Jeremy kept listening to all of this, his eyes fixed on Rose. But he wasn't even slightly worried. The reason was simple—he knew.He knew about the Rank above S-level.
He understood the concepts and everything that came with it, but he wasn't afraid. After all, Rose's knowledge was, at best, superficial.The truth was that, once a law evolved to become a concept, nothing truly drastic happened.
Or rather, the intrinsic power of the awakened didn't undergo a radical change like when first comprehending a law.
It merely improved the application of the law on a conceptual level, altering its capabilities within certain limits.
For example, Jeremy's Bone law, once it reached the conceptual level, could be applied in new ways. He no longer needed to strip the flesh off a corpse to summon an undead, for instance.It didn't change his raw power, but it made the application of his abilities far more versatile.
"So, Jeremy," Rose continued, her gaze full of pleading. "Take as many people as you can and escape—"
"Headmistress," the boy raised a hand. "Let me tell you what I'm going to do."
His tone allowed for no discussion.
"I will handle this portal myself. Rank EX is strong, but I can manage it."
Rose looked at him. The resolute look in the boy's eyes said everything. He was confident, extremely confident.
"Then let me fight by your side."
"You'll just get in the way, but if you insist…"
Jeremy took a few steps back.He didn't want to waste time talking. He had things to do.An EX Rank had a level beyond 200, after all. Jeremy had just reached level 103 after killing those S-Rank enemies. He couldn't afford to waste even a second.
But, at the end of the day, he had never been a frontline fighter. He was always a necromancer. His true strength lay in his undead, especially Drae'mon, Leo'sol, and SuperCannon.
With a simple wave of his hand, a portal with bone-shaped edges— the same one SuperCannon had emerged from before—opened.
Rose, unlike the others, watched with curiosity. She didn't know what Jeremy was about to do.
"It's your time," he said with a smile full of expectation. "Come out."
The air turned freezing cold.Then—
A skeletal hand gripped the bony edge of the portal with force.The figure that emerged was a skeleton standing on its four skeletal limbs. Its bones were black, solid, and strong. They didn't look like the simple bones of the Bone Legion. They were more like armor capable of absorbing any impact.
Its black bones weren't shiny but matte, while its fangs and claws were a pale, ghostly white. Its size had increased. Where it had once been a little over a meter tall, it now surpassed three meters.
Of course, compared to other monsters, it was still considered small, but judging from its appearance, it clearly wasn't meant for frontal combat.The most surprising thing, however, were its eyes—or rather, the small flame flickering within its eye sockets.
It was a dull blue and shimmered with intelligence.
It looked more like an assassin—silent and deadly.
"Drae'mon, you've grown," Jeremy rushed forward to hug the no-longer-small undead.
The skeleton, despite its menacing appearance, nodded repeatedly at Jeremy, as if to show how happy it was to see him again.It was a tear-jerking scene.
Rose was left speechless. Not because of Jeremy's behavior—she had already seen him act like this around the small Drae'mon before.
She was stunned by the pure threat that the skeleton radiated.
She was sure that if that thing decided to attack her, she wouldn't even have a chance to defend herself.
She would die instantly.
That thought kept her frozen in place.
Luckily, they were allies. Otherwise…
While the two "friends" were having their touching reunion, the bone portal trembled.All eyes turned toward it, and this time, two massive hands gripped the portal's edges.
The tremor was just a way to grab everyone's attention.The figure emerging seemed jealous of the affection Jeremy was showing Drae'mon.
How could they tell?Because of the monstrous roar the Aberration let out.
And not just that—both of its huge eyeballs were glaring at the small black skeleton with a furious expression.
His eyes were filled with red veins, looking as if they might explode at any moment.
"Hey Leo'sol, calm down—" Jeremy approached the gigantic undead construct that had just emerged from the portal. "If you keep going like that, you're going to blow up!"
The newcomer stood at about seven meters tall, a true colossus. But the reaction of all the spectators to his presence was one of utter disgust.
Some of the onlookers in the distance began gagging, others turned away, and a few even screamed.
He was the very definition of an Aberration. He was entirely made of rotten, putrid flesh, oozing with pus—but that wasn't even the most unsettling part.
The true nightmare was his stitched skin. The monster, once skeletal, now had stitches running across his entire body. His arms, legs, and head were sewn to the torso. Even the torso itself was stitched together from three different pieces.
As if that wasn't enough, the center of his chest glowed unnaturally, as if something inside was ready to explode. It seemed to react to the Aberration's emotions.
Even Rose Redspine took in a sharp breath at the sight.
Setting aside the absurd power this creature radiated, it was simply hideous.
That was the general thought shared by every living being present—not just the humans.
Everyone except one, of course.
"Leo'sol—" Jeremy shouted, jumping onto his broad shoulders. "You're wonderful! Exactly how I imagined you when I created you!"
The Aberration turned his furious gaze away from Drae'mon at his master's words and smiled brightly. Of course, his happy smile only made everyone else even more terrified, but neither Jeremy nor Leo'sol cared.
"I can't wait to see you fight—you're going to be magnificent!"
"Graw Row Rea!"
"???" Jeremy stared at Leo'sol, stunned. He had spoken. Sure, it was just a meaningless sound, but it was something. None of his undead had ever spoken before.
But before Jeremy could say anything else, it seemed the Gate had had enough of their antics.
With a loud hum, the forming Gate imploded in on itself.
"..."
Everyone looked stunned. Where was the ridiculously powerful monster that was supposed to come out? Was it a false alarm?
But just a few seconds later, an even larger spatial ripple appeared, and two portals radiating incredible energy burst forth.
"Okay—" Jeremy stared blankly at the two Gates. "No matter how strong I get, I'll never be able to predict a damn thing."
"Are you sure we shouldn't run?" Rose said with a resigned smile.
"Even if we wanted to, we couldn't. Now we just have to focus on whatever's coming out of there."
An instant later, a colossal aura enveloped the entire area.
Then, stepping out of one of the portals, a creature with a human appearance emerged. No, there was no distinction between this figure and an ordinary human—except for the horns sprouting from his head.
Damn, they were long and razor-sharp. They sent shivers down everyone's spine.
"Ah, what fresh air."
Everyone present was left speechless. The monster had spoken? Well, it looked human, but still—it was unbelievable.
Even Rose was shocked. How could it know their language? Weren't Gates supposed to only release monsters? What the hell was this thing?
Questions flooded Rose's mind, making her freeze for a moment.
Jeremy, on the other hand, simply stared at the creature. He knew what it was—or rather, who it was.
A devil.
They were the intelligent evolution of demons, not in terms of raw power, but as a form of life. They ruled this galaxy through intelligence, power, and cunning.
"What's with the crowd? You knew I was coming and gathered to welcome me?" the devil said, glancing at the humans huddled in the distance. "You even prepared a snack. Not bad, I'm almost flattered."
Then, turning his attention to the army of dry bones below him, he added, "And what should I do with these?"
Just as he was about to raise a hand to unleash his power, another figure stepped out from the twin Gate.
"Hey Aliken, why the rush? Planning to leave nothing for your good brother?"
The voice didn't sound human. He was speaking another language—presumably the demonic tongue spoken by devils.
A frown briefly flickered across Aliken's face, but he masked it quickly.
"Bevrel, you're here too? I didn't expect to see the face of my dear 'brother' so soon," he said, deliberately emphasizing the word 'brother.'
Their hostility was obvious, but that was all. There wasn't hatred between them, just healthy—more or less—competition. After all, they were cunning devils. Who could really say what they were thinking?
The two began exchanging words in the demonic language, completely ignoring the humans below them. In the end, they didn't really care.
"Cough, cough."
A cough interrupted their conversation. Instantly, both of them turned towards the source of the sound, their gazes filled more with curiosity than hostility.
After all, they were genuinely curious. Who would dare interrupt them?
"Don't you think you're going a little too far? Ignoring me so openly—do I look like a joke to you?"
Jeremy had spoken. The boy was sitting atop the massive head of his Aberration, having listened carefully to their conversation.
After all, he knew the devil's language very well.
He himself was a devil—or rather, Okoron was a devil.