Things never go as one wishes.

Yue Ge had understood this truth long ago. The notion of “man conquering heaven” simply didn’t exist. Everything they possessed was seized by their own hands—yet the greedier they grew, the further their desires slipped away. Still, people indulged that hunger, chasing anything to fill the hollow within.

This was addiction.

“Still not coming out?” Yue Ge murmured, gripping the slender black blade as he moved slowly between the shelves. The narrow aisles were no place for a massive weapon like the Reaper Scythe; this unassuming knife was far more practical. A precise thrust or flick sufficed—no wild swings needed. Wrecking the warehouse would only make explaining things to Bai Ya later a headache. Alas, after a few cautious probes, the assassin had vanished completely, refusing further engagement.

He could still sense her presence. A faint killing intent lingered in the air. If only his Death Aura could spread freely—he’d have pinpointed Nilin instantly, instead of this slow, tedious search.

Unbeknownst to him, Nilin was trapped too. After those initial tests, she knew: she could never kill Yue Ge alone. Beyond his unnervingly sharp reflexes, his immunity to physical attacks alone was maddening.

Standard tactics against a Chosen One who evaded blows via Essence transformation? Wear them down. Essences had limits; exceed them, and control shattered. But here lay the problem—she’d die first.

She might need dozens, even hundreds of strikes to break his Essence. One single catch from him, and she was finished. Impossible. Worse, Yue Ge was improving at a terrifying pace. His early movements had been clumsy; now, fluid and precise. Nilin no longer dared approach carelessly.

Her only real chance had been the first strike. When it failed, retreat should have followed. But Wang Ming’s orders remained incomplete. Leaving felt unacceptable. Now, she could only hope for a hidden weakness. Patience was not her shortage.

Then—she noticed it.

“Shut up…”

Yue Ge, walking calmly down the aisle, suddenly tightened his grip, slashing backward at empty air. Nilin was far off—nothing there but void. He released the blade, dispersing it, his expression darkening.

“I told you to shut up!”

From her vantage, he seemed to snap—wildly hacking at nothing behind him.

…

Rage-induced instability?

Many Chosen Ones struggled to control their Essence; personality shifts after absorption were common. Essences varied in danger—those drawn from violently tempered monsters warped their hosts far more severely.

“Faking it…? Doesn’t feel like it.” Nilin silently closed the distance. If genuine, this was her opening. The moment he reached for a stabilizer, she’d strike without hesitation.

She hadn’t expected the chance so soon. But with an Essence this potent… a violent backlash made sense.

“Kill…” Yue Ge slightly lowered his head, hand covering his face, voice barely a whisper.

Kill…

Kill her…

Kill her kill her kill her kill her kill her kill her kill her kill her kill her kill her…

“My chance.” A crimson flash lit Nilin’s eyes. She melted through shadows, lunging to stab his forehead. Hands over his eyes—he couldn’t possibly block.

Yet the blade froze ten centimeters from his skin. The protective shadows shielding her dissolved silently. A deep, inexplicable dread seized her. No force held her—yet she couldn’t move a muscle.

The black aura coiling around Yue Ge sank into the floor like a bowing servant, vanishing completely. He laughed softly, smirk rising. One hand dropped; he plucked the combat knife from her grip with effortless ease.

Nilin could only watch, paralyzed. She strained to vanish back into darkness, to flee—but her Essence lay utterly inert, unresponsive to her desperate calls.

The impossible had just unfolded before her eyes.

“A gutter rat dares challenge Death?” Yue Ge whispered.

The instant he spoke, Nilin felt her Essence stir. Ignoring the horror, she dove into the shadows beneath her feet, fleeing like a madwoman.

No…

This wasn’t the Yue Ge from moments ago. Absolutely not.

Pure instinct screamed: run. Only run. The thought of killing him had vanished. This wasn’t an opponent for her—no, not for any human.

Escape… or die here.

“Behold—so simple.” Yue Ge slightly spread his palm. The combat knife levitated, swallowed by black mist. A gentle flick sent it shooting toward the door, piercing the sole patch of darkness before it.

Blood bloomed. The shadow twisted, then spat Nilin out. She collapsed in a heap, the blade buried deep in her back.

“I want… to go home…” Her fingers twitched. She dragged herself a few inches—then fell, just a step from the exit. Light faded from her eyes.

The Death Aura on the knife dissipated, replaced by the one now seeping from her body. Before it could scatter, inky blackness surged from the floor, devouring it greedily—leaving nothing.

Only then did Yue Ge lower his other hand from his eye. A scoff escaped him. “Overestimating yourself.”

He didn’t glance back. Like a sovereign surveying his realm, he strode to the warehouse’s center and slowly raised a hand. A map would show this spot neared the heart of the Heavenly Mandate Building—beneath his feet lay its core.

“Not enough…” Eyes closed, Death Aura swirled around him, then surged inward, reshaping him. Flowing black robes enveloped his form; he floated midair. Within the deep hood, an eerie glow flickered.

The Reaper had descended.

Hefting the Reaper Scythe on his shoulder, one hand hovering lightly, he bowed his head and intoned:

“O Defiled God who slumbers here, I command you in the name of…”

“Awaken, Galsis.”