novelraw Chapter 266 - 265 - Betrayal is the Rule
Chapter 266 - 265 - Betrayal is the Rule
The initial chaos made Athan smirk but he remained cold on the outside. The few remaining Black Lotus Sect members were following him like lost puppies. He was not just any ordinary member, but the son of the Sect Master.
He had cultivated with the best resources and had taken what he wanted all his life. His father had warned him off several disciples which sadly included Athena, but after seeing her in action, Athan understood what she was.
She was from the power above them.
He knew the truth of the Black Lotus Sect and a few sister sects nearby. They were the resource gathering front for the Shadow Sect. It all seemed foolish to him, but without proof, no one could approach them in accusation.
He found new targets and let his followers defeat them. The asinine rule against killing was too merciful. The warning about how dangerous the tournament was seemed to be largely exaggerated and overblown.
His father had shown him scrolls that described massacres and life hanging by a thread but thus far, he had been disappointed.
"Lord Athan, we have defeated them all." He nodded and they moved on. Their group was barely 5 when so many were expelled. Athena was the only one outside of their group still possibly an ally but they had yet to find her.
Athan's earth font suddenly resonated and he smiled. His gift was rare but it was not considered a talent. He could sense specific elements being used from far off, far beyond normal cultivator senses.
He only had 2 elements, earth and fire, but he had learned to push the detection range even farther than recorded in the histories. He followed the feeling and found a large group of 15 fighting.
It was the best set up as they were far too busy fighting each other in a desperate battle to notice their small group. Athan nodded to his men and they looked quite evil as they seemed to blend into the stone around them.
It was a signature Art of the sect. One with the World was unlike any other concealing Art. Qi was made to flow like a natural background Qi anyone could sense but it had severe limits. If you moved too fast or your fonts were out of balance, it would cause a shimmer that could be easily felt or seen.
Athan looked on as his minions began their work.
No direct attack was done, instead selected targets were mimicked as they made it seem as if allies were suddenly attacking each other. In most settings, such a tactic would quickly be discovered, but the battle royale was a ripe field to be harvested.
Only a single stick of incense being burned could have passed when chaos was unleashed. The once slightly tilted battle became a free for all.
"We are all wanting to be the last, so naturally, all suspect betrayal at any time." Athan began to vanish as he moved in to do his own work. By his count, it was time.
The 4 fellows that started the chaos were found laughing far enough away not to draw the eyes. They were preparing to attack when suddenly one of them felt sick. His vision began to become blurry before the light of teleportation whisked him away.
The others tried to find the attacker but the poison did its work. It fell within the rules but it would be the work of years to purge the tricky substance from their bodies. Once the last was gone, Athan's sneering face flashed before he launched his main attack.
He placed several vials of poison and rolled them into the chaotic crowd. Even as they suspected each other, they kept an eye on the former enemy. Athan was having to repress laughter as a repeat on a larger scale occurred.
Only when one last woman was left did Athan appear.
"YOU! YOU DID THIS?!" Her slicked back auburn hair looked quite appealing to Athan but he had to resist. There would be time to play later. Once he grasped the Inheritance, all of the fools who ignored or resisted his rising fate would fall to his blade and fire.
He loved burning out the dantian of cultivators so much!
"Actually, I killed the ones who did it. As I planned to. I am going to be the last man standing by the only rule that matters. Betrayal!" His pale face was leering at her as she was teleported away.
If he had calculated correctly, there should already be under 50 left. Some might have made it but he for sure eliminated his fellow sect members.
They had racked up decent secondary points even if Athan could not see it in his own count. He began to move on for more targets. He was now the mighty killer among prey. He would rise to number 1.
He saw a few battles but the intensity left no openings to abuse so he moved on. There were some weaklings trying to hide but their Arts were far weaker than his detection skill. He knocked them out and enjoyed seeing his number rise.
At last, he found not just one, but both of his chosen ultimate targets finishing off a group of six cultivators. The dark joy welling up in him did not make him reckless. Until they lost, he could not boast or claim his victory. He slowly moved towards Bastion as he finished off the last of his own targets.
The prideful fool had the earth element, thankfully, and Athan could replicate an Art he had watched on the displays during the rounds. It was the easiest thing to wait till he turned towards the back of Lind Frey before unleashing the skill.
The fool's shock kept him silent but both of them were stunned when the flying shard of earth was disintegrated by some unknown Art or technique. Still, Athan faded far away to watch the show.
"L-lord Frey, I would never–" Lind held up his hand and looked angry at Bastion.
"I know we agreed to fight at the end. That attack was similar but not quite yours. There is no doubt someone nearby, hiding." Athan frowned at those words but was secure in the proficiency of his Art. Even Diamond Tiers could not find him when employed fully as he had it now.
"Thank you for your mercy, Lord Frey." Lind's dark green eyes looked a little tired but Athan was carefully circling. If trickery of that sort would not work, direct elimination was fine. Athan was looking forward to the frustration of that over hyped scholar. His skill in battle was overblown in Athan's eyes.
His blade was covered in potent but non-lethal poison. It would change in the future when he killed this man that so many seemed to hold on a pedestal.
The blade was about to pierce Lind's back when emerald light flared like the sun! Athan was blinded but then felt a hand around his throat as the dagger was yanked from his hands.
"Diluted earth scorpion venom. Effective and non-lethal. It is very difficult to remove without a grade 5 pill, however." Lind's calm voice was all Athan could make out until his vision returned.
He could barely breathe!
Athan flailed his free fist but it felt like he hit a metal wall! Lind Frey did not even flinch while Bastion stared daggers at him. He could care less as he just wanted to be free. How could this scholar be so strong?!
"I am not normally a cruel man, but I find I am tempted when it comes to you. Still, there is something I think you may have missed in this round. You will make a good experiment." Lind's hands tightened until the world became a dim spot in his vision.
Why wasn't he teleporting? Others had seemed to leave so quickly but it was an eternity as the specter of death loomed over him. Was he going to die? Him?! He was fated to rise above this backwater realm. He would become an Immortal and rule a realm of his own!
Athan suddenly realized he could no longer feel his throat being constricted as blessed air entered his lungs. His vision slowly returned and found his former teammates looking down at him not in anger, but perverse pleasure.
His throat was raw and it was impossible to talk until he forced a pill down it. The soothing feel of healing spread as he stood up and the 4 backed off. He did not see why they were smiling so sinisterly like they were.
"What? Betrayal was inevitable, I simply timed it perfectly. Do you want to fight?" He knew they were cowed by the rules of the realm but instead of anger, their smiles got wider. He did not get it.
"Athan." The remaining elder was just an old man that was near the end of his days. It was a final honor before death claimed him but Athan still bowed in respect. His eyes, however, held no such respect.
"Yes, elder." The old man simply pointed up and Athan followed it towards a display. There were 100 names that constantly shifted. It was clearly a tracker that updated with the points but then he frowned as he noticed something odd.
No name was still for long. All 100 were shifting constantly. Why? What was going on?
"Clarify the listing, now." He knew the spirit listened and it was going to obey him as it did Lind Frey. Open laughter greeted his words.
"My great Lord Athan, simply look at your name and you will have your answer." The mockery stunned him. They dared?!
Still, he focused and searched the top 50 but did not find his name at all. A deep frown crossed his face as he looked lower and saw his name near the bottom! What was going on?!
He looked and saw his name had information next to it.
[Athan Lear: 19 Points; 12 Secondary Points; 6 Interference Points; 4 Betrayal Points; 1 Cowardice Point]
As Athan looked on as his name began to drop to the very bottom. He looked at other names to try to understand and suddenly realized the last points slot were directly related to their actions!
Further, not all the points had a positive result! Why?! Why were none of these conditions mentioned before?! The realm was forcing them to fight openly?!
He scanned quickly for the name he wanted and was angered to see it in the top 20!
[Lind Frey: 14 Points; 23 Secondary Points; 1 Cooperative Point; 10 Mercy Points; 1 Trust Point; 1 Avenger Point]
"How are these possibly fair?! How can anyone possibly grasp these points?!" Athan was enraged but all were shocked when a booming voice answered.
"Betrayal was indeed a rule. Cultivators can indeed achieve victory, so it is a valid path, but the rules weigh it as a negative point against you. You will stand alone at the end by my creator's view, thus that is how it is graded. You would have done better in the Atraxi Tournament Realm with your methods." Athan paled at that name. It was a known name in the scrolls, the very bar by which he had judged the current tournament.
"So this arbitrary rule is being used to punish me?!" He felt wronged. Why was he not lauded for his tactics and finesse to execute it perfectly?! Why was he being treated as a loser when he only died after accruing so many points?!
"It is no different in the higher realms. Those that are known to betray their comrades will be isolated. Strength can still be achieved but you will do so…alone." Athan raged but he could not fight the realm spirit. He had seen how that went clearly. He was humiliated and felt hatred for Lind Frey most of all.
He had known! Somehow, he had known and used it against him! Athan would make him pay. He would make his whole family pay. They would all pay!