Apocalypse: becoming the hidden Ruler[English]

Axel exhaled slowly.

This was an advanced version of Explosive Energy.

A flat 1500-point boost across all three attributes was absurd—even for him.

With his current Force reserves, Axel could activate Burning Fighting Spirit seven or eight times without exhausting himself.

The second upgraded skill appeared below it.

> Berserk Beast

> Tier 2 Awakening Skill

> Allows the user to transform into a mutated beast one level higher than their current rank.

> After transformation, the beast possesses combat power equal to the user’s own.

This skill came from the Alien Dragon.

Back then, Axel could only transform into a beast one level lower than himself.

He glanced at the remaining skills.

“Mental Barrier hasn’t upgraded yet,” he muttered. “That’s fine.”

His stats followed:

Physical Strength: 6971 / 7002

Force: 6789 / 6881

Spirit: 6741 / 6832

The Saint Sea Twig’s energy had been completely absorbed.

Axel cracked his neck.

“Now for the main event.”

After eating a quick meal, he returned to his room and retrieved the Thunder Punishment Stone.

The two doses of Pure Primal Energy Liquid hadn’t dramatically increased his Force, but they had made the Ancient Tree even more vigorous. Axel was eager to see what kind of change the Thunder Punishment Stone would trigger.

As he settled back into his room, outside in the courtyard, two figures appeared.

Butcher crossed his arms. Riley stood beside him.

“…Should we tell him now?”

For once, Butcher didn’t touch his food.

Instead, he pulled out a cigarette, lit it, and smoked in silence.

Riley glanced toward Axel’s room. She could feel it—Axel had entered deep meditation again. After a moment, she shook her head.

“Don’t tell him,” she said quietly. “If he finds out now, he’ll try to run.”

Butcher nodded. He crushed the cigarette against his palm, extinguishing it with a dull hiss.

“So even this isn’t enough to catch a Saint?” His voice was low, irritated. “Does it really take a Level Nine Awakened to deal with them?”

Riley let out a soft sigh. “Level Nines are too far above us. Who knows what goes through their heads?”

After Butcher left, Riley returned to her room. The Awakened Forum was exploding with new posts—alerts stacking one after another. She scanned them briefly, then shook her head and shut off the screen.

Instead, she walked straight to Axel’s room.

Axel was still absorbing the Thunder Punishment Stone. He didn’t sense her presence at all, completely immersed. This time was different from absorbing a fire spirit—he was already mid–Level Five. More importantly, this wasn’t just strengthening his body. It was about repairing his Natal Treasure.

He was all in.

Riley glanced at him, then quietly turned off the monitor beside his desk.

Just before the screen went dark, several forum headlines flickered past:

“Military large-scale operation ambushed—multiple Saints confirmed.”

“Several squads suffer heavy casualties…”

The absorption process was unlike anything Axel had experienced before.

It was still agonizing—but not physically.

The Thunder Punishment Stone targeted mental energy. His body felt fine, but his mind felt like it was being torn apart, as if his skull were about to burst.

Within his inner vision, a small black stone forced itself into the branches of the Ancient Tree, radiating fierce resistance. The Fire Spirit and Rock Spinal Cord reacted instantly, releasing their own auras as if rejecting an intruder.

The struggle dragged on endlessly.

Axel’s flood-level Origin Veins flared to their limit. Primal energy from nearly the entire villa district began converging toward the room.

By the third day, Riley could no longer ignore it.

She sighed and placed a large number of Blood Refining Stones around Axel’s body.

“At this rate,” she muttered, “every Awakened in the area is going to come knocking.”

“I’m billing Aurelion for this.”

Outside the door, Butcher chewed on pork jerky and snorted. “Stingy bastard.”

“These Blood Refining Stones are worth hundreds of millions,” Riley replied coolly. “Why don’t you pay?”

Butcher froze, then scoffed. “You think I can’t afford it?”

Inside his inner world, Axel finally felt it.

For the first time, he sensed the true dominance of the Ancient Tree.

It released everything it had accumulated over the past days. Life force surged upward from its roots, flooding every branch. His entire inner space became saturated with vitality.

At that moment, the power stored within the two drops of Pure Primal Energy Liquid fully erupted.

Before, the Ancient Tree had relied on Axel’s own primal force to heal—slowly, painfully—recovering barely fifty or sixty meters.

Now, the change was visible even to the naked eye.

The Heavenly Ancient Tree reclaimed its vitality at a terrifying pace.

Time lost all meaning.

Eventually, the remaining energy within the Thunder Punishment Stone, the Fire Spirit, and the Rock Spinal Cord was completely absorbed. They no longer felt separate—each had fused entirely into the Ancient Tree.

Though the tree’s upper reaches were still shrouded in mist, the restored greenery now extended well beyond one hundred meters.

Buzz—

Axel’s body trembled.

For a fleeting instant, a phantom image appeared on his abdomen—an enormous ancient tree with intertwined roots, shaped like a coiling dragon.

The image vanished in less than a second.

So fast that even Riley, cooking in the kitchen, noticed nothing.

.......

Summer arrived in Everton City.

Riley’s carefully tended plants filled the courtyard with color, transforming the villa into a quiet, fragrant garden.

Surrounded by the scent of fruit and flowers, Axel slowly opened his eyes.

The electronic calendar on the wall flickered.

68 days had passed.

He stretched, joints cracking like popping beans. His mental range had doubled.

He checked his stats.

Physical Strength: 8778 / 8891

Force: 8632 / 8663

Mental Strength: 8831 / 8912

Thanks to the Thunder Punishment Stone, his mental strength now surpassed his other attributes.

A new effect surfaced in his awareness:

> Lightning Punishment

> Upon contact with an enemy’s limbs, inflicts a lightning effect that directly damages mental strength.

The Ancient Tree radiated a quiet, overwhelming majesty.

Though it hadn’t yet translated into explosive combat power, Axel wasn’t bothered.

Natal Treasures didn’t truly reveal their terror until they were fully nurtured.

And once he reached Level Six— That was when everything would change.

.......

Sunlight filtered through the ivy-covered windows, scattering mottled shadows across the floor.

Axel took out his phone and sent a single message. Moments later, a reply appeared on the screen.

“1.”

Axel smiled faintly.

A soft knock came at the door. “You awake? Dinner’s ready,” Riley said.

“Alright. I’ll check the forums for a bit first.” Axel turned on his computer casually, intending to skim the Awakened Forum.

But the moment he saw the trending posts, the smile on his face froze.

Outside, Riley remained silent for a long time, as if she already knew what he had seen. Finally, she spoke gently, “Eat first. Then we’ll talk.”

“…Okay.”

Axel stood and walked out, his expression unreadable.

At the table, Riley spoke evenly, without embellishment.

“The Obsidian Squad was ambushed. Rosaline and Phoenix were severely injured. It happened two months ago.”

Axel’s hand paused slightly.

“Phoenix can walk again now, but he lost an eye. Rosaline is still at the Whisper Syndicate’s dedicated hospital. Her life isn’t in danger.”

Riley met his gaze. “In less than a year, you’ll reach Level Six. I hope you don’t act on impulse.”

Axel nodded. He set his utensils neatly on the bowl and stood.

“I know what matters.” He bowed slightly. “Thank you for looking after me, Miss Riley.”

Without another word, he slung the Soul Devouring Blade over his shoulder and stepped outside.

“I’m going to see Rosaline.”

Riley watched him leave. After a moment, she walked to the window and spoke softly into the empty air.

“Keep an eye on him.”

A breeze passed through the courtyard. The small flowers on the cucumber vines swayed gently.