The mound of metallic ore and material exploded, as a creature the Demons or Hellwalkers had never seen before climbed out of the ditch.

The creature still retained a spider-like shape, with a tail made of connected blade segments, but its body was different. Instead of the classic tank-turret aesthetic and shape, it now had an appearance that nothing could compare to. It was tall, wide and sleek, with curves and angles that would never reflect radar or electromagnetic radiation directly back at its source. A thin line ran through the middle of the pitch-black shape, like the terminus line of lips pressing together. It almost looked like a mouth, and under that observation method, the creature's body could be called a face, if it belonged to a demonic hellhound. The snout was elongated and sinister. In truth, this was the housing for the new internally contained Linear Accelerator - a railgun, more or less.

The other change was the size of the creature. It now stood twelve meters tall when stretched, and could reach twice as far, end to end. Normally, however, the creature reached only four meters in height, and about six meters in length and width.

When the creature came to the surface, most of those gathered there drew their weapons. They knew that this was Halas, on some level... still their conscious minds rejected the possibility. Even though they saw the Taur transform, and even though they knew that all living beings could transform; This was not the reason why.

When they saw that creature, pitch black and ominous, their hearts froze. Fear inexorably crawled like lightning along their nerves, paralyzing them. Icy fingers of dread coiled around their hearts and squeezed, stamping out all embers of reason and logic.

To them, Halas was death incarnate. No, not death - death was merciful and quick. Halas was the incarnation of something far worse for which words do not exist because mortal minds cannot comprehend such torment and such caliber of annihilation.

The very moment they saw Halas, they realized that they had drawn their last breath. They were only still alive because their hearts were too terrified to cease all activity without Halas's permission.

You have unlocked the Inquisitor skill-set.

Your proficiency with Intimidation has increased.

You become more charismatic.

"M-master?" Krimor was the first to speak, drawling out the words carefully.

On the merit of not being dead, Krimor assumed he was not wrong. "Master look stronger than before..."

It was nearly impossible to tell who or what Halas was looking at, but when Krimor felt the sudden pressure on him, like a guillotine hanging above his head, he knew that he was Halas's focus.

Halas's tail flicked from side to side, scraping the floor with the barest touch on the periapsis of each malevolent cycle.

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This was Halas now. Before, when it was just a Seed Drone, it had to comply to the rules of the world. Even though it was an Apex predator then, this new creature was something else and its true nature no longer had to be concealed.

[Charing Linear Accelerator.]

[Mode set: Particle Bombardment.]

[Mana limiter: 1000 units.]

A charging up sound emitted from Halas's new body, blue light crawling through the cracks of the barely visible fault lines of it's mouth.

[Target locked.]

[Linear Accelerator report: Test complete.]

[Particle Beam identified: Mercury Bombardment.]

As the housing opened, exposing the magnetic focusing coils, the light blinded nearly all of the demons. Those foolish enough to stare it for longer than a moment would go permanently blind, but at the very least they would see what was about to be their end. It wasn't a sword, or a spell, or anything of the sort. Just strange coils around a levitating platform, with lightning jumping between each plate on the platform. That was it; an unknown weapon would claim their lives.

[Mana limit reached.]

[Weapon ready.]

Lightning began to spill through the exposed housing, and the ferromagnetic material in the ditch became attracted to the it, flying towards Halas. The material arranged itself around the pitch-black creature, even hovering in mid air, as it followed the magnetic lines emitted by the creature, simultaneously attracted and repelled by the forces Halas was wielding.

[Firing.]

The first flash was also the last flash a dozen demons saw. It was brilliant white, but as the light faded only the color green remained in their memories. Sickly, damned green. The sound was a high-pitched shriek that peeled like thunder in the distance. It turned the demons to ash and blew a hole into the chamber walls that reached as far as the eye could see, walls melting in on themselves.

You have unlocked the Arcane Weapon skillset.

Your proficiency with Arcane Weapons has improved.

Your proficiency with Beam Weapons has improved.

[Charged.]

[Switching from pulsed mode to sustained mode.]

[Firing.]

The doppler effect on the sound of the beam swooping down on at least fifty demons would remain in the memories of the surviving ones for the rest of their miserable lives. They did not understand why or how they deserved this. Hell was all about cruelty, and few things did not make sense or have a reason. But this was different. This wasn't just cruelty or entertainment. It just was.

The beam carved out a large section of the outpost outer walls, specifically designed and fortified through magic to sustain siege weapons of abhorrent make. Yet that beam carved through them as if they were made out of paper - worthless!

"To arms!" Krimor suddenly shouted. "See demon, slay demon! For Master Halas!"

Processing those words, the creature paused for a moment.

[Removing entity "Taur Tribes" from scheduled weapon test program.]

[Emotion Matrix: Satisfied.]

Whether the Taur - or rather, Hellwalkers - sensed that they were next on the schedule, or if they were truly loyal to Halas, it did not matter to the creature. Halas measured results and outcome, not motivation.

The demons scattered as the Hellwalkers rushed them; some surrendered and were cut down, others surrendered and were taken captive. The latter was the worse fate. Still, the rest managed to escape into the tunnels, including Aisella, and they ran for their lives.

They realized how foolish it was to make pacts with real demons and devils. After all, the outpost they had built was an agreement between the hellwalkers and the demons; Halas never expressed an opinion on it... until now that is. They, tricksters and devils, were tricked by something far more sinister and malevolent than they could ever hope to be.