The battle had transcended simple combat; it was a cataclysm confined within a steel box. The structural integrity of the Undercroft was failing. Massive cracks raced up the walls, leaking magma and green coolant.

Alvian hovered in the air, his [Avatar State] shining brightly, but he was frowning.

Subject Zero was regenerating too fast. Every time Alvian blew a limb off, it grew back in seconds, darker and stronger than before. The severing of the floor cables had slowed him down, but the Demon God DNA was adapting.

[Warning! Enemy Adaptation Level: 80%]

[Target is developing resistance to Void Frost.]

"He's evolving mid-fight," Alvian realized. "Inefficient. I need to end this in one hit."

Subject Zero launched himself from the wall, his wings of shadow turning into blades. He struck Alvian, shattering a layer of his ice armor.

[-3,200 HP!]

"Your ice is brittle!" Subject Zero laughed maniacally. "The Demon God inside me is waking up! Can you hear him? He wants your skin!"

Behind Subject Zero, a spectral image began to form. A massive, horned face that looked eerily like the Avatar of Engels, but twisted with fire and blood.

It was a fragment of a different Calamity. Ignis, the Blood Tyrant.

The pressure in the room doubled. Valeria, who was holding off the smaller Scavengers that had flooded in, fell to her knees, coughing blood.

"Alvian!" Valeria screamed. "I can't hold the perimeter! The mana pressure is killing me!"

Alvian looked at her. Then at the laughing monster.

"Time to stop playing," Alvian said.

He dismissed the [Lance of the Void Winter] into his inventory.

Subject Zero paused, confused. "Surrendering? Good. Die knowing you fed a God."

"No," Alvian said. He landed on the ground, the ice cracking beneath his boots. "I'm just making room."

He opened his status panel. He looked at the skill he had learned from Rogge's legacy but never used.

[Skill: Limit Breaker: Genesis Mode]

[Rank: S (Perfected)]

[Effect: Temporarily elevates the user's Lifeform Tier. Doubles all Attributes.]

He had modified his body with the [Tablet of the Earth Core] specifically for this moment.

"System," Alvian commanded. "Unlock Limiters. Activate [Genesis Mode]."

[Ding!]

[Warning! This technique places extreme strain on the soul.]

[Confirm?]

"Confirm."

"THUMP-THUMP."

Alvian's heart beat so loud it echoed like a war drum.

Steam erupted from his skin. His veins glowed gold—the color of the Tablet. Then they turned violet—the color of the Void. Then blue—the color of the Frost.

The energies fused.

[Genesis Mode: ENGAGED.]

┌──────[ Attributes Boosted ]──────┐

│ Strength: [135] -> [270]

│ Speed: [92] -> [184]

│ Physique: [110] -> [220]

│ Energy: [145] -> [290]

└─────────────────────────┘

Alvian looked up. His eyes were no longer blue. They were pure, blinding white.

He vanished.

He didn't use [Shadow Step]. He simply moved.

With 184 Speed, he moved faster than the frame rate of reality.

"BANG!"

Subject Zero's head snapped back. He hadn't seen Alvian move. He hadn't felt the impact until he was already flying.

Subject Zero crashed into the wall, embedding himself ten feet deep in the concrete.

"What..." Subject Zero gurgled, trying to pull himself out.

Alvian was standing in front of him.

"You talked about evolution," Alvian said. His voice sounded distorted, heavy.

Alvian grabbed Subject Zero by the throat. With 270 Strength, his grip was inescapable. He squeezed.

"CRUNCH."

The Demon armor around Subject Zero's neck shattered like glass.

"This is what evolution looks like," Alvian whispered.

He pulled his arm back. He didn't summon a weapon. His fist was the weapon.

He punched.

"BOOM!"

The impact vaporized Subject Zero's chest armor. The shockwave blew a hole through the back of the facility, exposing the magma layer outside.

Subject Zero screamed, a sound of pure terror. The Demon God projection behind him flickered and faded, unable to sustain itself against the raw physical dominance of the Anomaly.

Alvian didn't stop.

"ORA! ORA! ORA! ORA!"

He unleashed a flurry of punches. Each one broke the sound barrier. Each one dealt massive physical damage that bypassed magical resistance.

[-15,000!]

[-18,000!]

[-20,000!]

Subject Zero was reduced to a pulp against the wall. His regeneration couldn't keep up. He was being deleted, one pixel at a time.

The assault ended as abruptly as it began. Alvian stopped his fist an inch from what remained of Subject Zero's face.

The "King" of the Syndicate was a ruin. His wings were torn off. His limbs were shattered. He hung limp in the crater of the wall, held up only by the remaining strands of flesh.

His health bar was at 1%.

"You..." Subject Zero wheezed, black blood bubbling from his lips. "What... are... you?"

Alvian stood there, steam rolling off his body as the [Genesis Mode] began to fade. The golden light in his veins dimmed.

"I am the player," Alvian said coldly. "And you are just an NPC with a glitch."

He summoned the [Lance of the Void Winter] one last time.

"System. [Klaus's Upgrade]. Activate."

[Ding! Blessing Active.]

He aimed the spear at the pulsing demonic core exposed in Subject Zero's chest.

"Game over."

"[Glacial Void Pierce]: Execution."

He thrust the spear.

"SHH-THUNK."

The black ice punched through the core. The void energy expanded, doubling in size thanks to the blessing.

Subject Zero gasped. His eyes rolled back. The red light in the room died instantly.

"NOOOO!"

The scream came not from the body, but from the shadow behind it. The fragment of the Demon God was ripped from the host, shrieking as the Void consumed it.

Subject Zero's body turned grey. Then it crumbled into dust.

[You have slain Subject Zero (Calamity Host)!]

[Achievement Unlocked: Syndicate Breaker.]

[Experience Gained: 2,500,000!]

[Level Up!]

[Level Up!]

[Level Up!]

[Current Level: 37]

Alvian exhaled, a long, shuddering breath. The [Genesis Mode] deactivated, leaving his muscles aching and his stamina drained. But he was alive.

The loot rain began.

[Item Drop: Demon God's Nucleus (Legendary)]

[Item Drop: Blueprint - Chimera Integration]

[Item Drop: Key to the Undercroft Core]

Alvian swiped the loot into his inventory without looking.

The facility began to rumble. The structural damage was too severe. The magma from the breach was pouring in.

"Alvian!" Valeria limped over to him. She looked at the pile of dust that used to be the boss. "We have to go! The ceiling is coming down!"

Alvian nodded. He grabbed Valeria's arm.

"Hold on."

He didn't have the mana for a mass teleport. But he had the [Shadow-Stride Boots].

"System. Scan for surface exit."

[Path Found: Ventilation Shaft 4. Distance: 500 meters vertical.]

"We're climbing," Alvian said.

He grabbed Valeria and activated [Frost Heart] for flight one last time. He shot up through the ruined ceiling of the chamber, dodging falling debris and bursting pipes.

They flew up the shaft, the fire of the exploding facility chasing them like a hungry beast.

"WHOOSH!"

They burst out of a ventilation grate on the surface.

They rolled onto the grass of the Academy grounds. The sun was setting, painting the sky in hues of orange and purple.

Alvian lay on his back, staring at the sky. The cool breeze felt like a blessing after the hell of the Undercroft.

Valeria sat up, coughing. She looked at the smoke rising from the vent.

"It's over," she whispered. "We stopped them."

Alvian sat up slowly. He looked at his level. 37. He looked at the loot he had secured.

"We stopped the prototype," Alvian corrected. "But the Syndicate is still out there. And now they know their weapon failed."

He stood up, offering a hand to Valeria.

"But now we know they can bleed."

Seraphina emerged from the shadows of a nearby tree, clapping slowly.

"Impressive escape," she said, though she looked relieved. "The Vice-Headmaster has been arrested. Silent Watchers found evidence of his involvement with the experiments."

"Good," Alvian said, dusting off his armor. "Then the Academy is secure for now."

He looked toward the horizon. The one-year timer for the Convergence was still ticking in his head. But the timeline had shifted. The threats were bigger.

But so was he.

"Let's go," Alvian said, walking toward the dorms. "I have loot to identify. And I need a shower."

Valeria and Seraphina watched him walk away. The Anomaly. The Godslayer. The Savior.

The world was changing. And Alvian was holding the pen.

If you find any errors ( broken links, non-standard content, etc.. ), Please let us know < report chapter > so we can fix it as soon as possible.