I clenched my hand slightly, and the response was immediate, the space around it warping as if something invisible had pushed against it, the energy no longer waiting for direction but reacting to even the smallest intent.
Then the notification completed.
[Class Evolved: Radiant Cataclysm (Unique)]
[The host has surpassed containment limits. Internal energy no longer remains bound to the body and instead manifests as a constant destructive overflow. The host exists as a source of continuous collapse, where presence alone exerts pressure on the surrounding space.]
A pulse moved outward from me, the kind that didn’t push violently but erased resistance as it passed. Dust lifted from the ground, small fragments of stone shifting without contact as the energy settled into a new state around me.
[Domain Unlocked: Cataclysm Domain]
[Description: The host generates a destructive field that extends outward, governed by stored energy. Within this domain, all matter and energy experience constant degradation under overwhelming pressure.]
[Effects:]
→ Passive destructive field centered on the host
→ Size scales with stored internal energy
→ Weak entities degrade over time within the domain
→ Defensive constructs lose stability under sustained exposure
→ Movement and attacks amplify domain pressure
I let out a slow breath as everything settled, but the change didn’t fade with it. The field was already there, steady and constant, not something I had to activate or even think about. It simply existed around me, pressing outward into the space like a quiet weight that didn’t go away. When I shifted my stance, the ground reacted again, thin cracks forming beneath my feet without any real force behind the movement.
"Now that’s new," I muttered.
The system continued.
[Overdrive Updated...]
[Passive Effect Added: +20% Stat Increase (Always Active)]
The scaling followed right after.
[Overdrive Scaling:]
50% Charge → +20% Stat Increase
100% Charge → +40% Stat Increase
150% Charge → +60% Stat Increase
200% Charge → +100% Stat Increase (Maximum Capacity)
A new section appeared beneath it.
[New Mode Unlocked: Undying Juggernaut]
[Description: The host converts incoming damage into energy. The greater the damage sustained, the faster energy generation accelerates, amplifying strength and destructive output.]
[Effects:]
→ Damage taken increases energy generation rate
→ Strength scales with accumulated damage
→ Sustained combat increases output exponentially
"So hitting me is a mistake now," I said quietly.
The final notification appeared.
[New Skill Acquired: Ruinous Touch (Unique)]
[Description: Release a concentrated bloom of destructive energy at the point of contact, causing rapid disintegration of all matter within range.]
[Effects:]
→ Instant localized energy bloom
→ Disintegration effect on contact
→ Area expands based on stored energy
→ Highly effective against dense targets and structures
I focused on my hand, and the energy responded immediately, gathering without resistance, tightening around my palm until the space there bent slightly, like something invisible had pulled inward before I released it again.
I took a step forward. The ground didn’t just support it.
It reacted.
Cracks spread outward from where I stood from the pressure around me shifting with the movement, the field adjusting as naturally as breathing.
I stood there for a moment, letting it settle properly. This wasn’t just more strength.
It worked differently. Before, I had to strike to destroy.
Now it was already happening. I lifted the axe and rested it on my shoulder, the weight feeling lighter than before.
"Good," I said.
Then I looked ahead, toward the rest of the city.
"Let’s see how fast this ends now."
*******
I regrouped with Lyrate and Knight at the center, and without wasting time, we acquired the city as the golden dome rose and sealed it under our control.
Lyrate tilted her head slightly, her gaze drifting upward toward the sky as if she was looking past it. "By now, Goldius has definitely noticed," she said.
I glanced at her. "Noticed what exactly?"
"What we’re doing," she replied. "And more importantly, where this is going. He’s not blind, and he’s not going to sit and watch us take control without reacting. If I had to guess, he’ll push the alien races harder, increase their strength, and force cooperation between them. If they can’t rule directly, then they’ll just turn the board against us."
Knight let out a quiet breath. "So we’re about to get jumped by everything at once."
"Something like that," she said. "So we move faster before that happens."
I nodded slightly, adjusting the axe on my shoulder as the energy inside me settled into its new state, heavier but far more responsive than before. "Works for me," I said. "I just upgraded my class, so I’ll make use of it. Let’s go for the next major city."
Knight glanced at me. "Already?"
"I need more energy," I replied. "Once I build it up, I won’t have to go zone by zone anymore."
He frowned slightly. "What do you mean?"
I looked at him, a faint grin forming. "I’ll just cover them all at once."
He blinked. "How?"
"By unfolding my domain and covering this entire province in one go."
For a moment, he just stared at me before letting out a short laugh. "That big?"
"Yeah."
"That’s insane."
"It’ll work."
Neither of them argued after that.
We didn’t delay any further, heading back toward the forest where we had left the vultures. They were still there, restrained and restless, their wings shifting slightly as we approached, but the moment we mounted them again, the resistance faded and they took to the air without hesitation.
The sky opened up around us as we rose, the wind cutting across my face as the ground pulled away, the landscape of the province stretching out beneath us in a wide, connected spread that now made far more sense with the upgraded map guiding the path. We didn’t drift or circle, just pushed forward in a straight line, the vultures tearing through the air with steady, powerful beats as we cut across distance that would have taken hours on foot.
The capital sat far ahead.
Even from this distance, its scale was noticeable, larger than the cities we had taken so far. If I was going to push my energy to its limit, then this was the place to do it.
I adjusted my grip slightly as I looked ahead, the field around me fluctuating with each passing second, waiting to be pushed further.
There was also the new skill. That would matter.
"Goldius," I muttered under my breath, my eyes fixed forward as the clouds split around us and the vultures pushed straight through them, "let’s see what you’ve got."