In mere moments, the forward-operating base crowded with transport helicopters and tents was crushed by the gargantuan black hand. The landscape was flattened as not even an explosion escaped the suppression of the Eclipse.

A couple of meters away, Damien watched the devastation with detached interest before shaking his head after noticing the pulverized corpses of the soldiers and the personnel of the tent.

'It seems that the preacher has a tracking device implanted within him. Otherwise, he would have been rescued without my interference. Though the fate of the Howling Village then remained in question.'

Damien thought about the Shadow Division. An unknown organization that was supposed to be a part of the SIGIL. They might be his comrades, but he didn't care.

The fact that they were working with the Abominable Cult means that the division members were compromised. Even their Paragon could be a traitor, which was bound to make the circumstance even more troublesome.

"I would love to pretend that nothing happened, but it is unavoidable." Damien sighed and stared at Eclipse, who had already shrunk into the form of a normal hand. "Good job, thank you for your assistance."

The black hand gave him a thumbs-up of approval before returning to the fracture where it originated. The sight made him smile, though he quickly returned to his former state, hiding his curled lips.

"In any case, the conflict is calming down." Damien turned his attention to the Howling Village, where the Lycanthropes had already defeated the attack helicopters bombarding their homes.

It shouldn't be long until the Lycans begin their recovery efforts.

The burning buildings consumed by the fiery flames of war had already been quelled, while wrecks of attack helicopters were being transported to the outskirts of the Howling Village.

'They are quick to adapt. As expected of the Lycanthropes.' Damien thought and returned his attention to the flattened landscape in front of him. The destruction of the forward-operating base granted him Terror Points.

A bit more, and it would be enough to start testing his Fusion Feature.

'Fusion Feature requires a lot of Terror Points, so I have been saving for quite a while after taking care of the Rotte Family of New Janus. I should check out my status display and see my current wealth of Terror.'

Damien nodded to himself and commanded the system to open up the status display through his thoughts. In an instant, a digital screen materialized before his perception, glowing in a bluish hue.

Written within it was his detailed status.

---

| Monster Gacha System |

-| Boss Title : [ Oberon ] |

-| Monster(s) : Two-Star EX Monster: Eclipse(Fragment), Two-Star EX Monster: Neurophages, One-Star TE Monster: Silhouette, Two-Star TE Monster: Scorpion Tank, Two-Star TE Monster: Wyvern, One-Star TE Monster: Hellhound, One-Star TE Monster: Freedom Eagle, One-Star TE: Nemean Lion, Two-Star TE Monster: Tarasque, One-Star TE Monster: Anaconda, Two-Star TE Monster: Direwolf, Three-Star TE Monster: Behemoth, Three-Star TE Monster: Orochi, Two-Star TE Monster: Heavenly Bull, One-Star PA Monster: Banshee, Two-Star PA Monster: Oni, Two-Star PA Monster: Dullahan, One-Star PA Monster: Shadow Hound, One-Star PA Monster: Onryo |

-| Skill Index : Raptured Blink(Eclipse), Intangible Fracture(Eclipse), Hive Assimilation(Neurophaes), Psychic Operation(Silhouette), Mechanical Bombardment(Scorpion Tank), Dracko Oppression(Wyvern), Chains of Judgment(Hellhound), Heaven's View(Freedom Eagle), Hide of Aegis(Nemean Lion), Carapace of Legends(Tarasque), Constriction(Anaconda), Pack Howl(Direwolf), Tectonic Steps(Behemoth), Venoms of Eightfold Death(Orochi), Celestial Charge(Heavenly Bull), Wailing Death(Banshee), Demonic Strength(Oni), Mark of Death(Dullahan), Hunting Darkness(Shadow Hound), Curse of Vengeance(Onryo) |

-| Command Seal(s): [ 127/145 ] |

<| Terror Point(s) : 3224 |>

---

"Over three thousand Terror Points..." Damien mumbled to himself while staring at the status display. The reason why he needed so many Terror Points for the Fusion Feature was simple.

To utilize the duplicates, he needed to spend five hundred Terror Points for fusion. Fusing his duplicates would result in the advancement of his summoned Monster's evolution bar.

It also depended on their ranking, meaning that the higher it goes, the more expensive it becomes. Five hundred Terror Points for duplicate fusion was the cheapest it could get.

'I need about 4,000 Terror Points to be prepared for the fusion.' Damien nodded to himself and closed the status display screen. It vanished from his perception while his gaze was pointed at the mangled body of the Jaeger that tried to throw him out of the Howling Village.

"Information... While I'd rather avoid desecrating dead bodies, I need all the intelligence I can get." He took a deep breath since this would be the first time he would activate the personal skill of his second Extraterrestrial Monster, the Neurophages.

The ability was called Hive Assimilation.

Walking towards the squashed and bloodied corpse of the former Jaeger, Damien crouched and closed his eyelids. With a silent whisper, he activated his personal skill. "Assimilate."

A cloud of black dust surfaced from his hand as its tendril slithered across the bloodied, mangled corpse of the former Jaeger. It soon shrouded the squashed body, consuming its entirety and essence.

Damien felt energy seeping into his bones, nourishing his muscles and enlightening his mind. Memories flashed into his head, distinct and divided from his own. It was akin to watching a speeding movie, unable to make sense of everything besides the summarized plot.

It didn't take long for the mangled corpse to be wholly consumed by the assimilation of the Neurophages. There was nothing left, not even a single drop of crimson blood. It was as though the former Jaeger was erased from existence.

"So, this is Hive Assimilation, huh? Could this be what Neurophages felt when I commanded it to consume the preacher? Interesting..." Damien stood up and stretched his fingers. His body felt light and vigorous.

"Dangerous... I need to use this only when needed. Otherwise, I could get addicted. Perhaps, this is what vampires feel when nourishing themselves with blood." He shook his head, deciding to concentrate his thoughts on what he had gained.

"I got the experiences of the former Jaeger, even his Brand was consumed by me. It is an interesting one, capable of invisibility. Sadly, it doesn't have a force multiplier, but it is a versatile Brand regardless."

With a single thought, Damien's body vanished from perception, becoming invisible to the naked eye. It didn't completely erase him; his heat and aetheric signature should be discernible even in this form.

But it was better than nothing. It was a great addition to the black-suited young man's arsenal.

'Most importantly, it doesn't consume Command Seals.' The thought alone was tempting, but he wanted to take the path of power where he did not sacrifice his humanity for strength. Otherwise, what was the point of becoming stronger?

Damien deactivated the Brand, making him visible in a single second. He stretched the entirety of his body and took deep breaths. Brimming energy wasn't positive everywhere. Having too much made him feel impatient and slow. It was troubling.

Fortunately, his self-control wasn't to be underestimated. It could have become a problem.

'Judging from his memories, the Shadow Division betrayed the SIGIL a long time ago. The entire organization of Jaegers followed their Paragon and left the SIGIL. They disappeared from sight since their exile, but it appears that they have been operating in the northern fringes.'

"Not only that, these bastards also have spies within every Block of the SIGIL Divisions. Except for Block 7, of course... There are only six of us, and each was personally validated by the seventh Paragon." Damien muttered under his breath before hearing subtle steps from the distance.

"Hecate, I'm glad you're here." He turned his gaze towards the direction of the footsteps and saw his partner walking with the three strongest Lycanthropes of the Howling Village. It was none other than Boris, Beowulf, and the Chieftain. "It seems that you brought an entourage."

"There's not much I can do about it. These guys wanted to see the bastards who dared to desecrate their land." Hecate shook her head and sighed while standing beside Damien.

She stared at the flattened landscape and glanced at her partner. "You have an idea about who they could be, don't you?" Her words echoed; his calm face was the confirmation she needed.

"Yes, the ones that attacked the Howling Village were part of SIGIL. But they were traitors who belonged to the Shadow Division. Most of the memories I recovered were hazy."

"It appears that this organization was capable of blocking memories while maintaining the loyalties of its members." Damien expounded while staring at the three Lycanthropes before him.

"The Shadow Division requires three differing species for their unknown ritual. I will start contacting Miss Alastair and report to her the current circumstances of the northern fringes. Afterward, Hecate and I will probably head towards the valley where the Abominable resides."

"The Abominable needs to be stopped, so the two of us will handle them. The Howling Village must be careful during this time. Who knows... Maybe the Shadow Division wouldn't stop merely because they were halted for a single operation." Damien narrowed his gaze and sternly warned.

"Understood, Sir Damien. Your assistance during the defense of the Howling Village is appreciated. Are you sure you and your partner do not require the assistance of the Howling Village?" Beowulf asked while Boris stepped forward. "We also have abducted Howlers to worry about."

"We need to rescue our people from the Abominable before it's too late." Hearing the two, the Chieftain chuckled and affirmed. "I believe our assistance will benefit you, Damien."

"Better more than two, right?" Hecate whispered to Damien's ear, prompting him to sigh and nod in understanding. "Alright, but let us handle the Shadow Division. This is a private matter between SIGIL and its traitors."

The three Lycanthropes nodded, so a plan was finalized.

If you find any errors ( broken links, non-standard content, etc.. ), Please let us know < report chapter > so we can fix it as soon as possible.