Scott locked eyes with the territorial lord. She stared back, a smile etched on her face, silence settling thick between them. The weight of the gathered champions' gazes bore down on him.

  He opened his mouth to speak—

  Laughter, loud and thunderous, cut him off.

  “I can’t believe you had the same idea as me,” the woman said, struggling to suppress her amusement. She moved closer, her eyes never leaving his. “I should have known you’d want payback.”

  Her left hand reached for the severed heads tied to her waist. With a sharp tug, she snapped the string and tossed the heads toward Scott by their tangled hair.

  Scott made no move to catch them, watching as they tumbled to the dirt at his feet. His focus remained on the woman.

  “Too late,” she grinned. “You should’ve used that invitation talisman I gave you. We could’ve had some fun hunting them down together.” Her gaze flickered, scanning the battlefield.

  Then, she turned back to him. “So, where are they?”

  Scott tilted his head slightly. “Who?”

  “Your army, of course.”

  Scott chuckled. Around him, he could feel the scrutiny from the other champions intensify.

  The woman’s smile didn’t falter. “Did I say something funny?”

  “Why do you think I need an army to handle trash like them?” Scott asked, his own smile growing.

  A ripple of anger passed through the surrounding forces. Fists clenched around weapons, faces twisted in fury. Beasts snarled, and those manning the massive war bowls adjusted their aim toward him.

  The leader, however, remained composed. Her grin only widened.

  “Since I need my armies to eliminate them, are you saying we’re trash too?”

  Scott shrugged. “Interpret it however you like.” His gaze swept over the battlefield before settling back on her. “I would’ve liked to deal with them myself, but you beat me to it.” He stepped forward. “Still, I came a long way, and I don’t plan to leave empty-handed.”

  His voice sharpened. “Hand over the territory, and I’ll let you and your people leave in one piece.”

  Silence gripped the corpse-ridden battlefield. Then, without warning—

  Bloodlust exploded from the surrounding champions.

  A chorus of growls, howls, and drawn weapons filled the air. The tension snapped taut, the very ground seeming to coil in anticipation of violence.

  Scott, unfazed, kept his eyes on the woman. I didn’t expect her to be this composed. I thought she’d be just another hothead.

  She let out a small chuckle. “I do like idiots like you.”

  Her form lowered as she dropped to the ground, then advanced—slowly, deliberately. Each step radiated power, her tanned muscles flexing beneath her chiseled frame. Confidence, raw and absolute, dripped from her every movement.

  Within moments, she loomed over Scott.

  “I’ll ask you again,” she said, voice heavy as the earth shuddered beneath them. Bloodlust poured from her, thick and suffocating. The gathered warriors staggered back eight paces, unable to withstand the sheer pressure of her intent.

  Scott, still smiling, remained unmoved.

  “There’d be no point living if I needed an army to take care of you and your people.”

  Her eyes gleamed. “You really are stupid, aren’t you?”

  Scott grinned wider. “Guess I am. What are you gonna do about it?”

  The battlefield stilled.

  Seconds crawled by, the earth trembling harder with each breath. The woman’s skin reddened, steam visibly rising from her body.

  She parted her lips to speak—

  Then, a familiar chime echoed in Scott’s ears.

  Over thirty notifications announcing the conquest of several territories appeared in front of Scott and even more appeared by the second.

  Scott chuckled softly, his laughter swelling into a full-blown cackle as he tilted his head back. They’re finally fulfilling the mission I sent them to accomplish, he mused, recalling the summons he had dispatched to conquer territories in his name.

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  “Do you realize the situation you’re in?” The woman’s voice cut through his amusement, dragging his attention back to her.

  Instantly, she retreated several steps, her brows furrowing as she stared at him. Gone was her domineering aura—replaced by sheer disbelief. Her chest heaved, arms trembling, eyes locked on the darkened spot beneath Scott’s feet.

  “You’re faster than I expected,” Scott said, stepping forward. “Most wouldn’t have dodged that. But there won’t be a second time.” His voice, calm yet absolute, carried across the battlefield. “Hand over the territory, and I’ll let you leave in one piece. Final warning.”

  Then it came—a crushing force that split the air. Champions and beasts alike collapsed, their faces pressed into the dirt. The earth trembled, the sky darkened, and bloodlust wrapped around them like a vice.

  Scott walked forward, unhurried. With each step, the champions sank deeper.

  “Get up! Now!” the woman roared, but none obeyed.

  She turned to Scott, fury twisting her features. “If you kill them, I swear I—”

  “Swear what?” Scott cut in, his gaze unflinching. “Don’t test me. I’ll kill them. Every last one. And if you push me, you’ll watch as I do it.”

  His voice dropped, cold as death. “Try me.”

  The woman’s lips parted, but no words came. A system notification materialized before her, followed moments later by one in front of Scott.

  Instantly, the crushing pressure dissipated. “You should’ve done that from the start,” Scott said as the echoes of shattering glass followed.

  The woman blinked multiple times, confusion clouding her vision. “What’s the meaning of this?” she demanded, staring at her subordinates who remained in battle formation, their bodies showing no signs of the weight of what had just transpired.

  “You used an illusion on me?” she asked, but her words fell on deaf ears.

  Scott had already turned away, departing at a leisurely pace.

  “Wait!” she called after him.

  Scott stopped, glancing over his shoulder. Though he said nothing, his probing gaze demanded an answer.

  “I challenge you to battle,” she declared. “One-on-one. Do you dare accept?”

  Scott chuckled, shaking his head. “Are you stupid, or just dumb?” he scoffed. “Even after what you saw, you still dare—”

  “You caught me off guard,” she interrupted. “It won’t happen again.” She took a step forward. “I’m not asking for a battle to the death, but I refuse to end things like this.”

  Scott sighed, shaking his head. “Why should I entertain your delusions?”

  Then, a thought struck him. A sly grin curled his lips.

  I gave them a chance to leave quietly, but since she’s too stubborn to take a hint, she shouldn’t blame me for what comes next.

  “You know what? I’m in,” he said. “However, should you lose, you’ll hand over all your territories to me. Deal?”

  She hesitated, brows furrowing. She wanted this fight, but not at the cost of everything she had built.

  “Well?” Scott pressed, arms crossed.

  “I can’t accept such a—”

  Scott laughed, cutting her off. “I believe there’s a huge misunderstanding here,” he said smoothly. “You don’t have a choice. I gave you an out, but you refused. I’m taking your territories whether you like it or not. The only question is whether you’ll surrender them willingly or make me take them by force.”

  Her glare sharpened. “I don’t care what happens to me, but I’ll never let harm befall my followers—”

  “You should have thought about that before recklessly issuing a challenge,” Scott retorted. He chuckled at her naivety. “What exactly were you expecting to happen?”

  The woman clenched her fists. “I didn’t want to use this,” she muttered, locking eyes with Scott. “But I’ll do anything to protect my people.”

  The heavens churned as a sigil manifested in the sky—a colossal bronze arm, its radiant glow bathing the battlefield.

  Power surged through form of the territorial lord, her form bursting with vitality.

  Scott’s brows lifted, his gaze flicking between her and the sigil. Oh? She’s a user of authority too?

  His lips curled into a smile as he observed her trembling frame. By the looks of it, her body can’t handle that power yet.

  The baptism ended, and the territorial lord stood gallant. She adjusted her position, and she disappeared, manifesting in front of Scott with her fist heading towards his unguarded face. The sound of breaking bones and punctured flesh echoed within the silence, and the assembled champions watched as a massive crater formed where Scott once stood, dust clouds rising into the air.

  The territorial lord returned to her previous position—panting as she dropped to her knees, but her eyes remained trained on the rising dust. Her reddened skin returned to normal, and all traces of the vitality she had received from the sigil had disappeared.

  “Did I go overboard?” she muttered, struggling to stand.

  “Are you satisfied now?” Scott’s voice came from behind, and the rattling of chains accompanied it.

  The woman attempted to turn, but Scott’s voice came to her again. “I will deal with you later. It looks like there was another person intent on conquering this territory too.”

  Barely after Scott’s declaration, the system’s notification manifested, and a tear appeared within the battlefield.

  The echoes of whips tearing flesh and anguished screams mixed with wails echoed from afar. Scott, staring at the breach, noticed several floating crucifixes approaching, and his brows creased. Each crucifix had someone nailed onto it, and ghoulish arms equipped with thorny whips thrashed at their forms with menacing accuracy.

  Then—a voice—raspy and dry, thundered within the area. “Torn is our flesh, battered is my soul!”

  “Our wound sings a hymn of suffering, each scar a scripture of agony,” several voices echoed in unison.

  “Pain holds us—we do not resist. We welcome it, we cherish it, we become it,” the raspy voice continued.

  “The world turns blind its eyes to torment, but we will show them. We will carve anguish into the bones of existence, let suffering seep into the marrow of every living thing. They will understand. They will scream,” the voices declared in unison.

  “Let pain descend upon this imperfect world. Let it baptize the unbroken. Let it be known—agony is truth, and we are its herald!”