Chapter 88: A Battle Beyond Limits
The ruins of Nyx trembled beneath the weight of a true Calamity-Class Beast.
It was unlike anything they had faced before—a nightmare of shifting flesh, twisting limbs, and raw, uncontrolled mana. Its body pulsed with veins of black energy, its form constantly mutating, growing stronger with every passing second.
Its eyes—golden, predatory, and full of malice—fixed on them.
And then—
It attacked.
The Vanguard vs. a Calamity
The air cracked apart as the beast lunged forward.
Kael barely had time to react before a massive claw, the size of a warhorse, descended upon him.
Move.
His Gravity Domain flared to life, the air around him bending as he forced the beast's strike to slow—just enough for him to dodge.
The moment his feet touched the ground, he retaliated—runes igniting around his arms as he summoned a barrage of Crimson Sigils.
The explosive force tore into the beast's side—
But it barely flinched.
The creature roared, and the sheer force of its voice sent a shockwave through the battlefield.
Lucian appeared beside Kael in a golden blur, his draconic aura burning with intensity. His blade flashed, carving into the beast's hide—
But instead of bleeding, the wound sealed instantly.
Selene cursed. "It's regenerating too fast. We need to destroy it all at once!"
Evelyne leapt high into the air, her fists coated in titanic mana, and slammed her full strength into the beast's skull.
The ground shattered beneath the impact.
For a moment, it staggered.
Then, with inhuman speed, it twisted—one of its many newly-formed tendrils whipping out and striking Evelyne mid-air.
She barely managed to block, but the force sent her crashing through three buildings.
Cassian flickered across the battlefield, his rapier moving like silver lightning. His attacks distracted the beast, slicing at its joints, forcing it to react.
Mira rushed in next—her blade coated in a crimson glow, cutting deep into one of its limbs.
Darius raised both hands to the sky. Lightning crackled, gathering into a single spear of pure destruction.
He hurled it directly at the beast's chest.
The impact was deafening.
Smoke rose. The battlefield went still.
Then—
A low growl.
As the dust cleared, the Calamity-Class Beast emerged… untouched.
Their attacks had done nothing.
Kael's breathing grew heavy.
We're barely scratching it.
And then—
The Xelthar agent watching from the rooftop let out a slow, amused chuckle.
"You're out of your depth, Vanguard."
The Observer Moves
The Xelthar Agent stepped forward.
His presence alone sent a wave of pressure through the battlefield.
Now that he was closer, Kael could see him clearly—
A man wrapped in black armor, his face hidden beneath a smooth, featureless mask. Unlike the assassins they had fought before, his aura was controlled, precise… and overwhelmingly powerful.
He tilted his head.
"You're struggling with one Calamity-Class Beast. How do you plan to stop an army of them?"
The Vanguard froze.
"What do you mean?" Selene demanded.
The agent's amusement deepened.
"Ah. So you don't know."
He raised his hand—and the ruins around them trembled.
A low, pulsing energy rippled through the ground.
Kael's stomach twisted.
No.
No, this wasn't just one beast.
There was something beneath them.
Something far worse.
The Truth of Xelthar's Experiment
The ground split open.
A massive underground chamber was revealed, filled with dozens of grotesque mana pods, each containing a different mutated creature.
Some were still forming.
Some were already awake.
Selene's voice was ice. "What have you done?"
The Xelthar agent shrugged.
"We've perfected what your precious Empire never could. Controlled evolution."
He gestured to the Calamity-Class Beast still looming over them.
"This one? It was an accident. A failure."
His masked face tilted.
"The real weapons are still growing."
Kael's blood ran cold.
They hadn't stumbled into a battlefield.
They had walked straight into a lab.
A breeding ground for monsters.
Mira clenched her fists. "You're insane."
The agent chuckled. "Am I?"
His aura flared.
"You should be thanking me. Because now? You get to witness true power."
He moved.
And suddenly—Kael was on the defensive.
The moment the Xelthar agent attacked, Kael knew.
This man was different.
Stronger than any assassin.
Faster than any knight.
A true warrior.
Their blades clashed, sparks flying, mana distorting around them.
The agent's movements were impossibly precise—no wasted effort, no hesitation.
Kael barely dodged a lethal strike, countering with a Crimson Sigil-enhanced slash.
But the agent vanished.
Then—
A sharp pain exploded in Kael's side.
The agent appeared behind him, blade coated in Kael's own blood.
"Slow," the agent murmured.
Kael gritted his teeth.
He pushed forward, activating his Gravity Domain at full force.
The air thickened, crushing down on the Xelthar agent—but the man merely chuckled.
"Interesting."
Then—
He shattered Kael's domain with raw force.
Kael's eyes widened.
Impossible.
The agent grabbed Kael by the throat and slammed him into the ground.
"You're strong," he admitted. "But not strong enough."
The agent raised his blade—ready to kill.
And then—
A golden explosion of mana ripped through the battlefield.
Lucian Eldoria descended like a storm, his sword clashing against the agent's with a force that shook the ruins.
"Get away from him," Lucian growled.
The agent stepped back, unharmed.
And then—he laughed.
"Interesting. Very interesting."
He flicked the blood from his blade.
"This has been fun. But it's time for me to go."
Kael coughed, pushing himself up. "You're running?"
The agent smirked beneath his mask.
"Oh, I don't need to run."
He gestured to the underground chamber.
"Because my work is already done."
Then—he vanished.
The Awakening of Something Worse
Kael forced himself to stand.
Mira rushed to his side, supporting him. "Kael—"
He shook his head. "I'm fine."
But they weren't.
Because beneath them—
The mana pods began to crack.
The beasts inside twitched.
Lucian's expression darkened. "We need to leave."
Selene's silver eyes flickered. "We won't make it in time."
Kael exhaled.
"We fight."
The Vanguard turned to face the horrors Xelthar had created.
And as the first monster broke free…
The battle was far from over.