While she was roaming around, the older man kept following and watching her from a moderate distance.
He witnessed how she slaughtered and ate the living, only leaving waste and the smell of death.
Cyra ate most of the things that left her body through her skin as black waste with the worst smell imaginable.
She usually went to find a tube to shower after each eating session. As such, she did the same this time.
"Who are you, old man?"
"Ouch, that hurts. I'm only 13 678 years old."
"Oh, does that count as young here?"
"For me, yes, for them not quite."
"Are you an invader?"
"No, I'm a believer, high priest of the anchor, as such I came to welcome the hunter sent by the anchor" As he said this, he disappeared and reappeared by Cyra's side, performing a welcoming gesture.
He was rather unlucky as Cyra's instincts were activated by the sudden motion in her surroundings and sent him flying towards the lower levels.
"Oh," Said the Ceon as he was enveloped by darkness, and Cyra lost sight of him.
Then he reappeared once more but much farther away from her than the last time.
It wasn't that the older man was weak, he might even be more robust than Cyra for now, but her way of using strength is much more precise and gentle.
What is he?
[Propably an unknown evolution with similarly great potential to Host, it seems like it's friendly]
Should I fight him?
[No, He isn't that much stronger, but it would still be better for the Host to avoid conflict, for now, I suggest Host to continue increasing your strength]
Fine...
"Why did you come to me?"
"To give you a warning!"
"What sort of warning?"
"Did you see that young lady?"
"Yes, she is quite the beauty. What about her?"
"She holds my children, The children of me Ceon and the royal family."
"Was expected a different warning, but fine, since you ask 1 or 10 doesn't make a difference, I will let them go if I ever met them."
"Welcome."
"What?"
"I told you I came to welcome you. The anchor has already sent down a prophecy about your arrival!"
"What am I in your religion?"
"Death, cleansing the way to our purity!"
"I agree with the first part, but what about the cleansing?"
"Our planet is overpopulated; there is a crusade ongoing, yes. It didn't have many casualties as such; I here to request your help to purify our planet." Said the old man as he knelt before her and began to murmur the prayer to the anchor.
"I agree."
"Brilliant, then I won't be bothering you anymore!" As he said this, he went back to his original spot from where he initially observed her.
After clearing the military base, Cyra's stats have risen to [Str:7500] [Int:3000] [E:1500] but at that time has nothing happened.
But now something was different as such the changes have started to appear on her body, the golden marks that originally marked where the spheres have entered the body began to spread further away.
Within seconds, Markings covered her whole left arm in the golden marking; with this, the first Sphere amplification has begun; whenever she would use that hand, it would be x2 stronger than her original strength.
The spheres were the same as Halos in a sense, but while Halos amplified each other, spheres directly affecting the body.
"Why are you still here?"
"I never said I would leave, I only told you that I wouldn't be bothering you, but it seems that I have mistaken you are much more sensitive than I originally thought, so please pardon my insolence." With that said, he left the level.
Cyra continued her hunt. As she proceeded upwards, she has encountered a tick 1 level wide wall from level 100-101, as she was wondering how to get through the man has appeared once more.
"I see you are having some problems; please this way, it would be a disaster if you tried to break through that."
The man led Cyra towards a lift; after both of them entered, it activated.
"Welcome to Aqua Lift 327; where would you like to go?"
"Take us to floor 401, then head back down to your original waiting area."
"Why are you coming with me?"
"Look there."
Looking where the man pointed, Cyra could finally see something resembling an ocean. Even if it was quite dirty, it was still filled with life.
"Even if you're the necessary evil that our god has sent, that's necessary life for our existence we can't let you kill them."
"Who are we?"
"We are the church of the anchor, we the believers preserve life while you the destroyer end it, you are the evil while we are the saviors."
"If you're this strong, why don't you deal with the invaders yourself? Why am I needed?"
"Your way too simple-minded. Were you even listening to what I just said?"
"Kinda, it was something about me killing, at least I think it was..."
"As a priest, my belief forbids me from killing the innocent, even if they committed crimes if they don't attack me, I can't attack them."
"Are all the priests this good, or is it just you?"
"Strong mind grants strong power while weak minds spawn weaklings, even if I'm the only truly good, as long as I'm strong they will follow me and my rule!"
"Look, we have arrived."
"What's in here? What's on this floor?"
"This is where your job truly begins! There is level 401, also known as the first level of the forgotten arena. Up until level 499, this place is ruled by strength. Be the strongest and cleans this place from the scourge for the anchor!"
Stepped foot to the level, Cyra unlisted her force control to its limits. Together with her brain, coupled with her dormant bloodlust, she instantly caused havoc in the surrounding even the man couldn't help but shudder from this sensation.
The day of death and glory has come. Many have tried to take on Cyra, but it was all in vain they were nowhere near as strong as the older man. As such, the first level of rivers of blood was born.
Just on the first level, more than 100 000 people died; there were roughly 100 deaths every second, and miserable screams echoed the hallways towards the higher levels. A beast was rampaging.
Of course, the only thing that was left behind was the black waste that has marked her pathway.
The number was endless, but what was even more surprising that Cyra has just begun her hunt on level 407, yet she has already reached the peak of stage 2 as her strength has rapidly increased from the slaughtering.
[Str:50 000] [Int:20 000] [E:10 000] [S: 5]
But unlike before, when she had no idea what to do next, she had precise information on her next goal.
QDW-a was created for battle, forged during wars, and became more robust with each battle but reached the next stage; they needed to take even more lives than ever before.
She reached the strength that was Known among the QDW as Debeo (To be bound by).
There are two ways to begin evolution. One is by individually evolving. The other is through the generations.
Humans have evolved with each generation, but they didn't lose their need for Ethereal; Cyra could find this material in every living human, but the number is scarce; to achieve change, it's necessary to gather more.
The Ethereal is lost by giving birth or during the act of mating between man and female; it's given to the future generations to ensure their survival.
After losing the Original Ethereal only copies remain inside the body, which cannot answer every problem the body is facing. As such, it will slowly start Dying.
To break the human bounds, we first have to reach the original state, a peak that humanity once possessed.
[Original Ethereal] [0/120]
Her bloodbath lasted until level 499, where she has already gathered [Original Ethereal] [1/120]. As such, it was a reasonably successful hunt.
But time had never stopped this little stunt of her took nearly 100 years to clear 98 floors as such it didn't surprise her when she arrived the man was waiting for her.
But he no longer possessed any right to be her opponent nor to challenge her.
"Welcome, please come with me. I will show you something."
"All right after this much killing, I don't mind to see a little change, entertain me."
The man led Cyra to a house; inside the house, the previously beautiful woman was sitting on a chair half dead.
"Do you see that?"
"Your bride?"
"That isn't my bride; that's an abomination look at her eyes. It's lost it's beautiful glow as if it's burnt out."
"Why does that even matter?" I don't understand.
"Do you see my eyes?"
"Yes, it's glowing blue, but that's still doesn't explain why she..."
"It's a problem. The bride should have been perfect just like me, but I'm missing something; I must be missing something!"
"What happened to the kids?"
"That's right, the kids! Wait, I don't remember ever seeing the kids. Woman, where are my kids?!" Said the priest as he held the half-dead woman by her neck and planned to snap her neck if she didn't give him a satisfying answer.
"I sent them away; they need a better father, not a scum like you who only cares about the anchor and purity!"
Crack! Crack!
Ceon tore, and blood split everywhere as the woman's body split apart.
"May I?" Asked Cyra with interest in her eyes.
"Go ahead; the anchor will be pleased if you can deal with heretics like her!"
Cyra didn't need more and started eating up the woman's remaining body parts, then gathered her blood and drank that; she wanted to know if the woman was worthy for him to use her; she should taste better than the scums that she ate up until now.
She didn't regret her decision as she began to blush once more cutely; she wanted to taste more of this flavor because it was to got to be true.
Seeing how much Cyra liked his bride flesh, he began to panic and reminded her once more, "The kids are still off-limits!"
"I remember. Don't be so worked up over nothing; also, where are we now?"
"This is level 500, also known as the territory of the Nameless!"
"Is he an invader?"
"Yes, but a problematic one. Nameless is just like a shadow hiding in the massive crowds; you can never know when or where he strikes down!"
"I don't think people are that scared, look there are even more people than on the previous floors."
"You don't understand; it's not that they aren't scared; it just the living conditions here are much better than in the arena."
"How comes?"
"There are rules here; a small military force is kept here to ensure peace on the streets and safety."
"How long does this nameless region lasts?"
"From level 500 to 998, I will be waiting for you on level 999, also a piece of advice."
"I'm all ears."
"Avoid the cameras; your current bounty might cause a panic if the system picks up on it!"
System what is my current bounty?
[Opening Bracelet information]
[Rank: Tier 1 (+1)]
[Credit: 5000]
[Bounty: 14 960 300 Credits]
[News: Currently under a search for killing the five titans of the abyss and killing the followers of anchor, exterminator of the arena ]