Death Heir’s Devouring System

"About 50 Blessed, 25 Cleansed, and 1 Radiant Proven." Azrael used [Inspect] on the stronger-looking people under his tail in order to quickly estimate their power.

Such a force was not to be underestimated. Under normal circumstances, they would have cleared the Rift long ago. The only reason they hadn't was the harsh environment and the fact that their target, the King monster, had been guarded by thousands of knights that rivaled their power.

'One could say that the reason they have reached so far is me triggering all these events.' He thought, eyes narrowing.

Azrael had found himself in quite the predicament. Being chased by so many system users could only spell trouble. It didn't take long for them to start calling forth their ranged weapons and skills, getting ready to assault him in midair.

They were many and powerful, while he was alone. Still, he held a great advantage over them.

It was quite a simple one, yet it was going to make all the difference.

He was calm.

They were not.

Having control over oneself was half the battle; being able to predict or steer an enemy's thoughts in a certain direction meant the battle was already won.

Making Cinder soar through the air as fast as possible, Azrael's eyes snapped to his goal.

The towering cathedral where the King monster resided.

'Am I not nice?' A subtle smile spread over his lips. 'I am showing them the way towards the monster they are supposed to slay.'

His thoughts were quickly interrupted. A cold chill ran down his spine, making him grit his teeth. There was no need to think twice; this was his instinct warning him of an incoming danger.

Instantly, he shifted his body weight to the left, Cinder following his lead.

A heartbeat later, a black arrow missed him by an inch, hitting a house at the front. Once it collided, a shockwave resounded in the area, and the structure was destroyed. Sending hundreds of large chunks outwards in every direction.

"This is the power the Proven command." He observed the fallout. "I can't wait to reach their level."

It would have been quite nice if it was just this single attack that tried to kill him. Sadly, life wasn't so easy. The Proven behind roared, and the air grew tenser. Instantly, the mist dispersed from the dozens of attacks they fired, all aiming for Azrael's flying figure.

'It's a good thing that I have experience dodging many projectiles at once.' He tried to stay positive, remembering the last time he was assaulted by the Nightfletch's arrow tide.

His breathing became irregular, and Cinder screeched. Despite his master's best efforts, a few attacks managed to land on the ashen bird, inflicting harm.

The beast's body shuddered; being just of the Feral Danger Level meant that while it was very useful for versatility, it was next to useless in battle. Especially against foes of this magnitude.

"Hold on!" Azrael reassured Cinder, changing his altitude higher.

He was going to blast through the cathedral windows. This, at least, was going to give him some breathing room for his next actions.

As his trajectory curved upwards, he threw a glance at the entrance.

Numerous Golden Vanguards were lying on the ground. Large wounds caused blood to seep from their shattered armor.

'This has to be the Death Knight!' Azrael bet. 'I will lead the Proven to the King and let them be massacred by it. While this is happening, Seraphina and her group should reach me and encircle the Death Knight!'

"AZRAEL!" Thandor's furious shout echoed below him; no doubt the man wanted to skin the Heir of Death alive.

Paying him no mind, Azrael gritted his teeth and gazed back. He didn't know how much longer he had until the vile monsters reached him.

His heart stopped momentarily. He didn't need to use any kind of binoculars to see her. The Apex Queen towered above the kingdom walls, bringing doom in her wake.

'Less than a day until she reaches the cathedral.' He concluded. 'It seems she is eager to be reunited with her husband.'

Instinctively, his body tensed. If the Queen had come so close, what about the Calamities?

Peering his gaze from the quickly approaching Apex monster, he glanced toward the Blizzard Region in the west.

"Gods." A brief second was all he needed to feel his vitality being drained. Gazing past hundreds of kilometers in the distance, the silhouette of a being that should never have been born caught his eyesight.

Dozens of kilometers tall. A bulky body covered in rugged, rock-like scales, granting it an impregnable defense. It bore a gaping hole serving as its mouth, full of sharp fangs. Sprouting from it were multiple long, tentacle-like appendages, each ending in tipped, glowing blue ends.

On its back, a strange crimson being was growing rapidly. Each second, veins bulged under its skin, feasting upon its victim, almost like a parasite.

Now Thandor's fear and instant change of plans made sense. Anyone would want to get out of the planet as quickly as possible upon witnessing such an abomination.

Azrael felt like he was about to faint just from looking at it; however, he persevered. Looking east towards the rapidly spreading lava tide, he needed all the information he could get.

A humanoid monster with snow-white skin flew above the lava in a cross-legged position, its eight arms extended on all sides. On its bald head, as well as on the back of its palms, giant crimson eyes were open, staring at the Apex Queen in fury.

The idea of gauging their strength with [Inspect] didn't even cross Azrael's mind. He knew doing so would mean only one thing.

Death.

'No matter how powerful an army obeys one's command, it would all be meaningless before these godlike monsters,' Azrael thought, bracing himself for impact.

A second later, one of the cathedral windows shattered into countless shards as he burst through.

The familiar suffocating Corruption washed over him like a wave of dread. Even after advancing his Purity Rank, breathing didn't become easier. Yet it was a welcome change, considering what monsters were outside.

'The only one powerful enough to give off such Corruption is the King!'

Praying that the sound of him breaking the glass hadn't alerted the ones inside, he went toward the edge of the inner balcony and peeked over.

Unlike the last time, the interior of the cathedral was battered and broken, with numerous pillars lying broken on the ground in large pieces.

Even more Golden Vanguards lay dead on the ground, each slain by a single precise slash.

A menacing laughter echoed in the battered cathedral as the Scalded Crown mocked the one who had come to challenge it once more. Only to fail again, unable to save its forsaken mother.

The Death Knight gripped its longsword with its right hand, while its dominant left hand that had been torn off lay next to it, staining the ground in blood.

Azrael's breath hitched and his eyes narrowed. He could feel it—this was his chance.

Today, he was going to escape from the Rift and ascend to the Proven Level.

By killing the Death Knight!