The Glorious Evolution

Back to the present...

”Abyssal Lost City... What a humongous nest, and we have yet to reach its heart,” Levi murmured while using his echolocation to pierce through the surface, focusing on the massive network of tunnels underground.

Yet, the scariest part was the number of low-tier nightcrawlers infesting them... Hundreds were an understatement.

”If this is just within the limit of my echolocation, I can’t imagine scanning the whole territory,” Levi frowned. ”What is Lord Idriss thinking, choosing an unofficial raid? Is there a reason? No matter how I see it, an official raid will limit casualties to ten members maximum, unless he’s scared of losing the Death Game?”

Levi understood that going for a raid implied a battle for territory to the death... There was no surrender; only one surviving team could remain. Unless a token was used to escape from death under the CRS Platform’s authority.

Thus, it was understandable if Lord Idriss decided on an unofficial Raid to give himself and his team the chance of retreat in case shit went south.

”It can’t be that simple... Lord Idriss isn’t known to run from a fight.”

Levi pondered while sending information to Velmira nonstop about nest locations and their approximate inhibitors.

With Vyra’s insane speed and his powerful scouting abilities (spiritual vision + echolocation), Levi was like a fish in water... Nothing with a beat escaped his vision.

Knowing that his spiritual vision was monstrous enough to cover many kilometers, Velmira didn’t question Levi’s intel once.

She kept forwarding them to Lord Idriss, who, in turn, arranged an appropriate team to handle it.

She kept doing it over and over again, to the point that Lord Idriss found himself out of captains to lead the extermination teams.

”Velmira, slow down a bit, don’t overtask your scouting squad.”

Lord Idriss advised, thinking that Velmira was forcing her squad to perform beyond their capabilities. After all, they had located more than ten nests in less than ten minutes.

”...Oh, don’t worry, they are relaxed alright,” Velmira’s eyelids twitched while disclosing, ”90% of the intel is delivered by Levi solo.”

”...” Lord Idriss went speechless, not expecting to hear from him again.

”Ah, then tell him to take a break... He must be exhausting his spiritual energy tank immensely,” Lord Idriss said with a wry smile.

”...Ok.”

In less than ten minutes, Levi was forced into an early retirement, leaving him wandering the skies with nothing much to do...

...

About two hours later...

The Blood Hunters’ army had finally arrived at Mountain Thurnak. It took them this long simply because they chose to clear the entire territory of nests and Stygian gates, using a type of totem called Radiant Lock that ensured the gates’ reappearance to a minimum temporarily.

Levi was allowed to join one of the extermination teams, and he did his part to the best of his ability... Though since the captains were Wardens, and the nests were led by Tier 3 nightcrawlers, they didn’t pose much of a threat to them.

However, this made everyone understand that Grave’Maw was keeping all of his elites inside the mountain, which would make their upcoming battle extremely challenging.

Yet, Lord Idriss showed not an ounce of fear as he stood in front of the massive, dark entrance, leading to the heart of the mountain.

His main squad was behind him, while Instructor Seraphis was left at the back with his trainees and other helpers.

”Seraphis, I leave the entrance to you.”

Lord Idriss gave him a slight head nod and then started walking forward... Madam Naima, Rasin, Fenn, Shia, Jamal, Sergio, and the rest of the Blood Hunters all followed along. Only Velmira was left behind to assist Seraphis.

Most of them had grim expressions, knowing that some of them might not make it out alive... Especially when Grave’Maw hadn’t made a single move against them, allowing them to ravage his territory.

But, in Lord Idriss, they trust.

After the main army went in, using the same Radiant Lock totem on the way to illuminate their path and get rid of Stygian gates, Instructor Seraphis turned to his reinforcement squad with a stern look.

”Our sole responsibility is to protect their exit at all costs. Although we have cleaned his territory out of subsidy nests and destroyed its tunneling network, we must stay alert.”

”Grave’Maw is no ordinary nightcrawler... He is vicious and powerful. I fully accept that he might have prepared an ambushing squad to lock Lord Idriss’ party in his mountain.”

Neither Instructor Seraphis nor Lord Idriss was foolish enough to believe that their unofficial Raid was going this smoothly because they were good.

They could tell that Grave’Maw was bringing them deeper, saving his resources for the real battle instead of sending out his elites to die one by one.

Since he had this in mind, it was normal to assume that he would prepare an ambushing squad to gain control of the entrance.

Thus, Seraphis knew that a fight was on the horizon; he just didn’t know what kind of intensity it would be.

Though he was assured that Grave’Maw couldn’t send a Tier 5 nightcrawler since he was the sole Tier 5 in his nest... On the other hand, Seraphis and Lord Idriss were both Solarbound Daywalkers.

In their eyes, he could plan all he wanted, as long as he didn’t send a Tier 5 nightcrawler to ambush Seraphis, the gate would remain safe.

As for why Lord Idriss was certain Grave’Maw wouldn’t report him to the platform? Their history and pride wouldn’t allow him.

”Now, if you want to watch the main party’s Raid, you can access their private live stream. But do so with care, don’t drop your guard,” Seraphis disclosed calmly.

”Yes, sir!”

Everyone nodded in understanding... Then, they went to their positions and opened the live stream with a nervous look.

Arthur sat next to Levi under a black, dried-up tree, putting his shield on top of his lap. He opened the live stream and watched with his big brother while crossing his arms.

Levi purely listened using his echolocation... Then, he combined the information with his imagination, allowing the Harmonic Spine to bring it to reality around him.

In this manner, Levi went beyond watching a holographic stream... He coded the information to take shape in his world of darkness, allowing him to be part of the main party!

This was a simple technique Ash’Kral taught him in less than an hour, helping him negate some of the limitations on echolocation and his harmonic spine.

Echolocation’s lack of details.

Harmonic Spine’s short radius.

”It is starting...” Levi murmured as he watched Lord Idriss and the rest dealing with hundreds of rushing Tier 1 and Tier 2 nightcrawlers.

They were from the same golem family tree, but different species.

Some appeared like rocks attached to form a serpent, and some had a spinning metallic drill on their face, jumping the main army from everywhere.

It was like a fruit basket with various species... Unfortunately, they all suffered from the same crushing fate.

Levi watched as Lord Idriss’ murderous crimson spiritual aura crippled the entire army as he walked through them, leaving his squad to slay them without wasting any energy.

”Solarbound... How overbearing.”

Levi knew that the moment a Daywalker evolved to a Solarbound, Tier 1 and Tier 2 nightcrawlers no longer served as any threat... Their spiritual aura had enough pressure to cripple them or even kill them if one went all out.

The only way to negate it was to have another entity with the same pressuring aura, offering protection to the weaklings.

As Levi thought like this, a sudden oppressive dark green spiritual aura rushed, akin to a tidal wave, and smashed against Lord Idriss’ crimson spiritual aura!

This created a mesmerizing scene of two colorful waves pushing against each other for control!

”Little Idriss... Your aura matches your deadbeat father’s in appearance, but not potency,” Grave’Maw’s rough voice echoed through the cave, ”It’s a lot stronger... I am surprised.”

”Don’t be...”

Lord Idriss summoned his greatsword and pointed it in front of him, his penetrating, murderous eyes seemingly piercing through the darkness... Until they arrived at the city’s walls, where Grave’Maw and his elites were standing, waiting menacingly.

”We are only getting started.”

Lord Idriss’s cold voice echoed in their ears, resembling the grim reaper’s warning before he took lives... Yet, neither Grave’Maw nor his elites felt any kind of threat.

”You got that right.” They smirked coldly.

Grave’Maw immediately sent a dimensional message to Lord Darius... Its content?

-Release The Hound.-