CHAPTER 286: BLOCKED THE HALL? BAD IDEA

Zain walked through the dark hallway.

The deeper he went, the hotter the air felt.

He could hear distant footsteps and voices ahead.

Then, from around the corner, a group of soldiers appeared.

They wore the robes of the Flame God Cult.

There were at least ten of them, armed with blades and flame-forged weapons.

Some had fire swirling around their hands.

Their masks covered their faces, but their body language showed no fear.

"There he is!" one shouted.

"Don’t let him go any further!"

Another stepped forward and pointed his sword at Zain.

"You’re not walking past this line alive, intruder."

Zain stopped walking.

He smirked.

"Good," he said. "I was getting bored."

One of the cultists narrowed his eyes. "Kill him!"

They all moved at once.

Zain didn’t draw his sword.

He cracked his knuckles instead.

Then he charged forward.

"[Heavenly Demon Breathing]."

Zain inhaled deeply.

The heat, the flames, the ether in the air.

All of it rushed into his body.

His skin glowed faint red, and his muscles tightened.

"With this much energy around," he said, "my strength is basically limitless."

He met the first cultist with a punch.

"[Heavenly Demon Fist]!"

The blow hit the soldier’s chest and sent him flying backward into the wall.

Another cultist jumped and used [Flame Cutter Slash], a sharp swing of his sword that left a burning trail behind it.

Zain tilted his head and dodged, stepping in and slamming his elbow into the man’s neck.

Behind him, one shouted, "[Fire Pillar Burst]!"

A tower of fire shot up from the floor under Zain.

Zain jumped back just in time, though his coat caught fire.

He rolled, patted out the flames, and grinned.

"Nice."

Two more soldiers came from the sides.

"[Twin Ember Blades]!" one shouted, spinning with two daggers blazing.

Zain ducked under the spin and grabbed the man’s leg mid-move.

"[Heavenly Demon Fist]."

The soldier dropped instantly.

Another tried to cast something.

"[Burning Bind]!"

Flaming ropes shot from his hand and wrapped around Zain’s arms.

"Got him!" the caster said.

But Zain smiled.

"Cute."

He flexed.

The ropes cracked and shattered.

He rushed at the caster and slammed him with a shoulder strike.

The caster flew into another soldier behind him, knocking them both down.

"Five left!" one of the cultists shouted.

"Surround him!"

They moved in a circle.

Another soldier raised his hand.

"[Inferno Chain Whip]!"

A burning chain shot out at Zain.

Zain caught it with one hand.

He pulled hard.

The soldier lost his grip and stumbled forward.

Zain kneed him in the stomach.

"[Heavenly Demon Fist]."

One more down.

A flame archer in the back fired.

"[Blazing Shot]!"

An arrow of fire flew fast.

Zain dodged left, letting it slam into the wall behind him.

The last few tried to fall back.

But Zain dashed in.

His fists moved fast, like shadows.

Each blow clean, each strike focused.

One. Two. Three.

free\NovelBin.c o(m)

All down.

Zain stood in the middle of fallen soldiers, breathing steadily.

He rolled his shoulder and looked ahead.

"That all?"

But then, a sudden sharp force hit his back.

Zain twisted his body just in time.

A long spear grazed past his neck, missing a fatal hit by inches.

He spun and landed lightly, sliding across the floor.

The spear embedded itself in the wall behind him, molten sparks flying off the stone.

Zain narrowed his eyes.

"Another one..."

He looked up.

A tall man stepped out from the smoke.

His build was massive. Each step shook the ground.

His armor glowed red with heat, and his hand reached out.

The spear snapped free from the wall and flew back into his palm.

"I am Karvax," the man said calmly.

"Vice Master of the Flame God Cult."

Karvax took a stance, flame rising around his body. "I ask you... who are you?"

Zain smirked and wiped a bit of ash from his cheek.

"I’m the Heavenly Demon."

He stepped forward, eyes locked on Karvax.

"And I’m going to rule this Supreme Island."

Karvax frowned. "Big talk for one man."

Zain cracked his knuckles. "Let’s see if I can prove it."

Karvax planted his spear into the ground.

"[Lava Anchor]

."

Molten cracks burst from the floor around Zain.

Chains made of burning stone lashed up and wrapped around his legs.

Zain jumped to the side, avoiding the first one, but a second chain caught his ankle.

He grunted, pulled hard, and broke free before the chain tightened fully.

Karvax didn’t wait.

"[Volcanic Charge]."

He rushed forward like a living wall of fire.

His body lit up, and the ground cracked under his boots.

A glowing trail of lava formed behind him.

Zain moved fast.

He leapt over Karvax’s path just before impact, landing behind him and skidding on his feet.

But the lava trail behind Karvax started pulsing.

"Three seconds..." Zain muttered.

The ground exploded behind him.

He barely rolled out of the blast.

Karvax turned fast.

His spear was already spinning in his hand.

"[Blazing Apex Strike]."

He hurled it once more.

The spear split mid-air into burning fragments.

Zain ducked and flipped backward, dodging the main spear, but one shard sliced his shoulder.

The cut burned instantly.

He landed and growled. "Tch... that hurt."

Karvax stood tall, spear returning to his hand.

Around him, his [Flame Bastion Aura] pulsed. The air grew hotter.

Zain could feel it, and his breathing slightly slowed.

His energy wasn’t moving as fast.

He narrowed his eyes.

"So," he said, watching Karvax step forward.

"Your trait boosts your strength and burns the stamina of anyone near you."

The heat shimmered strongly around Karvax’s body.

Flames rippled from his shoulders.

His presence alone made the hallway feel like a furnace.

Zain’s smirk returned.

"That means every move you make gets sharper... and every second I stay close, I get weaker."

He cracked his knuckles.

"Good," he said. "That makes things interesting."

His stance shifted, grounding his feet.

"This won’t be easy but it’ll be quite fun for me."