Reincarnated By The Weakest Primordial Being(but with OP growth twist)-Chapter 21: DEATH’S CALL

(I wasn’t sure Maya would actually join us... but now she’s here.)

AK’s heart thundered like a war drum, pounding so hard it felt as though it might burst from his chest. His grip tightened on the hilt of his dagger until his knuckles turned white, sweat slicking his palms. His eyes darted between the chaos of the battlefield and the woman standing before him—her blade dripping with crimson as droplets fell onto the cold dungeon floor, hissing as they touched the faint traces of magic embedded within the stone.

A few seconds ago, that very blade had cleaved through the neck of a corrupted hunter with such speed and precision that AK barely registered the motion. One instant, the hunter was snarling and alive; the next, his severed head rolled across the ground like a discarded doll, a grotesque grin frozen on its lips.

The silence that followed was absolute—deafening, suffocating. Even the dungeon itself seemed to recoil from the sheer brutality of what had just transpired, its pulsating walls quivering as though in fear. It was as if the entire world had paused to witness this display of raw, merciless power.

Hazzy stood frozen. His usual calm composure shattered, wide eyes reflecting the cold, lethal figure that was Maya. (So this is her strength... the strength of a guild leader...) His jaw tightened as his hands curled into fists, nails digging into his palms hard enough to draw blood. (I’m not even close to her level. Not yet. If I want my guild to rise... if I want to stand beside her rather than behind her... I need to become stronger. Much stronger.)

But the remaining corrupted hunters were not paralyzed by awe. No—they burned with rage, their eyes igniting like wildfires as they locked onto Maya. Hatred radiated from them in waves, thick and tangible, stinking of bloodlust and vengeance. Their fallen comrade’s body twitched one last time before dissolving into black smoke, vanishing as though he had never existed.

"YOU!" one of them roared, his voice cracking under the weight of fury. "You’ll pay for that!"

Their screams shattered the stillness like glass. In perfect unison, the four surviving hunters lunged at Maya, weapons flashing with murderous intent—streaks of silver death cutting through the dim dungeon light.

"Stay back!" Maya’s voice was sharp, commanding, and cold—an order that brooked no argument. It wasn’t a plea. It wasn’t concern. It was the voice of a queen commanding her soldiers in the middle of a battlefield.

But AK and Hazzy weren’t soldiers who blindly obeyed. The thought of letting her face four elite killers alone burned in their chests like fire.

"Move!" Hazzy barked, his voice cracking like a whip as twin blades slid into his hands. He didn’t hesitate. His body became a blur as he lunged forward, feet pounding against the cracked stone floor.

AK followed without a second thought. He didn’t analyze. Didn’t strategize. Instinct took over, pushing his body to move, to fight.

"Ash! Stay behind and don’t interfere!" Hazzy’s voice thundered over his shoulder as he closed in on the enemy.

Ash gritted his teeth but obeyed, halting his advance and planting himself at a safe distance. His eyes flickered rapidly across the battlefield, tracking every movement, every shadow. (If things go south, I’ll jump in. No hesitation.)

The corrupted hunters moved like living shadows—fast, precise, lethal. Their bodies weaved in and out of the gloom, their movements so sharp they left afterimages in the air.

One broke from the group and materialized right in front of AK, his blade screaming through the air toward AK’s throat.

(Damn—too fast!)

Without thinking, AK screamed in his mind: Activate skill—Stealth!

Nothing happened.

A crimson error burned in his vision:

[Skill Not Found.]

(What?! Why isn’t it activating?!)

Panic surged like ice water in his veins. It was too late to dodge—the enemy’s sword was already a silver blur inches from his neck—

"Move, idiot!"

The voice was steel and fire combined.

Before AK could even blink, Maya blurred into existence like a phantom. One heartbeat she was yards away; the next, she was there—between him and death.

Her blade sang as it met the enemy’s weapon with a sound like a thunderclap—

CLANG!

Sparks exploded in the air, raining down like miniature stars in the gloom. The shockwave of the collision rippled outward, ruffling AK’s hair and sending motes of dust spiraling into the air.

In the same motion, Maya pivoted, her body flowing like water as her blade slashed in a single, merciless arc. The corrupted hunter barely leaped back in time, a hiss of air marking the path where his life nearly ended.

AK stumbled backward, breath locked in his throat, his body trembling from the adrenaline spike. Heat flooded his cheeks, a fierce blush burning under his skin as his heart stuttered in his chest. (She saved me... again.)

But that fleeting spark of awe and excitement was snuffed out like a candle when Maya’s voice sliced through the chaos like a whip.

"Are you doing this on purpose?" Her eyes—sharp, merciless daggers—nailed him to the ground. "Letting me save you again and again?"

"I—" The words tangled in AK’s throat.

"This is the last time, AK." Her voice was glacial, colder than the deepest winter. "Fight. For real."

The weight of her disappointment crushed him harder than any blow. It carved through his chest, leaving behind raw, aching resolve.

(No more hesitation. Time to fight.)

He gritted his teeth, forcing air into his lungs, and nodded with steel in his eyes.

Fingers tightened around his dagger. His body coiled like a spring ready to snap. Then—with a roar ripping from his throat—he charged.

The corrupted hunter met his assault with a cruel grin behind his mask, sidestepping the first slash with inhuman grace. But AK didn’t falter. He pivoted sharply, muscles screaming, and slashed again—this time aiming low.

The hunter moved—fast, but not fast enough.

SLASH!

A crimson line split across his leg, blood spurting like a fountain.

"Bastard!" The hunter spat venom, fury igniting in his eyes. His hand shot into his pocket and whipped out a small, sleek device—no bigger than a coin, gleaming with ominous light.

AK’s breath hitched. (What the hell is that?)

The hunter ripped off his mask with the other hand. His face—if it could be called that—was a grotesque nightmare. A jagged scar carved across his mouth from ear to ear, splitting his lips into a permanent, monstrous grin—like some twisted Kuchisake-Onna from urban legends.

He grinned wider, lips stretching over teeth that glowed faintly in the dungeon’s dim light.

"Let’s end this," he growled—and pput his hand in his pocket and take our a device and pressed the button present on it.

Everything shattered into chaos.

The three remaining corrupted hunters froze mid-motion, their bodies trembling violently as crimson light burst from their flesh. The glow intensified, searing the air as their skin cracked like shattered porcelain, leaking red energy that writhed like living fire.

Then—

BOOM!

They exploded.

But not into gore. Into dust. Clouds of crimson ash roared outward like a shockwave, spiraling violently through the dungeon before being sucked—devoured—into the body of the scarred hunter like a storm funneling toward its heart.

Gasps tore from AK and the others.

The air grew heavy—oppressive. Breathing became laborious, like inhaling molten lead. The temperature spiked, an invisible furnace igniting around them. Sweat streamed down AK’s spine, sizzling against his skin as his dagger trembled in his grip.

The hunter’s body bulged grotesquely, veins glowing molten red, muscles swelling beyond human limits. His skin cracked open, fissures leaking fiery light as if magma pulsed beneath his flesh.

And when the transformation ended—what stood before them was no longer human.

A living inferno cloaked in rage towered over them, every inch of his body radiating lethal heat. Flames licked along his arms like serpents hungry for blood. His molten eyes glowed with madness and something worse—hunger.

He grinned, voice echoing with something monstrous, something beyond human:

"Remember my name, weaklings. Surya."

Then he laughed—a sound that could have shattered glass and ignited bone—a chorus of fire and insanity.

"This device," he said, lifting the cracked gadget between two blazing fingers, "is one of my master’s creations. It grants me their strength... their lives... their souls. And now—" His grin widened, teeth glowing like embers. "Their power flows in me."

AK’s stomach knotted into a pit of ice. The heat rolling off Surya scorched the very air, bending it into shimmering waves like a desert mirage.

(This... This wasn’t in the erased timeline. What the hell is this world turning into? What other nightmares are waiting for me?)

Surya’s molten voice dragged him from his spiraling thoughts:

"You all prepare to die." Flames writhed from his arms, dripping embers that scorched the floor. "This device is called Death Call—and it’s already called for your lives."

His fiery gaze slid toward Maya and the other girl with a grin that dripped with depravity.

"But don’t worry, you two beautiful ladies," his voice dripped malice like venom, "I won’t kill you. I’ll make you mine. You’ll join us—whether you want to or not."

Maya’s grip whitened on her sword, fury simmering in her eyes like frost over magma. But before she could speak, Hazzy stepped forward, his voice like a blade drawn in darkness.

"You’re mistaken."

Surya tilted his molten head, amused. "Oh?"

"There’s only one girl here," Hazzy said flatly.

For a heartbeat, silence reigned. Even the flames seemed to pause.

Everyone—including AK and Maya—snapped their heads around, eyes scanning the battlefield.

But Aisha was gone.

"What—where—?!" AK choked, his voice cracking in disbelief as his gaze darted wildly.

Surya chuckled, a low, hellish rumble vibrating through the floor. His molten grin widened like a crack splitting the earth. 𝒻𝓇𝑒𝘦𝘸𝑒𝒷𝓃ℴ𝑣𝘦𝑙.𝒸ℴ𝘮

"You think I wouldn’t notice?" he hissed. "That little trick you pulled—hiding her with an invisible cloth you bought from the Hunter Store? Pathetic."

AK’s jaw dropped. "What?! You used an invisible cloth for Aisha?!" He spun toward Hazzy, excitement and confusion crashing in his eyes.

Hazzy’s glare was sharp enough to cut steel. "Don’t overthink it. I bought it for myself—I recently unlocked an Assassin skill. But since Aisha’s the weakest here, I gave it to her so she could hide while we fight."

"Okay, okay," AK muttered quickly, whirling back toward Maya. "And you... you didn’t notice that either?"

Maya exhaled slowly, eyes narrowing like drawn blades. "No. That wasn’t a normal invisible cloth," she murmured. "If even I couldn’t sense her... it had to be S-rank."

Before AK could speak—

A roar split the world.

"HOW DARE YOU IGNORE ME?!"

Surya’s voice boomed like a thunder god’s wrath, shaking the dungeon walls. Dust rained from the ceiling as cracks spiderwebbed across the stone. Even Phaphy—who had barely regained consciousness—jerked in shock.

AK smirked, cool as frost despite the inferno, his tongue as sharp as ever. "Don’t shout," he said, casually flicking his dagger. "It hurts my ears when someone ugly like you tries to sound important."

Surya’s molten grin twisted into a mask of pure hatred. Flames exploded around him, devouring the air in a vortex of heat.

"You... you better DIE!"

The ground splintered beneath his feet—

And then he moved.

Like a comet of living fire, Surya launched himself at AK—faster than thought, faster than fear—leaving a blazing trail in his wake—