Chapter 8. A new race.

Everyone was happy to be assigned to the same team, but was their happiness eternal? The future holds the answer to this question. After some light conversation, they all decided to return to their families to share the news that they had been selected for the army.

However, before they could leave, the receptionist called for their attention once again. She told Ignis that, by achieving the top 1 rank in the first trial, he had been awarded the elite rank—exactly what he had wanted. Everyone congratulated him, and after that, they all went to their families.

When Ignis told his family about his achievement, they all said one thing: "Revolution." Ignis was neither confused nor bothered by his family's words, as they had always been like this with him, and he no longer cared.

Nyxara's family, upon hearing that she had been selected for the army after only clearing the first trial and ranking 3rd, was ecstatic. They threw a party that night, inviting all of Nyxara's friends, including those she had made during the trial.

Indraksha's family told him, "Son, remember one thing always: We Asuras never had friends. So, if you think someone can be your best buddy, never leave them. You must be blessed by Lord Luciferal to have a friend as an Asura. You are the blessed one in our family."

Kharos had nothing to say, as he was the only member left in his family. When he was young, his family died in a disaster that Kharos didn't remember.

Lilithra's family, upon hearing the news, immediately asked if she had made a boyfriend, and they talked about matters relevant to their kind.

Later that night, everyone gathered at Nyxara's home for the party, and Team The Shadow Reapers assembled there just to have fun and chat. They shared the things their families had said to them after hearing the news of their selection. When Lilithra shared her family's reaction, everyone laughed, as they had expected something like that from a succubus family.

The next day at the Nether Spire, one member of Team Shadow Reapers arrived early—it was Ignis. He wanted to ask something of the commander of the Hellflame Phalanx. The elites of the Hellflame Phalanx could easily meet with the commander, so it wasn't difficult for Ignis to have a talk with Ashkaris, the strongest fire elemental in the Nethralis, known as The Flame Warden—a title bestowed upon him by Luciferal.

It was the first meeting between Ashkaris and Ignis. As expected, they exchanged greetings. Afterward, Ignis asked, "Sir Ashkaris, there's something important I want to ask you. It's about the battle I had with the Apex during the first trial."

Ashkaris replied, "What's the matter? Tell me in detail."

Ignis said, "Yes, when I was fighting the commander of the Celestial Beast and the Apex, I was knocked out. While I was unconscious, I sa—"

Before Ignis could finish his sentence, the vice commander of the Hellflame Phalanx interrupted and called Ashkaris. "Sir Ashkaris, they made their move. If we don't strike now, we are destined to lose."

Ignis was confused about the identity of "they." He had never heard that Nethralis was at war.

In reality, no normal devil was told about whether Nethralis was at war or not, to maintain peace and avoid panic.

Ashkaris said to Ignis, "We'll continue our chat some other time. Right now, I have to attend to an important matter."

A few hours later…

"You were here early, I guess you were too excited to serve in the army, Ignis," said Kharos.

Ignis replied, "Yeah, something like that."

All the members of the Shadow Reapers had now arrived at the Nether Spire.

Nyxara said, "I'm waiting for our first mission. We're going to work as an official team now."

Looking at his watch, Ignis said, "An official team, huh? Wait, do you guys know how a team works?"

For a team to have a good survival rate, the roles among members must be divided. To be called an ultimate team, they should have an expert strategist, a tank, a supporter, a sharpshooter, and either a lancer or a berserker.

Kharos said, "Yeah, that's correct. But who's going to be the strategist? You know that's a very complicated and important role."

To which everyone responded, "Of course, it's going to be you, genius."

After some laughter, they all decided their roles in the team:

Strategist: Kharos

Tank: Indraksha

Supporter: Lilithra

Sharpshooter: Nyxara

Berserker: Ignis

However, they were not restricted to these roles; in dire situations, they could change their roles.

Half an hour later, their communicator rang, and a voice came out, saying, "Every team is ordered to report to the War Command Nexus. I repeat, every team is ordered to report to the War Command Nexus."

They were all surprised and confused about what was happening, but they thought it might be about their first operation. Ignis wondered, "Is it about 'they' the vice commander was talking about?"

In five minutes, every team arrived at the War Command Nexus, and the most important presence there was that of him—The Infernal Warlord, Asmodeus.

The Infernal Warlord was the one who commanded all the divisions in the Infernal Legion—in simple words, the supreme commander.

Asmodeus was there to inform everyone of the current situation. He said, "All hail Lord Luciferal. I am here to tell you about our current situation. As most of you know, Nethralis is currently at war with Meldara, the realm of Chimerids."

All the newbies present were surprised because they didn't know that Nethralis was at war, as the information was kept secret from normal devils to maintain peace. The realm of Chimerids—or, in simple terms, the planet of Chimerids—Meldara, is a planet rich in natural resources. Chimerids are beings capable of incorporating the DNA of different species into their bodies to enhance themselves. They can adapt to any fighting style in a matter of minutes. They were also blessed by the Aetherians, a race that directly opposes the devils and is considered a God by most of the developed races.

Indraksha said, "War? Now it's getting fun."

Asmodeus continued, "We have been at war for six years, and during this time, we captured three cities in Meldara, one of which is Vyrdara. After we captured Vyrdara, the Chimerids stopped fighting back and hid somewhere. That's what we thought, but we were wrong. They sought help from the Aetherians. The Aetherians have blessed them with infinite mana and brute strength, which is why we are now losing our control over Vyrdara. Vyrdara is a very important place for us if we want to take full control of Meldara, and we can't afford to lose it."

Kharos realized that something major was happening in Hell's Dominion, the palace where Luciferal resided.

Asmodeus continued, "This information I have provided you all with is crucial, and I strictly forbid each and every one of you to speak about it to any normal devils. In two months, you will all be dispatched to the Bloodbane Base, situated near Vyrdara. From there, your battle with the Chimerids will begin. Do you all understand?"

Everyone replied, "Yes, Sir!"

After that, everyone was dispatched.

They had two months for training, and these two months were crucial for Team Shadow Reapers. If they didn't give their all during the training, they could die. It wouldn't be a small battle; it would be an all-out war against the Chimerids—a war that would engulf the entire planet of Meldara.

The next day, everyone went to their division commanders to train under them. During the war period, even a normal soldier could meet their commander.

Two months later, the day of the war arrived—the war that would engulf the entire Meldara.