160 ECHO OF FUSION
The alien horns blared—a sound so strange, yet familiar to Damen.
It was almost comforting.
Damen was back where he belonged: the battlefield.
Here, there were no plots, no hidden daggers, no political traps. Only instinct and survival.
In Fortress Myrone, Damen feared nothing. Among these warriors, there were no schemes—only brotherhood and honor.
He activated his Cores—Echo, Mind, and the rest.
He didn't need to take the Annunakin form. Not yet. Even in his human form, he would give the alien beasts a taste of what he had become.
The shadow hounds poured across the plain like living smoke.
Damen leapt down from the walls to meet them head-on.
One of them pounced—he answered with a punch that sucked the air inward like a vortex. The impact rippled through the pack, imploding several more in its wake.
He struck again.
Another vortex formed, and another.
The battlefield became a storm of invisible shockwaves.
Crushing vortex, lightning blasts and sound eruptions, were all released without reservation. The result was blood from the enemy.
"This feels great," Damen laughed.
It was pure exhilaration for him.
Up on the walls, Liorea watched in disbelief. "Is that… my boss, Damen?" she breathed.
She had known he was powerful but seeing it—seeing this—was something else. This was inhuman.
Lord Nicas stood beside her, his eyes bright with admiration. "Yes. That is Damen, my boy. One day, if he wills it, he could take my place defending our world from these wretched creatures."
Liorea smiled faintly. "It's too early to talk about retirement, sir. You still have much to do."
"You are a resourceful one and your powers…one in a million," Nicas replied. "Help him achieve greatness."
She didn't answer.
Deep down, she'd always wanted a purpose—someone worth following and fighting for.
Maybe this was it. Maybe he was it.
"Perhaps he can be my boss," she murmured softly.
On the field, Damen's fury reached its peak.
Hundreds of shadow hounds lay broken at his feet, their black smoke rising into the crimson sky.
From the fortress walls, the soldiers shouted as one:
"The God of War has returned!"
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The alien horde retreated faster this time—much faster than before.
The difference was Damen.
He alone had slaughtered over a thousand shadow hounds and deacons, his name echoing across the fortress walls like legend reborn.
When the dust finally settled, he returned to his bunker.
After washing the blood and soot from his skin, he collapsed onto his bed. His body felt like lead.
Exhausted but curious, he pulled up his stats display.
Blood Rank: BB
He frowned immediately.
He had killed over a thousand creatures, yet gained barely a third of what he expected. Then it dawned on him—after reaching Rank BB, the weaker shadow hounds yielded far less blood essence.
Greater power demanded stronger prey.
He let the thought fade and fell asleep. He didn't wake up until a full day had passed.
"Wake up, boss," Liorea called from outside.
"Let me sleep," he mumbled into his pillow.
"There's good stuff to pick—don't miss out."
His eyes snapped open. "Good stuff?" That got his attention.
Moments later he was dressed and following her to the fortress supply hall.
The place buzzed with activity.
Rows upon rows of alien remains lined the floor—shadow hound hides, claws, eyes, and crystalline organs still faintly pulsing with energy.
Everything here could be turned into weapons, armor, or potent medicine.
Liorea smiled proudly. "Lord Nicaesa said all of this belongs to you now."
Damen blinked. "Are you sure? There's… too much."
"You earned it. The meta-artillery we gave them is worth far more than this," she said.
He chuckled, patting her shoulder. "You made that possible with the meta-artillery….good job. Take everything."
She laughed as he walked ahead, scanning the spoils. Then his gaze locked onto something familiar—two cores glimmering faintly among the piles.
Core of Echo ×2.
It was a rare find.
"These two…I want them," he said immediately.
"Take them. Everything here's yours."
He kept searching.
Core of Electricity ×1.
Core of Kinetics ×2.
Core of Blood ×2.
He grinned, almost childishly. "Jackpot."
Leaving Liorea to manage the rest, he rushed back to his bunker, the cores cradled like treasure. Sitting cross-legged, he began the assimilation process.
One by one, the cores sank into his body, glowing red and blue under his skin.
"Core of Electricity Level 2 activated: 2/2."
"Core of Kinetics Level 2 activated: 2/3."
"Core of Blood Level 3 activated: 4/5."
"Core of Echo Level 2 activated: 2/3."
As the notifications faded, his veins pulsed with raw, surging energy. Sparks of electricity danced across his fingertips; his heartbeat echoed like a war drum.
Damen exhaled slowly. "So, this… is what real power feels like."
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Damen returned to the training center.
Lieutenant Kalmer was already there waiting for him, his arms crossed, and that familiar knowing smirk on his face.
"Damen," Kalmer began, "I've seen you fight. Tell me—are you keeping a secret from me?"
Damen froze for a second. "What is he talking about?"
He trusted Kalmer, but the idea of exposing his deeper abilities still made him wary.
"What secret?" he asked carefully.
"The Echo effect," Kalmer said bluntly. "I saw it during the battle—your Momentum Collapse and Thunder Crush kept multiplying outward. You're creating reverberations of your own attacks….how did you do it?"
Damen was lost for words, "I don't really know. It came naturally."
"It came naturally? Such a powerful mutation came naturally to you…you truly are one of a kind," Liutenant Kalmers said before he raised his hands.
"Don't worry, I don't need to know how you did it. I just think it's brilliant. A fusion mechanism like that could extend the reach of our soldiers' meta abilities," Kalmer added.
Damen relaxed slightly, processing it. "You mean you can actually incorporate Echo into a fusion skill?"
"In theory, yes," Kalmer replied, "but I'd need a meta chip imbued with the essence of a Core of Echo. There were a few recovered from the battlefield salvage, I think."
Damen's stomach sank. "Those were the ones I absorbed."
He kept his face still. "I think you're mistaken—there weren't any left when I checked."
Kalmer sighed. "That's a shame. I could've built a prototype chip to test the concept."
An idea sparked in Damen's mind. "Wait—build the chip anyway. I don't need a Core of Echo. I've already… learned how to Echo. I just need a chip to stabilize its effects."
Kalmer blinked. "You what?" Then he grinned. "Alright then. Give me a day."
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