The Evolution Of A Goblin To The Peak

Chapter 1155: The Demon: Another Battle

Captain-class parasite.

Torkez nodded at Vashno’s words.

"Okay, I’ll recover some of my energy first," Vashno said, waving his hand as he turned and headed back into the building.

Left behind, Torkez stood in silence, Vashno’s words lingering in his mind.

A parasite that could evolve...

’If this method truly works, then everyone in Astros can do it. Our strength will leap forward... we’ll be far beyond what we are now.’

The thought burned inside him, stirring his ambition.

Without hesitation, Torkez entered the fortress’s inner halls and made his way toward the treasure vault.

Originally located in Ekatoe City, the vault had been transferred here due to the war. It held the resources Astros needed to endure—potions, forging materials, and above all, rare mana fruits. Isabella and Gragas often tapped into it for their crafts. Now, Torkez intended to use it for something far more dangerous.

He stepped into the vault, the faint hum of sealed treasures filling the air. Reaching out, he picked up an ordinary rare-grade mana fruit. Its surface pulsed faintly with contained energy.

For a moment, he simply stared at it, then extended his hand.

Thin strings of flesh slithered from his palm, wrapping around the fruit. With a twitch, they pulled it inward, consuming it in one smooth motion.

A chill ran down Torkez’s spine as he guided the process carefully. He could feel the parasite stir within him, hungry, eager.

’I didn’t think it would be this difficult... His jaw tightened. I have to control my body, the parasite, and the nutrients all at once.’

Sweat beaded his forehead. His own flesh resisted instinctively, trying to absorb the fruit’s energy for itself. He forced himself to clamp down on that reflex.

’No... I don’t need to take everything. That will only make it harder. Even if some leaks into me, I’ll still benefit.’

He drew in a sharp breath, exhaled slowly, and relaxed his mind.

The energy of the fruit coursed through him like icy water, some of it seeping into his flesh, the rest being devoured by the parasite. Slowly, carefully, he redirected the flow.

The cold spread deeper into his body, and in that chilling current he felt it...

A shift.

A change.

The beginning of something new stirring within the parasite.

"Sir Torkez, a large group of people has appeared! The number of enemies has increased!"

Torkez’s eyes snapped open. For a moment, silence, then a quiet sigh slipped past his lips, followed by a faint smile.

It worked.

Rising to his feet, he left the treasure vault without hesitation and strode toward the deck. The moment he stepped out, the sight greeted him—waves upon waves of figures gathering on the horizon. The enemy’s ranks had swelled dramatically.

Vashno, Eztein, Doranjan, and Franklin were already there, their gazes locked on the distant crowd.

A single glance was enough for Torkez to estimate. ’Fifteen... no, closer to twenty thousand experts.’

Vashno turned his head slightly. "What’s the plan?"

"Same as before," Torkez replied firmly. "We fight. We can’t back down... not yet. The demons haven’t appeared, and they are our true opponents this time."

At the mention of demons, a heavy silence fell over the group. Their expressions hardened. Each of them knew the truth: ordinary foes were nothing compared to the demons. Their strength, their numbers, their relentless might—far beyond anything they had faced.

Torkez broke the silence. His eyes narrowed on Vashno. "And you? Have you recovered your strength?"

Vashno smirked. "Of course. I didn’t even use my dream power in the last battle. That was nothing."

"Good," Torkez said with a nod. Then he raised his hand.

Ohm!!

The signal rippled across the fortress. Instantly, the soldiers of Astros rose into the air, weapons gleaming, eyes sharp as they stared at the sea of enemies ahead. The monsters under their command growled, their roars shaking the air—none of them showed fear.

Vashno, Eztein, Doranjan, and Franklin followed, lifting into the sky beside him.

"Hahahaha!! Let’s see who among them can entertain me!" Franklin bellowed, laughter booming with wild anticipation.

"Old fool," Eztein sneered, his tongue sliding across his lips as he cast Franklin a sidelong glance.

Torkez’s voice cut through the rising tension, sharp and commanding:

"Everyone!! Once the enemy attacks, drink the [Strength Enhancement Potion]!"

...

On the other side.

Spatial Whisperer’s gaze swept across the gathered armies. Nearly twenty thousand experts stood assembled, every pair of eyes burning with the same intent: the Blood Lightning Monster.

’And the demons...?’ he wondered, his thoughts cold.

More than five thousand experts surged forward, unable to restrain themselves any longer. Their killing intent was palpable, a tide of hostility aimed directly at the Guardian Fortress.

Spatial Whisperer sneered inwardly. ’Fools. They know they cannot exact vengeance on the demons, so they throw their rage at the Blood Lightning Monster instead. Pathetic... nothing but garbage.’

And garbage they were. For all their fury, this was only the beginning—the first wave. Behind them, more were gathering, and soon hundreds of thousands would arrive.

’After that? Millions.’ His eyes narrowed, sharp with disdain. ’They may be trash, but numbers like that carry weight. Even garbage becomes dangerous when piled into mountains.’

The thought made him shift his gaze toward the horizon. More would come, he knew, especially from the great nations ravaged by the demon invasion. They would pour soldiers, champions, and mercenaries into this battlefield—just as Ray Borg’s country had done.

Then...

Swoosh!!

The first wave struck. More than five thousand figures rushed the fortress, unleashing an endless torrent of spells. Fire, lightning, blades of wind, arrows of ice—thousands of projectiles screamed through the air, converging like a storm meant to erase the fortress in one blow.

The heavens lit up with destruction.

Vashno raised his head. His eyes burned with golden light as power surged through him. With a single motion, golden energy wrapped around his body, and a massive pair of radiant wings unfolded from his back.

He shot into the sky, soaring above the incoming spells, energy concentrating into his fist until the very air trembled around him.

Then...

BOOM!!

He drove his fist forward. A tidal wave of golden energy erupted from the strike, spreading across the battlefield and colliding with the rain of spells. The sky itself seemed to quake as light devoured light.

[Heavenly Parasol Destructive Force]!!

The golden wave erupted outward, colliding with the storm of spells mid-air.

BOOM!! BOOM!! BOOM!!

A chain of violent explosions tore through the sky, shaking heaven and earth.

"Attack!!!" Torkez’s voice thundered across the battlefield.

The soldiers of Astros moved as one. They downed the [Strength Enhancement Potion], and at once their bodies burned with power. Spells lit up the heavens as they retaliated, a flood of fire, lightning, and ice screaming toward the advancing enemy. The monsters roared, beams of destructive energy lancing forward, while those of the third evolution stage unleashed their dreaded [Bestrou].

Franklin, Eztein, and Doranjan were already in motion, leading the melee combatants. Outnumbered, surrounded by countless foes, their eyes burned with defiance.

BOOM!!

The battlefield exploded into chaos. Screams, roars, and explosions blended into a single chorus—the war had begun.

On the deck, Torkez’s expression was grave. He watched the carnage, calculating, weighing every movement. Slowly, he turned to his secretary.

"Remina... prepare a large supply of mana stones. We’ll activate it."

"Yes, Sir." Remina bowed quickly and rushed to fulfill the order.

Torkez drew a deep breath, eyes narrowing as he scanned the skies and the blood-soaked ground. The enemy pressed harder, their higher-ranked experts carving through the frontlines. Astros was strong, but the imbalance was clear.

Soon, the mana stones would be ready. When they were, the [Five Elements Barrier Formation] would rise once again.

The formation was cracked, scarred from previous wars, but it was enough. Torkez had no intention of locking the enemy out—no, he wanted them inside.

Because once they entered, the barrier would suppress them. Just as it had in Ekatoe City.

Enough to ease the burden on his soldiers. Enough to shift the balance.

And enough to remind their enemies why Astros still stood.

Boom!!

The battlefield shook as explosions erupted every second, the sky itself trembling under the weight of countless clashes.

Eztein blurred from side to side, his movements sharp and unrelenting. Alone, he was holding back a tide of Fifth Shackle Realm experts, his every strike a mix of raw instinct and precise calculation. He unleashed all he had—equipment flaring, spells blazing, combat arts chaining without pause.

Bang!!

Slamming his palm onto the ground, he sent energy tearing through the earth. In an instant, hundreds of massive rock pillars speared upward, aiming to crush and scatter his enemies.

But four Fifth Shackle experts swooped down at once, fists and blades shattering the stone as though it were nothing.

Eztein’s eyes widened. He launched himself back just in time as a wave of destructive force hammered the spot where he’d stood, splitting the ground open.

Boom!!

He soared into the air, energy gathering at his back. Several blazing skulls spun around him, their flames shrieking. Two latched onto his shoulders, their fire searing against his skin as his aura surged.

[Three Supreme Mandate Body]!!

The space around him quaked as the technique fully activated. Yet before he could press his assault, his senses screamed—three more Fifth Shackle Realm experts were rushing toward him.

His teeth clenched. "They’re piling on..."

He could already see the picture. If the pace continued, the number of Fifth Shackle opponents on him would climb to twenty... maybe more. Even for him, the chance of survival would plummet.

"I have to cut them down... quickly." His mutter was swallowed by the thunder of battle.

...

Elsewhere, madness ruled.

Franklin bellowed with laughter as he clashed against five Fifth Shackle Realm experts. Their blades and spells struck like storms, but he only pressed forward, blood spraying from fresh wounds.

Slash!

A crescent of water blades ripped across his chest, carving deep lines of crimson. He didn’t dodge. He didn’t even try. Instead, he grinned wider, his wild eyes blazing as his blood splattered into the air.

His opponents faltered—this reckless ferocity unsettled them.

"Hahaha!! Yes!! That’s it!! Come!! Give me more!!" Franklin roared, charging again, his body nothing more than a weapon of flesh and fury. He traded wound for wound without hesitation, every strike of his a promise of destruction, every injury he took a declaration that he would not stop until one side fell.