His upbringing had forged him into a formidable warrior, but it had also left him with a cynical view of existence.
The clash of ideologies and power could only lead to one outcome– a battle of epic proportions. Ryder didn't want that to happen, but he didn't want to get involved either, since that was only going to make things worse.
That's why, he stayed away from everything related to the Realm of Gods, only focusing on his own World and his children, giving them the best teaching he could. Even when Janus came and asked for his help, asking Nyx to put forth a claim to the throne, Ryder refused.
He knew his own son and didn't want him to put his life on the line against his own brother. If Caen was an arrogant god who started from the top and considered everyone beneath him, then Nyx was the person who respected even the weakest, and started from the bottom.
Even though Ryder owned the wealthiest company on earth, Nyx grew up without any special privilege. Nyx continued his studies thanks to scholarships. Moreover, when he grew up, he didn't join his father's company.
Instead, he joined a much weaker company, as an ordinary manager while keeping his real identity as the heir of the wealthiest company a secret.
Even now, Caen was working in that different company and was promoted thanks to his hard work and not because of his father's name and influence.
Caen looked at Ryder. He didn't know why, but he wasn't able to see the face of Ryder. All he could see was a blurry image before him for some reason. In that blurry image, only the eyes of the person were visible. And those eyes... They appeared to be filled with pity.
Seeing those eyes, Caen couldn't help but feel that the other person was looking down at him. The gaze filled with pity appeared to be mocking to him.
"Are you looking at death?!" Caen asked as a trace of killing intent appeared in his eyes.
"Death?" Ryder asked, letting out a sigh that seemed to rhyme with the worldly laws. "No. I'm looking at a child who is lost under the weight of his father's glory...'
"You..." Hearing the man talk about his father, Caen felt his lips twitch. "Then this lost child will send you to hell!"
Without uttering another word, Caen lunged forward, his aura pulsating with divine might. He unleashed a barrage of energy attacks towards Ryder, each strike carrying the weight of his godly heritage. However, Ryder seemed completely effortless as he evaded the attacks with nimble footwork.
Ryder's movements were like a dance, flowing effortlessly through Caen's onslaught of divine power. His eyes remained locked onto Caen's, calm and unwavering, as if he knew every move before it happened. With each dodge, Ryder appeared like a ghost, elusive and untouchable.
Caen's frustration grew as his attacks failed to connect, but he didn't relent. He increased the intensity of his strikes, unleashing his full divine power, causing the ground to shake and cracks to form beneath his feet. But Ryder continued to evade with grace and poise.
Caen didn't use the abyss to his advantage, only fighting using his Divinity since he didn't believe that he shouldn't defeat the person with just his Divinity.
"You're not bad," Ryder said calmly amidst the chaos, "but you're blinded by your own arrogance. Your father's power may have shaped you, but you are not Chaos."
"You had a choice to be something different, to break free from the chains that bind you to this destructive path. Unfortunately, you never selected that choice."
"I heard your control over the Abyss is quite close to Chaos'. Why don't you use that as well?" he asked.
Caen's mind was torn. On one hand, he was angry at Ryder's words, feeling like the man was belittling him. On the other hand, there was a part of him that felt insulted.
The man was indirectly saying that Caen was nothing more than his father's shadow and he couldn't win without using the inheritance of Abyss that he received from his father.
The more Ryder asked for Caen to use the Abyss, the more Caen refused to use it. It was an inherent part of his nature to not do what others asked. That's also why he never got along with Janus.
As the battle continued, Caen started to notice something peculiar. Ryder wasn't attacking back. He was only defending himself, effortlessly dodging Caen's attacks without any intent to harm. It was as if he was trying to convey a message through his actions.
"Why don't you fight back?" Caen growled, momentarily halting his assault. "Are you looking down on me?"
Ryder paused, meeting Caen's gaze. "I don't want to hurt you. I am here for a different reason."
Caen's anger flared again, feeling like Ryder was mocking him with his lack of aggression. "Enough of your games! If you won't fight, then consider yourself defeated!"
With renewed fury, Caen launched an even more intense barrage of attacks, pouring all his energy into each strike. But no matter how fierce his assault, Ryder remained calm and elusive, a steady presence in the storm.
Even Caen was stunned at how effortlessly Ryder was being. It was as if the difference in skills between the two was just too big, which didn't make sense.
He had the training in the realm of Gods as the heir to the throne. How could a person living on earth be more skilled than him? And why did he know his father? Caen couldn't help but wonder if there really was no way to win other than by using the Abyss.
Then, in a sudden shift of tactics, Ryder did something unexpected. Instead of dodging, he stepped forward into one of Caen's strikes, allowing it to connect.
Surprised, Caen watched as Ryder's form shimmered for a moment, and the attack passed right through him, as if he was an illusion.
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