Rising god
Chapter 34: Reckoning

Chapter 34: Reckoning

The chief had made his choice. His body was bruised, bloodied, and slowly giving way under Mark’s relentless blows. Yet, he remained standing—barely. Every swing of Mark’s blade forced him to stumble back, dodging death by mere inches. His breaths were ragged, his muscles quivering, his mind hazy with pain and regret.

’At least... they’ve gone to report to the boss,’ he thought, clinging to that single thread of hope.

He was no warrior, not really. He had always operated from the shadows, issuing commands, pulling strings. Confrontation was never his strength. And now, under the crushing pressure of divine steel, that truth was laid bare.

Besides, it wasn’t only Mark he feared.

Two others hadn’t moved from the start. He knew they were capable, watching for the right moment to strike. That ever-present threat kept him from committing to any offense. He had been on the defensive from the beginning, and now, that decision had finally caught up to him.

His subordinates stood frozen behind him, gripping their weapons with white knuckles, uncertain whether to fight or flee.

Then came the sentence that would mark his end:

"Now, you have lived enough."

Mark’s voice was calm, cold, final—like a judge delivering a sentence. His blade cleaved through the chief with a brutal elegance, severing flesh and bone in a single motion.

The chief collapsed, his thoughts fading into the silence of death, haunted by a single regret:

’I shouldn’t have taken this job.’ Kidnapping in mass just wasn’t meant for them.

Mark exhaled sharply, flicking blood from his sword. His eyes burned with residual fury as he turned to the chief’s men.

"Why didn’t you attack?" he demanded, voice taut with suspicion.

His gaze narrowed as it landed on Baines. If anyone had orchestrated a test of his skill, it would be that slippery bastard. But Baines didn’t respond. Instead, he dropped to his knees and began methodically placing small pills across the area.

"They’re arriving. Prepare."

That was all he said.

Tasha’s eyes widened as she realized why Baines had stopped her earlier from finishing off one of the chief’s underlings.

It had been a calculated decision—not mercy, but strategy. That purposive slip had let the enemy be on alert.

Suddenly, several figures were approaching with precision and speed at their location. And at their helm strode a 6th-star warrior, an elite among elites. The air around him rippled with raw power.

"Sixth star," Mark muttered, tension coiling in his limbs.

Roncik’s face twisted with concern. "Can we handle this number?" It wasn’t just the 6th star; the number before them was concerning.

"Just hold out for a moment," Baines replied, and then vanished.

"Shit!" Mark cursed. "He really ran..."

But there was no time to think about that. The enemy’s leader had arrived.

Cheers of relief erupted from the surviving underlings as they fell behind him like a guardian angel.

"Boss!"

"Ha! We’re saved!"

"Boss, they killed the chief!"

The man who stood before them was the infamous Raging Red, the leader of the underground syndicate bearing the same name. His ascension to the 6th-star rank had cemented his dominance in the criminal underworld.

The truth was, he was among the strongest organizations to join in the alliance for the blood orb.

Joining the older Deplorable was only an increase in his hunger for more power. He wanted more than influence, making him curious about the blood orb and, in turn joining.

But now, it was all falling apart.

"These bastards... You won’t leave here alive," he snarled, unsheathing a one-handed axe that pulsed with murderous intent.

His aura descended like a vice, crushing the will to fight from everyone around him. Tasha collapsed, her body trembling. The others fared little better. Even Mark, fueled by divine energy, could barely remain upright.

Only one member of Tasha’s team, a fellow 5th star, stood between her and certain death, pouring his aura into a protective barrier.

"I see, Darkan rats are amongst you," Raging Red growled. "Perfect. I’ll enjoy this revenge."

He strode forward like a god of war, raising his axe high to strike down Mark—

Psstch!

"Shit," Raging Red howled in pain and swung his axe wildly.

Blood flew from his waist.

A dagger had pierced his side.

Everyone froze.

From a short distance, Baines stood, his blade dripping crimson. He had reappeared like a ghost, striking when the enemy’s guard was aiming for someone else.

But there was no time to savor the moment.

Raging Red turned, roaring with fury, and launched a brutal counterattack. Baines barely managed to raise his dagger in time to block.

Bang!

He was hurled backward from the sheer force of the blow.

’Even with my body enhanced... It’s not enough,’ Baines thought grimly.

’Eye, increase my blood rate!’ He ordered.

[INDUCING ADRENALINE]

His body surged with temporary strength. Just in time, too—Raging Red was already upon him again.

Baines ducked, narrowly avoiding a killing blow, though the axe grazed him, leaving shallow gashes along his arms and side.

"Eye, scan the wound I gave him earlier!"

[TRACES OF EXTERNAL FACTOR DETECTED. BLEEDING HAS BEEN MINIMIZED]

’Tsk.’ He almost forgot. The 6th star was also called another name: true masters. That realm differentiated between masters and true masters. Wounds like that could be healed with a little sacrifice.

This was different from an outlier that only knew to satisfy their desires, this was a human, capable of thinking, laying traps, and using tricks.

As a 6th star, Raging Red’s foresight outshone Baines, and he couldn’t even use his full skill set under this pressure.

Just like the chief had done, he had to go on the defensive. It was all he could do to survive.

"You’re still alive? Then I guess I need to cut you more," Raging Red sneered, his axe glowing a sinister red.

Boom!

The ground shattered beneath the weight of his swing. Baines rolled to the side, avoiding decapitation by a hair’s breadth, only to be sent flying again by the shockwave.

"Just fucking die!" Raging Red screamed, charging in.

Clang!

Baines blocked with his dagger, but the force rattled his bones. He stumbled back, panting.

Raging Red paused, frowning. "How are you not dead yet?"

He had literally battered Baines’s body, and Baines himself was only barely surviving.

At least what he had thought.

’Come to think of it, the first human I killed was a 6th star,’ But then again, the fight was similar.

Baines didn’t respond. His eyes were focused, analytical. The younger deplorable, the chief who was previously killed, and Raging Red fought in similar ways.

Diagonal. Horizontal. Vertical. Stab. Cross.

It was too predictable.

If he had been in the 6th star, he would have easily killed this man a long time ago, and also, thanks to his glaringly nonexistent skills, Baines had survived.

’What should I expect from the underground organizations. Let’s end it.’ He shook his head and calmed.

Something had changed. His stance was looser now, more confident.

He dashed forward.

"You’re coming—"

Raging Red’s sentence was cut short.

Baines had closed the distance in a flash. His body moved with terrifying precision, unleashing a counterattack that channeled all the damage and momentum he had built up.

BOOM!

An explosion erupted around them, engulfing Raging Red in flames.

When the smoke cleared, Baines stood, drawing his sword with quiet resolve. The dagger returned to its sheath.

A shriek of rage echoed from the fire.

"You bastard!" Raging Red emerged, now burned and bloodied. Madness gleamed in his eyes. He charged recklessly, intending to crush Baines with sheer fury.

How had a person weaker than him reduced him to this level?

But he didn’t notice the strange flickers clinging to his body. The remnants of the explosion—small, glowing motes—followed him like fireflies. He was too furious to notice.

It was only when his attack was easily deflected that he realized something was wrong.

He thought grimly, ’What happened to my aura?’