Beneath him, the destruction resumed.

The feral monsters, once distracted by the overwhelming presence of death energy, went back to attacking everything around them as though nothing had happened. The battlefield descended into chaos once more, and the weaker hunters quickly fell prey.

Marlon ignored the turmoil below and focused instead on the skill upgrade core resting in his hand.

[ Select a skill to upgrade: Drain (A), Eclipse Vision (A), Adamant Body (A)… ]

He was already familiar with the prompt, and fortunately, he knew exactly which skill to choose.

One that would be of great help in the current situation. One capable of toning down the chaos spreading beneath him.

[ Are you sure you want to upgrade Punch of Death (A) to Crimson Sovereign Physique (S)

YES / NO ]

He did not hesitate. His mind was already made up, and the decision was finalized in an instant.

The skill was upgraded, and a new description appeared before his eyes.

[ Sovereign Death Strike (S-rank, Active )

You strike with the authority of death itself.

Instantly kills all targets of S-rank or below within a short range.

Targets above S-rank are inflicted with the Mark of Death, reducing combat power and slowing recovery.

ADDITIONAL EFFECTS:

Deathless: You are immune to death from targets beneath S-rank.

Death Reaper: Health Points and Aether Points of defeated targets are absorbed instantly, restoring and even increasing stat capacity.

Cooldown Time: 10 Minutes

Requirement: 3000 Aether Points ]

The new description alone made the skill more than a hundred times better.

It could now be activated on multiple targets at once, and it even affected enemies above the stated rank. On top of that, the cooldown had been reduced to just ten minutes, allowing up to six uses per hour.

Most importantly, he no longer needed direct contact to kill.

As for the bonus effects, they were unique. Far more than he had expected.

Douglas and Crimson were still frozen in awe after witnessing a display of power that went far beyond their imagination.

Marlon turned toward Douglas.

"We need to start taking care of this mess. Focus your efforts on rescuing civilians. I can look after myself," he said calmly.

Marlon could see the disagreement on Douglas's face as he hesitated, still clinging to the instinct to protect him. He looked as though he wanted to protest, but after what he had just witnessed, he could not bring himself to say a word.

Marlon did not need his approval either.

He descended straight into the chaos below.

Towering monsters smashed through nearby buildings, slaughtering innocent civilians hiding inside. Screams echoed through the ruined streets as structures collapsed one after another.

The hunters were still giving it their all, but it was not enough. In the few seconds his eyes swept across the battlefield, Marlon witnessed more than a dozen hunters die to a single monster.

That monster was massive, towering as high as a four storey building.

It possessed a humanoid body structure, but its oversized head housed a single oval eye and a wide mouth lined with razor sharp teeth. A thick tail extended behind it, which it swung violently to smash its prey before devouring them.

Marlon used Inspect on the creature.

An A-rank monster.

No wonder the hunters stood no chance.

Marlon remained unbothered. He accelerated downward, his fist wrapped in dense divine light as he activated Divine Punch.

He plunged the strike downward.

It connected with an explosive impact, followed by a violent shockwave that rippled across the ground.

A massive dent formed beneath the monster as its body was driven halfway into the earth.

But it was still alive, though clearly weakened.

While still midair, Marlon delivered a ruthless kick to its eye. The monster howled in pain as blood and whitish fluid poured from the ruptured socket.

Despite its injuries, the monster displayed frightening tenacity. Its tail slammed into the ground before whipping toward Marlon with crushing force.

Marlon's eyes locked onto the incoming attack. He moved instantly, catching the tail barehanded. Channeling more Aether into his body, he surged upward, lifting the massive creature along with him.

Then, with terrifying ease, he hoisted the monster's entire body into the air, a feat that no one of his supposed level should have been capable of.

The nearly fifty foot beast was tossed around like nothing more than a ragdoll.

Marlon shouted at the hunters below, ordering them to flee. He planned to use the monster for something else, and he did not want anyone caught in the aftermath.

The hunters listened without hesitation, retreating from his path as quickly as they could.

Then Marlon began.

BOOM! BOOM!

Explosive sounds echoed across the battlefield, followed by the shrieks of monsters and the sickening sound of flesh being crushed into paste.

Every weaker monster in the area soon lay silent, reduced to nothing more than pools of blood, shattered bones, and cracked monster cores.

The tailed beast in Marlon's grasp was already dead. Its health had been drained rapidly with each impact, and with the final strike, it completely gave out.

Marlon tossed the corpse aside.

His gaze shifted to his status.

[ Level 142 ]

If he played his cards right, he could use this world-ending chaos as a ladder to reach even higher ranks.

He turned toward the once massive Hunter Association building, which now leaned slightly, held together only by its own weight. If a monster struck it again, it would be reduced to rubble.

He spotted Crimson and Douglas in the distance.

Douglas had created a platform of gold to transport injured hunters, while the two of them worked together as a small rescue unit, saving any hunters and civilians they could reach.

They nodded at him before resuming their duties. His display of strength had proven exactly why they did not need to worry about him.

Besides, how could he ever fulfill his destiny if they kept him hidden from true power?

Marlon nodded in return and blasted forward without hesitation.

At this point, only B and C rank monsters remained in the area. The sole A-rank presence hovered above them.

An ice dragon.

It floated silently in the sky, observing everything below. Since its appearance, it had not released a single attack.

===

There was a facility hidden away from hunters, even from most of the staff of the association.

It was an all white hall built with top quality materials, pristine and spotless, giving off an unsettling sense of sterility.

Although it was hidden, its existence and purpose were widely known by every hunter.

The feared prison chamber, said to house the scariest dark hunters that had terrorized Arden.

The hall possessed a unique aether blocking property that rendered those within it ordinary. For dark hunters who were once strong and feared, being reduced to the very state they detested for an untold amount of time, possibly forever, was nothing short of psychological torture.

At the moment, the lights in the room had gone off due to the destruction that had rocked the entire building, shutting down the main power supply and weakening the Aether sealing effect in the process.

Nonetheless, dim lights still flickered within the hall.

They came from illumination crystals hidden nearby, embedded into the structure itself. They provided only a faint semblance of light, barely enough to outline shapes within the vast white chamber.

"Hahahahahah!"

A loud and terrifying laughter suddenly echoed from one corner of the hall.

The laughter grew louder, thicker, and more unrestrained.

Moments later, the owner of the laughter stepped forward and revealed himself under the dim light.

He was a seven foot tall man with a scrawny build.

He wore a white uniform, identical to those worn by the other prisoners hidden within the darkness of the hall.

His lemon green hair was neatly combed and well groomed, an unsettling contrast to his status as a prisoner. His large eyes were empty, holding no trace of emotion, while his mouth was stretched unnaturally wide, exposing a full set of white teeth.

"Hahahahahah!"

The laughter continued as he lifted his head, glancing aimlessly from one position to another, as though savoring the moment.

"Rise again, my brethren. Our time has come."

He spoke in a hoarse tone, his voice scraping against the air.

At that moment, four figures slowly emerged from the shadows.

Three men whose appearances alone inspired fear, and a woman whose tempting beauty and seductive allure remained undeniable despite the prison robes clinging to her body.

The faint glow of the illumination crystals shone upon their faces.

Faces that had once shaken civilization.

And now, with the chaos engulfing the world, they had risen once more.

The green haired man with the unnatural grin scanned the hall, his gaze eventually settling on another figure concealed deeper within the room.

"Kiddo, you have all the qualities needed to join our cause," he said with enthusiasm. "Join us, rise above this broken world, and become its rulers. Priests of true power."

From the darkness, a figure strolled out slowly and casually.

A white haired young boy with an animalistic expression.

Draven.

The look on his face grew even fiercer, like that of a raging beast. Saliva dripped hungrily from both sides of his mouth as his eyes locked onto the green haired man.

"What is with the feisty look, kiddo?"

The green haired dark hunter said, amusement laced in his voice.

Those words became his last.

In the next instant, Draven lunged forward, pouncing onto him with savage intent.

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