The Glorious Evolution Chapter 438: It’s Over...

’I still have some time before my soul scatters on its own... I must take all of them with me... leaving them alive is far too dangerous, too dangerous.’

The Hexgaze Lurker narrowed his eyes frigidly at the sight of Levi and the rest of the Daywalkers rushing toward him. The moment Rain’s soul was erased within his subconscious barrier, he accepted two realities: He was a goner, as he could not exist for long without his partner. They might be considered as ’one’ after the merger, but their souls were still unique to each one. Secondly, Levi wasn’t the only future threat to his master.

It was Levi’s entire party. He had no clue whether the others would turn out as monstrous as Levi and Jasmine, but he had no intention of allowing them to live long enough to see it.

With both Fang and Rain out of the picture, the Hexgaze understood that it was in his hands to save them from the Bishop’s Wrath. If winning the game meant the death of everyone involved, he was not going to shy away from it.

It was far better than accepting defeat at the hands of a bunch of children after Bishop Na’thir had invested heavily in their clones.

Whoosh! Whoosh!...

Thus, the Hexgaze continued to flicker from one Horn to the next, claiming each a mere split second after it spawned. It was as if he were timing the instability. The moment his form shuddered, glitching between its three states, he waited for the precise heartbeat where his body turned spiritual.

In that massless state, he could blink away instantaneously, moving with the terrifying, weightless speed of light!

Such insane speed made it nearly impossible for Levi to catch him, even if he was able to track him with his Harmonic Spine.

To make matters worse, even with the addition of a dozen Daywalkers, the Hexgaze remained as elusive as ever.

”Damn it! Almost!”

”Spread out to corner him! We must predict his exact next location!”

”It’s impossible… I barely lifted my pistol, and he was already gone!”

Tyrese, Evangeline, and Mira showed ugly expressions as they tracked the Hexgaze with their eyes. Only now did they share the helplessness that Levi felt.

’Captain… what’s our next move?’

Tyrese glanced at Levi, who stood still the moment his allies came to assist him.

’I suggest we spread everyone across the length of the rope to collect the rest of the spawned Horns.’ Evangeline joined the discussion with a stern tone. ’We cannot keep playing tag with this abnormality… he is gaining ground on us too fast.’

’I agree… he cannot be everywhere at once.’ Mira nodded in support.

Levi remained quiet, his mind running through other strategies than what was proposed. It wasn’t like Evangeline’s plan was bad, but it guaranteed nothing besides putting everyone in danger.

After all, they were still on top of a spinning rope, and the trap mechanism had yet to emerge. Levi could not risk splitting everyone up in such a critical period.

Not everyone could move as freely as the Hexgaze on top of the rope, which meant he would always be faster than them at collecting the Horns.

Yet, the worst part about this strategy was the Winged Horn. Levi had no clue if it was going to spawn again, but he was certain that if it did, it was going to spawn in their vicinity. This meant the Hexgaze was going to claim it instantly even if it was hundreds of meters away from the rope!

This would seal their death instantly.

The only viable option that would ensure everyone’s safety was to catch the Hexgaze and eliminate him… nothing more, nothing less.

’Think, think, think… There must be a way to catch him… Jasmine had already killed his partner, which made it easier to predict his next move.’

Levi’s brain worked overtime to come up with the best possible strategy. When he chased him alone earlier, the Chameleon was capable of switching between three forms at will. The most annoying one was the spiritual form, which enabled him to move like this.

’He used to remain no more than two seconds in his spiritual form before being forced to turn physical or cast an illusion to camouflage himself… which is natural; he cannot remain in his spiritual form like Rain without someone to hold his soul… now, his blinks are bound under the strange glitches creating a… Pattern.’

Levi dampened the noise of the world around him, drowning out every distraction as he pushed the vision of his harmonic spine to its absolute limit. He narrowed his focus, tracking the Hexgaze’s erratic movements with microscopic accuracy, dissecting the creature’s reactions down to the finest, most infinitesimal detail.

He recognized that Jasmine’s efforts weren’t for naught. Rain’s death might have just given him the answer he was searching for. However, what he was attempting to do was no simple task since he was required to study the pattern of the frequently occurring glitches in addition to the spawn rate and placement of the Giant Horns.

Therefore, Levi’s subsequent command was issued:

’Do not grant him any respite… maintain relentless pressure.’

Upon hearing Levi’s directive, both Evangeline and Tyrese exhibited slight frowns. They perceived Levi’s strategy as overly optimistic. Any individual with a modicum of intellect would recognize that the Hexgaze Lurker intended to engage them in a protracted battle of attrition until the very conclusion.

However, they understood a crucial point: Levi possessed a superior intellect.

’He undoubtedly has a plan in motion.’

Rather than bombarding Levi with inquiries regarding his intentions, Evangeline and Tyrese rejoined their companions in the pursuit. Their unwavering confidence in Levi remained absolute.

While the spectators held their collective breath, captivated by the unfolding pandemonium, Levi effectively sealed off the world from his perception. His focus transcended merely observing the Hexgaze; he was dissecting its very essence, akin to debugging flawed computer code.

With each movement the Chameleon executed, its form seemed to flicker. While the majority of onlookers interpreted these visual anomalies as mere random occurrences within the chameleon’s shifting existence, Levi perceived a discernible pattern, a subtle rhythm that he meticulously captured. He then delved into its study, treating it as an unheard melody, until...

’A gap of 0.2 seconds between each flicker… and each form persists for approximately one second.’

He meticulously noted this observation, subsequently tracking the inherent randomness of the Horns by correlating their spawn cycles with their natural emission frequencies during their creation. Each instance a Horn materialized, it left behind a faint ripple within the vast network of energy frequencies.

What followed, naturally, was the Hexgaze. Levi repeatedly traced its movements while simultaneously emitting a silent frequency from the back of his throat. This emitted frequency harmonized with the resonant frequency of the Giant Horns, thereby enabling Levi to anticipate the precise moment of the next Horn’s appearance even before it materialized!!

It was akin to establishing an intricate alarm system!

Admittedly, the alert lasted for less than a fraction of a second, but this fleeting duration was sufficient for Levi to discern a repeating pattern. He studied this sequence until the opportune moment presented itself.

One minute… Two minutes… Three minutes elapsed!

A full three minutes had passed, and no discernible change had occurred, save for the escalating anxiety and encroaching despair among the Daywalkers.

Three minutes lapsed, and Levi remained motionless, unmoved by the entreaties for aid and the cascading commands from all sides.

Witnessing Levi in such a state of tranquil detachment, as if he had already resigned himself to their impending defeat, prompted everyone to revert to following their original leaders: Evangeline and Tyrese.

However, what they had not foreseen was that even their captains steadfastly refused to deviate from Levi’s established strategy. They relentlessly urged their teams to maintain pressure on the Hexgaze, compelling it into a ceaseless cycle of teleportation.

Concurrently, the viewers observing the broadcast from their respective residences and urban centers were experiencing extreme agitation. The screen displayed Levi standing immobile, a veritable statue, while the Hexgaze transformed the arena into its personal domain.

”What is he doing?!” a visibly distressed Earthling Daywalker vocalized, clutching the edge of his seat with white knuckles. “He’s just standing there while that monstrosity plunders the Horns! The point difference is barely ten!”

Doubt propagated like an uncontrolled wildfire. To the average observer, Levi’s inaction appeared as a complete surrender, an admission of defeat overwhelmed by the sheer velocity of a creature capable of moving at the speed of light.

Upon reviewing the recordings of his preceding attempts, their convictions were further solidified. Levi had seemingly exhausted all available resources, yet his efforts proved futile.

High above, within the exclusive VIP sectors, the atmosphere was thick with palpable tension.

Bishop Na’thir observed the spectacle with a gaze radiating palpable animosity. His fingers dug deeply into the plush upholstery of his throne. Having witnessed his once-trusted elites fall victim to Levi and Jasmine, his covetous desire for their hidden knowledge was eclipsed by the existential threat they posed to his meticulously laid plans.

He now understood with absolute clarity that Levi’s elimination was imperative, even if it meant forfeiting the myriad secrets he guarded.

Conversely, Bishop Va’ren violently struck a nearby glass table with his fist, splintering its edge. His visage was contorted, a complex mixture of incandescent fury and desperate, flickering hope.

He had already marked Levi and Jasmine for his own personal gain; observing them in such a perilous predicament was driving him to the brink of madness.

’Do not dare to falter now, you insignificant pests!’ Va’ren cursed under his breath, his eyes wide with intensity as he leaned forward. “Move! Accomplish something! It’s a travesty to have witnessed your immense potential only to see you extinguished by a decrepit reptile! Triumph, damn you!”

Other influential figures hailing from the prominent Great Houses shared Va’ren’s sentiment of profound frustration. The established rules of the game had ceased to hold any significance for them. They perceived the emergence of true prodigies in Levi and Jasmine. To them, the notion of such extraordinary talent being squandered on an obscure, insignificant planet represented a tragedy of the highest magnitude.

“He is performing an analysis,” a venerable elder from a distinguished Noble House murmured, his eyes narrowing as he detected a faint, almost imperceptible hum emanating from Levi’s throat. “He has not relinquished his intent… he is strategically targeting something.”

Yet, for the vast majority, the unfolding scene offered only a bleak panorama of despair. Three minutes of apparent inactivity stretched into an unbearable eternity.

With less than two minutes remaining, the Hexgaze’s movements accelerated exponentially. Many of the Daywalkers, overcome by exhaustion, gradually began to cease their efforts, their bodies too weary to continue.

"It's a wrap," one of the announcers mumbled, a note of dejection coloring his tone. "The Hexgaze is merely one Horn short of matching... It's finished."