The abandoned rail yard was a wasteland of rusted train cars, collapsed tracks, and shattered concrete. The air smelled of iron and decay, a sickening reminder that something unnatural lurked here.
I stood at the entrance of the ruins, my emerald-green eyes scanning the darkness, searching for my prey.
Then, I heard it.
A low growl, deep and guttural.
I turned my head slightly, a smirk tugging at my lips.
"Found you."
The Alpha Nightcreature emerged from the shadows, its massive frame towering over the wreckage.
Its body was twisted and monstrous, its muscles bulging beneath **jagged obsidian-like armor. Its glowing red eyes locked onto me, filled with nothing but hunger and malice.
It let out a deafening roar, the sheer force of it rattling the metal around us.
I grinned.
"Not bad… but let's see if you can keep up."
The Alpha lunged at me, its massive claws slicing through the air like blackened blades.
I sidestepped effortlessly, feeling the wind from its attack whistle past my face.
Then, in a flash, I countered—driving my knee into its ribcage.
CRACK!
The impact sent the creature skidding backward, crashing through a pile of rusted train cars.
Dust and debris exploded into the air, but I didn't give it a chance to recover.
I vanished, reappearing above it mid-air, bringing my heel down like a guillotine.
BOOOOOM!
The force of my kick sent a shockwave through the entire rail yard, collapsing an entire section of the structure.
The Alpha let out a horrific snarl, its body shaking as it pushed itself back up.
I cracked my knuckles.
"Is that all?"
It roared, its body pulsing with energy.
Then I felt it — a shift in the air.
Something was changing.
---
The Alpha's body convulsed, its red eyes glowing brighter. Its muscles expanded, bones cracking and rearranging as a dark aura engulfed its form.
The ground beneath it **fractured**, and suddenly—**its body twisted and grew.**
Its black armor thickened, its claws extended, and its entire frame became more monstrous, more refined.
Its roar was deafening now, sending waves of pure killing intent into the air.
I watched with amusement.
"Oh? You're evolving?"
The System's voice rang in my ears.
---
[WARNING: The Alpha Nightcreature is undergoing forced evolution.]
- New Threat Level: + S-Class
- Power Surge Detected: Strength and Speed Increased by 300%
---
I smirked.
**"Now we're talking."**
Before I could react, the evolved Alpha disappeared from my sight—only for me to barely register its claw inches from my face.
For the first time in a long time—I felt something sharp tear through my flesh.
Blood sprayed across the air.
I staggered back, touching my cheek, where a deep gash had appeared.
I licked the blood off my fingertips, then grinned like a madman.
"Finally… a real fight."
The Alpha snarled, lunging at me again, but this time, I met it head-on.
Our claws and fists collided, shaking the entire rail yard.
Metal bent. Concrete shattered. The night trembled.
It was a battle that would leave the world scarred.
The Alpha Nightcreature struck again, its massive claws slicing through the air with terrifying speed. I didn't even flinch as its blades made contact with my chest.
Clink.
The sound of its claws scraping against my skin was the only noise that broke the stillness.
I looked down at the shallow scratch, barely a mark.
The black bones in my body absorbed the blow, the demonic essence within them enhancing my durability, making me nearly invulnerable to such an attack.
"Is that all you've got?" I taunted, my voice laced with amusement. "Your claws feel like a breeze."
I looked up at the creature, which was still reeling from its own attack. Its eyes burned with fury, but the more it tried, the more it seemed to realize that it was facing someone far more dangerous than it anticipated.
The beast snarled, the rage evident in every movement as it prepared for another assault.
"You think you're untouchable?" The Alpha hissed, its voice deep and venomous. "I will tear you apart piece by piece!"
I smirked back at the creature.
"You don't get it, do you?" I spoke coldly, my eyes glowing with the power of my past life. "I'm not Samuel anymore. I'm something far worse. I'm the Heavenly Demon reborn."
With that, I raised my hand to the air, a dark aura swirling around me as I felt the power of my Black Bones surge through my body. The sensation was intoxicating—like I had become a force of nature, and nothing could touch me.
The Alpha charged at me once more, its claws extending, aiming for my throat. But this time, I didn't dodge or move.
I stood still, waiting for it to reach me.
In a split second, its claws were at my chest, but before they could sink in, I grabbed its wrist, holding it in place. The strength of its strike was nothing against my demonic durability.
"You're too slow," I said calmly as I twisted its wrist, forcing the creature to drop its claws to the ground.
It roared in frustration, but before it could react, I kicked it hard in the chest, sending the beast flying backward with such force that it crashed through several walls of the nearby wrecked structures.
Boom!
The impact caused the entire rail yard to shake, and a thick cloud of dust and debris filled the air.
The Alpha was down, but not out. I knew that its pride wouldn't let it stay down for long.
I walked toward it slowly, each step calculated, my confidence growing with every passing second.
When the dust cleared, the Alpha struggled to get back to its feet, its body battered but still not willing to give up.
"You're strong," the Alpha snarled, "but I'm not done yet."
I looked at it and scoffed.
"You're not strong enough," I said as I advanced on the beast, my eyes glowing like molten fire. "You're just a beast. And I'm a god compared to you."
I raised my hand, drawing on the power of my Breath of Destruction—a technique that I had only recently unlocked, but it felt like it had been a part of me for centuries.
The air around me began to distort, and a swirling fire-like aura enveloped my hand.
I could feel the destructive energy building, and I could see the Alpha's eyes widen in fear as it realized what was coming.
"No! You can't—!" it tried to scream, but it was too late.
"Say goodbye," I said with a smirk, and with that, I released the Breath of Destruction.
A blast of pure, searing fire shot from my hand, swallowing the Alpha in an instant. The flames roared as they consumed everything in their path, erasing the creature's very existence.
BOOOOM!
The explosion was so powerful that it shook the very foundations of the rail yard, and a pillar of fire rose high into the sky, illuminating the night for miles around.
When the smoke finally cleared, there was nothing left but ash—the Alpha Nightcreature, the terrifying beast that had once ruled this domain, was no more.
I stood amidst the ruins, my chest rising and falling as I caught my breath. The air was still, the battle over.
I felt the rush of power course through me, the full might of my second life as the Heavenly Demon now at my disposal.
"This is just the beginning," I muttered to myself, wiping blood from my hands, a satisfied grin on my face.
The Alpha was defeated, but the war was far from over. There were still greater threats to face.
But for now, I was victorious, and I would savor it.