"Gwah—"
Sampo violently spat out a mouthful of blood laced with a golden sheen. He watched as it hit the ground, revealing teeming masses of minuscule insects writhing within. These were the bizarre creatures that had entered his body from Ron's, born from The Apothecary's blessing.
"You... how could you..."
He stared at Ron, his weakened face filled with terror and doubt. Blood trickled from the corner of his mouth, but it quickly turned dull and gray. His body was shriveling at a visible rate, and the light in his eyes faded, leaving them dim and lifeless.
Even as an Emanator of The Elation, Sampo, caught largely off guard, had been grievously wounded by Ron's surprise attack.
The fine tentacles sprouting from Ron's arm had pierced every corner of Sampo's body, siphoning away his power bit by bit. Even the Imaginary energy from the Path of The Elation was being devoured by Ron, becoming his sustenance.
"What did you say? I can't hear you."
Ron spoke softly, but before Sampo could respond, the arm plunged into his chest gave a slight twist.
The fine tentacles tore at his delicate meridians, which snapped inch by inch under the force, turning into mushy, rotten flesh. His organs tumbled into his body's empty cavity, where the tentacles drained them of blood, leaving them withered and devoid of life.
Sampo's mouth opened and closed. His dim eyes stared at the crazed smile tugging at Ron's lips. He desperately tried to make a sound, but the severity of his injuries left him powerless to utter even a whisper.
Ron silently watched the aura of life fade from Sampo, watched the astonishment and hatred in his eyes, yet he felt no joy of victory. Instead, a faint sense of警惕 began to spread through him.
Although he had successfully used the Stellaron's power to suppress The Apothecary's blessing and avoid being instantly transformed into a monster ruled by instinct, he had still undergone significant evolution...
The fine, exquisite scales on his body that perfectly adhered to the golden ratio, the tentacles on his arms, and the twinkling stars in his pupils were all proof of his evolution.
These changes had brought him unimaginable power... among which was a biological instinct to seek fortune and avoid calamity—a primal ability honed over hundreds of millions of years of evolution, a top predator's instinct for danger developed through the accumulation of time.
And now, the tiny stars in his pupils flickered, and his gaze toward Sampo sharpened with a hint of vigilance.
Danger... Danger, danger, danger, DANGER!
An intense sense of peril surged from Ron's heart. Without a moment's hesitation, he pulled back. The vines of starlight binding Sampo began to grow wildly, completely ensnaring his withered, dying body, cocooning him within...
In the next instant, a brilliant radiance erupted from within the cage of vines. A seven-colored light, like the lamps of a circus tent, bloomed all at once—
The shattering gold of The Preservation, the deep azure cold of The Remembrance, the verdant dew of The Abundance, the annihilating crimson of The Destruction, the profound black of The Nihility, the emerald gales of The Hunt...
The power of these completely different Paths was a minor manifestation of The Elation's ability. It was the "Savoring" of other Paths, a mimicry originating from The Elation.
The chaotic power of "Savoring" erupted at that moment. Even the vines Ron controlled, formed from the stars granted by The Apothecary, snapped inch by inch. Every speck of starlight was forcibly ignited, exploding into a blaze of light and flame.
Infinite power was unleashed. The aftershock from this initial clash between Ron and Sampo was enough to shatter half a galaxy, a complete display of the tyrannical power exclusive to Emanators.
But Ron merely extended a hand. The crystal amber of The Preservation locked onto the brilliant light erupting before him. The same golden-green starlight from his pupils glittered upon its surface, forming a detailed star chart etched into the crystal, giving it a mysterious and extraordinary appearance.
The aftershock and radiance, powerful enough to shatter half a galaxy, were instantly sealed within the crystal amber. Then, tiny roots grew from within the crystal, absorbing the energy, which Ron re-digested, converting it into stored power within his own body.
This was the most terrifying aspect of the Path of The Abundance... it never cared about attrition with an enemy, because no matter the expenditure, it always had a way to replenish its own stamina.
This was especially true for Ron, who had received such a generous blessing from The Apothecary. He could now effortlessly absorb the aftershocks of battle and convert them into his own power, replenishing his body and rapidly recovering his state.
As the light within the crystal amber faded, Ron silently observed the now-calm crystal. Where Sampo's body should have been, there was now only a tattered puppet. On the puppet's face was a broken smiling mask, the damage making it look as if it were crying.
Ron's gaze shifted slightly from the crystal amber before him to a spot not far away. There stood a pale-faced Sampo, staring at Ron in shock. His breathing was clearly unsteady, but he was obviously not seriously injured.
Ron looked at the largely unscathed Sampo, not at all surprised. No matter what, Sampo was a senior who had become an Emanator of The Elation an unknown time ago; it was only natural that he had many tricks up his sleeve.
In fact, Ron would have found it hard to believe if Sampo had no means of escape and was simply crushed by his hand.
It now seemed that Sampo had clearly used an ability of The Elation to create a substitute to escape his bonds, then detonated the substitute to launch an incredibly powerful attack...
Except the attack had no effect on Ron. On the contrary, it had become his nourishment, converted into harmless energy stored within his body, soon to contribute to his evolution.
"You... you prayed to The Apothecary of The Abundance and received this power?"
Sampo looked at Ron, his face clouded over... He could no longer muster the jocular, teasing tone from before.
He could only stare intently at the fine scales on Ron's face, at the starlight twinkling in his eyes, at the ethereal tentacles that occasionally sprouted from his body, his own eyes filled with horror.
"Are you a [Belobog expletive] madman?! What in the world did you wish for?!"
"A madman?"
Ron raised his head and held out his hand, watching the light shine on his pale, slender palm, which was covered in tentacles and scales. The light of reason in his pupils wavered slightly as he let out a soft laugh.
His cheek distorted slightly as another eye, also twinkling with starlight, grew forth. It cast a look of cold contempt at Sampo.
"I don't think I'm a madman... I feel fine. In fact, I've never felt better."
As Ron spoke, though he seemed intoxicated by the bizarre mutations on his body, he had not forgotten what he intended to do. He slowly began to walk toward Sampo, his lazy pace reminiscent of an old man strolling through Belobog's Administrative District.
But unlike an old man, with every step Ron took, specks of green light flickered at his feet. Various flowers and grasses grew in his wake, flocking around him as he advanced. Every flower and blade of grass bowed toward Ron as if kneeling before their king, seeing their emperor on his way.
And Ron was indeed their emperor. An Emanator of The Abundance was the ultimate incarnation of life, a creature that had evolved to the absolute pinnacle...
With a mere stride, he released a pressure akin to a top predator of a cosmic-scale biosphere. Sampo could clearly feel the pressure on him mounting. His heart began to race, and his expression grew as grave as if he were facing a mortal enemy.
And this was truly a mortal enemy... It had been a long time since Sampo had faced such an opponent. To him, the entire universe was becoming a playground, and he was the Masked Fool who could enjoy it the most.
When you're having the time of your life in a playground, how could you possibly encounter an enemy of life and death?
But now he had... he had met a madman, an enemy who cared nothing for himself, who prayed directly to The Apothecary of The Abundance and obtained a power that transcended understanding!
He watched Ron slowly approach, swallowing nervously. His mouth was so dry he couldn't swallow anything. He could only harbor that sliver of fear and panic as he blustered at Ron.
"What are you thinking?! You think you're fine, but are you really okay?"
"Your condition is not good at all... Everything I did to the empire was just a little joke, some fun and games in my spare time. But you, you're a madman who has completely lost control of himself! You could turn into the most terrifying monster at any moment and swallow the entire empire!"
Hearing Sampo's words, Ron's steps faltered, and he stopped in place.
Seeing this, joy flared in Sampo's heart. He was already unable to leave this place. Ron's presence completely enveloped the area, and after obtaining the power of an Emanator, Ron's barrier was something even he would struggle to break.
After their brief exchange, he already knew he had absolutely no chance of defeating Ron...
He didn't know how deeply Ron was favored by The Apothecary, but it wasn't just Ron's power that was immense. He could even feel a faint gaze from the void peering at this place, a gaze filled with affection, clearly coming from The Apothecary, from the very Aeon who had just bestowed this blessing...
Therefore, he could only rely on his old trade, using his glib tongue to trick Ron into giving up his attack...
He looked at Ron, his voice filled with sincere emotion.
"Have you finally realized it, pal? You want to protect the empire, don't you? Although you have enough power in your current state, that doesn't mean you can control yourself..."
"The blessings of the Aeon of The Abundance have always been known to easily shatter the recipient's sanity, and you are already on the verge of its complete annihilation! When your reason is completely gone, the entire world will be destroyed by the you that has been consumed by instinct..."
Sampo pounded his chest, nearly bursting into tears, acting as if he were deeply concerned for Ron as he pleaded.
"Your family, your friends, your lover, your people... everyone will vanish into your gaping maw, becoming your final meal."
"Pal, you don't want that to happen, do you?"
As he spoke, though his tone was sorrowful, his eyes were fixed on Ron, devoid of any sadness, and his voice was laced with a hint of bewitchment.
"I can help you, pal... If you can just trust me, I will definitely—"
"Are you finished?"
Ron tilted his head, cutting Sampo off.
"So what does any of that have to do with me? You don't really think I care about this empire, do you?"
Ron scoffed. "Just a swarm of insects... When I'm in a good mood, I might protect them. When I'm not, I truly don't care. They can do whatever they want. What does it have to do with me?"
"Don't get any ideas... I stopped, not because of your words, but because I was thinking about the most appropriate way to dispose of you. That's all."
"I thought about it for a long time and realized it doesn't really matter how I dispose of you. So I decided to go back to basics, to simply end your torment..."
As Ron spoke, his lips peeled back into a rather terrifying grin.
"You made these infected be dominated by their hunger, didn't you? Well, I'd actually like to see what your fear tastes like when you're the one facing a predator dominated by hunger, when you're the prey with absolutely no chance of escape..."
"...You really are a madman!"
Sampo could no longer maintain his facade. His expression was utterly grim as he stared at Ron. He took two slow steps back, then suddenly produced a smiling mask and slapped it onto his face.
He was completely out of options.
He could only... take a gamble.
An Emanator's authority connects to their Path. He was channeling the power of The Elation, praying to Aha, The Elation, seeking the Aeon's aid...
But all he received was the vague sensation of being watched. Nothing changed.
In disbelief, he roared again from the bottom of his heart, praying to Aha, The Elation, but he only faintly heard cheerful, mocking laughter.
He had indeed attracted Aha's attention.
But he had not received Its blessing.
He watched Ron draw closer and closer. Finally out of ideas, he let out his final, desperate words:
"You madman... You can't, you can't do this!"
"The Xianzhou and The Hunt will kill you, you abomination, you—"
His voice was cut short.
Ron's arm suddenly opened up, transforming into a bloody maw that violently swallowed Sampo whole. It bit and chewed ferociously. The sound of death flowed with the blood, only to be completely devoured by Ron, becoming his sustenance.
As Sampo's desperate wails echoed in his mind, the rationality in Ron's pupils gradually crumbled away. With his last shred of clarity, he whispered a final murmur:
"I don't care."
He said.