Dawn Walker

Stephen twisted his head.

The claws missed his neck but tore across his cheek. More blood spilled.

Sofia controlled it instantly. Thin red needles formed from Stephen’s own blood and attacked his eyes.

Stephen closed them.

The needles struck his eyelids.

Elena punched him in the chest.

BOOM!

Stephen was thrown across the courtyard.

He passed through the main gate and struck the street outside.

The ground collapsed beneath him.

For several seconds, no one moved.

Then Natasha looked toward Sofia.

"That worked."

Sofia answered, "Because he was fighting three directions at once."

Elena looked toward the destroyed gate.

"Do not underestimate him."

She was right.

Stephen rose from the crater outside.

His clothes were badly damaged now.

Blood ran down his face and back.

One cheek had four claw marks across it.

His expression had become completely calm.

That frightened Elena more than anger would have.

Stephen looked toward Mihos.

"Young master."

Mihos waved one hand.

"Take your time."

Stephen nodded.

Then he stepped back into the courtyard.

The strange force around him expanded.

Elena became serious immediately.

Sofia and Natasha stopped smiling.

Even Sekhmet felt something inside his body react.

Stephen had not been using everything.

The next few minutes proved it.

At first Elena, Sofia, and Natasha continued attacking together.

Elena controlled the front.

Sofia supported from range with blood chains, blades, and restraints.

Natasha used her speed and Half-God body to attack from blind angles.

For a short time, Stephen was pushed backward.

Then he adapted.

The strange force around him changed.

Sofia’s blood chains slowed before reaching him.

Natasha’s movements became heavier whenever she entered a certain distance.

Elena’s strange control over the stone beneath him stopped working properly.

Stephen attacked once.

Sofia flew through a wall.

He attacked again.

Natasha blocked with both arms.

Both bones broke.

Before she could recover, another invisible force struck her stomach and sent her across the courtyard.

Elena rushed him.

Stephen caught her fist.

Their strange powers collided. The air between them folded.

Elena’s face changed.

Stephen pushed.

Elena dropped onto one knee. The stone beneath her shattered.

Stephen kicked her chest.

She flew backward and rolled across the courtyard.

The three women stood again.

They attacked again.

The result became worse.

Sofia managed to wrap a blood chain around Stephen’s throat.

He grabbed it and pulled it.

Sofia was dragged directly toward him.

His elbow struck her face.

Her nose and cheekbone broke at once.

Natasha attacked his side.

Stephen turned and caught her by the neck. He slammed her into the ground.

Once.

Twice.

The third impact created a crater beneath her body.

Elena reached him and forced him to release Natasha.

She struck his shoulder.

Stephen barely moved. His hand caught Elena’s throat. He lifted her.

Sekhmet’s eyes hardened in tension.

Elena grabbed Stephen’s wrist with both hands.

The force around her erupted.

Stephen’s grip loosened just enough for her to kick his chest and break free.

She landed several steps away.

All three women were injured now.

Their bodies healed.

But Stephen gave them less and less time between attacks.

Mihos remained seated. He had stopped paying attention to the frightened Iron House servants completely.

His eyes were on Sekhmet. He wanted Sekhmet to watch.

The meaning was obvious. This was the difference between them.

Sekhmet could bring Half-Gods. He could have strange abilities. He could destroy Iron House and steal victories inside a lower-domain game.

But Mihos had a mid-rank God standing beside him.

And that God was now beating Elena and two ancient Half-Gods at the same time.

Sofia hit the courtyard floor near Sekhmet. Her body bounced once before stopping. Half of her upper clothing had been torn by the impact. Several ribs had broken, and blood came from her mouth.

She pushed herself up anyway.

Natasha landed not far from her a moment later. Her left arm hung uselessly. She grabbed it with her right hand and forced the shoulder back into position.

Elena remained standing in front of Stephen. Barely... Blood covered her face. One eye was swollen shut. Her left arm had broken again.

The divine wound through her stomach was taking too long to close. Still, she placed herself between Stephen and Sekhmet.

Stephen walked toward her.

"You cannot protect him."

Elena spat blood onto the broken courtyard.

"I only need to keep standing."

Stephen looked at her for a moment.

Then he raised one hand.

Sekhmet felt the danger immediately.

Elena was losing.

Sofia and Natasha were losing.

And this time waiting would not solve anything.

Stephen’s power did not have a ten-minute limit.

He was a real God.

Sekhmet’s mind moved quickly.

"Void Land?"

He could open it, but Stephen was fast enough to attack before everyone entered. Even if Sekhmet escaped inside, Mihos would remain outside, and Stephen will know Sekhmet possessed some form of spatial ability after seeing him escape. Using the Void Land carelessly could expose more than Sekhmet wanted.

Blood Puppet?

Not useful against someone this far above him.

Blood Control?

His current level could barely affect Dickoff when Dickoff reached Half-God power. Against a real mid-rank God, the difference was absurd.

Vampire Creation?

Impossible in the middle of this fight.

Blood Summon?

His summons were nowhere near strong enough.

Sekhmet clenched his fist.

Then a clear sound rang inside his mind.

[Ding!]

Sekhmet froze.

The System appeared.

[Blood Proficiency requirement fulfilled.

Blood Proficiency: 100/100.

One Blood Skill Upgrade is available.]

Sekhmet stared at the notification.

The timing could not have been better.

He had reached one hundred percent Blood Proficiency after drinking from more than two hundred prisoners and using his blood powers repeatedly during the battle with Dickoff.

He could upgrade one skill.

One.

Sekhmet looked toward Stephen.

Elena blocked another attack.

The force drove her backward and made both knees touch the ground.

Sofia and Natasha rushed forward together.

Stephen released a wave of power.

Both women were thrown away before reaching him.

Sekhmet looked back at the System.

If he upgraded the correct skill, the battle might change.

Blood Control could become stronger.

Blood Summon might create something capable of helping.

Vampire Creation could perhaps increase the strength of those under him.

Blood Regeneration might make him harder to kill.

Blood Eye might reveal something about Stephen’s strange power.

Blood Puppet could possibly gain a new effect.

One upgrade could change everything.

Then another System message appeared.

[Warning: An immediate skill evolution may influence the current battle.

However...]

Sekhmet’s eyes narrowed.

"However?"

The System did not continue.

Sekhmet watched Elena try to stand again.

There was no time for unfinished sentences.

He asked inside his mind.

"What do you mean by ’however’? What will happen?"

Another attack shook the courtyard.

Sekhmet ignored it for one heartbeat and focused entirely on the System.

"Which skill should I upgrade if I want to change this battle?"

His thoughts became sharper.

"And what will it cost me?"

The System began to respond.

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