Against The True Gods

Immediately, Caine stumbled upon another enemy.

This time, they weren't veiled.

It was a male humanoid entity, with a body covered in rune-etched white chitin scales, the gaps filled with veins of chaotic earth qi.

Long, sharp claws extended from its fingers, and atop its head, dozens of unblinking eyes were neatly arranged above a grotesque mouth filled with countless blade-like teeth.

Potent killing intent radiated off the creature.

Its gaze locked onto Caine, and immediately, he frowned.

'…how…'

This entity's killing intent was so overwhelming that it nearly made him pass out. He had never experienced anything like it before.

But again, he remained calm. There was no escape—no salvation beyond what he could carve for himself. It was either victory or death.

There was no running from the all-encompassing hand of Fate. He would either soar or fall.

BANG!

Caine weaved under a swipe of qi-coated claws, his hips twisting and his chest torquing as his blade tore upward. A low shout escaped his lips as neutral qi erupted along the blade's edge, enhancing its potency.

The creature seemed to grin in amusement.

The earth qi flowing through its body solidified, forming a thin yet impenetrable layer over its scales that effortlessly deflected Caine's attack.

Before Caine could counter or retreat, his gaze sharpened as he felt his movements slow unnaturally, his body sluggish even as the monstrous entity became impossibly fast.

'…Time affinity.'

He concluded this without hesitation, his thoughts cutting through the haze.

The entity's punch hurtled toward him, moving with the speed of lightning, but just as it was about to crush his face, Caine's figure rippled like water and distorted. He vanished entirely, reappearing meters away.

Slowly, he began walking in a circle around the creature.

As he moved, afterimages trailed in his wake, so vivid and sharp that they seemed like real clones. Within seconds, the creature found itself surrounded, its senses heightened and primed for an ambush as a guttural growl rumbled from deep within its chest, a sound dripping with primal savagery.

Caine walked leisurely, his sharp gaze dissecting the countless layers of the creature's battle style, analyzing its every motion with clinical precision.

'…Time affinity compensates for its reaction speed, slowed by its bulk…'

'…Earth qi veins heighten its defenses to account for the innate fragility of its flesh…'

'…Scales reflect most physical attacks while absorbing qi-based ones to heal…'

'…Those eyes—they're all Heavenly Pupils. Though it doesn't know how to wield them, they make it formidable nonetheless.'

Heavenly Pupils were blessings of the heavens, bestowed at birth upon the rarest of individuals. Spiritual wonders passed down through untold generations, they were tools of unfathomable potential.

BANG!

The creature, unsettled by Caine's cold and calculating gaze, lost patience. With an ear-splitting shriek, it lashed out, its voice so deafening that the atmospheric qi imploded into chaotic currents. A cloud of turbulent qi enveloped the battlefield, concealing its lunge toward one of Caine's flickering afterimages.

BANG!

The figure it struck dissolved into smoke, and the creature visibly calmed, reassured that the clones were nothing more than a diversion.

But it was wrong.

[Blight Art: Clones of Thought]

Caine's weakened True Will manifested through the flickering clones, which immediately attacked, each one thrusting with blades forged of pure Will and intent. The blades struck true before erupting into a grand explosion of neutral qi.

For a moment, the creature seemed shaken.

Then it grinned madly, its dozens of eyes glowing ominously as its lips moved, murmuring in an ancient runic tongue.

[Reflect.]

Caine's eyes widened in shock.

BOOOOOOM!

He was blasted backward by his own attack. Blood poured from countless wounds, and his True Will trembled, nearly fracturing under the psychic weight of his reflected intent.

But even as his mind reeled, the earth beneath him shifted, transforming into a pit of writhing sand.

Caine was pulled under, dragged into the suffocating depths by an unseen force. His qi spiraled out of control, frantically pulled in countless directions.

Within the pit, spears of sand solidified into jagged glass, each shard igniting with chaotic energy before tearing into his flesh. They struck so fast and relentlessly that his body became a canvas of blood and agony.

'…too fast…'

His thoughts began to blur as the scent of death grew thick in his nostrils. Desperation clawed at his heart.

[Blight Art: Time Point.]

Caine vanished in an instant, reappearing high in the sky. His body fell from above and crashed onto solid ground, just meters from his original position.

He landed hard but forced himself back to his feet, his stance widening as he leveled his blade in preparation for what was to come.

'…This is absurd. This thing barely said a word, and I'm already half dead…'

Silver runes flickered around his battered frame, suturing his wounds as best they could. Summoning every ounce of strength, Caine charged forward, refusing to let the monster set the tempo.
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The creature's grin widened, its eyes gleaming with twisted glee as it unleashed a pulse of energy that expanded outward, forming a domain that engulfed them both.

Suddenly, Caine's movements faltered. His legs buckled, and his breath came in short, panicked bursts. A primal fear sank into his bones, so deep and visceral that even his Dao Heart struggled to resist.

'…Bloodline suppression…'

Caine's Chimera bloodline, though powerful, was still in its mortal grade. The creature's bloodline, by contrast, was like an unyielding mountain, pressing down with the weight of the heavens.

WHOOSH!

The creature appeared above him in a flash, its clawed leg crashing into his stomach with enough force to send him hurtling into a nearby mountain of corpses.

SHUR!

Arcs of chaotic death qi rained down upon him, slicing through the air with deadly precision.

BOOM!

The explosion obliterated the pile of corpses, and Caine was thrown deeper into the battlefield. Blood streamed down his face as he staggered to his feet, every movement a Herculean effort.

But as his gaze locked onto the creature, he noticed something unsettling.

The mountain of corpses he'd crashed into began to stir.

Dead hands reached out, clawing at him with an insatiable hunger.

Before he could react, the entire mountain detonated in a cataclysmic burst of energy.

BOOOOOOOM!

The creature cackled maniacally, diving into the explosion to pluck Caine's battered body from the wreckage.

Grabbing him by the neck, it hurled him skyward, his silver blood raining down like liquid starlight.

Caine's consciousness flickered, the edges of his vision blurring. His thoughts grew chaotic, but instinct took over, forcing his body into action.

WHOOSH!

A platform of ice materialized in the sky, catching him mid-flight. His nine rings emerged behind him, their brilliance cutting through the oppressive aura of the battlefield.

Lifeless silver eyes stared down at the creature as it conjured a massive beam of chaotic earth qi.

Caine's platform propelled him downward like a comet. His spear snapped into his hand, its edge glowing with intent.

The creature launched its beam, but Caine's blade severed it with a single strike. The fragments of energy were drawn into a complex formation that encased them both.

The creature's True Will surged, attempting to shatter the formation, but it was too late.

The moment its mind touched the formation, Caine's True Will invaded, tearing through the creature's defenses with unrelenting force.

Its mind shattered under the assault, leaving it helpless as Caine's killing intent erupted.

SPLAT!

His spear cleaved the creature in half, its warm green blood pooling on the ground.

Caine landed harshly, his knees buckling as his breaths came in ragged gasps.

But he didn't celebrate.

"…[Nameless Call]…"

He whispered softly, then turned and sprinted toward the next fight.

There was no rest for the wicked.