▶ "WARNING! A large-scale invasion has begun. Mysterious entities have breached Evolvera's natural laws, summoning waves of monsters every 4 hours for the next 3 days. All players are expected to defend the world's cities and ensure that NO citizens perish!"
▶ "Failure will result in permanent world changes!"
▶ "Let the Onslaught Begin!"
A moment of silence followed.
Then, chaos erupted.
Players flooded the streets, their voices overlapping in confusion and excitement.
"Did you see that? What the hell does 'permanent world changes' mean?"
"Are they serious? Every 4 hours?! This is insane!"
"Damn it! We have to protect NPCs too? That's going to be a nightmare!"
For Nyxaris, one thing was clear—this event wasn't originally part of the game.
"…Zeraldris, what do you think?" he asked, his voice low.
The dragon inside him let out a deep, thoughtful hum. "This is no mere system event. I can feel something… twisting reality itself. Be ready, child. This invasion may be more than just mindless monsters."
As if on cue, a shockwave rippled through the city.
Then, the sky darkened.
And from the heavens, they descended.
Hundreds—no, thousands—of winged monstrosities burst through the sky, their forms twisting and shifting as if they were not meant to exist in this world.
Their bodies were a fusion of organic and mechanical parts, with glowing runes carved into their chitinous armor.
A new system prompt appeared.
[DEFENSE OBJECTIVE – ASTRID]
▶ "The first wave has begun! Protect the city of Astrid from the Skyborn Ravagers!"
▶ "Ensure ZERO civilian casualties!"
"Damn it… no time to think!" Nyxaris dashed into action.
With a flick of his hand, arcane energy surged, and his sword materialized—a blade that shimmered with pure magical power.
The first monster swooped down, claws extended toward a group of civilians.
Nyxaris vanished—a blur of motion as he activated Spatial Blink.
SLASH!
With one clean strike, he split the creature in two, its corrupted body dissolving into glowing fragments.
More followed.
Dozens. Then hundreds.
[WORLD SYSTEM UPDATE!]
▶ "NEW QUEST UNLOCKED – DEFEND EVOLVERA!"
▶ "For every monster eliminated, players will receive gold and experience points. The top three players with the highest kill count by the end of the event will receive EXCLUSIVE REWARDS!"
▶ "WARNING: Cities that fall will suffer permanent damage!"
The airship terminal erupted into chaos.
Players scrambled to prepare, their voices filled with a mixture of excitement and terror.
"Did you hear that?! The top three players will get exclusive rewards!"
"Man, I bet some guilds are already forming kill squads to farm points."
"We need to stick together—protect the NPCs at all costs!"
Nyxaris narrowed his eyes.
He could already see guilds mobilizing, their strongest players gathering into groups. Some would undoubtedly focus on mass-killing monsters, while others would focus on fortifying key locations.
But he had no time to strategize.
The Skyborn Ravagers were here.
Nyxaris gripped his sword tighter as another Skyborn Ravager plummeted from the sky, shrieking as its mechanical wings flared with corrupted magic.
"DIE!" A nearby warrior lunged forward with a spear, impaling one of the creatures mid-air.
But another dove past him, heading straight for a group of terrified civilians.
Nyxaris moved instantly—his Arcane Blade igniting with a surge of power.
Spatial Blink!
A flash of purple light, and he was suddenly in front of them.
SLASH!
His sword cut through the monster's twisted exoskeleton, severing its wings in a single motion. The beast crashed into the stone pavement, screeching as it writhed.
Nyxaris didn't hesitate.
"[Arcane Lance!]"
A spear of raw magical energy materialized in his palm before he hurled it straight into the Ravager's core.
BOOM!
The monster exploded into shimmering fragments, and a system notification flashed before his eyes.
[SYSTEM REWARD!]
▶ You have slain [Skyborn Ravager – Lv. 90]!
▶ EXP Gained: 9,500!
▶ Gold Gained: 500!
Nyxaris' eyes widened.
"They're giving this much EXP per kill?! If I farm enough, I might be able to level up multiple times before this event is over!"
Zeraldris' voice rumbled in his mind.
"Do not be blinded by power. This invasion is far more than a simple reward system. Something—someone—is pulling the strings behind this attack. Be wary, child."
Nyxaris exhaled sharply.
He couldn't afford to get careless.
More Skyborn Ravagers descended, their piercing screeches filling the air.
But this time, they were evolving.
Some grew larger, their bodies pulsating with dark energy. Others fused together, creating twisted abominations of wings, claws, and mechanical limbs.
And from above, a shadow loomed.
A Skyborn General had arrived.
The Skyborn General descended with terrifying speed, its metallic wings slicing through the air like guillotines. Its six glowing eyes locked onto Nyxaris, hunger and rage burning within.
"[IDENTIFIED: HIGH-PRIORITY THREAT. TARGET ACQUISITION: NYXARIS. EXECUTING TERMINATION PROTOCOL.]"
A system notification appeared.
▶ [WARNING: SKYBORN GENERAL - LV. 120 HAS ENGAGED YOU!]
▶ [BOSS FIGHT INITIATED!]
Nyxaris gritted his teeth.
"A Level 120 boss? They aren't playing around."
The Skyborn General raised an arm—a long blade-like appendage crackling with unstable energy. Then—
BOOM!
A crescent arc of energy tore through the battlefield, obliterating everything in its path.
Nyxaris barely had time to react.
"[Spatial Blink!]"
A flash of purple light—he teleported just in time, narrowly avoiding being sliced in half.
The shockwave sent rubble flying, players and NPCs screaming as buildings crumbled under the sheer force.
But the Skyborn General wasn't done.
It spread its arms wide, and a swarm of smaller Skyborn drones erupted from its body, each one hunting players indiscriminately.
"WE CAN'T STOP THIS THING!"
"FALL BACK—"
"IT'S KILLING US TOO FAST!"
"Tch!" Nyxaris clicked his tongue.
He was one of the only ones strong enough to deal with this threat. If he didn't act now, Astrid would fall.
Zeraldris' voice echoed in his mind.
"Strike fast and without hesitation. Exploit its openings. It may be powerful, but it is still bound by its mechanical nature. It does not anticipate—it only reacts."
Nyxaris nodded sharply.
[BOSS BATTLE - SKYBORN GENERAL]
▶ HP: ???
▶ Status: ENRAGED
▶ Abilities:
Skyborn Executioner - Wields energy-based blade attacks that ignore armor.
Swarm Protocol - Deploys Skyborn Drones that assist in battle.
Adaptive AI - Learns and counterattacks based on enemy movements.
Skyborne Wrath (Ultimate) - Unleashes a devastating energy storm after HP drops below 50%.
Nyxaris readied his sword.
"[Arcane Blade Surge!]"
His weapon glowed with pulsating violet energy, increasing its attack power as he dashed forward.
The Skyborn General lunged, swinging its massive energy blade in an overhead strike.
Nyxaris sidestepped, the blade barely missing him, carving a massive gash into the stone street.
He retaliated.
"[Arcane Lance!]"
A spear of magic shot forward, but the General deflected it with inhuman reflexes, countering with a rapid barrage of energy slashes.
Nyxaris parried—each strike sent shockwaves through his arms, his HP dropping slightly from the sheer force.
HP: 42,300
"Damn, its attacks hit like a truck!"
The Skyborn General pressed forward, relentless.
But Nyxaris had an opening.
With precise footwork, he maneuvered to the General's blind spot and—
"[Devour!]"
A surge of dark energy erupted from his body as his slime-like nature activated.
His left arm transformed, stretching like a tendril, wrapping around the Skyborn General's arm before it could fully react.
▶ [PARTIAL DEVOUR SUCCESSFUL!]
▶ NEW SKILL UNLOCKED: SKYBORN EXECUTIONER (MINOR)!
Nyxaris felt power flood into him.
A small portion of the General's blade energy was now his to use.
He shifted his grip on his sword, letting his new skill charge his blade with pure energy.
"[Skyborn Slash!]"
A crescent-shaped energy wave tore through the General's defenses, cutting deep into its metallic form.
▶ Skyborn General HP: ??? → ???
It screeched, staggering back for the first time.
Nyxaris smirked.
"Yeah, not so tough now, are you?"
But then—
The General's six glowing eyes flickered, and suddenly, its entire body began to hum with unstable power.
A system notification popped up.
WARNING! SKYBORN GENERAL IS CHARGING [SKYBORNE WRATH]
▶ TIME UNTIL ACTIVATION: 20 SECONDS
"Oh, hell no."
Nyxaris knew he had to stop it.
Or Astrid would be wiped off the map.
This fight had just begun.