Evening was intoxicatingly beautiful. Fiery clouds veiled the western horizon like a brilliant watercolor painting: a pale wash of orange-red crossed by a light blue ribbon, one end spreading wide like a broad, blood-colored silk scarf, made even more vivid by the setting sun.
A tall, straight figure stood bathed in the sunset's lingering glow, looking aloof and proud.
Rex gazed into the distance with sharp eyes. Only after a long while did he lower his head to examine the crimson dot on his wrist. Its color had faded to nearly a tenth of its former intensity. Once as conspicuous as a birthmark, it was now little more than a faint trace. Without looking closely, he would never have noticed it.
Holy light surged within him, more than ten times stronger than it had been a few days earlier. Rex was now a true Hero Rank powerhouse, yet he did not know whether taking the risk to break through had ultimately brought him a gain or a loss.
He still remembered that final moment. His gamble had failed, after all. Just as the divine power abandoned its initial gentleness and turned violent, threatening to tear him apart, the Warcraft System had reacted. It had countered the divine power and resisted its assault, allowing Rex to complete his transformation and reach Hero Rank. But the consequence...
The crimson dot before him, faded to a tenth of its former intensity, was that consequence.
Rex had once again lost his connection to the Warcraft System. This was different from the last time, when he had died within it. He had lost his connection then too, but the crimson dot had remained unchanged, giving him every reason to believe the loss was temporary. After some time, he would sense the Warcraft System again. This