Aura

  A unique and indepe energy type geed directly from an individual’s energy core, simir to magic power but distin its nature and application.

  By default, aura was noal, though it could resonate loosely with a person’s elemental affinity, making it easier for them to align aura-based teiques with that element.

  Each being’s aura had a “signature” colour, often mirr physical traits like eye or hair colour and refleg their personal essence. While the colour urely aesthetic, it served as a unique identifier, making aura as reizable as a fingerprint.

  Unlike magic power, aura was almost exclusive to Warrior-type batants.

  Unlog it, was something oences above Level 100 were permitted to do.

  This 20-metre-tall giant indeed didn’t possess any magic power; the result of a mutation. But iurn, the giant had more physical strength than his peers and gained his aura faster.

  He was only Level 120, with some of his stats still at the D+ level. But his aura, amplified with his C- Strength Stat resulted in the devastating se that pyed out before Xaren’s eyes.

  ◇　◇　◇

  The moment the Low-Rank giant appeared, the Low-Rank demons outside Hamqua City sensed his presend frowned.

  The Demons had not hidden their iions to use this world’s war as a test for their new forces.

  Only Unranked Existences were to participate itle for Hamqua—That was the warning message the demons had sent out to the elves and giants of this world.

  But the fact that they could sense a Low-Rank gia that their warning was ignored.

  The Low-Rank demons got to their feet and unfurled their wings, taking to the skies so they could survey the city.

  It was then that a voice rang out in their heads.

  [Do not interfere.]

  The demons froze mid-flight, their gazes snapping to the shattered remnants of Hamqua’s outer walls. There, they saw a familiar Greater Demon standing there, fnked by a few Mid-Rank Demons.

  "Sir Naephas?!" one of the Low-Rank demons excimed.

  The group of Low-Ranks immediately dipped their heads in defereheir wings trembling as they instinctively moved to desd. But Naephas held out his hand to stop them.

  “Remain there,” Naephas anded. “Fly higher and make yourselves visible to the Unranked below, but take no further a.”

  fusion flickered across the Low Ranks, but none dared question his order. They quickly did as he said.

  “But Sir, even if it’s merely Level 120, it’s not something these Unranked should fight. Why not let the Low-Ranks deal with it?”

  Floch, the fire demon whht Xaren out of the Newborn zone, asked Naephas and the High-Rank demon shook his head silently.

  “No.

  Just like you said, it’s merely a Low-Ranked giant. But the battles of the Unranked demons are all tests—Adaptability, Intelligence, and the will to survive against overwhelming odds.

  I will not allow any interference from those above their rank.”

  Floch went silent when he heard Naephas’ response.

  Sure, this was war, but it wasn’t just about victory. For the demons, this war roving ground, a pce to test and streheir forces.

  Numbers weren’t the goal—what they wanted were powerful, resilient fighters.

  The other Mid-Rank demons nearby exged uneasy ghey waue, to protest Naephas’ decision, but the words caught ihroats.

  Each of them had their eyes on specifiranked demons they believed showed promise. If they were seen as the ones who discovered these talents, then they would be rewarded.

  As such, they didn’t want any of those they had marked to die here.

  But overturning Naephas’ decision? Impossible.

  Relutly, their gazes shifted back to the city below, where the giant struck again.

  Another devastating blow, another wave of destru. Buildings crumbled like sandcastles, and dozens of Unranked demons were wiped out in an instant.

  The giant raised its fist for a fourth strike, and the Mid-Ranks could almost hear the sptter of blood, ahe broken bodies littering the ground from his strike.

  But Naephas? He saw something different.

  A sly smile curved across his lips.

  “Lord Xynax always knows how to pick them. Some have already noticed my iions.”

  Flod the others bliurning toward him in fusion. They followed his gaze to the battlefield below, sing the chaos until they saw what he meant.

  A group of Unranked demons stood apart from the panic, their eyes fixed not on the giant but on the Low-Ranks h in the sky above.

  The Low-Ranks Naephas had ordered to do nothing but hover in pd make themselves seen.

  One of the Unranked on the rooftop shouted something to the others, ae some of them visibly trembling, they broke into motion.

  They leapt across rooftops, charging straight for the Low-Rank giant.

  For a moment, the Mid-Ranks stared in stunned silence.

  These demons weren’t running from the sughter. They were running toward it.

  ◇　◇　◇

  Xaren’s mind screamed one word over and over as he stared at the massive figure t above the ruined cityscape.

  RUN.

  Having experienced death once before, Xaren had no desire to face it again. His top priority in this sed ce at life was survival, and fighting against a Level 100+ giant at his current level didn’t fit into that pn.

  Especially as he was all too aware of the staggering pap between the Gold and Master Realms.

  From Level 99 to 101, the power difference became multiplicative.

  Xaren didn’t have an appraisal skill, but he was sure this giant surely had a C- Strength Stat, maybe eveh and Durability to match.

  The giant’s already terrifying physical capabilities were further enhanced by Aura, allowing him to unleash devastating force through brute strength alone, effectively pensating for his agical prowess.

  The demons fighting his now were doing so because they had no choice. They had been too close when the giant attacked, trapped in his range.

  Most of the others were running, scattering like leaves before a storm. And Xaren… he wao join them.

  But then a thought snagged in his mind.

  The higher-ranked demons had repeatedly stated that their battles would only involve Unranked existences as well.

  As such, he assumed that they would move to remove this Low-Rank giant that had suddenly appeared.

  Immediately having that thought, Xaren turned in the dire of the broken city gates, and in the process, his eyes caught sight of Low-Rank demons in the sky.

  They hovered above, their wings beating steadily, arms crossed, watg. Not fighting.

  At first, Xaren was happy to see them. They were clearly strohan this giant, and if three of them teamed up, they’d make short work of the giant.

  But they didn’t move. They didn’t lift a fihey just hovered there, their silence as loud as the giant’s earth-shaking steps.

  And that’s when it clicked.

  Xaren’s expression torted, his mind pieg things together. They weren’t here to help. They were here to watbsp;

  “…those fuckers are testing us even now…”

  He muttered the words under his breath and Ilya, standing beside him, turned with wide eyes.

  “What?”

  “They’re testing us,” Xaren said louder, his voice tinged with annoyance as he pointed upward.

  “Those Low-Rank demons—they could kill that giant easily, but they won’t. Look at them. They’re just floating there, waiting. Watg us like we’re some experiment.”

  Ilya and the others followed his gaze, their faces darkening as they processed the same realization.

  “So… if we run?” Carack asked hesitantly, his voice low.

  Xaren’s lips twisted as he pohe question before answering.

  “I don’t think they’ll let us. Either they stop us, or they mark us as deserters…”

  Hearing his response, Kravok ched his fists, his fingers digging into his palm.

  “So, what do we do? That thing will crush us if we fight it head-on!” he demanded, his voice ced with frustration.

  Xare out a string of curses under his breath as he looked at the city around them: crumbling buildings, shattered ons, and debris scattered like fetti.

  In the distaher demons—those unlucky enough to be caught in the giant’s reach—were trying to fight him, drawing him attention and f him to split his focus.

  Xaren’s eyes narrowed as an idea began to form.

  “We ’t do it alone, but if we work with the other demons—use them and the terrain to our adva’s possible…”

  The more he spoke, the calmer he got, his eyes spotting broken ons from the dead unranked giants scattered across.

  “We use those…” Xaren said, pointing at the broken ons before speaking to the others.

  “See that? The giants before this oheir gear behind. We use them. We lure this giant into positions where we have the upper hand. Let him focus oher demons while we hit him from blind spots.”

  “You’re serious?” Carack asked, his voice trembling slightly and Xaren responded almost instantly.

  “Dead serious.

  If we don’t fight, we might end up dead anyway. So, we fight smart, not stupid. No one goes in alone, and no ories to tank a hit.”

  The group exged uneasy gnces, as if deliberating if this was really a good idea. Finally, Ilya nodded and asked.

  “All right. What’s the pn?”

  Xaren exhaled deeply, regaining full calm as he turo the giant and spoke.

  “First, we get the other demons to fight it willingly.”