CHAPTER 101: GHALDON: PART I

Nova made his way back to Elesch, blinking once to warm up his expression. All his ego and arrogance had faded as the checkpoint was visible in the far distance. He smiled towards her, helping her get up, as Adam lifted her from his shoulders.

Nova cleared the path ahead, seeing the illuminating checkpoint ahead. Elesch and Adam smiled, knowing that they had managed to clear another D-rank dungeon, faster this time, improving their stats further.

But just before they could reach the checkpoint, Nova froze. Not because time had frozen, but from fear. He was afraid of something. Something devilish. Something not of this realm, or any of the other realms. Something that appeared weak, but in actuality was something that could rival him in his god form.

Elesch and Adam were confused. They went towards him, seeing that his eyes were wide, his face betraying his shock and fear. Elesch tried to touch him, but in an instant, both she and Adam fell to the ground. Then, Nova snapped out, hearing the sudden thud emerge from the ground.

He looked to his right side to see Elesch and Adam frozen in time. He tried to shake them to wake up, but they didn’t respond. He got worried, his brows narrowing inward, his eyes wide with shock, but this time with fear of losing Elesch and Adam.

Then, from the back of his neck, he felt the tingles of his little hairs rise. He turned back, and he saw nothing. He looked confused, pausing midway, before gazing at Elesch and Adam again. Then, it happened again. His hair rose across his body, as he felt, physically and mentally, a presence of another being, far more superior than what this dungeon could hold, yet the dungeon stood.

This meant that the creature Nova had to face now was masking its true brutality, being just a mere D-rank creature, just to inflict fear into Nova. Which was clearly working, since Nova felt like it was going insane.

He stood up, grabbed Elesch and Adam, and ran towards the checkpoint as fast as possible, but then he stopped again. He didn’t want to stop, but his body made him, as if he didn’t have possession of his own body. Whatever he was facing now was clearly way out of his league, way out of the dungeon’s league.

---

Elena was outside, patiently waiting for the trio, as she had tucked away the kittens. She saw the dungeon faintly shimmer in front of her, though the D-rank emblem, bolded on the dungeon entrance, still stood, not even changing an atom.

She yawned as she briefly went inside the realm of her phone, doomscrolling, before checking out the current news. While she was doing this, the dungeon difficulty had changed. Instead of its three black pillars, the center of the circle read: "ERROR." In all bold, something that would have happened if Nova had entered his god form and then stepped into the dungeon.

---

The creature he knew he felt the presence of breathed down his spine. Nova reluctantly, using his full force, tried to break free of the creature’s possession, though it was far too powerful for him to get out so easily. The creature turned Nova back, looking eye to eye with him, studying him with curiosity.

It was a Ghaldon. A creature found in Beastria, but it was cautioned to avoid it at all costs. Even for Adventurers like Marcus, it was stated to be avoided without question. But this Ghaldon was different; this one was evolved.

Usually, Ghaldon’s unique ability was to constantly evolve further and further. If it died, then it would resurrect itself again and become even stronger. So, if a D-rank Ghaldon were to die, then it would resurrect itself again, into an A-rank version of itself, and then that version of it would resurrect, turning into an EX-rank version of itself, then an evolved, then again, then a double evolved, then an immediate jump to triple, then to the max in triple, and if an Adventurer or creature could kill it then its final form, then it would permanently die, otherwise it would kill the creature it sees as its enemy, then revert to D-rank to fool more creatures.

But this one was different; it wasn’t just transcended beyond the Circle of Pillars, it had ascended. It had reached Ascension, a step beyond Divinity, which Nova was currently on. So, to kill this Ghaldon, you had to either be constantly evolving like it or reach Ascension, which was an entirely different story altogether.

"The Supreme God of Destruction, living among mortals. How interesting." The Ghaldon suddenly spoke, terrifying Nova, as he didn’t realize that this Ghaldon was this powerful.

The Ghaldon freed Nova from its clutches, making him sprawl to the ground. It shoved Elesch and Adam to the side, not interested in them, even though Elesch was the Queen of the Void, also stuck on Divinity, like Nova.

"What are you? Who are you?" Nova asked, his voice low, gulping, as he slowly, but steadily, moved back. The Ghaldon followed him slowly as well, mimicking his every move, not letting his test subject escape.

"I am a Ghaldon, but not just any Ghaldon." It smirked, something so grotesque that it defied the concept of the word. "I am the one and only Ascended Ghaldon. Which I know you understand, Supreme God of Destruction."

Nova knew exactly what the Ghaldon was taking out. The feeling of a being that was stronger than his god form terrified him further. As a mortal, he was nothing. As a god, he was nothing, again, in front of this monstrosity. Though Nova questioned: Why is it here? For what purpose does an Ascended Ghaldon have to venture so far down the hierarchy to meet Nova in his mortal form?

"Why are you here? For what purpose have you come here?" Nova inquired, his curiosity suddenly overwhelming his fear, which interested the Ghaldon even further.