The sky boiled with crimson clouds as the Killbox Array locked into place—rune towers pulsing with unstable etheric charges. Wind shrieked through the broken spires. And in the west… it came.
Varnaxis the Hollow Bloom—a Warden-class abomination, evolved and enraged—descended like a nightmare drawn from unspoken fears. It floated, unsupported by wings, its twisted floral crown spilling black spores that withered air and mana alike. A maw opened within its chest, blooming like a reverse flower of teeth and voidlight.
[New Threat Detected: Varnaxis – Phase Two][Tier: S][Corruption Core: Stable – Estimated Output: 370,000 Mana/s][Adaptive Evolution Traits: 12 Active][Target Priority: High]
Iden stood alone on the command platform at the heart of the Killbox, his cloak rippling in the mana wind, expression calm.
[System Alert: Mythical Class Core Evolution Available][You have reached Level 50][Summon Capacity: 1,376,256]
Choose One Path Below:
— Path of the Bone Sovereign(Mythical – Summoner)• Your skeletons can now fuse into Tier-S Juggernauts.• Introduces the concept of Summon-Faith—a passive aura that increases all undead growth.• Unlocks "Covenant of Nine" – summon elite bone avatars formed from battlefield death data.
— Path of the Godforged Architect(Mythical – Dominion Caster)• Create floating citadel-class constructs with auto-deployment arrays.• Skeletons gain limited AI autonomy and micro-strategy execution.• Unlocks "Forgemind Nexus" – link with Kael and Rael for divine-tier support constructs.
Iden's fingers clenched as the Warden floated just beyond cannon range.
"Show me both in detail," he muttered.
The system flooded his vision with imagery—two paths, both godlike. One turned Iden into a sovereign of raw summon might, the other into a strategic world-tier constructor capable of waging wars across continents.
Behind him, the Killbox towers fully ignited—etherium lines humming like dragonheart engines. Kael's three Tyrants soared to flank position. Rael and Nyra were already deploying anti-corruption sigils across the perimeter.
"Lord Iden," Kael's voice buzzed through the command rune. "We're in position. Awaiting order."
The Warden began its descent. Slowly. Deliberately. Mockingly.
It opened its mouth and sang.
The sound wasn't music. It was undoing. Grass blackened. Skeletons twitched as ancient memories tried to force their way into their bones. Entire mana circuits in the front row shut down.
And still, Iden did not raise his hand.
[EXP: 6.1% (Level 50)][Active Summons: 812,000+][Deployed Squadrons: 53 of 60 Killbox Zones][Warden Distance: 1.8 km]
He exhaled, slow.
"Confirm new field calculation," he said. "And begin bleeding its energy from the outer ring."
The entire Killbox activated.
Runes lit. Cannons rotated. Mana spires pulsed. Skeletons in formation began releasing sacrificial resonance waves, fueling the long-range entrapment grid.
Varnaxis hesitated.
Iden smiled.
"This Killbox isn't to trap you," he whispered."It's to measure how much power I'll need to erase the next dozen of you."
As the sky fell with the fury of energy bolts and Warden shrieks, Iden stood unshaken.
[System Awaiting Response…][Mythical Class Evolution Selection Pending]
The two paths hovered before him still, pulsing with potential.
Nyra's voice entered his mind, quietly.
"No matter what you choose, we'll follow you. But the Architect path… It's not just about skeletons anymore. It's about building a world."
Kael's, by contrast, was colder.
"The Sovereign path will make you the apex summoner in history. Even the Abyss would think twice before striking Sanctum again."
Iden closed his eyes.
The battlefield raged below, and the Warden began cracking under coordinated bombardments—tendrils flailing, casting death beams through bone walls. The Tyrants circled it like hellfire predators. The moment of decision was now.
He opened his eyes.
"System," he said."I choose—"