CHAPTER 843: ORFRY’S HELP

As soon as Augustus’s hand made contact with Orfry’s, a sharp sting ran up his arm. Within the next second, an overwhelming wave of pain unlike anything he had ever experienced assaulted him. It was so intense—so mind-shattering—that Augustus couldn’t even summon his energy in response.

"Aaargh! What are you doing?!" he screamed, writhing in agony, his knees buckling.

He tried to pull away instinctively, but Orfry’s hand had morphed into something grotesque—a pulsating mass of mutated flesh and teeth that extended like a parasitic organism, wrapping around Augustus’s forearm and anchoring him in place. Escape was impossible.

Orfry’s smile widened with pleasure as he watched Augustus scream and struggle. The desperation in the scion’s eyes seemed to fuel his twisted joy.

"I’m helping you," Orfry said softly, his voice calm and disturbingly delighted. "Just like I promised."

Augustus’s horror only deepened as his body began to change before his very eyes. His bones elongated and twisted, piercing through his skin as they rapidly grew. His muscles ballooned grotesquely, trying to support the rapidly expanding frame. His once smooth skin took on a rugged, almost metallic sheen, like iron-laced hide.

His skull swelled unnaturally while his facial features stretched to the point of unrecognizability, as though his skin were being pulled over a malformed mask. It turned his noble visage into something monstrous.

And Augustus felt every agonizing step of the mutation.

The transformation wasn’t merely physical—it was spiritual and psychological. He began to see through his own veins as new eyes opened within them. Dozens of blinking, bloodshot orbs stared outward from every part of his body, twitching in disharmony. He gasped in horror, not because of the pain alone, but because he realized what was happening to his mind.

It was fading.

His intelligence, wisdom, and tactical reasoning remained intact, but his sense of self—his individuality—was being stripped away, consumed by something vast and ancient. He was becoming part of a collective, a hive of unholy voices howling just beneath the surface of his awareness. His consciousness became a whisper among an ocean of guttural, inhuman roars.

The process dragged on for hours—agonizing, mind-breaking hours.

And when it finally ended, the handsome, commanding young scion of the Zanis Family was gone.

In his place stood a monster—a towering abomination of sinew and steel-like flesh, crafted for war and slaughter. It retained all of Augustus’s military knowledge and battlefield instincts but was now completely devoid of fear, ego, or any survival instinct that might hinder its purpose.

"Excellent," Orfry murmured, admiring his creation. Then, with a flick of his wrist, he activated a command within Augustus’s space ring.

It didn’t take long.

The generals and master strategists of the Zanis Family quickly arrived at the command center in response to the signal. But the moment they laid eyes on the grotesque beast that bore Augustus’s mutilated face, their expressions shifted to pure terror.

"You need to feed," Orfry whispered.

Before they could react, Augustus charged forward, tearing into them with monstrous speed. He ripped through their bodies like paper, consuming them piece by piece, gore splattering across the command center walls. Orfry watched in silence, smiling as the monster devoured them all. He had no need for inefficient commanders—those who had already failed repeatedly.

Their only remaining value was to nourish his new creation.

Within ten minutes, dozens of the Zanis Family’s so-called best minds were gone, digested into fuel and power.

"Perfect. Now... let’s grow our army."

Orfry and the newly transformed Augustus stepped out of the command center—and into a nightmare.

Tens of thousands of abominations had already flooded the stronghold. They consumed everything in their path—soldiers, civilians, beasts, machines—devouring them and growing stronger with each kill. The fortress once thought impregnable was now a slaughterhouse.

The five Legends who had accompanied Augustus to Exilon rose into the sky, shocked by the chaos unfolding below them. Confusion marked their faces. How had this monstrous army breached their stronghold without a single alert?

And then they saw him.

The mutated Augustus—hulking, glowing, and alive with horrific power—stood at the heart of the carnage.

Before they could act, five figures descended from the clouds like meteorites, slamming into the Legends with catastrophic force. The impact shattered the sky itself.

The Legends who had once fought toe-to-toe with Vlad in his normal form found themselves completely overpowered. Now they were pinned to the ground, screaming in agony as the monsters tore into their flesh, ripping them apart with no mercy.

Orfry watched it all unfold, his smile growing wider with each scream that echoed through the battlefield.

The scent of blood filled the air. Flames danced atop shattered towers. Screams and madness reigned.

"The desperation... the madness... the complete absence of order and civilization..." Orfry murmured, eyes glowing with unnatural ecstasy. "It’s almost like being home."

...

A somber tension filled the command center of the Xaos Kingdom in Exilon.

Only a few weeks prior, everything had been progressing smoothly. Their forces were sweeping across Exilon, continent by continent, toppling resistance and establishing dominance. It had seemed like nothing could stop them. They were unstoppable titans reshaping the world.

But now... a new threat had arrived.

"There is no doubt," said Vlad, his voice sharp. "They’re the same kind of entities I faced back in Valhalla... and they are creeping their way across the Graecia Empire as we speak."

Everyone turned toward him. The atmosphere in the room became colder, heavier, with many showing killing intent, and none more potent than the new True Depravita.

Freya’s appearance had changed since her evolution into a True Depravita. Her sharp features were now enhanced, making her even more beautiful and fierce, while her eyes had turned violet and her hair white. Normally, such a transformation would be a cause for celebration, but now was no time for joy. A new enemy had appeared—one even the Xaos Kingdom was unsure how to face.

At the center of the room, Overlord stepped forward. He glanced at each of the generals and commanders present, then spoke.

"I’ve analyzed the black goo, and the remains of the skeletal beasts and abominations."

He paused, letting the silence weigh in.

"There is no doubt... they were once human."