Volume 2 — Chapter 16
The Adaptive Hunter
Silence spread across the battlefield.
Only minutes earlier, thousands of soldiers had been fighting violently across the shattered plains.
Now—
Nothing remained.
Heaven's armies had withdrawn.
Hell's forces had retreated.
The independent factions that had been caught in the clash had fled in every direction.
Within moments, the battlefield that once held tens of thousands of fighters had become completely empty.
It was no longer a war zone.
It had become something else.
An arena.
And at its center stood two figures.
One was the Void ruler.
The other—
Was the Creator's Descendant.
---
High above the battlefield, Seraphine floated beside Icarus.
Her silver eyes studied the figure standing below them.
"…So that's it."
The Descendant stood perfectly still.
Its body was tall and balanced, covered in sleek white armor that seemed almost alive.
Thin glowing lines moved slowly across its surface like streams of energy flowing beneath the armor.
In its hand rested a long blade.
The weapon looked simple at first glance.
Yet the air around its edge constantly distorted, as if space itself struggled to remain stable near it.
Seraphine folded her arms.
"It looks… calm."
Icarus's wings shifted slightly behind him.
"Yes."
Nexus spoke inside his mind.
[Entity Analysis Complete.]
[Designation: Creator's Descendant]
[Existence Type: Adaptive Combat Construct]
[Threat Level: Extreme]
Icarus narrowed his eyes slightly.
"Adaptive?"
Nexus responded.
[Creator's Descendants are designed to automatically adjust their strength relative to their opponent.]
[Primary function: Combat evolution.]
Seraphine blinked.
"…Wait."
She looked down at the figure again.
"Are you saying it becomes stronger depending on who it fights?"
[Correct.]
Seraphine exhaled slowly.
"That sounds annoying."
Below them, the Descendant suddenly lifted its head.
Its eyes locked directly onto Icarus.
For a moment, neither side moved.
Then—
The Descendant stepped forward.
The ground beneath its foot cracked slightly.
Not from force.
But from the unstable energy surrounding its body.
Seraphine raised an eyebrow.
"Well."
"I think it wants to start."
Icarus slowly descended toward the battlefield.
His wings folded slightly as he lowered himself toward the ground.
Seraphine followed him halfway before stopping in the air.
"…I'll watch from here."
Icarus landed calmly on the shattered ground.
Dust shifted beneath his feet.
Across the battlefield, the Creator's Descendant stopped walking.
Now the two figures stood facing each other.
A silent distance separated them.
For a few seconds, nothing happened.
Then the Descendant spoke.
Its voice was calm.
Emotionless.
"…Target identified."
Seraphine blinked.
"…It talks?"
The Descendant continued.
"Existence classification: Void authority bearer."
"Threat potential: significant."
Icarus tilted his head slightly.
"So you came here to fight me."
The Descendant raised its blade.
"Purpose: combat evaluation."
Seraphine sighed from above.
"Yep."
"That definitely means fighting."
---
Far away from the battlefield…
Inside the floating divine chamber…
The gods and devils leaned forward as the projection displayed the confrontation.
One of the devils grinned widely.
"And there it is."
The armored god nodded calmly.
"The encounter has begun."
The younger god stared at the screen nervously.
"…Do you think the Void ruler can survive that thing?"
A devil chuckled.
"That's the interesting part."
He leaned forward slightly.
"Creator's Descendants don't lose easily."
Another devil added.
"They evolve mid-combat."
"And they don't stop adapting until the opponent is dead."
The armored god spoke calmly.
"Either the Descendant eliminates the Void ruler…"
"Or the Void ruler becomes strong enough to destroy it."
He paused briefly.
"Both outcomes benefit us."
---
Back on the battlefield…
The wind moved slowly across the ruined ground.
Dust drifted between the two figures.
Icarus calmly studied his opponent.
The Descendant remained perfectly still.
Then—
Without warning—
It moved.
The ground exploded beneath its feet.
In a single instant the Descendant appeared directly in front of Icarus.
Its blade swung downward.
The weapon cut through the air like a distortion in reality itself.
Icarus stepped slightly to the side.
The blade struck the ground instead.
BOOM.
The impact split the battlefield apart.
A massive crack spread across the earth for hundreds of meters.
Seraphine's eyes widened slightly.
"…That was fast."
Icarus countered instantly.
Void energy surged around his arm as he launched a powerful strike toward the Descendant's torso.
The attack landed.
The impact sent the Descendant sliding backward across the battlefield.
Dust exploded around its feet as it stopped.
For a moment both fighters stood still again.
Then Nexus spoke.
[Combat adaptation detected.]
Seraphine frowned.
"…Already?"
The Descendant suddenly moved again.
This time it was faster.
Its blade flashed forward with precise speed.
Icarus blocked the strike with a barrier of condensed Void energy.
The impact sent shockwaves rippling through the air.
Then the Descendant attacked again.
And again.
And again.
Each strike faster than the previous one.
Seraphine watched from the sky.
"…It's speeding up."
Nexus confirmed.
[Adaptive response active.]
[Opponent strength scaling detected.]
Icarus stepped back slightly as another strike cut through the air.
The Descendant followed immediately.
Its blade moved with terrifying precision.
Each attack became sharper.
Faster.
More refined.
Seraphine frowned.
"That thing is learning."
Icarus's eyes narrowed slightly.
Yes.
The creature wasn't simply attacking.
It was studying him.
Every movement.
Every reaction.
Every ability.
And with each passing moment—
It grew stronger.
The Descendant suddenly paused.
Then it tilted its head slightly.
As if analyzing something.
Finally it spoke again.
"…Combat data updated."
Then it raised its blade once more.
"Beginning next evaluation phase."
Seraphine sighed.
"…I don't like the sound of that."
The Descendant moved again.
This time—
Even faster than before.
The second phase of the battle had begun.