[Evolution Points: 3,000,000,000]
Victor silently stared at the glowing system panel floating before his eyes. Three billion Evolution Points. It was an amount that would have seemed impossible to obtain not long ago, yet he had gathered it within a single day of relentless slaughter.
Now those precious points presented him with two completely different paths.
The first option was to comprehend an Elemental Domain instantly and step into the Elemental Lord Realm.
The second option was to upgrade his Demonic Sword to Grade Nine, transforming it into a terrifying divine weapon capable of slicing through almost anything before it.
Both choices could drastically increase his combat strength.
Victor calmly analyzed the situation without allowing excitement to cloud his judgment. The apocalyptic monster was only about seven times stronger than he was according to the World System. Although the gap sounded enormous, he possessed the Chaos element. He was confident that the monster would not be able to bypass the absolute defense granted by Chaos even with it’s decay ability.
If he chose to become an Elemental Lord instead, his personal strength would increase explosively. He would no longer need to rely on his sword alone. Every attack, every spell, and every movement would undergo a complete transformation.
Compared to that, upgrading a weapon that he had not even mastered completely seemed somewhat wasteful.
Even so, Victor preferred certainty over confidence.
His enemies were unknown creatures from another galaxy. Carelessness could cost him everything.
"System," Victor asked calmly, "if I become an Elemental Lord by comprehending only one domain now, will it affect my future cultivation path? Can I simply comprehend the remaining domains later without any consequences?"
The question had bothered him since he had first learned about domains. His cultivation path had always been different from everyone else’s.
He did not wish to damage his future merely to gain temporary strength.
The familiar mechanical voice echoed inside his mind.
[Ding!]
[If you become an Elemental Lord without comprehending every elemental domain first, there is a significant possibility that you will fail to comprehend the Chaos Domain in the future.]
[Merging the first domain you comprehend with the remaining domains afterward would become extremely difficult.]
[The amount of Evolution Points required to forcefully complete the fusion could reach several trillion.]
Victor quietly absorbed every word.
His expression remained calm, but his eyes narrowed slightly.
The answer matched the conclusion he had already reached himself.
Chaos was not a normal element.
It represented the perfect balance of every elemental law. If one domain matured too far ahead of the others, achieving complete harmony later would become unimaginably difficult.
That price was not something he wished to pay.
However, another reality stood before him.
Humanity did not possess several more years.
Humanity might not even possess another hour.
If he became an Elemental Lord now, his combat power would increase to an entirely different level. He would gain enough strength to fight the apocalyptic disaster head-on instead of desperately surviving every exchange.
Future cultivation would become more difficult.
But there would not be any future if everyone died today.
Victor slowly exhaled.
He trusted his own talent more than anything else.
Even if the system claimed that he would require trillions of Evolution Points someday, he still possessed an unparalleled comprehension talent. If anyone could overcome such an obstacle through sheer understanding, it would be him.
"I shall comprehend the Light Domain," Victor said softly.
The decision was final.
The Demonic Dragons were creatures born from darkness. Every instinct told him that Light would naturally restrain their abilities and weaken their overwhelming advantage. He needed to prepare for both disasters.
[Ding!]
[-3,000,000,000 Evolution Points.]
The enormous reserve of Evolution Points instantly disappeared.
At that exact moment, Victor felt an indescribable change occur inside his consciousness.
An endless torrent of profound knowledge surged into his mind like an infinite ocean.
Countless laws, principles, and truths regarding light unfolded before him one after another.
Every mystery that ordinary people would spend centuries pursuing became crystal clear within mere seconds.
Victor felt as though he had become one with light itself.
He finally understood what an Elemental Domain truly represented.
It was not merely a battlefield enhancement.
A domain was the first genuine step toward comprehending the fundamental Law of an element.
It was the process of understanding an element’s very existence and allowing that understanding to manifest in the physical world.
Within one’s own domain, the cultivator became directly connected to the elemental law.
Every spell consumed less energy.
Every movement became smoother.
Every attack became significantly more powerful.
The surrounding elemental energy willingly obeyed the caster’s every command, increasing their control by hundreds of times compared to normal conditions.
That was the true meaning of an Elemental Domain.
It was the beginning of walking alongside the laws of the universe itself.
Inside the dungeon,
"What exactly is happening beneath us?" the vice captain asked with a frown.
His sharp senses had detected two terrifying presences deep underground.
One carried the horrifying aura of endless decay.
The other radiated the overwhelming pressure of a Grade Nine existence.
Both were powerful enough to threaten even experienced Sovereigns.
One of the soldiers slowly shook his head.
"Sir, I believe that creature below us has already entered the Sovereign Realm. However, I cannot understand how such a being could exist on a primitive planet like this."
Confusion filled every soldier’s eyes.
Nothing about this insignificant world matched the intelligence they had received before arriving.
It was as though the planet continued revealing one impossible secret after another.
Their attention eventually shifted toward Delila.
She remained suspended in the air, completely wrapped within a gigantic cocoon formed from pure darkness.
Terrifying waves of dark elemental energy continuously flowed around her.
She had already begun comprehending the Rule of Darkness.
Unlike an Elemental Domain, an elemental rule represented a much deeper understanding of an element.
It stood above domains while remaining only one step below complete mastery of an elemental law.
Every Sovereign needed to comprehend the rule to break through and they would awaken a unique ability within their domain.
That special power differed from person to person.
Some abilities enhanced offense.
Others strengthened defense.
A few possessed effects so terrifying that they could completely dominate enemies of the same realm.
The vice captain silently folded his arms.
"Let us wait for the captain to finish her breakthrough. This planet is becoming stranger with every passing hour. There must have been a reason why the President specifically ordered us to proceed with extreme caution."
...
Without any warning, a deafening roar echoed across the entire planet.
It was not an ordinary roar. It carried an indescribable pressure that seemed capable of shaking the very soul. Every living creature, whether human or monster, froze instinctively as the terrifying sound spread across the continents.
The heavens trembled.
The oceans churned violently.
Even the atmosphere itself rippled under the overwhelming pressure.
Across countless human cities, millions of people instinctively looked toward the horizon.
Fear gripped every heart.
"Has the apocalypse the Sage warned us about finally arrived?"
The same thought surfaced in the minds of countless people.
For a brief moment, they even forgot about the Demonic Dragons waiting above the planet. Compared to this monstrous presence, every previous disaster suddenly seemed insignificant.
An ancient instinct, buried deep within the bloodline of every intelligent civilization, awakened.
It was the instinct to fear an existence standing at the very top of the food chain.
Many ordinary humans collapsed to their knees.
Some trembled uncontrollably.
Others found themselves unable to breathe as their souls instinctively recognized a predator that existed far beyond their level.
Far away from civilization, an enormous island suddenly began to shake violently.
Deep cracks spread across an entire mountain range before the peaks exploded apart one after another.
Molten magma burst from beneath the earth like crimson rivers.
Within seconds, forests that had existed for countless years disappeared beneath an endless sea of fire.
Every monster living on the island was instantly swallowed by the erupting volcanoes.
None managed to escape.
Then...
Something enormous slowly emerged from the molten abyss.
A gigantic head rose above the burning mountains.
At first glance it resembled a dragon, yet every feature appeared far more majestic and ancient.
Its dark golden scales reflected the blazing magma beneath it.
Two enormous crimson eyes slowly opened, radiating endless destruction.
Its head alone measured nearly three hundred meters in length.
As more of its body surfaced, the true scale of the creature became visible.
Its serpentine body stretched for nearly five kilometers.
Every movement generated violent shockwaves that shook the surrounding ocean.
The monster slowly surveyed its surroundings.
Its ancient instincts searched for signs of life.
Unfortunately for it, the island had already been completely destroyed by its own awakening.
Nothing remained alive.
The enormous dragon finally turned its gaze toward the distant mainland.
Even from thousands of kilometers away, it could sense countless living beings.
Its pupils narrowed.
The instinct to hunt awakened immediately.
Without producing any visible movement, the colossal monster vanished.
Its five kilometer body disappeared as though it had teleported through space itself.
Only the violently collapsing atmosphere remained to prove it had ever been there.
At that very moment, Victor slowly opened his eyes.
A brilliant sphere of pure light floated above his palm.
Countless golden runes revolved around the miniature domain while endless streams of radiant energy flowed between his fingers.
The surrounding space itself became brighter.
His understanding of the Light Element had completely transformed.
He had officially stepped into the Elemental Lord Realm.
The World System immediately displayed his updated status.
[Combat Prowess: 70,000 Mega Star]