The Dark Guard shreds the rest of its armor, revealing a dark grey-skinned man standing over 3 meters tall with considerable muscle mass, staring across the battlefield with four green eyes, each labeled with an orange glowing number [1].

Even underneath the black armor, this monster wears skin-tight silver plating on its chest, arms, and legs; but its bulging muscles and veins are hardly restrained by it.

A dangerous aura radiates through the air, and even without my inspect skill telling me there are four ratings on this being, it already feels like there is more than one monster containing the mind that is sending mental attacks our way.

Its entire body radiates a dark grey energy, and the silver armor left on it glows orange just like the numbers in its eyes.

The light around it grows brighter and brighter until it engulfs its whole body.

Meanwhile, Maria and Ember float upward. Ember speaks up, turning back to me.

"It will be a tough fight, but we can handle this. Your main body's power is growing steadily, I can feel my own power being gradually unlocked as it does. However, I cannot sense the Dark One's presence anywhere, I do not know when it will strike. We need you here before it does."

I nod, looking up to the sky where I know my double and Luna are watching, but I don't give them any signs to open my capsule yet. If Ember and Maria can handle this creature on their own, every extra minute they can hold it off is just under another hour my main body gets to gather power.

"Understood."

Ember pulses red, grins, and turns back toward the guard.

"You don't have to worry about me, I'll win."

Maria's Soul Energy grows denser and bluer around her too, and she looks back at me.

"We've got this."

I clasp my hands and nod back to her with a relaxed expression.

"I know. Show me what you've got."

In the same moment, I open up a telepathy channel for all three of us, so that we can easily communicate moving forward.

She smiles, and the Soul Energy around her glows even brighter when she turns her back to me.

Both of them speed forward in the sky toward the large mass of glowing soul energy where the Dark Guard stood moments ago.

It looks as if it's shifting and deforming.

The glow becomes much wider, and using my inspect skill, I can see that the [Lv. 2588] that hovers over each one of its eyes is getting further apart.

The glow becomes many times larger than its original form, but finally fades and reveals quite the sight behind when it disappears.

There are four men that look exactly the same as the guard that stood there before. Their skin is dark grey, their heads are bald, their muscles are bulging, and their silver armor still hums with an orange light around it.

However, there are two key differences in each of them.

The first is that each body only has one eye in the center of its forehead. They've separated into cyclops creatures, and all share the same energy output as their original body did moments ago.

The second difference is their weapons.

They each carry very unique artifacts that seem to be made of the same metallic material, and glowing orange with the Lich King's soul energy.

Far on the left, the first creature holds an enormous spiked club. Next to it, the cyclops to its side has metal fixtures on its hands that appear to be some kind of cannons.

To its side, the next monster has an enormous shield with a skull on the front.

Then finally, all the way to the right, the final grey-skinned creature carries a long elegant sword. He keeps by his side while scanning the battlefield with his single eye. This one gives off the most eerie aura.

All of them stare forward as Maria and Ember continue to approach.

Then, split off into two groups of two.

The Guard with the club and cannons both lunge off to the left side while the sword and shield move off to the right.

Maria speaks up through the telepathy link while turning to change her trajectory to the left.

"Looks like they've already begun."

Ember turns his body to the right and locks his gaze on the humanoid monsters with a shield and long sword.

"They have. Call if you're in a pinch."

"Same goes for you."

In blue and red streaks of light, they both rocket off toward the enemies that separate themselves over the war below.

Trails of grey and orange energy are left behind the four parts of the 1st ranked Dark Guard, and with the ice and fire trailing behind Maria and Ember, it looks like an enormous circle is being drawn in the sky.

Both of the points are destined to meet in the air, roughly a kilometer above the battles of the 3rd and 4th ranked Dark Guards.A case of content theft: this narrative is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.

I watch from afar as their glows get brighter and they get closer.

Time feels as if it's slowing down while the incredible forces clash.

The dense Soul Energy around Maria's sword clashes directly against the enormous spiked club of the guard that leads the charge on her portion of the battle above the rocky mountains below.

Both of them stop in the air, many meters apart without physically touching, their Soul Energy auras battle it out in the sky.

Immense shockwaves ripple off the display. The blue waves of light spread ice wherever they make contact, and the orange waves ripple back, attempting to melt through energy and mass wherever it can.

Neither of them budge, as it seems their magic power is even.

After a full second of pushing back and forth, the spiked club begins to push its way through the blue light, even though ice crystals form all over it and begin to creep down the cyclops' wrists and arms, it still pushes forward, yelling out loud in a manic tone.

"You're mine! The newly awakened! She's all mine!"

Maria sees where this initial exchange is going if she doesn't step things up. Her magic power may be stronger in this base form, but this mutated monster most definitely has a brute strength advantage.

Her whole body begins to glow bright blue, almost white, as she starts to activate her first ranked-up buff [Ice Age].

However, the guard that comes flying in from behind shimmers in an orange light as bright beams of Soul Energy come rocketing out from its arms right where its hands should be.

"You're not getting an attack off that easy!"

As the hot orange lasers come flying her way, she shifts the focus of her ranked-up buff's energy attack and twists her body out of the way to avoid both of the lasers and the downward swing of the spiked club.

Using her advantage of speed and agility while still up close, she sends a slash of Ice imbued Soul energy at the monster's side.

It makes contact with its silver armor and upper left shoulder. There's a loud cracking sound as the blue energy damages the silver metal, and the dense ice attack freezes its entire left arm down from its shoulder to its hand.

The creature is forced to jump back and only hold its heavy club with its right hand while it loses feeling in its left side.

Another round of lasers are blasted toward Maria by the creature coming from the opposite direction. These beams of Soul Energy are far stronger than the energy that surrounded the club user, so she doesn't hesitate to dodge these, but still slips in a weaker energy slash right at the fragile arm before flying away.

She backs up and goes on the defensive while the attack hits and the monster's arm shatters into a million tiny pieces.

The Dark Guard with lasers on its hands sends another barrage of attacks for Maria to strategically dodge in the air while it yells at its battle partner.

"You idiot! It's going to take us forever to grow that mass back! Did you listen to anything the Boss said? Don't underestimate her!"

—

At the same time, Ember makes contact with the Dark Guard on his side of the battle hovering over the deep ravine.

He manifests a long sword made of light red energy and clashes with the enormous silver shield that creates a dome of orange soul energy around both it and the sword wielder behind it.

Ember channels more soul energy from his inner being into the manifested sword and it begins to make the barrier around the two guards vibrate and ripple.

Then, moments later a tear in the orange dome forms as Ember's Soul Energy begins to melt it away.

His manifested blade makes contact with the Guard's Shield, and the same effect follows.

The orange veil around the shield disappears into thin air and the metal of the shield itself begins to melt.

The Guard jumps backward and a large slash is left across the skull that was on the shield.

The dome of Soul Energy that protected the two guards dissipates as the one casting it retreats.

"As you believed boss, this one is not normal."

From behind, the Guard holding a long silver sword, that the shield holder calls boss, jumps forward and engages with Ember next.

Its [1] glows bright in its eye, and the orange energy around its own sword glows far brighter than any of the other guards on this battlefield.

Its blade clashes with Ember's red manifested sword to create an [X] and release vibrations of energy that shake the ground and disturb the air for many kilometers in every direction.

They look at each other face to face.

The green eye of the Dark Guard stares straight into Ember's emotionless Crimson gaze.

The guard's teeth are clenched tight as it pushes its blade forward with all of its strength, while the corner of Ember's lips stay permanently turned up.

He pushes back while analyzing this monster's strengths and weaknesses, waiting for it to make the next move so he can end this battle in the most efficient way possible.

Both parties are formidable, and have nearly equivalent physical strength, however Ember's confidence is his advantage. His true form is visible only to Soul Energy users that dare to look his way. He is like a force of nature that stares through the Dark Guard's Soul.

The Dark Guard speaks.

"So, you are the pest that has been chipping away at our forces and slowing down the advance of the Dark One. I will do everything in my power to make sure our ruler is the one who becomes the next Demon Lord."

There's a pause while shock waves continue to radiate through the air.

Ember's red sword glows brighter and brighter, to the point where it begins to melt away the dense soul energy surrounding this guard's sword.

His crimson eyes pulse and glow, showing anyone that looks into them the manifestation of a Black Fire Dragon made of energy beyond their comprehension. It is a window into the bottomless power that is trapped within him. Only drops are what leak out, that's the limited power he is using now.

The Dark Guard jumps backward at the sight, his natural instincts to run force his body to move without any decision from his conscious mind. Ember swings his sword across his body, releasing a blood-red slash and replies.

"The seat on that throne does not belong to the Lich King. I will make sure of that."

The energy rockets through the air, and with no time to dodge, the Dark Guard readies his sword while allowing his body to glow in a bright white light. Its sword grows longer, and its muscles start to shift and grow larger as well.

Simultaneously, from behind the white glowing silhouette of the evolving swordsman, the Dark Guard holding its shield comes from behind and puts up its dome of defenses again.

An orange barrier is manifested around both of them, and is held by the Guard with the shield.

The supercharged crimson slash makes contact with the outer edge of the barrier for a fraction of a second, but melts through even faster than the sword did before.

It crashes into the silver shield, and it's split in two instantly.

Next, the crimson slash makes contact with the chestplate of the armored guard, and it's sliced through like butter.

The Guard doesn't even get to react, the grey soul energy that surrounds its body doesn't stand a chance against this crimson strike either. It seems to be defying the natural logic of Soul Energy, becoming not only denser but also stronger as it soars through the air. It melts through and disintegrates everything it touches.

The creature is split in two, releasing enormous amounts of dark grey energy, killing it on the spot. The slash continues its path toward the white glowing and expanding guard behind it.

However, instead of staying on its straight and unmovable path, a long silver sword collides with the unstoppable strike, and deflects it with a single swing.

The red crescent flies off into the open desert at mind-numbing speeds and disappears while the white silhouette of the Boss of the Strongest Dark Guards grows into its greater form.

---

Back in the underground bunker, more and more dark red light seeps out from the cracks in the isolation pod.

A ringing notification sounds in my main body's inner ear from the level transfer perk of our Soul Bond. This is the experience gained from Ember killing the Shield User.

[Level Up] x219

This bring's my main body's level to 1382.

This increase in power makes the red energy pulse and flow out at an even greater rate.

The entire underground bunker begins to fill with Qi and mana intertwined with each other, stained dark red.

The pod vibrates, and makes the shielding in the room hum and react to its energy output.

A very unique Soul Energy awakening is taking place inside.