"Honestly no..not at all." Terrence said, looking her over.
She really was cute, adorable even, but small as hell. At just 4'11, she barely came up past his waist. And considering he was standing at a solid 7'1 now, the sheer difference in scale was almost comical. She could literally give him a blow job standing u-
She cut in.
"Would you like that Master Terrence?" She interrupted smoothly, batting her eyes at him with a tempting smile, gaze sharp and knowing, like she could see straight through his thoughts. "I'll eat it off the bone..I promise~"
Terrence burst out laughing.
"You sure? Both of you are about the same size. What's your name by the way?"
"Positive Master Terrence and my name is Ariel Dragonesh." She smiled widely, watching him as he swung his legs off the bed and stood.
He still had all his equipment on. His Prime-grade armor hugged his frame, gold and black plating faintly pulsing with dormant authority, everything except his helmet.
Terrence looked down at her, towering like a mountain cast in shadow and gold.
She didn't flinch.
Didn't look intimidated.
If anything, she looked entertained.
He chuckled, grinning back. "Nice to meet you Little Bit." He reached down, resting his hand on her head, fingers brushing through her hair and rubbing gently at her scalp.
She let out soft, involuntary purrs.
"Common sense tells me you're a dragon hybrid right?"
"Keep rubbing..and yeah that's right, but not like the woo scary big all-powerful ones." Her tone shifted slightly as she lifted one hand, palm up. "Nope, I'm a weak Sun Dragon Hybrid."
A small flame sparked to life above her palm. It was thin, fragile, flickering like a dying candle.
Two seconds later, it fizzled out.
"Hope you're not disappointed." Her smile faltered, embarrassment creeping in as her eyes dipped downward.
"Nah I'll get you right. Trust me this is only temporary." Terrence said calmly as he reached into his inventory.
Light flared.
An Evo Key materialized in his hand. It was golden, radiant, etched with colorful gemstones that hummed with restrained power.
"Oooh looks shiny and pertty.."
"Yeah it's an Evo Key. Unlocks an Evo Rend which evolves those who survives it."
"What about those who don't?" Ariel asked, eyes widening just a little.
"Don't know the answer to that, but I doubt we'll find out."
[Evo Key equipped!]
[You have two Evo Keys! Will you like to combine them to unlock a Tier 2 Evo Rend?]
"Huh didn't even know I could do that but yes."
The Evo Key in Terrence's hand flashed pure white.
Its form distorted, expanding, condensing—until it reformed into a larger, heavier key crowned with a faceted golden gemstone that pulsed like a living heart.
Ariel leaned closer, curiosity blazing. "How much harder is a Tier 2 Evo Rend than a Tier 1 Master Terrence?"
"You can see that? And we're about to find out."
"Of course I can! We're spiritually bonded and okay."
[Enter Evo Rend?]
[Y/N]
Terrence didn't hesitate.
He pressed YES.
The Evo Key lifted from his palm and floated toward the ceiling. Space warped, folding inward as a human-sized, glowing golden doorway tore itself open in midair.
The key slid into the center.
Unlocked it.
Light detonated outward.
Terrence and Ariel were swallowed whole.
For a fraction of a second unseen and unfelt, the gold flickered.
And glitched.
Its color bled into something darker.
Blackish-red.
Elsewhere
Terrence's armored boots hit solid ground.
When he opened his eyes, he found himself standing in an endless bluish-white expanse, smooth and artificial, stretching infinitely in all directions. It reminded him of a tutorial zone, or a character creation space stripped of all personality.
[Prepare for the monster waves.]
[Time: 10 Minutes]
"Rising of the Shield Hero?" Terrence raised a brow, then exhaled as his expression hardened. "But didn't waste any time. I'm not going to either." His aura subtly shifted. "I've got the perfect ability to counter the Monster Waves."
"What are you going to do Master?" Ariel asked, standing close at his side.
Terrence smirked.
"System how many Eternal Shadows can I summon at one time?"
[That depends on your Mana amount..]
His smirk widened. "And how much Mana do I have?"
[Above Trillions.]
"Then you already know what to do."
[Say less.]
[Eternal Shadow Summoning ACTIVATIONCONFIRMED.]
[Targets Selected:]
{Brown Flying Cockroaches}
{Werewolves}
{Nobody Hunters}
{Lower Rend Guardians}
{Goblins}
[Variant: Peak Timeline Individuals]
[Quantity: 10,000,000]