After a night of rest in the ogre village, Nyxaris stood at the edge of a fortified watchtower, gazing at the distant horizon. The air was thick with tension, a heavy weight pressing down on the warriors preparing for battle. In the far distance, stretching across the valley like a writhing mass of nightmares, stood the Orc Army.
At its center, atop a mound of bones, loomed their leader—the one known as Vor'Gath, the Orc Disaster.
He was monstrous. Nearly four meters tall, with sickly green skin, blackened tusks, and armor fused into his flesh. His crimson eyes gleamed with malice and hunger, and in his grip was a massive cleaver, its jagged edge stained with the blood of countless victims. Dark energy radiated from him, corrupting the very air around him.
Behind him, 50,000 orcs roared in unholy unison, ready to unleash their wrath upon Nyxaris and his 500 ogres.
[Enemy Identified: Orc Disaster - Vor'Gath]
Race: Orc Lord (Disaster-Class)
Level: 75
HP: 300,000 / 300,000
Strength: 7,500
Defense: 6,800
Magic Power: 5,200
Abilities:
Devour (Corruption) – Absorbs the strength of fallen warriors.
Regeneration (Enhanced) – Rapidly restores lost health over time.
Berserk Frenzy – Gains increased power the more blood is spilled.
Command of the Horde – Enhances all orcs under his control.
Nyxaris tightened his grip on his sword, feeling the weight of the battle ahead. Beside him, Eleanor stood poised, her spiritual energy crackling in the air like lightning.
Behind them, Gorrath and his 500 ogres were lined up, their eyes filled with determination. These warriors had sworn their allegiance to Nyxaris, ready to fight until the last breath.
Nyxaris exhaled slowly.
"Zeraldris," he muttered internally, addressing the dragon spirit within him. "Any advice?"
The ancient dragon's voice rumbled in his mind.
"Simple, boy—kill or be killed. And if you want to win… you'll have to evolve."
The orc army surged forward, their thunderous charge shaking the earth.
Nyxaris raised his sword, his magic flaring to life.
"OGRES! CHARGE!" Gorrath roared, leading the counterattack.
The two forces collided, and the slaughter began.
Nyxaris vanished into a blur, moving with inhuman speed. His blade cut through orc flesh, sending blackened blood spraying into the air.
[Orc Soldier Defeated!]
[Level Up! Level Up!]
An orc swung a massive axe at him, but Nyxaris shifted part of his body into slime, allowing the attack to pass harmlessly through him. With a swift counterattack, he slashed upward, cleaving the orc in half.
[Orc Warrior Defeated!]
[Level Up!]
The battlefield was chaos. Orcs and ogres clashed, their war cries blending into a deafening roar.
Eleanor moved like a phantom, her sword glowing with spiritual fire. Each swing of her blade incinerated enemies upon impact.
[Orc Soldier Defeated!]
[Orc Captain Defeated!]
Nyxaris landed beside her, wiping orc blood from his cheek.
"We need to end this faster!" Eleanor shouted.
Nyxaris grinned. "Then let's make some noise."
Nyxaris shifted into his true slime form, his body expanding and stretching into a massive wave of energy-infused gel.
From his body, dozens of tendrils lashed out, grabbing orcs and crushing them instantly.
[50 Orcs Defeated!]
[Mass Devour Activated!]
Nyxaris absorbed their strength, feeling his MP surge and HP regenerate.
HP Restored: +7,500
MP Restored: +3,000
[Level Up!]
The orc horde hesitated, but then, Vor'Gath moved.
The massive orc warlord stomped forward, his aura of corruption spreading like a plague.
With a deep growl, Vor'Gath pointed his cleaver at Nyxaris.
"SLIME…" the monster snarled, his voice shaking the air. "I WILL CONSUME YOU!"
Without warning, the Orc Disaster vanished, moving at a terrifying speed.
Nyxaris barely had time to react before a tremendous force slammed into him, sending him flying backward.
[Damage Taken: 10,800]
HP: 18,200 / 25,000
Nyxaris rolled to a stop, his vision blurring.
Vor'Gath charged again, cleaver raised high.
Nyxaris shifted back into human form, his sword glowing with condensed magic.
"Eleanor, NOW!" he roared.
Eleanor leaped forward, her sword igniting with golden flames.
Together, they clashed with Vor'Gath, their combined attack slicing through his chest.
A shockwave erupted, sending dust and debris flying.
[Critical Hit! Damage Dealt: 60,000]
[Orc Disaster HP: 0 / 300,000]
The battlefield fell silent.
Then, the Orc Disaster let out a final, deafening roar before collapsing.
[Trial of Evolution Completed]
You have defeated the Orc Disaster and saved the Ogre Village.
New Title Earned: Savior of the Ogres
New Ability Unlocked: Abyssal Predator
A golden light engulfed Nyxaris, and suddenly, three notifications appeared before him.
[Choose Your Evolution Path]
Demon Lord – Embrace the abyss and ascend to a ruler of chaos.
Hero – Walk the path of light and become a champion of justice.
??? – A hidden evolution path unlocked by your actions.
Nyxaris stared at the options before him, his mind racing.
[WORLD ANNOUNCEMENT!]
"Player Nyxaris has become the first to complete the Trial of Evolution! A new path of power has been unlocked. The legend begins!"
The moment the announcement rang across the skies, every player in the world froze.
In the bustling cities, on the frontlines of dungeons, within guild halls, and even among solo adventurers, everyone had one question on their mind—
"Who the hell is Nyxaris?"
In Astrid, a group of high-ranking guild members gathered at a tavern. A warrior in silver armor slammed his drink onto the table.
"This is the third time! First, the Spirit Test, then the Ogres' War, and now the Trial of Evolution?!"
A rogue leaning against the wall smirked. "He's not just ahead—he's breaking the damn game."
Meanwhile, in a secret guild base, a woman in a dark cloak muttered to herself.
"Nyxaris…" she whispered. "We need to find him before the others do."
Inside the headquarters of Ethereal Systems, the company behind the game, alarms were ringing.
The lead developer, Daniel Carter, was frantically scrolling through data.
"This wasn't supposed to happen yet! The Trial of Evolution was meant for mid-game players, not now!"
A technician turned to him, pale. "Sir, do we interfere?"
Daniel exhaled. "No. The rule is clear—we don't intervene in player progress. But… we need to know who Nyxaris is."
In the real world, things escalated quickly.
Gaming companies began hiring private detectives to uncover the identity of Nyxaris.
Sponsors and advertisers were preparing contracts, eager to sign the mysterious prodigy.
Top-tier esports teams were offering millions just to have Nyxaris join them.
But nobody knew who he was.
Meanwhile, Leo, the real Nyxaris, was completely unaware of the chaos he had caused.
Nyxaris glanced at the three evolution paths before him.
Demon Lord – Ruler of Chaos
Hero – Champion of Justice
??? – A hidden evolution path
His fingers hovered over the options.
He took a deep breath.
It was time to choose.