"So what? As long as we defeat the new Chosen One, we can rampage freely without fear of anyone stopping us!"
Kain Novus sneered, his eyes filled with malice as he glared at the white-haired old man.
"A dying old man like you, do you really think you can hold off all of us?" He waved his hand, giving the order:
"Kill him!"
All the underlings charged simultaneously. The one in red raised his hands, and raging crimson flames burst forth, coiling like cobras before shooting straight toward the old man. At the same time, another in silver, wielding a sharp metal sword, swung it. Sharp metal shards separated from the blade, combining with the red-clad one's flames to form a blazing network of fire and metal, sealing off all of the old man's escape routes.
The old man stood unwavering. His sharp eyes narrowed, and his robust body suddenly moved with the speed of a large cat, far exceeding that of an ordinary person. He did not dodge but instead charged forward, using his own body as a weapon. A powerful punch, so fast it was but a blur, sent the sword-wielding silver-clad man flying backward. He crashed into the wall with a resounding boom, his metal sword clattering to the floor. But the red-clad one's flames had already arrived.
The old man used his arm to shield his face, his clothes catching fire. His skin sizzled, causing him a searing pain, yet his speed and strength did not diminish in the slightest. His endurance was terrifying. He immediately rolled to extinguish the flames while simultaneously delivering a kick to the red-clad man's groin. The man screamed in agony and collapsed.
"Stop hesitating! Surround him! He only has a strong physique!"
Kain Novus barked impatiently. A winged underling shot into the air, raining down feathers sharp as blades from above. Another, with bark-like skin, stomped the ground, causing roots to sprout from the floorboards and entangle the old man's legs, pinning him in place. The red-clad man struggled to his feet and began spewing fire again, this time concentrating it into a narrow, intensely hot stream.
The old man roared, the muscles on his arms bulging. With inhuman strength, he tore through the roots binding his legs as if they were paper. He leaped up with terrifying speed, grabbed the ankle of the low-flying winged creature, and yanked him down, hurling him directly into the oncoming stream of fire. The winged man shrieked horribly amidst the sea of flames. The battle was a chaotic display of pure strength.
The old man was like a wounded wild beast, using his superhuman speed, power, and endurance to grapple with each enemy. Every punch and kick carried bone-crushing force.
He dodged attacks with speed and endured the unavoidable ones with his robust body. Kain Novus remained on the sidelines observing, his expression growing darker and more astonished.
He hadn't expected this man's physical prowess to be so formidable despite his advanced age, nearly impervious to most conventional abilities. One by one, the underlings fell to the old man's lethal blows.
One had his skull crushed, another his neck snapped, yet another was thrown through the wall. Only one remained, a man in yellow who had stood apart from the beginning, yet to join the fray.
"Your turn,"
The old man turned to him, his voice deep and authoritative. The yellow-clad man let out a hoarse chuckle, spreading his hands open. Sand from the ground, the cracks in the walls, even from the very air, suddenly gathered, swirling around him like a golden tornado.
"Old man, I'll turn you into a dried-up mummy!"
He yelled, and the streams of sand sharpened like blades, rushing to attack the old man. The old man dodged with horrifying speed; the sharp sand grains could only scratch his thick skin. He charged into the sand vortex, his punches and kicks coming in relentless flurries, each collision with the sand producing a grating sound.
The force of each punch was so tremendous it could shake the very ground beneath his feet, creating small fissures. The yellow-clad man continuously retreated, manipulating sand into thick walls to block, but the old man's punches were like cannonballs, easily shattering the sand walls into dust. The shattered sand would reform, making the battle between pure strength and sand manipulation extremely fierce and deadlocked. The old man poured all his effort into the enemy, seeking an opening to deliver the final blow.
Now's the time!
Kain Novus, who had been standing still observing, saw his chance. While the old man was wholly focused on dealing with the sand, a dim, shadowy light suddenly appeared behind him. Kain Novus vanished from his spot and reappeared right behind the old man in the blink of an eye, delivering a pitch-black, icy-cold palm strike straight into the center of his back.
Thump!
A dull thud sounded. The old man felt a chilling cold penetrate his bones, a paralyzing pain spreading rapidly. He roared in agony and fury, spitting out a mouthful of blood. His powerful body trembled, nearly buckling. The yellow-clad man seized the opportunity, shouting:
"Die!"
A massive stream of sand, condensed into a spinning drill, shot straight toward the old man's chest. But the force from Kain's sneak attack had pushed the old man forward. Using that momentum, he braced against the pain, his feet firmly planted on the ground. With unbelievable speed, he spun around, dodging the sand drill by a hair's breadth, while his right leg swung up in a monstrous reverse kick.
Boom!
The kick landed square in the yellow-clad man's chest. The force was so powerful the sound of cracking bones was clearly audible. The yellow-clad man was sent flying like a ragdoll, smashing hard against the wall and lying still. The sand around him immediately dissipated, falling like a shower of golden dust.
The old man stood there, panting heavily. Blood continued to trickle from the corner of his mouth. The wound on his back from Kain Novus ached intensely, a section of his cloak frozen and darkened. All twelve underlings had been completely eliminated, but the cost was high. Kain Novus curled his lip into a smirk, looking pleased.
"So this is all you've got? An enhanced physique... still can't withstand a single palm strike from me."
The old man staggered, but his gaze remained sharp and cold.
"Old man! THAT'S ENOUGH! LET'S GO!"
The dwarf, who had been hiding in a corner holding the baby all this time, yelled out, his face full of worry. Knowing he couldn't stay a second longer, his condition at its limit, the old man nodded. He stood up, stomped his foot hard on the ground, creating a seismic shock. Debris scattered from the recent battle, along with the sand from the yellow-clad man earlier, flew into the air. Then the old man threw a punch, generating a force that blew the sand and debris toward Leader Kain Novus, forcing him to cover his face. Seizing the moment when Kain Novus was distracted, the dwarf immediately threw a vial of blood-red liquid onto the ground. Suddenly, the liquid moved, transforming into a shimmering portal. As the gate opened, the surrounding areas immediately began to show signs of freezing over.
"You cowards, you are not allowed to run, stop right there for me!"
Kain Novus intended to give chase, but his legs began to freeze, immobilizing him. He immediately used his fire power to break the ice.
"Don't even dream of it!"
The old man, seeing him about to pursue, instantly threw a punch that created a shockwave capable of attacking Kain Novus from a distance, forcing him to defend himself. Immediately, the ice began freezing his legs again. The dwarf's face was contorted with worry, his eyes wide, filled with urgency. His words came out fast and hurried, as if afraid of being a second too late.
"Old man, quickly use the device on this child too! We're going to the Water World, it's not safe here!"
The old man was also in a great rush. He nodded in reply,
"I know, let's go quickly now."
Then both the dwarf and the old man pressed a red button worn on their belts, not forgetting to put one on the child as well, and jumped through the portal, closing it immediately. At that moment, the ice on Kain Novus's legs and around the house began to melt. Kain Novus was furious that he had let the new Chosen One escape and had sacrificed twelve underlings in vain.
"You won't escape!"
He cursed angrily, then used his fire power to burn the entire house down before transforming into shadow and leaving.