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Chapter 146

“What will you do now that your plan has failed again?” Kane mocked, his words laced with sarcasm.

Elder Manuel replied, his tone cold, “You think you can act cocky in front of me just because you’ve managed to beat a mere elder?”

But a different voice seemed to emerge from Elder Manuel, radiating with a subtle yet intense anger.

“It wasn’t just one elder, was it? Six executioners and the dogs of the House of the Sun — quite a few fell to my hands, didn’t they?” Kane retorted.

“Those types are expendable for us,” Manuel countered.

“Of course. That’s why you’ve resorted to this insane pursuit of immortality, isn’t it?”

“I don’t see what’s insane about reducing the number of useless lives to make better use of them.”

“Delusional.”

“So, as Elder Manuel suggested, are you not willing to accept our offer?”

“Are you feeling uneasy because things keep going wrong because of me?”

“You’re overestimating yourself,” Elder Manuel replied, a hint of frustration showing.

Kane smirked knowingly, seeing through their motives: persuasion or elimination. So far, everyone had been persuaded, and if not… elimination was their fallback.

“I can see what you’re afraid of,” Kane said, taunting the First Star.

“Shut up!” The enraged voice burst out from Elder Manuel, a surge of mana flaring from his body, even though it was another’s emotions being expressed.

But Kane didn’t relent. “Did I hit a nerve? Why so sensitive?”

Blata chimed in from the side. “Look at this coward hiding behind others. Kane, let’s hunt him down. If he’s only showing himself through others, he must be weak.”

Blata’s taunts cut deep, his words scratching at their nerves, especially toward those he deemed enemies.

“Where do you get off imitating a god in front of me? You want to die?” Blata’s tone was exceptionally arrogant, his gaze condescending towards the first star..

“Why so silent? Have you fled in fear? Haha, you’re nothing. See, Kane, everything’s already taken care of on my end,” Blata chattered with a cheerful tone.

At last, the First Star exploded in rage.

“I’ll tear you to shreds!” Elder Manuel’s eyes gleamed with murderous intent, emanating an unbearably powerful aura.

Kane and Blata quickly stepped back.

“Arise, my army!” Elder Manuel commanded, and the dead around them began to rise, skin peeling away and broken bones mending, their numbers exceeding 200.

Watching this undead horde, Kane muttered, “A necromancer? And he claims to serve God?”

“Kane, that guy’s really crossed a line. Even the guardian spirits of demons doesn’t make their minions reverse the course of life. And he is supposed to be the holy one? Look at him,” Blata sneered.

The necromancer didn’t belong to the heavens or the underworld. Nor was he bound to the mortal realm. It was something… in-between.

The forbidden necromantic arts – human sorcery that calls upon the dead.

This practice was despised in both the heavens and the underworld.

“It seems many lives have been taken. The energy seems too dark and foul,” Kane remarked.

“Just trust me. I’ll absorb all that foul energy myself,” Blata responded.

“Or better yet, just obliterate them all.”

“Shall I?” Blata’s eyes gleamed; for him, this was the simplest approach.

“Heh, I wonder who Kane would assign these annoying tasks to if it weren’t for me,” he chuckled.

From Blata’s mouth, a liquid spurted out — a thick, red mass of blood.

As the globules burst in the air, they drenched the ground, turning it into a slick, blood-soaked field. The undead, struggling on the blood-drenched earth, were immobilized.

In that moment Blata’s voice resonated—

“Boom~”

The ground erupted, blood exploding in a violent blast. That was just the beginning.

A chain reaction of explosions followed. Stronger skeletons tried to shield themselves with mana, but the force of the blood explosions overwhelmed them.

BOOM!

Death Knight Kings. Lich Queens. They were all swept up in the bloody explosions. Even Elder Manuel was not spared, dissolving into nothing.

Blata’s awakened power was formidable, instantly wiping out the undead.

He glanced sheepishly at Kane. “Heh, heh… I might have cut our conversation short.”

---

BANG!

The sky above the Tower of the Sun cracked open. First Star’s fury had torn a rift in space.

“These worthless worms not only dared to interfere with my plans but have the audacity to mock me!”

His anger showed no signs of abating. His plan to bring about annihilation had failed. He wanted to plunge Medi Island into chaos, yet he hadn’t succeeded. Far too little blood had been spilled, and he had also lost the Magical robe of Temu.

While the House of the Sun had a lot of treasures, he couldn’t shake the bitterness of losing it so easily.

The plan had failed, the treasure had been stolen, and not a single thing had gone right.

As his frustration seethed, a portal opened within the Tower of the Sun.

As the Tower of the Sun shook, the elders hurried over to see what was happening.

“Lord, what has provoked such anger?”

“If someone has offended you, we will take care of it.”

“Please, let us know the cause of your displeasure.”

First Star replied to their questions with a heavy tone.

“Elder Manuel is dead.”

“What?”

“Elder Manuel?”

“How…?”

The elders exchanged bewildered glances. The House of the Sun prided itself on knowing everything in the world, yet this news had come to them late. Nothing was going the First Star’s way.

“Kane Rehinar interfered with our work again.”

“Did Elder Manuel let his guard down?”

“No. Even after using the power of oblivion, he was killed.”

“How could this happen…?”

“It seems we must revise our assessment of Kane Rehinar.”

“He must be on our level… or even higher.” Some elders muttered.

“He’s a dangerous individual.”

“It’s fortunate our lord recently ascended to 9th Class.”

“No matter how skilled that scoundrel is, he won’t stand a chance against you, my lord.”

The elders’ flattery managed to calm First Star’s rage a bit.

“We need to alter our plan.”

“Just give the command.”

“Open the ‘Gates of Destruction’ across the entire continent.”

“We’ll execute it immediately.”

“Let’s see how he handles this on his own. Tsk, tsk.”

“If you wish it, my lord, such a worm would be but a morsel for you.”

“Please, put your mind at ease.”

“One slippery fish won’t taint the entire river.”

“He isn’t worthy of your attention, my lord.”

“If he makes a move, we’ll take this opportunity to eliminate him entirely.”

The elders were confident they could kill Kane Rehinar. Elder Manuel had only taken a fraction of his power with him and was known for his arrogant nature, second only to the lord himself in the House of the Sun.

They assumed he had been defeated due to his pride.

They knew they couldn’t afford to make such a mistake.

‘This is my chance to claim Elder Manuel’s position.’

‘With Elder Manuel gone, I have the opportunity to become the lord’s right hand.’

‘Once I leave here, I’ll consolidate his power under my control.’

‘The lord’s favor will be mine!’

Each elder shared the same ambition. First Star’s right-hand position was now vacant. To fill it, they needed to achieve a remarkable feat. Success with the Gates of Destruction would instantly place them as second in command.

“And Second Elder.”

“Yes, my lord. What are your instructions?”

First Star spoke privately to the Second Elder in a hushed voice. The elder nodded solemnly.

“I’ll take care of it.”

“Everyone, leave. I’ll be stepping out for a walk.”

At the mention of a “walk,” the elders’ faces lit up in awe.

“May you have a restful time,” the elders said in unison as they withdrew. First Star moved to another part of the Tower of the Sun.

---

Meanwhile, people hurried to evacuate Medi Island. Fear gripped them, not knowing when mutated monsters might appear again—or due to the presence of the mysterious hidden faction.

The sheer strength they had witnessed was beyond anything imaginable. Without the help of Kane Rehinar and Crown Prince Isaac, they believed the island would have been a bloodbath.

No treasure was worth more than life itself. And with such a massive gap in skill, no one dared challenge Crown Prince Isaac. Beyond that, he was their savior—they couldn’t betray someone who had saved their lives. Thus, everyone gave up on the treasure and left Medi Island.

Kane and his companions also boarded a ship.

“Little brother, when will we meet again?” one asked.

“We’ll both be busy. First Star will be filled with fury,” Kane replied.

“First Star?”

“Yes.”

“So, you’re saying something like Medi Island could happen again?”

Kane nodded. Knowing First Star’s nature, he could take drastic action at any moment. He considered himself the orchestrator of the world—or perhaps, even a god. And now, he aimed to become one.

“The empire could fall into chaos.”

“We’ll have to identify all suspicious areas. You’ll help, won’t you?”

“I’ll be stopping by my family, but then I’ll head out immediately.”

In truth, Kane wanted to move directly to the next area likely to be targeted by the Gates of Destruction like Medi Island. However, he was also concerned about his territory. He planned to use every last coin he had saved to ensure the defenses were thorough, then leave it in safe hands.

After all, he needed to recruit someone who would be essential in defending his lands.

“Are you a hero?” someone asked.

“No, I’m not.”

"Then why are you trying so hard to keep moving forward?" Isaac asked, his curiosity genuine.

Until now, Kane had seemed like a hero, tirelessly working to save lives. He appeared determined to thwart the continent’s conspiracies on his own.

"Let’s call it revenge against the House of the Sun," Kane replied.

"Revenge, huh... sounds like a headache," Isaac remarked, thinking Kane’s enemy was certainly unlucky. To have Kane as an adversary—someone so persistent, ruthless, and composed— was bad luck in itself.

“If I had known you felt this way sooner, I would never have abandoned Rehinar,” Isaac admitted, blaming himself.

“It was reasonable then. I understand,” Kane replied.

The Kane of the past was entirely different from who he was now. Back then, leaving Rehinar was the right decision. Had they held on, the empire might have crumbled even faster, unable to prevent internal corruption.

“It’s all in the past, so don’t dwell on it.”

“Kane has a big heart, so don’t feel bad. But hey, Crown Prince, aren’t you forgetting something?” Blata interjected, shifting the heavy mood.

“Did I forget something, Sir Blata?”

“You’re always so scatterbrained. Honestly…” Blata sighed, feigning concern.

“Why don’t you just tell me what it is?” Isaac asked.

“Weren’t you planning to bring along the Blood Owl?” Blata hinted.

Isaac froze momentarily, then turned to Kane.

"Let’s turn back, Kane!"

"The ship’s already set sail," Kane replied calmly.

As they spoke, the ship was already cutting through the waves, leaving Medi Island behind.