Elias shuddered as he made a dire realization. He had no choice but to fight and no choice but to win. He was on a tightrope, with any misstep could be his last and anyone could push him.
A great cloud crawled towards the deep blue ocean as birds ran from the red cloud. The red cloud was far smaller than the continental great cloud, but it was big enough to seemingly cover the red vermilion. The great cloud stared at the red one angrily as it continued its journey.
The sun, which were red ever since it was born, was now shining inside the dark red cloud, giving the world a muddled red glow.
"If you cannot even do that, then… I guess you shouldn't be allowed to live."
The dark bloody light shone sharply on the old man's face, illuminating his white hair and beard alongside his shoulders covered in red-coloured scales as the dark shadows cut into his rest of body.
Elias sighed as he recalled every bit of information from the inheritance and separated the information he could use now.
Before making schemes, though, he simply started stretching and asked. "What grade Is You?"
"I am a cardinal, or grade three Requim, or if we are using an older grading system, then I am a graded beast of grade three." The old man's voice was calm and full of confidence, but Elias could also sense something else in it. Something which was so beautifully hidden that he could not decipher.
What the fuck does that mean? Gotta use the inheritance now huh
…
If my inheritor does not know how we categorise Chinen and beasts, there are three ways.
One way is the old way of grading beasts. This was used in most of the first millennium or the millennium of tamers and cursers. This is still used to grade beasts but due to it not including Chinen, the other two gradings came into existence.
The numerical and unofficial system includes grade one to grade six with grade one being the grade of lights and grade six being of immortal deities who are equivalent to gods.
The main grading system starts with Laity or what some tribal communities call combat warriors or Lightens and ends with Divine beings or Divinities.
…
Elias quickly figured out what a cardinal meant. Hai Un were usually the leaders of big tribes and were extremely rare. With a cardinal capable of destroying whole mountains and leveling hundreds of tribes like his.
However, this did not mean Elias was destined to lose; this was due to the Requims mentioned in the inheritance.
…
Requim are essentially vessels of power.
Each beast above grade 1 needs to have Requims to show their power.
Requim converts a special energy produced by hearts of grade 2 and above beasts into effects.
While the ritual to ascension increases physical and mental capacities, the true display of power is in using Requim.
…
Elias took a deep breath and used most of his leg muscles and back muscles to jump backwards, taking small steps.
Against a physically stronger and mentally more adept person how can I fight?
The best option is to run away, of course; the second best is to ask others for help. I cannot do any of them.
Elias picked up a rock and threw it at the old man, only for it to be destroyed by a single chop.
I do not have enough time to figure out his biases and dependencies, nor do I know about any of his flaws.
Elias picked up more rocks and threw all of them at once — using muscles in his hands and chest, he threw all the rocks in different directions.
Unlike last time, this time was an elaborate probe thus the speed of rocks was as fast as a grade one beast or a Laity.
However, the strength and speed of a cardinal was realms and tiers higher than a Laity. The rocks could not even get close enough to the old man before disintegrating.
Elias was also intentionally suppressing his strength to hide the existence of the Requim too, after all his blood was supposedly enhanced by a grade 1 Requim.
I cannot directly hit him…
Elias removed a vine covering his waist and bound as many stones as he could to it; the old man stared at him with an amused expression.
"Hey… duke, wanna know something crazy,
…the blood of a devil flows in my veins"
Elias let out a loud laugh as threw the vine and rocks at the old man. However, before they could be destroyed, he dashed behind him and dug out grass and soil. He threw them twice as fast as the vines, making sure that the vines and stones and the grass and soil hit at the same time.
I just have to hit him, not hit him hard
One of the priest's hands rose up in front of him, destroying the vine and rocks, and the other hand went behind his back. It twisted unnaturally and destroyed each bit of soil and grass, leaving him spotless.
My chance!
Elias filled his muscles with as much strength as he could, using most of the muscles in his body to dash towards the priest with astonishing speed.
BOOM!
He zapped towards the priest with his fist at his waist level. He had lowered his upper body and tilted his lower body.
BAM!