Axel stood frozen, the weight of the situation pressing down on him as the humanoid beast shook its head slowly at Loki's question. "I haven't laid a finger on any of your kind yet," the creature said, its voice low and almost indifferent, "but there's sothing… intriguing about that one."
It pointed directly at Axel.
A chilling notification appeared in his mind.
**[You have t with a candidate]**
Axel's heart raced. So that's what this was. Another candidate—soone with the sa level of power, perhaps even more. But there was a difference this ti, a gnawing fear inside him. His power had limits now, limits he dared not cross. The last ti he pushed beyond them, he had co dangerously close to becoming sothing else, sothing monstrous.
A devourer.
**[60/100 limits remaining to beco a devourer]**
Suppressing his mana had drained more of his strength than he realized. Axel's mind scrambled for options. He needed to end this quickly. His gaze darted to the creature's hand, still pointing at him, almost like it was singling him out from the rest.
Josh stepped forward, fists clenched tight. "I won't let you take him," he said, his voice firm. "Not a mber of my team."
The humanoid's eyes flicked to Josh, seemingly unfazed. "He's coming with , either way," it said in a disturbingly calm tone. "Josh."
Josh's expression faltered. The alien knew his na. Not only was it speaking English, but it knew *him*. That hesitation was all it took.
In an instant, the humanoid vanished, reappearing before Josh like a whisper in the wind. Before anyone could react, it slamd its fist into Josh's face with a brutal, calculated blow. The force sent Josh hurtling back, crashing to the ground several feet away. His body skidded to a halt, motionless.
"Now, let's go, Mr. Teras." The creature's eyes locked onto Axel, extending its hand as if offering a polite invitation. The gesture was almost mocking.
Axel's mind raced. How had it managed to hit Josh so easily? Even if it was fast, Josh should've been able to react, right? But Josh hadn't moved at all. The answer ca to him suddenly, hitting him like a punch to the gut.
"He can shut off our abilities!" Loki's voice echoed across the battlefield, panicked. "I can't use mi either!"
The humanoid turned its attention to Loki, its expression unreadable. In the next mont, it was upon him, driving a hard elbow into Loki's face. There was a sickening crack, and Loki collapsed to the ground, blood pouring from his nose. His body lay still.
"Damn you, bastard!" Axel's voice shook with fury. He raised his hand to summon his weapon, desperation fueling his every move.
**[Error. Your system has been overpowered.]**
The notification flashed before him like a death sentence. "Holy shit," Axel breathed, his eyes widening in horror. He had no ti to react before the humanoid was in front of him, moving with a speed that defied logic. A fist connected with Axel's face, the blow not just physical but laced with an energy that seed to pulse through his body.
His vision blurred, consciousness slipping away as his body slamd into the dirt, unmoving.
The humanoid sighed, seemingly relieved. "Arlo..." it muttered to itself, eyes narrowing slightly. "I finally have Lord Hades."
---
'Like it was a wish... I was suddenly reborn!'
The voice echoed in a man's head, though the words felt distant, distorted. His eyes flickered open, revealing a sky painted red, the air thick with smoke and the distant thunder of explosions. He forced himself to his feet, his body aching, muscles protesting with every movent. His clothes were torn, burnt, and covered in soot, but he still gripped a dagger tightly in his hand.
Sohow, through all the chaos, he had never let it go.
The mories ca in broken fragnts—flashes of battle, of faces he couldn't fully place. 'We were part of the offense squad... or no, wait... I was a criminal... sent to fight on the frontlines.'
A na surfaced, blurry at first but growing clearer.
*Annie.*
He stumbled forward, legs shaky, his mind racing to piece together what had happened. "Axel..." he muttered, the na slipping from his lips as confusion clouded his thoughts.
Another explosion split the air above, drawing his gaze to the skies. It was a battlefield, years from the original attack. The land had beco a barren wasteland, scattered with bones and debris—both human and Fatek. He grimaced, his mind struggling to recall how long it had been. His fingers brushed against his beard, overgrown and filthy. He looked like he hadn't seen civilization in years.
His steps faltered when he saw it—a figure looming in the distance. It was massive, tallic, its body radiating a deadly energy, its eyes glowing a harsh, unnatural red. The man's breath caught in his throat. He had seen this thing before, back when it had laid waste to everything in its path.
*What did the Fatek call it again?* He racked his brain, the answer slipping just out of reach. It was the cause of this devastation—the reason this once-lush world had been reduced to a desert of death.
A mory sparked.
"A Void Walker," he whispered, the words tasting bitter on his tongue. The realization settled in his bones, chilling him to the core. The Void Walker was a creature that consud life itself, a harbinger of destruction. And here it was, dormant—or perhaps waiting.
'Why is it just floating there? Is it dead? Or... is it sleeping?'
His thoughts were interrupted by a voice. Soft, feminine, yet eerily detached.
"No. It waits for the next great surge of energy... It waits for Earth."
The man spun around, his heart pounding, and saw three won sitting by a large, shadowy cauldron. Their forms were hazy, as though they existed sowhere between reality and dream.
"What do you an?" he demanded, anxiety creeping into his voice.
One of the won stood, her face hidden beneath a veil, but her hand extended toward him. "Your mories will take more than a re battle to return. But in the anti... how would you like to beco a god candidate, Arlo Teras?"
The na struck him like lightning.
Arlo Teras.
It was his na. But what did it an to beco a god candidate?
Arlo stared at the woman's outstretched hand, his mind a chaotic swirl of fragnted mories and the looming threat of the Void Walker. The war, the loss, the devastation—it had all led to this mont.
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