The Transcendent Godslayer

There was a reason Kallen had walked so blatantly into this forest, announcing his presence to the flora, the fauna, and even the overlords of this rift.

Despite knowing he could very well die, there was a thin, razor-edge line between life and death he intended walk, where he could reap the greatest benefits. It wasn't like he had any other choice... Or at least that was what he told himself.

To do that, he needed to draw as much attention as possible. Not only from the inhabitants of this realm... though that was part of it, but more importantly, from those he knew Zephyrus would inevitably send after him.

It wasn't surprising how Kallen always seemed able to read Zephyrus' mind. Though the orc was frighteningly intelligent, he adhered to a rigid logic Kallen exploited to the fullest.

More accurately, Kallen forced him into situations where he could only go right or left... by putting himself in situations, where Zephyrus would be forced to act.

The best kind of schemes was the one where even knowing it was a trap, you had no choice but to step in, or else lose everything by backing away.

The sunk-cost fallacy.

Zephyrus couldn't possibly backtrack now, partially because of his greed, and due to the fact that everything he needed now, was on himself. Part of the reason why he killed Menelaus, although there was his personal vendetta with the orc, was to keep Zephyrus in the dark.

Zephyrus knew there was a secret between Kallen and Menelaus, how the latter had drawn those runes on Kallen, and what they did.

While Kallen had taken the grimoire because he wanted to study it and understand his situation better, it was also so Zephyrus didn't get his hand on it.

He didn't know where Menelaus got his hand on the old book, but he believed that the fewer people knew about his unique situation, the better for him.

So from the very beginning, Zephyrus had no choice but to chase after Kallen with his everything, in order to get his hands on what could have given the Unawakened the power to kill two Second Ascension ascendants.

Of course, Kallen still did not know that Zephyrus could read the memories of even the dead, and all his plans would have been for naught had the orc rushed to the forge earlier than he had.

If he knew though, he would only be shaking his head in disappointment, at what the orc's greed as well as his nature, had cost him so much.

The burning in his lungs, the pounding migraine splitting his head, and the blood flowing from shallow cuts across his body seemed lost on him.

Even with his body screaming in pain, he kept moving, doing everything he could to stay alive until what he was waiting for finally came.

In truth, when Kallen had first seen the kobolds, he had been ready to abandon his plans and make a run for it. Especially after spotting the archers among them.

Unlike the melee fighters charging him, the archers carried a cadence and maturity in their movements that spoke of years of experience. They were certainly older than their close-combat counterparts.

In fact, though he couldn't be absolutely sure as to why... Kallen was certain that if they had been taking him seriously, he would already be dead instead of fighting now with shallow cuts, and his body screaming in pain.

Not only were they more experienced, but each sat comfortably in the mid tiers of the Second Ascension, far above the early Second Ascension kobolds rushing him with swords and shields.

And yet, despite how threatening their volleys had been, none of the archers had actually used a skill. He knew because every arrow he dodged was just that—an arrow. No dynamis as indication of a skill used.

He barely dodged the sudden dash of a young kobold, twisting into a spin and snapping his chain with a sharp crack.

The weapon snaked through the air and tore into the kobold's back, forcing its way past the field of dynamis, fur, and flesh.

The blow was dulled by the kobold's natural defenses, but Kallen didn't have the time to care, as the others were already on him.

Weaving through their strikes with precision despite his exhaustion, he finally felt the shift he'd been waiting for.

'Finally.' he thought.

Danger signals suddenly blared in Kallen's mind. His hairs stood on end, and his pupils constricted into pinpricks.

With expert fluidity, he slipped behind one of the young kobolds attacking him.

With a sickening crack, the kobold's head shattered, blood and brain matter splattering across Kallen, drenching him in gore.

Not slowing for even an instant, he ducked behind the second kobold, forcing the creature in front of him. A split second later, its shoulder exploded into pulp, struck by its own ally's attack.

The enraged snarls and furious barks of the elder kobolds rang out as they watched in horror, forced to watch their kinsmen fall by their own hands. But to Kallen, their cries were nothing more than background noise, serving only to pinpoint their locations with even sharper precision.

He wasn't surprised by their sudden spike of aggression. If he could feel the distinct auras of the Aresians rushing toward him, how much more could these seasoned kobolds?

The pattern was easy to read. First, a powerful foreigner being himself, had appeared in their world, raising a ruckus. In response, they had come with their talented juniors, and sent them to handle him.

When he proved too strong, the elders had assisted from afar, weakening him by causing him injuries. But then they felt the surge of more foreign and stronger auras, racing toward them.

It didn't take a genius to realize those newcomers were here for the boy. And judging by the urgency in their approach, the young foreigner had to be someone very important.

The elder kobolds roared in fury, unleashing a rain of arrows with no hesitation. There was no longer any reason to hold back. Especially after Kallen had just forced them to kill their own.

Just when it seemed Kallen was finished, a massive green figure materialized before him, muscles pulsing, and dynamis raging off his frame in violent waves.

The ground beneath them erupted, rising into a colossal pillar of earth that encased them both.

Cracks webbed across its surface only to vanish as quickly as they appeared, reinforcing its hold as the storm of arrows hammered against it with shuddering might.