"Holy Presence," Alicia uttered—and as if a mountain had descended, he found himself kneeling on the ground.
The marble beneath him cracked further, and even with his effort, he couldn't lift it an inch.
"Give up. This entire sanctum feeds me power through a Holy Formation. Here, I'm almost unbeatable."
Rain remembered. It was the same one Alexandra used—but this time, its effect was a hundred times stronger.
Still, he didn't use it as an excuse. Territory advantage or not, it was part of her power.
"You think you were trapped because you were careless? Even if you hadn't let your guard down, you would still be here. You would still be kneeling before me."
Rain clenched his teeth and laughed. Long ago, he had stopped caring about anything except death. But now, he wanted to win against her.
Not just kill her. No—he wanted to dominate completely, using only his own power, without cheap tricks.
It was the same feeling he remembered from when he was just a caveman.
Back then, every fiber of his body rejoiced as he trained to take down a T-Rex, each strike and dodge a test of survival.
The thrill of facing an overwhelmingly powerful opponent made him truly happy—finally, an adversary he didn't need to hold back from.
90%
Blood ran down his skin as he pushed himself to his limits.
Slowly, he managed to stand—though at this point, that was all he could do.
Her environmental advantage was no joke. It was like a lion fighting an alligator in a deep river.
"Look at you—already struggling—while I'm just sitting here. The gap between us is even wider than I expected."
Rain smiled back. "If killing me was your goal, it would be over already. So why go through all this?"
Her eyes flashed white before she raised her hand, sending him crashing to the floor once more.
"Did I tell you to speak?"
He could only push himself up, lifting his head. She wasn't joking—the disparity in power was staggering.
100%
'Now'!
His speed erupted, every ounce of pent-up momentum driving a deadly strike.
The priest—and even Alicia—was taken a back.
Paladins threw themselves in his path, but he couldn't care less—one sweep, and they were tossed aside like nothing.
"HOLY CHAINS!" Alicia screamed, and the spell slammed into him, stopping him dead.
Rain smiled, his hand hovering just inches from her throat.
Everyone expected Alicia to lash out—knowing her—but what she said next made no sense to them.
"Leave us." She turned her attention to the others.
They were reluctant.
"I said, leave us. Or do you want me to repeat myself?" she roared, and her aura exploded outward.
The marble floor trembled beneath its force, and those who stood before her were thrown back, scattering like frightened flies in a gale.
They didn't need another example to realize it was in their best interest to obey her.
Once the room was empty, she rose from her seat and walked toward him without a hint of fear.
She cupped his face, and her smile twisted into something so unsettling that even Rain felt concerned about her state of mind.
"Oh my, you really are tough. If we were outside my sanctum, winning wouldn't be impossible." She paused, "Do you even know why I bothered to bring you here?"
"To humiliate me?"
"No. What truly interests me is your undying nature. I've already confirmed you're not undead, and you're not entirely bad considering you tried to save those girls."
A chuckle escaped his lips. "You can't fool me. I know you're enjoying this. So, what—do you get your kicks from causing pain?"
Her smile widened, confirming his suspicion. Power paired with a sadistic streak was never a good combination.
"All the toys I've had break easily... But you… you're different."
She ran a hand through his dark hair, savoring his bloodied face.
"Be mine. And I'll grant you purpose. I'll give you a golden cage."
Rain burst out laughing. After eons of living, he was now reduced to little more than a source of amusement for someone else.
In reality, he still had another way to break the chain. He could easily kill her too, but he didn't want to win like that.
"I'll humor you. But the moment I'm strong enough to beat you at your best, I'll make you pay."
Instead of anger, she looked elated. "That's it. I prefer that look in your eyes—the one before lacked ambition."
Both of them smiled at each other, flawed in their own ways.
110%
CRACK!
The chain broke, and his hand gripped her neck. "See? I could kill you right now, all because of your carelessness."
She showed no fear—in fact, a smile curved her lips, even in such a perilous situation.
"You could," she managed, her voice strained. "But then… you'd be alone again. Back in the dark. Back in the endless boredom of a long life."
"Careful with your words." he warned. "Don't mistake my curiosity for submission."
She pressed her forehead against his, a collision of two different kinds of storm.
Rain couldn't help but feel interested. She knew exactly which words to strike. She wasn't just beautiful—she was terrifyingly intelligent.
'What is she plotting?'
They say curiosity kills the cat—but what if the cat had unlimited lives? He was the answer to that question.
***
***
***
Authors Note:
P.S. Some of you might think the MC is being too passive with her—but remember, he's an immortal bored with life.
His journey will shape him in ways no one expects.
Also, it's not that he's weak—the power scale in this world is just massive, and he was in her domain.
Imagine a superhuman who can lift a bus suddenly transported to a world where someone can destroy that same bus with a single breath.
This is intentional. The story focuses on him gaining power in this new world, using his already insane experience and talent to rise above everyone and become unrivaled.
Keep reading if you want a story that will keep you guessing at every turn—what you've seen so far is just the tip of the iceberg.