SSS-Rank Evolving Monster: From Pest to Cosmic Devourer-Chapter 158: gone

As expected, Gorath’s blood worked its magic.

The change was subtle at first—a slow pulse beneath Darius’s skin, a faint tremor running through his broken body—but the results began to show. The wounds closed. Torn muscles reknit. Bones stopped grinding painfully against one another.

But it wasn’t automatic.

Damien himself had to guide the raw, unruly essence as it surged through Darius’s frame. Left unchecked, the overwhelming vitality could just as easily have torn him apart from the inside, flooding his damaged body until it collapsed under the strain. Without Damien’s careful control, healing could have turned into a cruel death.

Meanwhile, Gorath was reeling from the consequences of what he’d just done.

What... did I just do?

The thought struck him like a hammer, cold and unrelenting.

To someone like him—someone whose monstrous might was rooted in the purity of his ancient bloodline—blood essence was sacred. It wasn’t merely strength; it was identity. It was power drawn from the marrow of his very existence. Losing even a drop was a loss. Losing this much? It was nothing short of crippling.

His breathing grew heavier. The ache spreading through his limbs wasn’t from battle—it was the hollow, gnawing emptiness left by the drained essence.

And yet... he had done it without hesitation.

Because his master had ordered it.

Because the Venom Fang Overlord’s will was law.

That realization alone sent a shiver through his massive frame. Absolute obedience, the kind that could drive him to harm himself for another’s sake... It was terrifying to recognize just how far that bond—and that command—could reach.

---

While Gorath wrestled with the chilling clarity of his own servitude, far away in the spiritual grove, a meeting was already underway.

The grove, usually serene beneath its pale, shimmering canopy, now felt suffocating. The air hung thick with tension as Dark Shadow, Noctys, and several others formed a loose but unmistakable ring around Felicia and Rosary.

Felicia’s voice had fallen silent moments ago. She and Rosary had come running into the grove not long before—faces ashen, eyes wide with barely contained panic.

But there was no Darius.

The absence was deafening.

After all, the three of them had left together, venturing out to investigate something critical. For them to return in such a state, and for one of their number to be missing... the meaning was obvious.

And it wasn’t good.

The realization hit hardest for Forty-Two.

Hailing from the Undead Plains, she had an instinct for such things. To her, the air itself was screaming. It wasn’t just resentment she sensed—it was something deeper, more corrosive. A pulse of raw, negative energy threaded through the grove like a silent scream that refused to fade.

Even without anyone explaining, Forty-Two understood exactly what had happened.

Her senses were screaming.

At the far borders of the Emerald Green Kingdom, she could feel it—a dense, suffocating wave of dark energy that pressed against her very bones. It wasn’t merely strong. It was overwhelming.

Stronger than anything she had felt in recent days.

Stronger than anything she wanted to feel again.

Her pupils narrowed, and her lips tightened into a thin line. Whatever it was, it was beyond her. And that fact alone set her teeth on edge.

Just then, the sound of approaching footsteps broke through the tense silence.

Out of the shadows emerged a young man with dark circles under his eyes and a sluggish, almost dragging gait. His whole presence seemed heavy, weighed down, as if life itself had wrung him out and tossed him aside.

If it weren’t for the wary, razor-sharp glint in his eyes, it would have been hard to believe that this tired figure—this man who looked more like a beaten-down pack mule than a warrior—was Valemont. Once, he had carried himself like a figure carved from steel and confidence. Now... now he looked like the statue after the storm had passed.

Valemont’s gaze swept past everyone else without a hint of recognition or greeting. It was clear he was looking for someone. Only one person.

Rosary.

The instant his eyes landed on her, it was like watching a lantern flicker to life in the darkness. His whole demeanor shifted, his exhaustion momentarily forgotten. In the blink of an eye, he closed the distance, moving so fast it was almost like he had teleported.

"I need you to enhance some ingredients—"

He stopped mid-sentence.

Something was wrong.

He might be dense at times, but he wasn’t blind. The air was thick. Every face around him was tense, closed-off. No one was speaking. And worse—no one was looking at him.

They were all ignoring his words. Pretending not to have heard him.

Finally, the silence broke—not from Rosary, but from Boar.

"Where is the Venom Fang Overlord when we need him the most?"

His voice was heavy with frustration, but underneath it was something more—fear.

Boar was no ordinary soldier now; he commanded thousands. This kingdom wasn’t just a place he guarded—it was his home. If something happened to it, the blame would fall on his shoulders. The weight of that thought alone was enough to make his fists clench until the knuckles whitened.

Dark Shadow’s frown deepened at Boar’s words.

She understood his point—he wasn’t wrong—but the way he said it grated against her. The implication was clear: that it was somehow the duty of the Venom Fang Overlord to shield this forest from every danger, great or small.

The thought made her expression harden.

Why should her friend carry such a crushing burden alone?

Boar noticed her aura grow colder, yet he didn’t flinch. He stood his ground, his eyes calm but his posture firm. It was strange—unexpected, even. Normally, Boar was the picture of restraint, a steady and reasonable voice among them. Now, he was unyielding.

Before Dark Shadow could speak, a voice cut through the air like a whip.

"Are you saying that everyone except the Venom Fang Overlord is useless? That we can’t even defend ourselves without him?"

The speaker’s tone was sharp, almost accusing, but laced with bitter disappointment. Alexandra’s feline eyes locked on Boar, her tail flicking in agitation.

"Or..." she continued, "do you want to spend the rest of your life relying on him to save you?"

The words hung in the air like a challenge.

Boar blinked, startled. Of all the people here, he hadn’t expected Alexandra to be the one to speak against him. They had been close from the start—yet lately, a quiet rift had begun to grow between them. Neither of them had spoken about it, but the distance was there.

His gaze faltered for just a moment, his expression going strangely blank—as if his mind had been pulled elsewhere—before he snapped back to normal.

The shift was subtle, almost imperceptible. Almost.

Forty-Two felt it. Her senses were too sharp to miss something like that. The brief ripple in his presence made her eyes narrow, her face turning solemn.

There was something in his aura—something she recognized. Something that made the hairs on the back of her neck stand on end.

There was no mistaking it.

Forty-Two’s pupils contracted, her breath stilling as the realization struck her.

That flicker, that subtle yet overwhelming weight clinging to Boar’s presence...

The aura of the Undead Lord.

It wasn’t strong—more like a whisper echoing from somewhere far away—but it was enough. Enough to freeze her thoughts and send a slow, crawling chill down her spine.

Why was that aura here? Why was it leaking from Boar of all people?

Her gaze sharpened, studying him without a word, but Boar either didn’t notice or pretended not to. Around them, the others were still caught up in the sting of Alexandra’s words, unaware of the storm quietly brewing beneath the surface.

Only Forty-Two knew.

And she wasn’t sure if she should speak... or keep silent until she could be certain.

she wasn’t the only one who noticed.

With her senses sharpened to an unnatural degree after gaining her new bloodline, Dark Shadow could feel it just as clearly—like a rotten wind brushing past her skin. It was faint, yes, but the quality of that darkness was unforgettable. She’d crossed paths with it once before, and no amount of time could dull the memory.

Her gaze locked on Boar, the coldness in her eyes deepening.

Why was that aura here? Why was it clinging to him of all people? 𝗳𝚛𝗲𝕖𝕨𝕖𝗯𝚗𝚘𝕧𝕖𝗹.𝗰𝗼𝕞

Boar either didn’t notice their scrutiny... or he was pretending not to. Around them, the others remained wrapped up in Alexandra’s sharp words, unaware of the quiet storm brewing.

Only Dark Shadow and Forty-Two knew.

And the unspoken question between them was the same—

Should they speak now, or wait until they are certain?

Just as they were busy thinking, forty eyes narrowed to thin slits, the overwhelming aura of resentment that she felt suddenly vanished as if it did not exist in the place.

Caught by surprise, she shared the change with everyone.

"That aura is gone!"

"Which aura?"