Chapter 403: Soul Reaper’s Scythe
Adam’s crimson eyes gleamed with a spark of experimentation as he held the newly acquired Soul Reaper’s Scythe in one hand. The abyssal black blade hummed with a faint, hungry vibration against his palm.
Then he turned to Alice.
"Alice. Hand me Ouroboros’s Fang."
Alice’s ears twitched, her dark violet eyes narrowing with suspicion. She reached into her Void Locker and pulled out the golden-veined blade, but she didn’t hand it over immediately. Her tail lashed once, her voice flat and pointed.
"What are you planning? Don’t tell me you’re going to test which one is stronger by smashing them together?"
Adam let out a low, amused chuckle, his crimson eyes glinting with mischief.
"Nothing so primitive. I just want to test something."
He took Ouroboros’s Fang from her hand before she could protest further, the familiar weight settling into his grip. He held the two weapons side by side.
He brought them together, the edges touching.
The moment the two blades made contact, a pulse of energy rippled outward, sending a sharp gust of wind through the clearing. Alice’s ears flattened, and Azrynn took an involuntary step back. The air around them grew thick, heavy with the weight of something ancient shifting.
[System Notification]
[Compatible weapons detected: Ouroboros’s Fang (Evolving) and Soul Reaper’s Scythe (Unique).]
[Both weapons share a fundamental connection—they were forged from the essence of consumed entities and possess the ability to absorb and evolve. Merging them is possible.]
[Do you wish to proceed?]
Adam’s lips curved into a slow, satisfied smile.
"Merge."
The weapons responded instantly.
Light erupted from the point of contact—golden radiance from Ouroboros’s Fang, and abyssal shadow from Soul Reaper’s Scythe. They coiled around each other, twisting, merging, their forms dissolving and reforming. The golden veins along Ouroboros’s Fang blazed brighter, then darker, as the abyssal energy of the scythe bled into its core.
The process was violent, unstable, the air around them crackling with raw power.
Alice’s voice came out sharp, edged with alarm.
"Adam! What’s happening?!"
Adam’s hand remained steady on the merging weapons, his voice calm, focused.
"Wait. Let it finish."
The light intensified, then faded, leaving behind a single weapon.
The Soul Reaper’s Scythe.
But it was transformed.
The blade was longer now, more wicked, its abyssal black edge gleaming with veins of molten gold that pulsed with a slow, rhythmic light. A dragon motif had coiled itself around the haft, its body winding up toward the blade, its eyes glowing with a faint, predatory light.
The weapon hummed with a deeper, more resonant power.
Adam’s eyes widened slightly as he studied the new form. A slow, satisfied grin spread across his face.
"Well, that’s certainly... upgraded."
Alice leaned in, her dark violet eyes fixed on the weapon with a mixture of wariness and fascination.
"It looks... creepy."
Adam’s grin widened, his crimson eyes gleaming with satisfaction as he tested the scythe’s weight—it was lighter than before, more balanced, the golden veins pulsing faintly along its edge.
"Heh. It’ll do."
[Weapon Evolution Complete]
[Soul Reaper’s Scythe (Evolving) – Unique]
[Effect: The blade absorbs a portion of the life force of every enemy it strikes, converting it into raw offensive power. The wielder’s attacks ignore 25% of the target’s physical defenses.]
[Passive Ability: Reaper’s Harvest – Defeating an enemy with this weapon restores 5% of the wielder’s maximum health and mana. This effect can only trigger once per enemy.]
[Passive Ability: Soul’s Residue – The blade stores a fraction of the power from enemies it has slain. When the wielder releases a charged attack, the stored power is unleashed as a devastating wave of void and draconic energy. Maximum storage: 30 kills.]
Azrynn stepped forward, the severed head still dangling from her hand, its frozen expression a testament to the terror it had felt in its final moments.
"We should leave. Now. Before more soldiers arrive to investigate."
Adam nodded, his gaze sweeping the scorched battlefield one last time.
"Right. We’re done here. Let’s head back."
He slid the newly evolved Soul Reaper’s Scythe into his body—the weapon dissolving into shadow and merging with his form.
Then his gaze drifted to the severed head still in Azrynn’s hand. He tilted his head, a flicker of curiosity crossing his face.
"By the way, why did you bring that?"
Azrynn glanced down at the head as if she had almost forgotten it was there.
"He tried to run. I caught him and killed him. I thought you might want proof."
Adam blinked. Then a low chuckle escaped him.
’What are you, a cat? Bringing me severed heads like trophies?’
Aloud, he said, "Good work. But we don’t need it anymore. Get rid of it."
Azrynn nodded without hesitation. She tossed the head aside with a casual flick of her wrist, and it tumbled across the scorched earth before coming to rest near a pile of rubble. She didn’t spare it a second glance.
Adam’s lips curved into a faint, amused smile as he turned back toward the path leading out of the clearing.
"Let’s go. Lilith’s probably going to start complaining soon."
Alice fell into step beside him, her tail swaying lazily, her dark violet eyes gleaming with amusement.
"She’s always complaining. It’s practically her hobby."
Adam’s steps slowed as the weight of what they had just done settled over him.
"Wait. We just massacred two armies. Doesn’t that... cause problems for us?"
Alice’s ear twitched. "You’re only realizing that now?"
Azrynn’s voice came from behind, calm and measured, her yellow eyes sweeping the carnage one last time.
"Perhaps not. We didn’t leave a single witness alive. No one saw our faces clearly enough to identify us. As far as anyone knows, the Solarian and demon forces simply annihilated each other."
Adam blinked. Then a slow, thoughtful smile spread across his face.
"That’s... actually a good point."
Alice’s tail swayed lazily, her voice carrying a note of satisfaction.
"See? Even a blind chicken finds a grain of rice sometimes."
Adam’s eye twitched. His voice carried a note of wounded pride.
"I don’t know if that’s a compliment or an insult."
Alice’s smile widened, her dark violet eyes gleaming with mischief.
"Take it however you want."
Azrynn let out a soft, almost imperceptible sigh, her voice carrying a note of quiet resignation.
"Let’s just go. Before someone actually does find us."
Adam let out a low chuckle, shaking his head as he turned back toward the path.
"Yeah. Let’s get out of here."