Just one privileged scion like Muria was already too much for the Evil God of Desolation to handle. Now, another had appeared. While this newcomer clearly had a power and form entirely distinct from Muria's, this only deepened the Evil God's unease.
The Evil God understood the principle of "birds of a feather flock together." Someone who could associate with a Titan-Dragon hybrid like Muria was likely another being with a similarly powerful background. The differing power attributes and forms between the two only made it more likely that this new arrival hailed from another mighty lineage.
If a fight broke out, the Evil God would inevitably offend not just one, but two—no, three terrifying forces, as Muria's hybrid bloodline represented two distinct races. The stakes could not be higher.
While the Evil God was wracked with anxiety, Muria was frustrated. He had just started the battle, and now Mikaela had shown up, breaking the agreement they had made before the fight.
"You broke your promise. You agreed to wait until I had finished fighting the Evil God before stepping in," Muria accused.
"I didn't break our deal," Mikaela countered immediately. She didn't believe her actions violated their agreement. "You've already been fighting him for quite a while. Now it's my turn."
"I just got started," Muria retorted angrily. The Evil God had been merely stalling, looking for a way to escape rather than fighting seriously. It had been difficult enough to keep the Evil God engaged, let alone extract any meaningful experience from the battle.
"You've already fought long enough," Mikaela insisted, having observed everything. "You've even blown apart his body once. What more do you want? If this goes on any longer, you might cripple him completely, and when my turn comes, I'd be left to fight a half-dead Evil God. That's not acceptable."
"What do you want, then?" Muria asked, feeling a headache coming on.
"I'll take over the fight. You stay here and watch."
"No way," Muria rejected her outright. The blood energy surging behind him was no illusion. He was fully immersed in the battle, and standing by idly would leave him feeling unbearably restless. He needed to fight to release the energy coursing through him.
...
The conversation between Muria and Mikaela wasn't hidden, and every word reached the ears of the Evil God. He began to wonder if he was cursed for having destroyed so many worlds, as his luck seemed abysmal lately.
It was now abundantly clear to him that these two were both privileged offspring of powerful lineages. They fought not for survival or necessity but for the pure desire to battle. This was entirely unlike the Evil God's experience, where peers of his level avoided conflict unless absolutely necessary, even if it meant sacrificing some benefits.
The contrast was glaring. The Evil God concluded that his best course of action was to leave this place as soon as possible. He also needed to assess whether something had gone wrong with his fate—why else would he run into two entities he couldn't afford to provoke in succession?
"Fine, you can take the lead in fighting him, but if you show any signs of losing, I'll step in," Muria finally conceded.
Hearing this, the Evil God's mind didn't fill with anger as one might expect. Instead, he remained calm, forcing himself to be an emotionless entity. There was no benefit in being angry—it would only cloud his judgment and potentially lead to irrational actions.
As for pride and face? Those were meaningless. What mattered was his infinite lifespan. Provoking beings stronger than himself could end that. But enduring and surviving opened infinite possibilities over the course of eternity.
The Evil God even considered playing along with their plans, satisfying their desires for battle, and using the opportunity to slip away.
...
Watching Mikaela engage the Evil God, Muria couldn't shake the feeling that something was off. The battle between these two epic-level beings felt almost scripted, like a rehearsed performance.
When two epics clashed, their battles typically escalated into void-wide conflicts, drawing in forces tied to them. Mikaela had summoned her angelic army, forming a tide of divine warriors that swept toward the Evil God. In response, the Evil God unleashed his own destruction-forged legions.
The Evil God quickly realized Mikaela was not holding back. She fought with the intent to kill. If he made a mistake, he might actually perish here.
The disparity in their approaches was clear. Mikaela fought with unrestrained fervor, while the Evil God was cautious, avoiding any actions that might provoke retaliation from Mikaela's powerful lineage.
Despite the stark contrast in mentality, the two were evenly matched, as were their respective armies. The Evil God's forces, born of destruction and hardened by countless battles, clashed with Mikaela's angelic army, whose members were formidable but relatively inexperienced.
The balance was due to Muria's earlier actions. In their initial clash, Muria had decimated the Evil God's forces, wiping out his most elite troops. Now, Mikaela's angels were fighting against what amounted to the Evil God's second-string forces.
Muria didn't see this as a failure of the angels but rather a testament to their untapped potential. Their individual strength was undeniable, but their lack of combat experience held them back. True strength was forged in the fires of real battle, not on the training grounds.
"This is boring," Muria muttered as he observed the fight. The Evil God's evasive tactics had made it clear what his intentions were. Muria could no longer rely on this battle to push himself toward mastering the Seven Desolations Demon God's power.
"I should stop announcing myself and just attack directly next time," Muria sighed, realizing the futility of drawing this battle out. The Evil God was too weak and cautious to give him the pressure he needed.
Then a bold thought struck him.
"Can I kill this Evil God?"
For Muria, it was a practical idea. The rewards for slaying an epic were immense. First, there was the epic's body, a treasure in its own right, usable for crafting weapons or creating new worlds. Then there was the epic's personal domain—a half-plane or even a complete world—easily claimed after its owner's death. Finally, there was the accumulated wealth of the epic, often substantial and varied.
Yet, Muria quickly realized the difficulties. Without asking for help from his elders—a prospect he immediately dismissed as unthinkable—his chances of killing the Evil God outright were slim.
______
(≧◡≦) ♡ Support me and read 20 chapters ahead – patreon.com/INNIT
For every 50 Power Stones, one extra chapter will be released on Saturday.