The land around the battlefield was scorched and the fires are still not put out, brightly blazing in the darkness of night.

The soil was destroyed; holes and craters fill the battlefield.

The pungent smells of the monster blood and its green liquid dripping from its open mouth drip slowly to the ground.

With each drip the sound of searing could be heard. Even in death, its blood has high level toxicity.

Azief at first wanted to use it a poisons but much to his own astonishment, Azief found out he has no containers capable of storing the monster liquid.

This monster is truly poisonous. If not for the mine field, this battle would not end so easily.

It also helps that he has so many potions to recover his stamina, his spirit and his health that he does not panic and could keep his mind clear.

To possess the kind of wealth he has one had to risk his life. Or just be very lucky like he did.

After he killed the beast, he quickly repressed his evolution and then he got three pillars points and 6 skill points.

It does not level him up as much as he expected. Maybe because it was not that dangerous, he also did not get too many EXP.

The higher your level is the higher the amount of EXP you needed to rise to the next level.

He smiles. Combine that with the 15 skill points he accumulated he now has 21 skill points. He would us these 21 points to upgrade the skill of his class.

Then another notification appears.

YOU HAVE SUCCESSFULLY COMPLETED THE TRIALS.

SHADOW LORD SKILL UNLOCKED

REWARDED FREE IMPROVEMENT FOR ALL SET WEAPON IN CURRENT POSSESSION FOR ONE TIME

REWARDED 10 THOUSAND GOLD

SHADOW PILLAR ACQUIRED

Then he could see his shadow lord items suddenly transformed and upgraded itself.

MISERY SWORD

ATTACK: 750-680

SNEAK ATTACK: 870-750

DURABILITY: 15720/15720

SWORD ABILITY : SOUL SNATCHING

: LOWER RESISTANCE TO ALL MENTAL ATTACK

: LOWER DEFENSE

EMITS A BLACK AURA THAT COULD CONSUME LOWER LEVEL MONSTER. GIVE DOUBLE EXPERIENCE WHEN KILLING A MONSTER AND OTHER LIFE FORM. CAN CHARGE DURABILITY BY ABSORBING SOULS USING THE SWORD.

HAVE ABILITY TO SELF TRANSFORM WHEN IT REACHED THE SOUL REQUIREMENT

HOOD OF MISERY

-DECREASE THE CHANCE OF BEING DETECTED BY MONSTROUS BEAST AND MUTATED SAPIENS.

ABILITY : ART OF Invisibility

: Increase stealth

HAVE ABILITY TO SELF TRANSFORM WHEN IT REACHED THE SOUL REQUIREMENT

HIDDEN BLADE OF MISERY

ATTACK: 450-345

SNEAK ATTACK: 300-235

DURABILITY: 10200/10200

STORE AROUND THE WRIST AREA CONCEALED BY A HIDDEN COMPARTMENT UNDER THE CLOTHES. HAVE ABILITY TO SELF TRANSFORM WHEN IT REACHED THE SOUL REQUIREMENT

VAMBRACES OF MISERY

-INCREASE ENDURANCE. CAN REFLECT ENEMY ATTACKS IF IT HIT THE VAMBRACES.

HAVE ABILITY TO SELF TRANSFORM WHEN IT REACHED THE SOUL REQUIREMENT

ROBE OF GREAT MISERY

INCREASE VITALITY AND STRENGHT. INCREASE SUPPRESION TO THOSE WHO HAVE LITTLE RESISTANCE TO MENTAL ATTACK.

STEALTH INCREASED. FEAR AURA ACQUIRED AS THE ROBE ABILITY. INCREASE PRESSURE ON A PERSON OF THE SAME LEVEL AND BELOW. COULD RESIST SOME WEAK MENTAL ATTACK.

YOUR MOVEMENT WHEN HIDING WILL BE HARD TO BE DETECTED.

WHEN YOU ARE ANGRY OR YOUR MOOD IN AN UNSTABLE EMOTIONAL LEVEL, THIS ROBE WILL EMIT A BLACK AURA SHROUDING YOU WHICH WILL GIVE A BOOST OF 5 PERCENT TO STRENGTH AND AGILITY.

– HAVE ABILITY TO SELF-TRANSFORM WHEN IT REACHED THE SOUL REQUIREMENT

TROUSER OF GREAT MISERY

INCREASE AGILITY AND SPEED. YOUR MOVEMENT WILL BE FASTER LIKE LIGHNING AND MOVES LIKE THE SHADOW. WHEN YOU ARE ANGRY OR YOUR MOOD IN AN UNSTABLE EMOTIONAL LEVEL, THIS TROUSER WILL EMIT A BLACK AURA SHROUDING YOU WHICH WILL GIVE A BOOST OF 15 PERCENT TO AGILITY.

– HAVE ABILITY TO SELF TRANSFORM WHEN IT REACHED THE SOUL REQUIREMENT

BOOTS OF MISERY

INCREASE AGILITY. GAIN THE ABILITY TO INFLICT TRIPLE DAMAGE WHEN USING IT TO KICK THE ENEMY IN VITAL PLACES.

HAVE ABILITY TO SELF TRANSFORM WHEN IT REACHED THE SOUL REQUIREMENT

RUNIC SASH

INCREASE VITALITY AND LIFEFORCE.

HAVE ABILITY TO SELF TRANSFORM WHEN IT REACHED THE SOUL REQUIREMENT

RUNIC GLOVES

INCREASE STRENGTH. WEARING THE SAME PAIR WILL INCREASE STRENGTH. INCREASE GIPPING POWER AND LIFTING POWER.

ABILITY : SLIGHT IMMUNITY TO POISONS

: DECREASE PROBABILITY OF GETTING POISONED

HAVE ABILITY TO SELF TRANSFORM WHEN IT REACHED THE SOUL REQUIREMENT

Then a few skills lights up and Azief smiles. Nearby, Sofia is enduring her first evolution as Azief could hear the bones cracked.

She is becoming taller Azief mused.

I will guard her he said as he check his status and at the same time guarding the place.

Loki must be done by now he also inwardly thought. He then checked his new skills.

SHADOW CLONES LEVEL 01

CREATING A CLONE OF YOURSELF WITH 10% OF YOUR ABILITIES. LAST FOR 5 MINUTES BEFORE DISAPPEARING INTO A MIST OF DARKNESS.

‘Azief likes.’ He said as he is grinning from ear to ear looking at this technique.

This kind of technique is one that must not be underestimated. He could delay enemies, confused them and even help him when he is in a tight spot.

The moment Azief saw this skill he is determined to upgrade it later. He looks to the area where Sofia is evolving.

She is still not finished as she is now struggling with pain, stumbling on the ground writhing in pain.

‘Is that how I look like when I’m evolving?’ he ask himself. He then looks around and he saw nothing suspicious.

Far away, he could hear the commotions of the people in the stronghold using his divine sense.

‘Loki, will he return to the cave or will he run off with the treasures?’ he asked himself.

The last test. The reason why he did this test because he finally realizes what has bother him so much about Loki.

He would like to know the full story of why Loki comes here to Malaysia. He is now convinced that Loki comes to Malaysia with other motives in mind.

But what motives?

If he stays and is on the cave, means Azief could still form an alliance with Loki. If not, it means that Loki did not put Lord Shadow and Sofia in his eyes at all.

One step at a time he reminded himself. He checked his other skills.

SHADOW IMITATION LEVEL 01

A SKILL THAT RESTRAIN MOVEMENTS AND FORCE TO MIMIC THE USER’S MOVEMENT. THE LOWER THE LEVEL OF THE ENEMIES, THE HARDER IT IS TO RESIST. LAST FOR 5 MINUTES.

SHADOW BINDING LEVEL 01

ALLOWS USER TO USE HIS SHADOW TO BIND PEOPLE FOR 5 MINUTES. THE DURATION OF BINDING DEPENDS ON THE STRENGTH OF THE USER ENEMIES

SHADOW MANIPULATION LEVEL 01

ENABLE THE USER TO USE TO SHAPE THE SHADOWS, TO ASSIST THE USER BY GATHERING THINGS AND CAN USE THE SHADOWS TO INTERACT WITH THE SHADOWS SURROUNDING.

This would help in gathering loots. He always hope to have a gathering skills but thankfully now, he has one.

SHADOW HASTE LEVEL 01

ENABLES THE USER TO BECOME MORE FASTER BY 15% FOR 30 SECONDS.

This needs to be upgraded he thought to himself. Becoming faster by 15%? That is a boost for his already powerful agility.

His agility pillars are Artisan ranked and he possessed superior agility. That is how he easily dodged the monster attack.

If not for his pillars invested to his agility, he could not have dodged all those attacks so easily.

SHADOW STEP LEVEL 01

ENABLES THE USER TO APPEAR AT UNEXPECTED PLACE DURING A BATTLE. MIMICS THE CONCEPT OF MINI TELEPORTATION. COULD BE USED 3 TIMES IN A DAY BEFORE IT COULD BE USED AGAIN.

When Azief checked again, it is a skill that enables him to appears at enemies blind spot and then attacked and then return back to his original position.

It’s more like he saved a location and then moved and then load back to his original position.

SUMMON WRAITHS LEVEL 01

COULD SUMMON A WRAITH THAT IS EQUALS TO LEVEL 10. THE SUMMONED WRAITH WILL FIGHT UNTIL IT EITHER DESTROYED OR REACHED HIS TIME LIMIT. TIME LIMIT FOR SUMMONING IS 5 MINUTES. CAN ONLY BE USED ONCE IN A DAY.

Summon Wraiths? Hmm. This sound interesting.

SHADOW ESCAPE LEVEL 01

YOU MOVE 25% FASTER AND TAKE HALF DAMAGE. IF YOU ARE HIT BY AN ATTACK, THE SKILL ENDS.

Looking at Shadow Escape, it is an escaping skills. This would come handy one of these days.

SHADOW PRISON

CREATE A PILLAR OF DARKNESS THAT TRAPS YOUR OPPONENT FOR DURATION OF 5 MINUTES AND TORTURES THEM WITH THEIR WORST MEMORIES. THE PRISON CAN BE BROKEN BY SUPERIOR POWER.

Prison! This is also good.

Reading the description Azief felt that this prison is really like hell. Reliving your worst memories is not a pleasant thing and could even dissipate any fighting intention left after being subjected to this skill.

‘Hehehe’ he chuckles. This is his skills. Then looking around again he finally see Sofia finished her evolution and he gasped.

It was like he was struck by lightning and he could not look in any other direction. Thunderstruck if he had to describe what he is feeling right now.

She was….beautiful. Stunning. Gorgeous.

She changed like he did before. She becomes taller, only an inch shorter than him, her hair become longer and become silky and flowing with ease, kind of like the models in a shampoo ad.

Her chest area becomes a bit more bulging, her skins blemishes free. It could be described her skin become fairer, radiant and all of her dark spots is no longer there, like it was erased.

There are no visible pores and she shines with a healthy glow.

He did not think such transformation is possible. From a village beauty, she turned into a world-class beauty.

It was like the story of ugly duckling.

But what Azief doesn’t realize that he is also an evolved person. Unlike many people, he never saw himself as handsome.

Even after he evolved he kept this kind of mindset.

After all, he doesn’t care whether he is handsome or not because that has never been his concern

But if one could look his full face without the hood covering his part of his face, he could be likened to a very handsome man.

Tall, dark and brooding. His face is also smooth and flawless, and combined that with his bad boy attitude, he could strike many women’s heart.

The things is since it was only him and Sofia that is around, he never felt any changes or feel that he is handsome.

Sofia would of course not praise him as handsome because she is in a way shy to approach him because of his new appearance and Azief of course would not make the connection himself.

That he is in fact handsome. Why? Because he never has been handsome or care about being handsome.

So, when he looked at Sofia and gasped, he thinks to himself.

If she changed like that and became that beautiful then doesn’t that mean when I transformed I also become a world class handsome man?

Then he chuckles.

How could that be! Slapping himself on his head he laughed.

What a ridiculous thought. If only Sofia could hear his thoughts right now, she would surely slam her hand on the back of his head.

He is fricking gorgeous and he didn’t even know. Though, come to think of it, it might be better that way.

‘You’re alright?’ Azief said as he approached Sofia. Sofia nodded.

‘The beast does not drop anything?’ she asked looking around the area. Looking left and right, she didn’t see anything resembling loots.

‘No’ Azief replies.

‘It is a trial beast.t would not drop anything. It would only give EXP.’

Sofia nodded. But disappointment clearly is evident on her expression.

‘Then what now?’ she ask

‘We return to the cave. As planned’

Azief was about to rush to the woods and return to the cave before he is suddenly being stop in his arm by Sofia.

‘What do you think?’ She asked

What do I think about what? He inwardly thought.

Then he looked at Sofia from head to toe and then scratching his cheeks he said shyly.

‘You look beautiful’ he said and Sofia hearing this blushed red.

‘Ehem’ she coughed a bit as she tries to calm herself down.

‘I mean what do you think about Loki? Will he be there?’

Hearing this Azief quickly realize his misunderstanding and this time it was his turn to blush red because of embarrassments.

He coughed lightly.

‘Oh. I don’t know.’ Then he looked at Sofia and Sofia also unintentionally looks back at Azief.

Both eyes locked and then suddenly they both quickly turn to another direction each one avoiding the gaze of another, both are red in the cheeks.

Suddenly the environment turns awkward.

‘I will go first’ she said as she run to the direction of the caves disappearing in almost a second.

Azief looking around and find nothing that is out of the ordinary also follows Sofia from the back.

Calming himself down, he turns to Lord Shadow again.

***

IN A FIELD NOT FAR AWAY FROM THE STRONGHOLD

The bodies was left alone. Flies began to crowded the bodies. Then suddenly a woman appeared from one of the bushes.

The woman is young, around the age of 20. She wears a white robe and she smelled of herbs.

She looked around and then after finding out that the tow people chasing her is not there she smirked.

‘It seems Thousand Face is really a formidable ally. Maybe, one of these days I will have to repay him for what he has done for me.’

She moved closer to the six bodies and sighed because of what happened.

She crouched down and then close both of her hand together and she prayed for their souls.

Then she got up and arrived at the child with the mutilated face.

‘Thousand Face really helped me this time. This child face must not be known to the higher ups.’ If not for the stupidity of the two people, they might have known that this kid face is very peculiar.

It resembles her…almost identical. This is why the woman posing as the mother of that child was so desperate to save the child.

But it was not only because that the child resembles her that she ask Thousand Face to mutilate the child face but she ask him to do it so, that it could delay the higher ups of the Party to deduce what this child really is.

The woman touches the child bodies and then suddenly the child morphed into a beast corpse and then was absorbed into her bodies.

‘Huh…this is tiring’ as she felt her face with her hand.

‘I should remind him not to mutilate it too hard. After all, this child is a part of me. If they only knew..Hehehe’ she laughed shrilly.

Burying the bodies in the field she then marks the graves with stones and carve their name with her dagger.

She then said.

‘I will avenge you all. You are loyal to me until the end. It might not be today, it might not be tomorrow, but one day, I will fulfill this vengeance of mine.’

Saying this she got up, and showers the grave with water, sprinkle some scented flowers, leave some prayers, and then disappeared again inside the forest.

Slowly, step by steps, with eyes that is full with determination, and her heart that is beating with furious anger, she repeated in her heart.

Vengeance.

***