Chapter 19: Malefic Bloodline
Boom—
Arc was hurled across the cavern like a loose kite, crashing heavily onto the earth and bouncing off like a pebble tossed across the surface of water. However, his hand quickly shot out, pushing against the floor as he jumped to his feet, skidding a few meters back to regain his balance.
He tightened his grip around the hilt of Cerberus’ Cursed Fang, only to grasp empty air and realize he’d lost it at some point.
With the absence of the Legendary-tier weapon came a sudden wave of weakness and dizziness from the loss of the bonus attributes it gave him.
He wasn’t discouraged.
As part of [Creator’s Rights], Arc could recall and control his weapons within a given range, just as he’d done with Gaea’s Judgment back at the Silver Wolves’ den.
But just as he sent out a mental signal to locate the weapon and pick it up, the cloud of dust on the opposite side of the cavern was blown apart as a figure shot forward like a cannonball.
He could barely react before a large fist was already in his field of view. He instinctively raised his arms to block the blow, but when the fist collided with his arms, it shook his bones down to their marrow, knocking him back with a force that cracked a stone pillar as his body collided with it.
Before he could even recover, the Destroyer was already before him with a raised fist.
’So fast...’
Bam—
The blow landed on his exposed chest, sending him through the stone pillar, which shattered from the force, and burying him in a crater on the wall behind it.
Arc spat out a mouthful of blood as he felt his internal organs compress and his bones shatter on impact.
The Destroyer blurred from its position and appeared before him once more. Not giving him a chance to catch his breath, it began sending a flurry of punches his way, striking across his body in quick succession as its eyes burned with fury.
"HOW DARE A MERE ANT LIKE YOU CHALLENGE MY AUTHORITY!"
The Destroyer bellowed as his relentless punches cratered the spots they landed on Arc’s body, deforming him with every attack and drawing blood that painted Arc in a sickening crimson.
"I AM THE DESTROYER. THE INSTIGATOR OF PRIDE. THE STRONGEST OF THE SEVEN DEADLY SINS. THE 7TH AUTHORITY DEVIL!"
He grabbed Arc, his large palm easily wrapping around the boy’s head, and hurled him across the cavern like a broken ragdoll, burying him in a cloud of dust.
[Critical Health detected]
[Malefic Bloodline triggered...]
[All your attributes have been increased by 25%]
[Critical Health detected]
[All your attributes have been increased by 50%]
[Critical Health detected]
[All your attributes have been increased by 100%]
[Critical Health detected]
[All your attributes have been increased by 200%]
...
The Destroyer, oblivious to the changes occurring within Arc’s body, slowly glided forward with his broad shoulders held high in satisfaction.
While under the dust, shattered bones knitted together. Torn muscles reattached. Dark veins spread beneath Arc’s skin.
"I’LL GIVE IT TO YOU; YOU HAVE POTENTIAL. YOU ARE, WITHOUT A DOUBT, THE MOST INTERESTING OPPONENT I HAVE FACED. BUT THAT DOESN’T MAKE YOU ANY DIFFERENT FROM THE OTHER PEASANTS I’VE STOMPED ON," the Destroyer said as it arrived before Arc. "ANY LAST WORDS?"
"D-Damnit. I—I can’t move my body—" Arc croaked from the ground, visibly struggling to lift himself up.
The Destroyer smirked as its hand reached down to grab his hair. "NOW, DO AS I SAY." It pulled his head up, only to be stunned by a completely different look and expression.
"Just kidding~"
Just as the words left Arc’s lips with a mischievous grin, his hands shot out with lightning speed. He grabbed the Destroyer’s wrist while his other hand moved below its elbow. Before the Destroyer could react, Arc applied pressure and pushed forward, bending it at an unnatural angle and instantly dislocating the arm with a sickening creak.
The Destroyer immediately leapt back to create distance, grabbing his broken arm with confusion written all over his face.
"BUT... HOW?! YOU’RE..."
"Gosh... look at the mess you’ve made," Arc said as he looked down at his battered clothes, which were covered in dried blood. Then he grinned as he looked back up at the Destroyer’s pathetic arm. "I gotcha!"
"Wait... no wonder you’re not dead," Arc said, casually poking the tip of the Uncommon-tier Wolf-Slayer’s Dagger in his hand. "I thought this was my Cerberus’ Cursed Fang," he said with a sheepish smile.
His eyes were pitch black now, with dark veins running through the skin below them. His voice and personality seemed to have done a 180-degree flip, as if he were possessed by a carefree demon.
Seeing the blade, the Destroyer’s hand instinctively went down to the side of his chest, where there was a small gash. Apparently, Arc had also stabbed him right after dislocating his arm, before the demon could get away. But because the blade was only of Uncommon tier, it wasn’t sufficient to cut through his hide.
The Destroyer’s eyes widened in surprise, and a tinge of fear flashed across them. However, those emotions were quickly replaced by rage as his eyes turned bloodshot.
"YOU TRICKED ME!" it roared as it snapped its arm back into place. "NOW, I’M GOING TO DESTROY YOU!"
"Sorry. It’s my turn now."
The earth cracked beneath their feet as they shot forward like cannonballs.
Boom—
Their fists collided, sending ripples of shockwaves across the cavern once more. But this time around, both parties remained standing.
The Destroyer gritted its teeth as it forced its fist forward, but Arc’s fist was like a mountain that wouldn’t budge—a mocking smile playing on his lips.
The Destroyer roared as he threw out his other fist, but Arc was faster and met it head-on. Their fists wedged against each other, but Arc suddenly ducked and drove his fist into the Destroyer’s abdomen, caving it in as he sent the demon flying like a broken kite into the air.
