《Resonance Of The Abyss》 Prologue: Darkness in the abyss Within the endless, lightless expanse of the void, where time held no meaning and space bent unnaturally, stood an enormous Tesseract. A monolithic construct, infinitely vast, constantly revolving along multiple axes, it radiated auroran lights ¡ª each color brighter than the heart of stars, each hue capable of illuminating entire universes. Yet, despite its brilliance, the void surrounding it devoured all, leaving only the pulse of unfathomable energy. Before the Tesseract, a figure lingered ¡ª barely humanoid, wrought from pitch-black void matter. It stood unflinching, the inky darkness clinging to its form like living tendrils. Though it lacked features, one could feel the weight of centuries of exhaustion radiating from it ¡ª like a warrior cursed to eternally fight a futile battle. A rasping, hollow voice finally broke the silence. "How many times¡­ have I tried to breach the barrier?" the figure muttered, the sound like fractured glass scraping against stone. A long, hollow sigh escaped its throat, vibrating into the void. "Might as well try¡­ one last time." Raising both arms ¡ª skeletal in shape but endlessly shifting in density ¡ª the figure called to the abyss. Answering its call, the darkness across countless universes convulsed. Like a black tide summoned from a trillion realms, it coalesced into a singular cataclysmic beam, surging toward the Tesseract with the force to erase creation itself. But it never touched. Space split open above the Tesseract as if reality itself was being peeled apart. Seven figures descended ¡ª clad in long robes, each emanating a color of the VIBGYOR spectrum. They did not move; they simply appeared, and the very concept of resistance crumbled beneath their presence. The void itself recoiled from their arrival. The figure robed in red stepped forward, an aura of oppressive authority bleeding from its being. Its face, obscured by a shifting, eldritch force, made it impossible to perceive its features. It was not masked ¡ª rather, it was as if existence itself refused to acknowledge its face. ¡°Umbra,¡± the figure¡¯s voice was neither loud nor quiet, but it carved through the void like a death knell. ¡°You continue to defy your purpose each time your strength regenerates. Must we repeat this tiresome dance?¡± Umbra, the figure of darkness, did not move. His featureless face gazed at the seven Guardians. His voice, heavy with disdain, rasped. ¡°Purpose? I was not born to stagnate in some forsaken dominion. You granted me a domain not out of benevolence, but as a cage. I am not a sovereign ¡ª I am a prisoner.¡± The tale has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident. The red-robed figure exhaled a soundless sigh. ¡°And yet you persist. Accept your fate, Umbra. Your existence is tied to the Origin. You shall never breach the barrier.¡± Umbra''s form began to twist unnaturally, his body convulsing as his power surged. ¡°I desire knowledge, strength, and freedom. You bind me to this wretched fragment of space, expecting me to rot as your mindless sovereign. I will not accept this.¡± The void screamed as Umbra''s form expanded ¡ª grotesque limbs of writhing shadow sprouted, and his power surged with cosmic defiance. ¡°I WOULD RATHER DIE THAN ROT IN THIS MILLENNIAL CAGE!¡± Without hesitation, the blue-robed Guardian stepped forward. With a mere gesture, space around Umbra froze. Every molecule of his body ceased its chaotic expansion, collapsing into a humanoid form once more. Invisible, crushing force coiled around Umbra, suffocating his very existence. ¡°You misunderstand something, Umbra.¡± The blue-robed Guardian''s voice was impossibly cold, a whisper that could extinguish suns. ¡°You do not have the luxury of choice.¡± Umbra writhed in agony. His very essence felt like it was being splintered apart. Yet his defiance burned hotter than the pain. ¡°You¡ª will not¡ª keep me imprisoned forever.¡± The red-robed Guardian placed a hand on the blue-robed one''s shoulder. ¡°Restrain yourself. Killing him would displease the Origin.¡± Reluctantly, the blue-robed Guardian released his constriction, allowing Umbra to collapse, gasping in ragged defiance. A pregnant silence followed, before another voice ¡ª high-pitched and brimming with deranged delight ¡ª pierced the void. ¡°Oooooohhh! Umbra did a bad thing again, huh?¡± The yellow-robed Guardian skipped forward, its tone resembling a child who found their favorite toy. Yet the undercurrent of madness in its voice felt like needles scraping across Umbra¡¯s already frayed sanity. ¡°So that means I get to play again, right? RIGHT?¡± The others turned away, already losing interest. The red-robed Guardian casually waved. ¡°Very well. Keep it short ¡ª we must inspect the Tesseract.¡± Umbra froze, his suffocating despair only growing. ¡°You¡­ wretched monsters¡­¡± The yellow-robed Guardian crouched beside him, giggling uncontrollably. ¡°Awww, don¡¯t be so bitter. Honestly, I love your little acts of rebellion. It makes breaking you so much more¡­ delicious.¡± It leaned in, whispering directly into Umbra¡¯s nonexistent ear. ¡°Tell you what. I¡¯ll break you apart. Grind your bones, twist your mind, eviscerate your soul. Then I¡¯ll put you back together ¡ª again, and again, and again.¡± Umbra could only scream. And the Guardian laughed. Ten Years Later. In the void, a mutilated entity floated ¡ª devoid of flesh, bone, or coherent thought. Its form had been shredded, reassembled, and destroyed a thousand times. Yet, despite everything, a fragment of hatred still clung within Umbra. From the void, the yellow-robed Guardian returned, cheerful as ever. ¡°Wow! Ten years already? Time flies when you¡¯re having fun, huh?¡± It smiled mockingly, brushing its fingers along Umbra''s reanimated form. ¡°I gotta say ¡ª you¡¯re quite the durable one. I mean, most things break permanently after a couple centuries of this. But you? You keep hanging in there! Sooooo inspiring.¡± Umbra''s tattered voice managed to rasp a few words. ¡°I¡­ will¡­ end¡­ you¡­¡± The Guardian''s smile widened into something predatory. ¡°Ohoho! I hope you do. That¡¯s the only time I feel alive, you know?¡± With a cheerful wave, it turned to leave. ¡°Anyway! See you next year, Umbra. Don¡¯t forget ¡ª you exist to serve.¡± The Guardian vanished. Silence returned. And Umbra, despite his shattered essence, silently vowed ¡ª one day, I will tear you from existence. Prologue: The Age of Resonance Darkness drifted endlessly within the void ¡ª cold, suffocating, and unyielding. In its center, the mangled form of Umbra floated, his once terrifying visage now stripped of pride, his very will shattered under centuries of torment. Yet, after what felt like eons of torment, his shredded consciousness began to stir. A long, guttural groan escaped his formless throat. Then, without reason or sanity, laughter followed ¡ª a deep, broken cackle that echoed through the void. ¡°Hahahahahahahaha¡­¡± The sound was bereft of joy ¡ª it was the laughter of a being who had long abandoned hope. A god, once revered across billions of multiverses, now reduced to a puppet chained by fate. His voice, laced with uncontained bitterness, finally spoke. ¡°I''m weak¡­ utterly pathetic. I can''t follow my ambitions. My ideals are meaningless. And all I have now¡ª¡± his tone darkened, ¡°is this miserable region to rule.¡± Umbra''s gaze, though featureless, burned with a hatred so deep it could erode the stars. His black, skeletal hands stretched toward the surrounding void, where countless spherical orbs ¡ª multiverses ¡ª floated, glowing faint azure hues. ¡°A god in this hyperverse?¡± he scoffed bitterly. ¡°How laughable. I know the true scale of the cosmos. These multiverses are but specks of dust in an endless storm. I was once ambitious, desperate to grow stronger, to understand the mysteries of creation itself. But now¡­ that knowledge is a curse.¡± The void stirred in response to his sorrow. Thick tendrils of living darkness emerged, coiling around his broken form as though offering solace. Umbra didn''t resist. Instead, his voice turned venomous. ¡°The Guardians think they''ve broken me ¡ª stripped my purpose away, chained me to this domain. They think I''ll rot quietly while they continue their tyranny.¡± A sudden shift in his tone ¡ª one dripping with malice. ¡°But if I cannot breach the barrier¡­ then I''ll devastate what they hold dear. I will tear this hyperverse apart and leave them to clean the filth.¡± The darkness around him convulsed. The void itself groaned in protest as Umbra''s will took form. Tendrils of abyssal power erupted from his being, merging into a vortex of concentrated destruction. His very hatred materialized into a colossal, all-consuming void ¡ª an aberration capable of erasing multiverses. ¡°Let them suffer my revenge.¡± Unauthorized duplication: this narrative has been taken without consent. Report sightings. The void screamed. The colossal black spot expanded infinitely, eclipsing hundreds of multiverses in moments. Entire realms shattered. Cosmic fabric twisted. Universes collided as the resulting gravitational pull began consuming everything like a great attractor. The hyperverse wept. The orbs, once orderly and stable, now ruptured ¡ª releasing countless universes from their containment. Chaos erupted. The very concept of balance crumbled as infinite realms collided, their inhabitants consumed by a tide of destruction. The edges of the hyperverse burned crimson as a horrifying energy, unknown to mortal comprehension, bled into reality. Then¡­ the Tesseract stopped rotating. Its once brilliant auroran lights dulled, corrupted by the crimson hue that now infected the hyperverse. And then it ¡ª like the multiverses ¡ª succumbed to the darkness. ¡­¡­ Elsewhere in the Cosmos ¡ª Another Hyperverse. Far beyond the reaches of Umbra¡¯s shattered domain, in a hyperverse whose borders were lined with writhing, slimy tendrils, the seven Guardians of the Origin gathered around a different Tesseract. This one still gleamed in pristine auroran light, untouched by the chaos Umbra had unleashed. The violet-robed Guardian, speaking with a casual, almost amused tone, broke the silence. ¡°Well¡­ it seems the ¡®Umbra problem¡¯ has finally resolved itself. Lord Origin was right ¡ª once again.¡± The yellow-robed Guardian giggled, nudging the violet-robed one playfully. ¡°Were you doubting our Lord, Violet?¡± Flustered, Violet raised both hands. ¡°No, no! I was just amazed. That stubborn wretch held out for millions of years ¡ª honestly, I thought they''d never break.¡± The blue-robed Guardian, emanating chilling, lifeless energy, spoke without emotion. ¡°It was inevitable. Yellow''s¡­ games expedited the process. Umbra''s lingering humanity was always the key to his resistance.¡± Yellow let out a demented giggle, practically skipping around the Tesseract. ¡°Awww, you guys knew I was torturing him for fun and you didn''t stop me? How precious!¡± The other Guardians exchanged blank stares. The unhinged nature of Yellow never ceased to unsettle them. The orange-robed Guardian grumbled, rubbing his head. ¡°Yeah, and you wasted centuries when you could¡¯ve simply altered his memories. Typical.¡± Yellow twirled on his heel, grinning ear to ear. ¡°Alter his memories? Pfft! Where¡¯s the fun in that? You should¡¯ve seen his face every time I ground his bones into ash and rebuilt him.¡± The Guardians collectively shuddered at Yellow¡¯s morbid excitement. The red-robed Guardian finally spoke, his voice absolute. ¡°Enough. The task is complete. Umbra has fulfilled his role by corrupting his hyperverse. The infection has begun.¡± A lingering silence followed before the crimson-robed Guardian added. ¡°We must now prepare to contain the chaos. Search the remaining hyperverses. Should they show signs of contamination ¡ª we purge them.¡± Yellow let out a disappointed groan. ¡°Awww. So no more Umbra to play with?¡± The red-robed Guardian ignored him, opening a fracture in space. ¡°We move now.¡± As the Guardians stepped through the rift, Yellow lingered for a moment, his face plastered with twisted glee. ¡°I¡¯ll miss you, Umbra. You really were my favorite toy.¡± And with that, the Guardians vanished ¡ª leaving the hyperverse untouched. ¡­¡­ Meanwhile ¡ª Umbra¡¯s Domain Umbra''s mutilated form floated lifelessly within the void ¡ª his physical body consumed by his own creation. Yet his consciousness endured. He saw the devastation wrought upon his hyperverse. His act of vengeance was absolute. But something else stirred. The crimson hue ¡ª foreign and malicious ¡ª had not merely corrupted his hyperverse. It had assimilated it. Umbra felt the chaos reaching out, whispering into his fragmented mind. ¡°Power¡­ knowledge¡­ freedom¡­¡± A horrifying realization dawned. The crimson energy had not originated from his rage ¡ª it had been waiting. The moment Umbra acted in defiance, the energy consumed everything ¡ª and now, it whispered to him. A choice lingered before him. Remain a broken prisoner, or allow the chaos to remake him. ¡°¡­I will not die in vain.¡± And so, Umbra welcomed the chaos. A new force of horror was about to be born ¡ª far more devastating than anything the Guardians an ticipated. And this time¡­ Umbra would not be alone. ¡­¡­ The Age of Resonance had begun. Chapter 1: Crimson Mist ¡°Edith!¡± My voice echoed through the silent hallway as I climbed the stairs, my steps hurried yet deliberate. The wooden planks creaked beneath my weight. Usually, I would let her sleep in peace, but today was different ¡ª urgent. ¡°Edith, wake up!!¡± I heard a faint rustling from her room, followed by a muffled voice. ¡°You can come in, Uncle. I''m already ready.¡± I paused, surprised by her quick response. Gently pushing the door open, I stepped inside. There she stood ¡ª my niece, Edith ¡ª a fine young woman with a medium build, fair skin, raven-black hair that trailed down her back, and piercing dark eyes that often held an unshakable determination. Dressed in casual training clothes, she appeared unaffected by my abrupt wake-up call. ¡°Sorry for waking you this early,¡± I said, scratching the back of my neck. ¡°But I have urgent work at the facility, and I won''t have time to drop you at the training center later.¡± She simply shrugged, unbothered. ¡°No problem. You¡¯re heading to the science facility, right?¡± ¡°Yeah.¡± I sighed. ¡°The team¡¯s working on something big ¡ª attempting to open stable spatial portals with Junia''s help.¡± Her brows lifted. ¡°Junia? The same Junia from the first generation? The genius inventor with space-related abilities?¡± I nodded. ¡°That¡¯s the one. She''s been pushing the boundaries of cosmic manipulation lately. If this works, we might finally understand how the crimson mist reshaped the universe.¡± Edith hummed thoughtfully, slipping on her spatial watch ¡ª a compact device designed to store her gear and essentials through subspace compression. Without a word, she moved downstairs to grab breakfast. I lingered for a moment, my gaze fixed on the old wooden floor. Crimson mist¡­ Sighing heavily, I stepped outside to retrieve the sportscar from the garage. But before starting the engine, I fished out my worn pocket diary ¡ª the one I''ve kept since that day. Flipping through the brittle pages, my eyes settled on the entry marked with a thick crimson line. The narrative has been illicitly obtained; should you discover it on Amazon, report the violation. Fifteen years ago, the universe changed. A deep exhale escaped me as I recalled the day it all began. A crimson mist, alien and incomprehensible, descended across the universe. Its touch was not death ¡ª it was transmutation. It broke down everything to its atomic level, rewriting the very laws of existence. Plants mutated, animals evolved, and humans¡­ we awakened. Our dormant potential erupted, gifting us powers beyond logic or science. At first, it seemed miraculous. Until the price surfaced. The mist didn¡¯t just alter us ¡ª it fractured space itself. Portals began appearing ¡ª devouring anything within a three-meter radius. Families were lost, cities consumed, and I¡­ I lost people I cherished. But the true nightmare came five years later, when the mist returned. This time, the portals didn¡¯t consume. They vomited. Grotesque, decaying creatures emerged, driven solely by destruction. They tore through continents, obliterating Antarctica and Europe entirely before we adapted. By then, humanity had learned to harness the powers gifted by the mist ¡ª our salvation and our curse. We ¡ª the First Generation ¡ª were the first to control abilities linked to celestial bodies and cosmic concepts: planets, stars, quasars, even time and space. I was one of them. But the children born after the Crimson Mist ¡ª the Second Generation ¡ª were different. Their abilities did not stem from themselves but from the raw energy seeping from the spatial portals. They could manipulate cosmic energy directly ¡ª a phenomenon still vastly unexplained. The prevailing theory? We were mutating, subtly transformed by the mist, the portals, and the very creatures we fought. I closed the diary, my heart heavy. Another grim page to be added today, perhaps. ¡°Uncle?¡± Startled, I turned to see Edith already outside, staring at me with subtle concern. ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡± I nodded wordlessly and started the engine. The 1.5-hour drive to Sector 15 ¡ª where her training center was located ¡ª felt longer than usual. The landscape around us was a haunting reminder of the past. Vast wastelands, remnants of destroyed cities, and patches of stabilized zones with advanced infrastructure. Humanity had adapted ¡ª but the wounds were still visible. ¡°You know,¡± Edith finally spoke, breaking the silence, ¡°I don¡¯t think the mist came randomly. There has to be a reason why it appeared ¡ª why it chose our universe.¡± I glanced at her through the rearview mirror. ¡°You¡¯ve been reading too many conspiracy logs again, haven¡¯t you?¡± She smirked. ¡°Can you blame me? Everything around us has changed. Don¡¯t you ever wonder if we¡¯re just¡­ part of something bigger?¡± A bitter chuckle escaped me. ¡°I stopped wondering the day I lost my brother.¡± The conversation fell silent after that. Eventually, we reached the training center ¡ª a massive hexagonal fortress surrounding a stabilized spatial portal. The structure, twenty meters tall and blindingly white, hummed with faint energy. It was one of the few remaining places where humanity tried to master the very force that once sought to consume them. Edith opened the car door and grabbed her bag. ¡°Don¡¯t overwork yourself at the facility, Uncle. And stop carrying that diary everywhere ¡ª it¡¯s haunting you.¡± I forced a smile. ¡°And you don¡¯t over-train yourself. Your safety comes first, okay?¡± She gave me a casual wave as she walked toward the entrance, her posture unwavering, her aura sharp like a blade. She was growing stronger ¡ª and that both terrified and comforted me. As she disappeared into the center, I leaned back in the driver¡¯s seat. ¡°¡­I really hope it works today.¡± Starting the engine, I drove toward the science facility. Little did I know, today would add a new page to my diary ¡ª and this time, it wouldn¡¯t be one of hope. It would be one of horror. Chapter 2: Trauma I arrived at the science facility. The building itself wasn''t anything extraordinary ¡ª a standard high-tech research center, albeit with more organized and advanced equipment than usual. I greeted the scientists and made my way directly to the experiment room. The room was constructed entirely around a spatial portal ¡ª today''s main focus. Advanced gadgets and complex devices surrounded the portal, all protected by reinforced high-quality glass. ¡°Ah, you¡¯re here. Now we can finally start the experiment.¡± I flinched slightly at the voice, my gaze still fixed on the portal. It was Junia ¡ª a short brunette girl with part of her hair braided while the rest flowed loosely. Her fair skin, azure eyes, and well-developed figure made her presence easily noticeable. Junia was known for her cheerful personality but when it came to work, she was all business. ¡°Yeah, go ahead. I just hope this works¡­ if we succeed, we might finally save those who were devoured.¡± I spoke with firm conviction, my heart heavy with expectation. Junia smiled softly, then turned towards the other scientists. ¡°Alright, everyone. Take your positions. Just so we¡¯re clear, I¡¯ll be using my powers to forcibly open this portal. Our goal is to enter the other side and, if possible, rescue the people who were taken. We have Arceid here as our security, but be warned ¡ª it¡¯s extremely dangerous. Anyone having second thoughts can leave now. This is your last chance.¡± A few of them hesitated, eyes briefly flickering toward me. I responded with a confident, reassuring smile. No one left. I gave Junia a nod, signaling her to proceed. She let out a subtle smile. ¡°Seems like they really trust you, Arceid.¡± I shrugged. ¡°I mean, I¡¯m not called the strongest for nothing.¡± Love this novel? Read it on Royal Road to ensure the author gets credit. Junia moved to the control panel, and the other scientists began activating their respective equipment. I stepped back, maintaining a cautious distance in case anything went wrong. ¡°Alright. Pouring my energy now. Stay sharp, everyone.¡± Junia¡¯s azure energy flared, condensing into a concentrated beam and merging with the spatial portal. Sparks of vibrant blue and transparent light began seeping from the portal¡¯s core. Thin streams of energy slithered like lightning, gradually stabilizing the gateway. And then ¡ª it opened. My world stopped. A familiar silhouette appeared within the portal ¡ª one I never expected to see again. My younger brother. Azrael. Before anyone could react, my body moved on its own. I accelerated at sonic speed, plunging into the portal and grabbing him. Without hesitation, I dragged him back. The moment we emerged, the portal collapsed behind us. My heart raced as I laid him on the ground. He was bleeding profusely ¡ª half his torso was missing. The same wound from that day¡­ the day he saved Edith. ¡°Azrael¡­ no¡­¡± My mind went blank. Distantly, I could hear Junia and the others shouting, but their voices were muffled. My thoughts spiraled into the past¡­ the day when this nightmare began. ¡­¡­ Seven years ago¡­ We were on a family vacation ¡ª my sister, her husband, Azrael, little Edith, and me. Our parents couldn''t join us due to a religious tour, so we decided to spend some time together, making happy memories. The day was perfect ¡ª carnivals, movies, park visits. Everything was normal¡­ until it happened. We had paused by a park, the adults chatting on a bench while Azrael played with Edith. That was when the mist came. Thick, unnatural, and suffocating. We brushed it off at first ¡ª until Azrael instinctively shielded Edith. Minutes passed. The mist dissipated. We relaxed. And then¡­ the portal appeared. A swirling, monstrous void opened just two meters behind them. Its gravitational force uprooted rides and benches, devouring everything in its path. Edith was pulled a meter toward it. We froze in horror. My sister screamed and tried to rush in, but my brother-in-law and I held her back. Our bodies trembled, paralyzed by fear. And then¡­ Azrael moved. Using the force of the debris being pulled into the portal, he launched himself toward Edith. He caught her ¡ª and with all his might, threw her toward us. We caught her just in time. But Azrael¡­ A massive piece of ride struck him in the side, tearing through his torso. The impact flung him directly into the portal. And then ¡ª he was gone. ¡­¡­ ¡°Arceid!! Arceid!!! Snap out of it!!¡± SLAP! The sharp sting jolted me back. Junia stood before me, her eyes blazing with urgency. ¡°That¡¯s my brother!!¡± I roared, clutching her shoulders. ¡°We can save him! Call the healers! NOW!¡± Junia, visibly shaken, grabbed my wrists and firmly replied, ¡°Look at his body, Arceid.¡± Confused, I turned my gaze toward Azrael¡¯s mangled form ¡ª and froze. The wound was gone. His torso ¡ª which should¡¯ve been missing ¡ª was fully intact. His body¡­ was regenerating. ¡°What¡­ the hell¡­¡± Chapter 3: Kaltain Verge [Edith] ¡°I should probably go and train until classes start.¡± I made my way to room number 23 ¡ª an enclosed hexagonal chamber, pure white, heavily reinforced, and void of any distractions. The rule was simple: once you entered, the door would lock, and no one would come to your aid unless the threat was deemed far beyond your capability. It was a harsh yet necessary regulation set by the government to ensure equal opportunity for growth. No favoritism. No rescue. Survive or fail. I stepped into the chamber, the door automatically sealing behind me. In the center of the room stood the transparent portal ¡ª the boon and curse of the cosmos. I sat cross-legged in front of it, taking a deep breath. The portal exuded cosmic energy, a volatile force both nurturing and terrifying. As I began to absorb it, the sensation was indescribable. Every atom in my body vibrated, oscillating between euphoria and dread. It was as if my body was celebrating and screaming in agony at the same time. This was the process. The more I absorbed, the more my body would adapt ¡ª eventually allowing me to perceive cosmic energy with my bare eyes and shape it according to my will. I had already reached that stage long ago. But now¡­ I was stuck. No matter how much energy I took in, I couldn''t convert it into raw power like my peers did. My body was nourished far beyond theirs, but my output remained frustratingly low. ¡°Maybe today will be different,¡± I muttered under my breath. My teachers, and even my uncle, told me the same thing ¡ª this is a hurdle only you can overcome. But I didn¡¯t understand. If that were true, then what was the point of coming to college? Shouldn¡¯t I just isolate myself and train nonstop until I figured it out? If you spot this story on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation. I clutched my head. ¡°Ugh¡­ I¡¯m wasting time thinking about this.¡± I shook off the distracting thoughts and resumed training, trying to manipulate the cosmic energy with my consciousness. Minutes turned into hours. ¡­¡­ Three hours later. ¡°¡­Still nothing.¡± My clothes were drenched in sweat. Another effect of the cosmic energy ¡ª it cleansed impurities from the body, preserving youth and extending lifespans. A biological miracle, really. ¡°I should clean up.¡± I headed toward the bathroom, tucked away in the far corner of the facility. With a thought, I disintegrated my clothes into particles and stored them in my portable watch ¡ª a marvel of spatial technology gifted to me by Junia. ¡°Junia is the best,¡± I chuckled to myself. After a long, refreshing shower, I commanded the wind to dry my hair and changed back into my casuals. ¡°Having a mini storage space is ridiculously convenient.¡± I checked the time. ¡°Crap, I¡¯m gonna be late for college.¡± .¡­.. The walk to college took about twenty minutes. The entire campus was enormous ¡ª a testament to humanity¡¯s rapid adaptation after the emergence of these portals. Students with various talents showcased their strengths in different departments, constantly pushing their limits to reduce mortality rates during expeditions. The stronger we became, the less likely people would die. That was the hope, anyway. As I approached my classroom, a feeling of monotony washed over me. ¡°Ugh¡­ Creatureology first,¡± I muttered in distaste. The classroom was arranged in rows, two students per desk. No gender segregation. Just a collective group of future defenders. There were thirty-six students in my class ¡ª Section 4-A. The higher your strength, the higher your class. I didn''t have friends, so I usually took the last seat. The teacher, Mr. Nine, walked in. Dark-skinned, brown-haired, and built like a tank. Despite his unassuming name, he was an exceptional Creatureology instructor. ¡°¡­I still hate his name,¡± I muttered under my breath. ¡­¡­ The rest of the day dragged on. After Creatureology came History, then Martial Arts, and finally Control class. By the end of it, my energy was drained, and I couldn''t wait to get home. But something was wrong. My uncle was always waiting for me at the gate ¡ª punctual down to the second. Today, however, it had already been thirty minutes, and there was no sign of him. ¡°¡­Did something happen?¡± My palms began to sweat, my breathing unsteady. My gaze darted from one place to another, unable to focus. Calm down. He''s probably late¡­ that''s all. ¡°Miss Edith?¡± I flinched. Turning around, I saw Kaltain ¡ª one of the most renowned students on campus. Tall, silver-haired, violet-eyed, and physically built like a protagonist from a romance novel. His presence alone made most girls swoon. There was another reason to swoon at him though. Currently, he was The strongest in New Gen. ¡°Is your uncle late?¡± he asked smoothly. ¡°Mind if I drop you home?¡± I scowled. ¡°I don¡¯t need it.¡± Kaltain chuckled, his voice annoyingly confident. ¡°Relax. I¡¯m not going to do anything weird just because you rejected me.¡± Right. I had rejected his confession once, and it did little to deter him. There was something about him ¡ª something off. Either I was being overly cautious, or he was hiding something. Either way, I didn¡¯t like him. ¡°He¡¯ll come. You don¡¯t have to bother.¡± Kaltain casually gestured toward the campus cafe. ¡°Well, how about I keep you company until he arrives?¡± I clenched my fists. ¡°¡­Suit yourself.¡± Chapter 4: Reunion [Arceid] I checked my brother''s body, my hands trembling slightly. His wounds ¡ª the gaping hole in his torso, the fractured bones, the shredded flesh ¡ª were regenerating at an astonishing speed. His bones realigned, nerves mended, and skin wove itself back together, all without any external aid. My eyes widened. I turned to Junia, hoping for an explanation. She gasped, ¡°Don¡¯t look at me like that! I have no idea what¡¯s happening. Sure, the new generation kids can heal themselves, but this? This is way beyond anything I¡¯ve seen. His body is healing on its own, without any conscious effort.¡± I could feel his heartbeat stabilizing beneath my palm. His breathing grew steady. His skin, once pale and clammy, regained color. It was¡­ surreal. ¡°His condition is stabilizing,¡± I muttered. ¡°His heart¡¯s pumping fine, his lungs are working. We should keep him under observation.¡± Junia nodded. ¡°I was about to suggest the same. My best guess? The cosmic energy from the portal must¡¯ve influenced his body ¡ª it¡¯s the only logical explanation.¡± A team of workers arrived with a stretcher, carefully moving Azrael to the observation room. I watched in silence, my mind clouded with disbelief. ¡­¡­ A few moments later, Junia approached me. ¡°So¡­ what do you think? Was the experiment successful?¡± she asked. I exhaled slowly. ¡°I¡¯d say partially. We managed to create a semi-stable wormhole, but it still needs a lot of work.¡± ¡°Fair enough. Once it¡¯s perfected, we might be able to deploy a rescue team to search for the victims.¡± I chuckled, ¡°Victims, huh? I¡¯ve been calling them ¡®devoured people.¡¯¡± Junia shot me a glare. ¡°Don¡¯t say ¡®devoured.¡¯ It makes it sound like they were killed. Just¡­ victims, okay?¡± I raised my hands defensively. ¡°Alright, alright. My bad.¡± The narrative has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident. She pouted, crossing her arms. ¡°Good. You¡¯re lucky I let you off easy.¡± We both shared a small laugh, temporarily pushing aside the grim weight of reality. ¡°I¡¯m gonna go check on your brother,¡± Junia said. ¡°I¡¯ll send someone to inform you when the assessment¡¯s done.¡± I nodded and made my way to the break room to grab some refreshments. My thoughts, however, never left Azrael. ¡­¡­ A few hours later. A worker eventually came to inform me that the checkup was complete. Without wasting a second, I hurried to the observation room. The room was vast ¡ª white marble floors with intricate carvings lined the walls. Azrael lay on a large medical bed, surrounded by advanced diagnostic machines, each emitting faint mechanical whirs and clinks. Junia stood beside him, a serious expression plastered on her face. But when she noticed me, her lips curled into a mischievous grin. ¡°You never told me your brother was this handsome,¡± she teased. I chuckled. ¡°I mean¡­ he is my brother. Looks kinda run in the family, you know?¡± Junia scoffed, ¡°Yeah, yeah. Humble as always.¡± Then her tone shifted. ¡°Jokes aside, you must be overwhelmed. Having your brother back after fifteen years¡­¡± I took a deep breath. ¡°Honestly? Not as much as you¡¯d think. I think I already have a grasp of what¡¯s happening. Time dilation theory, right?¡± Junia¡¯s eyes widened in surprise. ¡°Hah! So you aren¡¯t just a muscle-brained brute after all.¡± I rolled my eyes. ¡°I¡¯ve known you for half a decade, Junia. You still think I¡¯m all brawn and no brain?¡± She laughed. ¡°Sorry, sorry. But yes, you¡¯re right. Time in those portals flows differently. From his perspective, he probably still thinks it¡¯s the same day he was devoured.¡± I frowned. ¡°Then why did the portal open here, at this exact spot?¡± Junia¡¯s face darkened. ¡°That¡¯s the part that¡¯s bothering me. The portal didn¡¯t just appear ¡ª it returned. It¡¯s the exact same one from fifteen years ago. Only the location shifted.¡± I froze. ¡°¡­What are you saying?¡± Junia grabbed my trembling hands. ¡°I mean the portals are moving. They aren''t fixed points anymore. The secured zones? Meaningless now. Those creatures can emerge anywhere ¡ª anytime.¡± My blood ran cold. My scalp dried up. If what she said was true, then nowhere is safe. My stomach churned at the horrifying realization. Before I could fully process the gravity of the situation, I heard a familiar voice. ¡°What kind of kinky act are you two playing in front of a patient?¡± Junia and I both flinched, instinctively putting distance between ourselves. Azrael was awake, sitting straight, his eyes lazily mocking us. I cleared my throat, glaring at him. ¡°You¡¯re awfully energetic for someone who was half dead a few hours ago, don¡¯t you think, little brother?¡± Azrael dramatically clutched his chest. ¡°How could you say that? I¡¯m just barely managing to sit upright. My body feels like it¡¯s been ripped apart and sewn back together!¡± ¡°¡­Technically, it was,¡± I muttered under my breath. Looking at him now ¡ª he hadn¡¯t aged a day. Same fair skin, slightly above-average height, messy raven-black hair, and those sharp dark eyes. Despite being trapped for fifteen years, he still looked like the nineteen-year-old boy who once protected Edith. His body was still slightly skinny, but his features screamed troublemaker. ¡°So,¡± I leaned against the wall, crossing my arms. ¡°Wanna tell me how you¡¯re feeling?¡± Azrael winced dramatically. ¡°Like half my torso was ripped out and shoved back in. Every inch of me is sore as hell.¡± ¡°Yeah, well. That¡¯s exactly what happened.¡± He scoffed. ¡°Fantastic. So¡­ how about you tell me what the hell happened while I was gone?¡± I grinned. ¡°Sure.¡± I grabbed my personal diary from my pocket and flung it at his face. Thud! ¡°What the hell!?¡± Azrael flared. ¡°I¡¯m a patient, you know. Show some sympathy!¡± ¡°Quit whining and read,¡± I smirked. ¡°I summarized the past fifteen years for you.¡± Grumbling, he caught the diary and skimmed through it. About half an hour later, he set it down, exhaling sharply. ¡°¡­Shit.¡± ¡°Yeah. Welcome to the future, kid.¡± I smirked. ¡°By the way, I¡¯m twenty-six years older than you now. That makes me your big-big brother officially. Show some respect. Lil bro.¡± Azrael raised an eyebrow. ¡°¡­Sure thing, Uncle Arceid.¡± My eyes twitched. Without hesitation, I walked over and smacked the back of his head. Smack! ¡°OW! What the hell!?¡± ¡°Watch your mouth, kid.¡± Yup. He¡¯s still the same damn brat. Chapter 5: Cheeky Brother [Arceid] ¡°Hey!! I¡¯m still a patient here! Show some concern, will you?¡± Azrael whined, throwing his hands in the air. I scoffed. ¡°I did show concern. Otherwise, you''d still be a pulp.¡± Azrael grinned mischievously. ¡°Fair enough. Still, you¡¯ve got powers now, huh? Maybe I should visit that magic portal too ¡ª get myself some cool abilities.¡± I raised a brow. ¡°Yeah, sure. That worked so well for you last time.¡± Unbothered, he pushed the sheets off and stood up, stretching his limbs. ¡°Ugh¡­ This hospital robe is the worst. Can I get some actual clothes or something?¡± Junia stepped in, opening her portable bracelet. With a tap, a holographic projection revealed three options ¡ª a ring, a watch, and a bracelet. ¡°You can pick one. They each have a storage function with preset clothing catalogs.¡± Azrael inspected them briefly and grabbed the ring. ¡°I¡¯ll take this. Seems the least intrusive.¡± He turned to me with a smirk. ¡°I¡¯m guessing this¡¯ll be on your tab, huh? These things look expensive.¡± Junia chuckled, ¡°No worries. Consider it a gift from me ¡ª your brother¡¯s long-time friend.¡± Azrael examined the ring for a moment, his smirk deepening. ¡°Huh. A free gift, huh? Guess I¡¯ll accept it then.¡± He skimmed through the clothing catalog within the ring, eventually settling on a black hoodie, black t-shirt, black trousers, and matching sneakers. Within seconds, his attire materialized on him. ¡°Alright, I¡¯m all set. Show me the way to this fancy portal of yours.¡± ¡­¡­ As we walked toward the portal room, I occasionally glanced back to check on Azrael. He seemed oddly comfortable despite everything. His eyes wandered, absorbing every detail of the facility as if he¡¯d lived here all along. Junia sidled up next to me, leaning in with a whisper. ¡°Hey¡­ don¡¯t you think he¡¯s a little too calm about all this?¡± I frowned. ¡°What do you mean?¡± She lowered her voice further. ¡°I mean ¡ª if I were him, I¡¯d be freaking out, crying, or at least visibly shocked. He was gone for fifteen years, Arceid. But look at him ¡ª he¡¯s walking around like he just took a nap and woke up in the future. No existential crisis, no panic ¡ª nothing. Doesn¡¯t that strike you as odd?¡± Love this novel? Read it on Royal Road to ensure the author gets credit. I glanced back at Azrael. His posture was relaxed, his hands in his pockets, his gaze curious but unnerved. I chuckled. ¡°Nah, you don¡¯t know my brother. He was never the type to lose his head over things he couldn¡¯t control. Besides, I already told him the situation ¡ª why wouldn¡¯t he believe me?¡± Junia didn¡¯t look convinced. ¡°Still¡­ something feels off.¡± I raised a brow. ¡°You¡¯re overthinking it.¡± ¡°¡­Maybe.¡± ¡­¡­ We finally arrived at the portal chamber. The air was heavy with residual cosmic energy, and the spatial rift in the center radiated a faint, ominous glow. Junia moved ahead to check the portal¡¯s stability while I requested the workers to clear the room. Azrael, however, walked straight to the portal, his eyes locked on it with a strange intensity. ¡°Oi. Don¡¯t get too close,¡± I warned. He didn¡¯t answer. Instead, he reached out, letting the cosmic energy engulf his hand. Before I could stop him, he shot his palm toward me, signaling me to stay put. ¡°What the hell are you¡ª¡± He raised his right hand toward the portal. Instantly, the energy around him condensed unnaturally fast. Within seconds, a small hole formed above his forefinger ¡ª as if he¡¯d just torn the fabric of space itself. The hole twisted, crackling with chaotic energy before abruptly collapsing. The sheer force shattered his forefinger, causing his bone to snap and dangle unnaturally. ¡°Azrael!!¡± I rushed toward him. But before I could get close, his finger rapidly regenerated. Flesh reformed, bone realigned, and within minutes, his hand looked as if nothing had happened. Azrael stared at his healed hand¡­ and then ¡ª ¡°AHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!¡± He erupted into a fit of wild, unhinged laughter. ¡°¡­You finally lost it,¡± I muttered. ¡°Or maybe you¡¯re just a masochist. Is this some weird thrill-seeking stunt?¡± Azrael, clutching his stomach from laughing too hard, waved me off. ¡°N-No¡­ hah¡­ I¡¯m just¡ª This is fun, man.¡± My eyes narrowed. ¡°Fun?¡± His grin widened. ¡°Yeah. I mean, come on ¡ª I just broke my own damn finger and watched it regenerate in minutes. You don¡¯t think that¡¯s insanely cool?¡± I blinked. That was¡­ actually the most carefree expression I had seen on his face in years. ¡°¡­Good for you, I guess,¡± I muttered. ¡°Yeah, and you¡¯re forgetting someone.¡± I raised a brow. ¡°Who?¡± ¡°Edith, you dumbass. It¡¯s well past 4 PM. Didn¡¯t you write in your diary that you pick her up every day?¡± I froze. ¡°Shit.¡± Azrael grinned like a devil. ¡°Hehehe, you are a bad uncle. Fret not Edith, your good uncle has returned.¡± My fists clenched. Without hesitation ¡ª SMACK! ¡ª I landed a solid hit on his head. ¡°OWW!! What the hell!?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t get cocky, brat.¡± Still rubbing his head, Azrael¡¯s expression suddenly turned nonchalant. ¡°By the way, cancel my homecoming plan for a week. I¡¯ve got things I need to figure out first.¡± I paused. ¡°¡­What?¡± He shrugged. ¡°I mean, I just came back from a death zone. Can¡¯t I have a little fun before I meet mom and dad?¡± I stared at him, momentarily stunned. It wasn¡¯t like he forgot our parents ¡ª it was more like¡­ they weren¡¯t his priority right now. ¡°¡­Alright, fine. I¡¯ll pick up Edith. You do your thing.¡± Azrael smirked. ¡°Good. Oh, and before I forget ¡ª what¡¯s your power level now?¡± I grinned smugly. ¡°Planetary. Absolute control of my aspect.¡± Azrael¡¯s face immediately contorted in disappointment. ¡°¡­That¡¯s it?¡± ¡°What?¡± I blinked. ¡°You¡¯re telling me the strongest Astra is only planetary? Damn, bro. That¡¯s kinda disappointing.¡± I gritted my teeth. ¡°You little¡ª¡± Azrael raised his hands defensively. ¡°I¡¯m just saying! You¡¯re the peak of planetary strength but the shit we¡¯re dealing with is clearly universal scale. Shouldn¡¯t you, you know¡­ level up or something?¡± My eye twitched. ¡°If you think it¡¯s that easy, why don¡¯t you do it?¡± Azrael laughed. ¡°Dude, I¡¯m a teenager. It¡¯s your job to solve problems. Mine is to create them.¡± The fact he said that with such a straight face made my fists itch again. ¡°¡­I¡¯m leaving. I¡¯ll get Edith. You, enjoy your ¡®fun¡¯ or whatever.¡± As I walked away, he called out casually. ¡°Oh, and don¡¯t tell mom and dad about me yet. I wanna surprise them.¡± I paused, a faint smile forming on my face. ¡°¡­Took you long enough to say that.¡± Azrael¡¯s voice softened. ¡°They¡¯re my parents too, man. I didn¡¯t forget them¡­ just figured you were there, so they¡¯d be fine.¡± ¡°¡­Yeah. They were.¡± As I stepped out of the room, I couldn¡¯t help but think ¡ª he came back alright. But something about him¡­ felt different. Chapter 6: New Infrastructure [Arceid] ¡°Hahaha¡­ I¡¯m a filial child, of course, you¡¯d be at ease¡± Azrael grinned, but just as quickly as his grin came, his expression shifted ¡ª his gaze sharpened, his voice dipped cold. ¡°But what about our sister?¡± I froze. His eyes pinned me down like a predator. ¡°You didn¡¯t mention her in your diary. Any particular reason why?¡± I ruffled my hair and forced a chuckle. ¡°Nothing serious. She¡¯s in the Gold Level region, working to prevent accidents.¡± Azrael tilted his head. ¡°Gold Level? What¡¯s that? There¡¯s a lot missing from that diary, isn¡¯t there?¡± ¡°¡­Right. You¡¯ve been out for fifteen years, after all.¡± I exhaled and began explaining. ¡°You know about Antarctica and Europe being destroyed, but the rest of the world isn¡¯t exactly thriving either.¡± ¡°Figured as much.¡± ¡°The only continents still barely holding on are Asia and Australia. And when I say barely, that¡¯s being generous. Most major cities have fallen. The global population¡¯s dropped below a billion. Animals? They¡¯ve lost all reason ¡ª turned feral. To minimize further loss of human life, secured zones were created and divided into four levels: Diamond, Gold, Silver, and Bronze.¡± Azrael scoffed. ¡°Lemme guess ¡ª Diamond¡¯s the safest, Bronze¡¯s the death sentence.¡± ¡°Pretty much.¡± I continued. ¡°Each level has 100 sectors. Higher levels mean better quality of life, lower levels¡­ not so much.¡± ¡°And Diamond Level has schools, hospitals, training facilities ¡ª the whole utopia package?¡± ¡°Both Gold and Diamond do, but the difference is astronomical. Not just the facilities ¡ª the economy too. The old monetary system collapsed. Now, we use something called Credits.¡± This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road. If you spot it on Amazon, please report it. Azrael leaned against the wall. ¡°And how do you get Credits?¡± I shot him a glare. ¡°Stop interrupting me.¡± ¡°Sorry, sorry. Continue.¡± I sighed. ¡°Credits are earned by working in facilities, taking up social services, or the most lucrative ¡ª killing creatures and delivering their bodies to various associations.¡± ¡°Associations? You mean big-ass corporations profiting off monster carcasses?¡± ¡°Essentially. They act as intermediaries ¡ª collect materials, supply resources, and rake in profits. They basically control the economy now.¡± Azrael scoffed. ¡°So no government?¡± ¡°There is one. It consists of powerful ability users and scholars who establish and enforce laws. Break one, and you get demoted to a lower level.¡± Azrael chuckled bitterly. ¡°So, from Diamond to Gold. Gold to Silver. And Silver to Bronze ¡ª where you¡¯re practically meat for the monsters.¡± ¡°¡­Exactly.¡± ¡°And those two continents ¡ª Asia and Australia ¡ª they¡¯re crammed with survivors from all over, right?¡± I nodded. ¡°Yeah. Migration during the catastrophe flooded the continents with diverse populations. That¡¯s why you¡¯ll see foreigners everywhere. Like Junia ¡ª she¡¯s not from here either.¡± ¡°Yeah, I figured. I overheard you two talking.¡± He waved dismissively. ¡°¡­I didn¡¯t even introduce her to you yet.¡± ¡°Eavesdropping¡¯s a hobby now. Don¡¯t mind me.¡± I scoffed. ¡°Anyway ¡ª I lead an association called Blue Fright. Don¡¯t ask about the name; it was impulsive.¡± Azrael¡¯s smirk returned. ¡°So you¡¯re loaded now, huh?¡± ¡°Shut up.¡± ¡°Damn, bro. You¡¯ve been wasting time here with me. Go get Edith already.¡± ¡°¡­Right.¡± I checked the time. I was already late. ¡°You¡¯ll stay here with Junia, yeah?¡± He gave a lazy wave. ¡°Yeah, yeah. Just don¡¯t take too long.¡± ¡­¡­ At the College. I arrived at the campus, glancing around for Edith. To my surprise ¡ª she was actually talking to someone. Wait¡­ is that a boy? Scratch that ¡ª a tall, ridiculously attractive boy. Silver hair, violet eyes, well-built physique. Something about him immediately screamed trouble. I approached, faking my casual demeanor. ¡°Edith! Sorry I¡¯m late. Let¡¯s head home.¡± Edith¡¯s eyes flicked to me, startled. She immediately walked over to my side. The boy smiled politely. ¡°Ah, you must be Mr. Arceid. I¡¯m Kaltain Verge ¡ª Edith¡¯s classmate.¡± Kaltain Verge¡­? The name clicked in my brain. Kaltain Verge ¡ª Rank 1, New Generation ¡ª Class 1-A. The strongest new generation Astra known. I offered a handshake. ¡°Pleasure to meet you. I¡¯ve heard a lot about you.¡± Kaltain¡¯s grip was firm, his smile unnervingly flawless. ¡°The pleasure¡¯s mine, Sir.¡± ¡°¡­Thanks for keeping her company.¡± ¡°No trouble at all. She¡¯s¡­ a lovely girl.¡± My internal alarms flared. ¡°You better stay the hell away from her, you creep.¡± Forcing a smile, I said, ¡°Well, we¡¯ll be heading home now. Sorry to cut your time short.¡± ¡°Not a problem. See you around, Edith.¡± Kaltain gave a small wave before walking off. As we headed to the car, I smirked. ¡°Seems like you made a friend.¡± Edith rolled her eyes. ¡°He¡¯s not my friend.¡± ¡°Yes, yes, sure.¡± ¡°¡­Stop.¡± I ruffled her hair. ¡°Admit it. He¡¯s charming.¡± ¡°Ugh. I hate you.¡± ¡­ ¡­ Later That Night. After dropping Edith off, I showered, worked out, spent some time with our parents, and finally decided to check in on them before bed. I carefully crept into their room. They were both sound asleep. Our parents ¡ª both well past their 80s ¡ª didn¡¯t look a day over 40, thanks to the effects of cosmic energy. Dad had my darker skin tone, black hair, and a solid build. Mom was much paler, with sharp features and a nurturing presence. ¡°They look¡­ peaceful.¡± I wanted to wake them and tell them about Azrael. But¡­ his request. One week. ¡°¡­He has his reasons.¡± Still, something gnawed at me. Why did he really want a week? And then it hit me. Azrael wasn¡¯t the type to seek curiosity for the unknown. ¡°¡­What did you see in there, Azrael?¡± I closed the door quietly and headed back to my room. The night air felt heavier than usual. Chapter 7: Faker [Junia] It had been three days since Arceid¡¯s brother arrived. At first, I expected him to be a problem¡ªanother arrogant, reckless Astra like the others who thought power made them untouchable. But Azrael? He wasn¡¯t like them. He rarely spoke, barely moved from his designated room or the portal chamber. The playful, trolling personality Arceid had described was nowhere to be seen. Instead, he spent hours staring blankly, lost in thought, his expression void of any emotion. Something about him felt¡­ off. Not just eerie¡ªwrong. The few times the portal activated, creatures emerged¡ªferal, weak things barely above mortal level. But even then, Azrael refused assistance, insisting on fighting alone. What surprised me wasn¡¯t his confidence¡ªit was his control. He fought with a level of refinement far beyond a typical mortal. Our power classification had four sublevels: 1. Instinctual Level (Raw strength) 2. Trained Level (Skilled use) 3. Mastered Level (True control) 4. Absolute Control (Omniscient mastery) Azrael, despite being at mortal rank, displayed Trained Level control¡ªunusual, to say the least. But the most unnerving part? He showed no emotion while killing. Not even disgust. No hesitation. No pleasure. Just¡­ emptiness. Was he hyper-focused? Or was this just who he was? I dismissed the thought and walked up to him, forcing a cheerful tone. ¡°Hello, Azrael! You should take a break before your brother finds out and¡ª¡± A case of content theft: this narrative is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation. Without a word, he stood and walked past me toward the cafeteria. My eye twitched. ¡°¡­What the hell was that?¡± I clenched my fists, muttering, ¡°Mannerless bastard.¡± But I let it go. No point wasting my energy. I had research to do. ¡­¡­ Hours later, while walking through the halls, I saw him again¡ªsitting cross-legged before the portal, unmoving. I would¡¯ve ignored him¡ªuntil I felt it. A faint energy fluctuation. My heart skipped. The portal shimmered, the distortion growing unstable. Then¡ªit stepped through. A giant. No¡ªsomething worse. Its entire body was coated in a metal-like substance, rippling like liquid silver. Faceless, humanoid, but unmistakably unnatural. The energy it radiated was leagues above the creatures he had faced before. This thing wasn¡¯t mortal. I instinctively classified its power: 1. Mortal Rank (Enhanced physical abilities, basic energy control) 2. Planetoid Rank (Asteroid-scale destruction) 3. Planetary Rank (Global-level power) 4. Star Rank (System-wide destruction) 5. Galactic Rank (Dominion over galaxies) 6. Universal Rank (Masters of reality) Even among millions of Astras, only a handful have reached Planetary Rank. Arceid¡ªthe strongest Astra, had reached Planetary Rank with Mastered Level control. But this thing? Planetoid Rank. A level above Azrael. He was in danger. I prepared to intervene, summoning cosmic energy as the space around me glowed azure¡ª Then he looked straight at me. His eyes were cold, commanding. Don¡¯t interfere. Was he insane? Did he not realize the gap between them? Ignoring his silent warning, I struck first. The space between the creature¡¯s limbs cracked, tearing its body apart at the shoulders, elbows, and knees. It collapsed like a broken mannequin. It didn''t take much trouble to take it down. ¡°Luckily for him. I am one of the handful Planetary Rank Astras.¡± I smirked. ¡°I¡¯m the best.¡± I turned to Azrael, expecting gratitude. Instead¡ª He glared. A deep, ice-cold stare that made my stomach churn. Stepping forward, he locked eyes with me and spoke in a monotone voice. ¡°Next time, don¡¯t interfere. I knew it was Planetoid Rank. I need these battles to grow.¡± I snapped. ¡°Are you stupid? This isn¡¯t some street brawl! The gap between ranks isn¡¯t something you can just brute force your way through! YOU WOULD¡¯VE DIED BEFORE EVEN LANDING A HIT!¡± His glare darkened. His already cold eyes lost what little light remained. ¡°¡­Yeah? So what? If I die, I die. That¡¯s it.¡± My breath hitched. ¡°¡­What about your family?¡± ¡°They¡¯d get over it.¡± His voice was empty. I clenched my fists. ¡°You don¡¯t mean that.¡± His lip curled in disgust. ¡°Don¡¯t give me that fake concern.¡± My eyes widened. ¡°Fake¡­?¡± ¡°I¡¯ve been holding back, but honestly?¡± He took another step forward, his voice dropping to a whisper. ¡°You make me sick.¡± I felt my stomach tighten. ¡°Excuse me?¡± He towered over me, his tone lifeless. ¡°You want me to explain? Fine. That smile of yours¡ªit¡¯s fake. It irks me. Faker than the media. Whenever you talk to someone, your mind wanders. You pretend to care, but you don¡¯t. You manipulate everyone into relying on you. Just like you did with my brother.¡± His last sentence cut deeper than I expected. I stared at him, stunned. Was I really¡ª? ¡­No. He wasn¡¯t wrong. I hated this place. I hated my job. I didn¡¯t give a damn about the world or its people. I was forced to be here. I wore my smile like armor, pretending to care¡ªbecause if I didn¡¯t, I¡¯d go feral. Azrael saw straight through it. He wasn¡¯t guessing. He knew. His next words sealed it. ¡°I don¡¯t care what you do. Just don¡¯t ever put on that fake smile around me. And stay away from my family.¡± I felt my lips twitch. He wanted me to stop pretending? Fine. I dropped the act, my usual plastered expression melting away. Then, I looked up at him¡ªgrinning ear to ear. ¡°You¡¯re fun, Azrael.¡± I chuckled, taking a step closer. ¡°Since you see through me, I guess I don¡¯t have to pretend anymore.¡± His glare remained, but he said nothing. Good. If he didn¡¯t want me to be fake¡ªthen I¡¯d play with him properly. Chapter 8: Friendly Quarrel [Junia] ¡°As you wish, you fucker. I don''t even like this persona myself. I¡¯ll gladly take your offer.¡± ¡°Good. It¡¯ll be better for both of us.¡± ¡°About the family part¡ªyeah, that¡¯s not happening. I work with your brother in Blue Fright.¡± ¡°That¡¯s fine. It¡¯s work.¡± I raised a brow. ¡°Surprised you accepted that so easily, Mr. Arrogant.¡± ¡°Care to enlighten me why the fuck you put up this fake persona in the first place¡­?¡± He stopped mid-sentence, his eyes narrowing. ¡°Actually, never mind. Seeing your face, I get it.¡± I knew how I looked when my mask slipped¡ªdisgusted, bitter, and cold. But hearing him say it out loud was infuriating. ¡°You know what? Forget it. I don¡¯t even wanna see your face anymore. You ruined my training mood. Congratulations, bitch face. Now move.¡± I didn¡¯t budge, of course. Instead, I flashed him my signature fake smile. He visibly cringed. ¡°Disgusting.¡± Watching him take the long way around just to avoid me made my day. ¡°Yeah¡­ this could be fun.¡± ¡­¡­ The next day was boring as hell. Paperwork, research, more paperwork. The portal remained dormant, no new discoveries¡ªjust mundane, soul-sucking routine. I needed entertainment. And I knew exactly where to get it. Without knocking, I barged straight into Azrael¡¯s room. The story has been illicitly taken; should you find it on Amazon, report the infringement. The room was sparse¡ªjust a bed, a bookshelf, a clock, a table, and some chairs. Nothing luxurious, just the bare minimum. And there he was¡ªworking out, shirt on, unfortunately. Not that it mattered. His face was already sculpted, but once he reached Planetoid Rank? Damn. I¡¯d definitely have a front-row seat to that glow-up. I giggled at my own thoughts. Maybe a bit too loud. ¡°Stop undressing me with your eyes,¡± he muttered, continuing his handstand push-ups. ¡°Pfft. Dream on, kid.¡± He didn¡¯t stop. ¡°Care to explain why you¡¯re here?¡± I rolled my eyes. ¡°I was bored, so I graced you with my glamorous existence.¡± Finally, he dropped down, drenched in sweat. Grabbing a towel from his bed, he wiped himself off, then turned toward me. ¡°How do you wanna be entertained, my lady? Should I dance for you, or¡­¡± He slowly closed the distance between us, his voice dipping into a husky tone. ¡°¡­should I sing?¡± I didn¡¯t move. I wasn¡¯t a flustered teenager who¡¯d melt over close proximity. Then he placed his hands on my shoulders, leaning dangerously close to my ear. ¡°Or should I do something else?¡± I froze. ¡°¡­..¡± ¡°¡­..¡± ¡°¡­You piece of shit!!¡± I shoved him back, my face burning. ¡°Who the hell does that to a pure maiden like me!?¡± He burst out laughing, clutching his stomach. ¡°Oh man, you should¡¯ve seen your face.¡± ¡°You pervert!¡± ¡°Pervert? How is that perverted? I was just offering some entertainment, you know? You¡¯re the one making it weird.¡± I sputtered, trying to find a comeback. ¡°S-so what if I am!¡± He grinned like the devil himself. ¡°You look cute when you pout. Better than that fake-ass smile of yours.¡± ¡°HUH!? For a virgin, you sure have a smooth mouth.¡± His grin faltered, his eyes darkening for a brief second. ¡°Virgin?¡± His tone was low. ¡°Don¡¯t make assumptions.¡± ¡°¡­Wait. You¡¯re not?¡± My jaw practically hit the floor. ¡°You mean you actually¡ª?¡± A strange malice flickered in his gaze before he quickly shrugged it off. ¡°¡­Forget it.¡± The hell was that? Before I could dig deeper, he abruptly changed the topic. ¡°Have you ever heard about the chakras?¡± I blinked. ¡°¡­Yeah. You mean like the energy nodes in ancient Indian culture?¡± ¡°Yeah. I was correlating body nourishment to chakra activation. Theoretically, if I could circulate cosmic energy through my body and condense it into sphere-like nodes, I might speed up my growth rate.¡± I raised a brow. ¡°¡­You do realize it took humanity years to even come close to understanding cosmic energy flow, right?¡± ¡°Yeah. But from what I¡¯ve observed in human and creature fights, one thing is clear¡ª¡± He paused. We spoke in unison. ¡°Their powers only reach full potential when their body and energy fully synchronize.¡± I stared at him, stunned. ¡°You¡¯re not just spewing random shit. You actually get it.¡± He smirked. ¡°I don¡¯t just get it¡ªI¡¯m experimenting.¡± ¡°Wait¡ªyou¡¯re already testing it?¡± ¡°Yeah. But there¡¯s a catch.¡± ¡°Let me guess¡ªhigh risk, high reward?¡± He nodded. ¡°The process involves forcefully integrating cosmic energy with my body, which means if I lose control, my body might implode.¡± ¡°Jesus¡­ and you¡¯re still doing it?¡± ¡°Yeah.¡± His tone was flat, like he was talking about the weather. ¡°If I¡¯m gonna catch up to my brother¡ªor survive what¡¯s coming¡ªI can¡¯t grow slow.¡± I was speechless. This guy wasn¡¯t just reckless. He was desperate. ¡°¡­What the hell happened to you, Azrael?¡± His eyes darkened again, his voice almost a whisper. ¡°¡­Nothing. I just know what¡¯s waiting for me on the other side of that portal.¡± For the first time since meeting him, I didn¡¯t have a snarky comeback. He turned away, grabbing his towel again. ¡°¡­You should leave. Unless you really wanna help me test the theory.¡± ¡°¡­You know what?¡± I forced a grin, trying to break the tension. ¡°You better live long enough to hit Planetoid Rank. I¡¯m curious to see how hot you¡¯ll get.¡± He snorted. ¡°Wow. Motivational.¡± ¡°Shut up.¡± But as I walked out of his room, my grin slowly faded. Azrael was hiding something. And whatever it was¡ªit was dark. Chapter 9: Insidious Bastard [Junia] The Next day. I again visited his room for the pure purpose of agonizing the bastard. He sat on his bed and motioned me to sit on the chair in front of him. ¡°By the way, I have another method to accelerate my growth even further.¡± ¡°Tell me!! It¡¯s fun listening to wild theories.¡± Azrael smirked, his face oddly calm. ¡°My theory? Simple. Absorb a planet''s core and assimilate its latent energy.¡± I froze, genuinely flabbergasted. ¡°You¡¯re kidding¡­ right?¡± ¡°Nope.¡± ¡°That¡¯s not just insane ¡ª that¡¯s planetary collapse level insanity! You¡¯re basically proposing the destruction of an entire planet!¡± He shrugged, a distant look in his eyes. ¡°Yeah, I know. I''m like¡­ 70% nihilist and 30% hedonist. Couldn''t care less if my life ends, but if I¡¯m gonna die, I wanna know the limits of my potential first.¡± ¡°¡­A nihilistic bastard with a cosmic energy obsession. Great, just what we need.¡± I rubbed my temples. ¡°You¡¯ve been thinking about this for a while, haven¡¯t you? Got any ideas how you¡¯d pull that off?¡± A twisted grin crept on his face, like a predator spotting prey. ¡°Not yet. But once I hit Planetoid Rank, I¡¯ll have a favor to ask of you.¡± I was intrigued despite myself. ¡°¡­What favor?¡± ¡°Simple. You¡¯ll have to reactivate the portal for me.¡± ¡°¡­The fuck!?¡± ¡­¡­ Seven days since Azrael showed up, and honestly? My life in the facility had become¡­ interesting. A case of content theft: this narrative is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation. Normally, my routine consisted of paperwork, creature dissection, spatial theory, and occasional sparring. Now? Half my day was spent talking or arguing with that insufferable bastard. He trained religiously, either working out or cultivating his so-called ¡°cosmic cores.¡± During meal times, we¡¯d banter or dive deep into insane theories ¡ª cosmic assimilation, dimensional collapse, latent genetic awakenings, you name it. It was stupidly entertaining. But¡­ something about him gnawed at me. He wasn¡¯t just reckless. He was desperate. Like he was running toward something¡­ or away from it. And today, my curiosity finally won. ¡­¡­ I made my way to the portal room, fully expecting to find him drowning in his usual death wish behavior. There he was ¡ª cross-legged in a meditative stance, his entire body engulfed in cosmic energy so dense it almost looked solid. His skin shimmered under the suffocating pressure of the energy. ¡°¡­Jesus.¡± He was condensing his seventh core ¡ª his supposed ¡®last¡¯ before breaking into Planetoid Rank. Six cores already shimmered within his body like pulsating stars. The sheer influx of energy was even making the portal react. But my gut clenched. The portal¡¯s reaction wasn¡¯t normal. Something bad was coming. And then it stepped out. A hulking, four-legged monstrosity emerged ¡ª a Rift Dweller. Its grotesque, hound-like body stood nearly 2 meters tall, covered in pulsating, tumor-like flesh with hundreds of unblinking eyes scattered across its body. Its exposed gums, lined with rows of razor-sharp teeth, dripped with corrosive saliva. ¡°Oh fuck¡ª¡± This was one of the monsters that decimated Europe. A peak Planetoid Rank nightmare. And Azrael was still a Mortal Rank ¡ª even with Absolute Control, he was screwed. I didn¡¯t think. I acted. The space around me shimmered as I extended my arm, manifesting a spatial rift. In an instant, I was inside the dome with them, a conjured sword from my bracelet already in hand. I lunged. Fast. The Rift Dweller was faster. Its monstrous eyes darted toward me, and with a sickening crack, it moved. I barely registered the blur of muscle and teeth before my strike missed entirely. ¡°Filthy bastard.¡± Gritting my teeth, I clasped my hands together. Space, in response to my command, bent. A 40-meter-wide spherical dome instantly formed, locking me, Azrael, and the creature inside. The beast thrashed against the dome, its strength causing massive shockwaves within the confined space. I immediately evacuated all personnel outside the dome ¡ª except Azrael, of course. The creature glared at me, recognizing the source of its entrapment. Its maw split open, and a deafening, otherworldly howl erupted, generating winds strong enough to collapse city blocks. I held firm. ¡°Yeah¡­ they¡¯re awfully intelligent for ugly shits.¡± Snapping my fingers, I increased the gravity inside the dome a hundredfold. The creature immediately sank into the ground, cracking the facility floor as its own weight crushed it. It howled, struggling, and then ¡ª bam ¡ª it countered. The pressure of its roar disrupted my gravitational hold. Smart fucker. ¡°Alright. Enough games.¡± I extended both my hands, my eyes glowing a pulsar-blue hue. The space around the creature fractured, transforming into a myriad of cosmic weapons ¡ª swords, spears, axes, hammers ¡ª all formed from pure spatial energy. ¡°Die.¡± In a symphonic cacophony, the weapons hurled themselves toward the creature. It howled, conjuring winds strong enough to dislodge buildings ¡ª but it didn¡¯t matter. Space. Warped. Reality. Crumbled. The creature was annihilated on an atomic level. The dome shattered, the floor caved in, and I stood in the middle of a massive crater. ¡°¡­I¡¯m the only one who actually causes less collateral damage,¡± I muttered sarcastically. The realization hit ¡ª I obliterated the floor and possibly racked up millions in property damage. ¡°¡­Yeah, superhero life sucks.¡± Azrael, still sitting cross-legged, didn¡¯t even blink. His energy was now suffocating, his seventh core complete. ¡°¡­I condensed my seventh core.¡± Chapter 10: Sorry... I turned toward the insidious bastard who¡¯d just watched a maiden fight alone. Technically, he was condensing his last core, but that didn¡¯t excuse him. And there he was, standing all smug, as if the battle didn¡¯t just nearly level the facility. His energy felt entirely different now ¡ª oppressive, suffocating. He had broken through. ¡°Congratulations¡­ you actually reached Planetoid Rank,¡± I muttered, still processing the absurd speed of his growth. Seven days. Seven goddamn days, and he had reached a level most people spent their entire lives striving for. He grinned, brushing his now slightly glossier hair back. ¡°Thanks, but you smell like charred meat. You should clean up.¡± ¡°¡­Excuse me?¡± Without a second¡¯s hesitation, he snapped his fingers. In an instant, his entire body underwent a spatial cleanse ¡ª his sweat, blood, and grime washed away as if reality bent to his whim. His clothes shifted into pristine condition, like he just walked out of a high-end spa. I blinked. ¡°¡­Did you just instant shower yourself?¡± ¡°Yeah. Cosmic energy perks.¡± He smirked. I hate him. I really do. Actually I hate every new gen kid because of their minor cosmic energy manipulation. You don''t get how useful these little perks are. But goddamn, did he turn out exactly as I envisioned. His already sharp features ¡ª the piercing eyes, razor jawline, and defined cheekbones ¡ª had only gotten more pronounced. His hair was thicker, darker, and glossier, perfectly contrasting his pale complexion. His physique was still lean but deceptively strong, his muscles perfectly defined without crossing into grotesque bulk. ¡°He''s still a bit skinny, though.¡± Still, seeing how far he¡¯d come¡­ I guess I could forgive him for being an insufferable bastard. For like¡­ two minutes. ¡°Thanks for keeping me inside your dome,¡± he suddenly said. Frowning, I folded my arms. ¡°How did you even know about the dome?¡± Drying his hair lazily with his hands, he casually replied, ¡°Oh, I condensed my seventh core the moment that ugly beast showed up. Didn¡¯t attack me instantly because it could sense I was ascending.¡± I froze. ¡°Wait¡­ you¡¯re telling me you could¡¯ve fought but chose to watch me struggle?¡± Stolen content alert: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences. He grinned like a demon. ¡°Yeah. But seeing you fight so fiercely was a delight. You really know how to put on a show, Junia.¡± ¡­This motherfucker. My face heated. ¡°YOU LET A MAIDEN FIGHT ALONE WHILE YOU SAT BACK LIKE SOME DAMN AUDIENCE!?¡± Laughing, he casually stepped toward me. ¡°If the maiden is as entrancing as you, can you blame me?¡± W-What¡­? Was he flirting now!? I took a reflexive step back, face heating. ¡°D-Don¡¯t get cocky, you piece of shit.¡± Smirking, he let it slide. ¡°By the way, when I come back from my home, I¡¯ll ask you to open the portal again. Be ready.¡± His abrupt seriousness shifted the atmosphere. I swallowed my growing anger and nodded. ¡°Fine. I¡¯ll be waiting.¡± He gave a faint, almost tired smile. ¡°¡­Thanks.¡± ¡°¡­How will you contact me, though?¡± ¡°Oh, I¡¯ll ask my brother for your contact. You guys work together, right?¡± ¡°¡­Why not just ask me directly?¡± He let out a dry chuckle. ¡°Mainly because I don¡¯t have a cellphone.¡± ¡°¡­You don¡¯t have a phone?¡± ¡°Yeah. Don¡¯t like relying on people. I¡¯ll buy one eventually, but until then¡ªno phone.¡± I stared at him, caught between amazement and disbelief. ¡°God, you really hate reliance, don¡¯t you?¡± ¡°Fair assumption.¡± I sighed. ¡°Fine. You¡¯ll join the association, won¡¯t you?¡± ¡°That¡¯s the plan. It¡¯s why I rushed to Planetoid Rank.¡± I froze. Wait. That whole ¡°theory¡± about nourishing his body and growing stronger ¡ª all of it ¡ª was just a cover? He planned this from the start? I glared daggers at him. ¡°¡­You manipulative bastard.¡± ¡°Flattery will get you nowhere, Junia.¡± ¡­¡­ Around 2 PM, Arc finally arrived ¡ª Azrael¡¯s older brother and the association¡¯s strongest member. Tall, tan-skinned, with medium-length black hair and sharp brown eyes, Arc looked like the walking definition of mature masculine beauty. Dressed in a formal black suit, he carried himself like a born leader. His presence alone commanded respect. I grinned maliciously. ¡°Ohhh, Arc, you¡¯re in for a huge surprise.¡± He frowned. ¡°Azrael did something stupid?¡± ¡°Oh no, no. It¡¯s a good surprise.¡± And right on cue ¡ª Azrael walked into the room. His all-black attire perfectly complemented his newly ascended physique. His energy now radiated oppressive, Planetoid-tier pressure, something Arc immediately noticed. His eyes bulged. ¡°H-Hold on¡ªHOW is he already at Planetoid Rank!?¡± I grinned smugly. ¡°Surprised, huh?¡± Arc looked between me and Azrael, utterly dumbfounded. ¡°¡­He was dead a week ago. How the hell did he¡ª¡± ¡°Raw talent, I guess,¡± I smirked, savoring the moment. Azrael casually strolled in, shoving his hands into his pockets. ¡°Yo.¡± Arc¡¯s voice cracked. ¡°You¡ª You reached Planetoid Rank in seven days!?¡± ¡°Yup. Can I join your association now?¡± Arc blinked, his brain still processing the absurdity. ¡°¡­You little shit. You planned this, didn¡¯t you?¡± Azrael¡¯s smirk widened. ¡°Kinda obvious, wasn¡¯t it?¡± Arc sighed heavily. ¡°You know, most people would milk my position to get perks. You, on the other hand, will get punished for being my brother. You will have to take a test before joining Blue Fright.¡± Azrael¡¯s expression deadpanned. ¡°¡­That¡¯s so backwards.¡± ¡°Life¡¯s tough, kid.¡± I snickered. This was gold. Watching the ¡®genius little brother¡¯ get humbled by his older sibling was my new favorite hobby. Azrael turned to glare at me. ¡°Enjoying yourself, Junia?¡± ¡°Immensely,¡± I said with a blinding smile. ¡°¡­Bitch.¡± I gasped mockingly. ¡°Language, Azrael!¡± ¡­¡­ As Arc and Azrael finished discussing his joining process, my attention drifted. I caught myself¡­ smiling. Actually smiling. Then, Azrael¡¯s voice softened. ¡°¡­You¡¯re an orphan, aren¡¯t you?¡± I froze. ¡°¡­Huh?¡± ¡°I just noticed. You avoid talking about family. You always deflect when people ask about your home. Figured it out. And also the way you looked at me and Arc.¡± ¡°¡­Tch. You¡¯re observant. Annoyingly so.¡± Azrael¡¯s gaze darkened, his tone unusually soft. ¡°¡­I¡¯m sorry.¡± I almost laughed bitterly. ¡°Don¡¯t be. I¡¯ve gotten over it.¡± He paused, studying my face like he was trying to read between the lines. ¡°¡­No, you haven¡¯t.¡± Silence hung between us. I hated it. I hated how easily he saw through me. ¡°¡­Seriously, stop looking at me like that.¡± ¡°¡­Like what?¡± ¡°Like you care.¡± ¡°¡­I do, though.¡± My stomach twisted painfully. I turned away. ¡°¡­Don¡¯t. It¡¯s easier that way.¡± ¡°¡­I get it.¡± And he meant it. That was the worst part. He genuinely understood. ¡°¡­I¡¯ll see you when I come back,¡± he finally said, voice heavy. ¡°¡­Yeah. I¡¯ll be waiting.¡± Chapter 11: Emergency [Arceid] After thanking every staff member and Junia for taking care of Azrael, we finally headed home. The facility itself was located in Sector 1, while our house was situated in Sector 4 ¡ª a good hour¡¯s drive, but it gave us time to talk. ¡°Did you enjoy your stay there?¡± I asked casually. Azrael paused for a second, glancing out of the window. ¡°¡­I guess it was profitable.¡± I raised a brow. ¡°Profitable?¡± ¡°Junia,¡± he muttered almost immediately, catching me off guard. ¡°I mean¡ª her intelligence. She was helpful in refining my ascension theory.¡± I smirked knowingly. ¡°Ohhh¡­ her intelligence, huh?¡± He shot me a glare. ¡°Don¡¯t start.¡± Suppressing a chuckle, I leaned back. ¡°Alright, alright. But you still haven¡¯t told me about this ¡®ascension theory¡¯ of yours.¡± ¡°It¡¯s not groundbreaking or anything. You know about the concept of chakras, right? Energy centers mentioned in ancient mythology¡­¡± And so, he laid it out. His theory about nourishing the body through cosmic energy, condensing it into core-like formations, and accelerating his growth. It was brilliant. Insane, but brilliant. ¡°You were playing with fire there,¡± I finally said, my tone darkening. ¡°A single mistake, and you¡¯d have died.¡± The air itself seemed to fluctuate as my words carried a cold, suffocating weight. But Azrael merely shrugged. ¡°I had Junia there to protect me. You¡¯re worrying too much.¡± ¡°¡­You don¡¯t get it,¡± I muttered. He didn¡¯t respond. I exhaled sharply, trying to rein in my temper. ¡°Anyway. You were lucky no Planetary level creatures showed up.¡± The genuine version of this novel can be found on another site. Support the author by reading it there. ¡°Actually, I was disappointed,¡± he admitted shamelessly. ¡°I wanted to witness a fight between two Planetary figures.¡± I nearly hit the brakes. ¡°¡­You what?¡± ¡°Come on, brother. You can¡¯t tell me you wouldn¡¯t be curious.¡± I snapped my gaze toward him, my tone like ice. ¡°Junia is barely at instinctual level in Planetary Rank. If a mastered level Planetary creature had emerged, she would have been helpless. Do you realize that?¡± ¡°Ah¡­ your level, huh.¡± ¡°That¡¯s not the point!¡± I barked, my anger slipping. ¡°This isn¡¯t a game, Azrael. I¡¯ve seen abominations capable of creating temporal domes. Places separated from conventional space ¡ª prisons where weaker beings are tormented endlessly. The despair you experience in such a place¡ª¡± ¡°¡ªis fascinating,¡± he cut in, grinning like a lunatic. I froze. ¡°You¡ª¡± ¡°Think about it. A space separated from reality, entirely controlled by the dominant force. Imagine harnessing something like that.¡± My blood ran cold. ¡°¡­You¡¯re getting on my nerves now.¡± He laughed. ¡°Come on, brother. Can¡¯t I have some fun?¡± ¡°You having fun is a lie,¡± I muttered coldly. Silence descended between us. It was¡­ suffocating. The truth was, I wasn¡¯t angry at him for his recklessness ¡ª I was terrified. He was accelerating too fast, too dangerously. Ever since he came back from the grave, it was like something had shifted inside him. ¡°¡­He¡¯s always been like this, uncaring about his well being,¡± I thought bitterly. ¡°Ever since that day.¡± The tension was broken by my phone ringing. I immediately answered, and a small holographic image of Junia materialized. Her expression was tense ¡ª borderline panic. ¡°Arc! We¡¯ve got breaches!¡± My grip tightened. ¡°Where?¡± ¡°Sector 88 training center. Portal readings just spiked to catastrophic levels. Energy influx suggests a Planetary Rank creature ¡ª trained level.¡± My pulse quickened. ¡°I¡¯m on my way. Any casualties?¡± ¡°None yet, but it¡¯s bad. Real bad.¡± ¡°Understood. I¡¯ll¡ª¡± ¡°Wait!¡± she cut me off, her voice more distressed. ¡°There¡¯s another breach. Near the college where your niece studies.¡± My blood ran cold. ¡°¡­What¡¯s the threat level?¡± ¡°It¡¯s horde type. Mortal creatures swarming like locusts. Possibly some Planetoid too.¡± I froze. A horde type? That meant there¡¯d be dozens ¡ª possibly hundreds ¡ª of creatures at Mortal Rank. Even if the students were trained, they¡¯d get overwhelmed eventually. Azrael, who was listening quietly, suddenly spoke. ¡°I¡¯ll go get her.¡± I snapped toward him. ¡°Absolutely not! You¡¯re a seven-day-old Planetoid. You wouldn¡¯t last¡ª¡± ¡°With all due respect, shut up.¡± His voice was cold, firm. ¡°She¡¯s my niece. I¡¯ll get her out.¡± I clenched my teeth. ¡°You don¡¯t understand what you¡¯re walking into. A trained Planetoid creature is leagues beyond what you¡¯ve faced.¡± ¡°Which is why you should handle Sector 88. I¡¯ll handle the college.¡± I opened my mouth to protest¡ª ¡°Arc,¡± Junia interrupted, her voice deadpan. ¡°Trust me, as much as I hate his insufferable guts ¡ª he¡¯s strong. If you waste time arguing, your niece will die.¡± I snapped my gaze toward the hologram. ¡°Junia, do you realize what you¡¯re suggesting¡ª¡± ¡°I do,¡± she deadpanned. ¡°And it¡¯s glorious. Either he saves your niece and I can gloat forever ¡ª or he dies and I get my revenge. Win-win.¡± Azrael barked a laugh. ¡°I like her.¡± I exhaled sharply. ¡°¡­Fine.¡± ¡°Good.¡± ¡°But how¡¯s he getting there in time?¡± ¡°Leave that to me.¡± The space around Azrael¡¯s feet began to glow with pulsating azure light, the same technique Junia had demonstrated before. The space cracked beneath him, swirling as if the void itself were devouring him. ¡°Wait¡ª¡± I began. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Arc.¡± Junia smirked. ¡°If he dies, I¡¯ll write a lovely eulogy.¡± ¡°Asshole,¡± Azrael muttered. And then ¡ª he was gone. ¡°¡­You could¡¯ve gone yourself,¡± I muttered bitterly. ¡°Oh, I could¡¯ve. But laws, my dear Arc. The government¡¯s strict on us Planetary Rankers interfering. Unless you have a direct family member in danger, you¡¯re not allowed to intervene.¡± ¡°¡­Bullshit policy.¡± ¡°Agreed. Which is why I had no qualms hurling your reckless brother into the fray. Trust me ¡ª he¡¯ll live. Unfortunately.¡± I exhaled sharply. ¡°¡­Can you send me the same way?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t mind if I do.¡± And like that ¡ª space cracked around me, and I was gone. Chapter 12: We Never Won [Arceid] The moment I stabilized from the teleportation, my surroundings came into focus ¡ª and my stomach dropped. Desolation. The entire training ground was in ruins. Buildings crumbled like sandcastles, debris littered the ground, and fissures tore through the land. Yet¡­ no sign of blood. ¡°Did Junia evacuate them?¡± I muttered, glancing around. No, something was off. There was no trace of energy signatures from the students ¡ª as if they had been erased. My phone rang. I answered. Junia¡¯s holographic figure flickered into view, her voice tense. ¡°¡ªArceid! There¡¯s a barrier. I can''t teleport anyone out from there.¡± My jaw clenched. ¡°So you can bring people in but not out?¡± ¡°Exactly! Something is manipulating space. I don''t know what it is¡ª¡± ¡°Got it. I¡¯ll call you later.¡± I cut the line. Because I already heard it. A weeping sound. Except it wasn¡¯t human. It was¡­ wrong. Malformed. The sound mimicked the agonized cries of infants, elderly, and dying animals ¡ª stitched together into one maddening cacophony. I followed the sound, stepping into the heart of the destruction. And then¡­ I saw it. Dear God. The abomination towered 20 meters tall, its form a grotesque mockery of life. Its cylindrical torso pulsed with decay, surrounded by hundreds of writhing legs growing out of its abdomen. Thick, blood-red tendrils extended from its back, constantly funneling blood from the thousands of mutilated corpses at its feet. This content has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere. Its face ¡ª if it could be called one ¡ª was spherical, with two grotesque, bulging eyes rolling in chaotic directions. It had no mouth, yet it moaned. No¡­ it wept. Or so I thought, until I realized ¡ª ¡°¡­This isn¡¯t weeping.¡± I exhaled, my throat dry. ¡°It¡¯s pleasure.¡± Every time its tendrils siphoned more blood from its victims, the creature shuddered, its cry reaching an unbearable pitch. It wasn¡¯t mourning the dead ¡ª it was rejoicing. A tremor of pure, seething hatred erupted within me. I extended my hand forward, my palm outstretched. Immediately, space itself buckled. A void sphere formed in my grasp ¡ª not a black hole, but a condensed rejection of existence itself. It denied light, sound, matter, everything. Without hesitation, I launched it at light speed. The creature noticed. Its tendrils lashed out, ripping through space to intercept the sphere. Space itself fractured in response ¡ª yet the void didn''t care. It ignored the ruptured space and continued piercing through, burrowing a gaping hole through its torso. The creature screamed. This time, in agony. Yet it still did not fall. Instead, it frantically forced more blood through its body, attempting to regenerate ¡ª but it couldn''t. The gaping void I created rejected its cellular structure, leaving behind a wound that refused to heal. ¡°¡­Tough bastard.¡± I muttered. The creature retaliated. Its hundreds of tendrils launched from every angle, moving faster than light, intent on pulverizing me. But my body reacted instinctively. A suffocating dark hue erupted around me, bending space in my favor. I became the void. Every tendril that touched my body disintegrated ¡ª as if brushing against the concept of nothingness. Slash. Slash. Slash. My arm moved like lightning, cleaving through tendrils without pause. Yet more kept coming. ¡°You¡¯re wasting my time.¡± My voice was cold. The creature shrieked louder, unleashing sonic waves capable of reducing mountains to rubble. The force of it cracked the atmosphere ¡ª buildings collapsed from the pressure. But I stood unscathed. ¡°Pathetic.¡± I clenched my fist ¡ª and my power erupted. The ground beneath my feet shattered. Space itself warped. My presence became suffocating, like an abyss given form. The creature lunged, its speed unfathomable. Its massive body slammed me through three buildings, the impact creating a mile-long crater. I could hear Junia''s voice screaming in my earpiece. I ignored it. The fight was over. The creature advanced, its damaged torso convulsing violently, still trying to heal. I wiped the blood from my mouth. ¡°I¡¯ve humored you long enough.¡± I extended my hand ¡ª and the very fabric of space bent to my will. Dark energy swirled around me, condensing into a sword of void. The blade was absolute nothingness ¡ª rejecting matter, energy, and existence itself. The creature hesitated. Its instincts finally recognized death. Good. I vanished. And reappeared behind it. My blade carved through its entire body in a single slash. The creature froze, as if unable to comprehend what had happened. Its body ¡ª along with its tendrils ¡ª began to disintegrate at the atomic level. It couldn¡¯t scream. It couldn¡¯t heal. It couldn¡¯t move. It simply¡­ ceased to exist. A deep crater formed beneath where the creature once stood. The entire battlefield fell into silence. ¡°¡­Finally.¡± I exhaled, my hand still gripping my sword. Then I looked around. Destruction. Hundreds of buildings reduced to rubble. Craters everywhere. The air was still vibrating from the aftershocks. ¡°¡­Shit.¡± I muttered. ¡°The council¡¯s gonna kill me for this property damage.¡± I walked away, the weight of destruction heavy in my chest. Even in victory¡­ we never won. ¡°¡­Unless it¡¯s Junia, of course.¡± Chapter 13: Regressor [¡­] The atmosphere should have been sheer chaos ¡ª panic, screaming, students running for their lives ¡ª but it wasn¡¯t. Everyone here was¡­ composed. Fifteen minutes ago, we received word about a horde breach in Sector 15. Every student, regardless of strength, gathered on the campus field. Some were still trickling in, but the bulk of us were already armed and ready to fight. No armor. No uniforms. Just casual clothes ¡ª easier to maneuver in. It was a horde-type breach, meaning low-tier creatures would flood in masses. Mortal Rank at best. Their strength was negligible, but their sheer numbers made them dangerous. And yet¡­ most of the students were laughing. Talking casually. Treating this like another day. They have no idea what''s about to come. I clenched my fists, my nails digging into my palms. My throat felt dry. This wasn¡¯t just another breach ¡ª this was the start. The first domino to fall before Earth¡¯s annihilation. Because I know how this ends. In my previous life, twenty years from now, Earth was obliterated in the Galactic War. The combined might of hundreds of galaxies descended upon us ¡ª and we lost. Our strongest warriors perished. I was one of them. But before my death, I forcefully regressed. Using my peak Star Rank strength, I rewound time by 20 years ¡ª all to prevent Earth¡¯s fate. This time, I wouldn¡¯t waste my life making friends or enjoying my youth. No distractions. No bonds. Only strength. Even so¡­ my progress was painfully slow. After seven months of relentless training, I still couldn¡¯t rival Kaltain. My eyes locked on him. Kaltain stood at the very front, effortlessly commanding the aura of a king. He wore a white oversized t-shirt with a black jacket and cargo pants ¡ª casual as ever. His chiseled figure and tall frame made him look otherworldly. Love this story? Find the genuine version on the author''s preferred platform and support their work! Tch. Wearing something like that to a battlefield¡­ showoff. Or maybe I was just bitter. Because no matter how hard I tried, I couldn''t surpass him. Not in my previous life. Not even now. I moved my gaze and caught sight of her. Edith. My former best friend. The one who died here in my previous life ¡ª betrayed by those she trusted. We haven¡¯t spoken in this life. I made sure of that. But even if we weren''t friends anymore¡­ I wouldn¡¯t let her die again. Not this time. I exhaled, tightening my gloves. This is my first real battle in this timeline. From here¡­ my mission to save Earth begins. ¡­¡­ The creatures came like a storm. Tremors cracked the ground as hundreds of skeletal, crimson-skinned beasts emerged from the rift. Their bones jutted out from their thin flesh, and their crimson eyes dripped with endless bloodlust. ¡°Crawlers,¡± I muttered. Fast but fragile. Their strength was in numbers. The first wave crashed against the front line of students ¡ª and it was slaughter. Kaltain barely moved. His mere presence crushed the approaching horde. The gravity around him intensified, compressing the air and turning dozens of Crawlers into paste. ¡°Ridiculous¡­¡± I gritted my teeth. The rest of the students still fought, albeit clumsily. They didn¡¯t fear the Crawlers ¡ª after all, Kaltain was here. But I knew better. Suddenly, a Rift Dweller emerged. Planetoid Rank. Towering 8 meters tall, its grotesque figure emitted a suffocating aura. Kaltain turned toward it with a bored expression and approached it ¡ª and that was when everything fell apart. The moment Kaltain shifted his attention to the Rift Dweller, the horde broke through. Crawlers surged past the distracted front line, instantly tearing through students. Blood splattered. Screams erupted. I didn¡¯t hesitate. I dove into the chaos, grabbing a Crawler¡¯s skull and crushing it with my bare hands. Another lunged ¡ª I pivoted, ripping out its spine. Blood drenched me, but I didn¡¯t care. I fought like a beast. But the tide wasn¡¯t ending. My vision blurred with red, my knuckles cracked under the strain, and my muscles burned ¡ª but I kept going. I barely noticed when Kaltain started his fight with the Dweller. The clash was deafening. Wind slashes erupted from Kaltain¡¯s hands, shearing through the Dweller like paper. His gravity manipulation compressed the atmosphere, suffocating his enemies. But he was alone now ¡ª and the Crawlers kept swarming us. ¡°Damn it¡ª!¡± I roared, grabbing another Crawler and smashing it into the ground. I could hear Edith¡¯s cries somewhere in the distance. My chest tightened. I need to get to her. But Kaltain¡¯s delusional fanboys blocked my way. ¡°You don¡¯t need to fight! Kaltain has this handled!¡± one of them yelled. Idiots. I didn¡¯t waste time arguing. Time around me slowed. Using my temporal abilities, I decelerated their movements to a crawl. Then I ripped through the Crawlers unimpeded. My fists shattered bones, my footwork snapped spines ¡ª I tore them apart like a reaper. By the time my time distortion ended, I stood in a mountain of corpses. But it wasn¡¯t enough. Kaltain was now surrounded by 12 Rift Dwellers. His gravity surges were devastating, but he was being overwhelmed. ¡°Damn it!¡± I charged toward him. A Dweller attempted to flank him ¡ª I intercepted, caving its skull in with a brutal kick. Kaltain shot me a brief glance. ¡°¡­You finally joined in?¡± I ignored him, punching through another Dweller¡¯s chest. Blood sprayed on my face. Kaltain moved like a god. His hand made a chopping motion ¡ª and the sky cracked. Hundreds of gravity slashes tore the Dwellers apart like mincemeat. ¡°¡­Insane,¡± I muttered, panting. The battle dragged on, but I felt it. Something worse was coming. Then it happened. An ear-piercing screech erupted from the western horizon. The air turned thick. The ground quaked. The sky distorted. And I froze. ¡°¡­No. Not now. Not this thing.¡± Kaltain and I sprinted toward the source ¡ª and when we arrived, my heart sank. Standing in the distance was a creature that should not exist. ¡°¡­Tride,¡± I whispered, my body trembling. Kaltain frowned. ¡°We need to call in the Planetary Ranks.¡± Chapter 14: Mysterious Boy That monster was colossal¡ªaround 200 meters tall. Its body, composed of a material three times denser than mercury(The Planet), radiated an unnatural pressure. To remain on Earth without sinking into the ground, the creature manipulated gravity itself. It had four limbs, each towering at a staggering 40 meters. Its entire form resembled a monstrous tortoise, except far more alien and grotesque. The shell on its back, pristine and glowing, stood in stark contrast to its rusted, cracked skin. A strange, viscous black substance oozed over its face, obscuring its features. Later, it would be named Tride. A cold dread crawled up my spine. If Tride has appeared, then Edith¡¯s death must be close. I need to find her fast. I turned and rushed toward the last place I¡¯d seen her. Interestingly, Kaltain, instead of charging straight toward Tride like in the previous timeline, was now following me. I realized he was likely heading back to regroup the others. I didn¡¯t care. My only focus was finding Edith. After what felt like an eternity, I finally spotted her. She was locked in combat, fending off a swarm of crawlers alongside another girl. They were surrounded. Desperate. And that girl¡­ she was the one responsible for Edith¡¯s death in the previous timeline. My pace quickened. My heart pounded. I needed to reach her in time. But I was too late. In a moment of panic, the girl beside Edith grabbed her and threw her toward the incoming swarm of crawlers ¡ª using her as a distraction to escape. Veins bulged on my head. Rage boiled within me. That treacherous piece of garbage! I wanted to rip her apart. I was about to turn away, unable to stomach the sight of my friend being devoured again¡ª Unauthorized usage: this narrative is on Amazon without the author''s consent. Report any sightings. Crack! A sharp, wet sound echoed. But it wasn¡¯t Edith¡¯s bones breaking. It was the girl¡¯s skull. A boy stood there, clutching the girl¡¯s head like a grape and casually crushing it. Her blood didn¡¯t even have time to spill¡ªit was consumed by miniature black holes swirling around him, the same black holes currently shredding the crawlers into nothing. What¡­ the hell? The boy was unnervingly attractive. Raven-black hair, equally dark eyes, and an almost deathly pale complexion. His sharp, defined features and the sheer pressure he exuded were otherworldly. He wore a black hoodie over a white t-shirt, paired with black trousers. A peculiar black ring gleamed on his left forefinger. I froze. Who the hell is he? He wasn¡¯t present in the previous timeline. Someone with Planetoid-level strength like his should¡¯ve been impossible to miss¡­ and yet I had no recollection of him. But what unsettled me more was Edith¡¯s reaction. She didn¡¯t recoil in horror. She didn¡¯t question his presence. Instead, she stared at him in a trance for a moment before¡­ She ran to him and hugged him. Tightly. Desperately. As if she¡¯d found something she lost long ago. Her whole body trembled. Tears streamed down her face, her nose ran, and her sobs echoed painfully. I was stunned. What the hell is happening here? Edith never displayed such emotions toward anyone. Even toward me ¡ª her only friend ¡ª she had always been reserved. But now she was clinging to this man like her life depended on it. The man¡¯s bloodlust, which had been thick enough to suffocate everyone, instantly dissipated as he hugged her back. His voice, once menacing, turned unnaturally soft. ¡°Are you alright, Edith?¡± That broke her entirely. She sobbed even harder, clutching his hoodie tighter as though he¡¯d vanish if she let go. Who is he? The crowd of students arrived, drawn by the noise of combat and Edith¡¯s uncontrollable sobs. Even Kaltain and I stood dumbfounded. The boy gently pulled Edith away, his expression filled with nothing but warmth. ¡°Calm down, girly. I¡¯m real¡­ and I¡¯m back. I¡¯ll stay with you all now.¡± Edith¡¯s grip tightened again. ¡°You¡¯re not¡­ some abomination playing on my vulnerability, are you?¡± The boy chuckled softly. ¡°I didn¡¯t know I held such a high place in your heart. I must say, I¡¯m rather pleased.¡± Edith cried harder, and he simply ruffled her hair, holding her close. Before anyone could speak, a burly boy from the crowd ¡ª probably the dead girl¡¯s boyfriend ¡ª stepped forward, rage evident in his bloodshot eyes. ¡°You bastard! You killed my girl! You think you¡¯ll get away with that?¡± The boy didn¡¯t even turn. ¡°Oh¡­ and how exactly do you plan on avenging her?¡± ¡°Fight me! No abilities. Just a fistfight, like real men. Or are you too much of a coward?¡± A low chuckle escaped the man¡¯s lips, and then he burst into a full-blown laugh. ¡°Ahahahahahaha! Seriously? A mage engaging a barbarian in a fistfight? Are you even capable of thought?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t dodge my challenge! If you¡¯re a man, fight me!¡± The boy¡¯s tone shifted¡ªice cold and venomous. ¡°Know your place, brat.¡± A wave of bloodlust erupted from him, suffocating everyone present. The burly guy flinched, as did everyone else¡ªincluding me and Kaltain. And then¡ªCrack! In an instant, the boy delivered a roundhouse kick to the burly guy¡¯s head. His skull caved, blood bursting from his eyes, nose, and mouth as he collapsed lifelessly. The boy turned to the crowd, his voice devoid of warmth. ¡°Anyone else?¡± Silence. Deathly silence. Even Edith stared at him, startled by his ruthlessness. Who the hell is this guy¡­? Chapter 15: Tride Screech! Tride''s monstrous screech tore through the air, creating violent ripples that temporarily deafened everyone within range. The shockwave alone forced some students to collapse to their knees, clutching their heads in agony. Stranger sighed, glancing at Edith. ¡°We¡¯ll talk later. For now¡­ let¡¯s deal with this thing.¡± With that, he turned toward me and Kaltain. Without hesitation, Kaltain flashed a grin, seemingly amused by Stranger¡¯s presence. Then, as if synchronized, both of them launched toward Tride¡ªshattering the sound barrier. Kaltain propelled himself with gravity manipulation, his form gliding swiftly through the air. Stranger, however, used his miniature black holes to propel his body, as though gravity itself bent to his will. I stayed behind, gritting my teeth. I¡¯m the slowest of the three¡­ what kind of regressor am I? I cast a glance toward Edith, who hadn¡¯t moved. She was staring at Stranger from afar, an unfamiliar vulnerability clouding her usual frosty demeanor. The other students, likely intimidated by Stranger''s earlier display, wisely kept their distance from her. That was a relief. But my mind couldn¡¯t shake the one question pounding in my head. Why the hell is she listening to him so easily? Who is this guy? For now, I pushed the thought aside and focused on the colossal creature. ¡­¡­ Stranger and Kaltain reached Tride first. The towering titan''s massive, decayed head observed them momentarily before its mouth unhinged unnaturally. Blinding light began to condense inside its maw, pure energy convulsing in one deadly burst. Light-speed beam. ¡°Shit!¡± I cursed, reaching out instinctively. Deceleration! This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there. I slowed the beam¡¯s velocity just enough for Stranger and Kaltain to evade. Without hesitation, Kaltain retaliated by unleashing a barrage of wind slashes and debris, hurling them at near-light speed toward Tride¡¯s legs. The impact tore chunks of flesh from its limbs but did little to the pristine shell. Stranger, on the other hand, was already adapting. He hurled clusters of miniature black holes at Tride¡¯s exposed limbs. The hungry voids devoured flesh and armor alike before extinguishing themselves. Tride roared in pain, its shell remaining nearly untouched but its legs visibly damaged. ¡°Nice teamwork,¡± I muttered bitterly. And I¡¯m still just playing support. But my bitterness was short-lived. Without warning, the space around us warped unnaturally¡ªlike a canvas being folded and twisted. Tride screeched once more, and suddenly¡­ We were no longer on Earth. A void. Pure and absolute. The ground beneath us vanished. There was no sky, no light¡ªonly an endless dark expanse filled with nothingness. A battlefield built solely for our demise. ¡°Damn¡­ space manipulation,¡± I muttered. Kaltain floated beside Stranger. ¡°This is bad. There¡¯s no debris or air. I¡¯m practically useless.¡± Stranger didn¡¯t respond. His sharp gaze remained locked onto Tride, now emboldened by the void. ¡°If we fight a battle of attrition here, we¡¯re screwed. We¡¯ll tire out long before it does.¡± Kaltain clicked his tongue. ¡°Got a plan, oh mighty stranger?¡± ¡°Azrael. Call me Azrael,¡± he muttered, still glaring at Tride. ¡°And yes, I have a plan.¡± I raised a brow. ¡°Let¡¯s hear it.¡± Azrael exhaled sharply. ¡°Its spatial control is rudimentary at best. But its true forte is energy manipulation. That¡¯s why its body density is so unnaturally high. Right now, it¡¯s manipulating gravity to keep itself stable on Earth. If we force it into a rage and it loses that control¡­ the planet¡¯s crust will collapse beneath its weight.¡± Kaltain frowned. ¡°So, what¡¯s the plan?¡± Azrael turned to us. ¡°We accumulate damage. Slowly, deliberately. Once we reach a critical point, I¡¯ll merge all my black holes into a singularity. Kaltain¡ªyou¡¯ll use your gravity control to amplify its force exponentially. ¡®girly¡¯¡ª¡± I scowled. ¡°It¡¯s Vesna, not ¡®girly¡¯.¡¯¡± ¡°Fine, Vesna,¡± he rolled his eyes. ¡°You¡¯ll accelerate the process with time manipulation. We¡¯ll collapse this entire dimension into that singularity¡ªalong with Tride.¡± Kaltain scoffed. ¡°That¡¯s insane. I like it.¡± I exhaled through gritted teeth. ¡°Fine. Let¡¯s get this over with.¡± Azrael smiled faintly. ¡°Alright then¡­ let¡¯s commence the carnage.¡± ¡­¡­ The battle resumed. Azrael moved like a phantom, propelling himself with void bursts. His black holes devoured chunks of Tride¡¯s body, forcing it to stagger. I strained my ability to slow Tride¡¯s devastating strikes while Kaltain rained debris and gravity bursts upon it. The creature fought back viciously. Sapphire mirages of its face emerged from the void, attacking us from every angle. I barely managed to slow them down while Azrael conjured thousands of smaller black holes to shred them. But the cost was heavy. Kaltain sustained deep wounds from several missed attacks. Azrael was battered, his hoodie torn and body partially burned. My energy reserves were running dangerously low. And yet, Azrael never stopped moving. Never hesitated. Finally, the turning point came. Azrael''s voice thundered. ¡°NOW!¡± He thrust his hand forward, merging hundreds of his miniature black holes into a single apocalyptic void. The force was suffocating¡ªan instinctual dread that made even my bones rattle. Kaltain immediately amplified its gravity, causing the black hole to swell into a monstrous devourer of matter. Even the void dimension trembled under its pull. Tride panicked. It screeched violently, pouring torrents of energy to destroy the singularity¡ªbut it was futile. The energy only nourished the black hole further. ¡°Vesna!¡± Azrael barked. Gritting my teeth, I forced my time ability to its maximum. Accelerate! The black hole convulsed unnaturally, its devouring capacity reaching catastrophic levels. The void itself began to collapse. Tride roared in defiance. Its body convulsed, armor shattering as it desperately tried to escape. Azrael¡¯s gaze, however, was deathly cold. ¡°Die.¡± Chapter 16: Anti-Climatic Tride¡¯s agonizing screech echoed, its colossal body thrashing violently as the singularity consumed chunks of its flesh. Azrael gritted his teeth, his outstretched hand trembling as he controlled the black hole. Its event horizon finally lapped against Tride¡¯s form, devouring it piece by piece. But the creature didn¡¯t die quietly. Tride retaliated, unleashing a burst of raw energy that disintegrated the black hole entirely. The backlash slammed Azrael into the ground, blood spurting from his mouth. However, Tride¡¯s body paid a heavy price¡ªits once-impenetrable shell was now cracked, its rusted flesh torn and battered. It resembled a rotting corpse now, but the infernal glint of rage still burned in its remaining eye. ¡°¡­It¡¯s still alive?¡± I muttered, my voice cracking from exhaustion. Kaltain, who was barely standing, gave a dry chuckle. ¡°Well¡­ I guess this is how we die. Honestly, life was kinda fun. Can¡¯t complain.¡± I turned to him, disbelief clear in my voice. ¡°Why the hell are you laughing?¡± He shrugged, his lips curving into an amused grin. ¡°I mean¡­ if I¡¯m gonna die, might as well die smiling, right?¡± I didn¡¯t know whether to admire his spirit or slap him. Yet a part of me couldn¡¯t ignore the sinking dread clenching my gut. I could feel it¡ªour victory was supposed to be secured, and yet here Tride was¡­ still alive, still moving. ¡°¡­No,¡± I murmured, forcing my ragged breath to calm down. ¡°We¡¯re winning. I can still feel it.¡± As if to confirm my words, Azrael suddenly lifted his bruised hand and snapped his fingers. Snap! Another black hole emerged. This one was massive¡ªat least five meters wide¡ªand its gravitational pull made the very air shudder. But unlike before¡­ something stepped out from it. A tall figure clad in regal, obsidian armor. Hair raven black, his hazel eyes burned with absolute dominance. His mere presence felt suffocating, like the embodiment of raw power had descended. ¡°¡­Humanity¡¯s strongest warrior,¡± Kaltain whispered, awe-struck. Help support creative writers by finding and reading their stories on the original site. Arceid. ¡­¡­ The battle ended in an instant. Arceid didn¡¯t hesitate. He simply unsheathed his sword¡ªa seemingly plain black blade¡ªand swung it once. A dark violet slash erupted, cutting through both space and Tride itself. The creature¡¯s roar was snuffed out as its entire form, along with the distorted dimension, was erased from existence. All of us were left gasping in shock, the sudden silence almost deafening. Azrael, despite his injuries, stumbled toward Arceid. ¡°Took you long enough¡­¡± he muttered, his tone playful but strained. Blood continued dripping from his mouth. Arceid glanced at him, his gaze complicated. ¡°¡­You¡¯re more reckless than I expected. But I¡¯m impressed you held out this long.¡± ¡°Yeah, yeah. Praise me later. I¡¯m about to pass out.¡± Azrael collapsed onto his knees, visibly exhausted. Kaltain chuckled weakly, wiping blood from his forehead. ¡°We won¡­ barely.¡± I looked at my own unscathed body and suddenly felt embarrassed. I¡¯d barely contributed while those two had given everything. Some regressor I am¡­ Azrael turned toward Arceid and asked something unexpected. ¡°Hey¡­ why aren¡¯t my wounds healing? Usually, my body repairs itself pretty fast after using my powers.¡± Arceid answered nonchalantly. ¡°That¡¯s because you were wounded by external power, not your own. Your healing ability is tied to your cosmic energy, so it doesn¡¯t recognize wounds inflicted by different energy sources.¡± Azrael raised a brow, surprised. ¡°¡­Huh. That¡¯s kinda neat. Makes sense, though.¡± ¡°He doesn''t know about basic knowledge? While he is that strong. It doesn''t make sense.¡± A moment of silence fell between us. Then, unexpectedly, Azrael turned toward Kaltain and me. He extended his fist forward, a tired grin on his face. ¡°You guys were good. Hell of a team we made, huh?¡± Kaltain, surprisingly, returned the gesture. ¡°Yeah¡­ not gonna lie, I enjoyed fighting alongside you.¡± I hesitated for a moment but eventually bumped fists with them. ¡°¡­Vesna. Vesna Bealdhild. 19. Single.¡± Azrael chuckled. ¡°Azrael Salisia. 19. Single as hell.¡± Kaltain grinned. ¡°Kaltain Verge. 19. Tragically single.¡± The three of us broke into synchronized laughter despite the painful bruises and fatigue. After a moment, Azrael stood up, waving casually. ¡°Alright, folks. This was fun, but I need some sleep before I drop dead. Catch you guys later!¡± ¡°Wait, what?¡± I blinked. ¡°That¡¯s it? You¡¯re just leaving?¡± ¡°Yup! Catch me when you miss me.¡± Azrael grinned, walking off as if the entire battle hadn¡¯t just happened. Kaltain scratched his head. ¡°Weird guy. I like him.¡± Then he turned and left too, leaving me alone to collect myself. ¡°¡­I should probably check on Edith.¡± ¡­¡­ I found Edith in a nearby medical camp. The efficiency of the health division was absurd, setting up a fully functioning camp in less than an hour. Typical post-disaster protocol, I suppose. Edith was seated inside a private tent, cross-legged and humming softly to herself. She looked¡­ oddly content. Almost unnaturally happy, considering we almost died. I hesitated at the entrance, then stepped inside. ¡°Hey¡­ you okay?¡± Edith instantly straightened, her smile dimming into her usual cold demeanor. ¡°I¡¯m fine. Thanks for asking.¡± Her voice was indifferent, but the lingering trace of joy in her eyes didn¡¯t escape me. It was unnerving. ¡°¡­You sure? I mean, you almost died earlier.¡± She shrugged. ¡°I¡¯ve faced worse.¡± ¡°¡­And the guy who saved you?¡± I finally asked, unable to hold it back any longer. ¡°Azrael¡­ what¡¯s your relationship with him?¡± Edith¡¯s expression stiffened slightly. ¡°¡­I can¡¯t answer that. Not without his permission.¡± I blinked. ¡°Wait, what? Why the secrecy?¡± She hesitated but eventually added, ¡°Just know we¡¯re related. Nothing romantic. And yes¡ªhe¡¯s single.¡± ¡°¡­I wasn¡¯t trying to hit on him,¡± I blurted, embarrassed. She smirked faintly. ¡°Didn¡¯t say you were.¡± Silence stretched between us, heavy and unspoken. There was something about Azrael¡ªsomething unnatural. And Edith¡¯s reaction only confirmed my growing suspicion. ¡°Why did you say you don¡¯t have the authority to talk about him?¡± I pressed. Edith simply turned away, her expression distant. ¡°¡­You¡¯ll find out soon enough.¡± And that only fueled my curiosity more. Chapter 17: Mommy? [Arceid] The ruins of the battlefield stretched endlessly, scarred by the remnants of our devastating clash. Despite the aftermath, something rare had happened today¡ªmany students survived. A small victory in the grand scheme of things. I should have felt proud. Yet, as my gaze swept over the bloodied ground and shattered buildings, I felt¡­ nothing. Death, blood, wounds¡ªI¡¯d grown numb to them all. Was this how it began? Was I slowly losing my humanity? A gentle hand rested on my shoulder, pulling me from my downward spiral. ¡°Don¡¯t overthink it, Arc. You¡¯re not turning into a stone-cold bastard,¡± came the familiar voice. I turned to see Larissa Haven, my association partner. Her tall figure, wrapped in a crisp white shirt, black tie, and fitting slacks, contrasted with the delicate softness of her features. Silky, wavy blue hair cascaded over her shoulders, her teal eyes exuding natural charisma despite the exhaustion plastered on her face. She rarely dropped her usual bossy demeanor, but even she looked drained from battle. ¡°¡­You sure?¡± I muttered, my voice hollow. ¡°Azrael was bleeding¡­ I didn¡¯t even flinch. I watched him get battered again and again, and it didn¡¯t bother me. I didn¡¯t even think to stop him.¡± Larissa¡¯s expression softened. ¡°That¡¯s not on you, Arc. Your brother¡­ he¡¯s something else. Either he¡¯s insanely adaptable or just doesn¡¯t give a damn about his own life.¡± ¡°He¡¯s always been like that,¡± I sighed. ¡°Never asked for anything. Never caused trouble. Always¡­ the perfect kid. I was the loud, reckless one. I used to bully him all the time, you know?¡± ¡°You were just being a teenage big brother. It¡¯s not that deep.¡± ¡°No¡­ it is.¡± My fists clenched. ¡°The older he got, the more independent he became. Now he doesn¡¯t need me¡­ but seeing him throw his life away like that¡ªit¡¯s unbearable. I didn¡¯t even have the guts to stop him.¡± Without hesitation, Larissa pulled me into a soft embrace, ruffling my hair as if I were a child. ¡°You big baby¡­ you just care too much. Why don¡¯t you actually talk to him? Tell him not to do anything reckless like today.¡± ¡°¡­He won¡¯t listen.¡± ¡°Then make him listen. You¡¯re his big brother, Arc. Stop treating him like a stranger.¡± Unauthorized tale usage: if you spot this story on Amazon, report the violation. ¡°¡­Says the person treating me like a toddler.¡± I muttered, slightly annoyed at the affectionate head patting. Just then, a familiar chuckle pierced through the tension. ¡°Awww¡­ my cute baby brother getting pampered. That¡¯s adorable.¡± My veins instantly popped. I turned, already glaring daggers at the smug, punchable face of Azrael. His tattered clothes, still soaked in dried blood, made his casual grin even more infuriating. ¡°¡­You¡¯re about to get your face caved in, gremlin.¡± ¡°Whoa, whoa. What did I do?¡± Azrael laughed, raising his hands in mock surrender. Crack! I didn¡¯t hesitate. My fist slammed into his shoulder, causing him to stagger back. ¡°THAT¡¯S for almost killing yourself, you idiot.¡± ¡°Ow¡ªdamn, that was harder than Tride¡¯s attack.¡± ¡°Tride didn¡¯t punch you, dumbass.¡± ¡°Same difference,¡± Azrael muttered, massaging his shoulder. Larissa, still amused by our brotherly interaction, finally interjected. ¡°I take it you¡¯re Azrael? I¡¯m Larissa Haven¡ªArc¡¯s association partner. Nice to meet you.¡± Azrael immediately switched to polite mode, extending his hand. ¡°Azrael Salisia. Nice to meet you too, ma¡¯am.¡± ¡°Ma¡¯am? Damn, you¡¯re formal.¡± ¡°She¡¯s old, so it fits.¡± I smirked. Another punch to my arm. This time from Larissa. ¡°Ow¡ªwhat the hell, Larissa?¡± Ignoring me, Azrael curiously asked, ¡°So¡­ did I pass my test?¡± Larissa blinked. ¡°Test?¡± I sighed. ¡°He wants to join Blue Fright. He probably thought surviving Tride could be his entrance exam.¡± A brief silence. Then Larissa let out an amused chuckle. ¡°Ohhh. That¡¯s what this was about. Honestly¡­ I can¡¯t think of a reason to say no.¡± Azrael¡¯s face lit up. ¡°Really?¡± ¡°Really. Hell, I¡¯d even suggest bringing along those two¡ªKaltain and Vesna. They were pretty capable too.¡± Azrael¡¯s grin stretched ear to ear. ¡°YES! I knew I picked the right people for my team.¡± His expression practically screamed praise me, you bastards. Of course, I ignored it. ¡°¡­I¡¯ll send out the official invitation later,¡± Larissa added, brushing off Azrael¡¯s excitement. ¡°For now, take care of yourself. And Arc¡ªdon¡¯t overthink things.¡± ¡°Yeah, yeah¡­¡± After Larissa left, Azrael turned to me, his smile dimming slightly. ¡°Hey¡­ don¡¯t worry about me. I¡¯ve got a strong mental fortitude. I¡¯m not gonna turn into some mindless freak or commit atrocities with my powers.¡± ¡°¡­Don¡¯t lie to me, Azrael. You¡¯d break the Geneva Conventions if you got pissed enough.¡± He let out a deep laugh. ¡°Damn straight I would¡ªespecially if someone messed with you or Edith.¡± ¡°¡­You do know the Geneva Conventions don¡¯t exist anymore, right?¡± ¡°¡­Oh. Yeah. Forgot we¡¯re beyond nuclear warfare now.¡± A pause lingered. Then I spoke my mind. ¡°¡­Are you really okay, though?¡± Azrael raised a brow. ¡°I mean it,¡± I pressed. ¡°You jumped headfirst into a battle you knew you couldn¡¯t win. Took two students with you. Got battered to hell. Why?¡± His answer was quieter than I expected. ¡°¡­Because they¡¯re like me.¡± ¡°¡­What?¡± ¡°They don¡¯t really have anything to live for. Vesna¡­ She''s hiding something. Kaltain¡­ he¡¯s always teetering on the edge of nihilism. And me?¡± Azrael gave a bitter smile. ¡°I¡¯ve already died once. I get it.¡± His words froze me. I forgot¡ªAzrael was nearly dead before. ¡°So what? You¡¯re trying to give them something to live for now?¡± ¡°Yeah.¡± His smile softened. ¡°I¡¯m not gonna let them rot like I did.¡± A heavy silence stretched between us. I didn¡¯t know whether to be proud of his selflessness or horrified at his disregard for his own life. ¡°¡­Let¡¯s table this talk for later,¡± I finally muttered. ¡°Let¡¯s go find Edith and get home.¡± Azrael shrugged. ¡°Already met her. She¡¯s curled up in her tent, probably still processing all this. I told her not to talk about me.¡± ¡°Good. Only my closest allies know about your return.¡± Azrael smirked. ¡°You mean like that woman who was practically mothering you earlier?¡± My fist immediately connected with his head. THUD! ¡°OW! What the hell, Arc?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t start.¡± ¡°¡­Seriously though,¡± Azrael continued, ignoring my death glare. ¡°How many close people do you even have now?¡± ¡°¡­Few. But they¡¯re reliable.¡± Azrael fell uncharacteristically quiet, his expression unreadable. Then he flashed a faint smile. ¡°¡­Guess I¡¯ll have to keep living then. Can¡¯t have you carrying everything alone.¡± For a moment, I couldn¡¯t breathe. The sheer weight of that sentence hit me harder than Tride¡¯s attacks. ¡°¡­Damn right you won¡¯t,¡± I muttered, my voice cracked. Azrael grinned. ¡°Race you back to camp?¡± ¡°¡­You¡¯re injured, you dumbass.¡± ¡°Still gonna beat you.¡± And despite everything¡ªhis battered body, the blood, the horrors of battle¡ªwe laughed. Chapter 18: Reunion We picked up Edith from her tent and made our way back home. The ride was mostly filled with silence, except for the occasional rustling of the wind and the distant murmur of soldiers securing the aftermath of the battle. Azrael¡¯s face, however, was ridiculously swollen¡ªlike someone had hammered it repeatedly. It was hard not to stare. ¡°¡­Azrael, how the hell did you get hit this bad?¡± I finally asked, breaking the silence. ¡°Girly,¡± Azrael turned his battered face toward Edith, forcing a grin despite the pain, ¡°your brave uncle here got mauled by a giant brown.¡± I couldn''t help it¡ªI burst out laughing. The sheer venom in his voice while describing me was gold. Azrael immediately shot me a glare so intense it felt like he was stabbing me with his eyes. Ah, the satisfaction. ¡°Uncle, can you please stop bullying Azrael?¡± Edith suddenly chimed in, her tone a mix of concern and slight reprimand. My grin widened. ¡°Oh no, dear niece. I¡¯m not bullying him. It was his own fault for jumping headfirst into a fight with something clearly stronger than him.¡± Azrael scoffed. ¡°Yeah, yeah. Easy to say when you¡¯re not the one being tossed like a ragdoll.¡± Then Edith dealt the killing blow. ¡°Azrael¡­ if you don¡¯t start being careful next time, I¡¯m going to start calling you uncle too.¡± Azrael¡¯s eyes immediately bulged. He grabbed her hand in pure desperation. ¡°D-Don¡¯t you dare! Girly, you can¡¯t do me like that. I¡¯ll be cautious! I swear!¡± I nearly choked on my own laughter. ¡°Pfft¡ªGood job, Edith. I¡¯m so proud of you.¡± ¡°You two are conspiring against me,¡± Azrael whined, slouching in his seat dramatically. The bickering continued the entire way home, with Azrael suffering loss after loss in the verbal battle. Poor guy never stood a chance. ¡­¡­ When we arrived home, Azrael stepped out of the car, his eyes locked on the manor in front of us. A faint smirk tugged at his lips. ¡°¡­Aren¡¯t you rich?¡± he teased. Unlawfully taken from Royal Road, this story should be reported if seen on Amazon. ¡°Sure am. Mom and Dad should be inside. Go surprise them,¡± I said, nudging him forward. He took a deep breath, his smirk softening into something more genuine. ¡°¡­Alright. Let¡¯s do this.¡± We stepped inside. Both Mom and Dad were on the couch, chatting casually, oblivious to our presence. Azrael tiptoed behind them like a mischievous kid and suddenly hugged them from behind. Their response was almost instinctive¡ªboth of them placed their hands on his arms, confused by the unexpected touch. ¡°Look who¡¯s back!¡± Azrael announced, his voice cracking slightly. Simultaneously, they turned. The moment their eyes locked with Azrael¡¯s smiling face, time seemed to freeze. Azrael didn¡¯t hesitate¡ªhe pulled them into a tight embrace, almost crushing them. ¡°Missed me?¡± The silence stretched on longer than I expected. Neither of them moved, their brains struggling to process the impossible sight. ¡°¡­Seriously? No reaction? I thought you¡¯d start crying or something,¡± Azrael muttered, his voice breaking slightly. And then¡ª They both laughed. Quiet, disbelieving chuckles turned into genuine, relieved laughter. ¡°He hasn¡¯t changed one bit,¡± they said in unison. Azrael joined their laughter, his grip tightening. ¡°Damn right. My majestic self doesn¡¯t change that easily.¡± Mom, tears finally falling, stretched his ear painfully. ¡°Took you long enough to come back, idiot.¡± Azrael winced but hugged her tighter. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Mom. Just think of it as my study abroad.¡± Dad, struggling to hold back his emotions, patted Azrael¡¯s back. ¡°Well, since you¡¯re back¡­ you better get a job. Otherwise, that excuse won¡¯t cut it.¡± Azrael grinned. ¡°I already have a job.¡± Both of them froze. Mom turned to me, confused. ¡°¡­Is he serious?¡± I scratched the back of my head. ¡°Yeah, unfortunately. He¡¯s joining me as an Astra.¡± Mom¡¯s expression instantly fell, her voice trembling. ¡°Will he be okay? Is he strong enough to survive?¡± Before I could answer, Edith suddenly piped up with far too much enthusiasm. ¡°Oh! Grandma, Azrael is really strong! He literally fought a 200-meter tall turtle today that created a whole separate dimension to trap him. He came out alive¡ªjust a bit battered, though. I didn¡¯t even stop him because I knew he¡¯d survive!¡± I swear I saw the light leave Azrael¡¯s eyes as she casually exposed his recklessness. Oh, my sweet innocent niece. Mom¡¯s face darkened instantly. ¡°¡­A turtle? Separate dimension? And you didn¡¯t stop him?!¡± ¡°Uh¡ªwait, Mom. I can explai¡ª¡± ¡°And you!¡± She turned her rage toward Azrael. ¡°Are you insane?! Do you know what could¡¯ve happened?! You would¡¯ve been grounded if you were still a kid! Arc, why didn¡¯t you stop him?!¡± ¡°¡­I was busy saving his sorry ass.¡± That earned me a glare too. Worth it. And so began the longest counseling session of our lives. Mom spent the next hour scolding all of us. Azrael got the worst of it, followed closely by Edith, who was reprimanded for encouraging his recklessness. I even got my share of scolding for not dragging Azrael¡¯s body back the moment he jumped into the fight. Azrael slumped in his seat, dead inside. ¡°Today is the worst day ever.¡± ¡°Best day ever,¡± I muttered, smirking. ¡­¡­ After the storm settled, I took some time to explain everything to our parents¡ªthe experiment, the rescue, and what led to Azrael¡¯s return. ¡°¡­So Junia¡¯s still working on stabilizing the experiment. Hopefully, we¡¯ll be able to save more people in the future.¡± Dad nodded thoughtfully. ¡°And you pushed her to expedite it?¡± ¡°¡­Yeah,¡± I admitted. ¡°I had to. I couldn¡¯t lose him a second time.¡± Azrael, who had been resting his head on Mom¡¯s lap, suddenly perked up. ¡°¡­Wait. You rushed Junia¡¯s experiment because of me?¡± I let out a slow sigh. ¡°¡­Yeah. After you disappeared, everything fell apart. Mom and Dad barely smiled. Sis cut contact. Edith locked herself up. I kept blaming myself¡ªthinking if I had been braver, I could¡¯ve saved you. ¡°So¡­ when I saw even a sliver of hope to bring you back¡ªI took it. I didn¡¯t care if it was dangerous. I just¡­ couldn¡¯t lose you again.¡± Silence. Thick, suffocating silence. Azrael¡¯s face fell, his usually playful demeanor fading into something unreadable. Then, after what felt like forever¡ª ¡°¡­Show me my room, Arc,¡± he said quietly. ¡°I need to sleep.¡± ¡°¡­Yeah. It¡¯s beside Edith¡¯s room upstairs.¡± Azrael turned to Edith. ¡°Come with me. You should sleep too.¡± She hesitated, but seeing the faint vulnerability in his eyes, she wordlessly followed him upstairs. As they disappeared, Mom¡¯s voice trembled. ¡°Arc¡­ take care of him.¡± ¡°¡­I will, Mom. I promise.¡± That night, none of us slept soundly. But one thing was clear¡ªAzrael was finally home. And I¡¯d make damn sure he never disappeared again. Chapter 19: Missing Sister At sunrise, faint voices echoed from our sister¡¯s locked room. It had always been closed off since she left, but today¡­ something was different. I quietly approached the door, only to hear Mom and Dad arguing¡ªno, discussing¡ªwith Azrael. My curiosity got the better of me, so I quickly hid behind the hallway wall to eavesdrop. ¡­¡­ ¡°This room is maintained¡­ but Arc told me that sis lives in the Gold-level region. Care to explain why her room is still intact?¡± Azrael¡¯s voice was calm but unsettling¡ªhis tone devoid of any warmth. ¡°Azrael, it¡¯s just for emergencies when she returns¡­¡± Dad''s voice trailed off, hesitant. ¡°Emergency?¡± Azrael¡¯s tone darkened. ¡°What do you mean by emergency, Dad? You don¡¯t even know when she¡¯ll return.¡± I felt a shiver run down my spine. His voice was losing all traces of emotion, giving off an eerily cold and detached vibe. Dad hesitated. ¡°¡­It¡¯s nothing like that. She¡¯s busy protecting civilians. She¡¯s not as strong as Arc, but she holds her own.¡± ¡°You still didn¡¯t answer my question, Dad.¡± Azrael¡¯s voice turned hollow. ¡°Do you know when she¡¯ll return?¡± ¡°Azrael, mind your tone! You just got back; show some respect!¡± Mom snapped. Azrael didn¡¯t even flinch. ¡°Mom¡­ I¡¯m not raising my voice. I just need an answer. Do you know when she¡¯ll return?¡± ¡°¡­We don¡¯t know.¡± Mom¡¯s voice cracked. ¡°We genuinely don¡¯t know. She promised to return when things settle down. She¡¯s just¡­ busy.¡± ¡°Ah¡­ nice. So my ever-so-sympathetic sister left her daughter here while she played hero. Got it.¡± Silence. A suffocating silence. Even I froze, struggling to process his words. Azrael picked up a dusty photo frame from the nearby desk. It was a picture of our sister, her husband, and a 15-year-old Edith. The photo was clicked in our backyard. Stolen from its rightful author, this tale is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings. ¡°This photo was taken here, wasn¡¯t it?¡± Azrael muttered. ¡°They lived here.¡± ¡°¡­Yes,¡± Dad admitted reluctantly. ¡°We were all together, once.¡± Azrael chuckled dryly. ¡°So what happened to that happy family, Dad?¡± ¡°¡­Your sister saw some kid get orphaned by those creatures. After that day, she vowed to protect civilians. She couldn¡¯t stand watching innocent lives being lost anymore.¡± Azrael¡¯s grip on the photo frame tightened. ¡°¡­What a load of bullshit. You think I¡¯d buy that?¡± ¡°Azrael!¡± Dad snapped. ¡°No, seriously. What a load of crap.¡± Azrael let out a humorless laugh. ¡°You¡¯re telling me she abandoned her daughter, her family, and her home because of a vow?¡± ¡°You don¡¯t understand¡ª¡± ¡°You¡¯re damn right I don¡¯t.¡± Azrael cut him off coldly. His voice lacked any anger¡ªit was just¡­ hollow. Detached. ¡°Dad¡­ Mom¡­ when was the last time you heard from her?¡± Silence. Azrael let out a deep breath, then started piecing it together like a damn detective. ¡°¡­Let me guess. Brother-in-law died. She spiraled. Couldn¡¯t handle raising Edith alone. So she dumped her here and left under the guise of ¡®protecting civilians.¡¯¡± ¡°Azrael, stop¡ª¡± ¡°Let me finish.¡± His tone was unnervingly calm. ¡°She contacted you guys from time to time. But as months or years passed, her contact dwindled. Maybe even stopped altogether. And now¡­ you have no idea if she¡¯s alive or dead. Am I wrong?¡± The room turned ice cold. Even I flinched. How the hell did he figure that out so fast? Dad opened his mouth but found no words. Mom clenched her fists, trembling. Azrael scoffed. ¡°So I am right. You guys were hoping I wouldn¡¯t find out, huh?¡± ¡°¡­We didn¡¯t know how to tell you,¡± Mom admitted weakly. ¡°Figures.¡± Azrael leaned against the wall, his head throbbing. ¡°¡­The funny part is¡ªI¡¯m not even angry. I don¡¯t feel anything. No rage, no grief, no sorrow. I should, right?¡± He laughed bitterly. ¡°But I don¡¯t. Isn¡¯t that disgusting?¡± Mom¡¯s expression softened. She gently patted the bed beside her. ¡°Come here.¡± ¡°¡­What?¡± ¡°Come. Sit down.¡± Hesitant, Azrael walked over and sat down. Without a word, Mom pulled his head onto her lap and began caressing his hair. ¡°The fact you think it¡¯s disgusting shows you still have emotions, Azrael,¡± she said softly. ¡°You¡¯ve just buried them too deep.¡± ¡°¡­Is that supposed to make me feel better?¡± Azrael muttered. Dad walked over, placing a hand on his shoulder. ¡°You¡¯re not wrong to feel numb, son. We¡¯ve¡­ lost so many people. You, your brother-in-law¡­ and now, potentially your sister too. We¡¯ve gotten used to loss.¡± ¡°¡­That¡¯s the messed-up part, Dad.¡± Azrael chuckled lifelessly. ¡°You guys should¡¯ve been more reactive when I came back. But you weren¡¯t. Arc told you everything beforehand, sure. But the bigger reason¡­ you¡¯ve all gotten numb.¡± Dad sighed, his tone heavy. ¡°We have. But it doesn¡¯t mean we stopped caring.¡± Azrael stared at the ceiling. ¡°¡­And here I was, thinking you¡¯d ground me or something.¡± Dad chuckled dryly. ¡°Son, you¡¯re too old to ground. But I¡¯d still smack you if you pull another reckless stunt like yesterday.¡± ¡°¡­Noted.¡± Azrael closed his eyes. ¡°Anyway, I¡¯ll find her.¡± Mom froze. ¡°¡­Azrael¡ª¡± ¡°No. I¡¯ll find sis. You guys clearly gave up already. I¡¯ll do it myself.¡± ¡°¡­And what will you do if she¡¯s¡ª¡± ¡°Don¡¯t.¡± Azrael¡¯s voice turned razor-sharp. ¡°She¡¯s not dead. I refuse to believe it.¡± I quietly stepped away from the door, knowing Azrael was already formulating a plan. I need to keep an eye on him. ¡­¡­ I woke up around 10 AM. The house was oddly lively. Mom had made breakfast¡ªmostly junk food that Azrael devoured like a starving beast. Some things never change. After finishing my morning routine, I started my usual exercises in the backyard. Surprisingly, Azrael joined me. ¡°Didn¡¯t expect you to exercise,¡± I remarked. Azrael smirked. ¡°Figured I should, y¡¯know? Gotta keep up with my overpowered big bro.¡± I chuckled. Same old Azrael. ¡°¡­Hey.¡± He suddenly spoke up after a few minutes. ¡°Today¡¯s my first day at work. Can you drop me off?¡± I raised a brow. ¡°¡­What, you want me to carry you in my arms or something?¡± ¡°Pfft¡ªshut up. Just drive me, dumbass.¡± ¡°Yeah, yeah. Hop in, crybaby.¡± And just like that, things felt normal again¡ªfor now. But I knew one thing for certain¡ªAzrael wasn¡¯t about to sit still. He was going to find our sister, no matter what it took. And I needed to be ready¡­ for whatever madness he¡¯d stir up next. Chapter 20: Work After finishing our meal, we headed straight to the association. Edith had no college today, which meant I didn¡¯t have to drop her off¡ªone less thing on my plate. But another burden loomed over us. We needed to establish a new college. This entire week was going to be packed¡ªagain. We arrived in our car, me dressed in my usual suit while Azrael, as expected, was in his all-black casual attire. ¡°This guy really has a black color fetish,¡± I muttered under my breath. Not that it looked bad on him. Actually, it suited him too well. But that wasn¡¯t the point. The point was his reaction when he finally saw the association building. His eyes nearly fell out of their sockets. He blinked furiously, rubbed them as if trying to wipe away an illusion, and then just stared. ¡°What?¡± I smirked. ¡°You don¡¯t like it?¡± Azrael tore his gaze from the massive structure before him. ¡°Stop smirking. My reaction is valid. This is your association? It¡¯s a freaking castle! And above all, you named this bad boy Blue Fright?¡± I couldn¡¯t hold back my laughter, chuckling as I watched him struggle to process it. Yes, Blue Fright was a literal fortress. Towering walls, grand spires, and an elegant blue-and-white finish¡ªit was every bit as intimidating as the name suggested. ¡°Whose idea was it to turn an association into a medieval castle?¡± Azrael asked, still in disbelief. I grinned. ¡°Mine. I wanted that ¡®old money¡¯ aesthetic.¡± Azrael scoffed. ¡°Old money? Brother, this is medieval money¡­ and I¡¯m all for it.¡± ¡°Knew you¡¯d like it,¡± I said smugly. ¡°A castle is like any guy¡¯s fever dream.¡± ¡°I wouldn¡¯t say any guy, but yeah, it¡¯s cool.¡± I felt strangely triumphant over something so trivial¡ªand fake. Stolen content warning: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences. Inside, the castle¡¯s interior was relatively simple. The medieval aesthetic was maintained, but the furnishings were mild, nothing overly extravagant. Azrael glanced around. ¡°Looks like a castle, but I assume this isn¡¯t just for show?¡± ¡°Of course not,¡± I said, waving a hand. ¡°Back in medieval times, castles weren¡¯t just homes for nobles¡ªthey were administrative hubs. The same applies here. We have training facilities, research labs, dueling arenas, and standard administration offices.¡± Azrael whistled. ¡°Damn, we really regressed back in time. Do we have noble lineages too?¡± I scoffed. ¡°No, nepotism is bad. But our family does have certain privileges.¡± Azrael smirked. ¡°Because of you, I¡¯m guessing?¡± I flashed him a grin. That gremlin rolled his eyes. Ungrateful gremlin!! Just then, a voice called out. ¡°You finally arrived. You know, being late on your first day leaves a bad impression.¡± We turned to see Larrisa standing there, her arms crossed, exuding that natural authority she always carried. She was in her usual white shirt and black baggy pants, her sharp gaze assessing us. I felt Azrael¡¯s smug stare burning into me. ¡°It wasn¡¯t my fault,¡± Azrael deflected instantly. ¡°My boss here is the one who¡¯s late.¡± I shot back, ¡°Oh, please. You took your sweet time finishing that junk food.¡± ¡°You were the one who slept like a log last night.¡± Larrisa¡¯s patience visibly snapped. She grabbed my ear without hesitation, making me wince. She even reached for Azrael, but the gremlin dodged her. ¡°Oh? We have a feisty one here,¡± he taunted. ¡°No!! She¡¯s angry,¡± I corrected. Larrisa exhaled sharply. ¡°Just so you know, I am your boss, not Arc, mister.¡± Azrael blinked. ¡°Wait, what? Actually, never mind. I was stupid to think this guy would have a high position.¡± ¡°Hey! What¡¯s that supposed to mean?¡± I frowned. ¡°I do have a high position¡ªI¡¯m second-in-command!¡± Larrisa ignored me, locking her sights on Azrael. ¡°I was going to let your late arrival slide, but since you dodged me¡­ you need to be punished.¡± Azrael raised an eyebrow, intrigued. ¡°Oh? What kind of punishment?¡± ¡°Run twenty laps.¡± A silence stretched between us. Then, Azrael chuckled. ¡°What are you, my P.E. teacher? Whatever. Sounds easy. I¡¯ll go do it.¡± Without hesitation, he strolled out to start running. I blinked. ¡°I¡­ thought he¡¯d retaliate.¡± Larrisa shrugged. ¡°Whether his skinny ass will survive or not is not my problem.¡± I groaned. ¡°I swear, dealing with him is going to give me a headache.¡± Larrisa only shrugged again. But I could tell¡ªshe was going to make his time here a living hell. She caught my stare. ¡°Don¡¯t look at me like I¡¯m some kind of demon.¡± But she kind of was. She liked controlling people¡¯s actions. And Azrael? He was the worst possible match for her. ¡°Anyway,¡± Larrisa continued, changing the subject, ¡°I sent a notice to the other two. They¡¯ll be joining as well. I got their acceptance confirmation.¡± ¡°You mean Kaltain and Vesna?¡± I mused. ¡°Hmm¡­ just try to be patient with them.¡± Larrisa rolled her eyes. ¡°Again with your look. I¡¯m not a demon. But if they refuse to follow rules, they¡¯ll regret ever stepping foot in here.¡± ¡­I have my condolences for those two. Just¡­ my condolences. ¡°Come on,¡± she said, turning on her heel. ¡°Follow me to the office. We have a lot of work to do.¡± I sighed and did as she said. I wasn¡¯t about to have extra work dumped on me. If I played my cards right, I could slack off under her watch¡ªand I was not making her my enemy for that exact reason. Inside the office, she settled at her desk while I took my usual seat. The decor was¡­ plain. There were a few antique pieces scattered around, keeping in line with the castle theme, but nothing particularly eye-catching. Well¡­ aside from Larrisa herself. If you were a lecherous pervert, then sure, she had every asset to distract someone. Not that I¡¯d ever say that aloud¡ªI valued my life. The ¡°work¡± she mentioned? Sorting credits. We had to manage funds used for various expenses¡ªrepairs from the recent destruction of the college, training centers, and multiple buildings. Most funds were funneled into research and weaponsmithing, but the results weren¡¯t looking too promising. At this rate, we might need to cut their funding off entirely. ¡­Great. Another problem to deal with. This week was just getting better and better. Chapter 21: Carrot and Stick At times like this, I¡¯d usually argue that monetary rewards weren¡¯t necessary. But reality had proven otherwise¡ªpeople rarely gave their best unless they had something personal to gain. Concepts like glory and bettering society? Just fairytales. That¡¯s why credits remained the best carrot-and-stick system. Larrisa glanced at me from her desk. ¡°Arc, what do you think? Should we cancel the funding for college reconstruction?¡± I shook my head. ¡°No, don¡¯t cancel it. But I think we should create something else entirely.¡± Larrisa raised a brow, intrigued. ¡°Another one of your medieval ideas? I¡¯m in. Tell me.¡± ¡°It¡¯s not always medieval,¡± I defended. ¡°This time, I want to establish an academy with a ranking system. The higher the rank, the better the rewards. This way, kids will compete harder and grow stronger faster.¡± She smirked. ¡°So basically¡­ you want to create a fight club?¡± I shrugged. ¡°Call it what you want. But it¡¯ll work. And yeah, credits will flow like water, but the results will be worth it.¡± Leaning back in my chair, I continued in a calmer voice, ¡°There are planets in our solar system without portals. If we ever need to evacuate, we¡¯ll need strong, capable people with different skills and ideals to push us through. A little extra work won¡¯t stop me from reaching that goal.¡± Larrisa stared at me for a moment before smiling faintly. ¡°Not gonna lie¡ªI¡¯m impressed. I usually am, but today? Even more.¡± I chuckled. ¡°And I have Azrael too, to take my place when there¡¯s too much work.¡± She immediately gave me a side-eye. ¡°I take my words back.¡± ¡°Oh, come on. I¡¯m his brother. Working him like a slave is my birthright.¡± Larrisa¡¯s face twisted in disgust. That kinda hurt. If you find this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the infringement. ¡°You are despicable¡­ Hehe, but I¡¯m in.¡± My eyes involuntarily blinked a few times. Did we just form a team to bully Azrael? Hell yeah. Right on cue, there was a knock at the door. ¡°Can I come in? Or are you guys getting freaky?¡± Azrael¡¯s voice rang from outside. I faintly heard Larrisa cracking her fingers. This guy was doomed. ¡°Yeah, come in,¡± I said, barely containing my amusement. Azrael entered casually¡ªcompletely unaware of the impending storm. I clasped my hands together and prayed that his end wouldn¡¯t be painless. Larrisa eyed him up and down. ¡°Did you finish your laps¡ªnever mind.¡± I followed her gaze and instantly understood. Azrael was drenched in sweat, yet somehow, his already glowing skin was glowing even more. What kind of discrimination was this? I don¡¯t glow when I¡¯m drenched! ¡°Why didn¡¯t you just use your powers to dry yourself?¡± I asked. Then it hit me. ¡°Oh wait¡ªyou wanted to prove you ran, didn¡¯t you?¡± Azrael smirked. Larrisa cleared her throat, her voice slightly unsteady. ¡°I¡­ I can see that you ran. You can change now.¡± Wait. Was she¡­ flustered? Azrael snapped his fingers, instantly drying himself and changing his clothes. Junia¡¯s techs are ridiculously convenient. ¡°What should I do now?¡± he asked. Larrisa regained her composure. ¡°You don¡¯t have any immediate tasks. If there¡¯s a portal breach, you¡¯ll get a notification. If it¡¯s within your level, you¡¯ll be dispatched.¡± Azrael nodded, deep in thought. Then, without another word, he turned to leave. ¡°I¡¯m gonna go train. There are portals here too, right?¡± ¡°Yeah, just ask the officers for directions,¡± I replied. ¡°The castle is huge.¡± ¡°I know,¡± he said nonchalantly. ¡°It has a circumference of 5000 meters.¡± Larrisa blinked. ¡°Wait¡­ why were you calculating the circumference?¡± Azrael sighed, clearly annoyed. ¡°Didn¡¯t you tell me to run twenty laps?¡± Silence. Then¡ª ¡°YOU RAN AROUND THE ENTIRE CASTLE?!¡± Azrael frowned. ¡°Why are you so surprised? Didn¡¯t you tell me to?¡± Larrisa grabbed her head in frustration. ¡°You moron! I meant twenty laps around the training field, not the whole castle!¡± ¡°How was I supposed to know that?!¡± She groaned. ¡°Fine! Just go train before I lose my mind.¡± Azrael didn¡¯t argue. He simply left. I sat there, blinking. Why do I hear boss music? ¡­¡­ Fortunately, nothing happened, and I survived the rest of the day. I would genuinely freak out if I got assigned any more work. Administration was not my thing. But money was money, so I had to deal with it. By the time 7 PM rolled around, it was time to head home. I went to look for Azrael¡ªwell, ¡®look¡¯ was a stretch. I didn¡¯t have to search long. He was chilling near a portal¡­ surrounded by dozens of creature carcasses. ¡°Wait, what?!¡± I called out to him, my voice loud enough to echo through the area. Azrael turned to me, completely unbothered. ¡°Coming! Don¡¯t shout, my ears will bleed.¡± I scowled. ¡°You¡¯re going to bleed if you don¡¯t explain what the hell is going on here.¡± He stretched lazily. ¡°What¡¯s there to explain? I was training, and these guys just kept popping up. So I killed them.¡± I massaged my temples. ¡°Azrael. These creatures wouldn¡¯t have kept coming if you moved every hour. At least step outside the portal¡¯s radius once in a while!¡± ¡°Nah, too much effort. My lazy ass couldn¡¯t move that much.¡± I sighed, my will to argue evaporating. This guy¡­ I made a mental note to get him scolded when we got home. ¡°Let¡¯s just go. I don¡¯t even wanna talk about your laziness.¡± Azrael nodded, hopping into the car like nothing had happened. On the way home, we bantered for absolutely no reason. And somehow¡­ that was the most normal part of my day. Chapter 22: Training [ Vesna ] I accepted Blue Fright¡¯s invitation the moment I received it. Now, I¡¯m on my way to their association. I still think making a literal castle their base was a bad idea, but everyone seems to find it cool. Arceid can be so childish sometimes. Kaltain also accepted the invitation, causing quite an uproar in our college¡¯s group chat. Rumors were flying about a new academy replacing the college¡ªone with an alphabetical tier system. Things were accelerating fast. Still, I had a few years before the next catastrophe happened. That girl will arrive soon¡­ ¡®The Witch of Integration.¡¯ The False Calamity¡­ I shook the thought away. After a long walk, I finally reached the castle. There was no grand welcome¡ªnot that I expected one. Surprisingly, Kaltain arrived at the exact same time. He looked amused to see me, which was¡­ odd. ¡°Miss Vesna, a pleasure to meet you. So, you got the invitation as well.¡± I frowned. ¡°Please don¡¯t call me Miss. I¡¯m not that old. And yeah, obviously, that¡¯s why I¡¯m here.¡± He chuckled. ¡°Of course, that makes sense. What do you think of Azrael? Are we meeting him too?¡± That ever-present, sympathetic smile of his never wavered. I still couldn¡¯t believe this guy wasn¡¯t hiding something. ¡°Kaltain, why don¡¯t we just go inside and check if he¡¯s here?¡± His smile deepened. ¡°A wonderful idea. After you.¡± Stolen content warning: this tale belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences elsewhere. He gestured for me to go first, which I did. Even as he smiled, his sharp eyes scanned every nook and cranny of the place. Was he planning something? He could be. He was the most mysterious Astra. ¡­¡­ The castle had an outer and inner circle¡ªthe outer housed the training fields, while the inner contained logistics and administrative departments. Upon entering, we were greeted by Miss Larrisa, The Frost Queen. She was training¡ªprobably refining her cosmic energy control. Ice shards floated around her, glowing with an ethereal light. ¡°You guys are pretty early. Nice job.¡± Kaltain raised a brow. ¡°Early? And here I was stressing that we were late, Miss Larrisa.¡± She smirked. ¡°Kaltain, right? Strongest of the new generation. I¡¯ve heard a lot about you¡ªgood things only. You seem like an easy person to work with. Much better than Azrael.¡± Kaltain¡¯s smile bloomed even further. Maybe he was genuinely happy. ¡°So he¡¯s here?¡± He let out a small chuckle. ¡°That¡¯s nice. Could I ask where he is?¡± Larrisa sighed. ¡°He¡¯s late. He won¡¯t be here until 10 AM¡ªabout three hours from now.¡± ¡°Oh, thanks for the info, Ma¡¯am.¡± Larrisa turned to me. ¡°And you¡¯re Vesna, right? You did well against that turtle creature.¡± I nodded. ¡°Yes, Ma¡¯am. But I was just support. The real damage came from Azrael and Kaltain.¡± She waved her hand dismissively. ¡°Don¡¯t think like that. Supports aren¡¯t useless¡ªthey¡¯re essential. You¡¯re Planetoid Rank. That puts you above most of your peers. Even above most of humanity.¡± She really was kind beneath that tough exterior. Knowing how things ended for her¡­ No. I won¡¯t dwell on the past. Because I¡¯ll change it. ¡°Ma¡¯am, what should we do now?¡± I asked. Larrisa smirked. ¡°Good question. Just wait for a portal breach. If you can handle it, go deal with it. Otherwise, just train.¡± ¡°Understood, Ma¡¯am.¡± ¡­¡­ Kaltain and I moved to the outer circle, searching for a place to train. Only a few people on this planet had Planetoid Rank strength, yet everyone could use cosmic energy¡ªfor work, for youth, for survival. That was why so many people were here. Even if they didn¡¯t talk much. A worker guided us through the training area, explaining how the machines worked. Most were designed for physical enhancement, which suited me perfectly. Strangely enough, Kaltain also chose to focus on physical training today. The machines were modified versions of regular gym equipment¡ªwith a twist. Their weight dynamically adjusted to the user¡¯s strength. The facilities included: Treadmills with speeds reaching light-speed. Gravitational chambers for intense pressure training. White rooms for deep meditation and cosmic energy control. With cosmic energy, our physical potential could theoretically grow endlessly¡ªgiven enough time and effort. And I intended to test that theory. I had both time and determination. ¡°Vesna, I¡¯ll be in the gravitational chamber. If anything comes up, let me know.¡± I nodded. He returned the gesture before heading inside. As for me¡ªI went straight to strength training inside a temporal dome I created. Temporal Dome¡ªTime Manipulation Training Inside the dome, time slowed. From an outside perspective, I seemed to be moving faster¡ªbut in reality, time itself was decelerated for me. With this, I could train longer without wasting real-world time. I pushed my limits for the next three hours straight. Finally, I stepped out, taking a brief break. Kaltain was still inside the gravitational chamber, adjusting to the crushing pressure¡ªrefining his control over gravity itself. The work never ended. And neither did our drive to improve. Chapter 23: Argument Boom! An explosion erupted from a nearby training room, shaking the ground beneath me. A thick cloud of dust and smoke filled the air, obscuring my vision. The stench of rotting blood and flesh assaulted my senses, sharp and nauseating¡ªyet, just as suddenly as it appeared, it was gone. The dust, the stench, even the lingering heat¡ªit all vanished, as if erased from existence. As my vision cleared, I saw the figure emerging from the wreckage. Azrael. He still wore his signature all-black attire, his messy hair giving him a rough, almost disheveled look. But something was¡­ off. His power felt denser, sharper, despite his rank remaining unchanged. Kaltain arrived seconds later, drawn in by the shockwaves that had spread across the entire castle. Azrael, seemingly unaware of our presence at first, stood hunched over, breathless. His stamina was drained, his body coated in dense cosmic energy¡ªevidence of a recent battle. Finally stabilizing himself, he glanced at us and scoffed. ¡°Damn. Even those Mortal Ranks can be a hassle.¡± Kaltain¡¯s lips curled into an amused smile. ¡°You got beaten by a Mortal? I expected more from you.¡± Azrael frowned. ¡°It¡¯s not like I was acting cocky or anything. Its power was just¡­ annoying.¡± I narrowed my eyes. ¡°What kind of powers?¡± Azrael exhaled sharply. ¡°Illusions. I seriously hate those things.¡± Kaltain gave a knowing nod. ¡°Fair enough. Still, you¡¯re late. That¡¯s a pretty bad first impression.¡± Azrael turned his head, feigning mockery. ¡°As if anyone cares. And for the record, I was already here¡ªsince 5 AM or something like that.¡± Support the creativity of authors by visiting Royal Road for this novel and more. ¡°Wait¡ªwhat?!¡± Kaltain and I spoke in unison. We had been explicitly told by Larrisa herself that he was late. Was he lying so blatantly? Kaltain cleared his throat. ¡°We were told by Madam Larrisa that you¡¯d arrive at 10 AM. Meaning, you weren¡¯t here. Why are you lying?¡± Azrael shrugged. ¡°I¡¯m not lying. She just didn¡¯t know I was here. You can ask the workers or check the cameras.¡± A voice filled with unfiltered malice was heard just behind us. ¡°Oh? So you were here. What kind of misfit nonsense were you up to this time, Azrael?¡± The temperature plunged. A wave of frost spread across the air, freezing the lingering heat in an instant. Glimmers of icy light blinded the terrain, and before I could react, the broken walls and floors mended themselves¡ªthick layers of ice sealing the damage. Then came the spikes. Jagged icicles erupted from the ground, aiming to skewer Azrael on the spot. He didn¡¯t move. His fist clenched, cosmic energy surging as a miniature black hole formed in his palm. The devouring void swallowed the ice spikes whole¡ªalong with the blinding light that filled the room. Azrael scowled. ¡°Hey! I didn¡¯t do shit! Why are you so hell-bent on making me suffer?¡± Larrisa raised an eyebrow, her arms crossed. ¡°Oh? You didn¡¯t do anything? Ignoring the destruction here? Your reckless training nearly got several of my workers killed.¡± Azrael scoffed. ¡°How the hell did that happen? Don¡¯t make false accusations.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not making false accusations. Workers mimicked your training style¡ªpushing themselves far beyond their limits, nourishing themselves in front of the portals longer than advised.¡± She sighed. ¡°As any sane person would have guessed, it didn¡¯t end well.¡± Azrael shrugged. ¡°So they died because they were weak. Why are you blaming me?¡± ¡°You moron,¡± Larrisa snapped. ¡°You¡¯re a celebrity now. People follow their idols¡ªeven when they shouldn¡¯t. Your recklessness is killing people.¡± Azrael¡¯s expression twisted into a look of sheer disgust. ¡°How did I get famous this fast?¡± Larrisa sighed. ¡°Your battle with the students¡ªit was broadcasted globally. You¡¯ve got quite the number of followers now.¡± Azrael¡¯s face darkened. ¡°So, instead of helping, those teachers were recording while students were dying?¡± ¡°¡­Fair enough,¡± Larrisa admitted. ¡°But it¡¯s protocol. Students won¡¯t grow unless they believe their life is at stake.¡± I stiffened. Wait. If life-or-death situations are necessary for true growth¡­ then isn¡¯t this entire setup pointless? Breaches don¡¯t happen on a fixed schedule. They¡¯re rare. And while training with equipment is useful, real combat experience is far better. ¡­Is that what he¡¯s trying to say? I turned to Azrael. He was smiling. Subtle. Barely there. But definitely smiling. And then, he spoke. ¡°If that¡¯s your argument¡­¡± His tone was casual, but there was an edge to it. ¡°Then let me travel. I¡¯ll go around the world, gain real life-or-death experience, and actually get stronger. Since breaches are rare, I don¡¯t want to waste my time playing with toys.¡± His eyes glinted. ¡°And if I¡¯m not here? No one will see me. Meaning no one will follow my reckless training regime.¡± He tilted his head. ¡°What do you think¡­ Miss?¡± Kaltain didn¡¯t miss a beat. ¡°Azrael, if you don¡¯t mind¡ªI¡¯d like to join you.¡± Azrael smirked. ¡°If you wish. Of course you can.¡± I felt my pulse quicken. This was an opportunity. A real opportunity. ¡°I¡¯m coming too.¡± My voice was firm. No hesitation. Azrael glanced at me, then at Kaltain. He shrugged. ¡°The more, the merrier.¡± While the three of us discussed our upcoming journey, Larrisa remained silent, lost in thought. Finally, she sighed. ¡°I¡¯ll have a meeting with my colleagues. Then I¡¯ll inform you.¡± She shot us a warning look. ¡°Until then, train here.¡± With that, she turned and left. But we all knew the truth. There was no real argument to stop us from leaving. At most, they¡¯d send a strong Astra to accompany us. This trip was happening. And I had a feeling it was going to change everything. Chapter 24: Life and Death Experience [Arceid] The moment I arrived at the association, I was summoned by Larrisa for an unexpected meeting. I entered the room and was surprised to see Junia already there. Something serious, then? I felt a twinge of concern. Larrisa sighed as she greeted me. ¡°Arc¡­ welcome. Your brother has made a request, and I need your permission to grant it.¡± Azrael, huh? That guy just can''t sit still, can he? He was literally resurrected not too long ago, and now he''s causing trouble again. I folded my arms. ¡°What¡¯s he demanding this time? Something serious, or is this just another one of his jokes?¡± Larrisa exhaled sharply, rubbing her temples. ¡°If only it was a joke. Right now, I really want to strangle that idiot. That¡¯s why Junia will explain what he wants.¡± I turned to Junia. ¡°Just tell me. I hate suspense.¡± Junia clapped her hands together, grinning. ¡°To put it simply, he wants to travel across the planet since breaches are rare. He says he needs real life-or-death experiences to get stronger.¡± I frowned. Bullshit. Azrael hates traveling. He¡¯s too damn lazy to care about training. There had to be another reason. Junia smirked. ¡°Oh, and Kaltain and Vesna¡ªthe newbies¡ªthey want to join him.¡± Partners in crime, huh? Just a few days ago, Azrael reunited with our parents. And now, all of a sudden, he wants to leave? Of course. He¡¯s looking for her. Our sister. This whole ¡°getting stronger¡± thing was just a front. Unauthorized duplication: this narrative has been taken without consent. Report sightings. Junia continued, clearly enjoying the chaos. ¡°Oh, and by the way, he outwitted Larrisa during their argument. That¡¯s why she¡¯s extra pissed.¡± I raised a brow. ¡°He outwitted Larrisa? How?¡± Before Junia could respond, Larrisa slammed her hand on the desk¡ªshattering it into splinters. ¡°How about we ignore that,¡± she said through gritted teeth. ¡°Just tell me¡ªdo I grant him permission or not?¡± I narrowed my eyes. ¡°If I say yes, will you actually approve it that easily?¡± Larrisa took a deep breath, then admitted, ¡°Truthfully? I want people to travel and take out those creatures. We need stronger fighters to protect our home. If the new generation stays trapped in their academies, they won¡¯t grow¡ªat least, not enough to challenge the real monstrosities.¡± I frowned. ¡°So you¡¯re basically sending them straight into a death trap.¡± She stepped closer, placing her hands on my face. ¡°The ones who survive will become the pillars of humanity.¡± Click. For the love of¡ªJunia! I turned to see her holding up her camera, flashing a grin. Larrisa flicked her ear. ¡°You gremlin. How many times do I have to tell you to stop doing that?¡± Junia dodged away, laughing. ¡°You can never stop me from admiring beauty¡ªeven if you tear my limbs off!¡± She twirled dramatically, striking exaggerated poses. Larrisa cracked her knuckles. ¡°Arc, we¡¯ll talk later. First, I need to discipline this idiot.¡± I left them to their nonsense and made my way toward Azrael and the newbies. ¡­¡­ I arrived to find the three of them sitting cross-legged in front of a spatial portal, their cosmic energy flaring with an intense glow. I scowled. These bastards were about to summon something absurd. Without hesitation, I condensed cosmic energy around my body, a dark hue rippling across my form. Stepping forward, I channeled my power and kicked the three of them¡ªusing only 10% of my full strength. They were launched straight out of the castle. Outside, the three of them groaned as they got back on their feet. Their legs were shaky, their bodies bruised. Azrael huffed, glaring at me. ¡°What the hell was that for?¡± I flashed him an evil grin. ¡°I heard you wanted a real life-or-death experience. As your caring boss, I thought I should grant your wish.¡± Kaltain wiped the blood from his lip and grinned. ¡°This is going to be fun¡ªfacing the strongest.¡± Vesna, ever the calm one, simply analyzed the situation. ¡°Let¡¯s flank him. Don¡¯t give him time to retaliate. He won¡¯t hit us vitally¡ªat least.¡± The energy around me darkened, a violet glow pulsing through the air. I surged forward, targeting Vesna first. She barely dodged my fist. Cosmic energy flared around her as she waved her hand¡ªtime slowed. The gravitational pressure around me increased, the ground beneath me rupturing. Then, a storm of tiny rubble fragments¡ªmoving at near-light speed¡ªrained down on me. They¡¯re not holding back. Should I return the favor? No. They¡¯re kids, Arc. Control yourself. I exhaled, my body glowing dark violet. In an instant, I severed my connection to the affected space¡ªremoving myself from the attack entirely. Their astonished faces were a delight. ¡°See?¡± I smirked. ¡°This is the kind of difference you¡¯ll face outside your precious safe zones.¡± The three of them lined up, Azrael stepping into the center. He cracked his knuckles. ¡°Let¡¯s not waste any time¡ªfight!¡± His voice echoed across Sector 2. I sighed. At least this sector is empty. No civilians would have to hear their upcoming screams. I vanished. Reappearing in front of Kaltain, I grabbed his head and slammed it into the ground¡ªover and over. The earth shook. A crater formed beneath us. Kaltain¡¯s face was wrecked¡ªblood dripping, teeth shattered, his nose dislocated. His entire face was caved in. And we were just getting started. Chapter 25: Life and Death Experience (2) Disappearing again, I reappeared in front of Azrael and drove my foot straight into his gut, sending him hurtling into the sky. Before he could even register what had happened, I followed up with a relentless barrage of punches. Blow after blow landed, each one sending shockwaves through the air. Finally, with a powerful kick, I sent him crashing back down, forming yet another crater. Azrael¡¯s condition was even worse than Kaltain¡¯s. His body was a bloody mess¡ªhis limbs bent at unnatural angles, flesh torn in places, and not a single spot left unscathed. Vesna, anticipating my next attack, dodged swiftly and trapped me within her temporal dome again. Before she could retreat to a safe distance, I grabbed her wrist, yanking her toward me. My fist smashed into her face, and I didn¡¯t stop. Punch after punch, her skull caved under the force. To finish it off, I drove my foot into her side, sending her flying¡ªstraight into the castle wall. My attacks were laced with my dark energy, ensuring their wounds wouldn¡¯t heal completely¡ªjust enough to keep them alive. I surveyed the aftermath of our battle. An entire 600-meter radius had been reduced to ruins. The sector had been thoroughly planted, but now? Trees were uprooted, small ridges destroyed. And to think, I was holding back. Vesna¡¯s impact against the castle wall had drawn attention. Several officers had gathered, observing the sorry state of the three kids. They waited for my signal before rushing in to assist them. Only after I motioned did they move, carefully carrying the trio off for treatment. ¡­¡­ Medical Ward. I arrived to check on them. The tale has been illicitly lifted; should you spot it on Amazon, report the violation. They were resting in their respective beds, their injuries partially healed. Vesna, surprisingly, was in the best shape. The boys, however, looked like they had barely survived a massacre. Maybe I went a little too hard on them. At the end of the day, they were still kids. Vesna sat up when she saw me. ¡°Sir Arceid, we learned our lesson. But we¡¯re still not backing down.¡± I raised a brow, amused. ¡°Straight to the point. I like that.¡± I crossed my arms. ¡°You guys are good at some things, but terrible at most. A bunch of misfits, really. Stay away from Azrael¡ªhe¡¯s a bad influence.¡± Azrael groaned from his bed. Without even moving, he muttered in an exhausted, sullen voice, ¡°Yeah, yeah, stay away from me¡ªbut not the guy who mutilated us.¡± Aww, look at him being sarcastic. I smirked. ¡°By the way, how did you like your life-or-death experience? If you want to keep growing stronger, I¡¯d be more than happy to help.¡± Kaltain, despite his half-broken face, grinned. ¡°Sir, we would greatly appreciate more training.¡± I raised an eyebrow. ¡°And you two?¡± I pointed at Vesna and Azrael. They nodded without hesitation¡ªcompletely unfazed. I exhaled. ¡°You guys are definitely masochists.¡± No sane person would willingly ask for another session of getting mutilated. At least, none that I knew of. For some reason, Junia¡¯s face flashed in my mind. Oh yeah. What happened to her? I decided to go find out. ¡­¡­ I checked the meeting room first, but she wasn¡¯t there. So, I started roaming the castle until I finally found her¡ªsitting beside Larrisa near the water fountain. Junia was grooming Larrisa¡¯s hair while the latter rested in her lap. ¡­Should I even disturb them? They looked like a scene straight out of a painting¡ªtwo beautiful women in a moment of peace. ¡­Yeah, I had to ruin it. I gave in to my urges and pushed them into the fountain. Unfortunately, Junia teleported both of them before they could get wet. Larrisa¡¯s veins popped. I just dug my own grave, didn¡¯t I? She grabbed my collar, attempting to throw me. Keyword: attempted. She couldn''t even budge me. After struggling for a few seconds, her anger started to fade. Right then¡ª Click. Of course. Junia again. Somehow, Larrisa didn¡¯t even care anymore. She just let out a deep sigh before turning to me. ¡°Why are you so happy? Did you beat up a bunch of kids?¡± I grinned. ¡°Funnily enough, yes. Exactly that.¡± Both of them tilted their heads in sync. Junia squinted at me, looking uncharacteristically serious. ¡°Please tell me you beat Azrael.¡± She raised her camera. ¡°If you did, I¡¯ll stop taking pictures for two weeks.¡± Holy hell. That was a huge sacrifice coming from her. Just what did my gremlin of a brother do to make her this mad? Larrisa, on the other hand, suddenly brightened. ¡°Wait, seriously? You actually beat that cocky bastard?¡± Her eyes practically sparkled. ¡°I¡¯m gonna give you the biggest hug if you did.¡± ¡­Why do you look like a psychopath right now? Larrisa was normally way more physically affectionate, so her reaction wasn¡¯t too surprising. But our fellow colleagues? They dropped their equipment. Some stood frozen, mouths hanging open in shock. I cleared my throat. ¡°You¡¯re absolutely right. I did beat Azrael. And his misfit gang.¡± Instead of clapping in gratitude¡ª A fist slammed into my face. The officers who had been in disbelief suddenly found their voices. ¡°How could you beat up a girl!?¡± Oh, so NOW you care? They didn¡¯t give a single damn about the boys. But Vesna? Suddenly, I was the villain. This is discrimination. After checking on Vesna, they returned, their faces screaming that they wanted to beat the hell out of me. So, naturally, I took my punishment like a man. ¡­Yeah, no. I ran for my damn life. Chapter 26: First Mission [Vesna] It¡¯s been three weeks since I arrived at the Association. And on literally the first day, I got beaten to a pulp along with the rest of my team. I had assumed that after joining, we¡¯d be given clearance to roam the planet freely. But Mr. Arceid? He was unconventional, to say the least. Honestly, it was probably for the best. I knew¡ªat least from what I¡¯d heard¡ªthat true horrors lurked outside. This way, we could train under Mr. Arceid¡¯s guidance without walking into certain death. That¡¯s exactly what we did for the past three weeks. Our powers had been sharpened through constant combat with him. Funnily enough, we were officially recognized as a team now. Whenever a breach occurred, we would be deployed together to protect civilians. The collective beatings we suffered definitely helped us bond. Kaltain, for instance, turned out to be surprisingly easygoing. I had assumed he was stiff and overly formal, but while he carried himself like a gentleman, he was strangely relaxed with us. Almost too chill at times. Azrael, however, was the biggest contrast. Among us, he was by far the most extroverted, always initiating conversations. But with strangers? He barely spoke. I had sworn to keep my distance from others¡ªto focus on growing stronger alone, unseen. Yet here I was, practically playing house with people my age. We were getting stronger at a rapid pace, but it completely contradicted the philosophy I had lived by. I shouldn¡¯t dwell on it too much. Probably. This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there. ¡­¡­ We had already taken our daily beating and were training with our preferred weapons when a team call came through. Making my way to the administrative room, I found that Kaltain and Azrael were right behind me. Inside, Miss Larrisa greeted us with a faint smile. ¡°Looks like your first mission is here.¡± Azrael sighed, sounding almost relieved. ¡°Finally. Where are we going?¡± Larrisa laughed, this time with genuine amusement. ¡°You¡¯re awfully eager. Most teams react like they¡¯ve been sent to their graves.¡± Azrael grumbled, ¡°Yeah, yeah, we know. Just tell us the job.¡± It was a low mutter, but I heard it. ¡­Which meant she definitely did too. Her smirk only widened. ¡°I suppose I shouldn¡¯t waste your time¡ªotherwise, a certain someone might get irritated.¡± Beside me, Kaltain murmured, ¡°She heard that, right?¡± I nodded. Yup. If we heard it, she definitely did. She tapped on her bracelet, materializing a holographic screen. ¡°This is Sector 56, a Bronze-Level Zone¡ªalso known as The Nest.¡± She swiped across the screen. ¡°It¡¯s currently showing signs of a combined breach. Your job is simple: prevent casualties.¡± Azrael sneered. ¡°Didn¡¯t you guys forbid us from going to dangerous places? No matter how you sugarcoat it, a combined breach is dangerous.¡± Larrisa smirked. ¡°Aww, is little Azrael scared? You don¡¯t have to go if you¡¯re too afraid.¡± These two could not stay in a room together without pissing each other off. Rubbing more salt into the wound, she continued, ¡°Aren¡¯t you supposed to be the smart one? What happened? Horde-type breaches consist of Mortal Rank creatures, with the occasional Planetoid Rank. So logically, a large-scale combined breach should contain weaker creatures, right?¡± Azrael mumbled, ¡°Fine. When do we leave?¡± ¡°Right now.¡± She closed the hologram. ¡°Junia can¡¯t drop you directly into Sector 56, but she¡¯ll teleport you to Sector 55.¡± Kaltain frowned. ¡°Why? Why can¡¯t Miss Junia teleport us straight to our location?¡± Larrisa raised a brow. ¡°Finally, a decent question.¡± She leaned in mockingly. ¡°I¡¯d expect Azrael to know this, but I guess even he has doubts sometimes.¡± Azrael interrupted. ¡°The cosmic energy in that area is too dense. If she tries to teleport us directly, it could trigger a chain reaction¡ªlike setting off a time bomb.¡± Larrisa snapped her fingers. ¡°Exactly! Sometimes you can be smart.¡± Saying something nice about him physically pained her, if her expression was anything to go by. She waved us off. ¡°Now go before I change my mind.¡± ¡­¡­ As we walked through the corridors, Kaltain broke the silence. ¡°Have you guys ever been to a Bronze-Level Zone before?¡± Azrael, walking ahead, waved dismissively. ¡°Nope. First time. Should be fun, I guess? What do you guys think?¡± I pondered for a moment. ¡°It won¡¯t be ¡®fun¡¯ at all,¡± I answered. ¡°People there live in constant fear¡ªevery second could be their last.¡± Kaltain sighed. ¡°That¡¯s awful¡­ They don¡¯t even have the strength to defend themselves since they can¡¯t harness cosmic energy.¡± I knew fakers when I saw them. I had seen enough in my previous life to recognize when someone was pretending. And Kaltain? He was pretending. For whatever reason, I wasn¡¯t sure. Azrael, who had been walking ahead, stopped abruptly. He turned back to face us, his usual laid-back demeanor replaced with something serious. ¡°That¡¯s their fault,¡± he said simply. ¡°For being weak. Don¡¯t think too much about it.¡± This was the first time I had seen him look like this. It was oddly refreshing. Kaltain stepped forward, throwing an arm over Azrael¡¯s shoulder. ¡°You¡¯re not wrong,¡± he admitted. ¡°But if we can save people, we should. Don¡¯t you think so too?¡± Azrael didn¡¯t respond. He just kept walking. I followed. Without realizing it, we had arrived at our usual training grounds. Unconsciously. Then, just as we were about to speak, Junia¡¯s call interrupted our thoughts. It was time to go. Chapter 27: Sector 55 My communicator buzzed, and when I answered, a small, glowing figure materialized before us¡ªMiss Junia. ¡°Hello, kids! Ready for your first mission?¡± We instinctively straightened up, replying in unison, "Yes, ma¡¯am!" She nodded approvingly. ¡°Good. Be ready¡ªI¡¯ll drop you off at Sector 55.¡± Before we could react, an intense azure light flared beneath our feet. The space around us cracked with a sharp buzz, and before my brain could register anything¡ª We were somewhere else. ¡­¡­ We had landed in front of a desolate village. No¡­ not a village¡ªslums. The stench hit first, thick and putrid, sinking into the air like something rotten that had been left to fester. The ground beneath us was dry, cracked, and uneven, littered with debris. The structures¡ªif they could even be called that¡ªwere crude huts, mostly made from scavenged materials and creature carcasses. It was a miserable sight. Kaltain, rubbing his temple, groaned. ¡°Exactly how I imagined it. A wild place.¡± Azrael let out a short laugh. ¡°Wild? Just say it straight¡ªit stinks, and you¡¯re disgusted.¡± I frowned. His tone was sharp, dismissive. Normally, he carried himself as someone who cared, but right now? He didn¡¯t even try to hide his contempt. ¡°You don¡¯t have to be rude,¡± I shot back. ¡°The people here didn¡¯t choose this life. They were forced into it. It¡¯s not like the government is doing anything to help.¡± This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere. Azrael just laughed again, as if I had said something amusing. Then, with an unnerving calmness, he met my gaze. ¡°Didn¡¯t choose?¡± His voice was laced with something bitter. ¡°Vesna, the people here are criminals at best. The rest? They¡¯re burdens. A waste of resources. Please, don¡¯t live in a fantasy.¡± His words were like ice. I felt something inside me shift¡ªan instinctive reaction, an alarm ringing in my head. I had believed that training with these two would make me stronger, but¡­ if this was who they truly were? Then in the end, they¡¯d be no different from the monsters outside. Rotten pests, treating human lives like playthings. Azrael scoffed, as if sensing my thoughts. ¡°Oh, now you think we¡¯re the bad guys? Listen¡ªno one deserves to live just because they exist. If you have no worth, even your own family will abandon you.¡± I felt my hands clench. Something was off about him. Was this really what he believed? Or was this¡­ something else? A memory? A wound reopened in the wrong place? Either way, I had seen enough. I already kept my guard up around Kaltain. I might as well add Azrael to the list. Without another word, I turned on my heel and walked toward the rusted metal gate ahead. I heard Azrael mutter behind me. ¡°Tch¡­ just leave her alone for now.¡± Good. I didn¡¯t want to hear his voice again. If nothing else, coming here was a blessing in disguise. At least now I had seen his real face. ¡­¡­ The streets¡ªif they could even be called that¡ªwere narrow and winding, uneven paths leading between scattered tents and makeshift huts. The people here were thin, hardened, and bruised¡ªtheir bodies lean from survival, their clothes little more than stitched-together hides from creatures they had hunted. I felt their eyes on me. They didn¡¯t say a word. Just stood there, watching, as if judging me¡ªmy posture, my clothes, my speech. They knew exactly where I was from. I ignored their glares and spoke calmly. ¡°Hello. Nice to meet you. My name is Vesna. Could you tell me the fastest way to reach Sector 56?¡± Silence. They didn¡¯t even move. After a long pause, a boy¡ªaround my age¡ªstepped forward. His voice was hesitant, his accent thick. ¡°You should¡­ go straight¡­ then¡­ left¡­¡± He was stuttering badly, but I could tell he was trying to help. It was strange, seeing kindness here. Then, before he could say more, an older man grabbed his arm. The man¡ªaged, which was rare, considering the presence of cosmic energy¡ªpulled the boy back without a word. The boy struggled for a second, then turned his head toward me. ¡°¡­Go away¡­ dangerous place¡­¡± He was dragged off before he could say anything else. The moment they disappeared down a dark alley, the atmosphere shifted. I could feel it. They were avoiding me. Not because of who I was, but where I was from. I exhaled slowly. ¡°Are they¡­ hiding something?¡± I didn¡¯t want to jump to conclusions. But even if Azrael¡¯s words were disgusting, there was one thing he was probably right about. They were criminals. Maybe they didn¡¯t deserve to rot here¡ªbut they weren¡¯t innocent either. And that meant I had to stay on guard. Even if they had no personal hatred toward me, my mere existence was enough to make me an enemy. ¡­¡­ I continued walking, navigating the endless maze of huts, carcasses, and alleyways. Every sector had a 10-kilometer gap, meaning the journey to Sector 56 would take a while. If I wanted to, I could have raced through the sector at sonic speed¡ªbut that would have been stupid. I had already felt their hostility. Moving recklessly would just make it worse. An hour passed. Still no signs of the next sector. It was frustrating. The slums felt endless, like a deliberately designed puzzle. Every street looked identical¡ªthe same structures, the same long alleyways, even the same discarded carcasses scattered around. It was like someone had built it this way on purpose. And the worst part? I had the creeping suspicion that someone was watching me. Chapter 28: Ritual For a moment, a dark thought crossed my mind¡ª Had this place been intentionally designed to confuse outsiders? The idea seemed absurd at first, but I couldn¡¯t shake it off. And it stung. I had just argued with Azrael about these people being unfairly treated, and now¡­ I was beginning to doubt my own words. I had blamed the government for their suffering, but was I any different from those who just point fingers without understanding the full picture? I shook my head. Focus. I had already wasted too much time searching for an exit, only to find myself wandering in circles. This place really was a maze. Then¡ª Weep. A sound. Faint, muffled. Yet unnervingly close. Someone was crying. It was no ordinary sobbing¡ªit was a strangled, desperate kind of weeping. I tensed and followed the sound, weaving through a narrow alleyway. There¡ªa trapdoor. It was well hidden, tucked beneath a carcass of some mortal-rank creature. A clever disguise, likely meant to keep it unnoticed. Unauthorized reproduction: this story has been taken without approval. Report sightings. I knelt and pushed the carcass aside. The trapdoor was rough, wooden, with marks of repeated use. Without hesitation, I pried it open. A bone ladder led downward. I descended, my grip firm as I moved deeper. The air grew thick with an unbearable stench¡ªa mix of decay and burnt flesh. It was enough to make the strongest person vomit. I forced myself to ignore it and pressed forward. At the bottom, a dimly lit cellar stretched before me. Rusty chains hung from the ceiling, swaying slightly, casting eerie shadows against the stone walls. Torches flickered along the walls, their light weak and inconsistent. Weep. There it was again. This time, I moved with stealth, careful not to alert anyone. Deeper inside, I saw a gathering. A large group of people, standing in a tight circle, their backs forming a wall around something¡ªor someone. I pressed myself behind a stack of barrels, watching. Then, I saw her. A woman. Writhing in pain. Her face contorted in agony, sweat dripping from her brow. Her mouth was gagged with cloth, muffling her screams. She was in labor. But what disturbed me most¡ª No one was helping her. The people just stood there, watching her suffer, their expressions twisted in something that looked too much like excitement. Why? Why weren¡¯t they doing anything? I clenched my fists, but forced myself to stay put. I needed to understand before I acted. Minutes passed, her cries growing weaker. Then¡ª A baby¡¯s piercing wail filled the air. The moment the child was born, the crowd moved. Not to help the mother. But to take the baby. One of them snatched the newborn from her arms, and without hesitation, they began walking away with it. My breath hitched. What are they¡ª Then it happened. The mother, still weak and bleeding, was discarded like trash. Two of them lifted her limp body onto a crude stretcher¡ªthen threw her through one of the small connected doors. I had to force myself not to move. My blood boiled. Even if there was a cushion behind that door, a woman who just gave birth should never be thrown like that. It was inhumane. And yet¡ªnone of the other women in the room reacted. I noticed their bellies¡ªswollen with pregnancy¡ªand still, they showed no concern. Why? Were they so used to this that it no longer mattered? I wanted to believe the woman was thrown in there for a health checkup or some kind of rest, but¡­ deep down, I knew better. I forced myself to stay hidden. The people carrying the baby moved deeper into the cellar. I followed, my body rigid with tension. Something wasn¡¯t right. The path they took was too convenient¡ªstraight, with no guards, no obstacles. A thought surfaced¡ªwas this a trap? Did they want someone to follow them? People from the upper levels rarely came here, but when they did, it was usually out of sentiment¡ªto visit an old home or a grave. Did they think I was one of those? Someone with a stronger family member who could be used as leverage? If that was their plan¡­ they miscalculated. I was the strong one. Not my family. Still, I had to be careful. I kept my distance, trailing them silently, suppressing the urge to act. Then, we reached another room. My breath caught. It was filled with hundreds of cradles. And inside them¡ª Newborn babies. Dozens. Maybe hundreds. And that¡¯s when I realized¡ª This wasn¡¯t just a strange ritual. This was something far worse. Chapter 29: Ritual (2) This cellar was massive. Far bigger than I had imagined. It was as if an entire underground city existed beneath the slums. The sheer scale of it¡­ the resources, the labor, and most importantly¡ªthe funding¡ªthis wasn¡¯t something built in secret by a handful of desperate people. Someone powerful was backing this operation. The room I had entered wasn¡¯t much different from the previous ones¡ªcolossal walls with intricate carvings, dim torchlight flickering against their surfaces. But this time, it was filled with cradles. Hundreds of them. Each cradle held a newborn baby. And tending to them¡­ were nannies¡ªwatching over the infants with eerie devotion. The sight made my stomach twist. This isn¡¯t just an underground shelter. This is a ritual. I wanted to move closer, but I held back. Not yet. Then¡ªfinally¡ªthey started speaking. ¡°This makes the 127th baby born this month. This should be enough for our plan¡­ or do we need more?¡± The voice belonged to a tall man with a toned physique. His left eye was missing, the empty socket hidden behind a vicious claw-shaped scar. Another man responded¡ªbald, shorter but far bulkier. ¡°Yeah, a hundred should be enough for the experiment. But having extras is never a bad thing.¡± This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere. Experiment? A chill crawled up my spine. They were experimenting on newborns. I needed to know more. I moved stealthily, inching closer, keeping my breathing controlled. The scarred man stepped forward and lifted a baby above his head. The crowd¡¯s murmurs ceased instantly. Then, he spoke. ¡°People! Once we succeed, we won¡¯t have to live in this wretched place any longer!¡± His voice was raw, filled with conviction. ¡°This child in my hands¡ªand all the others present here¡ªthey will be the beacon of our survival.¡± A collective hush fell over the gathering. The way they stared at the baby, with yearning eyes, sent a deep unease through me. They weren¡¯t just treating these children as infants. They saw them as saviors. But how? Even with cosmic energy, babies couldn''t just be forced to grow into warriors overnight. So what exactly were they planning? The scarred man¡¯s grip tightened around the baby as he continued. ¡°I know what some of you might be thinking¡ªthat this is cruel, that it is inhumane to place such burdens on newborns. But we have no choice.¡± He took a slow breath, his gaze darkening. ¡°We cannot survive here. No one can, except those cowardly Astras, holed up in their upper-level homes, oblivious to our suffering.¡± The crowd murmured in agreement, some clenching their fists, others nodding solemnly. He continued, his voice rising with passion. ¡°So, even if this is cruel¡­ even if it is unnatural¡­ we must do this. For our survival. For our children¡¯s survival. For a future where we¡ªthe true battle-hardened warriors¡ªwill reclaim our planet.¡± I nearly scoffed out loud. Battle-hardened warriors? These people had never even faced a creature above mortal rank. I could wipe out an entire sector of them alone, and yet¡ªthey spoke as if they were soldiers. This isn¡¯t just an experiment. This is a rebellion. The level of brainwashing here was staggering. I wondered if Larrisa and Acreid knew about this. Maybe that was why they sent us here in the first place. Maybe I should regroup with the boys. Having Kaltain and Azrael would make finding out the truth much easier. But¡­ I had just fought with them. My pride wouldn''t let me go back. Still¡­ I knew the real reason. I was scared. I didn¡¯t want to admit it, but I was. Not of fighting. Not of killing¡ªI had already killed in my previous timeline. Not even of bloodshed¡ªI had walked through enough gore today alone to know I could handle it. But something deep within me made me hesitate. An inherent trait I could never change. A weakness that had haunted me even in my past life. Before I could dwell on it further, the scarred man¡¯s speech snapped me back to reality. ¡°My fellow brethren! Follow me through this door, with the babies in hand. Together, we shall forge warriors¡ªtrue warriors¡ªwho will fight for our future.¡± The crowd erupted in murmurs of agreement. One by one, they picked up babies from the cradles. And then, in perfect unison, they began marching toward a massive door at the far end of the hall. I inhaled deeply. I had to see what lay beyond. I had to know what they were planning. Using Junia¡¯s tech, I discreetly altered my clothing, mirroring theirs. I pulled a mask over my face, ensuring my identity was concealed. Then, I picked up a nearby baby and joined the procession. As we passed through the door, I was met with yet another massive chamber. But this one was different. It was filled with dozens of doors, each leading somewhere unknown. My grip on the baby tightened. ¡°How did they even build something this massive?¡± No way a project of this scale had gone unnoticed. They weren¡¯t just hiding. Someone was allowing them to exist. And whoever it was, they had big plans. As I marched forward with the group, a strange robed figure stepped out from the shadows. His face was hidden beneath a hood, but his piercing gaze locked onto me. For a tense moment, he studied me. Then, in a low voice, he simply gestured to a door. I exhaled slowly. And stepped inside. Chapter 30: Ritual (3) The spiral staircase stretched endlessly upward¡ªor at least, that¡¯s how it seemed from below. The worn stone steps felt ancient, smooth from the passage of countless feet over time. I climbed, step by step, gripping the baby in my arms. Its warmth pressed against my chest, but its silence was unnerving. It hadn¡¯t cried since I picked it up. Almost as if it could sense something was terribly wrong. I reached the top, where a pedestal awaited. It stood in the chamber¡¯s center like a twisted altar, a cradle placed carefully at its peak. There was no instruction given, yet the meaning was clear. I hesitated. My mind raced with questions. ''What would happen once I placed the baby down? What was the purpose of all this? Why go to such lengths?'' Still, I did exactly what was expected. I gently placed the baby into the cradle. The pedestal moved. A deep mechanical rumble filled the chamber as it began to ascend, lifting the cradle higher and higher. I watched in silent horror as it stopped just inches from the ceiling. Then¡ªa pulse of energy. A surge of cosmic force rippled through the air, flowing down toward the baby like a divine blessing. It was a strange and unnatural sight¡ªraw energy being forced into a child who had barely taken its first breath. And in that moment, everything clicked. The entire ritual. The talk of the next generation. The obsession with battle-hardened warriors. They weren¡¯t just raising children. They were trying to mass-produce cosmic users. I sucked in a breath, my heartbeat quickening. So that was why there had been portals fluctuating. That was why cosmic energy readings had been off the charts in this sector. The entire time, I had been looking at the symptoms, not the cause. These people¡ªwhoever they were¡ªhad been deliberately exposing newborns to cosmic energy, nourishing them from birth. Support creative writers by reading their stories on Royal Road, not stolen versions. But¡ªthis wouldn¡¯t work. It wasn¡¯t a matter of chance. It was a scientific certainty. Cosmic energy was both a miracle and a curse. The human body, past a certain threshold, rejects it outright. If someone tried to absorb too much, they either died or mutated into something monstrous. This wasn¡¯t training. This was mass murder. And what made it even worse? The government knew. They weren¡¯t ignorant of this. They had simply chosen to ignore it. Humanity needed more cosmic warriors. And in their desperation, they had allowed this to happen. They would continue to turn a blind eye¡ªas long as this experiment remained contained. As long as it didn¡¯t become a threat to the upper levels. And that was why Larrisa sent us. She already knew the truth. She had sent us here to test us. To see what we would do. Would we choose morality, refusing to sacrifice children even at the cost of humanity¡¯s survival? Or would we be pragmatic, accepting that war demands sacrifices? I clenched my jaw. I couldn''t even blame them entirely. The Planetary-rank fighters? Only five remained. The Planetoids? They were scarce. Humanity was on the brink of extinction, desperately clawing for survival. So in that sense, I understood why they allowed this. But that didn¡¯t make it right. To save humanity, we can¡¯t lose the very essence of what makes us human. Perhaps this was why Azrael had said, ¡°If you have no worth, you will be discarded.¡± Had he known? No¡ªnot the full extent. But now that I knew, there was no turning back. I had to stop this. I had to end this. But before I could move¡ª The floor disappeared. ¡­¡­ I fell. The tunnel swallowed me. Stone walls rushed past, and I barely had time to brace myself before impact. The force of my descent ruptured the ground, sending debris flying. I landed¡ªnot on the floor, but on corpses. A junkyard of bodies. Not just humans. Mutated creatures. Twisted, grotesque failures of whatever sick experiment these people had been running. I stood slowly, forcing myself to breathe through my mouth, not my nose. But even that wasn¡¯t enough to escape the stench of death. It clung to my skin, my clothes, my very being. This was a deep cave, filled with discarded bodies¡ªfailed subjects of their monstrous ritual. I looked around, scanning for movement. But there was none. Only silence. Which meant one thing¡ª No one comes here. Once someone fails, they are simply thrown away. I clenched my fists, my nails digging into my palms. My mind was fraying at the edges. I wasn¡¯t just angry¡ªI was exhausted. The weight of what I had seen, what I had learned, was pressing down on me, trying to break me. But I forced myself forward. Keep moving. Somewhere in the distance, I could hear it. A faint, steady sound. Running water. An exit. I pushed forward, stepping over bodies. I didn¡¯t allow myself to look closely at them, because if I did, I knew I would break. Instead, I focused. When I reached the cave wall, I pressed my hand against the stone. The sound of rushing water was louder here. There was an opening nearby. Without hesitation, I gathered cosmic energy into my leg and kicked. The wall shattered. Behind it¡ªa waterway. An underground river. A way out. But I hesitated. What if the water was contaminated? What if they had poisoned it, too? No. I had no other choice. Using Junia¡¯s tech, I switched into swimming gear. The fabric clung to my body, adjusting to the cold temperature of the cave. Then¡ª I dove in. .¡­.. The water was cold. The current was strong, fast, pulling me forward with relentless force. But I let it carry me, my body relaxing against the rush. For the first time in hours, I allowed myself a moment of rest. My body was exhausted. My mind was a mess of rage, horror, and fear. But for now¡ª I let the water take me. Wherever I surfaced next¡ª I would be ready. Chapter 31: Investigation [Kaltain] When Vesna left, we knew there was no point in wandering aimlessly through that slum area. It wouldn¡¯t do us any good. If anything, it would only drag us down. And to preserve both her sanity and ours, we needed to find a different path. So, we roamed the sector. Barren. That much was obvious. Other than the slums, there was nothing here¡ªno settlements, no real signs of life. The ground was covered in algae and wild overgrown grass, untouched for what seemed like decades. It was as if nature had reclaimed the land long ago, and no one had bothered to fight back. Even the spatial portals were clearly visible, standing unobstructed in the distance. That was how empty this place was. Yet, despite the desolation, something felt off. ¡­¡­ ¡°Kaltain,¡± he said, breaking the silence. ¡°Don¡¯t you think this place is strangely confusing? It¡¯s like a maze¡ªintentionally designed to trap people.¡± I turned to him, my mind already on the same track. I had noticed it too. This place wasn¡¯t random. It wasn¡¯t just some abandoned wasteland. There was a pattern to it¡ªa structure beneath the chaos. ¡°I¡¯ll be blunt,¡± I said, crossing my arms. ¡°Yes, I do. This place feels¡­ eerily familiar. Like I¡¯ve seen this structure before.¡± He crouched, brushing his fingers through the dirt-covered leaves scattered on the ground. ¡°Notice these?¡± he muttered. ¡°These leaves don¡¯t belong here. There isn¡¯t a single tree in this entire vicinity that has these kinds of leaves.¡± I frowned, my eyes scanning the landscape. He was right. If there were no trees with these leaves, then how the hell did they get here? ¡°Wind?¡± I offered, though even I didn¡¯t believe my own words. He shook his head. Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on the original website. ¡°The wind has been mild at best since we arrived,¡± he said. ¡°It wouldn¡¯t have been enough to carry leaves this far, let alone place them in specific locations.¡± Which meant¡ª Someone had put them here. I exhaled, my breath slow and measured. But why? What was the purpose of luring people into a maze? ¡°I know what you¡¯re thinking, Kal.¡± He stood, dusting off his hands. ¡°This isn¡¯t some petty kidnapping scheme. The people in this sector aren¡¯t stupid enough to try something like that. They¡¯re criminals¡ªbut smart criminals.¡± I nodded in agreement. If anyone here was dumb enough to start abducting people, the rest of the sector would put an immediate stop to it. Life was too valuable to waste on nonsense like that. No, this had to be something else. ¡°Then what¡¯s your guess?¡± I asked. Because I had plenty of theories. An illegal experiment? Possible. Maybe even likely. Spite, hatred, jealousy? Those were human nature, after all. People were petty. They were easy to manipulate. Hell, for all we knew, some madman might be leading them toward a rebellion. ¡°Kaltain,¡± he said, eyes sharp. ¡°You¡¯re on the right track.¡± He smirked. ¡°But since you don¡¯t want to say it out loud, I¡¯ll do it for you.¡± I rolled my eyes. ¡°People here are definitely involved in something illegal. And that¡¯s what¡¯s causing the combined portal breaches.¡± Sector 56 had already collapsed because of it. And now, this place was next. That was why Junia hadn¡¯t dropped us in Sector 56 in the first place. Because it was already too late. ¡°You knew?¡± I raised a brow. It was a bluff. But it was a good one. I¡¯d been so focused on the big picture, I had overlooked the breach itself. Maybe I was getting rusty. ¡°Or,¡± I countered, ¡°this could just be another one of Madam Larrisa¡¯s tests.¡± I watched his expression carefully. And sure enough¡ªhis brows furrowed slightly. He hadn¡¯t considered that possibility. Larrisa was known for her unconventional methods. If this was her way of testing us¡­ Then we needed to pass¡ªand not just barely. With flying colors. ¡°For now,¡± he said, brushing off the thought. ¡°Let¡¯s find their experiment and figure out what the hell is going on.¡± ¡­¡­ By 2 PM, we still had nothing. No leads. No answers. So, we made the call. We were going into the slums. Vesna should be calm by now. Probably. As soon as we stepped in¡ª The smell hit me like a punch to the gut. Rotten flesh. Polluted water. The unmistakable stench of creature carcasses left to decay in the open air. I immediately covered my nose, barely holding back a gag. Meanwhile, a certain someone strolled through the filth like it was a morning walk in the park. I narrowed my eyes. Interesting. ¡°Don¡¯t be dramatic,¡± he scoffed. ¡°The stench is bad, sure, but it¡¯s just decomposing bodies and stagnant water. You¡¯ve cleaned up worse.¡± I muttered something under my breath. He was right, but that wasn¡¯t the point. He was too comfortable here. Had he been here before? His past had always been a mystery. He never talked about it much. But now? I had a hunch. And I was going to test it. I forced myself to keep my expression neutral, but inside? I was grinning. He liked to read people. Liked to analyze their expressions. And I loved playing him in his own game. He usually saw through me, but sometimes¡ªjust sometimes¡ªhe faltered. ¡­¡­ As we moved deeper, I could feel it. The eyes. They were watching us. Studying us. The people here didn¡¯t trust outsiders. That much was obvious. But their hostility wasn¡¯t just because we were strangers. No. They genuinely believed they were better than us. And that was what made it annoying. At college, people buttered me up because they knew my strength. Here? These people looked down on us because they thought we were weak. It was almost laughable. Humanity really was pathetic sometimes. ¡­¡­ We had searched every alleyway. Every corner. And still¡ªno Vesna. ¡°Kaltain,¡± he said, his voice unusually sharp. ¡°Have you noticed?¡± I looked at him. ¡°She¡¯s not here,¡± he continued. ¡°Do you think she found a way to the next sector, or¡­?¡± I met his gaze. ¡°She found the place where their experiment is being conducted.¡± His lips pressed into a thin line. ¡°The latter, then.¡± I nodded. ¡°We¡¯ve checked everywhere else,¡± he muttered. ¡°Which means the only place left is¡­¡± I exhaled. ¡°Interrogating people.¡± Chapter 32: Investigation (2) ¡°We¡¯ve checked every alleyway and corner here, so the only thing left to do is¡­¡± ¡°Interrogate the people.¡± Azrael flashed me a smile as I completed his sentence. Maybe I could finally have some fun. These people had already been getting on my nerves, and now we had a perfect excuse to remind them who they were dealing with. We made our move toward the nearest pedestrian¡ªa scruffy, battle-worn man who had been watching us just moments ago. The instant we approached, his body stiffened, startled by the sudden shift in roles. I had to give them some credit. They were tenacious. The wounds covering their bodies told me everything¡ªthese people had fought, bled, and survived. That alone was worthy of respect. But that was it. Their arrogance? Their delusion that they were somehow better than us? Laughable. Azrael took the lead. ¡°Hello,¡± he said smoothly, his tone almost casual. ¡°My name is Azrael. I just wanted to ask a question, if you have time.¡± The man scoffed, arms crossed. ¡°I don¡¯t have time for upper-level weaklings. Get lost.¡± I almost laughed out loud. Weaklings? Just because they had defeated a few mortals, they thought they were unstoppable? How moronic. Azrael sighed before grabbing the man''s right shoulder, squeezing¡ªjust enough to hurt. You might be reading a stolen copy. Visit Royal Road for the authentic version. Not enough to cripple. Not yet. Azrael¡¯s voice was calm. Deceptively calm. ¡°Let me ask again.¡± His fingers tightened. ¡°Have you seen a tall girl with crimson eyes and obsidian-black hair? She¡¯s from the upper levels. You¡¯d remember if you saw her.¡± The man flinched, trying to wrench himself free, but it was futile. Azrael¡¯s grip only tightened. I considered stepping in¡ªjust to mess around¡ªbut before I could, the man gave in. ¡°I¡ªI haven¡¯t seen anyone like that! The only upper-level people I¡¯ve seen are you two!¡± Azrael squeezed harder. I heard a faint crack. He had just broken the man¡¯s shoulder. Well, isn¡¯t he ruthless. The man let out a strangled, pain-filled scream¡ªbefore Azrael¡¯s hand clamped over his mouth, silencing him instantly. Then, his voice dropped to a low warning. ¡°If you¡¯re going to lie,¡± Azrael murmured, his grip like iron, ¡°at least lie skillfully. Because right now? I can read your face like a book.¡± Damn. The man¡¯s eyes darted to me, pleading, hoping I would stop this. Hah. The despair in his gaze was¡­ delicious. ¡°Okay¡­ Okay¡­ Please don¡¯t hurt me¡­!¡± He gulped. ¡°I swear¡ªI really haven¡¯t seen her! But my friend has.¡± Azrael raised a brow. ¡°Your friend?¡± The man nodded rapidly. ¡°But I¡­ I can¡¯t take you to him. He¡¯s in an isolated place. I don¡¯t have permission to go there.¡± Bingo. Two birds. One stone. Azrael didn¡¯t even need to push further. The fool had already told us everything. ¡°Do you know where this ¡®isolated¡¯ place is?¡± Azrael asked. ¡°Just tell us the location. We¡¯ll handle the rest.¡± The man hesitated. He wanted to protest. Then he looked into Azrael¡¯s eyes again. And choked on his own saliva. ¡°Fine!¡± He swallowed hard. ¡°I¡ªI¡¯ll take you there. Just¡­ just don¡¯t tell anyone it was me.¡± Azrael let out a dark chuckle. ¡°You¡¯re in no position to demand anything.¡± His voice was ice. ¡°If you had just answered properly the first time, I might have let you go. But now?¡± The man clenched his jaw, teeth gritting in frustration. That was the only resistance he could muster. I leaned toward Azrael, smirking. ¡°Hey, hush, listen,¡± I whispered playfully. ¡°Next time, let me do the interrogation. It¡¯s not fun watching you have all the fun.¡± Azrael gave me a flat look. ¡°Fun?¡± He scoffed. ¡°I wasn¡¯t having fun.¡± I raised a brow. Sure, Azrael. Sure. ¡­¡­ We followed the man through a narrow alleyway until he stopped at a small hut. He glanced around, nervous, then moved toward a pile of barrels stacked in the corner. With some effort, he pushed them aside¡ªrevealing a trapdoor. Well, well. No wonder we hadn¡¯t found anything. They were hiding underground. I sighed. ¡°This is kind of anti-climactic.¡± The man looked at us one last time, his eyes pleading for permission to leave. Azrael gave him a dismissive wave. Surprising. I had half-expected him to kill the guy. Without a second glance, the man limped away, his broken shoulder dangling uselessly. I turned to Azrael, smirking. ¡°After you.¡± He swatted my arm away. I barely held back a laugh. Damn. He knew I was about to say ¡®ladies first.¡¯ Better luck next time, Kaltain. ¡­¡­ The underground cellar was straight out of a horror movie. Chains hung from the ceiling, their metal links clinking softly in the stale air. The stench was even worse than in the slums¡ªrotting flesh, filth, and something else. Something familiar. Blood. Wall-mounted torches flickered weakly, casting eerie shadows as we moved deeper. The silence was oppressive. Finally, we reached a room. Its floors were stained red, its walls covered in scribbles¡ªrandom symbols and markings, written in a language I didn¡¯t recognize. Connected to it were more doors, leading into more rooms. A maze. This place wasn¡¯t just a hideout. It was a puzzle. And whoever had built it¡­ Had done so intentionally. We weren¡¯t hiding our presence. We weren¡¯t sneaking around. We walked through the hallways like we owned the place. And then¡ª We found it. A room filled to the brim with cradles. Cradles? Seriously? Chapter 33: Investigation (3) The scene before us was strange. People stood in perfect lines, each of them picking up a baby from the cradles, moving forward in an eerily synchronized march toward the massive doors ahead. A ritual? That¡¯s what it looked like. I had read about them before, but this was the first time I had ever witnessed one in person. Yet, despite our presence¡ªdespite Azrael¡¯s very obvious habit of standing out¡ªno one even glanced at us. It wasn¡¯t like they hadn¡¯t noticed us. No, they were deliberately ignoring us. A stark contrast to how these same people had treated us above ground, throwing insults, brimming with hostility. And yet, now, they moved like we didn¡¯t exist. It was unnatural. I would have preferred to stay still, watch, and try to understand what they were doing¡­ But Azrael had other plans. He strode forward and nudged a man in the line, asking, ¡°What¡¯s happening here?¡± The man didn¡¯t even react. No flinch, no hesitation¡ªhe simply picked up a baby and kept walking as if Azrael were just another piece of furniture. I knew Azrael was pissed. Yet strangely, he did nothing. Instead, he simply turned back toward me, expression unreadable. Then, in the most deadpan voice possible, he said, ¡°I think we should do the same. Grab a baby and let¡¯s move forward.¡± I laughed. Oh, I was not letting this go. ¡°The great Azrael, ignored like an afterthought? That¡¯s gotta sting.¡± I smirked. This story has been taken without authorization. Report any sightings. He didn¡¯t respond. Just glared. Fine. I had my fun. I sighed, grabbed a baby, and stepped into the procession alongside him. And just like that, we were one of them. No one questioned us. No one stopped us. They let us enter the line without resistance. If it weren¡¯t for the fact that none of these people could actually harm us, this would have been highly suspicious. ¡­¡­ Passing through the doors, we were greeted by a robed figure standing at the center. His face was obscured by a hood, and his movements were deliberate, precise. He didn¡¯t ask who we were. Didn¡¯t demand to see proof that we belonged here. Instead, he simply gave directions. Azrael and I were given separate paths, but before I could even comment, Azrael immediately ignored his and followed me. Still, not a single person questioned us. Not even the robed man. We followed the path into a spiral staircase leading upward, the stone steps worn from years of use. At the top, we found a pedestal covered in scribbles, the symbols almost glowing with power. Beside it? A single cradle. I frowned, shifting the baby in my arms. ¡°What the hell is this?¡± No answer came. Only expectation. I took a deep breath and placed the baby into the cradle. Immediately, the pedestal rose, inching toward the ceiling above. And then¡ª A dense energy engulfed the child. The air around us vibrated, filled with an all-too-familiar cosmic pressure. Azrael¡¯s voice broke the silence. ¡°So¡­ they¡¯re nourishing babies?¡± He tilted his head. ¡°That¡¯s their grand experiment?¡± I scoffed. ¡°This isn¡¯t ¡®nourishment.¡¯¡± Azrael turned to me, brow raised. ¡°These kids won¡¯t survive exposure to potent cosmic energy,¡± I explained. ¡°They¡¯ll either die instantly or¡ªworse¡ªmutate.¡± ¡°Mutate?¡± Azrael repeated, frowning. I nodded. ¡°It¡¯s a recorded phenomenon. Excessive exposure, especially in early-stage portals, has turned people into creatures before.¡± Azrael exhaled slowly. ¡°Damn.¡± I gave him a pointed look. ¡°You didn¡¯t know that?¡± ¡°That¡¯s surprising?¡± He shrugged. ¡°I was kind of¡­ out of it during those years.¡± I rolled my eyes. Sometimes, Azrael acted like the most observant guy in the world. Other times? It was like he had spent the entire early portal era in a coma. He crossed his arms. ¡°So, Kaltain. What do we do? Stop this nonsense or let them continue their little party tricks?¡± ¡°This isn¡¯t a party trick,¡± I said dryly. ¡°These people are probably brainwashed. Someone else is running this show.¡± ¡°That much is obvious,¡± he muttered. My eyes narrowed. ¡°If I had to guess, I¡¯d say this ¡®someone¡¯ is from the upper levels. Maybe even the Association.¡± Azrael¡¯s jaw tensed at that. ¡°First things first,¡± he said. ¡°Let¡¯s stop this.¡± I hesitated. ¡°Even if we stop this, these kids won¡¯t have good lives.¡± I sighed. ¡°The people here don¡¯t even have the infrastructure to raise children. They lack food, shelter¡ª¡± Azrael cut me off. ¡°Providing creature carcasses earns you credits, right?¡± I blinked. ¡°You want to help?¡± He gave a self-deprecating laugh. ¡°I¡¯m not that bad,¡± he muttered. ¡°I at least have a soft spot for babies.¡± I smirked. ¡°That¡¯s a surprise.¡± ¡°Enough chit-chat,¡± he said. ¡°Let¡¯s wreak havoc.¡± ¡­¡­ The moment the pedestal reached the ceiling, the floor beneath us collapsed. Azrael and I remained suspended in midair, both of us using our abilities to keep from falling. I manipulated gravitational fields, while Azrael used his black holes as anchors. Together, we descended. The robed man was still there, directing people toward their ritualistic deaths. I landed softly behind him, reaching for his shoulder. Leaning in, I whispered, ¡°Care to stop this nonsense?¡± The air changed. The people surrounding us reacted instantly, their heads snapping toward us like a hive responding to an intruder. Azrael exhaled. ¡°Hit a sore nerve, I guess.¡± The robed man stepped forward, slowly pulling down his hood to reveal a scarred, battle-worn face. His lips curled into a sneer. ¡°You upper-level vermin,¡± he spat. ¡°We showed you generosity by ignoring your intrusion, and yet you insist on meddling in affairs that are none of your concern.¡± He took a step closer. ¡°Now, you will face the wrath of a battle-hardened warrior¡ª¡± Before he could finish, I punched him. Hard. Bone cracked. Blood splattered across my face and clothes. His body collapsed instantly. The people who had been shouting, rallying around their precious fighter, fell into a stunned silence. I wiped some blood from my cheek and grinned. ¡°Who¡¯s next?¡± For a moment, there was only silence. Then¡ª The fight began. A bloodbath. Even with their leader dead, they still fought. That¡­ I could respect. But respect or not¡ª It didn¡¯t matter. Because soon enough, they all will follow their precious leader into the afterlife. Chapter 34: Bloodbath I knew that violence wasn¡¯t the only option here. If I wanted to, I could have easily manipulated these morons. The way they moved, the way they followed orders without question¡ªthese weren¡¯t people with strong individual wills. They were sheep, waiting for a shepherd. It would¡¯ve been so simple to twist their perception, lead them into a false sense of security, and then have them spill every secret they had. Hell, if Azrael had tried, he probably would¡¯ve done it even better than me. But he didn¡¯t. Neither of us did. Because as I stood amidst them, blades flashing, bodies falling, blood splattering against my skin¡ªI realized something. These people had crossed a boundary. At least, in Azrael¡¯s book. There were about a hundred or so of them, but to me, they were nothing more than obstacles. Their gender, body structure, strength, or condition didn¡¯t matter. None of it did. I had one job right now. And I did it like a grim reaper. Methodically. Efficiently. Without hesitation. Harvesting souls. One by one. And when the majority of their people lay dead on the floor, their blood pooling beneath my feet, the survivors finally began to understand. The cocky expressions were gone. The arrogance had drained from their faces. Now? Now, they took me seriously. I let out a slow breath, wiping a blood-slicked hand on my already ruined clothes before cracking my neck. ¡°So,¡± I mused, tilting my head. ¡°You finally decided I was worth your effort?¡± A single man stepped forward. His face was set in determination, though I could see the nervous twitch in his hands. His voice, however, remained steady. Loud. Rallying. ¡°Fellow brethren!¡± he bellowed. ¡°We, battle-hardened warriors, will never lose to these upper-level vermin! Even without weapons, we will stand strong! We will defeat them! FOR OUR FUTURE!¡± A chorus of voices joined him. ¡°FOR OUR FUTURE!¡± Ah. So that was their rallying cry. The narrative has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident. It was almost¡­ cute. Then something caught my attention¡ªthey were complaining about not having weapons. So that was it? That was why they were holding back? I clicked my tongue in disappointment before an idea crossed my mind. A slow, malicious grin spread across my face as I activated my bracelet. In an instant, a massive pile of weapons materialized between us. Swords, spears, axes, halberds, katanas, whips, even shovels¡ªa diverse collection of murder instruments, glistening under the dim lights. Their reaction was instantaneous. Eyes widened. Hands twitched, drawn toward the weapons instinctively. For a moment, their gazes flickered between the pile and me, as if unsure whether this was a trick. I smiled. ¡°Go on,¡± I said smoothly. ¡°Pick one up. I don¡¯t want to hear you whining about fairness later.¡± Some hesitated. But most? Most jumped at the opportunity, snatching up weapons with eager hands. As soon as they had a weapon in their grip, their confidence returned. Their postures straightened, cosmic energy surged around them, and once again, they looked at me with arrogance. It was almost adorable. I sighed dramatically, stretching my arms. ¡°I¡¯m going to gouge out those eyes.¡± ¡­¡­ The battle restarted in an instant. This time, they fought properly. No more testing the waters. No more hesitation. Their cosmic energy flared, enhancing their bodies, increasing their strength. The air vibrated with sheer force as they attacked in perfect synchronization, striking from multiple directions at once. Their coordination was impressive¡ªnot just blind aggression, but trained movements, practiced formations. At their peak, they were undeniably strong. The absolute limit of the mortal rank. But there was one problem. I was not in their rank. If I wanted to, I could have ended this in seconds. But where was the fun in that? So, I held back. No cosmic energy. No overwhelming force. Just pure, raw, physical power. Because I wanted to feel it. The adrenaline rush. The thrill of a proper fight. The strain of battle. Losing to Arcied had left a bitter taste in my mouth. The only reason I could accept that defeat was because he was the strongest Astra at the Planetary power level. But one day, I would reach that level. And when I did? I would pay him back. A thousand-fold. ¡­¡­ Despite their enhanced bodies, despite their cosmic energy allowing them to shatter boulders with a single punch¡ª They couldn¡¯t land a single hit. Not one. I dodged. Countered. Dodged. Kicked. Dodged. Punched. Over and over again, until the battlefield was painted red. And when the dust settled, only ten remained. I stood among the piles of corpses, drenched in blood. My silver hair had turned a deep shade of scarlet. My pale skin was stained with the lives I had taken. The last ten clutched their weapons to their chests, trembling. A thought crossed my mind. Were they the weakest? Had they simply survived because the cocky ones attacked first and died first? I took a single step forward¡ª And they pissed themselves. Literally. All at once. Perfect synchronization. I blinked. Weren¡¯t they supposed to be ¡®battle-hardened warriors¡¯? What happened to that pride? That hatred for upper-level vermin? I smirked. Oh, how pathetic. I took another step¡ª This time, their legs gave out entirely. They collapsed, trembling so violently I could hear their bones clicking together. There was nothing to slip on. They weren¡¯t injured. They were just¡­ That terrified. I paused, observing them with mild amusement. Their pitiful gazes darted away from me¡ªtoward Azrael. He was still cradling the baby in his arms, completely unbothered by the carnage. And the baby? Not a single cry. Not a single sound. Even through all the screaming and dying, the child remained eerily calm. Azrael must be good with babies. A multi-talented guy, huh? I turned my attention back to the survivors. ¡°We should interrogate them,¡± Azrael said casually. ¡°This is your chance.¡± I cracked my neck, stretching. Then, I smiled. ¡°Alright, listen up,¡± I said, my voice silky with amusement. ¡°I¡¯ll ask once.¡± Their trembling intensified. ¡°I don¡¯t care if you know everything or nothing¡ªjust tell me something useful.¡± They swallowed hard. I tilted my head. ¡°If you give me what I want, I¡¯ll kill you peacefully.¡± I let the words sink in before my tone darkened. ¡°If you don¡¯t¡ª¡± I crouched, lowering my voice to a whisper. ¡°I have ways of showing you a living hell.¡± One of them opened his mouth¡ª But under my intense gaze, he froze. Tears welled up in his eyes, his entire body locked in place. I sighed, shaking my head. ¡°Don¡¯t give me that bullshit about your life ¡®already being hell.¡¯¡± I leaned closer, voice like ice. ¡°You haven¡¯t seen real hell.¡± Their choked breaths, their trembling fingers¡ª They understood. They believed me. Good. ¡°Now¡­¡± I smiled, taking my time. ¡°For my first question¡­¡± Chapter 35: Goo ¡°Now, for my first question¡­¡± Before I could finish my sentence, an eerie sensation crawled up my spine. My body reacted before my mind fully registered it¡ªgoosebumps ran along my arms, and my hair stood on end. A presence. Something wrong. Something watching. Ignoring the pitiful expressions of the captives¡ªwho were still waiting for my impending question¡ªI shifted my focus. My instincts screamed that there was something else here, something hidden in the depths of this cave. The prisoners, however, seemed completely oblivious. They were too lost in their fear, their fingers digging so hard into their palms that I could see thin trails of blood dripping to the floor. They were already in enough pain and discomfort¡ªso much so that they hadn¡¯t noticed this presence at all. Which meant one thing. It wasn¡¯t them. They didn¡¯t know what was lurking around us. If they had, I would have sensed it in their emotions. But they were already panicked, already at their limit. Azrael¡¯s voice broke the silence. ¡°Something is here. You feel it too, right, Kaltain?¡± I exhaled sharply. ¡°Right back at you.¡± If something could put both of us on guard¡ªtwo warriors at Planetoid Rank¡ªthen this thing was a serious threat. ¡°What?¡± one of the captives stammered. ¡°What is here? Are you guys just trying to scare us? Because we already are, there¡¯s no nee¡ª¡± I shot him a sharp glare. ¡°Will you shut up for a minute, or should I rip your tongue out?¡± The words were spoken casually, but the weight behind them made him freeze. One of his companions clamped a hand over his mouth, nodding hastily to me in apology. Ah. They were competent when they needed to be. A case of literary theft: this tale is not rightfully on Amazon; if you see it, report the violation. I narrowed my eyes, scanning the surroundings. This wasn¡¯t exactly a room¡ªit was a cave. A large one. The ceiling stretched high above us, riddled with entrances connected by ladders. At least a hundred entrances, likely corresponding to every cradle in this underground facility. There was nothing in those openings¡ªno shadows, no movement. But the crevices¡­ Cracks ran along the cave walls, small gaps barely big enough to notice. And within them¡ª Pitch-black darkness. I almost dismissed it. Until something moved. A slimy, gooey mass shifted inside the cracks, a liquified, living substance slithering within the shadows. Not mortal. Not even close. Azrael tensed. ¡°Kaltain¡­ that¡¯s not a mortal, right?¡± He had seen it too. But that wasn¡¯t the concerning part. The concerning part was that this thing¡ªwhatever it was¡ªwas not only Planetoid Rank but at the very peak of it. The same level as me. My cosmic energy surged instinctively, wrapping around my body in an invisible shield. My fingers curled into a tight fist, my entire being prepared for battle. But to my shock, the ¡®goo¡¯¡­ ran. Or skidded. Or dripped. Or however the hell it moved. It just¡ªescaped. Leaving me stranded with my high-strung battle instincts, like a hunter expecting a fight only to watch its prey flee. Or at least, that¡¯s what I thought. But then¡ª It stopped. It wasn¡¯t running away. It was repositioning. Preparing. And that¡¯s when the cave trembled. ¡­¡­ The vibrations escalated, turning into full-blown quakes. I barely had time to register it before the entire cave began collapsing. Cracks splintered across the ceiling, and large chunks of debris broke loose¡ªfalling directly toward the cradles. Azrael reacted first. With a flick of his wrist, he condensed cosmic energy into miniature black holes. The orbs distorted space itself, their event horizons devouring the debris before it could crush the helpless infants. But the cave didn¡¯t stop falling apart. The debris was relentless, the collapsing rock pouring down in a seemingly endless wave. I moved next. Sweeping my hand forward, I flattened the incoming debris, forcing it to one side and clearing a safe zone around the cradles. I barely glanced at the lifeless bodies of the captives and experimenters buried beneath the rubble. Azrael, too, didn¡¯t react to them. We had other priorities. ¡°Thanks for the assist,¡± Azrael said as the last of the debris settled. ¡°It¡¯s a tragedy that we lost them.¡± I snorted. ¡°No worries. The next sector still remains. There should be more rebels like them.¡± The entire Bronze Sector was likely crawling with people like these. How did I know? Because they didn¡¯t have the resources to build something like this. These workers barely had enough credits for medical care or rations. And yet they had built an entire underground cave system? Something was off. ¡­¡­ A whistle cut through the air. A split second later, dozens of spear-like tendrils shot toward us¡ªpitch-black, sharp, and fast. They tore through the cave air, stretching space itself in their wake. There was no time to dodge. I raised my arm, bracing. The spears struck. The impact sent a shockwave rippling through my body, the force strong enough to obliterate mountains. I tanked it. Pain flared in my nerves, but it was nothing compared to what I had endured before. And then¡ªit emerged. As the last of the cave crumbled, the sky became visible. Dawn. We had arrived here in the morning, yet somehow, the entire day had passed. Funnily enough¡ªwe hadn¡¯t done jack sh*t. But there was no time for that thought. Because the ¡®goo¡¯ moved. Or rather, it dripped. From the remaining crevices, its liquid form oozed out, gathering into a mass before shifting¡ª Attempting to take shape. It mimicked a humanoid form. Me. But its body was unstable, liquid flesh constantly dripping to the ground before reforming again. Azrael narrowed his eyes. ¡°It acts like ferrofluid,¡± he muttered. ¡°The way it moves¡­ the way it shifts.¡± I glanced at him. ¡°So, if it¡¯s ferrofluid, it should be attracted to metal, right?¡± He shook his head. ¡°Not necessarily. This one seems attracted to humans.¡± He pointed. At the spot where the lifeless corpses should have been. But they were gone. That thing had consumed them. Sh*t. In the chaos, I had forgotten about the corpses. Because something this interesting had appeared. ¡­¡­ I exhaled, shaking off the stray thoughts. Focus. This thing wasn¡¯t human. It wasn¡¯t like anything I had ever fought before. And for the first time in a long time¡ª I was excited. The ¡®goo¡¯ pulsed, shifting again, as if sensing my change in mood. It raised one of its arms¡ª And launched another wave of tendrils. But this time, I was ready. My cosmic energy surged, responding to the thrill of battle. And with a predator¡¯s grin, I lunged forward. This was going to be fun. Chapter 36: Goo (2) Oops. It took me a second to process what had just happened. The babies¡ªAzrael had gone out of his way to protect them. He had fought to keep them safe. And yet¡­ They were gone. Mauled. Devoured. Wiped out. I didn¡¯t need to look at him to know that he was pissed. His entire body radiated tension, his grip tightening on the one remaining baby in his arms. He was glaring daggers at the ¡®goo¡¯¡ªhis cosmic energy surging in violent, uncontrollable waves. I almost felt bad for him. Almost. Maybe I should gift him a gaming console when we get back. That should cheer him up, right? I barely concealed the pity in my gaze, but Azrael didn¡¯t notice. He was too focused, his entire attention locked onto the monster before us. Wait a minute. He was still holding the last baby. How the hell was he planning to fight while cradling an infant? He must have sensed my doubt, because he glanced at me and chuckled. ¡°Don¡¯t worry,¡± he said, voice light, as if none of this truly bothered him. ¡°You can handle it. You like fighting, right? As a good friend, I should let you have this one.¡± Wow. He was shameless. Still, it wasn¡¯t all bad. I grinned, shifting my gaze back to the ¡®goo¡¯. All of this¡ªthis entire fight¡ªit was mine. Just mine. For a brief moment, the ¡®goo¡¯ twitched. I didn¡¯t miss it. Maybe it saw the mad expression on my face at that moment. You could be reading stolen content. Head to Royal Road for the genuine story. ¡°You know what?¡± Azrael said, shifting the baby in his arms. ¡°I¡¯ll go find Vesna. You enjoy your fight¡­ I guess?¡± Without another word, he vanished, slipping into the shadows. I sighed. Did he think Vesna was a mole rat or something? Not that it mattered. I had more pressing matters to deal with. Like the fact that the ¡®goo¡¯ was still adjusting to its new body. How inconvenient. ¡­¡­ I didn¡¯t wait. The second I was sure Azrael had left, I launched myself forward at sonic speed¡ªmy knee driving straight into the creature¡¯s torso. Impact. The force sent its liquid body crashing into the cave wall. I had expected it to feel soft, like gelatin, but¡­ It was solid. Well, solid enough. It was both liquid and strong¡ªwhich made zero sense. Before I could fully process it, the ¡®goo¡¯ moved. Instantly. One moment, it was against the wall¡ª The next, it was in front of me. I barely had time to react before it punched me. No¡ªslammed into me. It didn¡¯t feel like a fist. More like a metal rod. I barely gritted my teeth before the force sent me flying. I crashed against the rock, but it didn¡¯t stop. The next moment, it was on me¡ªbarraging me with relentless punches. Each strike carried enough force to tear the cave apart, producing air currents sharp enough to slice through the surrounding stone. Sh*t. This bastard was getting used to its body. I could feel it. The way it moved. The way it attacked. It was adapting. And I¡ª I was finally getting the adrenaline rush I had been waiting for. Enough playing around. I caught its arm mid-swing, tightening my grip¡ªcosmic energy coating my foot as I drove a brutal kick into its gut. The impact sent the ¡®goo¡¯ soaring upward, crashing through the last bits of the cave and into the open sky. I grinned. I kicked off the ground¡ªchasing after it. ¡­¡­ We broke through the ruins of the cave, ascending above ground. As we emerged into the open, I noticed something. Spectators. A group of so-called battle-hardened warriors stood nearby, their gazes locked onto our fight. Pathetic. The second the wind pressure from our battle reached them, they couldn¡¯t even withstand it. Some bled from their ears. Others collapsed, their bones likely shattered from just the shockwaves. So much for ¡®warriors.¡¯ I would have laughed if I wasn¡¯t so focused. At the very least, they could now see the difference between us. Between mortals and Planetoid Rank warriors. And yet, I had made a crucial mistake. I had allowed myself to get distracted. The ¡®goo¡¯ took advantage of that. Its legs stretched, forming rope-like tendrils that wrapped around my limbs. Before I could react, I was plummeted to the ground. The grip tightened. I struggled, thrashing against the binds, but they held firm. Sh*t. This bastard was actually serious now. And I was still treating it like a joke. Fine. I closed my eyes, took a deep breath¡ª And commanded gravity itself. The air compressed. The ¡®goo¡¯ was slammed into the ground, its body flattening under the sheer force. It lost shape instantly, collapsing back into its liquid state. Good. I raised my hand, condensing cosmic energy to form a wind chamber. A small one¡ªjust barely two meters in diameter. But its force? Faster than the winds of Jupiter. The ¡®goo¡¯ was trapped, swirling helplessly inside. I dusted off my clothes. The spectators stumbled out from their hiding places, their faces pale with fear. It was probably their first time seeing a true Planetoid battle. And even though this one was mediocre at best, the sheer devastation was enough to remind them¡ª They were nothing. Nothing compared to us. ¡­¡­ I turned. Time to find Azrael and¡ª A flash of black. Before I could react, a spear shot forward, striking me straight through the torso. My body froze. Not because of the pain¡ªpain meant nothing to me¡ª But because I had realized something. The ¡®goo¡¯¡­ It had been testing me. It wasn¡¯t using its full strength before. Not because it couldn¡¯t. But because it was gauging me. Just like I had been gauging it. Sh*t. The wind chamber cracked, its structure shattering as the ¡®goo¡¯ emerged. And this time¡ª It had a face. A grinning one. Something inside me snapped. It was laughing at me. The spear inside me twitched, its liquid form slithering into my body¡ªforcing itself deeper, spreading like veins. I gritted my teeth, grabbing the spear to pull it out. It reacted instantly. More spears shot out, impaling my limbs. Within seconds¡ª I was bound. The situation had flipped. I was no longer the hunter. I was the prey. And the ¡®goo¡¯ was about to devour me whole. Chapter 37: Memories of the Past [***] A lone girl stood at the edge of a towering cliff, her obsidian-black hair flowing against the wild, chaotic winds. Her crimson eyes¡ªas deep as a blood moon¡ªwere fixed on the endless expanse of the desolate land before her. The atmosphere carried a tint of violet, an unnatural hue that blended with the turbulent sky. The clouds above churned violently, moving like a restless beast. She watched in silence. Far in the distance, at the very limit of her vision, an enormous spatial portal flickered against the bleak landscape. Its brilliance was otherworldly, glistening like a divine beacon, casting soft halos of light that stretched across the rugged terrain. But that light was deceiving. For just before the portal¡ªresting, but ever-watchful¡ªsat a gargantuan ape. Its presence was monumental, its sheer size enough to dwarf even the tallest mountains in this forsaken land. A spiked cape draped over its shoulders, accentuating the raw power of its form. Even in its stillness, the aura it exuded was terrifying¡ªa force of nature, a being that existed beyond mortal comprehension. The ape''s torso was clad in shimmering armor, a material unknown to even the most advanced civilizations. Its lower limbs were covered in hide¡ªripped from some unfortunate, ancient beast. But which creature had suffered such a fate? No one knew. Not even Vesna. She simply stared¡ªmotionless, lost in thoughts that ran deeper than the infinite skies above. ¡°Vesna! Let¡¯s go.¡± A loud, unapologetic voice snapped her out of her trance. She turned slightly, her gaze meeting a figure just behind her¡ªa tall girl, fiery scarlet hair, piercing violet eyes, and a frame that exuded sheer strength. There was no hesitation in her voice, only authority. ¡°Arceid is holding a meeting. We¡¯re invited.¡± Vesna remained still for a second. Then, wordlessly, she turned and followed. This tale has been unlawfully lifted without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon. She never once looked at her companion''s face. She was embarrassed. And she wasn¡¯t sure why. ¡­¡­ They traversed the barren land, their steps silent against the cracked, lifeless earth. Before them stood a spaceship. Not just any spaceship¡ªthis one was colossal. An imposing construct, far beyond anything created by the hands of mere humans. Its exterior pulsed with an eerie glow, its body made of materials that had never been excavated from any known planet. Even without stepping inside, one could only imagine the absurd number of chambers it contained. And yet¡ªdespite its immense weight¡ªit hovered effortlessly above the ground. As the two approached, the ship responded. The shuttle entrance opened, welcoming them inside. ¡­¡­ Metallic hallways stretched endlessly before them, the soft hum of the ship''s core filling the air as they walked. Eventually, they reached a separate chamber. Inside, seats were arranged meticulously¡ªpositioned according to the status of those present. At the top of the room sat Arceid. The strongest Astra. His presence alone was enough to command absolute respect. Beneath him sat Kaltain¡ªthe most mysterious and heinous of the Astras. Next was Larissa¡ªa woman whose mind was sharper than any blade. The strategist. The girl who had brought Vesna here took her seat next¡ªher rank among them fifth. And finally¡ªVesna. She sat at the lowest seat. She didn¡¯t mind. After all¡ªshe was the weakest here. Once everyone had settled, Arceid rose. His voice was flat. Not cold. Not indifferent. Just¡­ flat. ¡°I won¡¯t sugarcoat anything,¡± he began. ¡°So I¡¯ll say it bluntly. Tomorrow might as well be our last day.¡± Silence. ¡°We are besieged by a hundred galaxies¡¯ collective force.¡± Even as he announced their doom, his expression remained utterly void of emotion. As if he had already faced worse. No one reacted. No one argued. Not even Kaltain. Because they all knew. ¡°There¡¯s no point in having hope,¡± Arceid continued. ¡°We all understand, deep down, that even if we surrender, we will still die.¡± His eyes drifted across the room. ¡°It¡¯s laughable, really. We don¡¯t even know why they attacked us. We¡¯ll die without ever knowing.¡± For a moment¡ªjust a brief moment¡ªsomething flickered in his eyes. Something akin to lament. And yet¡ªhis voice never changed. ¡°I just want to tell you all¡­¡± He paused. ¡°No¡ªI request you all¡ªto enjoy the last remaining bits of your life.¡± A slow breath. ¡°Tomorrow, we march to our demise.¡± He turned. And without waiting for anyone¡¯s response¡ª He left. Larissa stood next. ¡°You should enjoy your last day.¡± Her voice was firm¡ªbut there was something hollow behind it. ¡°There¡¯s no strategy this time. Just do what you can. Go berserk. Be rapid. Let your inner beast out.¡± She stopped. Then, she left. One by one, the others followed. The meeting had been pointless¡ªa gathering with no real purpose. And yet¡ª They all knew it was necessary. A final reality check. A reminder that hope was a waste of time. A warning that their final day should not be wasted. Vesna left the spaceship. She walked in silence, her footsteps carrying her back to the desolate landscape. She looked ahead¡ªat the portal in the distance. Her thoughts were heavy. Her mind¡ªchaotic. And then¡ª She reached into her armor. Pulled out a knife. Without hesitation, she placed it against her throat. And just as she was about to slice¡ª A hand stopped her. The knife was ripped from her grasp. And before she could react¡ª A slap. It stung. ¡°You would¡¯ve really done it, huh?¡± Her master¡¯s voice was sharp¡ªbut her eyes held something different. ¡°You¡¯re not scared of death.¡± She clenched her jaw. ¡°So what¡¯s your problem?¡± Vesna didn¡¯t answer. Her face twisted¡ªnot in pain, but in sorrow. ¡°I can¡¯t¡­ I can¡¯t bear to see them die again,¡± she whispered. Her master¡¯s expression hardened. ¡°You should be numb to that by now,¡± she said. ¡°Not a single person here has anyone left. You¡¯re no different.¡± Vesna shook her head. ¡°I can¡¯t be numb. I still¡­ remember them.¡± Her voice cracked. ¡°Their voices. Their laughter. Every moment we shared. And no matter how much I try, I can¡¯t forget them.¡± Her master¡¯s eyes softened. ¡°¡­Memories aren¡¯t a weakness, Vesna.¡± She pulled her into a tight embrace, her voice softer than ever before. ¡°They aren¡¯t something to erase. They make us strong.¡± She ran a gentle hand through Vesna¡¯s hair. ¡°Nobody can grow stronger alone. Not without conviction. Not without motivation.¡± Her voice was gentle. Yet firm. ¡°Memories hurt, Vesna.¡± ¡°But they give meaning to our lives.¡± And as Vesna drifted into a restless sleep¡ª Her master¡¯s words echoed in her mind.