Ex rank talent Awakening: 100% Dodge rate
Chapter 258 - CHAPTER 258: LONGING FOR A KIN

The Oculor crept silently behind Grey, its presence masked by the shroud of darkness. From behind its eerie veil, it began preparing to fire a beam from its gleaming eyes.

Far off in the distance, the Celestial of War was the first to notice the creature's approach. His eyes widened in alarm. Without hesitation, he hurled a materialized spear through the air toward the Oculor's position, his body acting purely on instinct.

He clenched his jaw in frustration. The spear wouldn't arrive in time—the Oculor had already locked on. Rage welled up in his chest at the thought of Grey dying. The celestial King would be furious. Grey was his most prized possession.

Grey, sensing danger through pure instinct, turned around—just in time to see the Oculor charging its attack.

Dread sank into his gut. He knew he wouldn't be able to escape in time.

The Celestial of War's spear tore through the sky like a comet set aflame, trailing divine energy. But even with its great velocity, the distance was simply too far.

The Celestial of War sighed in resignation. He could already see the inevitable.

"You must think very little of me to attack while I stand before you," came a voice seething with restrained fury. The Orc Chief, face hidden behind his fearsome mask, stepped forward. His expression was unreadable, but the Celestial of War didn't need to see it to know he was enraged.

"Sorry," the Celestial of War replied, his eyes never leaving Grey and the Oculor. "I never did think much of you. And I never will."

"Arrogance…" the Orc Chief growled. "That will be your downfall. Before the goddess's blessing, I wouldn't have dared face you. But now—things have changed. You have no chance of defeating me."

He reached into the air. Space itself split open, revealing a rift of absolute darkness. From within, the Orc Chief retrieved his massive battle axe.

He slung the weapon over his shoulder and stepped forward, gaze fixed on the Celestial of War. He was ready.

"How little must you think of me to take your eyes off me even now?" the Orc Chief snarled.

"Don't bother me," the Celestial of War muttered, his focus still locked on Grey and the Oculor. "I'm busy."

Grey tried to move, tried to leap out of the way—but it was useless. The laser beam was already about to fire.

And then—an unexpected twist.

The Oculor fired, but the beam missed. It didn't graze Grey. It hadn't even aimed at him.

Not because he had dodged. The Oculor had redirected the beam on its own. Grey stared, stunned and confused, unable to make sense of what just happened.

Before he could process it, the spear—now arriving—struck the Oculor dead center, impaling it and ending its life.

Grey stood there, baffled. Why had it missed such a clear opportunity?

He wanted to ask. But there was no one left to question. So he kept the confusion to himself, silently.

Far off, Rebecca stared at the scene—at Grey and the fallen Oculor—with an unreadable expression.

Telepathically, she had given the command. She had ordered the Oculor to spare Grey.

Because she had seen something. In that moment, when Grey unleashed his power—she had seen a face that bore a faint but undeniable resemblance to her mother.

It was impossible to miss. As a child who had longed for her mother's presence, Rebecca had spent hours staring at the few preserved images of her. That face had been burned into her memory.

And now she saw it—in him.

Just one moment of reasoning was enough. Grey was her brother. Perhaps only a half-brother, but family nonetheless.

And knowing that, she couldn't bring herself to kill him. He was all she had left. The only remaining kin.

This act of mercy did not escape notice.

High above the battlefield, the Celestial King and the Demon King observed her closely. They had been watching Rebecca from the moment the war began.

"It seems she still holds affection for her kin," the Demon King said, a malicious smile curling across his lips.

"Indeed," the Celestial King replied, confirming what both had now realized.

"Then we have our trump card, should all else fail," the Demon King said, glancing sidelong at his celestial counterpart. He didn't need to explain. The implication was clear.

The Celestial King closed his eyes, lost in thought.

Grey was valuable—irreplaceably so. He didn't want to risk losing him. But…

The thought of using Grey to defeat Rebecca made the odds of victory skyrocket.

He remained silent for a long moment. The Demon King waited patiently, knowing the Celestial King had grown fond of the boy.

Finally, the Celestial King opened his eyes.

"Fine. But only as a last resort."

"That's all I needed to hear," the Demon King replied, satisfied.

---

Meanwhile, the Celestial of War let out a breath of relief. Grey had survived—by a sheer stroke of luck.

"Well then…" he said, turning back to the Orc Chief. "Where were we?"

But before the sentence finished leaving his lips, the Orc Chief surged forward, patience exhausted. His enormous axe swung with violent intent.

The Celestial of War conjured a massive shield just in time to block the incoming blow, metal clashing with metal in a deafening roar.

The force of the strike was tremendous—he was sent flying backward, skidding across the field.

He tossed the shield aside, summoning a longsword. Stabbing it into the ground, he used it to steady himself as he stood back up.

"You're a fiery one, aren't you?" he muttered, brushing dust from his armor.

With a burst of motion, he sprang forward, discarding the sword. Two dual blades materialized in his hands once more as he launched himself at the Orc Chief.

His attacks came fast and furious—erratic, wild, unpredictable. They followed no discernible rhythm, forcing the Orc Chief into a purely defensive stance.

Blow after blow landed—some glancing, some deep. The Celestial of War proved his title wasn't just for show.

He was one of the strongest celestials for a reason.

And now, the Orc Chief was learning that truth firsthand.