Kairos braced himself—it was ti for another evolution period. And recalling just how agonizing the first one had been, he knew the second wouldn’t be anything short of tornt.
So, once more, he clenched his fists and grounded himself... and just in ti.
The headache slamd into his skull like a sledgehamr. His vision blurred instantly, then vanished altogether. His senses went numb. It was as though his body was being shredded—torn apart down to the marrow—only to be rebuilt again from the inside out.
But unlike the first ti, this round didn’t last as long. Nor was it quite as excruciating. The pain, though brutal, dulled quicker, and as the storm passed, Kairos opened his eyes and exhaled a shaky breath.
He sat up, feeling strangely renewed... more human, even. Stronger. Faster. His thoughts clearer.
Then, his eyes shifted to his companion—his Shadow Wolf.
It now stood a few feet taller. More ominous black mist oozed from its form, trailing behind like a cape of darkness. Its claws were thicker, longer, sharper. Its fangs protruded slightly from its upper jaw, glinting like blades in the low light. Yet, aside from those few enhancents, it looked largely the sa.
’I thought the system said it was an evolution... but the wolf doesn’t seem that different.’
Kairos rubbed his chin, inspecting his summon more closely before sighing and dismissing it into his summon space. His body, though healed, still felt sluggish, worn out from the previous battle. He needed to rest, to catch his breath—and so, he allowed himself that brief mont of stillness.
While seated on the cold stone, his thoughts continued to churn, circling back to the evolution.
What did it truly an?
And then sothing struck him like a bolt of lightning. With a jolt, he leapt—or rather, tried to. His legs gave way beneath him, shaking uncontrollably. He collapsed back to the ground with a painful thud.
Gritting his teeth, he cursed under his breath. His body was still recovering. He hadn’t expected the evolution and martial arts to affect his muscles this much. It felt... strange. Weaker, sohow. But thanks to his integration, he would be back to full strength in re minutes.
For now, he simply had to sit.
And hope that his friends were safe.
But as he sat there, unmoving, a strange sensation washed over him—familiarity. The way he had collapsed, legs trembling, landing helplessly on his backside... it reminded him.
It reminded him of why he chose to get stronger in the first place.
He was just a child back then. Six years old. Innocent. Oblivious. The world beyond his windows was a blur of chaos and noise. War had broken out—he didn’t know whether it was against aliens or a civil uprising. He had no answers. Only fear.
The entire town had beco a battlefield. Explosions shook the air. Screams cut through the silence. People died in the streets.
And his parents had no choice but to leave him.
They had wanted to stay, especially his mother. She had hugged him tightly, tears streaming down her face, then took off her necklace and handed it to him.
She bent down, looked into his eyes, and whispered the words he’d never forget:
"You hear a knock on the door that isn’t six tis—run. Run through the escape hatch and don’t stop, Kay. No matter what happens, keep running until you’re out of the hell."
Back then, those words had barely made sense to him. He was just a boy. How could he understand?
His father had patted him on the head with a small smile, turned, and followed his wife into the madness outside, both wielding weapons.
Hours passed. Maybe a day. Maybe more. The sounds of war had dulled, and then finally... silence.
Then ca the sound that would haunt him forever—not a knock, but a loud, thunderous kick.
The door didn’t open—it exploded off its hinges.
Several ard n stord into the house. Kairos had been hiding by the hatch just like his mother told him. But curiosity—and fear—held him frozen in place.
They found him.
Dragged him out.
Brought him before their leader.
This man... he wasn’t like the rest. Dressed in a military uniform, tall and wide with a dark goatee, his face was as cold and terrifying as a nightmare. His presence consud the entire room.
Kairos trembled as he was forced to his knees, sobbing for his parents. He didn’t understand. Why wasn’t anyone saving him? Why wasn’t his father bursting through the door?
And then... he saw it.
The reason they were all laughing. The reason his stomach churned and his breath stopped.
Around the man’s thick neck hung a necklace—one made of skulls.
So old, so freshly taken.
One of those skulls... was his mother’s.
Her lifeless face still intact. Hollow eyes. Frozen lips.
She was gone.
Kairos couldn’t scream. Couldn’t speak. Couldn’t even cry. It was the first corpse he had ever seen—and it belonged to the woman who gave him life.
Yet... they didn’t kill him.
They turned around and left with strange docunts, ignoring valuables. It was as if Kairos ant nothing.
Left alone on the bloodstained floor, the boy remained there for hours. Paralyzed. Hoping death would co for him. Hoping his father would break through that door.
But nothing happened.
The silence dragged until he could no longer bear it. And finally, a sound broke from him—a scream of pain and agony.
"ARRRRRRRGGGHHH!"
He tried to run after them, tried to find the ones who took everything from him, but his legs gave out. He crashed to the floor.
And cried.
He cried for hours. Days. Without food. Without hope.
Until... sothing inside him changed.
He decided he would get stronger. Even if it ant joining the very military he hated. If he couldn’t beco strong, he would beco clever. If he couldn’t beco clever, he’d find people who were.
But he would never stop until the man with the skull necklace was dead.
That man... would pay.
Recalling this, Kairos’s hands trembled. His face was stained with pain—but his eyes now burned with fierce determination.
No matter what... he had to get stronger.
"Damn, sitting here is getting too tiring," Kairos muttered, standing up at last. His healing was complete.
He strode toward the slain Minotaur and extracted its core, still lost in the depths of his mories.
When he finished, he glanced around.
’Ti to go find my friends.’
---
anwhile;
Rayla plunged her spear into the chest of a monstrous beast. It resembled a crab—but it moved far faster and had a wicked, alien intelligence to its eyes.
But no matter—it fell like the rest.
She spun her spear and sheathed it across her back.
’I didn’t even need to use my Summon. This is too easy...’
Turning, she saw her team taking down the final few enemies. Their formation was still perfect.
"This cave was supposed to have the strongest beasts," she said with an annoyed sigh. "We should’ve gone for the mountain."
"Sorry, Lady Rayla," a girl in her group said nervously. "Maybe if we push further, we’ll find sothing stronger."
Rayla didn’t respond imdiately. Her instincts prickled.
If there was anything stronger here... it would have to be an—
Ding!
Their phones all chid in unison.
One of them raised his to check, but it wasn’t necessary.
Rayla felt it.
The energy in the air shifted. The weight of power pressed against her skin, sending shivers down her spine. Her eyes locked onto the far end of the tunnel—
A humanoid shape erged. Massive. Lurching.
Her eyes widened.
"It’s... an Abyssal-Ranked Beast!"
Her voice cracked as she shouted, panic clawing into her throat.
"Everyone, RUN!"
Her team froze in place.
It was the first ti they had seen her scared. The first ti a descendant of nobility showed fear.
That was all it took.
A grin spread across the monstrous face of Ny’kara, the Abyssal Beast. Its voice was low, guttural—barely louder than a breath:
"Blood."
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