Chapter 89: Arrogance And Ashes Part Three

    What Abaddon saw next was a sight that would stay with him for the rest of his life.

    Abaddon had seen many things in his long existence. He had witnessed the rise and fall of empires, the corruption of entire nations, and the depths to which the souls of mortals could sink.

    But what he saw now, in the face of the man standing before him, was something unlike anything he had ever encountered.

    He had only ever seen such a twisted, malevolent expression on the faces of creatures of darkness, on the beings who reveled in destruction, who fed on the misery of others.

    His enemies, his kin—the fallen, the damned, the wretched things that crawled out of the abyss—these were the ones who wore such expressions.

    And even then, it was rare to see one so pure, so unfiltered in its malevolence.

    But now, this mortal, this human... Arkanos... was wearing that same expression.

    Abaddon couldn''t help but wonder what exactly was going on in Arkanos''s mind.

    Was he enjoying this?

    Was this some twisted form of entertainment for him?

    Did the suffering of others—his suffering—bring him such joy?

    The thought unsettled him, gnawing at his insides like an insidious parasite.

    He gritted his teeth and stared at Arkanos, trying to comprehend what he was seeing.

    "You know," Arkanos said suddenly spoke, "I read this book once. In one of pages, it said, ''If you seek to destroy darkness, use light. But if you seek to dominate darkness, you need to use greater darkness.''"

    He crouched slightly, his gaze boring into Abaddon like a predator sizing up prey.

    "Abaddon, you are undoubtedly an evil creature. That much is clear. So, it stands to reason you would never truly take the words of a mortal seriously. And while you''ve shown me some level of respect, I know it''s not because you see me as your superior. No, it''s because you''ve acknowledged me as a partner, not your lord."

    Abaddon chuckled weakly. His eyes gleamed with defiance as he said, "So what? Did your fragile ego get damaged because—"

    THUD

    Before he could finish, Arkanos moved. His hand lashed out, gripping Abaddon by his hair. In one swift motion, he slammed Abaddon''s face into the mud with a sickening splat.

    The impact vibrated through the ground, and Abaddon''s body trembled under the sheer force.

    "You don''t interrupt me," Arkanos said coldly.

    He held Abaddon down for a moment, making sure the humiliation sunk in before slowly releasing his grip.

    Straightening himself, Arkanos adjusted his coat as though the entire act had been nothing more than an inconvenience.

    "Now, where was I? Ah, yes."

    "Normally, pledging one''s loyalty would be enough. But for a creature like you, loyalty is a hollow concept, isn''t it? Long abandoned, like morals or virtues. Such things mean nothing to you."

    Abaddon remained on all fours, his fingers digging into the earth as he resisted the urge to lash out. But his pride, his defiance, wouldn''t allow him to stay silent.

    He snarled low, but before he could raise his head to speak again, Arkanos''s boot pressed lightly against his head, pinning him in place.

    "I guess divine beings really are built different."

    The instantly closed the diatnece between them again.

    He crouched slightly, tilting his head with an almost playful expression.

    "Good. That just means I can keep going. After all, I did promise you pain, didn''t I?" His grin widened. "And I am a man of my word."

    Abaddon''s fingers dug into the dirt beneath him as he silently cursed.

    ''He''s a monster.''

    WHOOSH!

    Arkanos moved again, his fist slamming into Abaddon''s chest like a cannonball. The ground beneath them exploded outward, dirt and rocks flying into the air as another shockwave rippled through the clearing.

    Abaddon''s body was thrown skyward this time, his arms flailing uselessly as he soared above the treetops. BOOM! Another attack—Arkanos appeared above him, driving his heel into Abaddon''s back, sending him plummeting toward the earth like a meteor.

    CRASH!

    Abaddon slammed into the ground, the impact creating a massive crater. Dust and debris billowed upward, obscuring the scene for a moment. His body trembled as he tried to push himself up, only for Arkanos to appear beside him once again.

    WHAM!

    A brutal kick to the side sent Abaddon tumbling through the dirt, his body bouncing like a ragdoll. He came to a stop, bloodied and groaning, only for another strike to send him flying once more.

    THUD!

    BOOM!

    CRACK!

    The clearing was unrecognizable. Trees were snapped in half, the ground was torn apart, and the once-serene forest now looked like a battlefield. Each of Arkanos''s eight strikes was devastating, precise, and merciless.

    By the time the final blow landed, Abaddon was barely recognizable. Blood streamed down his face, his once-proud form now a broken, battered shell. He lay sprawled on the ground, his body trembling with pain and exhaustion.

    Arkanos approached slowly, his boots crunching against the dirt. Without a word, he placed his foot on Abaddon''s chest, pinning him to the ground. Abaddon winced, the weight of Arkanos''s leg pressing against his broken ribs making him gasp for air.

    Arkanos leaned down, his face inches from Abaddon''s. His eyes burned with a cold intense glare.

    "Who knew fallen could make such a pitiful expression?" he said. He tilted his head slightly, as if studying a fascinating creature. "I must say, though... it looks good on you."

    Abaddon''s breath hitched. For the first time in his long existence, he felt something he hadn''t in centuries. Fear. Pure, unbridled fear.

    The system window appeared with a notification:

    ? ? The player has gotten the king tire title: The Mortal Who Tramples Upon The The. ? ?

    ? ? Title effects: The player can harm divine beings without the need of a divine arms or blessing. And the effects of attacks made by divine beings against the player will only deal 50% of their orignal damage. The player also has 50% immunity to divine curses or ill prophecies. ? ?

    Seeing this notification Arkanos simply smiled... sinisterly, as he thought.

    ''I''m starting to really love this game.''