The endless sea churned like a living beast.
Blue depths split apart as two figures cut
through the water at terrifying speed—
one human, one colossal shadow beneath him.
Eldred's massive form moved effortlessly,
currents bending around his body.
On his back stood El-Mond,
robes fluttering as if the ocean itself dared not touch him.
"Master…"
Eldred's voice rumbled through the water.
"Why are we rushing toward the Dàxīyáng Kingdom?"
El-Mond's eyes never left the distant horizon.
"To rank up."
Eldred blinked, confused.
"Rank up?"
The sea darkened as El-Mond spoke,
his words sinking heavier than pressure.
"The Dàxīyáng Kingdom will be attacked by the Orca and Whale Kingdoms. A full-scale war."
Eldred's pupils shrank.
"We need cores.
But we cannot yet step into territories ruled
by evolved monsters.without drawing
attention.
An expert might sense your colossal beast
body… and."
El-Mond's gaze sharpened.
"We could be enslaved by a sect.
Or crushed by a power we cannot resist."
A pause.
"So tell me—what better place to rank up
without exposing ourselves… than a warzone?"
Eldred's lips curled into a grin.
"Master… that is a good idea.
But—who do we side with? The Merfolk… or
the Orca and Whale Legion?"
El-Mond finally looks down.
"Why would we choose a side?"
Eldred froze.
"Then… how do we join the war?"
El-Mond raised a finger.
"Who said we are joining it?"
He leaned closer.
"Tell me—what do we need to rank up?"
Eldred hesitated.
"As a Colossal Beast,
I refine the energy of what I consume… and
Master consumes core essence in…
a terrifying way."
"And what is dominant," El-Mond asked calmly,
"on a battlefield filled with slaughter?"
Eldred's eyes widened.
"O—oh…"
A slow smile spread across El-Mond's face.
"Yes.
They fight.
We profit."
The ocean roared as they accelerated.
Seven Days Later
Five hundred miles from the Dàxīyáng Kingdom—
El-Mond raised his hand.
Eldred stopped instantly.
Without releasing a single thread of soul sense,
El-Mond relied purely on sight and sound.
His vision pierced miles of seawater;
distant explosions echoed like thunder.
His expression darkened.
"Master?" Eldred asked. "What's wrong?"
"Not good."
Eldred panicked.
"Why?! Are the Merfolk already losing?!
Did we come all this way for nothing?!"
El-Mond frowned.
"…No."
He clenched his jaw.
"Human Evolvers are looting our corpse spoils."
A silence.
"Master…" Eldred winced.
"Could you not phrase it like that?
You look like a corpse pervert."
El-Mond slowly turned his head.
"Are you tired of living?"
Eldred goes mute.
El-Mond returned his gaze to the battlefield.
"The Orca and Whale Legion look numerous…
but before the Merfolk, they are lambs
awaiting slaughter."
Eldred stiffened.
"What do you mean?"
"They haven't even touched the Merfolk
barrier.
Two Ninth-Rank Emperor Orcas and
Whales—both in human form—are fighting
one Merfolk of the same realm."
"And they're losing."
He scoffed.
"But that's irrelevant."
El-Mond tossed a storage ring to Eldred.
"Within three hundred meters lie thousands of corpses. Collect what you can.
Do not go deeper."His voice turned cold.
"Mortal-God Realm experts haven't moved yet.
If they sense you—you're dead."
Eldred swallowed and nodded.
El-Mond vanished.
Like a phantom shark,
he dissolved into the chaos.
Twenty Minutes Later.
DING!
Very High Evolved Creature Devoured
[Devourer Core +6]
DING!
[Devourer Core +10]
[Rank Upgraded — Emperor +3]
Bodies disappeared silently.
Blood dissolved into nothingness.
An hour passed.
DING!
[Devourer Core +20]
[Rank Upgraded — Emperor +4]
El-Mond's aura surged—then collapsed
inward like a black hole.
DING!
[Devourer Domain Updated]
THE EATER FORM — 1%
Sanity Duration: 20s
DING!
[Undying One Upgraded]
Blood of the Eater → Absolute Revival
El-Mond clenched his fist, veins glowing faintly.
"Twenty thousand Emperor cores…
for two rank-ups."
A whisper.
"This war came at the perfect time."
His eyes gleamed.
"I could slaughter three realms above me."
Suddenly—
BOOM.
The Merfolk Kingdom's barrier shattered.
The sea screamed.
High above,
the Orca King and Whale King rose from their thrones.
Three cloaked figures appeared beside them—each radiating power that crushed Emperors
like insects.
Then—
A hurricane of killing intent swept the battlefield.
From within the Merfolk kingdom floated
an old man with White beard.
Eyes like collapsing stars.
In his arms lay a lifeless girl—
white hair flowing, blue-and-white dress
stained red.
The ocean went silent.
"If only I knew…"
"If only I was not soft…"
His voice trembled.
"If only I erased you traitors of the ocean…"
Tears fell into the sea.
"My daughter would still be alive."
He lifted his head And glared.
One hundred thousand Orcas and
Whales fell—dead before they understood
fear.
The Kings recoiled.
"The intel was wrong!" they shouted.
"He's not Half-Step Mortal-God—
he's beyond it!"
The old man stepped forward.
Each step erased another hundred thousand
lives.
In one minute—
Only the Kings and the three cloaked figures remained.
The old man flickered—appearing before them.
Rage burned in his eyes as he held his
daughter closer.
"Do you regret your choices now?"
"Do you feel despair?"
A terrifying smile formed.
"GOOD!."
The sea trembled.
TO BE CONTINUED