Incubus Ascension

Liam scrolled through the glowing interface of his System Shop, the faint blue light casting sharp shadows across the dimly lit room. His fingers hovered mid-air as one skill caught his eye—a rare fusion ability that promised to merge crystals into something far more potent, concentrating their holy power into a denser, higher-quality form. His pulse quickened. ’This could be it. The edge we need.’

Without hesitation, he selected the skill. Mana surged through him like liquid fire, and he got to work. He pulled out every crystal they had gathered—the modest ones from everyday hunts and the hard-won spoils from the brutal war. One by one, he fed them into the fusion process. The air hummed with building energy as smaller F-rank crystals dissolved and reformed, their lights merging in brilliant cascades.

The final crystal hovered before him, pulsing with an inner radiance that dwarfed anything he had seen before. Liam’s eyes widened, a rare grin breaking across his face despite the exhaustion tugging at his muscles. He inspected it quickly.

**B-Rank Holy Power Crystal. Concentrated essence of divine restoration.**

He turned to Medusa, who watched from the corner with her usual guarded posture. "Here," he said, pressing the crystal into her scaled hand. "Take it."

She closed her fingers around it. The crystal flared brightly, then dimmed rapidly as its power flowed into her. Medusa’s eyes fluttered shut for a moment, a subtle shudder running through her form. When she opened them again, the faint glow of renewed strength lingered in her gaze.

"Did it work?" Liam asked, voice low with hope. ’Please, just a little more.’

"Roughly five percent," she replied, her tone steady but edged with quiet frustration. "One crystal... it is something."

Liam sighed, rubbing the back of his neck as he studied her. She looked a fraction less burdened, but it was nowhere near enough. ’At this rate, we’d need every damn crystal in Valhalla to get her back to full strength.’ The thought settled heavy in his chest. Medusa wasn’t just an ally—she was part of them now, her pain a mirror to the losses they had all endured. He wouldn’t let her stay broken.

His mind sharpened with resolve. "We’re taking the Baron estate. No more waiting."

The girls gathered quickly, sensing the shift in him. They launched without delay, leaving L behind despite her protest. "But wait—" she started.

Liam gently pressed a finger to her lips, meeting her eyes with quiet reassurance. "It’s alright. We’ll grab their crystal storage and keep moving. Stay safe here."

She nodded, trust winning over worry.

Their high levels made the assault feel almost inevitable. They shattered the main gate in a surge of power, barreling through the Baron’s army like a storm. Liam carved a path forward, his blade flashing as he cut down resistance with ruthless efficiency. When the Baron himself appeared, blustering threats and summoning guards, Liam ended it in one decisive strike. The man crumpled without fanfare.

They tortured a captured officer just long enough to locate the storage room. Inside, rows of crystals gleamed. Liam fused them rapidly, the process smoother now. The result: a C-rank crystal, shimmering with greater density.

He handed it to Medusa. She absorbed it without a word, the light draining into her once more.

Satisfied but driven, they left the smoldering estate behind, using a stolen map to chart their next targets. Politics be damned—there was no time for subtlety with Scorpion still hunting them. Liam knew speed was everything. Medusa needed her power back, and hesitation would get them all killed.

Estate after estate fell in their wake. They barged through noble strongholds, cutting down anyone who stood between them and the crystal vaults. No speeches, no mercy. Just focused, unrelenting momentum. Liam’s thoughts churned as he fused another large batch from a duke’s hoard into an A-rank crystal. ’Every noble in Valhalla hoarded these. We’re draining their lifeblood.’

He passed the A-rank crystal to Medusa. She drained it, her posture straightening slightly as power coursed through her.

"How much now?" Liam asked, watching her closely.

"Thirty percent," she said, exhaling. The relief in her voice was palpable, but her eyes still carried shadows. "So many estates... we cannot keep doing this one by one. We need a single, decisive target."

Liam met her gaze, the weight of their shared journey pressing on him. He had lost too much already; watching her struggle chipped away at the fragile hope he clung to. "The royal family. Their storage will be massive. Enough for a real jump."

Medusa nodded, determination hardening her features. They moved on the capital, a whirlwind of violence that brought the heart of Valhalla to its knees. Special defenders bought mere minutes of resistance before falling. Liam and the girls pushed into the royal crystal storage, and his eyes widened at the sheer volume—piles upon piles of shimmering stones filling the chamber like a dragon’s hoard.

Even with his fusion skill, it took time. Thirty grueling minutes of merging, refining, stacking ranks higher and higher until sweat beaded on his brow and his mana reserves strained. Finally, an EX-rank crystal materialized, radiating overwhelming holy light.

He handed it to Medusa. "Absorb it. All of it."

She did, the process taking longer as waves of energy poured into her. When it ended, she opened her eyes, a spark of her old power flickering there. "Eighty percent," she said softly. "You have cleared much of Valhalla’s reserves for this."

Liam rubbed his forehead, a tired laugh escaping him. ’We’re strong enough now. No more scraping by.’ "Then we head to the kingdom. No delays."

The journey took only two days at their enhanced speeds, the landscape blurring beneath them. As they crossed the familiar border, Liam spotted the same modest town where their adventure had begun—back when their levels hovered around two hundred and every monster felt like a deadly gamble. He laughed aloud, the sound carrying genuine warmth. The beasts that once terrified them now scattered or died from the mere pressure of their auras.

They passed near C1’s outpost. Word had spread of Leon’s fate; she now stood as knight captain. She greeted them with wide eyes, and Liam pulled her into a brief, firm hug after promising to look after the orphans she protected.

"Don’t worry," he told her, voice thick with sincerity. "We’ve got them."

C1 laughed through tears, returning the embrace. For a moment, Liam felt the anchor of old connections—reminders of why he fought.

They pressed on toward the capital. The Princess’s mood shifted noticeably as they entered kingdom lands, her steps heavier, her gaze distant. Liam placed a hand on her shoulder, concern etching his features. "Everything alright?"

She offered a small, pained smile. "It is... I am simply remembering that night. The fear. The helplessness."

"You have us now," Liam said firmly, squeezing her shoulder. "You’re one of us. We don’t leave our own behind."

The words seemed to steady her. They continued until the royal palace loomed ahead. As they entered the grand hall, Liam’s eyes widened in shock. There, seated on the throne like he owned it, was Valdora—his empty eye sockets somehow still conveying malice. The air thickened with dread.

Valdora’s laugh echoed, low and mocking. "I heard of your little exploits in Valhalla. Knew you would come crawling back here once finished."

Liam’s heart hammered, legs threatening to shake as memories flooded him. ’Level 800...’ He inspected the figure quickly. It was high—terrifyingly so—but at least visible now. Relief mixed with raw fear. They formed up, weapons ready, as Valdora rose and began walking toward them with deliberate, predatory steps.

The fight for everything they had built was about to begin.