Without waiting for a reply, he blurred forward—nothing but a streak of turquoise light as he sprinted through smoke, shattered bones, and burning debris. He rushed toward the new threat emerging near the Gate—drawn by instinct, fury, and something else he couldn't explain.
The smoke parted. And there it stood.
A towering humanoid abomination, at least four meters tall, entirely made of jagged, chaotic black spikes. Its form was twisted—asymmetrical, violently irregular, like a body that had been broken and reassembled with rage. Limbs that bent the wrong way. Spikes that pulsed and writhed, shifting as if they had a life of their own.
A living weapon, summoned by the Gate Keeper.
Its face had no features, only a wide, vertical mouth filled with vibrating needle-like teeth—and no eyes. But somehow, it saw him.
It turned its head slowly toward Neptune.
Then it moved.
Faster than something its size should.
A screech burst from its throat—a high-pitched metallic wail—and suddenly it was right in front of him, arm raised, a scythe-like claw screaming down.
Clang!
Neptune raised Dark Moon just in time. The impact launched him back through the air. He flipped midair, slamming his feet into the muddy slope, digging his heels into the ground to stop his slide.
His blade trembled in his hand.
"That thing's fast…"
The corrupted creature didn't wait. It lunged again, twisting unnaturally as its arm stretched mid-attack. Neptune ducked under the claw and slashed upward. His blade hit—but didn't cut deep. The spikes deflected part of the blow, sending shards flying in all directions.
The thing screeched again and grabbed him.
Its claws wrapped around his torso like a bear trap, lifting him off the ground. Neptune gritted his teeth as pain flared across his ribs.
"Soul Burst!" he roared.
A burst of dark energy exploded from his Core, shredding the creature's grip and launching him free. He flipped, landed, and raised his blade as the corrupted abomination regenerated its damaged limb—black shards spiraling inward, reforming instantly.
[Soul Energy Remaining: 61%]
He had to be careful. This wasn't just a Tier 5.
This thing was probably a Tier 4.
And it wasn't alone. Neptune's danger sense flared. Behind him was movement.
Two more shapes slithered from the smoke. Twisted, four-legged creatures with bone-like armor and snake-like tongues. They were flanking him.
"Of course…" Neptune muttered.
He tightened his grip on Dark Moon. "Come on then."
The first creature lunged.
He dashed forward, sidestepping its pounce, twisted midair, and drove his katana down through its back. It howled—but didn't die. Not yet. The second pounced.
Too close.
He rolled, feeling its claws graze his shoulder. Pain flared—but he kept moving. He surged toward the abomination again, blade glowing brighter.
"I don't have time for your games," he growled. "You're just a warm-up."
He leapt high, above the abomination's head—and slashed downward with all his force. This time, the blade cut deeper—right through its shoulder. The corrupted staggered, screeching violently as chunks of spiked armor scattered into the air.
[+3 Souls absorbed.]
Neptune landed hard, panting, covered in blood and black ash. Behind him, the corrupted shrieked again—and this time, something changed. Its mouth split open farther, revealing not just teeth—but a glowing, pulsing core in its throat. The spikes along its body began vibrating in resonance. The sound was deafening. The pressure intensified.
And then
Boom.
It detonated in a shockwave of razor-sharp energy spikes in every direction.
"Crap—!"
Neptune summoned a soul shield around his body. Shards slammed into it, denting it with every impact. One got through, cutting across his cheek. When the dust cleared, the abomination was gone.
Self-destruction.
Neptune staggered, coughing blood as he dropped to one knee, vision blurred and lungs burning. The two remaining creatures circled him, their twisted forms radiating dark hunger.
And then—
BOOM.
A massive golden beam carved through the battlefield like divine judgment, vaporizing both abominations in an instant. From the ridge above, Commander Silvius stood with one hand extended, eyes blazing with golden light. His Core still hummed with power, the crystal hovering just above his palm like a small sun.
Neptune exhaled sharply and took the brief moment of quiet to open his Core interface.
[Name: Neptune]
[Species: Human]
[Core: Soul Harvester]
[Core Rank: Mythical]
[Core Tier: 5]
[Core Abilities: Essence Drain, Soul Harvest, Collective Soul]
[Souls Collected: 423 / 1500]
He focused on Soul Harvest, narrowing his eyes. For his plan to work, he needed to detonate everything—and that required 100% Soul Energy.
[Ability: Soul Harvest]
[Rank: Epic]
[Description: Mark enemies for death. If they die within a set duration, their souls are absorbed, massively buffing your physical stats or triggering a soul explosion.]
[Soul Energy: 61%]
[Physical Status: +13%]
"Damn it," Neptune hissed through gritted teeth. Only 61%. Not enough. If he triggered the explosion now, it would barely leave a dent. He needed more—more corrupted, more death, more souls.
The air behind him shifted.
A Light Devourer raised its massive claw and brought it down with a roar. Neptune instinctively dodged, rolling to the left, the strike shattering the stone beside him. Too many. He clenched his fist.
[Soul Harvest – Activated]. Dozens of Light Devourers around him were instantly marked, golden sigils flaring above their twisted forms. Without hesitation, Neptune blurred into motion, carving through the horde like a reaper through wheat. His blade flickered like shadowlight, slicing tendons, splitting spines, decapitating the marked.
[+3 Soul absorbed. Soul Energy: 70%]
He tore through another, then another, his breath ragged, his body screaming from the strain. He was fast—but not fast enough. Without converting Soul Energy to physical buffs, he was nearing his limits.
Still, he pressed on.
[+3 Soul absorbed. Soul Energy: 84%]
One final leap, one final slash—
[+1 Soul absorbed. Soul Energy: 88%]
He stopped, panting. Close, but not enough. He couldn't use Essence Drain, either—it cost Soul Energy to cast, and he needed every drop.
Neptune clenched his jaw. Insane or not… it has to be now. He launched himself forward again, a black blur weaving through chaos, slicing his way toward the golden heart of the battlefield: the Gate Keeper. The abomination loomed like a god of ruin, its massive form pulsing with molten light. It turned toward Neptune with eerie precision, sensing the young General's growing presence.
Suddenly—
THWIP THWIP THWIP
Dozens of black, ink-like tendrils shot toward him.
Neptune flipped into the air, narrowly avoiding them. More came. He twisted mid-flight, evading the writhing mass by inches.
And then—
A golden beam struck the Gate Keeper's hand mid-swipe, searing it and knocking it back.
Perfect. Neptune was now directly in front of its chest. He saw it clearly—the Core. Burning like golden magma beneath its armor, pulsating with corrupted light.
[Soul Burst – Activated: 100%]
His entire body lit up like a supernova. And then he exploded.
The shockwave shattered the air. The Gate Keeper was hit point-blank, the blast punching directly into its chest. The armor cracked—black shards flying in all directions. The valley shook as the abomination staggered backward. A detonation of pure Soul Energy—a weapon powered by death itself.
For the first time, the Gate Keeper reeled. But not for long. With a monstrous roar, the abomination gritted its jagged teeth and pressed one massive hand against its wounded chest. The cracks shimmered—but the Core wasn't breached.
Neptune, limp and drained, fell like a comet.
"Crap," he muttered.
A strong hand caught the back of his uniform mid-fall.
"Have you lost your mind, General?" Silvius shouted, hauling him through the sky like a ragdoll.
"Maybe," Neptune gasped, barely conscious, "but take a look."
Silvius turned mid-flight—and his face went pale.
The battlefield had changed.
Dozens—hundreds—of Light Devourers were crawling over the Gate Keeper like a swarm of insects, screeching and clawing toward one thing: the golden light of the Core. They tore into its armor like frenzied animals, hypnotized by the radiant energy.
The Gate Keeper roared again, swinging wildly, crushing handfuls of Devourers—but more replaced them, clinging to its legs, arms, even its back.
The golden beacon Silvius had launched now pulsed just above its head, still calling every Light Devourer in the valley.
A slow grin crept across Neptune's face. "Looks like the bait worked."
Silvius narrowed his eyes. "This… this might actually work."
"Don't get soft on me now, Commander," Neptune coughed.
The Gate Keeper let out another ear-shattering scream—this time not in pain... but in fury.
Suddenly, the abomination lunged at the frontline of brave soldiers, its jagged limbs tearing into the battlefield, each step making the ground quake. It was a final, suicidal charge—a last, desperate attempt to take as many lives as it could before the end.
"Commander Silvius! Aim at the Core!" Neptune shouted.
Without hesitation, Silvius launched into the sky, his glaive raised high. The crystal above his weapon pulsed, gathering power—then, with a blinding flash and a thunderclap, a concentrated beam of golden energy fired downward, slamming directly into the Gate Keeper's chest.
The beam pierced the Core.
Dozens of Light Devourers still swarming the abomination were instantly vaporized, their shadows consumed in the light.
The Gate Keeper was blasted backward, its chest ripped open, molten blood spraying like magma in all directions. It crashed into the ground with a thunderous impact and lay there...
Motionless.
It was dead.
A silence spread over the battlefield like mist after a storm.
Neptune dropped to his knees, collapsing onto the muddy ground. His lungs burned. His arms felt like lead. And yet, a shaky breath escaped his lips—half a laugh, half a sigh.
They had done it. The war was over.
All around him, soldiers broke into cheers. Shouts of victory echoed through the valley, a tidal wave of exhausted joy. Some wept. Some fell to their knees. They were alive. It was over.
But something was wrong.
Neptune's smile faded.
The Gate—still pulsing with golden-orange light—remained wide open.
His blood ran cold. It should be closing.
Usually, once the Gate Keeper falls, the Portal collapses. Why hasn't it?
Neptune slowly pushed himself up and took a shaky step forward. The ground trembled beneath his feet—not from aftershocks... but something deeper.
His face darkened.
The light of the Gate flickered.Once.
Twice.
Then it began to tremble violently.
"Everyone, run!" Neptune screamed, his voice hoarse but thunderous.
But it was too late.
The light within the Gate twisted and turned, its golden hue now staining black like ink spreading in water.
A Gate Corruption.
Neptune's heart sank.
There was no escape now. When a Gate becomes corrupted, it no longer simply connects to another place—it drags everything in, devouring the living and sending them to the Aether.
No one returns from a Gate Corruption.
You weren't just marked for death. You were being sent to something worse.
"Damn it... Why me?!" Neptune cursed, forcing his exhausted body to move, sprinting away from the collapsing reality behind him.
Tendrils of shadow burst outward from the Gate like vipers, swallowing sound, light, even gravity. The world twisted. Soldiers screamed, stumbled—some simply vanished, consumed by the creeping black that devoured the earth itself.
The battlefield was unraveling.
It was over.
His body felt distant, like he was running through a dream turned nightmare.
Neptune's legs grew heavy. The air thickened like smoke. He couldn't breathe.He couldn't run.
He collapsed, knees slamming into the mud. His arms wouldn't move. His heart wouldn't beat.
I don't want to... .
"Why me?" Neptune whispered, watching the world collapse into shadow. There was no answer. Only the cold mechanic like voice:
-
[Transferring body to Aether-Realm...]
[Transfer successful.]
[Core-Bearer... Welcome to the Aether.]