Chapter 8: The First [Remnant of the Evil God]

Following the blood trail left by Butch, the Rat King, the two pressed onward.

Isaac kept his eyes fixed on the bloodstains and the enveloping darkness ahead, a faint trace of anxiety etched across his face. He was desperate to catch up with the Rat King.

Zorn, on the other hand, followed steadily behind Butch, his peripheral vision occasionally sweeping across the surrounding darkness.

The impatient hunter had eyes only for his wounded prey, completely unaware that he had already become the target of other hunters.

During Zorn’s battle with the Rat King Butch, what might have seemed simplistic and unrefined to an outsider was actually a masterclass executed with top-tier technical skill.

Through the medium of the black mist, Zorn sensed the presence of Transcendents lurking in at least five different directions, secretly watching and observing the fight.

Moreover, the sequence ranks of these Transcendents were by no means low.

The scene where Zorn fought the Rat King Butch in single combat and beat him to the point of utter helplessness had successfully deterred those hidden in the depths of the darkness.

These Transcendents, whose abilities and strength were far from weak, naturally recognized the true weight of Zorn subduing the Rat King Butch using merely his bare fists.

This [Brawler] was not someone they could afford to provoke.

A [Brawler] capable of single-handedly defeating the Rat King could not only beat their heads to a pulp, but could also twist their skulls right off and use them as soccer balls.

Therefore... they all behaved themselves.

As they made their way deeper into the sewers of the Borderlands, Zorn opened his system interface to review the fruits of his labor over the past five hours.

[Star-Trace Brawler] (30th Anniversary Exclusive Commemorative Edition) (Untradeable)
Level: Level 3 (14%)
[Talent]
Aura Intent: Iron Bone (SS-Rank): You possess the willpower and physique of tempered steel.
[Skills]
Basic Skull-Cracking Fist: Level 1 (65%)
Aura Specialization (Passive): Level 0 (54%)
Thousand-Flow Storm Step: Level 0 (24%)
...

His sequence experience had increased by about 5%.
Skull-Cracking Fist had improved by 55%.
Aura Specialization had increased by 25%.
Thousand-Flow Storm Step had increased by 22%.

The growth efficiency across the board was astonishingly high.

"Butch hasn't died yet. Once he draws his last breath, I will obtain another portion of combat essence, which should push my level up by a few more percentage points."

After passing through an area covered in blue-silver moss, the two finally caught up with Butch in a relatively spacious underground chamber.

The rock face where Butch had collapsed featured a massive, jet-black stone door over ten meters in diameter.

That was the sealing door of the [Double-Ringed Serpent].

The Borderlands had exposed something that should have remained hidden.

Zorn swept his gaze across the expansive space and casually picked up a suitably sized stone from the ground.

A faint surge of Star-Trace Aura infused into it.

"Hum!"

With a powerful throw, Zorn hurled it toward a half-meter-high collapsed stone pillar.

With a muffled "Boom!" a figure tumbled out from behind it.

The figure wore a cold expression. After a fluid roll, they braced a hand against the ground and sprang back to their feet in an instant.

With a sudden blur of motion, moving like a phantom, the figure charged fiercely toward the two men.

"Kill him!" Zorn commanded coldly.

Isaac froze, his reaction slowed by a fraction of a second.

However, Zorn had no intention of leaving a sliver of hope for survival to the hidden assailant.

[Evil Spirit Authority]

Transforming into an invisible needle of spiritual force, it pierced violently downward.

"Aroo~~"

A bizarre and miserable shriek escaped the intruder's lips.

At the same time, strange black fur rapidly erupted across their body, flesh-winged appendages sprouted from their back, and while their pupils flushed blood-red, their speed surged dramatically.

They lunged toward the two men once more with even greater velocity.

"It's those animals from the evil god organization [Primal Beast]."

Zorn let out a cold laugh, his fists clenched as he charged forward to clash with the creature capable of bat-beast transformation.

Although the enemy was exceptionally fast, Zorn’s speed was no slouch either.

Furthermore, Zorn’s offensive techniques were clearly far more seasoned than the opponent's.

After exchanging blows for just a few moments, this "beast-transformed bat-man" was beaten into a continuous retreat.

Isaac, though lacking experience, managed to steady his initial panic and displayed the composure expected of a true hunter.

Quickly clearing his mind, he immediately unleashed his most formidable technique.

[Hunter's Heart Strike]

As the illusory and hazy special attack landed, the beast-transformed bat-man, currently locked in combat with Zorn, suffered a drastic change in expression.

His movements instantly grew sluggish and stiff.

Seizing the opening, Zorn slammed two heavy punches right into the creature's skull.

"Skull-Cracker."

His hands clamped down like a pair of vises onto the enemy's head, and the Star-Trace Aura erupted violently.

"No..."

The Level 3 beast-transformed bat-man let out a wretched wail, his face twisted in utter terror.

He wanted to regret his actions, but it was already too late.

"Rip—tear—!"

The bat-transformed head was forcefully ripped right off by Zorn.

Accompanied by a gushing fountain of blood, the headless body twitched for a few seconds before crashing heavily to the ground with a dull thud.

Zorn used the fur on the creature's severed head to wipe away the bloodstains, then tossed the skull aside with a flick of his wrist.

"Just a little bat who only recently broke through to Level 3, and you dare go toe-to-toe with a Brawler? Who gave you the courage?"

With offense, defense, and speed skills all at his disposal, and his aura taking on a preliminary solid form, a Brawler at Levels 3, 4, and 5 reached the peak of their early dominance.

Though he lacked a dedicated defensive skill, the innate talent of the [Star-Trace Brawler] could effectively function as a potent passive defense.

Enemies that spellcasters dared not face in close-quarters combat could be effortlessly neutralized by a Brawler.

Watching Zorn effortlessly dispatch a Level 3 sequencer with a casual wave of his hand, Isaac felt a slight tremor in his heart.

Previously, when Mr. Zorn confronted the terrifying Rat King, the sheer disparity in their power had left Isaac unable to truly comprehend just how formidable and terrifying Mr. Zorn was.

But facing this Level 3 "beast-transformed bat-man" just now, he had felt the threat firsthand.

Such a terrifying creature was someone he and his teacher might not have been able to defeat even if they fought together.

When that monster had charged, Isaac had genuinely felt the crushing weight of danger and pressure.

Yet, in a brilliant display of close combat lasting mere moments, Mr. Zorn had twisted the creature's head off and discarded it like trash.

An enemy that Isaac viewed as perilous and intimidating was utterly worthless before Zorn, crushed to death as easily as swatting a fly.

This... was the gap between them!

Having eliminated the hidden enemy, Zorn turned his gaze to Isaac and spoke in a low, resonant tone.

"Isaac, as a hunter, never let your prey blind your eyes. You must keep a portion of your awareness focused on your rear, on your surroundings."

"I know you're anxious, but the more anxious you are, the more you must remain calm and rational."

"In a hunt, the moment you lose a hunter's keen sense of smell, what difference is there between that and marching to your death?"

"If you act like that, not only will you fail to save your teacher, but you'll also throw your own life away."

Isaac’s flushed face gradually gave way to shame as he stood rigidly in place, looking like a student who had just been caught making a mistake.

After a long moment, realization finally dawned on him as he looked up at Zorn.

"Mr. Zorn, your teachings... I have engraved them in my heart. I will not make such a mistake again."

"Good!" Zorn nodded slightly.

It was normal for a young man to make mistakes; it was an inevitable stepping stone on the path of growth.

And that was precisely the purpose of Zorn bringing him along on this hunt!

Turning around, Zorn looked back toward the dark passageway behind them.

"Anyone with a death wish, come ahead. Let's see if I can twist all your skulls off too!"

Zorn’s voice pierced the darkness, causing the luminescence of the blue-silver moss to tremble slightly.

Deep within the silent gloom, no one dared to answer!

Withdrawing his gaze, Zorn approached the towering wall and the fallen Rat King Butch.

Having dragged his exhausted body to this place, Butch lay quietly, awaiting the arrival of death.

Warm blood seeped out continuously, pooling into a crimson stream.

A faint silver radiance could be seen faintly flickering within the fluid.

At this moment, the blood-red hue had faded from the pupils of Butch—who was still attached to the Rat King's back—restoring their original brown color.

The final surge of clarity before death allowed him to reclaim his long-lost sanity.

He looked up at Zorn and rasped in a hoarse voice.

"I think... I think I've finally remembered who you are."

"We... we've crossed paths before, haven't we?"

While opening a black monster-hide suitcase by his side, Zorn nodded faintly and began pulling out various items.

A small smelting crucible, fire-starting black flints, several glass apparatuses, and an iron pot.

The Rat King’s body was a treasure trove from head to toe; none of it could be allowed to go to waste.

"Yes, we've met before."

Raising his head, Butch looked toward the circular black sealing door.

"Hehehe... I inherited that powerful sequence."

"The power contained within it both terrified and intoxicated me."

"I thought I could master that terrifying might."

"However, that sequence was far more horrifying than I imagined. I couldn't control myself; I committed so many, many wrongdoings. I... really deserve to die!"

"Looking back now... it truly was a nightmare."

"And now... I am finally liberated!"

As he spoke, Butch struggled desperately to pull his body away from the Rat King's back.

"Rip... tear..."

The agony of torn flesh and muscle sent spasms racking his entire body.

Yet, he no longer cared.

Rolling off the Rat King's back, Butch cast his gaze toward Isaac, the rat catcher standing not far away.

"Young rat catcher, grant me a swift end!"

However, Isaac merely stared at him with vigilant eyes, refusing to step closer.

"Butch..."

"Even now, are you still hoping to launch a dying counterattack?" Zorn’s voice drifted over slowly.

"The waters of that terrifying flesh and bone are far too deep for someone of your caliber to grasp."

Butch’s body trembled slightly. His final scheme had been effortlessly seen through by the very man who had personally driven him to his end.

He let out a long, shuddering breath and fell backward onto the ground.

"Faced with a terrifying monster like you, my death is not unjust in the slightest!"

With those words, he breathed his last, falling completely silent.

Zorn stepped forward, his pupils narrowing slightly.

"The first fragment of Agunus's flesh and bone... finally arrived!"

[Life Drain] initiated.

Gurgle, gurgle, gurgle...

The flesh and bone fragments originating from Agunus were rapidly absorbed by Zorn.

As he swiftly digested the remnant material, the sequence intensity of the [Evil Spirit Wizard] surged upward at a breathtaking pace.

Without a doubt, the areas that improved the most dramatically were [Defense] and [Vitality Toughness].

Among the Evil Spirit sequences, slaughtering and absorbing the flesh and bone fragments of others of their kind was the primary method to elevate one's sequence strength.

If Evil Spirit Knight Butch had managed to absorb a sufficient quantity of Agunus's flesh and bone fragments, he might even have grown powerful enough to rival the sequence strength of a "World-Class" grand boss like Zorn.

Precisely for this reason, every evil spirit born from the flesh of Agunus desperately craved to devour other evil spirits, utilizing their flesh as nutrients to grow and strengthen themselves.

Even a top-tier sequence holder as formidable as Zorn was no exception to this rule.

If Zorn failed to keep pushing forward, he would eventually be hunted and collected by other seekers!

Fortunately, Zorn now possessed a distinct advantage.

Already a world-class grand boss in his own right, after absorbing even more of Agunus's flesh and bone remnants, he would be able to awaken [Divinity], rule over the Source Grounds, and perhaps—even become the evil god who enslaved the entire world!