The Capsule's dome hissed as it lifted the moment Lucien logged out. He opened his eyes and stepped out slowly.
Halo had already heard the prior beeping and was approaching with a steaming cup of coffee, vapor curling into the air like morning mist.
As he reached the doorway, he leaned against the frame and crossed one leg over the other, ready to observe Lucien. A frown creased his brow.
"Huh? Are you… smiling?"
Lucien raised his head slowly to look at his friend, who brought the coffee to his lips while staring with dazed eyes.
He walked closer and gently took the cup from Halo's hands, then brought it to his own mouth. A soft, delighted smile played on his lips.
He looked up and exhaled deeply.
"Haaa… life sure is good when you die."
Lucien walked away from the room without a glance back. He paused at the doorway and turned.
"Right. Can I borrow your PC for the next forty-eight hours?"
Halo's response came after a beat.
"It's in my room, straight down to your right."
Lucien nodded, that soft smile still lingering.
"Alright. Let me freshen up first, then I'll get to it. I have a lot to learn about Evolution Online in the next forty-eight hours."
He turned toward the bathroom but stopped and looked back.
"What is the Fusion Path?"
Halo's frown deepened.
"Fusion Path? Never heard of it. There's only the Evolution Path—that's the whole point of the game."
Lucien nodded.
"Right, right. I see."
He turned to leave, but Halo snapped out of his surprise and caught up to him.
"Wait, what happened in there? I thought you said you found somewhere peaceful. Why does it look like you got killed?"
Lucien's voice was flat.
"I did get killed."
Halo grabbed his shoulder, stopping him. His eyes flashed with a dangerous fire.
"Was it a player? Tell me. I'll make their next five hundred days in Evo pure hell. They'll keep dying, unable to access field or dungeon raids. All their items will be lost, and even their friends and family will suffer for their sins. Just tell me."
Lucien smiled tenderly and removed his friend's hand from his shoulder.
"Don't worry about it, Harun. It wasn't a player, and I have plans to get back at the bastard myself."
His face darkened, something cold creeping into his expression.
"I will shred every scale from its body. I will gouge its eyes out, sever its limbs and hang them like trophies. Every tooth in its mouth will become a delicate piece in my collection."
A maniacal grin split his lips.
"And I am going to savor every moment of it. Oh my God! How I look forward to this. I have never anticipated anything like this in my entire life."
He paused and looked at Halo with genuine gratitude, touching his shoulder lightly.
"Thank you, my friend, for showing me the way."
Then he turned and disappeared into the bathroom.
Halo stood frozen, mouth agape, eyes unfocused.
What in the world just happened?
"Why… do I feel like I've introduced Evo to something that should never have gotten into Evo?"
Soon, the sound of the shower began beating against the walls, and through it all, Halo could hear a melodious hum floating from within.
It was strange and unsettling. Lucien had never been motivated to bathe properly. He simply did it because he had to—when stepping out—and often preferred a quick rinse. Sometimes it seemed like he was trying to look bad on purpose.
Halo always felt that if Lucien took better care of himself and his hygiene, he'd probably steal half the city's girlfriends. But Lucien was indifferent to all of that.
He was indifferent to everything!
And that same guy was now taking a proper shower? Why? What happened in there?
Lucien emerged wearing a robe. He looked at Halo with a steady gaze and placed the empty cup in his hand.
"Thanks for this."
Halo's mind went blank.
'He even said thank you!'
Everything was happening so fast it felt unreal.
Lucien strolled away casually, and half a minute later, entered Halo's room.
The space was themed in white with azure blue lights lining the ceiling corners, casting an ethereal glow. The bed sat low without a frame, but blue light traced beneath it, making it appear to float.
Beside the bed stood Halo's Capsule—a sleek, sharp pod made of black glass.
In the right corner sat a simple white floating desk with a wheeled chair positioned perfectly in front. On the desk: a curved monitor and white keyboard.
Lucien settled into the seat and began working the PC.
He had a few things to check. He entered the Evolution Online player forum and typed:
Level 120 - Black Godzilla.
Responses poured in moments later.
Eggricydles: "Huh? What is that?"
ServantofLust: "Which area?"
Sharpshooter: "Never heard of it."
Simp4Lyra: "Are you trying to ragebait? What the hell is black godzilla?!"
NecroQueen999: "LMAO is this a creepypasta event? Level 120 and you call it Black Godzilla? Get some lore, my guy."
BanmeDaddy: "Bro's cooking fanfic again 😭 ain't no 'Black Godzilla' in Evo unless it's some dev joke. Post a screenshot next time."
CryoLancer: "Bro you're either high, or cursed. If it's the second, I'd recommend deleting your character. Not even kidding."
MuffinKing23: "Y'all chill—this sounds like a new boss teaser. Devs probably leaked a silhouette to hype it up."
VOID_Eater9: "Black Godzilla is what we call it. That's not its name. But if you saw it, you're marked now."
'So even they don't know what it is…'
Lucien scrolled through the comments, disgust spreading across his face at the absurdity of each person's reply. He hissed and typed something else.
How much preparation does a Level 0 need to kill a Level 120 monster?
WhiteStalker: "Huh?"
AncientSwordsman: "Meditate for one thousand years. Reach enlightenment, discover the true path to nirvana and abandon your mortal body, surpass heaven's will and don the armor of the Jade Emperor."
DemiLich420: "You don't. That's the answer. You don't kill a Level 120 boss as a Level 0 unless you're a dev, a myth, or a terminally ill speedrunner."
RawdogRonin: "Forget the level gap. Even if you were 119, you'd still die like a tutorial mob. Only thing Level 0s can kill is their own hope."
TittyTitan99: "Can't lie, I respect the grindset. You see a world-ending behemoth and your first thought is, 'How do I murder it with bare hands and a dream?'"
VOID_Eater9: "You don't understand. If it saw you, it's already over. There's no escape mechanic. No logout safety. It doesn't even drop loot. It drops regret."
CursedCleric: "I had a friend who mentioned Black Godzilla. Next day his house IRL caught fire. Not saying it's related, but… you tell me."
MetaMage42: "Level doesn't matter. What you need is curse-dampening gear, five anti-chaos sigils, and the Rite of Reverse-Binding. Oh, and a death wish."
SleepyDruid: "Technically, the damage scaling in Evo does allow a Level 0 to hurt higher-level mobs. But the percentage is so tiny, you'd have to hit it 8 billion times. And not die once."
Simp4Lyra: "Bro really said 'I got killed by a walking apocalypse' and immediately logged in to ask how to kill it back. LMAO we found the villain arc protagonist."
Lucien leaned back in the chair, frowning slightly.
"Why does it seem like everyone on this forum has a dozen screws loose?"