Absolute Cheater

They reached the outskirts of the warehouse, its rusted metal doors shut tight. Two guards stood at the entrance, both wearing red robes marked with the sigil of Malfus. Their weapons gleamed under the flickering streetlight.

"Leave them to me," Serena whispered before vanishing into the darkness.

Asher and Ronan waited in silence, hearing nothing but the distant sound of the city.

Then—

SHNK!

A blade silently pierced a guard's throat, and before the second could react, Serena emerged from behind, slitting his throat in one swift motion. Both bodies collapsed without a sound.

"All clear," she whispered, wiping her daggers clean.

Asher smirked. "Efficient as always."

With the entrance unguarded, they pushed open the heavy doors and stepped inside.

The stench of burnt flesh and old blood hit them immediately.

Inside, a row of iron cages lined the walls, filled with malnourished prisoners, their eyes hollow with despair. Some had ritualistic carvings on their skin, others had missing limbs—victims of the cult's twisted "conversion process."

A man sat on a throne-like chair at the far end of the warehouse, his crimson robes drenched in dried blood. His pale face twisted into a grin as he stood, clapping slowly.

"You must be the troublemakers I've heard so much about," Drevian Kael said, his voice dripping with amusement. "Did you come to join us, or are you here to die?"

Asher's lips curled into a dangerous smile. "Neither."

With a flick of his wrist, blood spears erupted from the ground, impaling the nearest cultists.

Drevian's grin faltered. "Ah. I see. You're here to entertain me."

The inquisitor raised his hands, and the ritual markings on the prisoners' bodies glowed a sickly red. The caged victims began to scream in agony, their bodies twisting unnaturally.

Asher's eyes narrowed. "He's trying to turn them into fiends."

"Then we stop him now," Serena growled, drawing her daggers.

Drevian laughed, his eyes gleaming with madness. "Let's see if you can."

Drevian Kael's laughter echoed through the warehouse as the glow of the ritual markings on the prisoners intensified. Their screams turned into guttural roars, their bodies contorting as veins darkened into crimson sigils, an unmistakable sign of fiend transformation.

Asher's expression hardened. If they fully transformed, there would be no saving them.

"Serena, cut them down before they turn!" he ordered.

Serena hesitated for only a second before nodding. Her daggers ignited with blue hellfire, and she vanished in a blur.

SHNK! SHNK!

Her blades found their marks, severing throats and hearts before the mutations could complete. The air filled with the sickening sound of flesh being torn apart, and within seconds, half the prisoners lay lifeless—spared from becoming monsters.

"You dare!" Drevian bellowed, his face twisting with rage.

With a swipe of his blood-soaked hands, the remaining prisoners exploded, their bodies bursting like overripe fruit. The dark energy from their deaths surged into Drevian, his muscles bulging, his veins turning pitch black.

He was absorbing their life force.

"Filthy heretics, I will tear you apart!" Drevian roared as he lunged forward, moving twice as fast as before.

Ronan barely dodged in time, rolling to the side as Drevian's fist shattered the stone floor where he had stood.

"He's stronger now!" Ronan shouted.

Asher didn't hesitate. He extended his hand, and the blood from the fallen cultists rose into the air, hardening into razor-sharp spears. With a flick of his fingers, they shot forward like bullets.

Drevian snarled and swept his arm, causing a wave of crimson energy to explode outward, shattering the spears before they could reach him.

"Your little tricks won't work on me!" the inquisitor sneered.

Asher smirked. He wasn't done yet.

Blood spikes erupted from the ground beneath Drevian, impaling his legs before he could react.

"GAH!"

Drevian staggered, his regeneration unable to keep up with the sheer control Asher had over the battlefield.

"Serena, now!" Asher commanded.

Serena dashed forward, spinning mid-air as she drove both daggers into Drevian's chest, twisting them before ripping them out.

Blood sprayed as Drevian coughed violently, but the fanatic only laughed.

"You think this is enough?" he rasped, blood spilling from his lips. "I have given everything to Malfus! I—"

SHNK!

Asher drove a crimson blade through Drevian's heart, twisting it cruelly.

Drevian gasped, his body convulsing as the light in his eyes dimmed.

"You talk too much," Asher muttered.

With a final push, Asher ripped his blood blade upward, splitting Drevian's torso in half. The inquisitor let out a choked gurgle before collapsing into a pool of his own blood.

A heavy silence followed.

Serena wiped her daggers clean. "One down."

Asher looked at Drevian's mangled corpse. But many more to go.

Ronan exhaled. "We need to move. The Blood Cross will notice he's missing soon."

Asher nodded. "Then let's disappear before they come looking."

With the stench of death still clinging to them, the trio slipped into the shadows, leaving behind nothing but the ruins of the Blood Cross's first major loss.

The air outside the warehouse was thick with tension. Asher, Serena, and Ronan moved swiftly, their footsteps silent against the damp cobblestone streets of Myid City. The night was their only ally, but it wouldn't protect them for long.

"They'll notice Drevian is dead soon," Ronan muttered, scanning the rooftops. "We need to leave the city before sunrise."

Serena wiped the sweat from her brow. "Where to?"

Asher's gaze was sharp. "The Obsidian Kingdom."

Ronan hesitated. "You sure? The Dark God Volfang isn't exactly known for his kindness."

"We don't need kindness," Asher said coldly. "We need a place where Malfus's dogs won't follow."

Serena crossed her arms. "Fine, but first, how are we getting out? The city gates will be locked down soon, and teleportation magic is out of the question—too risky."

Before Asher could answer, a loud explosion shook the ground.

BOOM!

The three turned sharply toward the sound, only to see a pillar of fire rising from the Blood Cross stronghold.

"…Looks like they found Drevian," Ronan said grimly.

Then, the bells rang—a deep, echoing chime that sent shivers down their spines.

"Blood Hunt!" Serena cursed. "They've declared a full lockdown!"

The streets erupted with chaos as armored enforcers poured out of buildings, torches in hand.

"We need to go—now!" Asher ordered.

The trio darted through the alleys, avoiding patrols as best they could. Every corner was filled with guards, hunters, and fanatics eager to spill blood in their god's name.

Serena ducked behind a barrel, peering out carefully. "Too many at the eastern gate. If we try to break through, we'll be swarmed." Find your next adventure on My Virtual Library Empire

Ronan clenched his fists. "There's another way—through the underground canals."

Asher narrowed his eyes. "You sure?"

Ronan nodded. "Used by smugglers. Leads to the outer district, near the west cliffs. If we make it there, we can disappear into the wilderness."

Serena exhaled. "Then what are we waiting for?"

As they made their way toward an abandoned tavern, the sky lit up red.

A figure floated above the city, draped in flowing crimson robes, a golden mask covering his face.

Serena's breath hitched. "That's… High Priest Andros."

Ronan paled. "Shit. That's the head inquisitor of Myid City. If he finds us—"

Asher didn't hesitate. "Move faster."

They burst into the abandoned tavern, quickly barricading the door behind them.

Ronan kicked open a trapdoor, revealing a dark passage leading beneath the city. "Hurry!"

One by one, they descended into the cold, damp tunnels, the sounds of the hunt raging above them.

The further they went, the narrower the tunnels became, the air thick with the stench of sewage and decay.

Serena grimaced. "I hate this already."

Asher ignored her, focusing on the distant echo of water.

Ronan led the way, guiding them through the winding canals. "Almost there."

Then—

A whispering sound filled the tunnel.

Serena's eyes widened. "Magic—!"

BOOM!

The tunnel collapsed behind them, cutting off their escape route.

Andros's voice echoed through the darkness.

"Running, running… like rats in the sewers. Did you truly think you could escape?"

A chill ran down their spines.

They weren't alone down here.

The suffocating darkness of the underground tunnel pressed in around them. Dust and debris from the collapsed passage still hung in the air, making it hard to breathe.

Serena coughed, waving a hand in front of her face. "We're trapped."

Ronan cursed under his breath. "That bastard knew we'd use the canals. This was a trap from the start."

Asher's scarlet eyes gleamed in the dim light. His blood sense stretched out, scanning the surroundings.

"Footsteps."

Not just one or two—dozens.

From both ahead and behind.

"They're closing in."

Then, Andros's voice whispered through the tunnel, carried by unnatural magic.

"You cannot run forever, little sinner. Surrender, and I will make your death painless."

Serena gritted her teeth. "That bastard really thinks we'll just kneel?"

Ronan unsheathed his dagger. "He's toying with us. We need to break through before they tighten the noose."

Asher's mind raced. The only way forward was through whatever lay deeper in these tunnels.

"We move," he ordered, already walking. "Now."