As Thalion was swimming up, he saw how all the shapeshifters were hunting the smaller and weaker beasts without any mercy. Their new form gave them a big advantage in those areas where most beasts were pretty weak in comparison to those in the depths.

  It looked like he would have hundreds of the tiny pearls for his new pool. He still needed to buy the pool in the system shop or some sort of aquarium, but that shouldn’t be a big deal. He hoped that the voice could give him additional tricks with the aquarium.

  As he dove up, he stayed away from the sharks as he didn’t want to talk to anyone and just go back to his base. It was time to fully attune Eagly to the wind affinity, and after that, he would build his aquarium. Hopefully, nothing too drastic had happened in his absence, and he didn’t have too many things to deal with while cultivating.

  The level difference was so great now that he even got some exp when killing level-eighty beasts. When his prey was a high-level variant of strong beasts, the exp gain wasn’t even that bad—or should not be that bad, as so far he had only assisted in such a task underwater. At least the system had identified it as such since more beasts had damaged the E-grade beasts in the depths.

  As he was only five hundred meters under the skyship, he sped up once more and transformed into his human form immediately after breaking through the surface. There was almost no one on the ship, but those who were looked very tense. He could ask them, but he already had a good guess as he saw Kaldrek and his men standing in front of the portal on the other side.

  Thalion activated mistform and shot right through the portal, materializing beside Kaldrek. He could have had a short talk with the people on the ship, but he didn’t want to give the people on the other side a chance to destroy the portal before he could pass through.

  "So, what do we have here?" Thalion introduced himself while looking at the hundreds of people surrounding the portal.

  "You shouldn’t be back this early," a beautiful woman with a lot of equipment shouted in surprise and anger.

  “They tried to destroy the portal so you couldn’t come back. Marched through the city for a while, screaming about their patron’s power and that only those guided by gods were strong enough, and so on,” Kaldrek reported after nodding at him.

  “Don’t act like you have a chance. A lot more guards are on our side than you know,” the woman responded. Then she turned to Thalion almost like an empress addressing one of her subjects.

  “Who allowed you to be the leader of this base? A mere level fifty-two, thinking of fighting an E-grade at level eighty-three? Why don’t you step down and put on those slave cuffs? Maybe we’ll let you live if the amount of credits satisfies me. To all the other guards: stand down until we put this guy on trial, and nothing will happen to you. Humanity needs strong fighters to survive.”

  There was a short silence, and the guards looked at each other unsurely. They were not sure who would help that woman and which was the right side to pick.

  “Please do as that woman says and stay back. It looks like those people have a lot of credits, and I don’t like to share the prize,” Thalion said. His voice was now ice cold and full of determination. So far, he had dared not to push out his aura, as that would partly activate the armor, and he didn’t want to attack his own people—at least partly. The woman and the others looked a bit confused, but they didn’t have much time as Thalion transformed into the Umbral Predator and blurred into action.

  There was no need to talk or do anything else besides kill every single one of them. He had chosen the Umbral Predator as the best form for this, as he wanted to train his combat, and he didn’t have any really secret skills in this form. In the end, he was just a beast that liked to rip his opponents into pieces.

  While his human form had a lot more hidden surprises should someone try to force a fight in the future, he also hoped that when he bonded with an elemental of darkness in the future, it would give him new tools to defeat his enemies. If those abilities spread, it would lead to everyone underestimating him greatly in a fight later.

  The look in the woman’s eyes and her comrade’s was pure horror as they saw the Umbral Predator appearing in front of them, one claw already sweeping. The surprise had worked even better than he had first thought.

  Sadly, the woman reacted too fast, managing to block the attack with a golden shield that materialized in her hand. Thalion’s claws extended, dark shadows coiling around them, and with a sharp swipe, he unleashed Shadow Claw.

  The warriors closest to the woman were too slow to react; many fell lifeless in the very first seconds of the skirmish. Those in the rear ranks didn’t even see the slash until it was far too late. A few managed to throw themselves to the ground or sidestep, narrowly evading the deadly arc of the skill.

  The area was crowded with hundreds of fighters, but the chaos worked in Thalion’s favor—many couldn’t risk attacking without endangering their own allies. Several guards nocked their bows and began aiming at him from elevated positions.

  Thalion’s senses sharpened; he could feel the killing intent directed at him. Four enemy archers perched on nearby rooftops. He assessed their positions quickly. They were not an overwhelming threat, but they required constant monitoring as he fought the others.

  The real danger came from the E-grade combatants. As long as none landed a lethal strike, Thalion was confident he could manage. His adversaries wasted no time; they erupted with power and converged on him, surging in unison.

  The woman, clearly their leader, lunged forward, a sword manifesting in her right hand. She slashed at Thalion in a fluid motion, forcing him to pivot sharply to avoid the blow.

  Simultaneously, an arrow whistled toward his head. He dodged, twisting with practiced precision. Two other arrows missed their mark entirely, but a fourth found its target, embedding itself in his shoulder. Arrows were troublesome; if they lodged too deeply, they could hinder his regeneration.

  Yet, the dark energy emanating from his flesh rapidly dissolved the projectile, leaving nothing behind. The wound sealed itself within seconds, the darkness pulsing faintly as it knitted his skin back together.

  Above, the rooftop archers found themselves targeted as traitorous guards turned their sights on them, attacking without hesitation. Kaldrek and his soldiers seized the opportunity, engaging the fighters around them with relentless force.

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  Thalion narrowed his gaze on the woman. He wanted answers. Closing the distance, he grabbed her sword arm in a vice-like grip. With a savage pull, he tore it clean from its socket. Her scream pierced the air, but it did nothing to deter him.

  Shifting his focus, he seized the arm holding her shield and ripped it away as well. Blood sprayed in arcs, and her cries echoed across the battlefield, a mix of agony and disbelief.

  The warriors closest to her responded immediately, hacking at Thalion to drive him back. Their strikes were frantic but ineffective. Around them, mages hesitated, unwilling to unleash area spells that could harm their own. One bold mage launched a massive ice shard from the sidelines.

  Thalion sidestepped effortlessly, watching as the projectile struck two of their own fighters, impaling them in an instant. One moment, the warriors had been poised to attack; the next, they slumped lifeless, frozen in place.

  Thalion’s claws tore through the ranks with vicious efficiency. Each swipe shredded armor and flesh alike. The warriors were poorly positioned, clearly unprepared for a real fight. They must have assumed that defeating Kaldrek in a duel would secure the portal peacefully. Such arrogance was a hallmark of those blessed by gods—confidence teetering on hubris.

  Panic rippled through the rioters. Some scrambled for better positions; others turned to flee. But Thalion’s earlier declaration about the “prizes” seemed to have ignited greed among the guards. Many switched sides, their loyalty dissolving as they eyed the treasures the rebels carried.

  Thalion’s brutal display only strengthened his dominance. Not only had he torn apart their leader, but he had done so fearlessly, diving into a crowd of hundreds with the chilling words, “Don’t help me. I want the reward for myself.”

  The sight of their leader sprawled helplessly on the ground—her arms missing, her right knee shattered—destroyed morale further. Thalion had ensured she couldn’t escape, stomping on her leg during the melee and flinging her aside like discarded prey. She now lay a few meters away, writhing in pain, unable to do anything but watch as her forces crumbled.

  For many of her followers, the prospect of receiving her blessing had been the sole motivator. A blessing bestowed not just strength but a guaranteed path of survival after the tutorial. Now, with the woman incapacitated, the dream was dead. Even if they survived, they would leave empty-handed.

  Above, Kaldrek’s men maintained the high ground, raining down arrows and spells on the streets below. The remaining blessed warriors attempted to regroup, forming small teams to rescue the woman or take down the mages and archers. It was a losing effort.

  The fighting was fierce but one-sided. Blood soaked the streets, and bodies littered the ground. The healers in the crowd were rendered useless. Every time one attempted to cast a spell, they became an instant target, cut down before they could help.

  Thalion moved through the chaos like a storm, methodically dismantling his enemies. His claws slashed in deadly arcs, severing limbs and spilling blood with every swing. Occasionally, he dodged an incoming strike aimed at his face, but nothing slowed him.

  The battle was far from over, but Thalion felt no rush. He would end this rebellion one corpse at a time.

  The cuts on his body closed almost as soon as they appeared, the dark energy within him knitting flesh and muscle together effortlessly. They didn’t even slow him down.

  Normally, dispatching enemies of this caliber so quickly would have been impossible, but the tight formation of their ranks left them no room to dodge. Their allies pressed too closely from behind, forcing them into the path of his relentless strikes.

  Blocking his claws proved equally futile. For most, his attacks ripped through their defenses as though they were paper. Some fighters attempted to redirect the blows, but such efforts only bought them moments before the next strike inevitably ended their lives.

  Thalion moved with precision, sidestepping a spear thrust aimed at his flank. Without missing a beat, he grabbed the attacker by the neck with his right hand, lifting the struggling man into the air.

  A sharp twang sounded, and an arrow sank deep into the man’s abdomen, intended for Thalion but intercepted by his unwilling shield. Thalion snarled and tore the man in half with a single motion, a grisly shower of blood and viscera drenching the fighters in front of him.

  Next came a heavily armored warrior, then an archer, and so on. Thalion was an unrelenting force, carving through his enemies with mechanical efficiency. The battlefield became a slaughterhouse as he methodically dispatched opponents, his claws gleaming black with shadows and gore.

  The heavy fighters tried to wear him down, gambling on him tiring from his relentless assault. But unlike them, stamina was not his concern. Where others might falter, Thalion seemed only to grow more ferocious. He proved them wrong again and again, refusing to retreat, his onslaught as unyielding as a storm.

  Within a minute, the resistance crumbled. Some fighters threw down their weapons and begged for mercy, their courage shattered. Others turned and fled, desperate to escape. Thalion spared them no second thought. Hunting down every coward wasn’t worth his time—that was a task for the guards.

  Still, the number of bodies littering the ground seemed far fewer than the force he’d faced earlier. Many had slipped away in the confusion, retreating into the shadows. Annoyance flickered across Thalion’s features. He didn’t care about their lives—what irked him was the missed opportunity to grow stronger. He needed more power to confront the undead, and every distraction like this only delayed his cultivation.

  At least one enemy remained. His gaze fell on the woman, her armless body slumped unconscious near the still-active portal. Blood pooled beneath her, but her chest rose and fell faintly. She wasn’t dead—not yet.

  Thalion shifted back into his human form, the transformation seamless. Shadows clung to his skin for a moment before dispersing. He walked toward her slowly, his presence commanding the battlefield even in its aftermath.

  "What should we do with her, her fighters, and the other faction that fled?" Kaldrek asked, landing beside Thalion. The man’s voice carried a strained edge, the stress of the ordeal evident in his expression.

  “Other faction?” Thalion thought with growing irritation. His fists clenched at his sides. This was already spiraling out of control, far beyond what he wanted to deal with.

  “How many factions are we talking about now?” he demanded, his tone sharp. The thought of simply erasing all opposition crossed his mind.

  “Well,” Kaldrek began, pausing as if considering his words carefully, “the ones who helped today were followers of some golden warrior god. There’s another group too—they follow a god as well, but they weren’t as aggressive. They started running the moment you appeared.”

  Thalion exhaled slowly, his annoyance simmering just beneath the surface. “And which factions are problematic but haven’t attacked us yet?”

  “Too many to list right now,” Kaldrek admitted, scratching the back of his head. “But there’s one group—those women running the bars and other establishments. They’ve been gaining influence. There might be more, smaller factions trying to challenge the guards’ leadership, but none seem as dangerous as today’s attackers.”

  Thalion nodded, his decision clear. “We’ll make an example of these golden followers,” he said coldly. “That should be enough to keep the others in line.” He glanced at the unconscious woman. At least for now, he could forget about his plans to return to the ocean. This mess would take time to clean up.

  Turning to the guards, he issued a simple command: “Hunt every last one of them down. Kill those who resist. If they surrender, throw them in with the slaves.”

  Kaldrek acknowledged the order with a curt nod but hesitated, stepping closer to Thalion. His voice dropped to a whisper. “We might have another problem.”

  “What other problem?” Thalion snapped, his patience wearing thin. His mind raced through possibilities. Had the termites attacked?

  “One of the other bases must have sent skyships toward us when you left for the ocean,” Kaldrek said, speaking low enough that no one else could hear.

  Thalion frowned. “And? Ready our ships and destroy them. We have more people and over eight true battleships. What are you afraid of?”

  Kaldrek shifted uncomfortably. “We’re not sure who we can trust right now. If their skyships carry strong elite fighters, we might not win outright.”

  Thalion’s eyes narrowed. “Ready the ships. Wait for them to arrive. I’ll handle the rest.”

  He turned his attention back to the armless woman near the portal, a chilling determination settling over him. “I’ll have a little chat with her,” he said, his voice like ice. His lips curled into a grim smile. He already had a few ideas on how to make her scream.

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