CHAPTER 182: CHAPTER 182: SKY

Chapter 182 – Sky

The light was intense, blinding, and striking. In a forest of darkness where not even a sliver of light passed through, such an intense radiance caused many beasts to flee in fear, while others—intrigued—approached.

But that was only for a moment before they all retreated. Because the moment Kaden started the process of fusing two Legendary Origins related to blood and death... you had to be a fool to approach such a thing.

The scent was desolate and filled with the stench of blood and death, the pressure around him felt as if the heavens were about to collapse and bury everything beneath them, the space rippled with power and tension, looking like turbulent water during a thunderstorm.

No one dared to come closer—not even that Grandmaster beast, the one Kaden was supposed to meet to acquire the Death Origin—dared to step in, because the power it was sensing felt like... something profane about to be born, and honestly, it was intelligent enough not to bother with such a being.

So carefully, it retreated back under the thick brush of darkness, but still kept an eye on Kaden, to see if there would be any chance to devour this being... because it could feel it... if it succeeded in devouring him,

’Then I will evolve. I will reach a level no one in this forest has ever reached.’ the beast thought, its eyes gleaming like a predator waiting for the perfect opportunity to strike.

Meanwhile, Kaden was enveloped by a pulsing white cocoon and was experiencing a sensation he had never felt before. Two Legendary-rank Origins fused together was a wondrous event, and his very being... was being rewritten.

Before, even if he was able to wield the Intent of Death, he didn’t have any skill to truly put this intent to good use. But now he felt it... all of that would change soon.

The process continued for a while before it was finally done, and the cocoon vanished, revealing Kaden in all his glory.

His physical appearance hadn’t changed much, except that his black hair appeared darker like shadow, and his eyes... before he had barely visible black dots deep in his irises, but now they were strikingly visible.

This gave him a very distinct look, especially coupled with his blood-red eyes.

He closed his eyes, feeling the change in his body. His body seemed sturdier, his mana purer and... more dreadful. He instinctively knew his mana was no longer neutral... it had become a mix of blood and death mana.

His perception expanded like a web and noticed a few things that made his lips curl slowly into a faint knowing smile.

’Let’s first look at what I got. Death, show me.’

[Origin: Crimson Harvester’s Sword Emperor]

[Type: Weapon – Sword]

[Rank: Legendary +]

[Description: You are the Harvester of the blood of the living, the Harvester of the souls of the dead. Your path is carved only through Slaughter. So rise, and kill, O Crimson Harvester.]

[Skills: Blood Reservoir, Health Steal, Flame of the Harvester]

Kaden’s lips shifted as a grin formed. He was very satisfied with what he had gotten. Blood Reservoir remained, letting him manipulate blood freely. Health Steal was a new one—a skill that would allow him to steal the very vitality, the very life of his enemies.

’That’s a really good skill. Each of my strikes will steal the health of my enemies and add it to mine. Meaning, in a large-scale battle, with blood as a healing medium and this Health Steal... killing me might as well become a myth people will never witness.’ Kaden couldn’t help but feel giddy inside.

This skill was just perfect.

Moving on, Kaden looked at Flame of the Harvester. This skill was practically the same as the previous Flame of Blood, where he burned the blood and mana of beings and objects. But this time... there was something new.

Now, Kaden would burn not only their blood, since blood can be replenished over time, but their very lifespan, something you cannot get back except through rare and special means.

And with the lifespan of each rank being fixed... it could be terrifying.

This time, a wide smile appeared on his lips as he slowly turned his gaze toward one section of the forest, his perception was tingling with danger in that direction. That was where the Grandmaster beast was hiding.

Kaden wasn’t a fool. He hadn’t chosen to undergo this process out in the woods for nothing. He wanted to attract the beast, and fortunately, he had.

It was reckless, but Kaden had already killed a Grandmaster—albeit with great difficulty—so he had confidence now, and more importantly, Death was his domain.

He understood now the importance of life, and that’s exactly why, to protect the lives of those he loved... Kaden was about to make a deal with a monster.

So with a faint smile, he opened his mouth:

"Hello, I am Kaden Warborn, The Child—!" he abruptly stopped mid-sentence...then chuckled.

"My bad. Let me start again."

The atmosphere instantly changed as death and blood began to pierce the objective reality, tainting the world around him in a violent and unholy clash of crimson and black.

His eyes started to glow with an eerie, alien light that made the watching beast feel a creeping dread, but it intensified when Kaden’s voice echoed again....and this time, it didn’t sound like a human being.

No, it sounded like...

"I am Kaden Warborn, The Crimson Harvester. Care to have a word with me?"

...like the voice of a harrowing creature that fed on both the living and the dead.

The Grandmaster beast’s body trembled with dread, and in that moment, it sincerely regretted staying to watch.

...

Fokay – Underground Game of Freedom

Blood and death.

That’s all there was in the arena. The ground was cracked, filled with holes deeper than the eye could see, and littered with the severed heads and limbs of all kinds of races, their organs spilled across the cold ground smeared with blood.

It was impossible to take a step without walking on the remains of your fallen comrades or foes.

It was an unholy sight.

It looked like Hell had been unleashed on earth.

And maybe... maybe it was Hell. At least for some of them. And for Zaki.

He was on the ground, a gaping wound in his ribs. Blood was pouring from it like a waterfall, making his skin pale and his eyes unfocused.

He wouldn’t last long.

All around him, his cellmates were still fighting, bloodied and gasping for breath, but none of them were weaklings, so they managed.

He was the only one down, unable to move and...

"You are so pathetic."

...about to die.

The crowd’s mad cheers made his head even dizzier as he choked on his breath.

Zaki raised his head, with immense difficulty, to look at his opponent.

A beautiful black-skinned woman with vivid red locks and piercing black eyes stood above him, staring with disdain and scorn. Her face was covered with blood.

She crouched down, uncaring of the blood around her, in fact, she seemed to relish the carnage.

Taking Zaki’s fallen daggers, she pointed them at him, her expression mocking.

"So damn pathetic. I can’t believe someone like you had the nerve to come to me and ask me to join you. Join you for what?"

"Join you to escape this place? Hahaha." She laughed loudly, mockingly.

"Are you stupid? Do I look like someone who wants to escape this place? I’m loving my life here. I can kill whoever I want, I can slaughter all of you without being labeled a criminal. Why would I leave this paradise, tell me? Can’t you see all around us? The blood, the twitching organs, the severed limbs, the gurgling bodies dying slowly and painfully?"

Her grin grew more wild, more mad.

"Can’t you see how beautiful this sight is? And you want me to leave it? What a fucking fool."

Zaki gritted his teeth, anger and frustration burning behind his blood-red eyes. But he couldn’t speak, his body was drowning in pain.

"But that’s only the first reason," the black woman continued.

"Tell me, do you really think you have what it takes to get out of here? What a joke. You are weak. Your will is meager, your leadership is laughable, your whole body is... trash."

"What gave you the nerve to seek me out?"

"You’re just a pitiful, pathetic being trying to act bigger than you are. Know your place, you fucking worm." She spat with disgust and raised her hand, ready to strike.

But Zaki’s mind wasn’t even focused on her anymore, not after he heard that word...

Worm?

That word triggered something primal inside him, something Zaki never knew was there.

Me? A worm?

Zaki couldn’t believe his ears. Because that word... that word was the opposite of everything he’d built inside himself.

He was the child of the heavens.

With his power, with the way he survived every harrowing game— even barely—Zaki had forged his own belief in himself.

And now someone dares to liken him to a worm? That pitiful, squirming thing that eats filth and dies underfoot?

"Me? A worm?"

A surge of uncontrollable anger burst through him as he glared at the woman.

"It’s you who’s the damn fool, you fucking woman. I’m a worm? Do you even know who I am?"

"I’m the child of the heavens, you bitch. I’m no worm, I’m the sky you can always see, but never reach."

A sudden pressure crashed down across the arena, freezing everything. All eyes turned to Zaki who was slowly getting up.

The pressure was immense. It was like the sky itself had fallen.

People began to fall to their knees, unable to endure it.

The black woman was the most affected—but she wasn’t weak, so she didn’t fall—though her body bent downward, creaking under the weight.

Zaki finally stood, his blood still pouring, but his eyes were glowing with divine fury. He looked at the woman and said:

"You have the sky in front of you..."

"...Kneel when you look at me."

BAAAM!!!

Her eyes widened in horror as the pressure on her body multiplied. Her knees slammed into the ground with a resounding thud.

The crowd stayed silent, until...

"OOOHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!"

A wild cheer erupted, making the ground quake with madness.

Then, the loud and ecstatic voice of the presenter boomed through the air:

"LADIES AND GENTLEMEN, A LOUD CHEER OF APPLAUSE FOR NUMBER 11002, ALSO KNOWN AS... THE SKY OF THE HEAVENS!!!"

And...

A deafening sound echoed through the arena, shaking the underground to its core.

—End of Chapter 182—