Chapter 46

The swift dragon ridden by the man in black was a type of lesser dragon. Though it was worlds apart from a true dragon, it was already an exceptionally fine mount. The hunters rode nothing more than ordinary horses, and compared to it, they were utterly unremarkable.

Though lesser dragons were fundamentally just beasts, they had been transformed by true dragons using their own blood as a catalyst. Their bloodlines had been stabilized through years of work and repeated experimentation, bringing them close to the pinnacle of beasts. Given enough food and time, almost any one of them could even grow into a magical beast.

Swift dragons had been specially bred for riding. They were somewhat larger than ordinary warhorses, with oval bodies that bore a faint resemblance to birds. Their powerful legs could carry them at a gallop, and their sharp claws were capable of tearing apart tigers and leopards. Their long, bone-armored tails and mouths lined with sharp teeth were enough to make anyone wary. The saddle-like armor that had grown over their backs helped minimize the jolting a rider endured. Even after riding for several hours straight, a person's bones wouldn't ache from the bumps, and there was no need to worry about the so-called "sore balls" hazard.

The swift dragon the man in black rode was somewhat larger than usual, with a short horn jutting from its forehead. Faint sparks of electricity seemed to flicker around the horn as it ran. Clearly, magical circuits had already formed inside it, and it wouldn't be long before it became a true magical beast.

Anyone capable of taming such a ferocious creature as a mount was bound to be extraordinary. The man also acted with great prudence. He didn't chase his enemies too closely, merely following them from a distance and keeping them on the run, never letting them rest. Meanwhile, he sat comfortably on the swift dragon's saddle-like back armor, occasionally stopping to eat and drink. The man and his mount were as relaxed as if they were out on a leisurely hike.

"How interesting! The 'hunters' have become the hunted. This is quite a spectacle!"

Sui Xiong immediately became intrigued. He leisurely followed behind the group, curious to see how things would unfold.

The pursuit continued for several days, and the two sides gradually ventured deeper into the Great Gobi. The fugitives had probably lost their way in their panic, while their pursuer was fearless thanks to his skill. As the surroundings shifted from gray-black to gray-yellow, they entered an extremely dangerous region. Perhaps the fugitives had run out of strength, or perhaps they had summoned up their last reserves of courage in the face of certain doom. Led by their leader, they roared and wheeled their horses around, charging back to make one final, desperate stand against their pursuer.

The battle was over in no time. The man in black was superb at riding, spearmanship, and swordsmanship. He wielded a long spear in one hand and a long sword in the other, while the One-Horned Swift Dragon beneath him joined in the slaughter. The hunters who preyed on people were utterly helpless against him. Their desperate counterattack was like tiny waves crashing against a solid dam; it broke apart in an instant, leaving only blood across the ground.

After mercilessly cutting down every last enemy, the man in black dismounted and began searching the fugitives' bodies.

After some time, he finally found what he was looking for. It was a golden crystal, about half the length of a palm and shaped like a Crystal Pillar. Inside its transparent body, a mass of golden gas flowed and churned, constantly changing into countless images. The glow of that gas was what turned the otherwise colorless, transparent pillar gold.

The instant he saw the Crystal Pillar, the normally quiet and composed man in black broke into a joyful smile and burst out laughing. He clutched it tightly, looking at it again and again, laughing over and over. He even kissed it passionately several times, heedless of the blood smeared across it, overcome with excitement.

Sui Xiong couldn't help being startled, either. As the golden gas inside the Crystal Pillar churned, it continuously transformed into all things under heaven. It was clearly a wisp of divine power!

Divine power was a wondrous force. Aside from wrapping it in more divine power, the only way to contain it was with a vast amount of magical power. To create it, one needed to understand the "source of power" and refine it from magical power, or convert a great quantity of Faith Power. Even Sui Xiong himself had only mastered the means to create and use divine power—and truly acquired power comparable to that of a god—after devouring and analyzing the God of Conspiracy's divine emissary, the Four-Faced Monster.

Where had this Crystal Pillar come from, that it could contain divine power? And what was the origin of that wisp of golden divine power?

Driven by intense curiosity, Sui Xiong controlled his jellyfish avatar as it suddenly plunged from the sky, hurtling toward the man in black at astonishing speed. It was a classic case of the mantis stalking the cicada, unaware of the oriole behind.

Though the man in black was caught up in his excitement, his reactions were still quick. Hearing the rush of wind from above, he didn't hesitate for even a moment. He placed the Crystal Pillar on a corpse, then rolled sideways out of the way and drew his sword, thrusting it toward Sui Xiong.

Using the Crystal Pillar to distract his enemy while counterattacking with his sword was a remarkably accurate decision. And to land a strike without even looking at his target showed swordsmanship and combat experience worthy of admiration!

However, the gap between their strength was already so vast that no amount of skill or experience could bridge it. When he thrust his sword, it felt as if he had stabbed into some incredibly tough hide. His sharp, enchanted blade couldn't pierce his opponent's body at all; instead, it slid off to the side.

As the sword tip slipped away, his heart sank.

Whether his enemy was skilled or powerfully equipped, stopping his sword from landing a blow was proof of strength.

At the very least, if their positions had been reversed, he wouldn't have been confident he could take that strike head-on.

But the man in black was a resilient sort. He showed not the slightest sign of discouragement or dejection. Instead, he rose to his feet, holding his sword in a guarded stance and ready to face the fight ahead.

What he saw, however, was a strange jellyfish-like magical beast lifting the golden Crystal Pillar with one of its tentacles.

"W-What kind of monster is this?" he muttered.

Then he heard the monster speak.

"My name is Oscar, though you can call me the Void Mask. This thing is fascinating. Even at this close range, I can't sense the divine power stored inside it. What a marvel!"

The man in black's heart sank. He was a man of broad experience, and from Sui Xiong's tone alone, he could tell that his opponent had at least dealt with divine power regularly. He might even have chatted amiably with a god or two to be so casual about it.

A being of that level was practically something that had to be described as an "existence." He was merely an adventurer who hadn't even reached the threshold of legend. He would be utterly helpless against such an opponent.

The divine power had fallen into its hands. He no longer had a chance.

He had spent untold time and effort pursuing that wisp of divine power. He alone had spent more than half a year in disguise and laying his ambush. To deal with the Cruel Hunter's (another name for the God of Hunting and Slaughter) church, he had spent his entire fortune and lured in a large group of ruthless men who would do anything for money. He had used up nearly every favor he'd accumulated over the years and made a host of enemies in the process. Finally, he had gone into the dangerous Great Gobi himself, hunting down the Cruel Hunter's most devoted followers for a thousand miles. He had practically gone out of his way to offend that cruel god.

According to his plan, he would flee as soon as the job was done, preferably to the southeastern part of the continent. He had even considered moving to another plane to live. But he had believed it was all worth it.

As long as his plan succeeded—or even if all he gained was a chance to try—it would be worth it!

Yet now, all his efforts had come to nothing!

If he hadn't been so strong-willed and had such excellent self-control, he might have charged forward in a blind rage, trying to fight the strange giant jellyfish to the death and reclaim the divine power. Of course, that would only have gotten him killed.

He didn't want to die, so he had no choice but to endure it.

Sui Xiong studied the Crystal Pillar carefully, but no matter how he looked at it, he couldn't figure out how to extract the divine power inside. Nor could he determine the origin of that wisp. In the end, he had no choice but to ask the only surviving person who knew.

"It contains the Goddess of Life's divine power," the man in black replied.

"The Goddess of Life? She fell long ago..." Sui Xiong remarked offhandedly, then suddenly froze as he realized what this man was trying to do.

He was actually trying to use that wisp of divine power to understand and grasp the source of "life," hoping to obtain the divine domain of "life" and become a god!

"Ha! You don't have much ability, but you sure have big ambitions!" Sui Xiong couldn't help exclaiming in amazement. "With skills like yours, you dare to set your sights on the divine domain of life? Have you never considered that when you ascend to godhood, all the gods with divine domains related to death will gang up on you?"

"Perhaps. But I could join a pantheon and become a Lesser God," the man in black replied.

"Why would they protect you? Wouldn't it be easier to kill you and take your divine domain?" Sui Xiong asked. "Almost every pantheon has a divine domain connected to 'life.' The moment one of them acquired the divine domain of life, it could create a powerful god. Why would they need an outsider like you?"

The man in black fell silent for a while, then said quietly, "I have to try."

He had to try. That was his ambition, his determination.

Sui Xiong sighed. "Let's leave that aside and talk about something else. I've already examined the Crystal Pillar. It's exceptionally sturdy, and even I can't be sure I could break it without damaging the wisp of divine power inside. Do you have a way?"

"No, but I want to try."

"So everything is just a matter of 'trying'?"

"That's right. Nothing more."

"You're willing to risk offending the God of Hunting and Slaughter just for a chance to try?"

"Why wouldn't I?" A flame-like light flickered in the man's eyes. "I'm a bandit. I don't know when I'll die by the side of the road, or when my soul will descend into hell to be punished... By comparison, what's so frightening about the Cruel Hunter? Could anything be worse than hell?"

This time, it was Sui Xiong who fell silent. After a long while, he sighed. "I've met plenty of adventurers, but you're the first as determined as this."

"The world is vast. There are bound to be some strange people and things," the man in black said calmly. "So, what do you plan to do now? Kill me to keep me quiet?"

"Killing you to keep you quiet isn't my style. I'm more curious about you, actually." Sui Xiong smiled. "You're probably going to have to flee now, anyway. Why not come south with me? If I figure out the Crystal Pillar's secret along the way, you'll get a share of the benefits. Even if I still can't do anything with it by the time we reach our destination, I can at least make sure you escape safely."

The man in black sighed and bowed deeply. "That's a fair deal. I have no objections."

"Then you should tell me your name."

"Lei. That's my name. I have another nickname, too: Exterminator."