Adam stood frozen, his pulse racing as the Hell Queen collapsed onto him. She was surprisingly light but incredibly still, her figure fitting awkwardly against his chest. Her skin was smooth—almost too smooth—and cold, not just cool to the touch but as icy as death itself.
For a long second, he couldn't move. His mind went blank, and he found himself staring down at her. Her scarlet eyes, like embers hidden under layers of frost, stared back at him with an intensity that was equal parts mesmerizing and terrifying. Those eyes... they held no warmth, no hint of emotion, just a chilling, otherworldly focus that left his spine tingling.
"W-what…?" He stammered, feeling a mix of awe and unease. But before he could process it, her enormous scythe slipped from her grip, the metal catching the light as it rattled to the floor.
The sound jolted Adam back to reality. He pushed her away, stumbling a few steps back before he turned around, almost slamming the door in his haste. Only now did it dawn on him—this wasn't just any injured girl. This was a lethal Alienor, one of the most formidable beings he'd ever encountered.
He'd read about creatures like her, beings classified and categorized meticulously by society's guardians, the Doom-Breakers. Over hundreds of years, they had developed a system to rank these supernatural entities, from mild nuisances to the nightmarish, twelve-tier levels of terror.
The twelfth level was something Adam could barely wrap his head around—a Doom-Breaker of that level could single-handedly bring down entire waves of monsters. That kind of power wasn't just rare; it was practically legendary, a realm only the most exceptional warriors could hope to reach.
Adam let out a shaky breath. He was nowhere near that kind of strength. In fact, he was only at the beginning of his journey. This girl in his room was from a world far beyond his, a world he wasn't sure he could survive, let alone control.
But as he stood there, his thoughts swirling, he couldn't shake the strange, undeniable pull of those scarlet eyes.
....
As for the Hell Queen in front of him, she had to be at least a fifth-level
brutality-class Alienor. There was no way he could even think about standing up to something like her.
In his tiny, cramped five-square-meter room, the Hell Queen could only fit by curling up on his bed. Her long, slender legs were stretched out, and her piercing scarlet gaze remained locked on him.
Rivulets of golden blood, glistening like molten metal, trickled down her
shoulder, staining his worn sheets. The injury looked nasty-she was in bad shape.
Swallowing hard, Adam gathered his nerve and pulled a small medical kit out from the cabinet. He'd bought it a while back for an injured worker while helping repair the city wall. That thing cost him a full fifty dollars, which had really stung at the time. He never thought he'd actually need it, let alone for... an Alienor.
He moved closer, inspecting the wound on her shoulder. It resembled a fractured spiderweb, with wisps of flame faintly flickering beneath her cold skin. Clearly, she'd taken some serious damage, likely at the hands of the Doom-Breakers.
What puzzled him was why she was here. Had she been chasing him? And now, she'd turned up, injured, in his room in the dead of night. He couldn't quite make sense of it.
After Checking,Adam took out a bottle of disinfectant and a hemostatic bandage from his med kit.
He didn't even know if this stuff would work on a Alienor like her, but there wasn't exactly a manual for this. Silently, he started applying the disinfectant, his movements cautious but firm.
Click...
The Hell Queen's fingers twitched as she tried to reach for her scythe, but her injuries prevented her from lifting it even an inch.
"Relax. I'm trying to help you," Adam muttered, frowning. To his surprise, she stilled, her scarlet eyes watching him intently.
Once he wrapped the bandage around her shoulder with surprising skill, Adam exhaled, feeling a bit of his tension ease.
Ding!
[Congratulations, Host. Compatibility with Hell Queen has increased by 50 points.]
[Congratulations, Host. You have reached the minimum threshold for taming the Hell Queen. You may now use your exclusive skill "Alienor Capture" to attempt taming.]
The system's cold, mechanical tone kept ringing in Adam's ears, and he couldn't help it-he burst out laughing.
It felt like he'd just hit the jackpot.
For a Doom-Breaker to tame a wild Alienor, compatibility was a must. If the
Quantum Barrier of a Doom-Breaker could harmonize with a Alienor's, they might be able to turn that wild creature into their own Doomsteed [Tame Alienor].
And the easiest, most straightforward way to create that harmony? Beat the Alienor half to death.
Guess "a good lesson does wonders" was more than just an old proverb.
Most people in his position would resort to brute force, which, though effective, came with its own risks. And while there were other, more "Advanced" methods to build compatibility, Adam's current knowledge was far too limited to even consider those.
In a normal world, new Doom-Breaker would complete a talent test, receive government training, and get an official Alienor to domesticate.
But Adam? He'd missed that whole process thanks to one stroke of bad luck after another. He was as illegal as it got.
Yet here he was, with a battered Hell Queen practically delivered to his doorstep.
It was like winning the lottery without even buying a ticket.
[Would you like to activate the exclusive skill "Monster Capture"?]
"Yes! Do it!" Adam selected "OK" without a second thought.
Instantly, a searing heat surged through his right arm. He winced, lifting his hand as an instinctive force guided his index finger to point at the Hell Queen.
The girl eyed him with a flicker of hesitation but then extended her own hand. Her left fingertips brushed his in a brief, delicate touch.
A bright flash engulfed them both.
In the next instant, the Hell Queen was gone, and on Adam's Right arm, a crimson tattoo shaped like a scythe appeared.
[Congratulations! You have successfully tamed the Hell Queen as your personal armed freak...]
[Task 2 Complete: Random Reward Acquired...]
[Reward: 10,000 Doomsteed Experience Points, available for immediate use to enhance your Doomsteed's abilities.]
Before Adam could even process it, a translucent screen materialized in front of him.
[Alienor Name: Hell Queen]
Name: Unnamed
Affiliation: Adam
Potential Evaluation: SSR
Level: Aggression Level 3 (upgradable with 20,000 experience points)
Compatibility: 50 points
Alienor Class: Ghost Class, Specialty Series
Alienor Equipment: Soul-Slaying Scythe
Basic Ability: Exceptional close combat; every strike is lethal.
Special Ability: Hellfire – summons hellish flames to engulf everything or enchant her scythe for devastating attacks.
Alienor Introduction: Emerging from the depths, she's the god of death's envoy—a born assassin. Her blade seldom leaves her prey to see daylight…
[System Alert: Congratulations, Host! Your Doomsteed has enhanced your physical fitness, improving all bodily functions by 30%!]
A warm current surged through Adam's veins, sharpening his senses. His vision, hearing, even his reflexes had all reached new heights.
"Finally, something useful! Not bad, system... not bad at all," Adam muttered with a smirk, feeling unstoppable.
Adam couldn't help but let out a triumphant laugh, almost wanting to shout to the heavens.
"This... this cheat is incredible!"
With an Doomsteed, he could finally become a true Doom-Breaker. The connection between a Doom-Breaker and their Doomsteed was a powerful, symbiotic bond. Through control and rigorous training, the Doom-Breaker could strengthen these creatures, pushing their power to new heights.
Likewise, the Doomsteed would resonate with their masters, feeding back their energy to enhance the Doom-Breaker's physical capabilities beyond human limits.
And Adam's Alienor? None other than the formidable Hell Queen! Sure, she was only at Aggression Level 3 for now, but that was already leaps ahead of most new recruits!
He grinned, imagining the poor trainees at special institutions who would, at best, be assigned a security-level Alienor barely able to handle basic patrols. And even that would be a stroke of luck for them.
But Adam? He had the CyberGenesis System backing him up. He'd crush anyone who dared to compete!
And the kicker? Her potential rating was SSR, an extremely rare attribute that couldn't be altered, determining the Alienor's capacity to grow.
"SSR... That's limitless growth potential!" Adam said, practically buzzing with excitement.
[System Alert: Host, you may now name your Doomsteed.]
"Oh, I get to name her?" Adam glanced at the Hell Queen's stat panel again. Sure enough, there was an "unnamed" field just waiting to be filled.
He thought for a moment, feeling a surge of responsibility. This name would mark his partner for the future, and it had to be perfect.