The battlefield lay silent at last. Smoke curled upward from charred corpses, the acrid stench of blood and ash thick in the air. Siege towers stood broken, their timbers splintered, their bridges slick with gore. Wolves lay scattered in heaps, their bodies torn and burned.
Sam stood at the edge of the carnage, blades lowered, his aura dimming after the storm of battle. He looked out across the devastation, taking in the cost of victory.
"Gather everything," he ordered, his voice steady, carrying across the field. "Loot, cores, weapons. Nothing is to be wasted."
His soldiers moved quickly, disciplined even in exhaustion. They stripped the battlefield of spoils, piling beast cores, troop tokens, and weapons.
Sam turned to Dionysus, who was already feasting on corpses, her massive spider form crouched low, mandibles dripping.
"You may eat the goblins," Sam said, his tone firm but permissive. "And the wolves too. Leave the cocooned ones for last."
Dionysus's skull‑patterned body gleamed as she laughed, a sound that sent shivers down the spines of nearby soldiers. "Master is generous," she purred, already devouring another corpse. Praise radiated from her voice, twisted and eerie.
The cocooned goblins dangled from the wall, squirming and thrashing, their fate postponed.
Sam turned back toward the city, his boots crunching over ash and bone. As he passed through the gate, a roar of voices greeted him.
The people cheered, their cries echoing through the streets. Soldiers raised their weapons in salute, citizens shouted his name, and children clapped with wide eyes.
"Twilight Lord!" they cried. "Victory! Victory!"
The three Guardians received praise as well.
• Helios was hailed as the blazing savior, his flames immortalized in chants.
• Indra was celebrated for his storm, his lightning remembered as divine wrath.
• Dionysus received fewer cheers, her eerie presence unsettling, but still acknowledged for her role in the slaughter.
Sam nodded, acknowledging their voices, his expression calm. The morale of his people soared, their faith in him solidified.
Sam returned to the manor, exhaustion weighing on him. In the courtyard, Indra waited, his fur matted with blood and soot. The cub looked up at him pleadingly, eyes wide, body trembling.
Sam chuckled, scooping him into his arms. "Are you ever going to grow up?" he teased, stroking the cub's head.
A shadow passed overhead. Helios landed gracefully, wings folding, flames dimming. He overheard Sam's words and spoke, his voice calm and wise.
"Rare creatures grow differently," Helios explained. "Storm Tigers, Dragons, Phoenixes — they are born at higher tiers. Indra's growth will not be like others."
Sam nodded, accepting the truth. If it came from a Phoenix, it was law.
Helios stretched, laying down to rest in the courtyard. Sam carried Indra inside, his steps heavy but steady.
Sam entered his chamber to find One waiting, cloaked in shadow.
"The looting is finished," One reported. "Lady Dionysus's webs made it fast and efficient. She was… disappointed to give up the beast cores, troop tokens, and weapons. She said they looked tasty."
Sam smirked faintly. "She'll live."
One continued. "We also found a blueprint. A Small Colosseum. Seats one thousand, holds events."
Sam's eyes widened. He took the blueprint, adding it to his Overlord system. He stored the beast cores, Beast Lord Cores, and troop tokens in his ring.
Weapons and siege tower materials he ordered repurposed for farming equipment and basic goods.
The haul was staggering.
Sam sat heavily in his chair, Indra curled in his lap, the cub's weight grounding him. He opened his ring, eyes widening at the sight within.
• 4,200 Beast Cores
• 46 Beast Lord Cores
• 50 Troop Tokens
The numbers glowed in the System interface, staggering in their abundance.
Sam exhaled sharply, almost laughing. If he weren't so exhausted, if Indra weren't asleep on him like a forty‑pound ball of fluff, he might have jumped for joy.
He turned to One. "How many wolves were captured?"
"One reports five hundred wolves taken alive," the assassin replied, voice calm. "They are being transported to the Monster Ranches, spread evenly for recovery and taming."
Sam nodded, satisfied. "Good. Dismissed."
One melted back into the shadows, leaving Sam alone with his thoughts.
Sam stroked Indra's fur, his mind drifting.
Not even two weeks ago, he had been lying in a hospital bed. Machines kept him alive after the car wreck — paralyzed, burned, broken. His girlfriend had left him, unwilling to stay with a "burnt vegetable."
He had grown up in the adoption system, never knowing family, never having anything to call his own.
And now… now he had bonds. True companions. Helios, Indra, Dionysus — each terrifying, powerful, loyal. Even Dionysus, unsettling as she was, gave him assurance. She had been summoned by his divine gift, and she had never failed him.
Sam's heart burned with resolve. He vowed silently, fiercely: No one will harm my bonds. No one will harm my people. I will protect what is mine, no matter the cost.
Sam opened the System interface again, checking the requirements for a Tier 4 Domain upgrade.
Cost: 20 Beast Lord Cores.
He blinked, stunned. He had more than double the requirement.
"Thank the gods for this siege," he muttered. Without it, who knew how long it would have taken to gather so many cores.
He decided to wait until morning. Tonight, he would rest. He would cuddle Indra, let exhaustion take him, and face the upgrade with clear eyes.
Outside, Dionysus prowled the city wall. Her massive spider form loomed over the cocooned goblins, mandibles dripping. She hummed and cackled as she drained blood, feasting on corpses, her body swelling larger with each meal.
The guards watched in terror, shifting uneasily.
Jones, however, tilted his head, eyes wide. "Is it crazy if I think she's… cute?" he whispered to Mack.
Mack stared at him, horrified. "Yes. Yes, it's crazy."
Dionysus paused, turning her skull‑patterned head toward them. Her voice echoed, eerie and playful. "Sweet snack," she purred. "Because you are sweet, I won't eat you."
Jones grinned, turning to Mack triumphantly. "How's that not cute?"
Mack groaned, shaking his head.
The spider laughed again, her voice echoing across the wall, sending chills down every spine.
Far from Twilight Domain, deep within the Forest of Tribulation, a bone altar glowed faintly with shadow. Skulls lined its edges, black smoke curling upward into the night.
The Great Shaman Borto stood before it, staff raised, chanting in guttural tones. His eyes glowed crimson, his aura heavy with malice.
Through the altar, he invoked Shadow Possession, his vision stretching across the battlefield Sam had just won. He saw the human Overlord, his army, the Storm Tiger, the Phoenix, and the nightmare spider.
Borto's lips curled into a sneer. "Impressive… but not enough."
He was only mildly impressed. He had seen armies greater, beasts stronger. With his next ritual complete, with sacrifices offered, and with the aid of the Forest Trolls, he felt confident.
"Eliminating this human pest will be easy," he muttered. "The Forest of Tribulation will belong to me. I, Borto, will rule."
The world beyond Twilight Domain stirred.
• Heaven's Reach:
Olivia sat in her Grand Hall, a golden lion cub curled in her lap. Its fur shimmered, its eyes glowed faintly with greed.
A man in white robes stood beside her, gazing at the cub. "Did the bond succeed?" he asked.
Olivia nodded. "Yes. I have bonded with the Golden Greed Lion."
Gasps echoed from angel troops and heavenly soldiers nearby.
August, her Tier 10 Light Mage, bowed his head. "The gods favor you, my lady. With this bond, the Twilight Lord is no longer untouchable."
Olivia's smile was cold. She felt power surging, confidence rising.
• Mountain Fortress:
A young girl, no more than ten, called out. "Olaf!"
A massive White Bear lumbered forward, its fur glowing faintly with Sloth energy. The bear nuzzled her, roaring softly.
"Nap time," the girl whispered, already drowsy.
Olaf caught her as she fell asleep, carrying her gently into the manor. The bear lay beside her, energy pouring into them both as they slept.
• Endless Graveyard:
Max stood before a massive Ruby Lust Serpent, its body five meters long, scales glimmering like rubies.
The serpent coiled around him, whispering secrets only he could hear. Its voice was seductive, its aura intoxicating.
Max's eyes gleamed with hunger. The bond was complete.
The rival Overlords were rising, each forging bonds with beasts of sin and rarity.
Back in Twilight Domain, Sam slept peacefully, Indra curled against him.
Dionysus returned from the wall, her body swollen from feasting. She realized she was too large now to lay beside her master.
A black fog enveloped her. When she stepped out, she was palm‑sized again, her skull‑patterned body tiny, her laughter faint.
She crawled up the bed, settling atop Sam's head, humming softly before drifting into sleep.
Helios watched from the courtyard, his eyes narrowing. "How can she change shape so early?" he wondered. "Most beasts need Tier 8 or 9 to do so."
But he dared not ask a spider for advice. He closed his eyes, choosing rest instead.
In the shadows, One observed. As a Shade Assassin, he could sense the truth of dark creatures. He knew Dionysus was a true Sin Beast.
Pride filled him. For my master to sleep so close to such a creature… it takes courage beyond measure.
Sam slept peacefully, oblivious to the thoughts of his subordinates.
The Twilight Domain rested, its people safe, its walls secure. But in the shadows, threats loomed:
• Borto's ritual, promising vengeance.
• Rival Overlords bonding beasts of greed, sloth, and lust.
• Dionysus's unsettling growth, hinting at powers yet untapped.
The night was calm, but the future burned with promise and peril.