The cavern erupts into chaos.
Steel clashes against corpse-forged flesh while spells explode across the ritual ground.
Above them, the black portal slowly rotates in the air, its swirling darkness deepening with every passing moment.
Clive feels it immediately.
The fluctuation of the portal grows stronger.
Each pulse of energy presses against his Spirit Life like a cold wave.
And somewhere behind the battlefield,
A scream.
Another prisoner is dragged toward the ritual circle.
A flash of crimson light erupts from the array.
The scream ends abruptly.
Clive grits his teeth.
The portal's fluctuation grows stronger.
Another sacrifice.
He swings his sword.
A corpse warrior lunges toward him, its metallic skin reflecting the faint glow of the portal above.
Clive activates the Corpse Body fully.
Grey spreads across his skin again.
His muscles tighten.
The corpse energy within his bloodline surges.
The enemy strikes downward with a heavy blade.
Clive blocks.
The impact reverberates through his arms.
The corpse warrior is strong, close to the level of an apprentice alchemist.
But Clive is faster.
He twists his body and slides beneath the corpse's guard.
His sword arcs upward.
The blade cuts through the creature's shoulder joint.
The arm falls away.
Black energy spills from the wound.
The corpse roars and swings its remaining arm.
Clive ducks again and thrusts forward.
His sword pierces through its skull.
The corpse collapses.
Clive kicks the body aside and turns immediately.
Another corpse rushes him.
Behind it, two more emerge from the ritual circle.
The crimson crystal in the enemy leader's hand pulses again.
The portal above trembles.
Another prisoner screams.
Clive feels the portal fluctuation intensify.
The swirling darkness expands slightly.
He curses under his breath.
"We're running out of time."
The next corpse warrior leaps toward him.
Clive steps forward instead of retreating.
Their blades collide.
The corpse pushes him back with brute strength.
Clive pivots.
His sword slips past the guard and cuts deep across the creature's neck.
But the corpse continues fighting.
Its skin is reinforced with corpse energy.
Clive shifts tactics.
He steps inside the creature's reach.
His elbow slams into its jaw.
Then he drives the sword through its eye socket.
This time, the corpse collapses.
Clive breathes hard.
Across the cavern, Rosalyn fights two weaker corpse warriors.
Her wounds slow her movements, but her strikes remain precise.
Elie stands behind Abel, casting divine shields and healing spells.
Abel himself battles an official-level corpse warrior.
Holy light explodes each time his staff strikes.
But even he is slowly being pushed backwards.
At the centre of the battlefield,
Elodie and Larissa clash violently.
Ice and disaster energy explode across the cavern floor.
Elodie swings her sword.
A wave of freezing energy surges forward.
Larissa counters with black disaster energy that twists like a storm.
Their powers collide.
The ground fractures beneath them.
Clive glances upward again.
The portal pulses stronger.
Another sacrifice.
The crimson crystal glows.
The vortex expands slightly.
Cold dread settles in Clive's chest.
If the portal stabilises,
Something will come through.
Another corpse warrior lunges at him.
Clive meets the attack head-on.
Their blades collide again.
The corpse swings wildly.
Clive deflects the strike and slashes across its ribs.
The creature staggers.
Clive presses the attack relentlessly.
Two quick strikes sever its arm and split its skull.
The corpse falls.
But more are coming.
From the ritual circle, more black-skinned bodies rise.
Each pulse of the crimson crystal strengthens them.
Clive feels it clearly.
Every corpse warrior grows heavier, faster, harder.
The pressure in the cavern rises with every sacrifice.
He grits his teeth and shifts his stance.
The corpse warrior before him swings again.
Clive pivots, then drives his foot forward.
His kick slams into the creature's chest and sends it staggering backwards.
In the same motion, Clive throws his sword upward.
The blade spins toward the cavern roof.
At that exact moment, the Corpse Bloodline inside him surges.
But this time,
It does not spread across his whole body.
Instead, the grey colour recedes everywhere except his right arm.
His right hand darkens.
The skin thickens.
Black metallic sheen forms over it.
His fingers elongate into massive claws, far larger and sharper than before.
Like the claws of the corpse warriors themselves.
Clive's eyes sharpen.
He catches the falling sword behind his back with his left hand.
Then he lunges forward.
His right claw tears through the corpse warrior's chest.
The reinforced body offers resistance for only a moment before splitting open.
The creature collapses backwards, twitching.
Clive steps forward.
The darkness shifts again.
Now it gathers at his right leg.
His boot rips apart.
A heavy, black, metallic foot forms.
He raises it,
And stomps.
The corpse warrior's head bursts under the force.
The twitching stops.
Silence.
For a brief moment, Clive feels it.
Control.
His Corpse Bloodline has advanced.
One step away from true mastery.
But before he can even process that thought,
The world changes.
A terrifying aura erupts from the portal.
It crashes into the cavern like a tidal wave.
Everyone is forced down.
Clive's body slams into the ground.
His bones creak under the pressure.
Even Elodie and Abel cannot stand.
The man holding the crimson crystal drops to his knees,
Not from force.
But from reverence.
He laughs.
Mad.
Ecstatic.
"Welcome, my Lord!"
His voice trembles with devotion.
"Lead us sheep to graze the world!"
"Lead us to the promised land!"
Clive's heart sinks.
He recognises the words.
A passage from the Church of Disaster's sacred text.
Then,
The portal explodes with energy.
Disaster energy floods the cavern.
It fills every corner.
Dark.
Heavy.
Oppressive.
Clive's entire body trembles.
From deep inside him,
A howl.
A wolf's howl.
His eyes widen.
The Disaster Wolf bloodline reacts.
Violently.
Uncontrollably.
"AAAAAAHHH, !"
Clive screams.
His body convulses.
Bones crack.
His spine bends and lengthens.
His muscles expand violently.
His arms twist, fingers stretching into savage claws.
His legs deform as they grow stronger, heavier.
Black markings spread across his skin like burning veins.
Golden light flickers in his eyes.
His teeth sharpen.
His jaw elongates.
The transformation begins.
The Disaster Wolf awakens.
At the centre of the cavern, Alden suddenly stands.
Alarm floods his face.
"This…!"
He senses it clearly.
Divine energy.
Not disaster energy.
Divine energy is flowing from the portal.
His breathing quickens.
His eyes burn with greed.
"This is my reward…"
But then,
The energy does not move toward him.
It shifts direction.
It flows toward Clive.
Alden freezes.
His gaze snaps to the transforming figure.
His eyes widen in disbelief.
"A Disaster Wolf…"
Realisation crashes into him.
Even after the Bishop's purge,
A pure bloodline still exists.
And now,
The divine energy chooses him.
Alden's expression twists.
"No!"
Rage erupts inside him.
"This is mine!"
He raises his hand.
"Disaster Blade!"
Blades of condensed disaster energy form around him.
They shoot forward toward Clive.
Rosalyn sees it.
Her eyes widen in horror.
"No!"
She tries to move.
But the aura presses her down.
She cannot even lift a finger.
Despair fills her chest.
Clive cannot dodge.
He is mid-transformation.
Defenseless.
The blades close in,
Then,
A figure appears.
Silent.
A black cloak.
A shield forms instantly.
The disaster blades crash into it.
Explosions ripple outward.
Energy bursts through the cavern.
But the shield holds.
The figure stands unmoving.
The force of the blast pushes back her cloak.
Her face is revealed.
Beautiful.
Cold.
Alden's eyes snap toward her.
Shock.
"Number Zero?!"
His voice cracks.
"Why are you here?!"
Then realisation hits him.
"The Pope sent you…"
His gaze flicks toward Clive.
Now nearly fully transformed into a Disaster Wolf.
Still motionless.
Still absorbing divine energy.
Alden's rage deepens.
He refuses to accept it.
He stretches his hand toward the flowing divine energy.
With brute force, he begins pulling it toward himself.
The air distorts.
Energy strains.
Number Zero watches him.
"Alden."
Her voice is calm.
"Give up."
"You are disobeying the will of the Lord."
Alden sneers.
"The Bishop's will is the Lord's will!"
"All pure divine blood must be erased!"
He points toward Clive.
"He should not exist!"
Number Zero's eyes narrow slightly.
"Then explain this."
She gestures toward Clive.
"If the Bishop is correct…"
"Why is the Lord's divine energy entering his body?"
Alden does not stop pulling.
His face twists.
"The divine energy is mine!"
"He is stealing it!"
Number Zero sighs softly.
She understands.
There is no reasoning with him now.
If she wants to stop him,
She must kill him.
Reluctance flickers in her eyes.
Alden is talented.
Valuable.
But,
She draws her sword.
Her aura erupts.
A peak Great Knight.
On the verge of becoming a Sky Knight.
The pressure shifts.
She swings.
Her full power releases.
Sword energy infused with disaster energy tears through the cavern.
A strike capable of killing a second-stage transcend.
It races toward Alden.
Alden does not dodge.
Instead, he roars.
"You cannot stop me!"
The crimson crystal in his hand shines.
"Corpse Demon Body!"
His body begins to transform.
Skin darkens.
Becomes metallic.
Runes ignite across his body like glowing scars.
Fangs extend from his mouth.
Bat-like wings burst from his back.
His hands and feet twist into monstrous claws.
The sword energy reaches him,
Alden raises his arm.
And slaps it aside.
The attack shatters.
A terrifying aura erupts from him.
Third-stage power.
The battlefield changes again.