Chapter 69: Abyss, the Master Negotiator
Thud!
Abyss punched the fish-man leader again, sending him flying. Battered and bruised, his strength was greatly diminished. This was with Abyss holding back; otherwise, he would already be dead.
Abyss, standing opposite, gently rubbed his nose. The fish-man leader’s attacks were frantic. Even with Abyss’s enhanced reflexes, he hadn’t been entirely unscathed. The fish-man leader had landed a punch on his nose, thankfully not breaking it, but it still stung.
Abyss felt no pity for the fish-man. Despite his current pathetic state, resembling a desperate warrior, he had been quite smug while sacrificing those innocent peasants. Abyss hadn’t forgotten the mutilated victims in the temple chamber.
“I will win… the Lord will grant me power…” The fish-man leader’s eyes were filled with despair, repeating the mantra like a self-soothing delusion.
“I think I’ve figured out your master’s personality, my fish-man friend,” Abyss said suddenly, a smile playing on his lips, just as the cornered fish-man leader prepared for another desperate charge.
“What do you mean?” The fish-man leader hesitated, eyeing Abyss warily. He wanted a moment to rest.
“I said, I’ve figured out your master’s personality,” Abyss shrugged. “I advise you to stop resisting. As you said, only one of us can survive. I don’t want to die, so it has to be you. I’m guessing if you give up, you’ll be painlessly executed by your master, right?”
“I don’t want to die either! There are still riches and glory waiting for me; I haven’t enjoyed them yet!” The fish-man leader snarled. “You want me to just wait for death? Your potion must have a time limit, and I will eventually receive the Lord’s aid…”
“Your master despises the weak, my friend,” Abyss laughed. “Even I, an outsider, can see that. He’s the Lord of Bullying; his philosophy is survival of the fittest. How can a loser like you expect his help?”
The fish-man leader stared at Abyss, eyes wide with shock and anger, speechless.
“Let me guess, your promised riches and glory came from your Pope or some such figure, right? Endless wealth and supreme status if you successfully contaminate the Sacred Tree. But have you considered why he would actually give it to you?” Abyss lowered his voice. “You followers of the Lord of Bullying can accumulate power, right? If I were the one making the promise, guess what? I’d give you some power, let you grow stronger, but not too strong. Once you’ve accumulated enough, I’d eliminate you. Reap what you sow.”
Abyss’s words stunned the fish-man leader, his faith shattering like a rock subjected to extreme temperature changes.
“And you don’t really think I only have one potion, do you?” Abyss stuck out his tongue. “You’re so naive. I have plenty. If you want, I can torture you for eternity. But let me remind you, your ending will be the same: defeated by me, then eliminated by your god.”
The fish-man leader wasn’t stupid; he knew Abyss was using psychological warfare. But even knowing this, he couldn’t prevent despair from consuming him.
Every word Abyss spoke made sense… He seemed truly trapped.
His only chance was to defeat Abyss and, with the Lord of Bullying’s grace, seize the powerful Druid’s power. But that required defeating him.
Impossible! The fish-man leader hadn’t anticipated such a powerful potion. Facing this predicament, the once high-ranking “High Priest” was helpless.
His fighting spirit evaporated, replaced by icy despair.
He felt his limbs numbing, losing sensation. The pain from his injuries intensified, as if conspiring to torment him. He wanted to scream, to clutch his wounds, but he was utterly drained of strength.
“Listen to me, old friend. It’s not too late to surrender,” Abyss smiled, his eyes cold. “You must pay for your crimes, and now is your chance. Don’t let it slip away…”
“Boo…”
Boos rained down from the invisible audience in the stands, cursing in their unknown language. Abyss couldn’t understand them, but the fish-man leader could. His expression grew more desperate, the light in his eyes fading to ashes…
Flames erupted from the fish-man leader’s ears, eyes, and gills, burning brightly in the seawater. Bubbles formed and popped as the flames enveloped his entire body.
The audience howled like wolves, still cursing the fish-man leader in their unknown tongue. The noise assaulted Abyss’s ears.
Ooooh… A deep horn blared, and the drums beat fiercely.
The bubbles vanished, and in the fish-man leader’s place, a diamond-shaped crystal floated, larger than the ones Abyss had received from the merchant, radiating a beautiful multicolored glow, like a star within reach. A glowing doorway silently opened in the arena wall.
This was the crystallization of the fish-man leader’s power, containing the essence of the many sea creatures he had consumed. Absorbing it would grant immense power, making one the master of the ocean. The dangers of the Stormy Sea would transform into infinite possibilities, and nothing on the planet could stop Abyss.
Absorbing it would be immensely beneficial. Even if the power was tainted by the Outer God, it was worth taking, not out of greed, but for the greater good.
Abyss smiled, stepping forward. “Well, this is a pleasant surprise. Let’s see how powerful it is.”
He reached for the crystal without hesitation.
But just as his fingers brushed against it, he pulled back.
“Ah, well… not yet.”
He placed his hands behind his back, grinning at the empty stands.
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