Rudra didn't wake up because of a dream. He wasn't hearing voices. Nothing dramatic pulled him out of sleep.
But something was wrong.
The air in the apartment felt heavier. The Zix Core—normally stable, spinning in its usual silent rhythm—was now still. Completely still. Not offline. Just... waiting.
He sat up, slowly walked to the center of the room, and stood in front of it.
The color had changed.
Instead of the usual deep violet with thin white pulses, it now glowed in a dense swirl of dark red and gold. Almost like it had absorbed something—heat, emotion, memory—too much to keep moving.
And then the system came alive.
---
Zix Core Notification
> Cross-Realm Faith Alignment Detected
Lust-Driven Faith (Earth Realm – Priests & Lazara Network): ACTIVE
Conflict-Based Faith (Second Realm – Hero/Lich Campaign): ESCALATING
Threshold Surpassed
✅ 4th Avatar Slot – UNLOCKED
✅ Earth Realm Comic Summoning – RESTRICTED FUNCTION ENABLED
Comic Summons require:
Emotional tether (lust, belief, fear)
Symbolic medium
Significant point cost
All actions remain untraceable. Dimensional shielding is active.
---
Rudra didn't smile. But he wasn't surprised either.
He muttered, mostly to himself, "So that's what it takes—war on one side, worship on the other."
He opened the avatar menu.
This time, there was no preview animation, no slow build-up of a new face.
Instead, a name appeared in clear white letters:
---
Fourth Avatar: Ratri – The Devouring Night
> Realm: Demon World
Race: Succubus-Primordial Hybrid
Status: Fully Synced
Powers:
Seduction aura (world-scale, passive)
Complete immunity to physical or magical harm
Lust-driven domination
Faith conversion through sexual contact or proximity
System Notice: Ratri's powers have now achieved avatar-grade recognition. Earth Realm sync is now live. Her faith output will increase steadily as her influence spreads.
---
Rudra leaned back, rubbing the back of his neck. "So she was never just a side character."
He didn't need to summon her.
She was already active—just unlocked formally now. The system had finally registered her growing power, not just in the Demon World, but on Earth too, through every encounter Lazara and her priestess network had touched.
> "Her influence isn't tied to location," he said. "It's tied to the type of faith."
The Core shimmered again.
Another message appeared.
---
Earth Summoning Function – Partial Unlock
> Status: Ready
To summon a fictional entity to Earth:
Prepare a medium (object/image/memory tied to the character)
Generate emotional tether (minimum: 12,000 belief points)
Points required: High (varies by character power/tier)
Arrival state reflects summoner's image and desire.
Faith drain may trigger secondary resonance across Earth-based networks.
---
Rudra picked up an old folded comic page from a drawer — not torn, just worn. A panel of a woman standing in a storm, one hand raised, her body sketched like a weapon with curves.
He held it for a second.
> "You'll wait," he said quietly. "She comes first."
He looked back at the Core, at Ratri's name glowing in full sync for the first time.
> "Time to give her the stage she deserves."
He walked to the desk, placed the comic page down, and powered off the summon menu.
The Core stayed active behind him, humming again—but now deeper, slower, and heavier.
Because this time, it wasn't just another tool unlocking.
It was Ratri.
The most dangerous avatar in his arsenal.
And the world had no idea she was already walking among them.