The Gorgus Maximus is an artificial creature, closer in nature to a demon than a magical beast. Its creation is tied to a single, defining condition: an overwhelming lust for knowledge. Magical beasts that evolve into Gorgus Maximus do so when their innate strength and intelligence grow to the point where their desire for knowledge surpasses any other instinct. This apotheosis grants them the ability to harness demonic energy, elevating them into a new, fearsome state of existence.
Humanoids, on the other hand, present a different case. By nature, they are curious beings, often driven by a conscious or subconscious hunger for understanding. Yet, this inherent trait alone is not sufficient to trigger the transformation into a Gorgus Maximus. Even the most brilliant minds among humanoids remain bound by their natural limitations unless an external catalyst intervenes.
The process requires something extraordinary—an external force that ignites and amplifies the existing spark of curiosity into an uncontrollable inferno. One such trigger is the presence of an Anti-Crystal. These rare crystals possess an unnatural property: they absorb and consume all energy that comes into their vicinity.
If an Anti-Crystal interacts with a humanoid, it can absorb all energy from the humanoid and awaken even the smallest trace of their lust for knowledge. However, this awakening doesn't just stop there as it expands that longing exponentially, transforming it into an insatiable craving that overrides all other instincts. The Anti-Crystal essentially breaks down the barriers within the humanoid, allowing the latent potential for transformation to surge forward.
Once the process begins, the individual's physical and mental state shifts violently. The lust for knowledge becomes so immense that it warps their very essence, forcing a metamorphosis. Their soul merges with demonic energy, and they ascend—or descend—into becoming a Gorgus Maximus.
At this point, they are no longer bound by the same laws of existence as before. Their form, abilities, and very nature are remade in the image of their new, insatiable purpose: to seek knowledge at any cost.
…
The snow drifted over the fortress wall, cascading under the overhanging cliff that loomed above. Beneath it, the Gorgus Maximus convulsed, its form almost condensing as the dark purple mist seeped into its body.
The most obvious move would have been to interrupt the transformation, to strike while the beast remained vulnerable. But Ophelia knew something essentially everybody did not at this current point in time.
"Damn" She muttered under her breath.
She took a few steps back, her spear still in hand, then turned sharply toward Edwin and the rest of the Holy Knights who lingered nearby.
"Run," she ordered, her voice low but firm.
Everybody looked confused and stumbled to their feet, but Ophelia's next words got them running with all their might.
"RUN! RUN AWAY!"
Without hesitation, they obeyed. Edwin pushed himself up from where he had been sitting, clutching the gaping wound on his side. Blood spilled freely through his fingers, staining the snow as he sprinted alongside her and the others. His breaths came in short gasps, his steps uneven, but his resolve didn't waver.
Behind them, the beast's form swelled. The demonic energy coiled tighter, swirling around the Gorgus Maximus as if feeding it life. The once-erratic mist grew calm, focusing inward, drawn into the creature's core. The air hummed with tension, yet the snowfall persisted, its flakes drifting lazily to the ground.
Edwin turned his head slightly, his face pale from blood loss. His voice cracked as he called out to Ophelia, "You're Lady Aubessec, right? What's happening?"
She didn't look back, her gaze fixed forward as her lips cracked open, "Death."
Edwin's jaw tightened, but he said nothing more. He pressed harder against his wound, forcing his legs to carry him faster despite the searing pain. The group moved as fast as they could, their boots crunching through the snow, leaving a trail of red and white behind them.
Suddenly, in an instant, the sound of the whirling wind and snow vanished. The crunch of boots on ice ceased. Every trace of noise evaporated as the group collapsed next to Tridra's unconscious body, huddled against the wall.
They glanced backward, panic gripping their faces as a black explosion tore through the air, halting mere meters from their position. Smoke poured out like a living thing, clawing at the space between them and the blast.
Everything was smokey. They couldn't tell up from down or left from right. It was complete chaos as a lingering burst of energy exploded into them, sending them tumbling back against the wall.
However, as soon as they hit the wall behind them, only one person got up and moved.
Ophelia.
Without hesitation, she dashed into the smoke. The air grew hotter with every step, mercury coating her body bubbling and melting, only to reform in jagged, uneven layers. Her teeth clenched as the exposed parts of her face burned, her skin blistering in the suffocating heat. Still, she ran. She pressed forward, ignoring the pain.
'I expected something like this would happen… but I did not want to end up using this. I do not know how these powers will react together…' she thought, her mind calculating and uncertain. 'But this will work. I know it will.'
Through gritted teeth, she growled, "As your apostle of light and greatness, I wield the [Supreme Command]."
Suddenly, a few panels fluttered in front of her.
[You are combining two opposing powers]
[There will be consequences]
A dark blue light flared beneath her feet, burning through the haze. The ground before her answered with a deep crimson glow, ominous and searing. Then it appeared—ripping through the smoke like a nightmare made flesh.
The Gorgus Maximus.
Its massive claw slashed through the air toward her, a killing blow. Ophelia moved in a flash, leaping onto its arm and sprinting upward. The beast roared, roots surging from the smoke to snare her, but her senses locked onto them instantly. She leaped from one root to the next, ascending higher and higher, until she was level with its face.
Their eyes met and the beast peered back into hers. It was as if an abyss was staring back at it.
The beast hesitated, its massive form flinching as it stared at her. That grin. Her smile stretched ear to ear. For the first time, the Gorgus Maximus doubted. How did she know what to do? Its mind raced. Intuition? Impossible. Nothing about her actions felt random. It felt as though she knew.
This was not the battle it had expected.
The Gorgus Maximus roared, shaking the air as Ophelia launched forward. Her mercury spear bent under the force of her swing, the blade slicing through the darkness toward the beast's head. It braced itself, claws rising to block.
CRACK
A wall of roots erupted in an instant, absorbing the blow. From the collision, roots shot outward like shrapnel, but when the beast lowered the wall, all it saw was a broken spear falling to the ground.
It froze.
A chill ran through its massive body, primal and undeniable. Instinctively, it pulled its arms inward to shield itself.
SHING
From below, a silver flash sliced clean through its wrists. Both hands fell, severed, to the ground below. The beast's roar of pain split the air as blood and demonic energy erupted from the stumps.
Ophelia's body continued to sore upwards, the momentum carrying her higher past the beast's falling hands. With a newly formed mercury spear in hand, she broke through the chaos, meeting the creature's eyes once more. The weapon spun around her neck, building terrifying speed until the handle literally bent from the force.
The Gorgus Maximus flinched, its body felt heavier than usual, so it was too late. The spear struck, horizontally and precise, slicing clean through its eyes.
A howl of agony echoed across the battlefield as the creature's vision turned to darkness.
Ophelia fell, landing with precision as the smoke began to clear. Her mercury spear solidified in her grip, its gleam cutting through the haze. She watched the energy rising from the beast's ruined hands and hollow eyes, her lips curling into a grimace.
She clicked her tongue. "I had no momentum in that second swing," she muttered under her breath. "That should've taken its head clean off… No. My strength is still lacking in this form. Even with the Supreme Command."
The smoke finally cleared, revealing the Gorgus Maximus in full view. Its massive frame loomed, demonic energy swirling around its severed wrists, sealing the stumps to cut off the blood flow. The same energy seeped into the bloody cavities where its eyes had been torn in half, trying desperately to regenerate what had been lost.
Ophelia stood motionless, her eyes locked on the creature. She didn't strike. Not yet.
If the beast felt completely cornered, if it believed there was no escape, it would detonate again. But this time, it wouldn't just use a supplementary amount of energy to fulfill the conditions of the explosion. No. it would pour everything it had into the blast, overloading itself and killing not only her but everyone around. That risk was too great.
So, she waited.
And waited.
But she didn't stay idle.
Mercury spread from her feet, flowing along the ground like a silent predator. She extended it further and further, creeping closer and around the beast, preparing for her next move.
Suddenly, pain clawed at her from within. She could feel her organs failing, collapsing under the strain. The combination of Holy Power and the parasite within her was tearing her apart from the inside out. Yet, she didn't flinch.
'It was a gamble', she thought, 'but one with predictable outcomes.'
Every possibility had been mapped out in her mind. She didn't plan for failure. She never did.
And this situation was no different.
A long silence hung between them, stretching into an eternity. Neither moved, the air thick with tension. Then, the beast broke it, its voice deep and resigned.
"I have lost."
Ophelia's eyebrow twitched. This wasn't an outcome she had anticipated. She kept her guard up, her mercury creeping closer, ready to strike at a moment's notice.
"You probably expected me to destroy this mountain," the beast continued, "to sacrifice all of my demonic energy in a final explosion. But I am not a warrior. I am a seeker of knowledge. From what I have seen in this fight, in your eyes, you know more than I could ever hope to. So, please, feed my addiction. Tell me something I could never comprehend."
The mercury she had spread along the ground rose, shaping itself into a myriad of weapons. They hovered around the beast like predators, enclosing it in a cage of shimmering blades.
Ophelia didn't lower her guard.
The beast spoke again, undeterred. "When I looked into your eyes, I saw wisdom—an understanding of the world far beyond anything I could imagine. So, tell me, if you will, one truth I cannot learn in this lifetime. Let me die content."
She only continued to stare at the beast with wide eyes.
The beast let out a long sigh, and the demonic energy coursing through its body halted. Its aura dimmed entirely. "Now, I have no way of—"
SHING SHING SHING SHING SHING SHING SHING SHING SHING SHING SHING SHING SHING SHING SHING SHING SHING SHING SHING SHING SHING SHING SHING SHINGSHING SHING SHING SHING SHING SHING SHING SHING
Before it could finish, the mercury weapons struck. Each blade pierced vital points with precision. The brain, the heart, and every critical organ were destroyed in an instant. The beast's massive form crumpled to the ground, lifeless.
Ophelia stared at its corpse and muttered coldly, "I do not have the luxury to sit and tell you a story."
She deactivated the parasite. The armor covering her body retreated, flowing like liquid back into her forehead. Her mercury-like hair receded into the abyssal hole in her forehead, which quickly filled with flesh once more.
The Supreme Command soon followed after, the dark blue square beneath her vanishing instantly. With her powers sealed away, her body gave out, and she collapsed to the ground, gasping for air.
For a brief moment, she activated the parasite again. The abyssal hole reopened, and her mask began to form. But before the transformation could complete, she deactivated it, forcing everything to retreat back into her forehead.
Using the healing properties of the parasite, her organs, once on the brink of collapse, healed just enough to stave off death. However, she couldn't afford to drain her remaining strength by fully healing. This would have most likely put her in a coma which was time she could not afford to waste.
Her breathing slowed as her body steadied. Confirming she was still alive, her eyes fluttered shut, and she fainted on the spot.