I Ascend Alone-Chapter 153: Everdeep Bastion Part V - Evolving the Orcs

The battle had reached its boiling point.

One by one, the Six Elite Orcs fell.

The first was impaled by Sirrakiel mid-leap, her crystalline wing slicing clean through his chest.

The second lost his footing when Drovak pounced from above—his armored hide caving under the Sovereign-bound predator's weight.

The third stood too long in Myrrhal's light zone—his body rupturing from within as spectral spears pierced his organs.

The fourth and fifth refused to retreat. Together, they tackled Velgros, buying Dusk Reaver the opening he needed—but the cost was their lives. The Tyrant's retaliatory slam shattered their skulls.

The sixth... roared defiance even as he bled out, holding Sirrakiel's tail-blade with his bare hands long enough for Fenrir to flank and tear through her exposed wing.

Each death hit me like a wave of cold iron.

Then my vision blurred slightly, not from pain, but from a drain so sharp it felt like my entire core was being carved out.

My knees buckled slightly.

[ System Notice ]

➤ Summon Death Detected: Elite Abyssal Orcs (6)

➤ "Soul-Bound Resurrection Protocol: ACTIVE."

➤ Warning: Resurrection of fallen summons will extract mana based on summon class and damage sustained.

➤ Current Mana Drain: 8.7% of Total Reserve.

➤ Processing...

The ground beneath me split in six lines, shadows bleeding like ink from my feet. Symbols written in Abyssal Monarchal script blazed outward in a perfect circle.

And then, they rose one by one.

And then, within the whispering shade behind me, I felt the stir again.

"...Impossible," Umbraezar's voice whispered, rich with astonishment.

"They died. We felt it," Vorathos followed, tone edged with disbelief. "Yet now, bound again, unbroken. Master... you defy this world."

Their voices were no longer just respectful. Now there was awe.

"To think... we were searching not for a master who was merely strong—" Umbraezar breathed."But one we could never lose... for if we cannot die... until you do..."

Then both spoke in unison: "Then we will never die."

I exhaled, recovering slowly as the mana drain subsided. The cost was real. I could feel the hollow ache in my veins. But they were back.

And that meant the line never broke.

Velgros roared in defiance but staggered from a combined flank strike. Drovak shrieked as two orcs hurled spears that pinned his legs to the ground. Sirrakiel, now grounded, barely lifted her head before an axe buried itself into her skull.

And Myrrhal, sensing the shift in momentum, tried to ascend, but Fenrir leapt higher.

Abyssal chains exploded from his body mid-air, wrapping around her body before slamming her into the cavern floor like a meteor.

[ System Notice ]

➤ All Mini-Boss-Class Entities Defeated

➤ Floor 6 – Cleared

➤ Ascension Portal Available

The portal hummed to life once again—this time glowing crimson against the black crystal of the chamber.

The summons stood once more.

Six orcs, lined and armored. Fenrir at my side. Dusk Reaver with his blade resting on his shoulder.

I remembered that these orcs just high-grade summons, they were evolvable.

My gaze sharpened.

"Wait," I said.

The air stilled. They froze mid-formation, confused at first, but obedient. Dusk Reaver paused beside them, blade humming softly in the afterglow of void. Fenrir merely sat, watching me in silence, as if sensing my shift in thought.

I narrowed my eyes and lifted my hand again.

"System," I said calmly, "how can I evolve them?"

There was no voice. No direct answer.

But the system responded.

A soft chime echoed, and a translucent interface slid open in front of me.

-

[ Abyss Monarch Authority – Evolution Query ]

Bound Units: Abyssal Orc (Elite) x6

Status: Evolvable — Bound to Monarchal Will

Available Evolutions:

➤ Abyss Juggernaut — (Frontline Tank – Void Armor & High Endurance)

➤ Umbral Ravager — (Berserker DPS – Chaos-Fueled Strikes)

➤ Void Hexcaller — (Support Caster – Curses & Abyssal Debuffs)

-

Abyssal Evolution Requirements:

— [✓] Abyssal Scarification: Unit has died and been restored through Monarch's will (3x)

— [ ] Mark of Purpose: Choose path – Juggernaut, Ravager, or Hexcaller

The source of this c𝐨ntent is freёnovelkiss.com.

— [~] Abyss Core Binding: Enabled – Fused evolution permitted through Ruler of the Abyss

⇨ Six Abyssal Orcs will merge into three evolved entities

— [✓] Loyalty Threshold: 100% — Condition Met

Note: Once evolution begins, selected units will permanently ascend and cannot revert.Proceed with Mark of Purpose to finalize Abyssal Ascension.

-

I stood in front of the six kneeling Abyssal Orcs—scorched, cracked, and yet unwavering. The system's interface shimmered before me, awaiting my decision.

Three will remain. Three will evolve.

And I would forge them with purpose.

The void stirred behind me, sensing my intent. My hand rose slowly.

"I name you..."

I stepped toward the largest orc among them—his chest broad as a fortress wall, the scars across his flesh almost ceremonial now. He had taken the brunt of the last mini-boss's charge and didn't yield even in death.

"Juggernaut."

The system pulsed.

[ Mark of Purpose: Abyss-Wrought Juggernaut assigned ]

➤ Class Path: Void-Titan Vanguard – A living bastion, the unbreakable wall of the Abyss.

A glyph of deep violet fire branded itself onto his chest, pulsing once before sinking into his core. His body trembled—not in pain, but in the thrill of transformation.

I turned to the second—faster, leaner, eyes that always burned with hunger for the front lines. His axe still twitched in his grip, even at rest.

"You'll be my Ravager."

[ Mark of Purpose: Umbral Ravager assigned ]

➤ Class Path: Dark Berserker – Chaos-infused frontline devastation.

The brand seared across his back like a rune carved in shadow. His grin widened unnaturally.

And finally, the last—quieter than the others, always near the edge of the formation. He channeled hexes instinctively, even before receiving any command. There was wisdom behind his fury.

"Hexcaller. The voice of rot."

[ Mark of Purpose: Abyssbone Hexcaller assigned ]

➤ Class Path: Dark Channeler – Supportive blight, curses, and abyssal control.

A mark of coiling bone and smoke etched itself across his forehead, then vanished beneath the skin.

The system reacted immediately.

[ Evolution Parameters Aligned ]

[ Ruler of the Abyss activated – Commencing Fusion Binding ]

-

Black light surged from beneath the stone. The ground cracked open, abyssal tendrils erupting and coiling around the chosen three. The remaining orcs stepped forward without hesitation, offering their essence in silent loyalty.

The fusion began, and their bodies twisted—bone, shadow, and power merging into new forms.

It was not pain that echoed through the chamber, but something deeper. The sound of change. Of evolution.

Then, silence came.

Three figures stood where six had knelt.

Their presence is now heavier, and their forms transformed.

I nodded once. "Now we're talking."