors screamed.
The barrier dimmed dramatically.
Safe Zone Stability
52%
"It lost almost thirty percent!"
Seraphina gasped.
"If that attack lands again..."
The barrier wouldn’t survive.
Azrael clenched his fists.
"We have to kill it."
The System chimed.
Hidden Objective Unlocked
Interrupt Boss Evolution
Reward:
Unknown
Azrael frowned.
"Boss..."
"...Evolution?"
The Crimson Devourer’s body suddenly began changing.
The crimson crystals covering its skin spread rapidly.
Its muscles expanded.
The horns became longer.
A second crimson eye slowly opened on its shoulder.
Its Level increased before everyone’s eyes.
Crimson Devourer
Level 10
↓
Level 12
"No way..."
"It’s evolving in the middle of battle!"
The Devourer laughed.
A deep, distorted laugh that echoed throughout the city.
"The King’s gift..."
"...is upon me."
Dark energy gathered around its body.
The remaining Legionnaires immediately retreated.
Not out of fear.
Out of respect.
The System flashed repeatedly.
Emergency Notice
Boss Evolution cannot be stopped.
Survive until Evolution completes...
Or eliminate the target before synchronization reaches 100%.
Current Progress:
18%
Azrael looked at the progress bar.
Then at the monster.
Then at Seraphina.
"We’ve only got one chance."
She nodded.
"I know."
The twins extended one hand toward each other.
The moment their fingers touched...
Their halos briefly appeared above their heads.
Azrael’s halo burned with black flames.
Seraphina’s radiated brilliant gold.
The halos resonated.
A pulse of black-and-gold energy erupted outward.
Even the Crimson Devourer stopped laughing.
For the first time...
Its confident expression changed.
It had sensed something.
Something ancient.
Something that should have remained buried forever.
The System’s voice became deeper than ever before.
Dual Authority Resonance Detected
Compatibility: Perfect
Hidden Skill Available
Genesis & Oblivion
Synchronization Required: 10%
Current Synchronization: 3%
Requirement Not Met
The halos disappeared as quickly as they had appeared.
Azrael smiled despite the danger.
"So there’s an ultimate skill..."
Seraphina nodded.
"We’re just not strong enough yet."
Outside...
The Crimson Devourer’s evolution reached thirty percent.
Its roar shook the entire district.
Far beyond the battlefield, inside the ruins of an abandoned cathedral, a tall figure cloaked in white silently watched the fight through a floating mirror of light.
Unlike the Fallen Arbiter, this being possessed three pristine pairs of white wings folded behind its back.
Its golden eyes rested on the twins.
"So..."
"They have begun to awaken."
The angel closed the mirror.
A faint smile appeared on its face.
"Interesting."
"Perhaps the Seven have underestimated the children."
With a single flap of its wings...
The mysterious angel vanished from the ruined cathedral.
And headed toward Elysia.