Evolution: From Little Devil to Devil Empress

Chapter 489: Surge in Strength

In a forest outside the human settlements of the Nova Terra Planet, a red-haired woman sat cross-legged with her eyes shut tightly.

Though this was the habitat of powerful demons who were bloodthirsty and driven by hunger and thus should have been extremely dangerous, none of them dared to come close to her.

Instead, they whimpered in the distance while cowering close to the ground, staring at the thousands of bloodstains surrounding her with terror.

The lingering aura of their companions remained there, all emitting the aura of Rank 3 Awakeners.

The woman paid them no attention.

She remained utterly motionless until, suddenly, a banging sound echoed from within her body.

The next moment, the originally hidden Cosmic Energy, which normally could only be perceived mentally, grew visible.

It rumbled violently, turning into a tsunami and rushing into her body.

The woman appeared to be a bottomless abyss. She showed no reaction, continuing to devour the Cosmic Energy and causing a thin layer of shimmer to form around her frame.

If a higher-level being were here to observe her, they would discover that her cells were rapidly evolving.

From an ”ordinary” human, she was gradually transforming into a new race—suitable for existing in space and, more importantly, combat.

The process lasted for quite a while.

It was only several minutes later that the Cosmic Energy turned to normal again, fading away and growing invisible.

This marked that the woman’s evolution process was finally complete.

As she opened her eyes, an illusion of a starry sky momentarily flashed in her otherwise crimson pupils.

”Finally reached Rank 4.”, Liora muttered under her breath, sensing that her state was completely different from just minutes ago.

Rank 4! A Rank equivalent to a Greater Devil!

Awakeners of such a level were no longer contained within planets, but held a high status in the entire Human Federation.

Such strength was already more than enough to become the ruler of most ordinary planets.

Of course, Liora had no such goals. She didn’t get lost in the excitement, but instead calmly examined herself.

”Reaching Rank 4 took me a little longer than initially expected. My original calculations were slightly off. The requirement for Cosmic Energy is several times greater following each advancement through the ranks.”

Even so, Liora was satisfied with her current rate of progress.

Raising her head, she looked at a nearby whimpering demon—a rat-like creature staring at her with fear.

She stretched her hand, casually waving it in the space before her.

The next moment, the demon—equivalent to a Rank 3 Awakener—exploded.

There was no impact on the surrounding space, nor any sound.

It was as if the rat demon had been erased from existence.

Liora nodded her head in satisfaction.

”Even the control over my own power has improved significantly. With my current power, I finally have the strength to protect myself, even without considering the World of Heart.”

Rank 4 was a threshold.

While Rank 3 Awakeners were revered and enjoyed many benefits, they had not yet entered the upper echelon of the Human Federation.

It was only when one reached Rank 4 that an Awakener’s status would truly rise.

”Rank 4 is enough to become a Dean in some weaker Academies. Even in the Super-Grade Academies, the instructors are mostly at Rank 5 and 6.”

Though there was a difference of two ranks between Rank 4 and Rank 6, Liora knew full well that they were both in the same stage. At least, that was how the Demon World’s system classified them.

Rank 4, Rank 5, Rank 6—equivalent to the Indestructible Body, Indestructible Soul, and True Spirit stages of Devils.

With her combat experience and many methods, Liora was now confident of defeating Rank 6 Awakeners.

The realization left even her momentarily stunned.

”It’s only been a little more than a month since I awakened my memories... Have I already become a powerhouse without realizing it?”, she couldn’t help but wonder.

This was even faster than the progress she had made in the Demon Weapon World. Though it was partly because her true strength was higher than then, the extraordinary nature of this world also played a role.

However, Liora did not celebrate for long. Soon, her brows furrowed.

The upgraded Cosmic Devouring Technique was still operating at all times, absorbing the surrounding Cosmic Energy to help her evolve.

Yet, though countless amounts of Cosmic Energy were currently pouring into her body and her strength was increasing with every passing second, Liora sensed something unusual.

”As expected.”, she sighed in disappointment.

”Is this the limit of what I can achieve without any further guidance?”

She shook her head.

She had long known that such a thing would happen sooner or later.

Though she had made rapid progress, her comprehension of this world’s power system was still lacking.

So far, she had basically been devouring Cosmic Energy to brute force herself through the Ranks.

Unfortunately, it seemed it was impossible to continue down this path.

”Thankfully, I’ve already expected such a situation to occur. The easiest way to bypass the restrictions is to obtain a more advanced technique from this world and thus understand what is limiting my evolution.”

”For other Awakeners, this may be hard, but for me...”

Liora rose to her feet. Looking at the demons that had unknowingly become spectators to her earlier advancement, her eyes narrowed.

The next moment, the World of Heart descended, crashing down on them and turning them into dust.

Only tiny portions of their bodies remained, becoming nourishment for her Predation.

After she sensed their talents fuse with her, Liora no longer stayed in the forest. Unfolding the World of Heart once again, she covered the entire Nova Terra Planet and teleported away.

--

Liora’s destination was clear.

Today was the last day she stayed on this planet.

She had already received a message through the Information World only a few days ago. According to the news, the representative of the War Academy would soon arrive and escort her to this Super-Grade force.

All Liora had to do was wait for their arrival.

Yet, just as she thought that this wait would be uneventful, Liora’s eyes flickered. The moment she returned to her residence, she noticed the arrival of a visitor.

It was neither the delivery robot nor the representative of the War Academy. Instead, it was a familiar woman, accompanied by a stern middle-aged man.

Feeling their presence, Liora’s expression grew odd. But after a brief hesitation, she walked to the entrance and opened the door, welcoming in the two visitors.