Mysterious and unfathomable, irresistible... endless methods... unimaginable growth speed...
Veit covered his inner cowardice and regret with shouts, forcibly suppressing the instinctive fear of this monster, wishing he could turn and flee immediately.
"Even so, you can't be my opponent!"
As Veit roared, he accelerated his attacks, striving to end the battle with overwhelming attribute suppression.
However, what he couldn't see was that Apophis was covering Rod's body like armor, providing him with an extra boost!
In this situation, the attribute gap between the two was actually not that great.
Rod, however, gradually showed an expression of boredom, his movements becoming more relaxed, responding to Veit's sharp moves with greater ease.
"Boring."
Rod calmly uttered these two words.
"You don't seem to have anything new to show me... It's about time to end this."
Veit roared in anger.
"You think you..."
Before his words finished, black particles surged like a raging tide.
Apophis, attached to Rod's body, rapidly grew in size, coldly launching her true offensive against Veit.
Countless invisible fists assailed Veit from all directions and angles.
Although Veit had battle instincts, he narrowly avoided the initial few consecutive blows with his keen intuition and even tried to counterattack.
But the next second, hundreds of invisible fists, denser and coming from all angles simultaneously, instantly blocked all his escape routes!
Rhode used the vulcan's blade as a conductor's baton, elegantly directing Apophis's attacks with both hands, and Vite's shrill screams were the beautiful music being played.
Vite's face, abdomen, chest, legs, back—all parts were heavily attacked.
Each time his body was struck, he was immediately and mercilessly sent flying from another direction.
He was like a rag doll in the air, continuously being fiercely battered and flung back and forth according to the amplitude and speed of Rhode's hand movements, his angry roars even getting choked in his throat by the continuous heavy blows!
Blood streamed from the corners of his mouth, making him look utterly disheveled; Vite's eyes first showed rage, then astonishment, and finally turned to horror.
He was even stripped of the right to resist!
In a daze, Vite seemed to see a monster with a dark dragon's head.
"This is…."
Vite was hit in the face by another punch, and the longsword in his hand clattered to the ground.
All his bones were practically crushed, and his internal organs were severely damaged.
His entire body went limp, devoid of the madness and arrogance he had just moments ago!
Apophis manipulated the IBM particles, forcibly pulling up the defenseless Vite by his outstretched arms, floating him like a trophy before Rhode.
Vite seemed to be nailed to an invisible cross, his head hanging limply, his body trembling, breathing in ragged, saw-like gasps.
His face was filled with disbelief and unwillingness; his former arrogance and insolence were completely annihilated, leaving only dishevelment and humiliation.
"What is that thing… the God of Death…?"
Rhode watched him quietly, twisted his wrist, and spoke indifferently.
"She's my partner, you know. You could also say she's my God of Death, since people usually only see her right before they die."
Demi-humans' physical structure allows them to see IBM particles, and ordinary humans, under conditions of extremely intense emotional fluctuations, might also briefly see IBM particles.
And the most intense emotional moment is right before death.
Therefore, Vite's statement was not wrong.
"Heh… heheh…"
Vite twitched the corner of his mouth, letting out a forced laugh, and took a deep breath.
"Actually, I respect heroes like you. In this flawed Miniature Garden, those who don't yield to unreasonableness, who stand up against injustice, who never stop resisting the world…."
"Your figures are so dazzling, so noble, far more worthy of worship than mere gods. Without a doubt, you are my objects of admiration….."
Rhode clicked his tongue, not bothering to hide his disgust.
"Spare me. Being admired by someone whose life is only about killing like you, I'd be so disgusted I wouldn't be able to eat."
"How cruel. Even at a time like this, your words are still so venomous and heartless."
The clown mask on his face peeled off, and he murmured weakly.
"I no longer care how you managed all of this, after all, heroes are inherently capable of performing miracles beyond ordinary comprehension."
"But at least let me ask one question…"
[Congratulations! You have triggered an A-rank Wish.]
[Content: Answer Vite's question. Whatever your answer, no matter the words, the Wish will be fulfilled.]
[Reward/Penalty: One of Vite's abilities, and corresponding Wish Points.]
Rhode sighed, rubbing his forehead.
"So, did most of the gods in this world properly fulfill their duties? Why do lost lambs always come to me with questions?"
Vite took Rhode's silence as agreement and spoke on his own.
"If the 'evil' I committed was based on a 'truth' only I knew, then what exactly did I do wrong?"
Vite was one of the so-called 'Flawed Ones'; everything that entered his vision was gray, people's voices sounded like static in his ears, anything he put in his mouth had an indescribable foreign sensation, and he didn't even know what fragrance was.
Such a person could only feel alive when killing, while beings like Rhode naturally enjoyed life.
It was no wonder his mentality became unbalanced.
But he wasn't some low-level minion with crude tastes either.
To prevent such foolish 'victims' as himself from appearing again, Vite intended to initiate a destruction and regeneration reset of this flawed world.
It was based on this concept, which, though absurd, was somewhat interesting, that Rhode gave him a final chance to speak.
"There are many people in the world who are more miserable than you, yet still uphold justice. You simply cowardly denied the possibility of treading the path of justice from the very beginning."
Vite revealed an embarrassed expression, his inner thoughts laid bare. Rhode watched him coldly, then raised the vulcan's blade to Vite's neck, suddenly shifting his tone to utter a classic Uchiha-esque statement.
"What I just said was merely the correct argument. If we go by my philosophy…"
"You weren't wrong; you were just born into the wrong world."
Vite suddenly looked up, his eyes wide, staring at Rhode. Like a child thrilled by a heroic tale, he burst into the most genuine laughter.
"You really are…."
Flames, unsheathed.
The fire of justice ignited from the vulcan's blade, smoothly severing the villain's head, and the flames, symbolizing the temporary end of darkness, shot straight into the sky!
"That's enough. I don't want to chat with a man for so long."
The system's notification sounded. Rhode glanced at Vite's corpse, then, after a moment's thought, moved him to the isolation zone within Kamui Space.
This guy was at least a Level 4 combatant; he might be useful later.
Rhode surveyed the severely damaged street around him, a slight frown on his brow.
"If only I could draw magic from the Harry Potter world. Putting everything else aside, the Repairing Charm would be genuinely useful."
"Forget it, let the Guild worry about these things…."
Apophis, having caused a ruckus, transformed her shape and flew around in the air, emitting cheerful chirps.
Rhode waved, and she transformed into her human form, landing gracefully before him, affectionately nuzzling his palm.
Rhode was very pleased with her performance this time.
Her pure physical output ability had probably reached Level 5.
However, her combat capability still relied more on invisibility and recovery. He would consider strengthening her further later.
"Let's go. Take me back to pick up those two and bring them home."
In the overgrown abandoned church.
Erebus suddenly stood up, staring blankly at where the crimson fire had risen, the feigned smile on his face gone.
"The bloodline connection is broken…. Vite…."
As his only Familia member, Vite's departure was no small blow to him.
"Although that child would only suffer if he lived in this world, still… at a time like this, it's a bit sad."
Erebus frowned deeply, then suddenly thought of something, his expression changing slightly.
"That guy has reached Level 4 power? Too fast, too abnormal!"
He looked up at the tall, silver-haired woman, his tone carrying a hint of pleading.
"We can't let him continue any longer, Alfia. My intuition tells me we must deal with him now!"
"If it's you, known as the 'Calamity Monster,' you can surely break the anomaly surrounding that guy and end that incredible miracle!"
Alfia opened her normally closed eyes, her heterochromatic eyes, blazing with anger, turned towards Erebus.
"Erebus, we did promise to give our last flame of life to you, but that doesn't mean you can freely insult and trample on our remaining dignity!"
"You want me, a Level 7, to kill a child who just recently joined a Familia? To eliminate an adventurer who hasn't even fully developed?"
"This isn't a trial; it's murder!"
"I don't care about having blood on my hands, nor do I care about being hated, but is your current idea truly 'justice' or 'a necessary evil'?"
Leaving behind a sharp, cold question, the grey-haired witch disappeared from the spot without looking back.
Erebus stumbled, leaning on a chair to barely stand, his eyes seemingly filled with confusion.
He turned to look at the two-meter-tall, dark-brown-haired strongman beside him.
"Chardo…"
Chardo's eyes, deep within the brim of his hat, scrutinized this god who had always been so composed.
"If you absolutely insist I go, I probably will, but is that guy 'evil'?"
"No, he is undoubtedly 'justice'."
Erebus gave a negative answer without hesitation.
Even though their positions were completely different, and both wanted to kill each other, he would never slander the other's heart.
"Is the future that guy leads 'evil'?"
This question plunged Erebus into a long silence.
Finally, he let out a long sigh.
"I don't know…"
Chardo cast a surprised glance at him.
Erebus smiled bitterly and spread his hands.
"I can't see him clearly, nor can I predict his future."
"As a god, I was once fascinated by the unknown, but I probably never thought that one day I would be afraid of the unknown…."
Chardo finally understood Erebus's inner conflict.
If they followed their predetermined plan, perhaps many would die in the process, but the ultimate outcome would surely save this world.
However, if they allowed the guy named Rhode to interfere, perhaps many people would not die now, but the future would become completely uncontrollable.
"I understand. I will go and get to know that guy myself."
Chardo put on his dark armor and slowly walked towards the door.
"I will decide the path forward based on my judgment, and I might even stand on the opposite side to you. Please don't mind."
With that, Chardo's figure also disappeared.
In the empty, silent church, the male god's faint sigh echoed.
"Sigh…. Regardless of their decisions, the plan must still be carried out."
Erebus's eyes gleamed with determination.
"Since it's difficult to crush him with quality, then I will engulf you with a quantity beyond human power!"
On the eaves, Alfia quietly gazed at Rhode flying in the distance, her grey hair gently fluttering. She quickly averted her gaze, looking boredly at the clear blue sky above.
"Metria… is this world the way you hoped it would be…? I'm afraid I'll have to wait a bit longer to see you…."
In this world line's past, a story that changed many lives had occurred from the very beginning.
To say what was most important, it was that the 'Hero's Egg' that the gods had anticipated had never been born from the start.
Everything had undergone irreversible changes.
Erebus became more impatient because he had no retreat.
Alfia had no attachments in her heart, so naturally, she wouldn't recklessly risk her life to leave a beautiful future for that person.
-
Rhode leaped down from the sky, landing steadily in the alleyway.
He shifted his gaze and immediately saw Runova, leaning against a crumbling wall, her steps faltering.
Her figure was weary, yet still stubborn.
When Runova saw Rhode return, she gasped in astonishment, blood still clinging to the corner of her mouth.
"You... you finished him off so quickly?"
Rhode narrowed his eyes with a smile and said casually, "I just used a little trick."
Runova shook her wrist, barely steadying herself, and feigned nonchalance.
"Heh, even small tricks are a form of strength... that cat taught me that before."
Speaking of which, Runova suddenly felt a bit grateful for her choice.
If she had really tried to assassinate this guy, her fate probably wouldn't have been much better than his.
"Speaking of which, where's Ke Luoyi?" Rhode looked around the alley.
Runova scoffed, a strange smile appearing at the corner of her mouth.
"She's probably hiding because she's shy... I knew that guy was still holding back strength, cats are truly cunning creatures!"
The scene suddenly fell silent.
Runova's peripheral vision caught Rhode's frowning gaze on her arm, and instinctively she wanted to keep up her tough facade, reflexively turning her body to try and hide the small cuts on her arm and body.
Rhode took a bottle of potion from his embrace and held it out to Runova, his voice gentle.
"Heal your injuries first."
"Uh, actually, I'm fine, but healing them wouldn't hurt..."
Runova was startled, wanting to take it with a hint of shyness, but her expression suddenly changed when her gaze fell on the bottle, her eyes widening.
"Wait... wait, this thing... could it be... a panacea?!"
"Yes," Rhode said calmly, "Because it's very effective, I used to like using it a lot, so I specifically stocked up on a large batch of the highest quality goods from the Dian Cecht Familia."
"panacea... highest quality... stocked up..."
Runova's mouth twitched slightly, feeling her worldview begin to shake.
She understood each term individually, but combined, it clearly sounded like a fantasy!
The world of bounty hunters was far less glamorous than imagined.
Putting aside the risks during combat, equipment, weapon maintenance, intelligence gathering, potion supplies... all these added up could swallow two-thirds or even more of their income.
Fools who were reluctant to spend money had mostly lost their lives on their first mission.
Even so, even she, famously known as the Black Fist in the industry, was seeing someone casually 'waste' a panacea for the first time.
This stuff was clearly only meant to be used in life-or-death situations!
She was stunned for a moment by Rhode's extravagance, and after regaining her composure, she instinctively wanted to decline.
"No, no, let's not... actually, my injuries are... Ah!"
Before she could finish speaking, Rhode had already taken it upon himself to twist open the bottle, unhesitatingly pouring the entire bottle of panacea over Runova's head.
The warm liquid slid down her hair and skin, and the warm, healing magic infused her wounds; though it had no weight, it felt heavy in her heart.
"Don't look so pained, making money is easy for me."
Rhode found Runova, who looked like she wanted to lick the panacea clean off herself, a bit amusing, then showed a serious expression.
"But meeting a companion (girl) worth 'kidnapping'... ahem... inviting, is very difficult."