Kain exhaled slowly, trying to process everything Nadia had just told him. His body still felt like it had been run through a meat grinder, but the news about Aegis kept his mind painfully alert.
Aegis had evolved—or maybe mutated was a better word for it. Whatever the case, his presence alone had been enough to force the abyssal creatures to withdraw.
Kain couldn't even be happy at the knowledge that Aegis may have increased in strength or, at the very least, had an advantage over abyssal creatures and corrupted.
However, now wasn't the time to get lost in speculation. He'd need to wait until Nadia left to get some answers from the System.
Kain looked up just as Nadia turned toward the exit. "Rest," she instructed. "We're still keeping Aegis under observation, and the city's on high alert in case the abyssals return. When you're in better shape, we'll talk more."
Kain watched her go, her footsteps fading down the corridor. He let out a breath, finally allowing his body to sink back against the stiff mattress.
Yeah, that wasn't happening.
'System, pull up Aegis' profile,' he commanded.
A familiar blue screen materialized in front of him. His gaze zeroed in on Aegis' digital model.
The golem that appeared before him was unrecognizable.
Gone was the rugged stone form he had known composed of various shades of orange, grey and brown stone.
Now, Aegis' entire body was composed of sleek, solid black marble, polished to an unnatural smoothness. His once-dull eyes had transformed into an eerie reddish-burnt orange colour. It was a stark contrast—something between his original self and the abyssal corrupted they had been fighting against on the battlefield.
Kain's fingers twitched as he navigated through the details, searching for any additional changes in stats or abilities. Whatever had happened, it had fundamentally altered Aegis.
"…What the hell did you become?" Kain muttered under his breath.
Kain immediately opened his full profile to get some answers.
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Species: Biolith Sentinel (Mutated)
A once-ancient being of stone and earth, now reforged like a diamond while withstanding the pressure of abyssal corruption. Its body, once composed of layered sedimentary stone, has transmuted into an obsidian-like material infused with abyssal energies. Despite this change, it has retained its intelligence and autonomy, standing as a paradox—neither fully abyssal nor fully pure.
Spiritual Power Grade: Green
Type: Microorganism (Bacteria)
Attribute: Earth, Abyssal
SS - Abyssal Layered Defense: Aegis' new form allows it to absorb and neutralize abyssal energy from attacks, significantly reducing their impact. Each layer of its abyss-infused stone body disperses energy in a way that weakens the effectiveness of abyssal corruption and direct spiritual assaults.
SS- Black Geoform: Retaining its ability to manipulate stone, Aegis can now shape rocky structures and reshape his own body with not only surrounding materials, but also solidify the power of corruption emitted by others into a stone for its own use and healing. However, the process momentarily increases its abyssal aura, which can be disorienting to allies.
S - Abyssal Suppression: Aegis emits a natural suppression effect against abyssal entities, reducing their combat effectiveness within a certain radius. The effect varies depending on the strength of the opponent, but weaker abyssal creatures may directly collapse on the spot.
A - Earth's Dark Grasp: Aegis can meld into terrain to hide, however it leaves behind an unsettling aura within the fused area that deters abyssal entities from approaching. Additionally, it restores vitality by absorbing not just the energy of the earth but also the residual abyssal energy lingering in the battlefield.
A - Ruptured Crystalline Burst: Upon taking critical damage, Aegis releases a violent shockwave of abyss-infused crystalline shards. These shards embed themselves into enemies, disrupting spiritual energy flow and temporarily reducing their defensive abilities. However, the effect is unpredictable and can cause instability in its own form.
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Before he could dig further, a commotion outside the medical tent drew his attention. He barely had a second to process it before hurried footsteps approached, followed by the urgent rustling of the curtain.
Someone else was coming.
Kain barely had time to react before the curtain was thrown aside.
An unfamiliar young woman stood in the entryway, her chest rising and falling as if she had just sprinted across the camp. Her appearance, though neatly kept, bore the telltale signs of long hours—creased fabric, a sickly complexion, dark circles around her eyes and sunken in cheeks.
"Hello, Kain," she said, her voice clipped yet controlled. "I am one of the guards responsible for monitoring your contract after it…changed. You need to come with me. Now."
His muscles protested as he pushed himself upright, his instincts already shifting into high alert. "I'm still recovering," he said dryly, gesturing toward the various tubes still attached to him. "Unless this is a life-or-death situation, I'd prefer not to rip these out and collapse on the floor."
The woman hesitated, clearly wrestling with something, before exhaling sharply. "Then listen carefully," she said, lowering her voice. "Something's happening with Aegis."
That got his attention.
Kain's fingers twitched, itching to pull the System interface back up to check for changes to his condition, but he kept his focus on the girl. "Define 'something,'" he demanded.
"His abyssal presence—it's getting stronger." She took a step closer, her voice barely above a whisper now. "We've been monitoring him in a secured area with some of the other contracts that were injured and considered to be at risk of turning, but just now, the suppression field we placed around him seemed to be weakening. And then… the abyssal remains in the camp—ones we hadn't burned yet—started crumbling into dust. Moreover, his aura as an Abyssal creature keeps increasing. Now most employees refuse to step into the area, and the owners of the other contracts in the secured area are expressing concerns and protesting, wanting Aegis to be removed—possibly even from the city entirely."
A chill ran down Kain's spine. He hadn't even had time to process Aegis' first transformation, and now there was another?
Swinging his legs over the edge of the cot, he grimaced at the dull ache in his limbs. "Get these damn tubes off me," he ordered. "I need to see him for myself."