Compared to the first time I had slain another human, it was significantly less jarring. Maybe it was because these weren’t technically humans from this world, or perhaps it was because I was getting used to it. Whatever the case was, I barely batted an eye as my Soultaker cut down humans and non-humans alike along with my specters and clone.

The battle was chaotic, a cacophony of clanging steel, roars, and screams echoing through the streets. The buildings around us had turned into a battleground, with windows shattering and walls cracking as the various factions clashed. Above us, angels and demons soared, their epic duels illuminating the dark sky with bursts of light and fire. I wasn't sure if the clashing forces were from both our side and the invaders, but knowing their history, I wasn't surprised if most of the conflict was amongst their own allies.

As for my team, they were handling themselves pretty well. Aurora was a whirlwind of steel, her broadsword cutting through the enemy lines with ease. Celine and Gigi used their magic to keep the enemy at bay, their spells creating a dance of destruction around us. Tommy, though still the weakest of us, had found his niche by using his Title to bypass the Blade Skill usage limits and straight up spamming them. I debated on letting him borrow the Golden and Silver Serpent swords, but he seemed like he was doing fine with his dual weapons.

In fact, I couldn't help but feel a bit overpowered as my clone's Flooded Kingdom rooted the enemies in place, his Rainfall boosting our Speed stats to unbelievable numbers, and his Lightning Bolts sending the army into chaos. It would've been overkill had I used my Skills as well.

Amidst the chaos, I noticed something peculiar: I wasn't gaining any experience points or rewards. I glanced at the others and realized they weren't getting anything as well. I scowled, assuming that the World Raid was a test of sorts, to see where the Players were at during this point in the game.

As quickly as the others and I cut down the armies, more came to replace them from the portals. There was no system alert for time, no direction on what the clear condition was. It was simply as if the only goal was to survive the invasion.

I clicked my tongue, more out of annoyance than anything else. "Why the fuck are there so many of them?" I complained, noting the increased damage I had added to the Soultaker. At least I was getting something out of this.

"Glad to see... you're so nonchalant... about this..." Tommy panted, dodging a swing from a demonic creature that had claws longer than his forearms. He fired off another sword Skill at nearby archers, killing them in an instant.

"Helps when I have my own army to reduce the effort," I shrugged, watching my specters tear through the enemy lines like a hot knife through butter. "But I'm starting to get bored of this."

Tommy and the other three briefly paused their battles to shoot me a look of shock.

"What?" I asked, the annoyance clear in my voice.

"Dude, you've always been on the grind, but now that you have a chance at unlimited farming, you're starting to get bored?" Tommy replied, shifting his focus back on the battle.

[He has a point. I didn't think you'd be the first to tire of this, of all people.]

I scowled. "That's because we're not being challenged right now. It's bad enough that we're not getting anything from pushing back the invaders, but with nothing new coming out to test our strength, I'm feeling a little... unfulfilled."

"I agree with Immortal," Levius suddenly popped up next to us with a grin. His three clones were busy slaughtering the armies right as they came out of the portal. I wasn't sure if the 30th floor boss knew what spawn-killing was, but it was both hilarious and terrifying to watch. "But we should watch our words carefully. You, Immortal, have the worst luck when it comes to–"

A blood-curdling shriek emitted from the further down the street, cutting through the clanging of swords and the roars of the monsters. It was definitely not the sound of a being within the ranks of the royal army.

[Well, there goes not jinxing anything...]

From one of the bigger portals, a slim figure stepped out. Surrounded by swirling shadows, it seemed humanoid, and I couldn't get a clear view of what it was. One thing for certain though, I knew it was absurdly powerful.

"Oh boy," I murmured, the hairs on the back of my neck standing up. The air around the figure was thick with malice, and my specters grew more agitated. It was like they could feel the presence of something far beyond their capacity to handle.

[Name: Fallen Wyvern Drakkeires | Level: 6800]

[Health: 100,000,000 | Strength: 88,00,000]

[Speed: 50,000,000 | Magic: 12,000,000]

[Description: A creature of unparalleled darkness and power, feared across the realms. Having dropped from the grace of true draconic heritage, the being walks among mortals, searching for a way to satiate its hunger for revenge and hatred.]

[System alert: This being is weak to Players aligned to the Angels and Prime Sapien factions.]

"Huh, so joining a faction does have its benefits..." I murmured, my eyes locked on the new threat. The shadows around the Fallen Wyvern Drakkeires slithered away, revealing a half-draconic, half-man creature with scales that shimmered like obsidian. To be honest, he reminded me of Levius, albeit with a much more sinister vibe.

Speaking of the Sea Serpent Herald, Levius seemed to quake next to me, likely from fear or excitement. I was leaning towards the latter, but recalling how Levius had been nervous to fight Seth, I wouldn't have been surprised if it was fear as well.

"Well... he may be a wyvern, but he is still a relative of dragons," Levius muttered to me, his voice a mix of admiration and apprehension. "The stronger cousins compared to us serpents."

"So?" I fired back, brandishing my Soultaker. "Lumiro and Sevira seemed like the peak of the reptile family, and we beat them relatively easily. This guy just has more Strength, Speed, and Health. Doesn't seem like too hard a fight."

"On the surface, yes, Immortal," Levius said, his eyes not leaving the creature. "But this is a wyvern. They may seem around the same strength as serpents, but they have one particular trait that makes them the superior race."

"And what's that?" I questioned, keeping my gaze on the creature.

"While us serpents and dragons both have incredible power and durability, our cousins have the benefit of being immune to magic," Levius explained, his voice a low hiss. "Either their scales absorb any and all spells, making them nigh-invincible to mages and sorcerers, or some otherworldly power prevents them from being affected by the laws of this world. Perhaps it is because of how dragons first came to be that makes them impervious to Skills and magic, but you will have a difficult time facing stronger ones in the future."

"Well, that's just fantastic," I said with a heavy sigh. "But for now, at least I'm strong enough to kill him in one hit."

The Fallen Wyvern Drakkeires directed his gaze at me, his eerie teal eyes glowing with malevolence. The creature's massive wings unfurled, casting a shadow over the battlefield, and his muscular body rippled with the promise of unbridled strength. The ground trembled as he took a step forward, the sound of his claws echoing through the streets like thunder.

"How pathetic," Drakkeires sneered, his voice a mix of contempt and amusement. "You stand before me, a mere mortal, and yet you believe you can challenge a creature of my lineage?"

I checked my Stats, realizing that I still had them Shrouded. I smiled to myself, knowing full well I surpassed the wyvern in every area by leagues. So, I decided to have some fun.

"Oh, I'm sorry," I called out with feigned concern. "Did you say something, you overgrown lizard?"

The wyvern's eyes narrowed, the corners of his mouth twitching in irritation. His scales shimmered in the torchlight, each one the size of my fist, and his teeth looked sharp enough to rip through steel. I knew better than to underestimate him, but a bit of trash talk never hurt anybody.

The narrative has been taken without permission. Report any sightings.

"Although I reluctantly aligned myself with these so-called 'royal soldiers', you mortals never truly grasped the power of the dragonkin," Drakkeires continued, his tail swishing menacingly. "Let me show you what true power looks like."

"Sure," I muttered as Drakkeires immediately flashed towards me. Since my own Speed stat was in the billions compared to his 50 million, he was moving in slow motion to my eyes.

I kept my face neutral so as to not betray any hint that I was fully aware of his approach, instead taking a casual step to the side. As Drakkeires's claws swiped at the air, I casually swung my Soultaker around, the blade a blur of motion, and sliced through his neck.

The creature's head rolled off, his body dropping to the ground with a deafening thud. The surrounding air grew tense as the other faction Players stared at me in disbelief.

[You could've made it look more of a struggle...] Sephera's message complained to me.

"Yeah, well, it wouldn't have been any fun regardless," I sheepishly replied. "I'm just looking to kill time until the World Raid ends."

I glanced around, seeing the other Players compose themselves after I had slain Drakkeires. Apparently, my sole presence had quickly eased their worries as my specters and clone easily pushed back the invaders to the portals. Many of the Players were now standing in front of the portals, spawn-killing whenever they got the chance. It was kind of strange and amusing to see everyone work together without any real incentive other than survival.

As much as I wanted to feel disappointed, I knew that the system would eventually throw in a twist to the World Raid- there was no way that this was all there was to it. And sure enough, the moment the Fallen Wyvern Drakkeires disappeared into a puff of smoke, the ground trembled beneath us, and a new message appeared in the sky.

[System notification: The first boss in the Lambda Sector has been defeated. The remaining invaders will become more formidable.]

[Rankings (Western Hemisphere): ]

[1. Epsilon Sector]

[2. Lambda Sector]

[3. Phi Sector]

[4. Iota Sector]

[5. Theta Sector]

Huh. I was slightly surprised to find that we were in second place, but somehow I got the feeling that Nephilim was in the Epsilon Sector. Otherwise, if he wasn't participating, then there was someone else much stronger than me or any of the other Players here.

"Wait, what?" Tommy's voice was slightly higher pitched than normal as he looked around at the increasingly powerful creatures that began to emerge from the portals. "Is this a good or a bad thing?"

"I'd say good? Maybe because it means we're progressing?" Aurora's voice was hopeful, but her grip on her broadsword tightened as she watched more terrifying creatures spill out into the city.

Pretty soon, the royal army was beginning to push the Players back with the support of new, terrifying creatures. The once-familiar streets were now a war zone, with the buildings we had once walked through now lying in ruins. The air was thick with the stench of burnt flesh and the acrid smell of magic. Besides the demons, angels, and monsters, there were amalgamations of creatures supporting the army. The World Raid was starting to look more like an endless nightmare.

Annoyed, I activated my ring's ability to summon the Grudge of the Fallen's specter to help with the swarm. The red mass of flesh roared forth, firing crimson death beams and whipping its tendrils at the incoming horde. But I wasn't done yet.

Next, I summoned Lumiro and Sevira for the first time, in their serpentine humanoid forms. The Celestial Twin Snakes looked confused as hell when they finished materializing, and noticed that I was standing there.

"What are we... doing here?" Lumiro asked, his golden eyes blinking rapidly as he took in the carnage around us.

"Brother? Is that you?" Sevira whispered in disbelief, her blue eyes wide with shock.

"Hey," I snapped my fingers at them, trying to get their attention. "Sorry to interrupt your reunion, but I summoned your specters to help fight against the invasion. Long story short, I've killed your original beings in your dungeon and am now the master of your specters."

Lumiro's expression changed from shock to anger, his fists clenching. "How dare you?!"

"Immortal, perhaps I should take over," Levius wryly suggested, stepping in between the Celestial Twins and I. "After all, who better to straighten up your specters than the first one you summoned?"

"Fine, whatever," I waved a dismissive hand as I turned back to the action. The Celestial Twins' anger and confusion didn't bother me much. Skalyt was the same way when I summoned her the first time, and my ring forced her to submit to my will, so I figured having Levius explain the gist of things to them would streamline the process.

The battle was getting worse. The royal army had brought out heavy artillery, and the once serene city was now a war zone. The thunderous booms of their guns echoed through the streets, mixing with the terrified screams of the citizens and the monstrous roars of the invaders. I had to admit, it was a bit much to handle, even for a guy who had played games like 'Last Stand' for hours on end. But then again, this was the stimulation that I was craving.

[Hey... don't you have one other specter you could summon?]

"Who, Muriel?" I quietly muttered back to Sephera.

[No. The other human. The one who was assimilated.]

I flinched. Obviously I hadn't forgotten about Lazarus, but he required 1 million Risk points to summon and I had a strong feeling he was the most powerful specter I could summon. Right now, the addition of the Grudge and the Celestial Twin Snakes were more than enough to swing the tide back in our favor, pushing the invaders back towards the portal. A part of me was nervous about calling Lazarus forth while the other half decided to save him in case the second boss proved to actually be too much for me.

"I'll hold on to him until I feel like I need him," I murmured to myself, focusing on the chaos before me. The Grudge of the Fallen was cutting through enemy lines with a ferocity that was a sight to behold, its fleshy tendrils and death beams leaving a trail of crimson rain in its wake. The Celestial Twin Serpents, though still visibly confused by their newfound allegiance, had also started to assist in the battle. Lumiro’s fiery breath was incinerating groups of soldiers while Sevira’s ice bolts were freezing them solid, shattering them into a million pieces upon impact.

Despite only having a few specters summoned along with my clone, they were clearly the overwhelming force of the fight. Many of the Players, who had been initially shocked and afraid when I first summoned the specters, were now covering any blind spots that were left. Hell, Celine and Gigi had switched to maintaining a safe perimeter around us, taking out any stragglers that got too close with their ranged attacks. Aurora focused on gathering more Stats by using her Title to steal them from the enemy while Tommy continued to spam his Blade Skills. Overall, I felt pretty confident in our strength in this area of the World Raid.

As I was lost in thought wondering how Izu, Seth, and Ophelia were faring off, a sudden rumble beneath our feet interrupted the steady rhythm of battle. Another system message flashed high above the sky.

[The second boss of the World Raid will descend in the Lambda Sector. General King of the Royal Army, Lodian has entered.]

A loud rumbling in the distance caught my attention as the system message sank in. A few minutes later, I could feel several strong presences clashing where the rumbling began.

"Looks like it's showtime," I murmured to myself, gripping the Soultaker tightly. The others seemed to sense the shift in the atmosphere as well, their expressions turning grim. They knew what was coming. "You guys stay here with my specters. They'll keep the invaders at bay at the portal while I go to the center."

"Trying to hog the spotlight again, little bro?" Aurora smirked, noticing my eagerness. "You realize that Seth and Chronia are probably over there, right?"

"Yeah, I know," I nodded, "but it wouldn't hurt for me to go over there too. Even if they don't need me, I at least want to watch."

"Alright then... be safe, Lu," Aurora said, her tone a mix of concern and amusement.

I made sure the others were in a good spot before activating Grim Mantle and zipping over to where the fight was. When I landed, the scene was chaotic. Players were scattered everywhere, and the air was thick with the smell of burnt flesh and magic. The General was a towering figure, easily 6 feet tall. His eyes were glowing orbs of blue energy, and he wielded a sword that was the size of a small car despite his figure.

As I approached, I saw Seth and Ophelia in the thick of it. Ophelia was casting spells like there was no tomorrow, which was fitting considering it seemed like she was manipulating time to her every whim. The General was moving in slow motion around her, and she was dodging attacks that would have decapitated her in a heartbeat. Seth, on the other hand, was a blur of savagery, his claws leaving a trail of emerald light in his wake in his Behemoth form. Despite their incredible power, I could see the strain on their faces.

I quickly jumped in without a second thought, blocking a swing from the General's blade.

As my Soultaker and his giant sword connected, an intense shockwave resonated through the air. The ground beneath us cracked, and the surrounding Players had to scramble to avoid the flying debris. Despite the tremendous force, the General's blade didn't touch Ophelia, thanks to my swift intervention. The blue light in his eyes flickered with surprise, and for a moment, he paused.

"Holy... fuck!" I gasped out in surprise. I had a feeling the General was strong due to him being able to fight against both Ophelia and Seth, but I wasn't expecting to falter against his swing.

"Nice to see you here, Luquier," Seth managed to call out, his eyes not leaving the General. "I think you'll find this guy to be one of the most formidable opponents you or I have ever faced."

[Name: General King of the Royal Army, Lodian | Level: 7104]

[Title: Hero of Galvania (SS)]

[Health: 50.0+ | Strength: 23.01+]

[Speed: 20.1+ | Magic: 1.1+]

[Risk: 50,000,000]

I couldn't hide my shock as I saw Lodian's information. It shouldn't have been so surprising, but I guess I wasn't prepared for it.

"Wait... you're a Player too?" I whispered to the General, the reality of the situation setting in.

****

[Updating…]

[Summon: Grudge of the Fallen] - 50,000

[Summon: Lumiro] - 200,000

[Summon: Sevira] - 200,000

[Soultaker (10,126,211)] +28