The Evolution of the Void God: King of Cosmic Monsters

Chapter 3: Intimidation in the Forest Alleyway

The air in the narrow passage suddenly turned static. The sound of water dripping from a leaking pipe against the concrete echoed like hammer blows in Jaden’s ears. The scent of rust, stale petrol, and the predatory musk of Ares’s Silver Wolf mingled to create a stifling atmosphere.

Jaden remained collapsed on the ground, his chest searing from Korg’s blow, while Ares gripped his Moss Caterpillar with blatant contempt. In Ares’s eyes, the creature in his hand was nothing more than a useless lump of protein. But to Jaden, that caterpillar was the sole living witness to the remnants of his shattered humanity.

"Let him go, Ares..." Jaden whispered, his voice raw, mingled with the red fluid seeping from between his teeth. "He has nothing to do with this."

Ares laughed, a dry sound that didn't reach his cold eyes. "Nothing to do with it? Jaden, every breath you take is an insult to our organisation. And this pet? It’s proof of just how low your standards are as a human being."

Ares slowly increased the pressure of his fingers. The Moss Caterpillar’s soft body arched in agony. A clear green liquid—the insect’s blood—began to seep out, staining Ares’s expensive leather gloves.

"Look at this! Even its blood is revolting!" Ares shouted. He turned the caterpillar around, parading it before his guards as if it were some piece of rubbish he’d found in a gutter. "Korg, what do you reckon happens if our wolf swallows this thing whole? Will he choke on the shame, or will he find it a bit of fun?"

Korg and the other two guards guffawed. "Young Master, I think your wolf would be insulted if he had to eat such pathetic fishing bait. But seeing the look on Jaden’s face as his pet is crushed... now that’s real entertainment."

Jaden tried to push himself up. With the last of his strength, he lunged for Ares’s legs. However, he was far too slow. Korg, with the reflexes of a D-Grade Hunter, drove his knee straight into Jaden’s face.

CRACK!

Jaden’s head snapped back against the rough asphalt. His vision blurred as spots danced before his eyes. The world seemed to tilt. He could feel grit and dust entering the wound on his cheek. The pain was no longer merely physical; it was the agony of a soul being trampled without mercy.

"Don't... I beg you..." Jaden crawled, his trembling fingers trying to reach Ares’s boots. "Take my other cores... just don't hurt him..."

"You’ve nothing left to give me, Jaden," Ares spat directly onto the back of Jaden’s head. "But I’ve a better idea. I won’t kill it now. I’ll take it home. I’ll pop it into a glass jar of acid, and I’ll make you watch via video link as it slowly dissolves into sludge."

The threat struck Jaden’s consciousness like a lightning bolt. Forced seizure. It was a common tactic for wealthy Hunters to collect rare creatures, but doing it to a Moss Caterpillar served only one purpose: pure psychological torture.

Ares pulled a small containment unit from his pocket—a vacuum tube typically used for storing elite monster specimens. He began to force the caterpillar inside. The Moss Caterpillar writhed wildly, emitting a faint hissing sound that only Jaden could hear through their soul bond.

It hurts... Master... it hurts...

That weak, telepathic voice tore through Jaden’s heart. It wasn't the voice of a monster; it was the terrified cry of a small child.

"NO! STOP IT!" Jaden stood up with a surging rage, ignoring the pain in his ribs. He lunged at Ares with bare hands, trying to snatch the tube away.

However, before his fingers could even graze Ares’s clothes, the Young Master gave a signal to his Silver Wolf.

"Geryon, quieten him down."

The silver wolf leapt. Weighing nearly two hundred kilograms, it pinned Jaden’s chest to the ground. Its sharp claws dug into Jaden’s shoulders, piercing through his jacket and skin, locking the boy in place. The wolf’s hot breath, smelling of carrion, huffed right in Jaden’s face. Its massive fangs were only inches from Jaden’s throat.

"Move so much as a muscle, and Geryon will tear out your vocal cords," Ares threatened with a terrifyingly calm tone.

Jaden was paralysed. He could see his caterpillar now trapped inside the glass tube, squeezed and gasping for oxygen. Ares held the tube before his eyes, savouring the sight of Jaden’s devastation.

"See how weak you are, Jaden. You can’t even protect a grub," Ares mocked. "This world belongs to the strong. To those with a system, those with connections, and those with fangs. You? You’re just filth under my boot dreaming of being a hero."

Ares turned, preparing to leave the dark alleyway. "Let’s go. Leave him here. If he’s lucky, perhaps a mutated rat will finish him off before nightfall."

Ares’s guards laughed as they followed their master’s lead. Korg delivered one final kick to Jaden’s ribs before walking away.

Jaden lay there, alone in the shadows of the old building. The silver wolf had only just released him once Ares was a safe distance away. Jaden watched Ares’s receding back, staring at the glass tube containing his only friend being carried off toward a deeper hell.

Inside his chest, something began to thrum. It was no longer the heartbeat of a terrified human. It was something darker, heavier, and far more ancient.

[Soul Synchronisation: 12%...]

[User Status: Absolute Despair.]

[Unlocking Access: 'The Void's Call'.]

Jaden clenched his fists until his fingernails bit into his palms. His blood trickled into the cracks of the asphalt, yet he didn't feel it. All he felt was a burning void. A black hole within his soul that began to swallow all his pain and convert it into fuel.

"Ares..." Jaden whispered. The name sounded like a curse.

The wind in the alleyway suddenly shifted direction. Dust began to swirl around Jaden, forming a small vortex as if pulled by a distorted gravity. The shadows on the building walls began to stretch and writhe, even though the sun hadn't moved an inch.

Jaden stared ahead at Ares, who had nearly vanished around the corner of the alley. His eyes, once wet with tears, were now dry, replaced by a terrifying, dark purple glint.

"You want to see a real monster?"

[Warning: Emergency Evolution Protocol Activated.]

[Condition: Sacrifice of Mana and Life Essence.]

[Are you willing to give 'Everything' for destructive power?]

Jaden didn't answer with words. He answered with his will. In his mind, he saw only one image: Ares kneeling beneath his feet.