Chapter 102: A Soul Worth Devouring

The flourishing development of the Dark Abyss black market and the rapid accumulation of wealth had provided the Abyss Squad with an almost inexhaustible supply of resources. With enough Gold Coins, rare materials, equipment, potions, and intelligence at his disposal, Aiden no longer needed to worry about the ordinary limitations that constrained most players.

However, he understood that wealth and resources were ultimately external advantages.

In the apocalypse, the true foundation of an individual’s strength—and the factor that determined how high a player could eventually climb—was their God-Given Class.

Aiden’s own [Sovereign of Souls] was the perfect example.

Its most domineering ability, [Soul Devour], had remained dormant since his rebirth. It wasn’t because Aiden lacked the desire to use it. Rather, the timing and target had never been right.

The cooldown of [Soul Devour] was extraordinarily long, and the ability also required the user to satisfy certain specific conditions before it could be activated successfully. Since this would be his first use of the ability, Aiden had no intention of wasting it on an unsuitable target.

The first hunt had to be worthwhile.

The target’s class quality needed to be high enough to justify the enormous cooldown. Its abilities had to be practical and, ideally, provide something that Abyss currently lacked. Most importantly, the target had to be someone Aiden could kill without hesitation—a genuine enemy whose class could be devoured without leaving any psychological burden behind.

There also needed to be a reliable hunting plan capable of fulfilling whatever conditions [Soul Devour] demanded.

That opportunity finally arrived through an encrypted intelligence report from [Phantom Eyes].

According to the information gathered by the Dark Abyss intelligence network, the chief mage of the Dragon Sovereign Guild’s elite second squad, known by the ID Element Controller, was currently Level 10 and possessed a powerful A-grade class.

[Elemental Affinity].

[Elemental Affinity] — A-Grade

Effect: Significantly increases the user’s perception and control over basic elements, including fire, ice, wind, earth, and lightning. Increases the damage of all elemental skills by 20% and reduces Mana consumption by 15%. There is also a small chance of triggering Elemental Resonance, causing the effect of the user’s next elemental skill to be doubled.

Description: A natural favorite of the elements, capable of communicating with and manipulating the elemental energies of the world.

Aiden’s eyes immediately lit up when he saw the information.

This was exactly the kind of class he had been looking for.

Luna’s [Heavenly Karmic Dice] possessed enormous potential, but her current combat capabilities were still heavily dependent on chance. Her body was also fragile, and she lacked both reliable self-defense and conventional offensive power.

[Elemental Affinity] could solve several of those weaknesses at once.

It would greatly increase the effectiveness of the elemental skills Luna learned in the future while reducing their Mana consumption. More importantly, the Elemental Resonance effect could potentially produce an explosive combination with her dice abilities at critical moments.

With the class, Luna would no longer be limited to an unstable support role. She could gradually develop into a true spellcaster capable of providing reliable damage and powerful bursts when the situation demanded it.

For the Abyss Squad, the value was obvious.

Aiden’s eyes remained fixed on the information.

Then his expression turned cold.

"It’s him."

The first target of [Soul Devour] had been decided.

[Elemental Affinity].

Now came the difficult part.

Hunting its owner.

Aiden had never been the type to enter a battle without preparation, and he was even less willing to take unnecessary risks with an ability as important as [Soul Devour].

Through the Dark Abyss network, he spared no expense gathering information about Element Controller.

Phantom Eyes’ intelligence operatives tracked his movements for several days, eventually establishing a relatively accurate picture of his usual activities.

Element Controller preferred to level in Flame Canyon, an area east of Ashford City where fire-elemental monsters were particularly abundant. The environment allowed him to exploit the advantages of [Elemental Affinity] to their fullest, making it one of the most suitable hunting grounds for his class.

He normally operated with a fixed five-man mage squad, and their activities were concentrated primarily in the afternoon.

The combat records gathered from other teams, dungeon reports, and several chance encounters also revealed his preferred fighting style.

Element Controller relied heavily on high-damage elemental bursts. Among his most frequently used abilities were [Chain Fireball] and [Lightning Chain], both of which allowed him to inflict devastating area damage from a distance.

His positioning was aggressive for a backline mage. He generally stayed behind his teammates, where he could continuously unleash spells while relying on the rest of the squad to protect him.

He was aware of his fragile defenses, but that awareness had gradually developed into arrogance.

He routinely carried [Mana Shield] scrolls and several instant-cast emergency healing items, giving him confidence that even if an enemy broke through his frontline, he could survive long enough to retreat.

His fixed squad consisted of Level 7–9 mages and priests. Their equipment was above average, and their coordination was clearly practiced. Together, they formed a conventional artillery-style team with exceptional monster-clearing efficiency.

Their weakness was equally obvious.

They were built around maintaining distance and overwhelming enemies with magical firepower.

If an opponent forced them into close combat, their ability to adapt would decline sharply.

Old Smoke also gathered information about Element Controller’s personality through several indirect channels. The picture that emerged was consistent: he was arrogant, impatient, and extremely proud of his class. He had difficulty tolerating provocation and tended to underestimate opponents he considered weaker than himself.

For Aiden, that personality trait was almost as useful as the information about his skills.

As all the intelligence was compiled, the outline of a hunting plan gradually took shape.

Aiden spread a map across the table and pointed toward a specific location deep inside Flame Canyon.

"We’ll choose the depths of Flame Canyon, near the narrow cave known as the Heart of Molten Fire."

Silas and Luna leaned closer to examine the location.

"The terrain is important," Aiden continued. "The passages around the Heart of Molten Fire are narrow and uneven. That makes it difficult for a mage squad to maintain a proper formation or create enough distance to maximize their firepower."

His finger remained on the map.

"But it favors us."

For a melee-oriented fighter like Silas, narrow terrain could actually become an advantage. It would limit the number of enemies capable of surrounding him while making it easier for Aiden to close the distance to the backline.

"For the timing, we’ll attack after they’ve cleared a high-intensity wave of monsters. Their Mana consumption should be elevated, and their attention will be slightly relaxed after the fight."

Aiden’s gaze became sharper.

"The tactical objective is simple. Decapitation."

He looked toward Silas.

"Your job is to break through their frontline as quickly as possible. Use the [Taunt Arm Crossbow] and your presence to force Element Controller’s attention onto you. You don’t need to hold him for long. One or two seconds will be enough."

Silas nodded seriously.

Aiden then turned toward Luna.

"Luna, you won’t be focusing on buffs during the opening exchange. Your job is interference."

Luna’s expression became focused.

"The moment the fight begins, use the gray-white die on Element Controller and trigger Bad Luck. Target spell failure or item malfunction."

He paused briefly.

"It doesn’t need to cause a major disaster. I only need something to go wrong at a critical moment. A failed spell, a delayed activation, a malfunctioning scroll—anything that creates an opening."

Luna nodded firmly.

Finally, Aiden looked down at the weapon resting in his hand.

The Devouring Soul Blade.

His fingers tightened around its hilt as he felt the cold metal and the faint, restless hunger concealed within it.

"And I will finish him when he least expects it."

There was one uncertainty Aiden still could not completely resolve.

The specific conditions required by [Soul Devour].

He had several theories.

Perhaps the target needed to experience extreme fear or despair.

Perhaps their class power needed to be suppressed or temporarily stripped away.

Perhaps the ability required the target to be on the verge of death.

There was even the possibility that some form of sacrifice or ritual was involved.

Aiden could not confirm any of them.

That uncertainty was precisely why he had prepared for multiple possibilities.

Through Dark Abyss, he had purchased several rare scrolls at considerable expense. Among them were scrolls capable of applying effects such as Silence, Imprisonment, and Pain Amplification.

They might not be necessary.

But if the conditions of Soul Devour required him to weaken the target in a particular manner, Aiden intended to have every possible option available.

"This operation is high risk."

Aiden’s expression became serious as he looked at both of his companions.

"The enemy is a complete elite squad. Their levels aren’t significantly lower than ours, and their combined area damage is extremely dangerous."

He tapped the map once.

"We have to complete the decapitation quickly. If we’re dragged into a prolonged battle, their numbers and AOE capabilities will eventually become a serious problem."

Silas immediately patted his armored chest. The heavy armor produced a dull metallic sound.

"Don’t worry, Sir Aiden. These old bones could use a hard fight to knock them back into shape. I’ll pin that mage down for you."

Luna’s face was slightly pale, but her eyes remained determined.

"Sir Aiden, I’ll do my best. My dice... they won’t let us down."

Aiden looked at the two of them and felt a little more reassured.

They were still relatively inexperienced compared with the elite players of major guilds, but they had already proven that they could execute his orders under pressure.

That was what mattered.

Aiden took a slow breath.

The thought of finally activating [Soul Devour] stirred a faint sense of anticipation within him. He suppressed it immediately, forcing his mind back into its usual state of absolute calm.

Tomorrow afternoon.

The hunt would begin.

"One final equipment check tonight. Replenish all potions and consumables. Tomorrow afternoon, we move."

The night passed quietly.

The villa remained brightly lit by a small generator, casting warm light through the otherwise dark surroundings. Inside the basement workshop, Aiden wiped the Devouring Soul Blade one final time. The dark-gold edge reflected the cold focus in his eyes as he inspected every inch of the weapon.

Outside in the yard, Silas repeatedly practiced the combination of [Charge] and defensive blocking. Each movement was deliberate, and every time his armored boots struck the ground, they produced a heavy thud that echoed through the quiet night.

Luna remained in her room.

She sat quietly with the three ancient dice resting in her hands, gently running her fingers across their worn surfaces while adjusting her breathing and mental state. Tomorrow would be her first operation against a genuine elite squad, and she understood how much depended on the result.

The villa was quiet, but beneath that silence was a growing sense of anticipation.

They were preparing to hunt a powerful enemy.

More importantly, Aiden was preparing to activate the most important ability of his Sovereign of Souls for the first time since his rebirth.

If everything went according to plan, Element Controller would lose more than his life.

He would lose the very foundation of his power.

And that power would become Aiden’s.

The prelude to [Soul Devour] had begun.