Rayan focused, trying to follow Cezar's advice. Supposedly, all he had to do was think it.
"STATUS OPEN," he said aloud.
A moment later, Rayan burst out laughing so hard he nearly choked. "I can't believe what I'm seeing!" he said between gasps, showing Ayen the screen with wild disbelief in his eyes.
Rayan (Azrael Aeternus)
Title: Emperor
Race: Angel
Rank: S+
Role: —
Creator Skill: Time
Legendary Skill: Heavenly Light Judgment
Unique Skill: Disrupt Mana Zone
Uncommon Skill: Mobility
Attribute Skills: Wind, Light
Everyone stared, dumbfounded.
"BRO, TIME MAGIC?!" Ayen shouted, grabbing Rayan's collar. "That's broken! Do you even realize what that means?! You could blink through time and light like it's nothing!"
Tonio ran over to see for himself, squinting at the small text. Yeon pointed at Rayan dramatically.
"I can't believe we have such a powerful individual among us. I truly thought I was the strongest here! You're worthy of being my rival... feel honored, you peasant!"
Rayan grinned. "Peasant? Bro, we're all peasants here! HAHA! Just because you call yourself the 'Self-Proclaimed D-A-R-K L-O-R-D' doesn't make you a final boss!"
He jabbed a finger at Yeon. "With that edgy cosplay power? You'll never beat me!"
Yeon's expression twisted. Blood manipulation might be cool, but it wasn't time and light.
"HOW DARE YOU! You won't be getting any of my chocolate bars now!"
"NOOOOOO!!" Rayan shrieked. "Those were my last hope of joy in this forsaken world!!"
Suddenly, Tonio yelled with pride, "YESS! Feast your eyes on MY status!"
But the moment he read it, his face warped in confusion.
Tonio (Daichi Kimura)
Titles: Royalty, The Hope of Life
Race: Dryad
Rank: S+
Role: —
Creator Skill: Full Resurrection (with Random Blessings)
Legendary Skill: Binding Thorns
Unique Skill: Area Detection
Uncommon Skill: Survivability
Attribute Skills: Earth, Nature
Cezar burst out laughing. "Dryad?! Aren't those supposed to be female-only?! Bro, does this mean you've been reborn as a forest princess?"
Yeon and Rayan joined in, barely holding it together.
"We never thought you would end up the pretty one!" Rayan teased.
Tonio cracked his knuckles and strolled toward them with a casual smile.
Bonk!
Bonk!
"OW!" Rayan and Ayen cried, holding their heads.
Yeon pouted. "Why didn't you smack Cezar?! He started it!"
"Yeah!" Rayan grumbled. "Justice for our skulls!"
Tonio shrugged. "You ever heard of the word exempted?"
Cezar smirked. "Y'all need to start appreciating each other instead of acting like a sitcom cast."
Rayan and Yeon pointed at each other and shouted in unison, "ME?! APPRECIATE HIM?! I'D RATHER DIE!"
They locked eyes, glaring.
"WHY ARE YOU COPYING ME?!" Rayan barked.
"YOU MEAN, WHY ARE YOU COPYING ME?!" Yeon shot back.
Amid the chaos, Tonio suddenly froze. His gaze snapped toward the forest.
Something… moved.
In the dense shadows, a single, ominous red eye gleamed back at him.
"Guys—" he began, but before he could finish, Rayan and Yeon lunged at each other with explosive energy. Their powers forgotten, fists met flesh in pure emotional chaos.
The red eye blinked.
Something had begun.
The ground split as they fought, shockwaves tearing through the forest floor. Rayan's fist, glowing with light and wind, slammed into Yeon's gut, launching him back. In response, blood tendrils lashed through the air, only to be deflected by Rayan's divine aura.
"IS THAT ALL YOU GOT?!" Rayan grinned, chest heaving.
"I'm just warming up!" Yeon snapped, twisting blood into jagged spears. But Rayan's time magic blinked him away just in time.
Trees trembled. Magic flared. Tonio watched, heart pounding.
"GUYS!" he yelled. "STOP! This is pointless!"
But they didn't hear him. They were lost in their own rivalry.
Then—
The red eye blinked again. And this time, it grew.
The ground trembled violently. Branches thrashed like possessed limbs. A figure stepped from the shadows—a tall, cloaked presence wielding a jagged staff, pulsing with dark magic.
"Who dares disturb my domain?" the voice boomed, ancient and cold.
Cezar narrowed his eyes. "Your domain? Dude, this is just—"
"Silence." The figure lifted his staff, releasing a wave of dark energy.
Cezar barely dodged. The blast split the forest floor in two.
Rayan and Yeon stopped immediately, staring at the shadowy figure.
A hood concealed his face, but his aura was undeniable. Oppressive. Dangerous.
"Foolish mortals. Do you really think you can stand against me?" His eyes gleamed with dark power.
Rayan took a shaky breath, drained from his clash with Yeon. "You guys… leave this to me."
Yeon stepped forward, blood swirling protectively. "Fine. But don't think I'm doing this for you."
Tonio summoned thorned vines that wrapped around his arms. "We fight together," he said firmly.
The figure watched silently, then chuckled.
"You're ants before the storm."
The ground shattered beneath them as pressure built like a collapsing sky. Rayan's vision blurred, but he focused, calling on his deepest power.
"Time... stop," he whispered.
For a brief second, the world froze.
The trees. The shadows. The enemy.
But Rayan was too inexperienced. The moment collapsed, and time roared back.
"IMPOSSIBLE!" the figure howled. "You dare try to control time?!"
Rayan staggered, barely standing. "I—I can't control it… not yet."
Yeon surged forward, blood shielding Rayan. The red eye flared in the darkness.
And the battle had only just begun.