Ex rank talent Awakening: 100% Dodge rate

Greg continued staring at the point where Kyle had once stood, now nothing more than a fading memory.

The man responsible for so much pain, so much anguish, was finally gone. Kyle—the one who had taken his parents from him, the one who had haunted his every step—was dead.

Greg had finally achieved the vengeance he had long sought.

But there was no time for peace. Not yet. Now, he had to face whatever enemies the apocalypse would throw at him… or any future threat foolish enough to stand in his way.

He deactivated his manifested will, returning to Earth. As reality came back into focus, he found himself standing before Annabelle, Lilith, and Jessica.

"You're safe," Jessica said, her voice gentle and filled with relief.

"Yes," Greg replied, pulling her into a tight embrace.

"And Kyle?" Lilith asked, her tone hesitant. She clearly didn't want to ruin the moment, but the question had to be asked.

"Dead," Greg said simply. "I made sure there's no coming back for him."

"By the way, why are you here, Annabelle?" he asked, giving her a questioning look.

"It's good she came, actually," Jessica said calmly. "Or I would have been dead."

Greg's brow furrowed in concern. "What happened?"

"Let's just say Kyle had a final plan," Lilith chimed in.

---

Earlier...

"Where did they go?" Jessica asked, glancing at Lilith. One moment, Greg and Kyle were there—locked in a deadly standoff—and the next, they were simply… gone.

"One of them probably manifested their will," Lilith said, explaining the concept to her.

As the two women conversed, a loud, thundering noise drew their attention. Hundreds of demons were charging toward them—murderous intent clear in their eyes.

"Stop!" Lilith shouted, attempting to use her authority to halt their advance. But her words fell on deaf ears. The demons didn't even flinch.

Lilith's eyes narrowed. That shouldn't have been possible. Her bloodline purity alone should've commanded them to a halt… unless someone—someone like the demon god—had nullified her influence.

"Stay behind me," she told Jessica firmly. Jessica didn't hesitate, moving quickly behind Lilith.

Lilith reached deep into her power, manipulating the emotions of the oncoming demons. She twisted their minds, making them fanatics of her, forcing them to attack each other. Meanwhile, she used her own hands to fend off those who managed to get close, preventing them from reaching Jessica.

But the endless tide began to take its toll. After minutes of relentless battle, fatigue set in. Their numbers seemed infinite. Even the weakest among them were knight-tier, with baron-level demons scattered throughout.

She cursed her limitation—her strength restricted to that of a viscount. If she had her true power, this battle would've been trivial.

With her concentration split, one demon managed to slip past her defenses, racing toward Jessica.

"No!" Lilith gasped, turning to intercept it. But another demon's attack forced her to divert her attention, defending herself just long enough to lose precious seconds.

Jessica closed her eyes. The demon was almost upon her, claws raised. Regret flooded her—regret that she wouldn't get more time with Greg.

"Ice Spear!"

The shout rang out, a voice that sounded all too familiar to Lilith. A sharp spear of ice whizzed past her shoulder, impaling the demon.

"Protection Shield!" the voice cried again, and a shimmering barrier enveloped Jessica just in time.

"It seems I made it in the nick of time," Annabelle said with a triumphant smile.

She had rushed to the scene after witnessing the chaos on a Livestream. Kate hadn't tried to stop her—she knew help was desperately needed. Scarlett, using Dragon Tongue, had blessed her with an array of speed buffs, allowing her to fly at breakneck speed toward the battlefield.

Upon arrival, she saw the demon lunging at Jessica and acted without hesitation, launching her spear and saving her friend.

Annabelle didn't approach Jessica immediately. There were still demons to deal with.

"Need some help?" she asked Lilith, who was breathing heavily from exhaustion.

"Yes," Lilith said without hesitation.

Annabelle opened her mouth and breathed fire, engulfing a demon in roaring flames.

"And that's the last of them," she muttered, wiping sweat from her brow.

Together, she and Lilith walked toward Jessica—just as Greg reappeared.

---

"I see… Thanks for showing up, then," Greg said sincerely, looking at his sister with grateful eyes. Her timely arrival had made all the difference.

"What now?" Annabelle asked, her voice tinged with a quiet sadness. Though Kyle had turned monstrous, she still had fond childhood memories of him.

"I don't know. We go home?" Greg said, still holding Jessica close.

"How about giving your parents a proper burial—and closing the rift between your world and the demon world while you're at it?" Lilith suggested.

"Yes," both siblings agreed at once. The thought of their parents being exploited, even in death, was heartbreaking.

Under Lilith's guidance, they made their way to the hidden base—the place where their parents' corpses were kept. The air was thick with demonic energy. Inside, several demonic beasts were locked away in cages, and at the center of it all was the rift: a tear in reality itself, glowing with eerie energy.

Greg's heart clenched as he saw them—his parents suspended mid-air, the rift between them like some terrible engine powered by their lingering souls.

With reddened eyes, he gently lowered their bodies. As he did, the rift began to close, the portal finally losing its energy source.

They paid their respects in silence. Then, with heavy hearts, they incinerated the bodies. A spell from Greg scattered their ashes into the wind.

"Ouch," Annabelle winced, rubbing her arm. A glowing tattoo of the Earth element appeared on her skin. "What is this?" she asked, bewildered.

"It seems the will of your world has chosen you to be the new administrator," Lilith explained. "You… and someone else. Though it doesn't seem to be your brother."

At that very moment, elsewhere in the world, Brian stared in surprise at a matching tattoo forming on his own skin—the same mark of an administrator. Their fates, now entwined.

"Let's go home," Greg said finally, his voice quiet but resolute. The safe house was no longer necessary. With Kyle gone, the greatest threat had been eliminated.

---

Far away…

"What a shame," a voice whispered from the void—its tone both frustrated and eerily calm. The figure, draped in darkness, looked toward the others who shared his shade. "Despite how much we helped him… he still couldn't kill HIM."

Another figure stirred. "We've done all we can. Any further interference risks triggering his awakening."

And so, they watched… waiting… the shadows patient as ever.