Ex rank talent Awakening: 100\% Dodge rate-Chapter 189 - : DEMON WAVE I

It was D-Day—the day of the monster wave. Everyone had logged into Apocalypse, unwilling to miss a single second of the long-awaited event.

> [Welcome, users!]

[Countdown to Demon Invasion: 2 hours 59 minutes 45 seconds]

Anticipation reached its peak. Players from both the empire camps and the neutral territories stirred with excitement and tension, their eyes glued to the shifting timer.

"Hmm, an event like this is exactly what I need to increase my undead numbers," Cain muttered with a sinister smirk. He sat atop a jagged rock, overlooking a field where his skeletal minions and ghouls hunted ceaselessly, their kills stacking his experience points at an alarming rate.

> [Congratulations! You have levelled up!]

The system notification echoed, and Cain stood, brushing dust from his robe. The hunt, for now, was complete.

"It's time to move out and prepare for the main event," he murmured. At his command, the undead forces dispersed into black mist, vanishing from the field and leaving only Cain and a dire undead wolf at his side.

He climbed onto the wolf's broad back, and with a silent nod, the beast began its steady gallop toward the heart of the Grey Empire. Fear of the empire's cruelty never once registered in Cain's mind—he simply didn't care.

---

"So? Did you contact him?" Brian asked as Aaron approached, meeting him moments after logging into the game.

"Yes," Aaron replied. "He wishes you to exercise patience. He'll be arriving soon."

Brian nodded in understanding.

"If I may ask," Aaron continued, "how do you plan to participate in the event? Surely, the three of you aren't insane enough to take on the demon wave alone?"

"We don't have a guild or party to partner with," Brian explained with a wry smile, "so I guess we'll have to face the wave on our own."

Aaron raised an eyebrow. "Then why not join us? Partner with our team."

Brian fell silent, his thoughts swirling. The offer was unexpected, but not unwise. After several moments of serious consideration, he finally gave a small nod.

"Alright. We'll join you."

---

*******

"Zert, my master has commanded I return and leave control to you," Kodiac said calmly, his expression unreadable.

"My… my lord?" Zert stammered, panic creeping into his voice. Kodiac had been his pillar of confidence, the reason he still believed the invasion would succeed.

"There is no 'but.' The command of my master cannot be defied," Kodiac stated flatly. "To prevent the humans from preparing or bolstering their forces due to my absence, you shall attack today with every demon. Succeed, and my master shall reward you greatly. Fail, and you perish alongside your disgrace."

His voice was steady, disturbingly detached—as though lives weren't on the line.

Zert's face paled, all color draining from his skin. He was caught between a rock and a hard place. Disobeying the demon god was a death sentence. Facing the humans alone? A nightmare with almost no chance of victory.

Kodiac noticed his fear but didn't comment. It was expected.

Still, he offered a final piece of advice. "Be confident. A commander that cowers only saps morale. Utilize the foreigners favored by the supreme will—their disregard for death will serve you well. Do not disappoint me. And more importantly, do not disappoint yourself."

With those parting words, Kodiac turned and walked away, showing no concern for the demons that moved around him. To him, they were already dead.

If this had merely been a battle against humans, their chances would have been fair. But with the arrival of a celestial messenger… their odds had dropped below one percent.

Kodiac remained composed as he passed through the rift, ensuring it closed behind him to prevent retreat—and to keep the foreign immortals from breaching the demon realm.

Of course, he didn't forget to drop the Origin Demon Seed as instructed. He had no idea why, but orders were orders.

Zert watched him go with clenched fists and a storm of emotion. Everything had been going perfectly. As second-in-command, he had stood at the edge of glory. After the invasion, honors and recognition would have been his.

He had dreamed of the looks on his relatives' faces when he returned triumphant. He had fantasized about the day his disgraced family would finally acknowledge him—the outcast who conquered a continent for the demon god.

But now? Now it all felt like a cruel joke.

"No... I can't give up now," Zert muttered under his breath, grinding his teeth. He didn't care if he'd been abandoned—if the higher-ups saw him as disposable. All his life, he'd been treated like trash in the demon world.

That was about to change.

Kodiac or not, Zert swore he would succeed. The embers of his fighting spirit ignited again.

"Prepare the demons! We hand over this continent to the demon god and return to the demon realm as heroes!" he roared.

One of the barons approached to receive orders. Zert conveyed his instructions swiftly, the demon from the Sloth Clan finally deciding it was time to earn his keep.

Zert then turned toward his tent and moved quickly. Inside, hidden from even Kodiac, was a box—a secret weapon he had kept in reserve.

---

*******

Some time ago...

"Just in case I lose and never return, this box will serve a good purpose for you," Kyle said with a sinister calm, a playful smirk tugging at his lips. His handsome features masked the eerie vibe in his voice.

"Use it only when Kodiac is gone and has retreated to the demon world. When the demon god decides to betray you—and make your life a toy, a means of amusement, as he plans to do with mine."

Zert's eyes narrowed. "What is this?"

"Trust me, you'll find out," Kyle said. "If I'm right, you'll need it against a powerful enemy. One you can never defeat. Just remember—do not open it unless your enemy is not a foreigner like me."

Zert remained suspicious. "How did you get this?"

Kyle's smirk deepened. "Let's just say a certain 'benevolent' demon offered it to me to aid my plans. One who understands the demon god far too well."