SSS Awakening: I Can Devour Gods to Evolve My Goddesses

Cassian immediately reached for the injured Blackfang through Pack Dominion.

A jumble of impressions came back.

Tall grass.

A rain of arrows.

Countless pounding hooves.

And—

large numbers of figures that were half human, half horse.

"Location."

The connection sharpened.

Almost ten kilometers south of the Domain.

Scouting information unfolded at the same time.

[Large Wild Camp Discovered.]

[Gloomhoof Warcamp]

[Wild Troop Structure]

[Garrison Strength: Approximately 1,000]

[Primary Levels: 6–9]

[Hero-class unit detected.]

[Occupation Reward: Gloomhoof Centaur recruitment unlocked.]

Cassian’s expression changed immediately.

A wild troop structure was worth far more than an ordinary resource point.

The Forgotten Shrine could recruit Shrine Guards now, but they were only F-grade troops. Cassian had not even considered spending resources to raise them.

Gloomhoof Centaurs were different.

[Gloomhoof Centaur]

[Quality: Elite]

[Role: Mounted Archery / Assault]

[Strengths: High Mobility / Ranged Fire / Frontal Charge]

If he took the Warcamp, the Centaurs could guard the outer mines, Moonrice Patch, and forests.

That would free the Blackfang to scout and hunt again.

More importantly—

there were roughly a thousand Level 6 to Level 9 enemies inside.

And at least one Hero.

Cassian’s first thought was not the troop building.

It was what abilities might be waiting there.

"Assemble."

The command spread through Pack Dominion.

"Leave one Blackfang at each important resource point. Everyone else goes south."

Eight Blackfang began converging on the coordinates from different parts of the map.

Veyra stepped out of the Oath Hall as well.

"This time, what about me?"

"You’re coming."

She looked satisfied.

"Finally willing to take me outside?"

"No."

Cassian opened the map.

"They have close to a thousand troops, and a lot of them are ranged."

"I need you."

Veyra looked at him.

"The second part was enough."

"You didn’t need the first part."

Cassian ignored her and opened his own level panel.

The First Blood Trial and the Blackfang’s hunting had generated a large amount of Battle Essence. Until now, Cassian had not been in a hurry to raise his own level.

But he was about to enter a thousand-unit wild camp personally.

Level 1 was too fragile.

"Advance."

Light fell over him.

[Cassian Vale: Level 1 → Level 2]

He continued.

[Level 2 → Level 3]

[Level 3 → Level 4]

[Level 4 → Level 5]

Four advances in succession.

Power flooded his body. The fatigue left by hours of fighting faded rapidly as his basic attributes rose together.

Still nowhere near Veyra.

But at least a stray arrow was no longer likely to kill him outright.

Cassian looked at the starter sword in his hand.

It had been bent once.

Hammered straight once.

Now the edge was chipped too.

This time, it really had reached the end of its usefulness.

He turned toward the Forge.

"I want the best sword you can make."

The blacksmith answered immediately.

"A standard Blacksteel Sword?"

"No."

Cassian opened the Forge’s advanced commission menu.

[Rare Weapon Custom Forging]

[Required: Refined Iron ×100]

[Aether Crystal ×20,000]

[Weapon focus may be specified.]

Twenty thousand.

More than a third of his current Aether reserve would disappear at once.

Cassian did not hesitate.

"Longsword."

"High load tolerance."

"Built to conduct Aether and divine power."

The Forge roared to life.

Twenty minutes later, a dark-red longsword emerged from the flames.

It was more than a meter long, with a narrow black line running down the center of the blade. The guard curved inward like two folded black wings.

[Crimson Oath]

[Quality: Rare]

[Level: 5]

[Sharpness: 22]

[Durability: 18]

[Endurance +8]

[Spirit +6]

[Trait: Aether Conduction]

[Skill: Crimson Arc]

Cassian took the sword and tested its balance.

Then he tossed it directly to Veyra.

She caught it on instinct.

"For me?"

"Mm."

"Didn’t you just say you needed a sword?"

"Manifesting your spear costs power every time."

Cassian looked at Crimson Oath.

"Use this for ordinary fighting. Save Eclipse Spear for when you actually need the burst."

Veyra drew the blade a few inches.

Dark-red swordlight reflected in her gray-gold eyes.

She clearly liked it.

"How much?"

"Twenty thousand."

Veyra looked up.

"You spent that much?"

"It’s not a gift."

Cassian’s tone remained matter-of-fact.

"Call it Domain equipment."

Veyra slid the sword back into its sheath.

"Could you not let me be pleased for three seconds?"

[Temporary Covenant Stability: Slightly Increased.]

The corner of Cassian’s mouth lifted.

Veyra’s eyes narrowed immediately.

"Did you just see something?"

"No."

"You smiled."

"We’re leaving."

——

Half an hour later, Cassian, Veyra, and eight Blackfang reached the edge of the Gloomhoof Warcamp.

The tall grass rose almost to their waists.

All eight Blackfang kept low, only a strip of black spine showing above the grass.

The one in front was not used to crouching like this. The moment it started to raise its head, Cassian put a hand on its skull and pushed it back down.

"Stay low."

The Blackfang gave a quiet whine.

Veyra looked amused.

"I thought you said they were strong now."

"Being strong and being arrowproof are different things."

Cassian parted the grass and looked ahead.

A massive Centaur camp filled the low ground.

Wooden palisades.

Arrow towers.

Tents.

Animal pens.

Gloomhoof Centaurs patrolled everywhere. Nearly a third wore real light armor.

[Gloomhoof Warrior]

[Quality: Elite]

[Level: 8]

[Combat Rating: 20★]

[Skills: Rapid Shot / Charge / Cleave]

There were hundreds of them.

Most newcomers who found something on this scale would record the coordinates and come back ten days later.

Cassian watched for only a few minutes.

"See the long road through the center?"

Veyra followed his gaze.

A transport road ran north to south through the middle of the camp, tents packed tightly along both sides. At the far end stood a command tent twice the height of the others.

Cassian started giving orders.

"Blackfang, split into two groups."

"Four east. Four west."

"Make noise on the perimeter first. Don’t enter the camp."

"Drive the outer patrols toward the center."

Veyra understood immediately.

"You want to pack them together?"

"Mm."

"And then?"

Cassian looked at Crimson Oath in her hand.

"Don’t use that."

Veyra smiled.

The dark-red sword slid back into its sheath.

She opened her right hand.

Dark-gold light gathered slowly.

Eclipse Spear formed.

"Willing to spend the power this time?"

"We only get one clean chance."

Cassian kept his eyes on the camp.

"So don’t miss."

Veyra stared at him.

A few minutes later, Cassian raised his hand.

"Start."

Eight black shadows burst from the grass.

Four east.

Four west.

They did not attack directly. Instead, they rushed the outer patrols.

The first Centaur group had barely spotted them when the Blackfang turned away.

"Enemy!"

"Dark Beasts!"

"Stop them!"

Arrows cut through the air.

The Blackfang dodged at full speed, never running far enough to escape completely—always close enough for the Centaurs to believe they could catch them.

More patrols joined the pursuit.

Troops from both flanks began shifting toward the center.

"East side too!"

"West!"

"Cut them off!"

"Drive them inward!"

Within a minute, hundreds of previously scattered Centaurs had been compressed around the central transport road.

Cassian had not moved.

He waited until the last outer archer unit abandoned its position.

"Veyra."

"Now."

She stepped out of the tall grass and raised Eclipse Spear.

At almost the same instant, the camp’s alarm bell finally rang.

"More enemies!"

"There!"

"A woman!"

"Archers!"

Hundreds of longbows came up together.

Veyra did not even look at them.

She followed the angle Cassian had marked.

Forward.

One thrust.

BOOM—!

A dark-gold spear arc erupted along the ground.

It did not explode outward.

The force had been compressed into an almost perfectly straight line of death.

From the camp entrance—

all the way down the central road.

Grass.

Palisades.

Tents.

Centaurs.

Everything in its path was torn open.

The ground looked as if a giant plow had ripped through it. A black trench nearly ten meters wide stretched across the camp.

The screams came only after the spearlight had passed.

[Veyra killed Gloomhoof Warrior.]

[Battle Essence +72]

[Veyra killed Gloomhoof Archer.]

[Battle Essence +64]

[Refined Chest ×1]

[Troop Soul: Elite ×1]

...

System notifications flooded Cassian’s vision by the hundreds.

One reward caught his attention.

[Troop Soul: Elite]

[Effect: Can advance a Common troop to Elite. When used on an Elite troop, increases growth potential.]

Good.

On the other side of the camp, the Centaurs had fallen into complete disorder.

"Enemy attack!"

"She’s alone!"

"Kill her!"

"No—those wolves too!"

The Blackfang had finished the lure and were already coming back in from the flanks.

The Centaurs had no time to reform.

Cassian did not send the Blackfang into the central melee.

"Don’t chase the ordinary ones."

"Find the commander."

All eight Blackfang turned at once and began closing on the command tent from both sides.

Veyra glanced at Cassian.

"You really don’t waste anything."

"Ordinary monsters are always available."

"A Hero isn’t."

Right then, the command tent burst open.

A Centaur nearly three meters tall charged out. Its upper body was layered with rock-hard muscle. Its left hand was still fastening the belt at its waist, while its right already held an enormous war bow.

"Who dares attack Gloomhoof—"

The words died when it saw Veyra.

Then Cassian.

Then eight Blackfang closing from two directions.

[Gloomhoof Chieftain]

[Rare Hero]

[Level: 9]

[Combat Rating: ???]

[Skills: War Cry / Storm Shot / Cavalry Command]

Cassian’s gaze locked onto the last skill.

[Cavalry Command]

A large-scale command and enhancement ability for cavalry units.

The DEVOUR interface stirred faintly.

Valuable.

"Veyra."

"Leave—"

Cassian had been about to tell her not to destroy the head.

The Chieftain already drew its bow.

Hum!

An arrow wrapped in cyan wind blades shot straight for Cassian’s face.

Veyra’s eyes turned cold.

Eclipse Spear rose.

BOOM!

The first spear arc shattered the arrow.

The second struck the Chieftain square in the chest.

BOOM—!

The three-meter Centaur was hurled backward as the command tent collapsed around it.

All eight Blackfang pounced.

Three seconds later, the fight was over.

[Veyra and Blackfang killed Gloomhoof Chieftain.]

[Battle Essence ×20,000]

[Aether Crystal ×228]

[Rare Weapon Acquired: Windcaller Bow]

[Raid Writ ×1]

Cassian went still.

Veyra dismissed Eclipse Spear and glanced at him.

"What were you about to say?"

Cassian walked over to the Chieftain’s body.

There was no chance of using it now.

[DEVOUR condition not met.]

[You did not personally complete the kill.]

He was silent for two seconds.

"Nothing."

Veyra suddenly laughed.

"You wanted one of its abilities again, didn’t you?"

Cassian did not answer.

Forget it.

A Raid Writ had dropped instead.

He picked up the black-red token.

His first thought was simple.

Lucan?

Alaric?

Which one had been louder earlier?

A second later, Cassian changed his mind.

What was the point of taking the Raid Writ and attacking them himself?

Every noble Lord in the region was already hunting for this kind of war item.

And this was the first one.

That made it scarce.

Lucan and Alaric had just been publicly offering to buy one.

Cassian looked at the token in his hand.

Then smiled.

Veyra noticed.

"What are you calculating now?"

"I was thinking."

Cassian turned the Raid Writ over between his fingers.

"Why do I have to use it to attack someone else?"

"Why can’t I sell it to—"

He looked up.

"Someone who wants to attack me?"

Veyra went quiet.

Then her gray-gold eyes slowly brightened too.

Cassian continued.

"They pay for it themselves."

"They buy a ticket to attack my Domain."

"And then?"

Cassian looked toward the Gloomhoof Warcamp, already in the process of being occupied, then at the twenty thousand Battle Essence he had just gained.

"Then I collect again."

Veyra stared at him for several seconds before shaking her head.

"The people who want your mine are unlucky."

Cassian put the Raid Writ away.

"No."

"They still think they’re lucky."