The Evolution Of A Goblin To The Peak

Chapter 1137: The Demon: Clash!

Alice’s energy settled as she sensed the familiar energy signature. She concealed her true form once again and let out a sigh of relief.

”He’s here,” she murmured, finally relaxing her tense muscles.

High above, a massive Nine-Headed Hydra descended into the planet’s atmosphere, radiating overwhelming pressure. The very ground trembled, as if the planet itself could barely withstand the creature’s presence.

ROAR!!

A terrifying roar echoed across the land, asserting the beast’s dominance over everything below.

Desmon, Alyana, and the rest of the Silver Falcon Group stood frozen in horror.

A monstrous being had arrived.

Its nine heads writhed in all directions. Its scales, dark as shadow, shimmered ominously in the sky. Steam billowed from its nostrils, warping the air around it into something so corrosive, it could melt flesh on contact.

A Fifth Stage monster, the Lernaean Hydra, descended from the sky.

”A f-fifth stage...?!” Desmon stammered, dread gripping his heart. He felt as if their deaths were already sealed.

A Fifth Stage monster was far beyond the capabilities of himself, Alyana, and the entire Silver Falcon Group. It was in a completely different league, one they wouldn’t dare to challenge.

Boom!!

A lone figure stood atop one of the Hydra’s heads.

It was Souta.

He glanced at Alice, then swept his energy across the battlefield. His gaze locked onto the Silver Falcon Group.

”Give them death, Kessa...”

With that, he rose into the air above her.

Kessa answered his command by opening all nine of her mouths wide. In an instant, she unleashed a devastating barrage of [Bestrou], each blast aimed directly at the Silver Falcon Group.

Boom!!

...

Souta left Kessa to deal with the Silver Falcon Group. He knew she could handle them with ease—there wasn’t a single Hero-rank among their ranks. Besides, Kessa had once fought Arden, who was nearly at the level of the Ninth Shackle Realm.

Souta flew over to Alice.

”You’re here,” Alice said as she spotted him.

”Yeah,” Souta nodded, then asked, ”What happened to the others?”

”Amanda and Lydia are safe. But... many of our people died in the battle,” Alice replied solemnly.

Boom!!

Desmon, Manu, and the rest of the Silver Falcon Group were in a desperate struggle. Kessa charged at them with overwhelming force, far greater than anything they had ever witnessed. Despite her enormous size, she was faster than any of them.

She unleashed [Bestrou] again and again, each blast leaving devastation in its wake.

One by one, the members of the Silver Falcon Group fell, meeting gruesome ends they never could have imagined.

Desmon and Manu were already exhausted from their battle with Alice. They had nothing left to resist Kessa’s onslaught. Even if they were at full strength, they wouldn’t stand a chance against her.

That was just how powerful Kessa was compared to them.

”It’s over...” Desmon muttered, staring up at the towering beast above him. ”Even if reinforcements arrive, they won’t be able to defeat this monster.”

Kessa’s shadow loomed over them, an oppressive presence that crushed any remaining hope. The sheer weight of her power filled them with a helplessness they could not overcome.

Desmon and Manu knew—they were going to die here. Unless a miracle happened, there was no escape from this land.

Kessa opened all her mouths wide. A massive concentration of energy swirled within each one before she unleashed a volley of [Bestrou].

Whoosh!!

Meanwhile, Souta and Alice watched from a distance, calmly observing as Kessa decimated the Silver Falcon Group with overwhelming force.

”You’ve shown it,” Souta said.

Alice nodded.

”Then, that means...” Souta glanced at her.

”My father has sensed my location. A group of demons is probably already on their way here.”

”Then leave this place,” Souta instructed. ”Contact Eztein and the others. Go back to Astley Planet. Launch a full evacuation and leave the territory of the Astros Empire.”

”I’m sorry... I shouldn’t have—” Alice lowered her head, but Souta cut her off.

”Don’t be. It’s fine. You just wanted to protect them,” he said calmly. ”Besides, our deal with the Council of High Worlds is over. Someone within the council is targeting us—or perhaps they only wanted to exploit the power behind me to stir conflict with the council.”

He paused, his tone growing colder.

”Either way, I have no intention of dealing with them again. I’ll find out who’s responsible... and I’ll make them suffer.”

”I understand. I’ll inform the others,” Alice replied.

At that moment, the violent energy in the air faded.

Kessa had already finished the battle.

After all, it was only two exhausted Sixth Shackle Realm experts. For her, it was over in an instant.

The Silver Falcon Group was no more. A powerful faction within the Council of High Worlds had been wiped out by Kessa. They fought until the bitter end, but in the face of overwhelming strength, they couldn’t change the outcome.

Souta met with Lydia and Amanda. Alice had already informed them of the full evacuation plan. Every available ship was to leave the territory immediately, something dangerous was coming.

Realizing the gravity of the situation, Amanda and Lydia quickly set about executing his orders without hesitation.

”What about you, Souta?” Alice asked.

”I’m staying here for a while with Kessa,” he replied calmly. ”This planet’s going to collapse soon, so I won’t be long.”

Alice looked at him silently. She understood what he was planning. She wanted to stay too, but she knew it wasn’t the right choice.

She gave him a quiet nod before boarding the ship with Amanda and Lydia.

The ship lifted off and departed.

Souta watched it ascend for a moment, then turned his gaze back to the ruined land below. The planet was breaking apart, its collapse was only a matter of time.

”This will be a perfect battlefield,” he muttered.

’Are you really planning to go through with this?’ Saya asked.

”Yeah. I didn’t expect Alice to reveal her true form during this expedition. Things will get complicated from now on,” Souta replied.

He sat down and closed his eyes. Blood-colored lightning crackled around him, surging with power.

Behind him, Kessa’s massive form loomed protectively, her presence a silent warning to any potential threat.

The two of them were alone on the planet now. All living beings had either perished or fled.

Time passed quickly...

Souta circulated his energy, forcefully pushing vast amounts of best feram through his body, churning it to strengthen his muscles.

Before long, his eyes snapped open. He looked up at the sky, his expression sharp and resolute.

”Not them...”

Souta narrowed his eyes as several warships broke through the planet’s atmosphere. But they weren’t the ones he was waiting for.

They were reinforcements from the Council of High Worlds.

Recalling everything that had transpired, Souta spoke coldly, ”Kessa, kill them all. Leave no one alive.”

Kessa looked down at him for a moment before giving a silent nod. She spread her massive wings and soared into the sky.

Boom!! Boom!!

Explosions rang out as Souta closed his eyes once more, ignoring the chaos above. His focus returned inward, he was assessing his strength, recalibrating his limits.

Soon, the thunderous echoes of battle faded into silence.

The fight was over.

But Souta didn’t react.

He didn’t need to.

He continued what he was doing, unbothered by the destruction above.

His overall strength was formidable.

He possessed several high-level artifacts and powerful abilities. The Archetype he had constructed for himself was based on the [Vajra Extremity] of the Vajra Race—only stronger. Unlike the original, he could fully unleash its true potential, pushing it beyond the limitations of the source.

His [Douion II] was also steadily advancing. However, from what he understood, it was still far from reaching its next evolution.

He briefly examined his spells and combat arts, then shifted his gaze to his skill points. Soon, he would have enough to unlock the complete legacy of the [Zodiac Ophiuchus].

Ohm!!

Souta’s eyes snapped open.

A heavy pressure descended upon the planet.

The clouds above split open like a festering wound, torn apart by something terrible. Through the rift, countless figures began to descend, each one a nightmare given form.

They fell from the sky like falling stars, but their wings spread wide, massive, twisted, and glorious. Their eyes glowed red, gold, or a sickly green, radiating malevolence.

The sky was littered with them, like a hundred hateful stars blotting out the light.

They were here.

The demons had arrived.

The very air pulsed, trembling as if recoiling in fear of the beings that had descended upon the planet. Their energy distorted space itself, making the world groan beneath their presence.

Dozens of demons floated high in the sky, their piercing gazes locked onto the figures of Souta and Kessa.

”A Fourth and a Fifth Stage monster...?” the leader of the demon group muttered with a frown. His eyes swept over the ruined landscape before he continued, ”This is the correct location, isn’t it? There are signs of battle everywhere... but only two remain.”

Souta rose to his feet, calm and composed. His gaze swept across the sky, taking in their numbers.

Eight demons were at the Seventh Shackle Realm, and dozens more were at the Sixth Shackle Realm.

A formidable force.

But Souta didn’t flinch.

More than a hundred demons had arrived—yet Souta only felt more confident.

He glanced at the system interface and gave a nod. ”Not bad.”

[Sub-Quest Triggered]!

[Arrival of Demons]: The demons have detected Alice’s location. They are en route to this planet. You may either leave before they arrive or face them in battle.

Objectives:

– Eliminate all arriving demons

– Or escape before the confrontation begins

Rewards (if you choose to fight):

• 21 Skill Points

• 30 Free Attribute Points

• 10,000,000,000 Experience Points

Rewards (if you choose to flee):

• 1 Random Card

This was the Sub-Quest tied to the Great Quest Souta had received long ago.

And now... it had finally begun.

”Kessa, let’s do it,” Souta said as he stepped forward.

ROAR!!

Kessa answered with a thunderous roar that shook the very ground. Her energy surged into the sky, clashing against the oppressive force radiating from the demons.

Souta narrowed his eyes, a smirk forming on his face.

”Nice to meet you, demons,” he said calmly, before exploding forward, his energy erupting like a storm. In an instant, his form transformed, his body wrapped in surging blood-colored lightning. In his hand, the Vajra Sword gleamed with deadly intent.

He planned to annihilate every last one of them.