Inside Smart Brain's laboratory.
A large, crystal container, much like a coffin, held a dormant figure.
Lying within was a Grasshopper Orphnoch.
Its face and features bore a strong resemblance to the Riders of the Faiz series, yet its body was a mottled grayish-white.
Its body was also covered in various connecting wires and instrumentation.
Raven slowly walked in and immediately spotted the large coffin.
"I didn't expect to meet you first in this world." Raven stepped forward, looking at the Grasshopper Orphnoch in its state of slumber, and couldn't help but feel a little curious.
This was the King of Orphnochs from this world.
For some unknown reason, Smart Brain had seemingly located it long ago.
It had also fallen into a state of deep sleep.
Based on the equipment here, Smart Brain's objective was clearly not to awaken it, but to use the King of Orphnochs for experimentation.
It was highly likely that the special substance capable of mass-converting all humans into Orphnochs originated from this King of Orphnochs.
He pondered what his next move should be.
He was confident in dealing with a weakened King; at the very least, he had the safeguard of his Amazon Origin state.
Still in his Rider form, Raven attempted to hit the King of Orphnochs with a Lucifer's Hammer.
"Stop!"
At that moment, the lab lights suddenly flashed on, and the image of a face appeared on a large monitor screen: it was Kyouji Murakami.
He urgently spoke to Raven: "Stop!"
"Oh? Why?" Raven paused his action for a moment, looking at Murakami with interest.
"We can discuss anything you want, but please, don't do anything foolish. Otherwise, everything will be over," Kyouji Murakami said, sounding extremely nervous.
"Interesting. It seems you're quite afraid of something happening to this King," Raven leaned against a nearby lab bench with one hand and said with a chuckle.
Murakami looked conflicted, as if he wanted to speak but dared not.
"Don't think I can't guess. You Orphnochs are supposed to have a lifespan defect, right? But looking at you now, that problem seems to have been solved. I'm guessing it has something to do with this King of Orphnochs, doesn't it?"
Raven ventured.
"How could you...?"
Murakami was greatly shocked.
All relevant personnel in the lab had died.
There should only be a handful of people left who knew this secret!
"You're right... The life of us Orphnochs is indeed closely linked to the King. However, the King of Orphnochs is also the enemy of all Orphnochs. His food is other Orphnochs. One day, our failure to satisfy him will lead to complete annihilation."
"So..." Murakami stopped there.
"So you captured the King of Orphnochs before he could fully awaken, used him as an experimental subject, and created the substance that can assimilate humans on a large scale."
Raven continued, "And your King also seems to be constantly providing Orphnoch cells, which is being made into a drug to prolong your lifespans."
"You also planned to rely on this stuff to control all Orphnochs, making them subservient to your Smart Brain company. Am I correct?"
Kyouji Murakami gave a bitter smile. "You've said it all. What more can I add?"
He hadn't expected Raven to be so completely aware of their plans.
Now, the fate of the Orphnochs depended entirely on Raven's next choice.
"As long as you're willing to stop now, the position of Smart Brain President is yours. How about it? All the Orphnochs in the world will follow your command."
"Sorry, I'm not interested, and I don't care about your lives."
Raven sneered.
The crosshairs of his Blaster immediately locked onto the resting King of Orphnochs, and he leaped high into the air.
"No!"
Murakami hadn't expected Raven to be so decisive, utterly unmoved by the conditions he offered.
But now, it was too late.
The crosshairs transformed into a silver cone of light that struck the body of the King of Orphnochs.
"Ugh... Ah...!"
At this moment, the King of Orphnochs, who had been in a prolonged sleep, finally woke up.
But due to his extended period of weakness and the mass extraction of his Orphnoch cells, he was powerless to stop Raven's full-force attack.
"Haaah!"
Raven, mid-strike with his finisher, felt a resistance even stronger than what he'd faced with the previous Ground Emperor (Orga).
The King of Orphnochs was indeed the strongest Orphnoch.
A skinny camel is still bigger than a horse!
This finishing blow was about to terminate the King of Orphnochs' life.
BOOM!
The powerful explosion destroyed all the equipment in the laboratory.
In the President's office, the screen in front of Kyouji Murakami went blank.
Smart Lady, who had rushed to the office, was filled with worry.
She no longer wore her usual cheerful, flirtatious expression.
After all, this concerned the fate of all Orphnochs.
"President, is it... truly over?" Smart Lady asked, still clinging to hope.
"I don't know..." Kyouji Murakami closed his eyes.
What path would the Orphnochs, who had lost their hope for eternal life and were left with only a short twenty-plus years, take next?
....
In the underground laboratory.
Raven watched the King of Orphnochs' motionless form amid the wreckage.
Unlike other Orphnochs, his body did not burst into flames and turn to sand.
"System, what's going on? Is he dead or not?"
Raven looked at the King of Orphnochs lying amidst a pile of fragments on the ground and couldn't help but be curious.
Ding!
[The King of Orphnochs' life signs have vanished, but his physical body is extremely difficult to destroy. If left unchecked, he will resurrect again after a long period of time. However, the Host can begin to devour him now.]
"I see." Raven finally understood.
He then proceeded to devour the King of Orphnochs on the ground, just as he had done with the defeated Orphnochs before.
Finally, having lost his source energy, the King of Orphnochs turned into a puddle of sand.
The immense energy from the King of Orphnochs caused a strong reaction upon entering Raven's body.
Unlike the minor gains from devouring ordinary Orphnochs, this time was more like an evolution!
His Amazon Origin form's overall strength advanced to a new tier!
He had even gained mastery over a certain ability.
Like the King of Orphnochs, he could bestow infinite lifespan upon other Orphnochs.
Moreover, this ability was more refined compared to the King of Orphnochs' version, which required giving up one's human body as a side effect.
He could retain his human form.
This was because every ability Raven gained from devouring others would undergo a certain evolution and upgrade within him.
———————
Want to read ahead of schedule? Head over to my patreon ——— patreon(.)com/JuanFiction [remove the parentheses ( )]
There are over 100 advance chapters available for you!