Icarus turned toward Damian, his pale face still processing what he’d just heard.

"You–"

Beep Beep Beep

His communication device erupted with noise, cutting off whatever he’d been about to say.

He picked it up, eyes scanning the incoming message.

Then he went completely silent, his expression freezing.

"What is it, General?"

Zara’s whisper came out strained.

"The news couldn’t be contained."

Icarus’s voice emerged flat and emotionless.

"The death toll at Lufen Portal was too high, too many families demanding answers, too many survivors broadcasting what they saw..."

He looked up from the device.

"The entire Federation already knows. War has been declared."

Nobody spoke for several long seconds, the weight of that statement pressing down on all of them.

Then Icarus turned toward Damian, his expression hardening into something focused.

"Candidate Damian, we don’t have much time."

His hand moved, Aura flowing as he summoned something from his spatial storage.

"The Military Police will be arriving soon to transport all candidates to combat staging areas. This window won’t last."

A box materialized in the air between them, ornate and clearly containing something valuable.

"This is a mind-healing treasure I prepared as your reward for passing the Mind Tower assessment."

He held it in front of Damian, his eyes locking onto the boy’s crimson gaze.

"When we first met, do you remember what you told me about your limits?"

Zara’s eyes tracked from Icarus to the containment cell, to where the S rank Broodmother hung suspended.

Her face went pale, understanding crashing through her.

"General, you can’t make him do this!"

Her voice came out sharp, almost panicked.

"The risks are astronomical! He might lose his mind completely, or worse! An A rank body trying to process S rank essence could–"

Damian’s hand moved, taking the box from Icarus’s grasp.

He walked toward the containment chamber entrance, his voice cutting through Zara’s protest.

"You don’t need to remind me of anything, General."

The door to the chamber slid open at his approach.

"I already planned on devouring the Broodmother the moment I laid eyes on it."

Whoosh

Icarus appeared beside the suspended creature, his hand pressing against its armored surface as Aura flooded outward.

The Broodmother’s body went rigid, its ability to move or struggle completely suppressed.

"Go ahead."

Icarus’s voice was steady.

"I’ll make sure it won’t be able to fight back."

Damian opened the box, revealing a pill that glowed with soft golden light.

He pulled it out and turned toward Zara, extending the treasure toward her.

"General Zara, if I start to lose my mind during the process..."

His crimson eyes met hers.

"Force this down my throat."

"You– you–"

Zara’s hands shook as she took the pill.

"Both of you have gone completely mad!"

Damian’s focus shifted away from her, his mind already preparing.

’Let’s see if I can really devour an S rank completely...’

His Aura circulated in specific patterns as Will Strengthening activated, flooding his consciousness with reinforcing energy.

Mental Barrier engaged immediately after, layering protective constructs around his mind.

His hand rose, palm settling against the Broodmother’s smooth leathery armor.

"Devour!"

Black energy exploded from his hand, spreading across the creature’s body like living oil.

The Devourer Body Art activated at full intensity, hungry and violent.

SHRIIIIEK!

The Broodmother’s scream tore through the chamber, but the black energy swallowed it, muffling the sound as the consumption began.

Text flashed across Damian’s peripheral vision.

[WARNING: Attempting to devour S rank entity]

[Host rank insufficient - Recommend aborting immediately]

[Mental degradation probable - Soul damage likely]

[Will: 500 → 497]

His willpower began dropping, the creature’s consciousness fighting back against the devouring process.

’Ignore it.’

[Will: 497 → 493]

The Broodmother’s shrieking intensified, hitting frequencies that bypassed physical hearing and struck directly at his mind.

His Mental Barrier cracked, fractures spreading through the defensive construct.

[Will: 493 → 488]

’Keep goi–’

The shrieking poured into his mind through the cracks, alien thoughts and primal hunger overwhelming his own.

Damian’s entire body began trembling, muscles spasming as the strain mounted.

[Will: 488 → 481]

Blood started leaking from his nose, hot and wet against his lips.

More blood seeped from his ears, streaming down his neck.

His eyes began bleeding too, crimson tears painting his face.

’Devour.’

The thought came stubborn, refusing to break.

’Devour devour devour DEVOUR! DEVOUR!’

Thud

His legs gave out, knees hitting the chamber floor hard.

But his hand stayed pressed against the Broodmother, the black energy continuing its work.

"You–!"

Zara’s voice cut across the chamber, sharp and furious, directed at Icarus.

"Why did you encourage him?! He’s the most talented genius this generation has produced! By doing this, you’re risking his life for what?! A slightly better armor skill?!"

Icarus’s face had gone pale, sweat beading on his forehead from the effort of suppressing the Broodmother while it was being consumed.

"He can handle it."

His voice came out strained but certain.

"Even if he can’t, we have the treasure. It will prevent permanent damage and restore his mental state."

"Icarus!"

Zara’s hands clenched around the crystal.

"You’ve lost your mind ever since Hell Portal closed! This obsession is making you–"

She cut herself off, moving towards where Damian knelt.

"I’m stopping this before it goes too far!"

Her hand reached out, wrapping around Damian’s wrist to pull his palm away from the Broodmother.

But Damian’s other hand shot up, fingers closing around her wrist with crushing force.

She looked down, her eyes widening.

Then up, following his arm to his face.

His eyes had turned completely pitch black with no white visible and no crimson iris remaining.

Just endless darkness that seemed to swallow light itself.

And he was... smiling.

The expression stretched too wide, showing too many teeth, carrying nothing human behind it.

’That’s not–’

Her thoughts stuttered, every instinct screaming danger.

’What... happened to him?’

"Devour."

The word came out wrong, layered with something that wasn’t entirely Damian’s voice.

Black energy exploded from where he gripped her wrist, attacking her directly.

Whoosh

Zara teleported backward, her wrist burning where the devouring principle had touched her skin.

’Did he just... try to consume me? He–’

Her heart hammered against her ribs.

Tsk tsk

Damian’s tongue clicked, the sound somehow carrying disappointment.

Then he turned back to the Broodmother.

And started eating it.

His teeth tore into the armored flesh, ripping chunks away with strength that shouldn’t belong to him.

"Hahaha... HAHAHAHA!"

The laughter emerged broken and wrong, mixing with the wet sounds of consumption.

"More... more flesh... more power... MORE!"

His hands clawed at the creature, black energy covering him completely now, making him look more monster than human.

Blood and essence mixed, dripping from his mouth as he finished devouring.

"Candidate Damian–"

Icarus’s voice cut through the chamber.

And Damian’s head snapped toward him, black eyes gleaming with predatory focus.

Then he vanished.

BOOM

Icarus stood with his hand raised, blocking a kick that had appeared where his head had been a fraction of a second earlier.

The impact created a shockwave that cracked the chamber walls.