Adam rubbed his chin thoughtfully, pondering over the perfect name. This Doomsteed was his first—his debut into the world of Doom-Breakers—so he needed something meaningful.
But before he could come up with anything, a thought hit him. "Hey, System, I still have no idea how to actually summon her to fight. Is there some kind of... technique or trick?"
[The Doomsteed has bonded to the host, syncing with the host's Quantum resonance frequency…]
[The tattoo on the host's arm is a manifestation of the Doomsteed. You need only to concentrate and use your mind to summon her.]
Adam glanced down at the red sickle tattoo on his arm, realizing it represented the connection between him and the Hell Queen. Normally, this kind of training would have been handled in a specialized academy, but, well… fate had handed him a shortcut.
"Thank you, System," he murmured, a little grin playing at his lips.
With renewed focus, Adam closed his eyes, concentrating all his energy on calling the Hell Queen into action…
A faint buzzing filled his ears, and in a flash, a dark, spectral figure leapt out of him, like a shadow taking shape. Adam's eyes flew open in awe.
Before him stood the Hell Queen, her black hair flowing down her back and a massive sickle gleaming in her hands. Her piercing eyes and strong stance radiated both grace and raw power, making Adam momentarily speechless.
[Host, would you like to name your Doomsteed Hell Queen?]
Noticing the fierce glow in her scarlet eyes, Adam felt inspiration strike, like poetry from the depths of his soul.
"A crimson lotus... born from the flames of hell itself," he murmured, struck by his own epic choice. "From now on, you'll be known as… Rose!"
[Congratulations to the host, naming successful!]
[Compatibility with Doomsteed Rose increased by +10 points…]
Adam chuckled, feeling the connection solidify. Just naming her got him closer to his ultimate goals. This system… for once, it was actually useful.
And then he remembered his stashed 20,000 experience points, courtesy of his earlier quests. "System, let's apply those points to Rose."
[Experience points ready for immediate allocation...]
[Host, would you like to use them on Doomsteed Rose?]
"Absolutely. Hit it."
[20,000 experience points applied…]
[Congratulations! Doomsteed Rose has ascended to Brutal Level 4 Alienor…]
[New Skill Unlocked: Stealth Kill…]
Adam stared, stunned. "So... it's really this easy to power up?"
After years stuck in the shadows, always just scraping by, he finally felt an unstoppable surge of strength. His hands clenched, testing the raw power now flowing through him.
With a wry grin, he muttered to himself, "Like a hell-bloomed rose, I'm rising up, stronger and sharper every step. Watch out, world—you're about to get pricked."
At the same time, the attribute panel for his Doomsteed, Rose, displayed the results of her upgrade:
[Alienor Name: Hell Queen]
[Name: Rose]
[Affiliation: Adam]
[Potential Evaluation: SSR]
[Level: Brutal Level 4 (upgradable, requires 60,000 experience points)]
[Compatibility: 60 points]
[Alienor Class: Ghost Class, Specialty Series]
[Alienor Equipment: Soul-Slaying Scythe]
[Basic Ability: Superb close combat skills, master of combat, every strike lethal.]
[Special Ability: Hellfire – Summons the flames of hell to burn everything, or enchants the scythe with flames to enhance its lethality.]
[Special Ability: Stealth Kill – Temporarily hides presence and movement, making attacks ineffective against the target; can also be activated on the host.]
[Alienor Introduction: A girl risen from the depths of hell, the harbinger of death. With a blade sharp enough to cleave through darkness, her prey rarely lives to see the light of dawn.]
Rose had leveled up, but Adam knew that the next jump would require an enormous amount of experience points—three times more than before!
His eyes narrowed, gazing out at the garbage-strewn wasteland through his window. There, in that desolate place, opportunities waited. With his new Doomsteed by his side, the landscape of his life was about to change.
Adam moved with cautious steps, slipping out of the slum area unnoticed. He kept to the shadows, making sure to stay low and avoid drawing attention. Rose, his newly tamed Alienor, followed closely behind him, holding the massive scythe in her hands, its gleam catching the dim moonlight. Her form moved like a shadow, effortlessly blending into the darkness.
The streets were eerily quiet—most of the slum's residents, after a long day of grueling labor, were fast asleep. If anyone had caught sight of Adam walking through the shadows with the armed Alienor, it would have sparked panic throughout the area.
As they reached the outskirts, the stench of the garbage dump greeted them. The sprawling wasteland before them was a monumental heap of discarded goods.
In Crypta, there were countless sites like this—mountains of domestic refuse and factory waste piled high, awaiting disposal. This particular dump was located near the slums, a grim reminder of the city's relentless cycle of consumption and neglect.
Adam wandered through the dump, noticing the absence of any guards. Who in their right mind would choose to patrol such a place in the dead of night? It was a fool's errand.
After a while, he ventured deeper into the area, eventually stumbling upon a section of the dump where abandoned vehicles lay in ruin. Hundreds, maybe thousands, of discarded maglev cars—once sleek and state-of-the-art—now stood as broken husks. Their core batteries had been drained, leaking chemical toxins into the earth, making it dangerous to approach without proper handling.
This place wasn't just a dumping ground—it was a goldmine waiting to be tapped.
...
Locking onto a scrapped maglev car not far away, Adam focused intently, directing Rose with his mind.
"Rose, chop this broken thing down!"
The girl's scarlet pupils gleamed in the moonlight, a flash of red cutting through the night.
In the next instant, she vanished, her form seeming to dissolve into the shadows.
With terrifying speed, Rose appeared above the wreck, the massive sickle raised high, glinting in the air like a falling star.
The strike came fast, decisive.
Clang!
In a flash of blinding light, the scythe cleaved through the air, the sharp blade drawing a graceful arc before it struck the maglev car.
Boom...
The once formidable vehicle was sliced in two, as though it were made of paper rather than metal.
Rose stood triumphantly over the broken ruins, her tall, slender figure framed by the remnants of the car. Her long black hair fluttered in the wind like a dark banner.
The scene was breathtaking.
Adam stood frozen for a moment, utterly captivated by the display of raw power. A wide, triumphant grin spread across his face.
"Ha ha ha ha..."
The laughter bubbled out, loud and free, as he let the years of frustration and helplessness slip away. The feeling was intoxicating.
Basic attacks that could do this... Who else could achieve such power?
[Congratulations to the host, your compatibility with the Doomsteed Rose has increased by 3 points...]
Adam's eyes widened in disbelief. What? A simple test of strength could increase their compatibility?
[All interactions between the host and the Rose can increase the compatibility...]
A sudden realization struck him, and Adam couldn't suppress the grin that spread across his face.
The CyberGenesis System—it was more than just a tool for battle; it was a gateway to endless growth. Each action, each command, each small moment of cooperation between him and Rose was a chance to strengthen their bond, increasing not only their combat effectiveness but their very compatibility. It was an endless cycle of growth, an exponential power boost that could only be gained through intimacy and practice.
It was like having the cheat code to the universe itself.
What are you waiting for?
He wasn't about to let this opportunity slip through his fingers.
With renewed vigor, Adam gritted his teeth and took control of Rose once more, directing her to continue her relentless destruction of the abandoned maglev vehicles scattered across the dump. He wasn't just aiming to destroy, he was aiming to strengthen, to perfect the bond between him and his Alienor.
In a blur of motion, Rose flashed from one wreckage to another, her massive sickle cutting through steel and shattering the ruined vehicles into pieces. Each strike was calculated, precise, and elegant. She moved like a ghost, her form blending seamlessly with the darkness as the glint of her blade shone in the moonlight.
With every swing, every leap, and every strike, their bond grew stronger. Adam felt it—a subtle shift, a deepening connection between him and Rose. It wasn't just the power of the sickle he felt; it was the growing harmony between them, the shared understanding that transformed them into a single, unified force.
The deserted wasteland was now alive with flashing blades, a cacophony of destruction filling the night. Adam's heart raced with excitement, as the system's voice echoed in his ears, confirming his progress.
[Congratulations to the host, your compatibility with the Rose has increased by 1 point...]
[Congratulations to the host, your compatibility with the Rose has increased by 2 points...]
[Congratulations to the host, your compatibility with the Rose has increased by 1 point...]
The numbers kept climbing, each increment a silent testament to their growing bond. With every moment, Adam could feel the raw power and potential at his fingertips. The system was a constant hum in the background, urging him on, feeding the ever-growing connection between him and his Alienor.
In the heart of that desolate garbage dump, amidst the towering heaps of broken technology, Adam wasn't just surviving—he was thriving. Each slash of Rose's scythe, each increase in compatibility, was a step toward something far greater than anything he had ever imagined.
And this was only the beginning.