Chapter 129
Chapter 129
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 129
Chapter Title: Syria Nosferatu Evolves
-----------------------------------------------------------------
In the skies above, where rainwater poured down relentlessly.
Inside the pitch-black sphere of darkness that Eden had conjured, the atmosphere grew tense and chaotic as Syria's form began to change.
The pure white bat split open with a crack, its light starting to fade.
The moment that light filled the darkness for a long while...
A human figure emerged from amid the glow.
Syria's snow-white hair, the color of her eyes, whipped through the air.
The tips of her hair had shifted from their original black to a deep red.
Leathery wings sprouted from her back, now blooming in crimson.
Twice as massive as before, the wings unfurled in magnificent splendor.
At the same moment, a murderous aura flooded the sphere of darkness.
Fearsome eyes emerged from within the red shadows, eyes one wouldn't dare meet.
The shadows stretched out as if welcoming the queen's return, trembling with excitement.
Leyzon heard the sound of someone swallowing hard beside him.
Eden Ufera, an undead like him and one of the 18 Corrupted.
Even to Eden's eyes, the pressure radiating from Syria felt dangerously intense.
Leyzon felt it too.
Sweat had already drenched his body, his clothes clinging to his skin.
The air around them churned as if flowing backward.
It almost sounded like the atmosphere itself was screaming.
Then, two red moons slowly rose, illuminating the sphere of darkness.
The red moons were Syria's eyes.
The risen eyes slowly scanned their surroundings.
The instant they met Leyzon's gaze, the red moons curved into crescent shapes.
Like a flower blooming, a smile spread across Syria's face.
"Leyzon!"
Leyzon's breath came easier.
It was the same old Syria as always.
Syria had safely evolved into her 'Mature Form'.
It had been a long, grueling 100 hours.
When they'd encountered the Sword Saint while Syria was in her chrysalis state, he'd been terrified.
'But with this...'
A smile crept onto Leyzon's lips.
Even if the Sword Saint figured out Syria's true nature now, it wouldn't matter.
The current Syria could overwhelm him completely.
"Syria, how's your body feeling?"
When Leyzon asked, Syria looked herself over.
She tilted her head, then raised her hand.
Blood began to pool in her grasp.
Leyzon's eyes widened slowly as he watched.
Through his link with Syria's skills, Leyzon could wield blood flow magic as well.
That's why he could sense the state of her blood flow magic.
Crackle!
Red sparks erupted amid the blood flow magic.
Leyzon's eyes grew even wider.
"Syria, that's..."
"...Leyzon, a few of my skills have grown by one rank."
Just as he'd thought.
Those red sparks were from a skill Leyzon recognized.
Blood Creed [SSS].
Syria originally had two SSS-rank skills.
Blood Sovereign [SSS].
Shadow Sanctuary [SSS].
The rest were mostly SS-rank.
"How many?"
"Four of the SS-rank skills."
Leyzon covered his mouth.
That meant Syria now had six SSS-rank skills.
'Isn't this breaking the balance entirely?'
The gap between SS and SSS wasn't just one step.
The scale of the skills themselves transformed entirely.
The difference between upper-tier skill ranks was that vast.
And she had six such SSS-rank skills.
'Plus, Syria has fusion magic too.'
Right here, right now.
The vampire queen who would plunge the world into fear might have just been born.
But that wasn't all.
"Syria, any changes to your SSS-rank skills?"
"No, those stayed the same."
Hearing her answer, Leyzon's eyes gleamed.
That single phrase gave him the clue to her next evolution.
'Every evolution so far has focused on skills.'
Her appearance changed somewhat, but her stats hadn't surged dramatically.
After the first evolution, Syria and all the undead gained new special skills.
The second evolution raised SS-rank skills to SSS.
And the third...
'EX-rank.'
Cheat skills only obtainable through session perks.
It was certain.
The fourth-stage Awakening Form would grant an EX-rank skill.
'Then the fifth-stage Perfect Form...'
What would it bring?
Leyzon couldn't even begin to guess.
A shiver ran through him.
Syria's strength directly bolstered his own forces.
'If all the undead evolve like this...'
He'd have the power to challenge not just the dungeon and nation-building endings, but the empire itself.
"Um, Leyzon, how about you?"
Syria's evolution had been so shocking that he'd almost forgotten something important.
Leyzon hurriedly activated his blood flow magic.
The blood flow magic he normally used was Hemorrhage Repair [C].
Its original purpose was limited to generating blood, coagulating it, or staunching bleeding.
Leyzon's advanced applications of it were already unusual.
Gurgle!
In that instant, blood pooled in Leyzon's hand.
Instinctively, he flicked his fingers.
Crunch!
The blood in his hand compressed, crystallizing into shards.
Leyzon pierced the skill's identity.
Blood Crystal [A].
"...It rose."
A linked skill with Syria.
The linked skill's rank had shot from C to A.
Leyzon then activated shadow magic.
A red shadow like Syria's writhed at his feet.
Shadow Execution [A].
His former Shadow Castle [C] had become an A-rank skill.
He'd gained two A-rank skills in an instant.
Leyzon let out a cheer of triumph.
Evolution was indeed the right path.
"Syria!"
"Leyzon!"
Syria rushed into his arms at his call.
Leyzon embraced her fully.
Then he spun her around in circles.
Syria's delighted giggles echoed out.
Joy was meant to be shared with the whole body.
"That's my Syria. Always so helpful. You're the best!"
"But doesn't that make you, who created me, even greater?"
"You think so?"
"Absolutely!"
Leyzon and Syria praised each other, reveling in the moment.
"They get along so well."
Eden watched them with an exasperated look.
Both were doting dad and doting daughter.
When Leyzon set Syria down, she turned to Eden.
"Eden, thank you too. You protected Leyzon while I was away."
After Syria entered her chrysalis state, Eden had stuck by Leyzon's side without fail.
It was his job anyway, but without Syria, he'd been even more vigilant.
Knowing his efforts, Syria offered rare praise.
Eden drew a lazy smile.
"Yeah, just doing what I should."
He seemed quietly pleased, puffing up a bit.
"When it's your turn to evolve next, I'll take responsibility for guarding Leyzon."
Eden had been steadily consuming curse-related items too.
Sooner or later, he'd evolve as well.
Eden nodded, content to leave it to Syria then.
"Evolving outside the inn was the right call."
Leyzon stroked Syria's head.
If he'd evolved her in the inn, there's an eighty percent chance they'd have been caught.
Syria's presence was that overwhelming.
The Sword Saint staying in the same inn surely would have noticed.
"Yeah, it didn't feel like something I could control."
It was the moment of breaking free from the chrysalis, after all.
"You did great. Eden, let's head down now."
With the rain pouring, leaving the inn room empty any longer would look suspicious.
At Leyzon's request, Eden shifted the darkness.
The downpour hid Eden's shadows from sight.
Thanks to that, Leyzon made it back to the inn undetected.
"Oh, you're back?"
Hanok, shirtless from training, greeted him warmly.
With the rain, he'd been training indoors lately.
Being the active type, he must have been itching for action.
Beside Hanok, Haron sat yawning lazily.
The room was cramped, so Haron had minimized into puppy form.
Still, he wagged his tail at Leyzon's return.
"Um, Leyzon, what about Syria?"
Hanok glanced at Syria standing by Leyzon.
Then disappointment flickered in his eyes.
"She used to be so cute."
"What was that?"
"N-nothing!"
When Syria asked, Hanok panicked and hoisted Haron up to cover his face.
The tiny Haron flailed his legs in midair.
Knock knock—
A knock at the door made Leyzon signal Syria.
Syria and Eden vanished into the shadows in an instant.
"Haron."
"Woof."
Hanok quickly reverted Haron to his armor form.
Leyzon straightened his clothes and opened the door.
There stood a burly, bearded man.
Pensaldor.
"Sorry for the late hour."
"I hadn't gone to bed yet, so it's fine. Is something wrong?"
Leyzon feigned calm curiosity.
Someone of Pensaldor's caliber had no reason to visit at this hour.
Though he had a hunch.
'We evolved far up in the sky, away from here. No way it was noticed.'
Even Eden had assured him no one could sense it from this distance.
Still, that would be crossing a line.
"Lady Beggris sensed danger and headed out in the middle of the night."
Pensaldor's face was grim.
Leyzon kept his composure outwardly, but inwardly he reeled.
'She sensed that?'
How sharp were her senses to pick it up?
Leyzon realized he needed to reassess the Sword Saint's perception.
But his next words changed Leyzon's expression.
"Seems like one of the more dangerous apostles of the Evil Transcendent descended near the Blasphemous Plateau."
The Blasphemous Plateau was where devotees and worshippers of the Evil Transcendent hid.
An apostle of the Evil Transcendent had descended there.
'Those bastards are up to something.'
Leyzon felt a stir from within the shadows.
It was Eden.
Eden had lost his daughter to an apostle of the Evil Transcendent.
He couldn't help but react sensitively to anything involving them.
'The Sword Saint has Faded Divine Dream.'
[Faded Divine Dream] reacted keenly to the Evil Transcendent's power.
That's how she'd detected events at the distant Blasphemous Plateau.
"So the situation's gotten tricky. I'm going after Lady Beggris right away, but..."
Pensaldor intended to take Leyzon to the Blasphemous Plateau.
But with an apostle involved, it was too dangerous for him.
So he'd come to apologize and say he'd go ahead without Leyzon.
"It's fine. Don't worry about me."
Leyzon waved off his guilt.
"If things get that serious, I wouldn't want to go to the Blasphemous Plateau anyway."
"Good thinking. I'll come get you when it's done."
Pensaldor promised to return later and hurried off.
Leyzon stared at his retreating back before slamming the door shut.
"Leyzon."
Hanok looked at him, fists clenched tight.
His brother, the Shadow Warlord, was at the Blasphemous Plateau.
With an apostle descending there, it was a natural reaction.
He'd told Pensaldor he'd wait, but Leyzon had no intention of doing so.
He'd been tangled up with the Evil Transcendent lately.
That made him very interested in their apostles.
The kind of interest that involved crushing them.
"Syria, Eden, Hanok, Haron."
Syria and Eden burst from the shadows simultaneously.
"We're heading to the Blasphemous Plateau."
There was no reason to delay any longer.