Planning for Nightfall

The four pillars that once roared in the sky slowly dies down and displayed my monsters's new forms.

Gris is still the same size and his silver fur gave of a profound shine, almost like actual silver. His claws are sharper, his eyes giving of a deep green color and his white teeth gaining a hint of silver. He also looks like some kind of royalty in a way.

Noire also the same size as Gris, but her fur is darker than the night of a new moon. Her eyes are a color of amethyst. Her claws are also pitch black and almost have a shape of karambit knives.

Saeva is now more menacing than ever. Her fangs on the front are larger and sharper. Her fur that has flame patterns are more profound and gained extra tufts of fur on her torso.

Lastly, Arex. Arex who looked young is now slightly more adult-like. Her white dress as a Angel Prime was a simple white dress with 3 bronze stripes. Now her dress as an Archangel gave her a dress that is asymmetrical with silver details, especially it now has a single silver stripe. Her eyes that was bronze is now silver with her pupils the shape of a triangle.

Arex also has two halos unlike regular angels and gives off a silvery glow.

[Evolution complete. Gris is now evolved to Argent Wolf.]

[Due to evolution, Gris is now rank U+.]

[New skills acquired for Gris. Wind Magic-XII, Accelerated Regeneration, Earth Nullification, Poison Nullification, Light Resistance, Accelerated Regeneration, Silver Wind, Suffocation Nullification, Metal Armor (Silver), Acid Resistance, Wind Dominance-VI, Earth Ward-IV, Water Ward-IV, Sky Raver.]

Oh man, Gris not only gained offensive abilities, he gained defensive ones too! Earth and Poison can't hurt him, he cannot suffocate, and he gained Silver Armor to fend off physical attacks! This Acid Resistance is also very good. Also, he's effective against Undeads now.

His Silver Armor allows Gris to be immune to Poison and Resist Acid. However, since Silver is conductive and metals transfer heat, he'll be susceptible to Lightning and Fire. But by doing so makes his attacks more deadly when it comes to it, which compliments his Retaliation skill.

[Evolution complete. Noire has evolved to Obsidian Wolf.]

[Due to evolution, Noire is now rank U+.]

[New Skills for Noire. Dark Magic-XII, Earth Magic-XII, Earth Nullification, Dark Dominance-VI, Earth Dominance-VI, Curse Magic-V, Regeneration, Curse Nullification, Obsidian Earth.]

Obsidian Earth is where Noire's magic becomes actual Obsidian. It increases power and speed, but at the cost of the magic projectile durability.

[Evolution complete. Saeva has evolved to Hellfire Hellhound.]

[Due to evolution, Saeva is now rank V.]

[New Skills for Saeva. Dark Magic-X, Fire Magic-X, Curse Absorption, Curse Magic-V, Inferno Magic-V, Inferno Absorption, Bone Armor]

Saeva will be even more menacing and unkillable than she already was since bandits usually have no way of using Holy nor Divine Magic.

[Evolution complete. Arex has evolved to Archangel.]

[Due to evolution, Arex is now rank V+.]

[New Skills for Arex. Light Magic-XIII, Healing Magic-XIII, Concealment, Valorous, Hyper Speed, Superspeed Regeneration, Holy Magic-X, Blessing Magic-X, Holy Nullification, Curse Ward-IV, Dark Ward-IV, Immortal (Heavenkin), Chantless, Appraisal]

Although her magics has gained an upgrade, she now can ward off Dark and Curse up to Tier IV. Also, she can perform magic without a single word! Let's not forget that she's immortal now!

"Wow..." Hyoran said with an awestruck expression, stunned to see the four monsters evolve before her very eyes. No matter how long Hyoran is with those monsters, it still astounds her with no end.

[Heavenkin risk increased to 5%.]

[Hellkin risk decreased to 9%.]

[Notice. 2 unknown Unique Skills has been acquired.]

I hear the three messages and the third interests me the most. Unknown skills? Again? Now with two?

"Kain, they look super strong, right?" Hyoran said.

"Yeah, very strong. And now, I will make myself stronger." I declared.

I checked my stats and the display appeared before me.

Yeah, the Heavenkin and Hellkin Threats are low right now and no Deity has gotten wind of me yet. I should at least unlock one. I then see Arex with her eyes wide.

"What's wrong?" I asked.

"Rank S, all Basic Elements at Tier X, Curse and Holy Magic at Tier V, Chantless, and a multitude of other skills. On top of that...Evolutionist. What is that?" Arex said after seeing a wall of text.

"Wait, you got Appraisal?" I said, surprised at what she said.

"Yes, I have acquired it after evolving." Arex replied. "What is Evolutionist?"

"Evolutionist is where it allows me to evolve monsters. Especially myself." I said. Arex gave a face that she has discovered some unknown, something new.

"I have read thousands of skills, but none of them such as this...amazing." Arex smiled as she saw something new and invigorating.

"Are you not concerned? I evolved you to Archangel in a day. You have the power to turn islands into a past tense since you're at rank V." I said.

"Of course that IS concerning since to be Archangels, one must live for at least 2000 years, slay 2000 Hellkins, and respond to 1000 summons. You evolved me, completely disregarding those requirements within a day." Arex said.

"T-t-two thousand!?" Hyoran stammered in shock as her wolf ears and tail shot straight up. "How old are you!?"

"Wait, Hyoran--" I tried to stop Hyoran to ask that question that a vast majority of women do not like. This applies to women of different race, especially ones that come from a different dimension.

"Arex, you don't have to answer that." I said.

"220 years old. Although, the lifespan of all Heavenkin are indefinite. Some Heavenkin could be alive before The Material Expansion. Which dates 500,000 years ago." Arex said.

Yeah, the Material Realm is the third one to be created. The last one is the Infernal Realm not until 250,000 years later.

*Pshhhh...*

I hear a burst of steam and looked at Hyoran's face entirely red and dazed. All that information to her poor 10-year-old brain was too much to handle, especially the large number she just heard.

"Five...hundred...thousand..." Hyoran muttered as she swayed clumsily with her eyes spinning and then fell to her rear. Viridesca floated downwards and poked Hyoran's cheeks.

"Although, this is not the most important. It's those question marks inside your Unique Skill and your Race." Arex soon get straight to the point. "What are they?"

"To be honest, I don't know. Your guess is good as mine. Although, I know that these question marks are the reason I'm stuck at S rank." I shrugged.

"So, you're saying these question marks are limiters? How fascinating." Arex said. "What will you do with it?"

"Break it." I replied.

I touched one of the random question marks and messages popped up.

[This skill is unknown due to the restriction.]

[EP required upon unlocking: 1,000,000]

[Notice. Upon unlocking, the cost of unlocking subsequent skills increases.]

[Caution. Upon unlocking, some skills may increase Diety threat.]

"Do it."

[Are you sure? This process cannot be reversed.]

"Yes!"

[Acknowledged. 1,000,000 EP deducted. Now unlocking.]

Ahh...at long last, I can go above S and raise my tiers along with it. And I can be a step closer to beat that bitch whore Arukatha and the cronies.

I smiled at the thought of going to the Ascendant Realm and wreaking havoc as I see fit.

But my moment of bliss was cut short when my body became bombarded by a sharp throbbing pain.

"Urgh! Argh!" I groaned at the intense pain and wanted to scream, but my entire body refuses to do so. My vision warps and show colors that aren't supposed to be. My sense of balance also became nonexistent and caused me to fall to my knees.

"K-Kain!" Arex yelled. She rushes towards me to comfort me.

*Bark!* *Bark!*

Gris, Noire, and Saeva barked with concern and rushed towards me. Gris nudged my arm with his nose, but my sense of touch made me feel like I touched a living pile of shit that mutated in the New York sewers for the whole summer. The touch made me instantly feel nauseous and caused me to fall to the side.

Viridesca became very worried while Hyoran who was in a daze, instantly regained her senses and see me collapsed on the ground.

"Kain!" Hyoran rushed towards me. "Kain, what's wrong!? Are you sick!?"

The voices, the barking, it all soon became distorted to the point I can no longer recognize. All my senses are all scrambled.

"For him to be like this...is this unknown skill a Cursed Skill!? But a Cursed Skill should be invisible!" Arex thought.

"Hyoran, I will use Blessing Magic and Healing Magic." Arex said to Hyoran. Hyoran stepped back and Arex used her two magics.

*Shiiing!*

The light shined upon me in hopes of healing me and lessen the pain.

"AAARGHKK!!" I screamed, but my voice was hoarse as my five senses decided that my body was being electrocuted, then felt like I am pierced by a thousand needles due to it being scrambled. I writhe and squirmed uncontrollably in the process.

"It can't be...he's not even an Undead nor a Hellkin. His body shouldn't show adverse effects like this!" Arex said.

"Arex...will Kain be okay?" Hyoran said with tears welling up. Arex as a Heavenkin and as my protector saw Hyoran's eyes clinging to hope. Seeing that her Healing and Blessing magic which she specializes in did not work, have no choice but to hope for the best.

"Let's just hope, that he's okay." Arex sighed reluctantly in resignation.

As I see Arex and Hyoran praying for the best, my vision grows darker by the second. By gaining a moment of clarity in my voice, I called out.

"Hyo...ran." I forced my voice out to her and my consciousness left my body.