Alex’s dragon wings flapped gently, keeping him afloat at eye level with the massive statue of the [Angel City Founder].
Despite its stone form, the ten-winged angel statue radiated an overwhelming presence, its golden eyes glowing with an ethereal light.
“So, you wish to join us?” the statue’s voice echoed through the grand chamber, its tone deep and ancient.
“Let me look into your accomplishments…”
Alex shrugged, “Go ahead.”
It felt strange, letting a statue inspect him like this, but he didn’t resist.
There was no reason to.
This was a necessary step, both to gain power and to obtain the [Annihilation Crucifix].
If he wanted to make real progress, he had to go through with this.
As the statue peered into his soul, its golden eyes locked onto Alex’s own.
For a brief moment, golden light swirled within both of them, one from the statue, the other from the vortex of Alex’s [Cursed Eyes of Truth].
Then, suddenly, the angel’s eyes widened.
“You…” the statue murmured.
Its voice, once calm and composed, now held a hint of disbelief.
“You are… too strong.”
“…?”
“Stronger than anyone in this city… stronger than me.”
The angel moved, rising from its kneeling position.
Now standing at its full height, the massive figure towered over Alex, forcing him to tilt his head up to meet its gaze.
“You have been approved,” the angel declared.
Ding!
[The judge has agreed to your ceremony.]
Alex let out a breath he hadn’t realized he was holding.
He wasn’t sure why, but for a moment, he’d been worried about getting rejected.
Maybe it was paranoia from the biased decisions of the dragons, or maybe the idea of wasting time annoyed him.
Either way, he was in.
The angels truly valued strength, and it seemed their founder wasn’t the type to discriminate.
His wings flapped once as he slowly descended, landing smoothly on the temple floor.
“Here.”
Volks, who had been waiting silently, pointed toward a stone basin in the center of the chamber.
The moment he did, golden energy seeped from the angel statue’s body, flowing into the basin like liquid light.
The pool shimmered and swirled, forming a thick, glowing substance that pulsed with power.
“Plunge your head in to acquire our bloodline,” Volks instructed.
Alex raised an eyebrow.
“So it’s basically like the dragon bloodline, except instead of a fountain, it’s a fancy little basin.”
“And instead of primordial dragons, I’ve got a talking statue judging me.”
Volks chuckled.
“That’s one way to put it.”
It was an odd process, but Alex didn’t care.
He wasn’t one to waste time over minor details.
Without hesitation, he bent down and plunged his head into the golden liquid.
The moment he did, something strange happened.
His mind was pulled somewhere else.
Visions flickered through his thoughts.
He saw himself fighting.
His body moved with effortless power as he clashed against an unknown figure, Kaelios by his side.
The battle was chaotic, but Alex couldn’t make out the details.
The vision shifted.
A new image.
He was punching someone: a humanoid figure.
It was another chosen one.
Blood splattered through the air, but before he could see more, the scene faded.
And then came the third vision.
It was distorted, blurry, but the core of it was clear.
He saw himself lying on the ground.
His body, lifeless.
A massive arena stretched out around him, filled with figures he couldn’t recognize.
Death.
Alex narrowed his eyes.
Was this a prophecy?
A warning?
Maybe.
But it didn’t matter.
Even if these visions were glimpses of the future… even if they showed an inevitable fate… he wouldn’t stop.
He wouldn’t give up.
If it happened, then fine.
He’d just have to stand back up.
More determined than ever.
Time passed, and the golden substance in the basin gradually drained, flowing into his body.
When the last drop disappeared, Alex pulled his head out.
And then—
Ding! Ding! Ding!
[You have acquired the “Angel Bloodline”!]
[You have proven yourself to the angels.]
Alex barely had time to process the notifications before more appeared.
[+500,000 points to all attributes.]
[You have gained two angel wings you can use.]
His two [Wings of Destiny] were still spread out behind him, but suddenly, two more wings emerged beneath them.
The first pair, the dragon wings, remained golden and white, radiating raw power.
But the new set?
They were pure white, filled with a serene, holy aura.
‘Four wings now.’
Volks grinned.
“This should be good enough.”
Alex rolled his shoulders, testing the new wings.
They felt… natural.
But something was missing.
“Why didn’t I get any new skills?” he wondered aloud.
Sure, he always preferred quality over quantity, but getting another skill wouldn’t have been bad.
Especially if he could upgrade it.
“Probably because the founder realized there was nothing more you could learn,” Volks shrugged.
[Truth.]
Alex’s [Cursed Eyes of Truth] confirmed it instantly.
He frowned.
Was this it?
The limit of his growth?
No, that couldn’t be right.
Even if his raw strength had peaked, there were still things he could do.
He could refine his skills, enhance his talents, collect the right items, and train harder than ever.
This wasn’t the end.
It was just another step forward.
Before he could dwell on it, Volks spoke again.
“I won’t waste your time,” he said, “Here.”
With a snap of his fingers, the rainbow-stained windows of the temple suddenly burst open.
Light flooded into the chamber, bright and blinding.
A powerful force surged through the air.
And then, a shape emerged.
It was a crucifix, but not just any crucifix.
This one glowed with an overwhelming radiance, its wooden frame bathed in divine energy.
Looking at it for too long might blind weaker beings.
Alex’s eyes widened slightly.
“Wow…”
[Annihilation Crucifix (Artifact++)]
[The ultimate item of the angels, can only be wielded by one or by other races like the Undead and Elves…]
Find adventures at My Virtual Library Empire
[Can be used for several things, but mainly to remove all darkness from your surroundings and cleanse all impurities, as well as sever the immortality of any undead…]
There was more, obviously, but Alex had already seen what he needed.
He reached out, ready to claim the artifact.
But, of course—
Ding!
[The Crown of Calamity has detected an item worthy of being absorbed.]
Alex sighed.
“Ah, shit. Here we go again.”
A black and crimson tendril shot out from the [Crown of Calamity], wrapping around the crucifix.
It pulled the glowing relic into the crown’s depths, absorbing it instantly.
A few seconds later, more notifications flooded his vision.
[The Crown of Calamity has absorbed and processed its fourth item.]
[Current stored items: Ring of Eternity, Staff of Pure Hatred, Grand Mage Hat, Annihilation Crucifix.]
[New Effect Acquired: Holy Blast.]
[Holy Blast: Allows the user to focus their aura and release a shockwave that will harm all undead and impure beings around them.
Damage will be based on impurity level.]
Alex blinked.
“…Huh.”
Just like that, he had a new ability.
He shook his head, amused.
The [Crown of Calamity] never failed to surprise him.
Still, there was no time to waste.
He had what he came for.
Now, it was time to move.
Next stop: [Undead Land].