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In that stormy, chaotic time, citizens rushed to the underground shelters of the kingdom. The signal that a powerful monster was threatening the city spread instantly.
But amid all the chaos that this "small" invasion was causing, something could be seen in the sky, almost hidden behind the black clouds.
"Mother of all forms, womb of the abyss,
of those who crawl and those who fall.
From flesh comes flesh, from chaos comes the world."
Even from outside the city, it was visible — something larger than a skyscraper, floating in the air.
Anyone who looked at it could tell it was nothing else — a womb.
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Niyx laughed cheerfully, releasing her hands. After reciting her chant, she spoke the name of her unique ability.
— [Cradle of the Cursed].
The monster before her began to bleed from its face, but it ignored the wounds as if they didn't exist.
"You really are a little idiot, aren't you? Let me explain it to you in simple terms."
Pointing her index finger at him, his body was thrown backward at a thunderous speed, crashing into Eldoria's walls.
"First: [AgonyoftheIsolated]. When the manifestation of my unique ability is activated, this effect makes your body reject being alive. That's what you're feeling right now."
The monster charged again but was stopped midair by Niyx's hand, gripping its face and throwing it once more into the wall — this time making it crash through and fall into the city.
Like a child born without love, abandonment becomes reality — that is the agony the being feels when its own life is rejected by its safe haven.
It was the same ability she used in the simplified version of her skill — a barrier and this same effect — but using it that way made her unable to fully unleash her true power.
Without waiting, the monster attacked again, but this time, she didn't even defend. The blow froze the instant it touched her face.
"[Independent]. A child without a home must adapt to the conveniences and inconveniences of life."
She grabbed its arm and slammed it into the ground.
"[Indulgent]. It must learn to forgive sinners who went against its life."
She twisted the creature's arm and grabbed its head with both hands.
Then she spun it like a top, her speed increasing every second, until she hurled it upward. The monster flew past Earth's orbit, soaring toward the blazing Sun at abnormal speed.
The battle was over.
Niyx's unique ability, [Cradle of the Cursed], is the perfect representation of her species. It's an exceptional application of her innate ability, [Adaptation].
It functions without the use of mana. A massive, distorted womb floats in the air, following Niyx within a radius of up to five kilometers.
Its composite abilities are [Agonyof the Isolated], [Independent], and [Indulgent] — each one granting her a colossal advantage against any kind of opponent.
The first — [AgonyoftheIsolated] — is an effect that strikes anyone Niyx targets within five kilometers, causing their psyche to self-destruct and triggering physical breakdown. The effect can only be removed in two ways: if Niyx wills it, or if the womb itself is forcibly destroyed.
The second — [Independent] — is a passive that allows Niyx's body and soul to adapt and become immune to whatever her target opponent throws at her. She can focus on more than one enemy, as long as they're within the range.
Finally — [Indulgent] — the act of forgiving. Another passive that renders all damage and effects used against her null, instantly "forgiving" any wound inflicted.
It is an unrestricted summoning ability — meaning it does not need to be separated from physical space to function. Its invocation alters reality around her, allowing Niyx to grow stronger and counter anything while evolving indefinitely. A truly terrifying ability — one that embodies the essence of a Metamorph: born in solitude, forced to evolve to survive.
"Yeah… I think he's gone now. So…"
She leapt onto a nearby building and began running through the city, searching for her prey.
The streets were empty, lifeless. But then, while running, she saw them — Victor and his group. She couldn't contain herself.
In the blink of an eye, she dashed forward and seized the young Metamorph's head at such speed that his companions didn't even notice his disappearance.
Before them, another figure appeared — a gray-haired man with a cigarette between his fingers. Lorian had decided to join the fight.
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Victor blinked in confusion. He was lying under rubble inside a building, with no idea how he had ended up there. He raised a hand to his head, feeling a sharp pain.
"What the…"
"Hey, Victor. Come on, get up already."
He froze at the voice before him.
"Let's fight already. I can't wait any longer!" Niyx said, an excited expression lighting her face.
Victor stood and faced her cautiously, his hand gripping his sword as if his life depended on it.
"What are you doing, Niyx?"
Niyx blinked, puzzled — why would he even ask that? It should've been obvious.
"What do you mean? I want to fight you."
"But why?"
Once again, Niyx felt an irritation at his question.
"What do you mean 'why'? It's what we do."
Before Victor could even think to respond, Niyx dashed forward — her punches coming fast. Victor dodged and blocked barely in time, but she grabbed the collar of his tank top and casually threw him upward, without seeming to exert much effort.
Victor crashed through all the floors of the building until he burst through the roof.
'What was that? She's too fast and strong… could it be…'
Before he could finish the thought, she kicked him in the head, sending him crashing onto one of the trams before landing back on the street.
Her blows truly hurt. He couldn't predict or read her mana properly — even coating his body in mana didn't help; his defenses were ignored.
He wasn't fast enough to dodge well either. He realized she was fighting loosely, calmly — as if not even trying.
"Come on! Fight me! I want to see you evolve as we fight! You're a Metamorph, aren't you? Show me that you really are one!"
He stood again, staring at her.
'She's a Metamorph too. This is bad… That's why my body keeps telling me to run. I don't want to stay here.'
Just standing before Niyx was a challenge in itself. Every instinct in Victor's body screamed for him to flee — but he wouldn't.
With no other choice, he attacked with his sword — but the impossible happened. The blade shattered the instant it touched her neck. He stepped back.
"You know better than that. Weapons are weak. Unless they're made from your own body, they're useless for us."
He stayed silent, taking a deep breath. Then, he charged and punched Niyx in the face. She seemed pleased — even smiled — but didn't move an inch.
Then, she vanished from his sight and threw him backward, sending him flying again. She tried to strike him midair, but he grabbed her arm and spun, dragging her down with him to absorb the impact.
When the ground hit, both rolled, carving a crater and tearing through everything ahead.
Niyx laughed proudly as she rose again, a gentle smile curving her lips.
"That's it. Shall we go again?"
"You're insane."
"What do you mean?" she asked, genuinely curious.
Victor didn't react. He simply circled her, as she did the same.
"You know, Victor," she said, "the one watching you all this time… was me. Even the headaches, the bleeding…"
"I suspected it wasn't natural…"
"Of course not. Our kind doesn't suffer from things like that. It was obviously the effect of my unique ability. But I wanted to ask you something… why are you trying so hard to act human?"
Both fell silent — Niyx waiting with a serious face, while Victor carefully considered what to answer to that question from another Metamorph.
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