What War Truly Is

The southern settlements were divided into four distinct sectors which were north, south, west, and east. Each was responsible for cultivating specific types of crops, with Lich's enchanted barriers creating isolated environments within them. Thanks to those barriers, each sector experienced a different season year-round: spring, summer, autumn, and winter.

The Summer Sector thrived under intense warmth. Crops that required hot, sunny conditions were abundant such as soybeans and sunflowers stretched tall across the fields, while tomatoes, bell peppers, zucchini, pumpkins, and sweet corn were sown during spring and harvested in the peak of summer. Cherries, grapes, and apples were gathered as spring turned, bursting with early-season sweetness.

The Spring Sector wasn't much different, though its temperature and humidity were more moderate. It was used to plant and nurture crops in transition, often serving as a buffer zone between the harsh heat and colder regions. Many of the same vegetables as in the Summer Sector were cultivated here, though with slightly longer growth cycles.

The Autumn Sector played a dual role like harvesting the last of the summer crops while also preparing the soil for winter plantings. It was a place of transition, of ripening and readiness.

And lastly, The Winter Sector was where cool-season crops thrived, nurtured by chilled air and frosted soil. Wheat, barley, and oats rippled across the snow-dusted fields, while rows of hardy greens like lettuce, spinach, and cabbage shared space with root vegetables like carrots, beets, and turnips.

Thanks to Lich's deep knowledge in barriers and runic Sorcery, the environment in each sector was in constant flux. Adjusting, stabilizing, and enhancing itself to match the optimal conditions for every crop. It was an ever-shifting cycle of seasonal perfection, one that ensured the survival and prosperity of the settlements no matter what chaos raged outside.

And today, one of the sectors fell.

The Spring Sector was completely destroyed, flattened into scorched earth. Almost every soldier and civilian within it had been annihilated.

The dragon had chosen its moment with brutal precision. It attacked while Klaus was locked in battle with the wooden goliaths. He may have won that fight... but he lost the war. His true objective had never been victory in combat, it had been to protect the Southern Settlements. And in that, he had failed.

Fortunately, he had left Loki and Lich behind. Thanks to them, a total catastrophe was narrowly avoided. But even so, the price was staggering: over one hundred thousand civilians and two hundred soldiers were dead.

Worse still, the dragon's attacks carried a terrifying side effect which was radioactive corruption. The land itself was poisoned, rendered infertile and alien. Survivors were few… and not all remained human. Some mutated beyond recognition. Others decayed from within, their bodies collapsing while their minds turned feral.

Klaus couldn't even chase after the wounded dragon since he was far too exhausted, far too drained.

The atmosphere in the conference room was suffocating, thick with tension and unspoken grief. The air hung heavy with failure.

Klaus, though seriously injured with his eardrums ruptured and his vision blurred from overusing his divine eyes, had at least recovered enough to stand, thanks to the healers. He sat now, unmoving, staring at the gathered people with a cold, expressionless face.

Lich wasn't present, still out in the field, reinforcing the barriers and stabilizing their fractured defenses. But Loki was there, standing at the edge of the room, ready to report.

Tatiana looked calm at a glance but only at a glance. Her eyes betrayed the truth. They were hollowed by sorrow, and heavy with fatigue. Her black armor was still cracked and smeared with blood, her saber dripping with dark ichor. She had rushed back to attend the meeting without even having time to change or tend to her wounds.

Cassie, by contrast, was composed but dangerously so. Her expression was a mask of cold, merciless intent, her thoughts clearly turning over every possible way to track and kill the dragon responsible for the massacre.

In contrast to the grim mood around them, Mark was yapping about something to Undertaker, his voice loud and out of place. The two had officially become Klaus's bodyguards a few months ago, and now they were technically Anna's juniors. She sat nearby, casually eating ice cream like the world wasn't burning around them.

The three of them clearly shared the same brain cell… and it was probably on vacation.

Though Hecate and Belial, for the first time, truly understood what war meant. That if you were powerless, war was nothing but hell.

They stared blankly at the screen, their expressions hollow as the footage played. Soldiers dragging lifeless bodies from crumbled buildings. Mothers cradling their dead children, their screams echoing through the ruins. Little ones nudging the cold corpses of their parents, sobbing in confusion, too young to understand death.

Mutated survivors, twisted by radiation were being put down by trembling hands of friends who couldn't save them. Hemera was still recovering, unable to heal them. Above it all, the sky had turned a toxic red, heavy with pollution and fallout.

And they couldn't even give the dead proper graves. There was no time for mourning, for names, not even for prayers. They were too busy preparing for evacuation, bracing for the next battle. So, a massive trench was dug. Bodies were dragged, carried, or pushed in. Soldiers, civilians, children, friends... One by one, they vanished into the earth. Then the soil was dumped over them, hastily and silently, as if hoping to bury the nightmare with them.

And just like that… victory had soured into devastation in a matter of hours.

Klaus let out a long sigh and glanced at the obsidian bird with golden eyes, giving a subtle nod. Loki noticed and ruffled his wings slightly, seemingly unfazed by the widespread destruction around them. The gathered people didn't understand whether it was because Loki was the Vile Thieving Bird, the most loathsome creature ever born, or simply because he had become too indifferent and numb to such horrors.

Loki remained motionless for a moment, his talons scratching the floor as his eyes darkened with spite.

"The dragon was majestic, ferocious, and terrifyingly powerful. It was long like a serpent. Sleek and muscular, with scales lining its entire form. It resembled the dragons of this realm's eastern mythology. Its golden, piercing eyes gleamed with intelligence despite its corrupted state. That can only be explained by the overwhelming, domineering will the dragon forced upon the world."

(Check this out!)

Loki paused, his golden eyes narrowing with displeasure and resentment. His entire form radiated chilling bloodlust. after all, he had lost to the dragon and hadn't even managed to steal its abilities or attributes.

"The dragon's face was lean and sharp, wise yet menacing. Branching, antler-like horns extended backward. One of its most striking features was a wild, flowing crimson mane that blazed like fire. Its body was covered in dark, almost black scales with a faint crimson sheen, giving it a volcanic, battle-hardened look…"

He spat darkly and shook his head.

"Seriously… that thing was… terrifying."

Klaus leaned back with a sigh, his expression thoughtful and serious.

If everything Loki said was true…

"Intelligence, huh? That explains why it attacked. It waited until I was gone… then struck."

"What about its rank or class?" he asked, eyes narrowing.

Loki snorted, equal parts amused and bitter.

"Corrupted Devil," he said darkly. "It's insane. That thing has the strength of at least a Corrupted Titan and I don't mean some low-tier fodder. I'm talking about the strongest of them. It doesn't make sense… or maybe it does. Dragons are noble creatures, born to dominate. But even by that standard, this one was… far too

Unique and unreasonably powerful."

Silence gripped the room.

Everyone froze. Eyes widened.

A Corrupted Devil… with the strength of a high-tier Corrupted Titan?

Mark blinked… then burst into laughter. Shaking his head with a goofy smile, he muttered under his breath,

"That's it. We're cooked."

Undertaker remained silent, expression grave, arms crossed. But Anna wasn't nearly as composed.

Her eyes welled up with tears before they began to spill freely. With a dramatic wail, she dropped to the floor and clung to Klaus's leg like a child begging their parent.

"B-Boss! You have to do something or we die!"

Klaus didn't respond. He simply stood there, unmoved, his gaze fixed coldly on the glowing runes.

Memory: Devourer

Rank: Divine VII

Memory Type: Tool

Enchantment: [Conquest]

"The Will to Forge One Who Conquers Them All."

Enchantment: [War]

"Devourer can gain characteristics of mystical Artifacts and Materials it absorbs. By synthesizing absorbed artifacts, you can create the Seven Deadly Relics of devastating power."

Enchantment: [Hunger]

"Allows its master to devour up to seven abilities. Hunger can fuse abilities to create new, more powerful ones. However, the abilities must be compatible, or the results will be unpredictable."

Enchantment: [Death]

"Created from the remains of a long-extinct Soul Serpent And Sinister Shadow, it carries the Will of Death itself."

Number of Devoured Souls: 100, 000/ 100,000

Nothing had changed about Devourer, even though he had filled the counter. He had been stuck on this for years. Well, killing a hundred thousand beings wasn't easy, especially since he had to kill them with Devourer to fill the counter.

Still, he was left disappointed. What was this? He had filled the counter and then… nothing? This doesn't make-

Wait…

Klaus's eyes widened.

There was a new enchantment at the end of the list.

[Symbiote]

Narrowing his eye, he focused on the enchantment to read its description. However, the information left him more confused than ever. There was no explanation of what a Symbiote was, nor any details about the powers it granted.

Instead, the shimmering runes simply stated:

[Start The Merging?]

Klaus remained silent. Maybe he should accept it but he still hesitated. He had a pretty good idea of what would happen, and now wasn't the right time. It was a pity, he would become much stronger if he went through with it. But alas... not yet.

He glanced at Anna and casually shrugged her off his leg, then stared down at his pants with a look of bitter disgust.

This damned woman.

"You're not dying," he said dryly. "Because you're going to Antarctica."

Anna blinked. Then, without missing a beat, she wiped her nose. Though there was nothing left to wipe, since she'd already smeared all her snot on Klaus's pants. Grinning sheepishly, she saluted.

"Yes, sir! ...Wait, whaaat? Why are you sending me away, boss?"

Klaus didn't answer right away. Instead, he grabbed her wrist, and white sparks danced from his fingers into her skin as he transferred the Memory.

Anna blinked again, this time with visible excitement. Oooh, a new Memory! And it was called Devourer, too. It had to be something insanely powerful.

But then she saw the runes.

She froze. Her body tensed as her hand began to tremble. Slowly, her eyes lifted to meet Klaus's cold, expressionless stare.

"B-Boss… This is… a Divine-rank Memory of Tier VII?! Where the hell did you get this!? And why are you giving something like this to me?!"

The conference room, once again… fell into a heavy, stunned silence.

Hecate and Belial sat frozen, wide-eyed and speechless. The same "senile old man" they used to mock had Divine-rank Memories?

Mark and Undertaker weren't doing much better, their jaws slack in disbelief. Tatiana and Cassie, however, remained composed… unsurprised. They had known all along.

Anna, on the other hand, was practically buzzing with excitement. Her eyes danced as she skimmed through the description: The Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse, endless hunger, cataclysmic destruction… all gloriously ominous and dramatic. Her grin widened.

But then she paused, blinking at the shimmering runes that had appeared in her mind.

"Uhm… Boss?" she asked, puzzled. "The spell is asking if I want to merge this Memory with myself. Should I say-"

She didn't finish.

In an instant, Loki ripped the thought from her mind, feathers bristling in alarm.

At the same moment, Klaus slammed his hand over her mouth, his eyes flashing with dangerous intensity.

Both of them stared at her like she'd just tried to light a nuke with a matchstick.

Murder glinted in their gazes.

Anna blinked, confusion flashing across her delicate features. She frowned slightly.

"What was I thinking about?"

Klaus let out a long breath of relief, then grabbed her by the hair and yanked her closer, scowling.

"If you ever do something that stupid again, you're dead. Never, ever merge with that Memory. You're going to Antarctica, and you'll deliver that Memory to me, understood?"

Anna tilted her head, eyes even wider now. Her confusion only deepened.

"But Boss… you're here. In South America, not Antarctica."

Klaus pinched the bridge of his nose in exasperation, visibly trying to hold onto his patience.

"Just go there. Find me. Then hand the Memory over and assist me. Got it? You'll understand when you get there."

Anna nodded slowly, not because she understood, but because she didn't know what else to do. The others in the room exchanged uncertain glances but remained silent. It was clear Klaus wasn't going to explain a damn thing.

***

Well, things are getting interesting, huh?

Wondering what Klaus is talking about? Yeah… not telling you yet, lol.

Too many people died, that dragon is just way too overpowered, and hell yeah! Devourer's counter finally filled! Anna almost doomed him too. That was wild, lmfao.

So... what do you think's gonna happen once the merging is done? And seriously, what the heck is even happening anymore!? Too many questions, not enough answers. Classic.

Anyway, that's it for now.

I cooked this chapter well. so go ahead, enjoy the meal ;)

***