Martin Copper stood before the gathered warriors, his voice firm and authoritative as he explained the point system.
"The number of points earned will be determined by the level of the defeated monster, multiplied by its transformation stage, like-"
"Defeating a Level 130 monster at the 5th transformation stage grants: 130 × 5 = 650 points. Defeating a Level 131 monster at the same stage grants: 131 × 5 = 655 points. Furthermore, the materials collected from slain monsters will also contribute to a team's overall score, with their value corresponding to market price."
With the system established, the final war council concluded.
The first phase began with low-ranking soldiers storming five nearby villages, eliminating weak monsters and rescuing trapped civilians. Their efforts were swift and efficient.
The second phase followed seamlessly. With sheer numbers and superior firepower, elite soldiers cut through the enemy ranks like a raging tide. Wrath Beasts, Dire wolves, Storm Wolves, Demonic Slimes, the Undead, and even Salamanders at the late Earth-tier (Lv.199) were slaughtered without resistance. It was less of a battle and more of a massacre—one-sided and effortless.
Watching this rapid progress, Holy Knight Joseph couldn't shake an unsettling thought. "This feels like a staged battle meant for children—a fight where they don't even need to try. Everything is falling into place too easily."
The first two phases, which should have taken at least five hours, were completed in less than two. Soldiers, who had initially fought with all their might, now found themselves simply landing single attacks to take down 5th tier monsters—opponents they would normally struggle against. The thrill of battle was missing. There was no real fight.
The elite forces, assigned to the third and final phase, observed from the rear. Their confidence grew. "Perhaps we overestimated the enemy", they thought, loosening their guard.
As the second phase concluded, a blue flare shot into the sky—signalling the transition to the final stage.
The elite forces quickly mobilized, making their way toward the mountain cave. Their first obstacle was the late 6th transformation Salamandor, a beast of devastating strength. But, as expected, it was slain in an instant.
Both Elf Hero Kang and Holy Knight Joseph had been capable of ending the battle from the start, yet they remained cautious.
Because in this world, "Survival of the Fittest" is a laughable rule.
It is not always the strongest who prevail. Cunning and ruthlessness reign supreme.
Even a Level 100 warrior can be devoured by a Level 10 child—if they are careless. And the enemy had been too quiet for too long.
Something wasn't right.
And soon, they would find out why. As the final phase of the mission began, Hero Kang turned to the knights and soldiers.
"Free the captives," he commanded. "Joseph, Garrick, and I will deal with the Evil Druid."
The moment they stepped into the cave, an overwhelming pressure washed over them—an unmistakable presence of a 8th-tier being.
Sir Joseph and Garrick hesitated for a split second, their instincts screaming of danger. But Kang Solomon… he remembered something. Something he had long forgotten.
Before them, a massive cocoon of roots pulsed with energy, enveloping what seemed to be the Evil Druid. Despite the chaos of battle raging outside, the druid remained in deep slumber—completely unaware of the world around him.
A green aura radiated from the cocoon, pure and serene, resembling the divinity of a holy figure. It was a stark contradiction. The Holy Knight felt it—no malice, no corruption. It was as if the Druid was… innocent. But that was impossible.
He thought, "How could something responsible for such destruction and bloodshed exude such purity?"
Yet Hero Kang felt it too. Even after centuries, that familiar sensation stirred something deep inside him. But he didn't allow old memories to haunt him. Regaining control, his eyes flickered to his disciple Garrick, who was about to activating his cloaking artifact—"Third Eye", a relic capable of revealing a target's profile.
"Stop!" Kang snapped, immediately halting him.
Sir Joseph frowned, sensing something amiss but choosing to ignore it for now. Kang let out a silent breath of relief. If Garrick had seen the Druid's profile, an event he had worked so hard to bury would have resurfaced.
There was no time for hesitation. He had to eliminate the threat before Joseph uncovered the truth.
Summoning his sword from Garrick's grasp, Kang unleashed a devastating energy slash. The blade's light streaked through the air, splitting the cocoon in two.
The Druid inside… never even realized he had died.
Sir Joseph stood motionless, unable to react in time. When he regained his senses, he stared at the lifeless body, his voice heavy with confusion.
"Why?" he asked. "Why did you kill him without investigating first?"
Kang Solomon, still radiating with energy, glanced at the corpse with disgust. "The Boss Monster was the Evil Druid. It's over." His voice was firm, leaving no room for doubt.
Kang Solomon, his body still radiating power, stared at the lifeless remains of the druid with an unreadable expression. After a moment, he turned to Sir Joseph and said coldly,
"The boss monster, the Evil Druid, is dead. Go rescue the captives. I'll handle the corpse."
Sir Joseph frowned. Something was off. He knew it. Kang's actions were far too rushed, too decisive—as if he feared what would happen if anyone uncovered the truth. But he chose to hold his questions for now. The church would demand answers soon enough.
As Hero Kang approached the corpse, something within it triggered a flood of old, buried memories. His expression darkened. Without hesitation, he summoned flames and incinerated the body on the spot.
His disciple, Garrick, stood nearby, his mind swirling with questions. But as he looked into his master's face, he knew better than to ask.
Kang Solomon exhaled slowly and muttered under his breath:
"Something as ominous as this should not exist."
Meanwhile, the soldiers tasked with rescuing the captured civilians found nothing—no prisoners, no signs of struggle, not even a trace of human presence. They scoured every corner of the area, using illusion-dispel magic and detection spells, yet all results led to the same conclusion: it was as if no human had ever set foot there.
When Sir Joseph arrived at the scene, he was just as stunned. The absence of any captives made no sense—the intel regarding the kidnapped civilians had come directly from the church itself.
At the same time, across the battlefield, nearly all the monsters had been exterminated. The citizens of the 5 nearby villages had been successfully evacuated, leaving only the wounded to be treated and a few scattered low-level mobs to be dealt with.
Then, the sky was pierced by the sound of the final requiem—an omen signalling the end of the mission. A green flare soared high, illuminating the horizon as the sun dipped below the mountains.
Sir Joseph turned to see Hero Kang leaving the battlefield. He rushed forward, blocking his path. "We haven't completed the mission yet. We still need to find the missing civilians."
Kang glanced at him, his expression unbothered. "My mission is done. The Evil Druid is dead," he said coldly. "As for the people you're searching for? They've already been consumed." His voice was sharp, almost cutting. "Think about it—how else could a monster at the seventh transformation level amass such overwhelming presence of 8th-tier?"
With that, he tossed the monster's core toward Sir Joseph. "Take this back to your church. Inspect it. Then you'll understand how the civilians were devoured."
Sir Joseph caught the core, his grip tightening around it. Ancient magic capable of absorbing life force existed—spells that could convert others' energy into Experience(Exp.) to accelerate evolution. Even after death, a core—whether from a monster or a human—would retain remnants of such sorcery.
"But the Red Moon hasn't risen yet… How could he—"
Before Joseph could finish his thought, Kang cut him off. "This was all a distraction," he stated, his voice laced with certainty. "If we wasted any more time on investigation, something far worse may emerge from that monster.."
Despite Hero Kang confidence, a lingering doubt gnawed at Sir Joseph. Why was it necessary to slaughter so many monsters? Why were they so weak? But the Hero kang already left.
A shiver crawled up his spine. Something was wrong. His sharp gaze swept over the battlefield—and then he saw it.
The corpses were sinking into the ground. All across the valley, roots were slithering from the soil, coiling around the fallen monsters, swallowing them whole.
Kang narrowed his eyes and knelt, reaching for one of the roots. As soon as he touched it, a pulse of energy surged through his fingertips. These roots were absorbing the corpses' life force—gathering it, spreading it into the air.
Then, the core in his hand began to glow. The energy around him spiralled into the core, condensing into its very essence.
A brilliant explosion of light burst from it, momentarily turning the valley into a blinding sun. Soldiers recoiled, shielding their eyes from the intense radiance. The temperature spiked, the core in Kang's grip burning like molten lava. Yet, he refused to release it.
And then—The light faded. A notification appeared on his profile panel.
[Congratulations]
[You have obtained the "Essence of Life."]
[Details:]
[Formed by absorbing the life energy of 1,000,000 intelligent lifeforms. Contains pure Life Energy capable of resurrecting the dead.]
[Limit: Effective only within 12 hours of death.]
Kang Solomon stared at the glowing crystal in his hand, his breath catching in his throat. The Essence of Life—an ancient relic spoken of only in myths. To see it, to hold it, was beyond comprehension.
But before he could process what had just occurred, a sudden emergency transmission interrupted his thoughts.
The villages—something had happened.
Without hesitation, he activated his movement skill and dashed toward the valley at full speed. The closer he got, the heavier the air felt, thick with an unsettling stillness.
Then, he arrived.
His heart clenched at the sight before him.
All the civilians they had rescued—all five villages—were now nothing more than withered husks, their bodies entangled in thick, pulsating roots. The once-living people had been drained dry, their life force completely siphoned away.
It didn't take him a second to understand what had happened.
The life energy of the civilians, the monsters, everyone—it had all been sucked into the core he was holding.
A sacrifice had been made.
And he had unknowingly been at its centre.
Kang clenched his fists, his grip tightening around the crystal as rage flared in his chest. But there was no time for hesitation—he had to act. Raising his hand, he unleashed a sacred signal into the sky.
A flare only the Church Knights could recognize.
Retreat.
The knights, stationed across the battlefield, immediately understood the meaning. One by one, they abandoned their positions and rushed toward him.
Sir Joseph wasted no time. A return scroll.
With a swift motion, he activated it, the intricate magical patterns on the parchment glowing brightly before engulfing them in a blinding light.
A Return Scroll is a rare and precious artifact—expensive beyond measure, capable of teleporting its user to a designated sanctuary. But the one Sir Joseph carried was even more extraordinary.
It didn't just return him to the Church of Light.
It transported them directly into the Inner Circle—a place forbidden to any being below the 10th tier. A sanctuary where only the most powerful and the most trusted could tread.
As they arrived within the sacred halls of the church, Sir Joseph felt a chill run down his spine. The Essence of Life still pulsed in his hands, radiating overwhelming power.
He recall everything to summarize and tried to understand it.
A relic that only existed in ancient legends and no one knew how to create.
If the system's profile of the crystal is accurate, then their entire mission had been a trap from the start.
Even if they counted every soldier, every civilian, and every monster that had been in that battlefield… there were no more than 200,000 lifeforms in total. One million were needed to create the Essence of Life.
Which meant—this had been happening for a long time. Long before they had arrived.
This wasn't the work of a small faction and wasn't the work of mere awakened individuals.
This could be the work of a 9th-tier or upper powerhouse, someone deeply involved in demonic arts.
If their cores of dead monsters were missing, then all their energy had been absorbed into the crystal unless it from own its own but it is not.
Lingering on that battlefield any longer would have been a death sentence.
And as for those still left behind…
They were already doomed.
The Church of Light would handle the consequences. A few lost villages, a few hundred thousand lives—such things were trivial compared to the value of the Essence of Life.
For a holy knight of the Church of Light, this was blasphemy.
But in a world ruled by power and authority, morality was merely an illusion.
When one stands above all, respect follows naturally.