Apocalypse: becoming the hidden Ruler[English]

“He was probably already planning to avenge Mr. Charles,” Kaia said, eyes reddened. She already knew Savannah, Charles’ killer, had been defeated by Axel.

“That guy thinks we’re weak,” Millers muttered, teeth gritted, staring northwest. “I’d like to have a drink with him.”

Rosaline gently tidied her hair and smiled. “He’s still the same old Axel. Maybe we should beat him up when he comes back.”

“Yeah, he wasted my tears,” Kaia grinned, shaking her little fist. Phoenix chuckled, rubbing his hands together.

Even Vince, unusually, joined in the lighthearted banter.

Sitting a short distance away, Humphrey remained silent, staring at his phone.

“This isn’t someone I can compare myself to… I really want to meet him,” he finally said with a long sigh, setting his phone aside.

......

Meanwhile, deep in a dense forest, a man with sharp features and a cold, calculating gaze stood among seven masked figures.

The air was thick with silence, every heartbeat heavy with anticipation. Minutes passed before the ground before them suddenly split open, releasing a fetid stench of blood.

A pool, as large as a basketball court, formed in the chasm. Dozens of naked men and women floated in the crimson liquid, seemingly held in place by some invisible force. From the back of each brain protruded a white tube, faintly patterned, almost like the tails of some unknown creature.

After a long, tense moment, a pair of massive blood-red eyes opened within the pool, scanning the group.

Rather than fear, the seven masked figures—and the man—felt only reverence.

“Master, Lorenzo and the others have been eliminated. The Royal Blood successor you sought has been…” Scott reported slowly.

The blood-red eyes blinked, ripples flowing across the surface of the pool as the liquid shimmered.

Scott frowned. “Lilith will definitely leave Abyss for the wilderness. She won’t be easy to capture. And with the Saint’s body now in the hands of the military, the commotion is too great to hide.”

The eyes continued their slow, deliberate blinking, and the seven remaining Saints stiffened with excitement.

“Shall we advance to Level Six and capture Lilith? Master, will you grant us greater power?”

“Thank you for your grace, Master.” They all dropped to their knees.

Scott’s gaze stayed fixed on the unblinking eyes. Tentatively, he rubbed his hands together—but a chill raced up his arms.

It was the height of summer; even in Shiverstone, temperatures were above twenty-five degrees Celsius. And yet… snow began to fall.

He looked up. The other Saints followed his gaze, their expressions shifting from confusion to fear. To the north, a wall of dark clouds was advancing—not drifting, but propelled, as if a giant hand was pushing them forward.

The sunlight dimmed instantly. What had been a bright, clear afternoon now felt like dusk.

A cold, unnatural wind brushed over them, and the Saints instinctively recoiled.

“This is…” Scott whispered, his body trembling. The seven masked figures were frozen, utterly powerless to understand what they were witnessing.

Then, without warning, eight thin, white lines erupted from the blood pool, piercing the hearts of the seven Saints.

“Master… why?!”

A chorus of coughs and screams filled the clearing as all seven coughed up blood, their eyes dimming as life drained away. Their bodies were dragged back into the pool, suspended eerily like the others before them.

Scott stepped back, astonished. The blood-red eyes remained fixed on him, calm and unyielding. Above, the dark clouds advanced, spreading rapidly until it seemed as if they might engulf the entire world.

The eyes blinked slowly.

“You mean… they’re useless now… and then, I need…” Scott swallowed hard, fear creeping up his spine. He activated his Force—not outwardly, but internally. Energy exploded within him, and blood streamed from his eyes and nostrils. His face grew pale, his aura weakening.

“If what you suspect is true, then I must bring my people out. But remember your promise to give them a place to live.”

With that, Scott departed silently, leaving the blood-red eyes to stare at the empty sky. The ground resealed itself, but the pool seemed to sink deeper, as if into an endless abyss. The faint scent of blood lingered.

......

An hour later, across Krythos, a grim voice boomed over the city:

“A strong cold front is moving in from the north. Extreme weather is expected—a blizzard across Krythos.”

The alarm sent shockwaves through the population. Citizens had never heard a warning like this.

Half an hour later, soldiers patrolling the northern borders—Shiverstone, Ebonveil, Western Bridgeport—stood frozen atop the walls. The dark clouds above were silent, yet every soldier felt their chest tighten as if the sky itself was pressing down on them.

“What are you all staring at? Didn’t you hear the blizzard warning? Move your asses!” a gruff officer barked, snapping the dozen or so men to attention.

After a long struggle, he lit his cigarette, squinting at the sky as the clouds thickened. “What the hell kind of weather is this…”

Soon, the darkness spread beyond the border cities, engulfing towns further inland. Temperatures dropped sharply, forcing residents to abandon their summer clothing and fire up emergency heating.

Official announcements stressed that this was “extreme weather” and warned against panic, but a strange, unshakable sense of unease settled over the populace.

.........

At the headquarters of the Krythos Northern Military District, Nolan stepped out of the main building in a heavy military coat. He reached out and caught a falling snowflake in his palm, watching it melt.

A moment later, Sethan approached him carefully.

“General Jerome will be here soon. It’s been three months… is this because of what’s happening?”

Nolan didn’t answer.

A black armored vehicle rolled to a stop nearby. Under the solemn gazes of multiple high-ranking officers, a scholarly-looking man stepped out and walked forward at an unhurried pace.

“Xavier. Malachi. Nolan. Sethan.” Jerome’s voice was calm, almost gentle. “Come with me.”

........

Soon, five figures stood atop a mountain peak.

At the summit lay a massive stone plaza, faintly glowing with flowing patterns—clearly an artificial array.

“Here,” Jerome said lightly. “Break through.”

The four men stiffened at once, their faces paling.

“General!” Sethan blurted out. “I’m only mid–seventh rank!”

Jerome chuckled softly and patted Sethan’s shoulder, like an elder indulging a junior.

“Ah, that’s right. You can’t yet.”

Then his gaze shifted.

“Nolan. Xavier. Malachi. You three can.”

In the past, Jerome’s orders were followed without hesitation. But now, none of them moved. Snow continued to fall, collecting silently on their shoulders.

Xavier finally spoke.

“General, this is no small matter. The last time we went to Everton, relations with the noble families nearly collapsed. If we break through now, there may be no turning back.”

“There’s no need to turn back anymore.” Jerome clasped his hands behind him. A yellowed scroll was tucked into his waistband. “That being has awakened faster than expected. Our timetable must move forward.”

He stood on a tree branch, gazing north.

Nolan nodded slowly.

“This snowfall… it’s a sign of its awakening.”

Jerome inclined his head in agreement.

A year ago, they had forced their way through multiple Beast King territories and secretly entered the northern ice plains. They had come dangerously close to encountering that being—before a sudden beast tide erupted across Krythos, forcing them to retreat.

“Break through,” Jerome said firmly. “The disturbance will be massive. They’ll come. I’ll hold them off.”

The gap between the seventh-level Divine Might Realm and the eighth-level Sea Realm was a chasm. Once someone stepped into the Sea Realm, their very life tier would evolve. Their awakened talents would ascend, their Natal Treasure and soul refined, granting mastery over Force Annihilation.

Xavier and the others exchanged looks, excitement burning in their eyes.

“We’ve been waiting for this for ten damn years.”