Chapter 1221: Start of evolution and the Calamity descend once again

Souta closed his eyes and summoned the system panel.

Level 80 (Max)

This was the limit of his current evolutionary stage. To surpass it, he would have to reach the fifth evolution stage and that was precisely what he intended to do.

[You have reached the level requirements for the next evolution!]

[If you wish to continue leveling up, please proceed to evolution!]

[Do you want to evolve? Yes/No?]

Yes.

Souta didn’t hesitate.

[Race detected: Crimson Twilight Emperor]

[Opening evolution path...]

[System detected 23 evolution paths]

[20 paths eliminated. 3 evolution paths remain, continuing the Emperor lineage.]

[Please choose one of the three remaining paths. Warning: Evolution is irreversible. Choose wisely.]

»Bloodmoon Goblin Emperor

»Lunar Odyssey Venerable

»Eternal Eclipse Primordian

He studied the three paths. Doubt never crossed his mind as each promised unparalleled power. That they were available to him was expected; he was already an Emperor, after all.

Souta’s gaze lingered on the three paths. In his heart, a decision crystallized. He had the strength. He had the energy. He had the resolve. There was nothing holding him back except the calamity raging above.

He whispered a single word.

"Go."

In an instant, a terrifying force erupted from his body.

The confined space trembled violently, dust and rock falling from the walls as energy radiated outward like a living storm. Shadows and light twisted together, coiling around him, writhing like serpents, as his aura expanded beyond comprehension.

A soundless roar tore through the chamber, shaking the very earth. Souta’s body glowed with raw, unrestrained power, veins of light and darkness snaking across his skin. Every fiber of his being screamed forward, evolving, reshaping itself into something far beyond human comprehension.

This was no ordinary evolution. It was a cataclysm incarnate, a being breaking the boundaries of its previous existence.

And in the world above, the survivors, unaware of the power brewing beneath their feet, continued their tentative preparations, their fate about to be reshaped by the unstoppable force that was Souta.

The city was eerily quiet. The black liquid and rain had vanished, but the devastation remained, a constant reminder of how close they had come to annihilation. Survivors moved cautiously among the rubble, their faces pale, their bodies trembling from exhaustion and fear.

Angus stood at the forefront, his presence a pillar of authority and reassurance. Even after witnessing Souta’s unparalleled power, he knew their survival still depended on organization, courage, and decisive action.

He raised his voice, steady and commanding.

"Listen! The calamity may have ended here for now, but it is not gone. Other cities and our capital are in danger. We have to stand together. We will rebuild. We will fight. And we will not falter!"

Murmurs ran through the crowd. Some nodded, their fear tempered by his words; others glanced nervously at the sky, still haunted by the memory of the Dark Apparitions.

Angus continued, "From now on, nothing will be hidden from you. You will know what you are facing. Knowledge is your weapon. Courage is your shield."

Among the survivors, whispers of hope began to rise. Their morale, though fragile, was no longer broken. They would follow him, because to do otherwise meant certain death.

Emiline stayed at his side, her gaze scanning the horizon. She felt the tension in the air, the weight of impending danger, but she also saw determination burning in Angus’s eyes. It was contagious.

Above the ruined city, the clouds had cleared slightly, but a faint, distant tremor still pulsed through the ground. The survivors sensed it instinctively: the calamity was not yet finished.

Every step they took, every breath they drew, was preparation for the storm still to come.

...

In the underground.

Boom—!!

Saya stiffened as the raw magnitude of the energy wave washed over her.

As expected, Souta’s next evolution was not just powerful, it was apocalyptic in scale. The sheer force of it was almost incomprehensible. She couldn’t even imagine the full extent of his strength once the transformation completed.

Even at the initial stage of the fifth evolution, his power would likely rival the intermediate or advanced stages of Fifth Stage monster—or perhaps even approach their peak. She calculated carefully in her mind: his minimum strength could be comparable to Kessa during the battle four months ago.

Kessa had been terrifyingly strong. Dozens of Seventh Shackle Realm warriors had failed to land a single meaningful blow against her. Even an Eight Shackle Realm at the time had been completely helpless. That was the baseline Saya estimated for Souta, at minimum.

And that was only part of the danger. Once he reached the fifth stage, Souta would wield the Cosmic Sign with far greater power than he could at the fourth stage. The very concept of its use alone was enough to terrify anyone who understood its potential.

Advanced fifth-stage monsters were already terrifying, their strength often rivaling Ninth or even Tenth Shackle Realm experts.

Four months ago, Kessa had been unmatched on the battlefield. A party of Seventh Shackle Realm warriors had been powerless against her, and even an Eight Shackle Realm could barely pose a threat. She had been the undisputed pinnacle of strength at that time.

For Souta to attain that level of power upon reaching the fifth stage would be a monumental feat. Even Doranjan, at the height of his power, had barely been able to rival a Seventh Shackle Realm. Most initial-stage monsters at the third stage and above struggled to maintain their released forms for any extended period.

That limitation explained why so many initial-stage monsters refrained from using their released form unless absolutely cornered. Intermediate-stage monsters could sustain it for longer durations, but the advanced and peak stages could unleash their released form from the very start of a battle, commanding terrifying dominance from the first strike.

Saya had a grim suspicion: considering the magnitude of Souta’s power, his released form at the fifth stage would be lethal beyond measure, far more devastating than any other monster’s. Maintaining it, she realized, would be several times more taxing, pushing even Souta’s formidable body and mind to their absolute limits.

’A monster... a truly terrifying monster will be born soon,’ Saya muttered, her voice barely a whisper.

Even she, who had long dealt with unimaginable threats, felt a chill run down her spine. The world above was about to meet a force unlike anything it had ever seen.

...

On the surface, Angus hovered above the shattered city, his presence radiating an imposing aura.

"Let’s fight! No one will save us but ourselves! Our ancestors held back the calamity in the past so why can’t we?"

His voice thundered across the ruins, bolstering the courage of the survivors. The words carried weight, cutting through the despair that still clung to the crowd.

Angus’s gaze swept over the survivors like a blade. Anyone who dared disrupt this fragile unity would be met with his wrath. In times like this, cohesion wasn’t just important, it was survival.

The Nature Zone City had once housed millions, but now barely a few hundred thousand remained. Among them were only ninety-four Ascension Knights and a few thousand Battle Knights. The rest were Knights of lower rank or ordinary citizens.

Angus and Emiline were among the strongest Ascension Knights in the group: Third Degree, having broken six shackles within their bodies. Among the ninety-four Ascension Knights, only eight, including Angus and Emiline, had reached this level. Most were Second or First Degree. Several of the Third Degree Knights were Noble Heads, commanding influence across the city, while the rest held lesser noble ranks.

Every Ascension Knight was a noble of the kingdom; their power might differ, but their social rank bound them all.

Angus didn’t know if this ragged group could withstand the calamity looming over the kingdom but he concealed his doubts. Showing fear now would only sap the morale he was trying so desperately to bolster. The city may have been broken, but he would make sure its survivors remained unbroken.

’Even a Fourth Degree Ascension Knight... had fallen...’ Angus thought, his heart heavy with the weight of the truth.

He knew exactly who that Fourth Degree Knight had been in the Nature Zone City and the fact that he was absent now could mean only one thing: the warrior had perished in the earlier battle.

That left the main force to face the calamity: Souta.

Angus accepted it silently, his mind steadying.

’Our land has survived countless calamities before... and this time will be no different.’

A determined fire kindled in his eyes. Despite the losses, despite the devastation, he would not allow fear or despair to break him. The people were counting on him and he would stand unyielding, no matter what horrors awaited.

In the next moment...

The ground trembled violently. A wave of energy, thick with malice, descended from the distance, shaking the very air. Winds whipped through the ruined city, forcing the remaining trees and structures to sway dangerously, as if the world itself were about to collapse.

Angus, Emiline, and the survivors stiffened. Their eyes turned toward the horizon, where dark clouds churned and advanced like a living storm.

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