The deeper they ventured into the Aegis-Tech Labs, the heavier the atmospheric pressure became. The metallic clanging of the Behemoth grew steadily louder, echoing through the bio-moss-choked corridors like a slow, deliberate death march.
Before they reached the central chamber, a massive tremor shook the foundation. From a collapsed side-tunnel, a rogue pack of Level 45 Elite Scrap-Stalkers ambushed their flank.
"Ambush! Protect the High Priestess!" Commander Vance roared.
He moved with zero hesitation. His plasma broadsword flared to life, but the sheer volume of the corrupted machines bore down on them. The lead Paladin’s tower shield shattered under a concentrated blast of radioactive sludge. Seeing an elite beast lunging directly toward Ren's blind spot, Vance threw his own body into the fray. He intercepted the blow, his cybernetic eye flashing with warning red messages as a jagged mechanical claw ripped through his shoulder plating.
He didn't back down. Bleeding and exhausted, he planted his boots, his plasma blade humming weakly as he prepared to sell his life dearly to keep her safe.
Ren watched the display, her crimson eyes narrowing slightly. Her soft fox ears twitched against the ambient noise. 'He is loyal, brave, and entirely human,' she thought, 'but his current mortal strength will only hold him back in the trials to come.'
"You have fought well, Commander," Ren’s silver voice pierced the chaos, calm and absolute. "But you do not need to bleed for me. Let me offer you a choice."
She swiped her finger through the invisible air, opening the Celestial Treasury.
[System Prompt: Purchase 'Aegis of the Moon Crest' (Sovereign Blessing Scroll)?]
[Cost: 200 Karma Points (KP). Proceed?]
With a thought, she hit confirm. Her KP counter dropped from 300 to 100.
A radiant, blood-red scroll materialized in her slender hand, evaporating instantly into a swirling vortex of crimson and white fox-fire. Ren took a fluid step forward, effortlessly bypassing the stunned Paladins. She placed a gentle, pristine finger directly onto Vance’s damaged chest piece.
"By the law of the Sovereign Law and the grace of the Blood Moon," Ren whispered, her fluffy silver tail flaring with sudden, majestic power. "I grant you my blessing. Rise, and defend my shrine."
[Sovereign Trait: 'Divine Blessing' Initialized!]
[Target: Commander Vance (Human, Level 50 Heavy Paladin).]
[Class Evolution Successful: Vance has been granted the Unique Class — Fox Guardian Paladin!]
A brilliant flash of white-hot fire engulfed Vance. The remaining Scrap-Stalkers shrieked, blinded by the sudden holy aura.
Vance braced himself, expecting pain or mutation. Instead, a surge of boundless primordial energy knit his flesh back together. He looked down at his hands. He remained entirely human—no silver fur, no fox ears, no shifting anatomy. His core identity was untouched.
Instead, the divine energy poured directly into his armaments:
* The Armor: His dull, scarred pre-war steel armor aggressively shifted, melting down and reforming into a sleek, imposing set of crimson and white heavy plate, perfectly matching the aesthetic of Ren’s vestments.
* The Crest: Emblazoned directly across his breastplate was a stylized, glowing emblem of a multi-tailed kitsune masking a blood-red moon.
* The Weapon & Shield: His plasma broadsword's blue flame died out, replaced by a searing, white-hot fox-fire edge. His massive tower shield expanded, its metallic surface shifting into a pristine white barrier reinforced by crimson jade trim, pulsing with high-tier divine mana.
[Fox Guardian Paladin Perks Initialized:]
[All defensive mana converted to 'Fox-Fire Sanctuary'. All physical strikes now deal secondary Holy/Fire damage.]
"This power..." Vance muttered, his voice echoing with a slight, resonant chime. He raised his transformed shield, feeling completely weightless yet entirely immovable.
He looked toward Ren, dropping to one knee with profound, newfound reverence. "My blade and shield belong to the Blood Moon, High Priestess."
"Good," Ren smiled, her crimson eyes flashing with predatory delight as she looked down the hallway. The massive shadow of the Behemoth was finally coming into view. "Now, Commander, go show me what my investment can do."