Infinite Skill Devourer
Chapter 80: Word From The North Queen II

Chapter 80: Word From The North Queen II

A groan escaped Ryuen’s lips as he shifted his gaze to Hwa, who was still busy fighting the beasts in her new form.

He couldn’t help but wonder how she effortlessly switched forms, even while being human—or something close to it.

But none of that mattered right now. They had more pressing issues to deal with.

The North ruler’s message couldn’t be ignored, and if they delayed too long, the penalties would be severe.

Ryuen exhaled slowly, pulling himself up to his feet.

Slipping his hands into his pockets, he called out to Hwa, his voice calm but firm.

She paused just inches away from one of the beasts and turned around, oblivious to the danger behind her.

Ryuen considered warning her about the beast lunging in for an attack, but her dragon moved faster.

With a single swipe of its claws and another massive wave of fire, it was already down.

"What is it?" she asked, ever so calmly, as if the chaos around them was nothing.

"How many beasts are there?" he asked, not sparing her a glance as his gaze was fixed on the dragon behind her.

The creature moved effortlessly, its sheer size and power dominating the battlefield with ease.

Hwa shrugged, unfazed by the question, and summoned a sword into her hand.

The blade gleamed faintly, its surface engraved with intricate patterns of leaves and stones.

The hilt resembled tree bark, rough yet he assumed it would be better than a regular one.

She gave Ryuen a quick smile before vanishing from her spot in an instant.

Despite her speed, Ryuen was able to track her energy as it surged toward the dungeon’s entrance.

There, she materialized again, her figure illuminated faintly by the glow of her sword.

She raised the blade above her head, and that caused everything to stop.

The beasts froze in place as if bound by her presence alone, their growls fading into silence.

Ryuen arched a brow at the display, watching her closely as she stood at the center of it all.

It wasn’t disappointment he felt, but a mix of curiosity and caution.

Her approach was reckless, almost impulsive, yet undeniably effective.

Hwa fought as though the idea of failure never crossed her mind, charging ahead with unwavering confidence.

Even so, Ryuen could tell there was some semblance of strategy in her actions, hidden beneath the chaos.

She wasn’t reckless out of ignorance; she simply fought with the certainty that she would win.

Without hesitation, she brought the sword down in a sharp arc, cutting into the ground before her.

The resulting shockwave rippled outward, disrupting the energy within the dungeon itself.

Ryuen frowned slightly, his sharp eyes following every movement.

Her method of fighting was unlike anything he’d seen before—bold, chaotic, and straightforward.

But it worked, and for Hwa, that seemed to be all that mattered.

"Alright, you pathetic little creatures..."

All eyes turned to her. Even the beasts locked in combat with her dragon froze and shifted their gaze toward her.

It was as if she had cast some kind of spell over them, bending their will with nothing more than her presence.

Her lips curved into a sly smile as she lowered her sword, letting the weapon rest at her side.

When she turned slightly, Ryuen caught a glimpse of her face—and the glow in her eyes sent a chill down his spine.

Her pupils had narrowed, now thin and oval-shaped, resembling those of a serpent.

Or, as it seemed, those of a dragon.

The air around her was different, charged with a strange energy that made Ryuen’s instincts scream caution.

Something similar to that of Queen Akari, but far more powerful.

There was a pull—an urge to move closer, to figure out what was happening to her.

But Ryuen stayed rooted where he stood, knowing better than to step onto a battlefield where he wasn’t welcome.

One by one, the beasts’ eyes began to glow as well, matching Hwa’s eyes.

They stopped snarling and growling, their demeanor vanishing in an instant as they stood motionless.

Whatever bond she had formed with them was unshakable now.

They weren’t just subdued; they were hers, and she had the power to control them.

But then, it was only temporary, and only she knew that.

Ryuen’s mind raced, trying to understand what kind of power she possessed.

She wasn’t human—that much was clear—but this was something extraordinary, even better.

Then, as if to interrupt his thoughts, the system’s screen materialized before his eyes.

[4th Skill Devour Complete]

[5th Skill Devour Complete]

[6th Skill Devour Complete]

[Congratulations Player, You Have Leveled Up]

"Took you long enough," Ryuen said with a smile, recalling how he killed the royal family.

So this was the notification he was supposed to receive.

However, the screen vanished just as quickly as it appeared, leaving Ryuen with a frown.

"What’s the skill?" he uttered, his voice barely audible as he glanced around for answers.

But nothing came. It was as if the system had shut him out entirely, or was just ignoring him.

He sighed, shoving the thought aside, and turned his attention back to Hwa.

What he saw made his eyes widen.

She stood by the dungeon’s entrance, hands on her hips, a confident smirk on her lips.

The beasts now marched into the dungeon in single file.

There were no growls, no signs of resistance—just complete submission.

"Impressive," Ryuen mumbled under his breath, unable to hide the soft chuckle that followed.

He knew now, without a shadow of a doubt, that she wasn’t fully human.

Perhaps she was mixed, a hybrid of some sort, but there was no denying her abilities were far beyond mortal limits.

The ease with which she tamed the beasts and bonded with them wasn’t something any regular human could accomplish.

And her alternate form? That only confirmed more of his questions.

Then she dropped her sword and hit it into the ground, causing it to glow faintly.

The ground beneath the fallen beasts shook, and vines sprouted from the earth, wrapping around their lifeless bodies.

Ryuen watched in silence as the vines glowed and spread over the corpses like veins.

The beasts began to move again, their bodies slowly shook, as if shocked back to life.

One by one, they rose, their eyes glowed faintly, like hers, now under her complete control.

She raised her hand, and with a small wave, the newly risen beasts turned and marched into the dungeon alongside the others.

Her command was absolute, and the beasts obeyed as though it was their sole purpose.

When the last of them disappeared into the dungeon, the energy around her began to fade.

The vines receded, sinking back into the earth as if they had never existed.

Hwa’s body shifted, her glowing eyes dimmed, her elongated ears returned to their normal shape.

The aura of power that surrounded her faded, leaving her looking like the Hwa he knew.

She turned back to Ryuen, who had left his spot and landed feet behind her.

The moment her gaze fell on him, her expression shifted to a playful smile.

"That should do it," she said lightly, brushing a strand of her blue hair from her face.

Ryuen stared at her, still trying to process everything he had just witnessed.

"You’re full of surprises," he finally said, shaking his head.

Hwa’s smile widened, her eyes twinkling with amusement.

"And you’re full of questions. Come on, let’s get moving."

"And even more surprises than I am."