NOVEL NEXT Chapter 70: Origin Devourer!
Staring at the panicked crowd, Aleron sighed, but a faint smile tugged at his lips.
The first time he had come here, he was called a "thing" and not a person. The second time, he was almost killed, and his dragon had nearly been captured.
Now, he stood here a third time—this time with enough strength to make the earth tremble—and he had returned for one purpose alone: revenge.
Aleron grinned, his eyes filled with cruel resolve, then turned his attention to those gathered before him.
"Small fries," Aleron thought internally, not even bothering to acknowledge them with his gaze.
"Ashkar, burn them all to ashes," he ordered silently.
The dragon roared in response, opening its mouth wide. A wave of heat pulsed through the air as a blinding torrent of flame exploded outward.
Sensing something was wrong, a few of the gathered enemies tried to flee. But they were too slow. The fire engulfed them before they could even react, reducing them to ash in an instant.
Aleron smiled at the sight of the entire Genesis Coil facility going up in flames.
This was the scene he had always envisioned—the vengeance he had nurtured in his heart finally taking form.
Still smiling, Aleron pointed toward a particular direction and issued another mental command to Ashkar.
A resounding roar shattered the air as the dragon unleashed another scorching blaze. The targeted building crumbled under the heat, collapsing as its contents were incinerated in seconds.
Suddenly, alarms blared throughout the Genesis Coil.
"Red alert: detected an abnormality. All guards are to resolve the conflict immediately," announced a cold, mechanical feminine voice through the facility's intercom system.
Aleron glanced around, but he was far from worried.
"Dad, they are heading in your direction," Veldora's voice echoed softly in Aleron's mind. His smile widened even more.
From above, Veldora hovered silently, watching the carnage. Her expression was conflicted, struggling between familial duty and moral conscience. However, she chose silence in the end.
Her older brother had warned her. This matter was personal, tied to the history between him and Aleron. She had been told not to interfere or question anything.
So she simply obeyed, her glowing eyes scanning from the skies, watching every development while remaining alert for any danger.
Down below, Aleron turned his attention to the distance, where faint whooshing sounds approached. He narrowed his eyes and saw several silhouettes rushing toward him.
"Ashkar," he muttered mentally.
He did not need to say more. The dragon understood instantly, opening its jaws and releasing another inferno toward the advancing horde of dragons and Origin Warriors.
The flames surged forward like a tidal wave of molten fury. Within moments, the warriors were caught in the blaze, screaming as they were burned to ash.
In the blink of an eye, Aleron had wiped out nearly all the Genesis Coil operatives stationed there.
He activated his Infernal Eyes. The transformation was instant—his vision shifted, the world becoming a canvas of glowing heat signatures and energy trails.
These Rank Four Infernal Eyes were no longer limited by barriers. They could pierce through walls, see into structures, and lock onto hidden targets with pinpoint accuracy.
Aleron scanned his surroundings quickly, locating several figures trying to hide nearby. He pointed at a wall not far from him and called out to Ashkar.
With a deafening roar, the dragon obeyed, releasing a deadly wave of fire. The wall exploded under the heat, and the people behind it were incinerated before they could even scream.
Aleron continued using his Infernal Eyes, sweeping the area. Once he confirmed that all threats had been eliminated, he smiled sweetly, then walked forward calmly.
He spoke softly to Ashkar.
"I'll head in and deal with a few more. I might stay for a while. In the meantime, burn everything to the ground. Leave nothing behind but ash."
With that, Aleron stepped into a nearby building.
Ironically, it was the same one where he had been tortured not long ago.
Ashkar nodded. As Aleron disappeared into the structure, the dragon began to unleash wave after wave of flame, turning the surrounding area into a hellish inferno.
Far off in the distance, a few Origin Warriors spotted the commotion. They saw the fire rising into the sky like a beacon of death. Without hesitation, they rushed toward the scene, though they were still too far away to act.
High above, Veldora sighed again, her golden eyes fixed on the destruction caused by her father and brother.
"Why can't things ever be peaceful?" she muttered softly.
Inside the building, Aleron moved with deadly calm. His boots echoed faintly against the scorched metal floor as he entered a laboratory chamber.
There, ten figures stood.
They wore white lab coats, and Aleron recognized each and every one of them.
The moment the masked figure entered the room, a tense fear settled over the group. They had heard the screams. They had seen the destruction. They knew what was coming.
"What do you want?" asked the tallest man among them, his voice trying to sound brave.
Aleron said nothing at first. The silence thickened like smoke in the air. Then, he calmly placed his hand on his face and removed his mask.
The moment his features were revealed, a collective gasp rippled through the room.
"1317?"
"Tell me that's 1317! How is he still alive?!"
Their voices trembled with disbelief as they stared at him, unable to reconcile the calm young man before them with the unstoppable monster laying waste to their base.
Aleron laughed lightly, as if greeting old friends at a reunion.
"The name's Aleron now. Might want to remember that."
The sound of his voice sent chills down their spines. Cold sweat began to trickle down their backs without them even realizing it.
"131— Aleron, how did you survive?" one of them asked.
"Yes, Aleron. How are you here already? It's barely been a month and you're already this strong. I always knew you had potential..."
They all began speaking, offering excuses, explanations, and fake pleasantries.
Aleron stared at them quietly.
They had not changed.
These people were the same cowards, clinging to survival no matter the cost. He felt disgust rising within him, but he kept a calm smile on his face.
"Haha. Of course I survived. You didn't really kill me, so it was easy. But I have a question..."
His words paused. A sudden stillness fell over the room.
All around them, the metal equipment and walls began to vibrate faintly.
"Which of you would love to die first?"
The words echoed through the room like a death sentence.
Everyone froze.
They had no doubt anymore—Aleron had returned for vengeance.
No one volunteered. The room became utterly silent.
Aleron frowned slightly. Then he replaced his mask and spoke again, his voice light and eerily pleasant.
"Let me rephrase my question... which of you should I kill first? You can make suggestions. When there are just three of you left, I will kill the one who gets the most votes and spare the other two. That should be enough bloodshed for one night."
Their faces turned pale.
Panic set in. Their eyes darted around wildly, looking for a way out, for someone to betray.
"This... why don't you—" the tall man began, but he froze.
He couldn't move.
Aleron's Abyssal Eyes had locked onto him. The pressure was unbearable, like drowning in an endless void.
The others felt it too. Even though the eyes were not focused on them, their hearts skipped a beat.
That gaze...
It was no longer the gaze of prey.
It was the stare of a predator. A soul reaper who had come to claim their lives.
Looking into those deep, dark eyes, vast as the ocean and just as cold, they nearly lost consciousness. When they came back to their senses, they found their clothes drenched in sweat.
"I do not want to waste my time. Make a suggestion quickly, or I'll kill all of you," Aleron said. His tone was calm but simmering with anger.
The room panicked again. But no one wanted to betray their colleagues.
Then a voice broke the silence.
"Him..."
It was a feminine voice, quivering and stuttering through the tense atmosphere.
"He should be killed first."
Everyone turned sharply toward the woman who had spoken. She pointed at a young man in their midst.
The man's eyes widened.
"You! How could you?!"
He pointed back, frantically shouting, "Her! We all choose her!"
But Aleron was no longer listening.
"Humans... so worthless. Sacrificing each other just to survive. Is this the depth of your friendship? How pitiful, to befriend someone who turns out to be a snake."
Aleron spoke softly, almost sorrowfully, before locking eyes with the young man.
The man froze.
Aleron activated his Infernal Eyes once more.
A wave of heat surged through the room, and in the blink of an eye, the man was reduced to ash.
A gust of wind swept the ashes away, leaving the others trembling.
Standing like a god of death, Aleron, now masked once again like a grim reaper, spoke with a gentle tone.
"Who's next?"
His voice was calm, soothing even.
Yet to everyone present, it was colder than ice.
Their hearts dropped. They realized now what they had created.
A monster.
A monster born from the ashes of their cruelty. A monster named Aleron.
A/N: Today's a busy day for me so here's one chapter. The chapter release will continue normally from tomorrow.