The queen began to transform.
The moment the change started, the atmosphere in the cave shifted. It was not just physical movement. It felt like pressure building. Like the air itself was retreating.
Conner did not hesitate.
He attacked immediately.
Blades formed behind him as he activated Limitless Assault again and again. Waves of silver weapons shot forward, colliding with the queen's body mid-transformation.
They bounced.
Not deflected.
Not absorbed.
They simply struck her surface and ricocheted away as if hitting an indestructible wall.
Her defense during transformation was absolute.
Conner narrowed his eyes. So that was the condition. While evolving, she could not be harmed.
Reever remained trapped in the thick webbing, suspended near the wall like a preserved specimen. He struggled slightly, testing the strength, but stopped.
The battle was too interesting to interrupt.
Besides, what could he do? At this stage, he was good at one thing—explosions. And explosions weren't solving this.
The queen's body began to wrap itself in layers of hardened silk. The strands moved on their own, weaving and tightening until a massive cocoon encased her completely.
Silence followed.
Dust floated slowly in the air.
A minute passed.
Then the cocoon split open from the inside.
The shell tore apart in jagged strips, falling to the cavern floor.
The queen stepped out.
Before, she had been massive. Bulky. Overwhelming in size.
Now she was different.
Her height had reduced to around three meters. Her build was tighter, more compact. The muscles beneath her new crimson surface were defined like a trained fighter's body—controlled power rather than brute mass.
Two pairs of silver wings extended from her back, sharp and metallic, each feather shaped like a blade.
Her weapons remained.
The gun.
The spear.
The mighty sword.
The scythe.
But all of them were now blood red, matching her new body. The black chitin from before was gone, replaced by a smooth crimson armor that reflected the cave's dim light.
"Screech!"
She roared.
This time it was not just an attack.
It was pain.
The cave responded. The ceiling trembled. Hooks and loose stones rained down from above.
Her red eyes locked onto Conner.
Before, she wanted generals.
Now she wanted death.
She glanced at Reever briefly. Not with hunger. With disdain. He was already captured prey. Not worth attention.
Conner exhaled slowly and dashed forward, twin blades in hand.
The queen's gun fired instantly.
Web bullets sliced through the air.
Conner moved fluidly, twisting and stepping aside with precision. The bullets struck the stone behind him, spreading into thick adhesive nets.
Cling.
He hurled one of his swords toward her abdomen.
The scythe intercepted it instantly.
Sparks flew.
The spear thrust forward next.
Conner resummoned his blade in time to block, but the impact was overwhelming. The force launched him backward.
His body slammed into the cave wall.
Crack.
He slid down, coughing.
"Cough… Cough…"
Blood touched his lips. He wiped it away with the back of his hand.
Then he smiled.
A dangerous smile.
"Guess I have to go all out now. The queen can use both defense and attacks at the same time."
She had removed her flaw.
He dodged another sudden strike from the spear, narrowly avoiding being impaled.
Conner closed his eyes.
For a single second.
His aura expanded.
Silver energy erupted from his body, swirling around him like controlled lightning. The ground beneath his feet cracked.
When he opened his eyes, they glowed silver. In each pupil, a star-shaped mark appeared.
"Boundless."
He whispered the word.
The temperature in the cave seemed to drop.
He looked at the queen without emotion.
"Time for your death."
Reever watched silently, his mind racing. He had never seen this side of Conner before. Not even during the earlier fight.
If this was what a legacy kid could do at eighteen…
What would he become later?
Reever felt something strange.
Fear.
But also excitement.
No matter what happened here, he believed one thing.
He would be the last one standing.
The queen moved.
Her speed had increased drastically.
Web bullets rained down. The sword and spear struck in coordinated patterns.
Conner moved through them as if walking through a slow storm. Every attack was avoided with minimal motion.
Then—
The scythe cut across his side.
He reacted too late.
The blade struck.
His suit absorbed the damage, but the force shredded it apart. His shirt tore into fragments. The protective coat was destroyed.
He removed the ruined pieces without hesitation, discarding them.
Now he stood in only his vest and black pants.
Strangely, his aura intensified further.
Silver energy sharpened.
From his glowing eyes, condensed blades formed and shot forward in blinding flashes.
Cling.
Cling.
They struck the queen's crimson armor.
And bounced off.
Conner frowned slightly.
Her defense had scaled with her transformation.
Still, he did not stop.
"Limitless Assault."
This time, the attack evolved.
Not just swords.
Weapons of every kind manifested behind him—bullets, arrows, spears, scythes, daggers—countless forms, all radiating silver energy.
He lifted his hand.
They launched.
The cavern went silent for a heartbeat.
Then—
Explosion.
Light consumed everything.
The shockwave shook the entire cave.
Dust and debris filled the air.
When the smoke cleared, the queen stood in the center.
Her body was riddled with holes.
Dozens.
Hundreds.
Silver energy still flickered within the wounds.
Yet she remained standing.
Conner raised a brow.
That surprised him.
Under Boundless, every attack was amplified tenfold. Even the strongest shields should collapse under that level of relentless force.
Yet she endured.
He prepared to attack again.
The cave groaned.
Cracks spread across the ceiling. Large chunks of rock began to loosen.
Another attack at this scale would bring everything down.
Conner paused.
Then he turned.
His twin blades crossed, forming an X.
He aimed it at Reever, who was still bound by webbing against the wall.
"Sorry pal, but you have to go. You have seen things not meant for your eyes."