Heinz barely moved his head, glancing backward. Only 5000 of the soldiers were alive. Not everyone could handle their stats doubling in an instant. Not everyone’s foundation was strong enough to withstand an increase in power like that.

In fact, most of his own injuries were due to the three times increase in stats, which made him horrendously powerful, but not without destroying his insides in return.

He received a notification from Prime,

[You have met the necessary conditions to ascend to the third phase.]

[You may attempt the breakthrough once healed and in optimal condition.]

Heinz smiled as his body dropped to the ground with a thud, unable to hold on any longer.

However, on the side of the affiliated army, deep within their darkness-infested camps, there hid one figure who sat in a lotus position, his eyes closed, completely focused. If Axel were to be here, he would have realized that the wisps of dark emotions, of all those who died, and the hateful thoughts in their last moments.

For human and ghost race beings alike, it was all heading towards this one man alone; he had pitch black hair and pointy ears. The moment he opened his eyes, it was red and vicious, almost demonic.

He breathed in loudly, sucking in every last remnant of the negative emotions, all the dread that he himself planted within so many of them, now came back to him. Thus, his power exploded, not outwardly, but internally.

Shin!!

Shin!!

Shing!!

Eventually, he achieved his breakthrough and, upon seeing the notifications, he smiled.

[Congratulations, Wangnan Baek, on breaking through to the third phase.]

[Your unique demonic ability ’Dread Vessel’ grows stronger.]

[You have gained a unique ability from your ’Sylvan’ bloodline aspect]

[You have gained ’Corruption Magic’]

[Your mutated Demon bloodline grows stronger]

[Your corrupted Elven bloodline grows stronger]

[Your existence has become purer]

[Your two bloodline aspects have gained a mutual stability]

[You have become a true bloodline supremacist]

Wangnan opened his eyes, breathing in the dark air of the affiliated armies’ camp, like he was hit with a fresh natural breeze. His third-phase senses exploded, scanning the world. The strength coursing through his veins was unfathomable.

He could still remember the brutal days, for every breath that he lived felt like a defeat, a waste of life, which he lived till the very end, until he was nothing but an old, shriveled corpse. But now, he was filled with such power that he could not even dream of it, even in his wildest dreams, as he was back then.

Strength that could even shatter the mountains with ease. Clenching his fists, his red eyes flashed coldly, he could feel it now, more clearly than ever before, the connection between him and Osiris, not only that, there were others.

Osiris seemed still far away, in the great kingdoms, but there was a silent intent of his, lingering within Wangnan’s head. Osiris wanted him to be here. Now that he had become a third-phase seeker, it was time, time to join the next clash.

He also needed to meet up with the others, the other converted ones, loyal to Osiris. They must know more, more than him. 𝓯𝓻𝓮𝙚𝙬𝓮𝙗𝒏𝙤𝒗𝙚𝙡.𝒄𝒐𝓶

And once Osiris came to join, he would be ready, they would be ready, at their best. No matter what Osiris willed, no matter how evil a being he turned out to be, Wangnan didn’t give a fuck. When he needed it the most, on the cusp of giving up.

The world didn’t help him. His people didn’t help him; no angel came to save him. It was only the devil who offered him the salvation he had been avoiding all this time. And the ultimate solution to all pain and suffering in life, he learned after all this while, was power, absolute power, and violence.

Something that could solve all problems, no matter how simple or complicated they may be. So, Wangnan vowed in his heart for the umpteenth time. For every moment he breathed, he would be the darkest poison working in absolute loyalty for his lord, the lord who gave him a second chance.

If Osiris wished for him to be righteous, he would be so; if Osiris wished him to do evil, he would do so without hesitation.

***

Meanwhile...

Within a majestic rune chamber, a blue-eyed and blue-haired man was engraving runes on the immaculate rune tools with utmost focus.

But there was someone who was watching, someone completely identical. As he was completely focused on the work done by the doppelganger, suddenly a bunch of notifications from Prime Nexus hit him with no warning whatsoever.

He was surprised at first, but seeing its contents and feeling the changes through the bloodline link he shared.

A smile formed on his lips, and he could not help but chuckle.

[Your follower ’Zena Karmann’ has successfully become a Partial Demon from a Demonkin]

[She has awakened the demon bloodline ability, ’Sin Amplifier’]

[Your follower ’Wangnan Baek’ has successfully advanced to the Third phase]

[He has awakened the elven bloodline ability, ’Corruption Magic’]

[Your follower, ’Neil Croft’, has successfully advanced to the Second phase]

[Your follower ’Conner Ravenspire’ has successfully advanced to the Second phase]

Axel closed his eyes for a moment and felt the threads of connection with his transformed demonkin. But now some of those connections were much stronger, firmer, and clearer. Those who have successfully transformed their bloodline, reaching the next stage of evolution and becoming partial demons from demonkin, have taken a significant step.

When Axel first ate the heart of Ivor, if the demonic integration plant’s residual energy hadn’t been mixed into it, he would not have become a partial demon straight away. Rather, he would have to stay as a demonkin for a long while.

He would’ve really been fucked if that happened, because the difference in each stage of the bloodline purity makes an entire world of difference. The leap in strength is massive for every cycle of bloodline purification, as it is essentially about evolving one’s very race.

Suddenly, Axel felt a subtle change within his own bloodline as if influenced by the distant bloodline connections...

[Your bloodline has become purer by the achievement of your followers.]

[Your chaosblood aspect has advanced to late 2nd phase.]

His smile widened; he almost forgot this was supposed to happen. It had been so long since he received this notification. Not to mention, this was the first time his bloodline had become purer due to the influence of his followers.

Axel shook his head and erased those thoughts. Looking at the doppelgangers working diligently, he nodded. The bastard, only after getting constantly beaten by Axel, did he learn to focus and not laze around when Axel wasn’t watching.

Which was very much necessary, since the third level of the war was close at hand, and the strongest of his 2nd-tier rune tools needed to be ready in huge quantities. The real game was about to begin, as Heinz had earned the unified army a resounding victory, as he was supposed to. The rest of the main cast will join in next.

And it’s gonna be a fucking show.

Axel walked towards another section within Damien’s rune chamber. Where an unassuming thin white book lay, the book which contained the first part of the rune meditation technique, made by Damien Nomrad, something which Axel had been trying to crack for a long time.

To convert it into a technique usable for his personal use.

The smell of the old paper reached his nostrils as he flipped through the pages of it. He could now see much more of the book’s contents than he could see for the first time when he opened it. He was actually closer than ever to cracking the technique.

Axel thought back to the four layers of polygonal circles he had created surrounding his soul within the trial world.

The first circle was a polygon of 24 sides,

The second circle was a polygon of 276 sides,

The third circle was a polygon of 2,024 sides,

The fourth circle was a polygon of 10,626 sides,

Through the rune meditation technique, the first circle he made in the trial world would unlock. To be precise, the rune meditation technique will work as a transformation medium, converting the power of the first polygon circle into a form of power that could be exerted within Eldarion.

It would almost be like having a runic matrix inside of you, without needing to meet the qualification to make one. It would literally be a cheat; his battle prowess as a runecaster would skyrocket.

Though this would not be nearly as efficient as a runic matrix made according to the governing laws of Eldarion, the runic matrix that he would only be able to make upon reaching the 4th phase.

But that was fine; this would be more than enough for now, not to mention it was about damn time he leveled up his runecaster aspect to somewhat match the power of his chaosblood aspect.

For three whole days, with no sleep or food, not even a second of his focus broken, Axel remained utterly focused on the first rune meditation technique and, finally, after what felt like an eternity of effort, he succeeded. After more than 6 months of constant trying, he was finally able to do it.