"How dare you!" Zig bellowed. He tried to regenerate, but the limb wouldn't reappear. "What did you do? I can't regenerate!" he exclaimed at Darwin.
"It's quite simple, actually," Darwin said, his voice cold and devoid of emotion. "I just used my lightning to continuously eat away at where I cut. So, if you try regenerating, my lightning will just consume it."
"You delinquent! I will..." Zig began, but Darwin appeared before him in a blur, his axe raised to strike.
Zig braced for the fatal blow, but Hazel suddenly stood between them, blocking Darwin's attack with his scythe.
"Move out of the way," Darwin growled.
"You can't kill him. He is a brother to our friend," Hazel stated firmly.
Darwin's jaw clenched, his anger reaching a boiling point. "I will kill you!" he roared at Hazel, launching an attack.
"What's with you?" Hazel asked Darwin, his voice calm despite Darwin's relentless assault.
Darwin gritted his teeth, pausing momentarily, his chest heaving.
Ashton walked towards Darwin and slung an arm around his neck. "Come on, are you really going to fight over a lady?" he said, trying to reason with his friend.
Darwin's fury ignited at Ashton's words. He swung his axe wildly, aiming for Ashton's head.
Ashton, with his enhanced reflexes, managed to sidestep the blow. "So that's how it's going to be," he said, a hint of disappointment in his voice. "Do you know I would have died a moment ago if I didn't have the ability to predict a bit into the future?" A thin cut appeared on Ashton's cheek, a testament to how close he had come to being hit.
Amidst the commotion, Zig saw his chance. His thoughts coalesced into a plan, and he bolted, flying away from Hazel and the others at top speed.
Zig flew with incredible velocity, yet he seemed to be stuck in a loop, passing the same landmarks repeatedly. Confusion washed over him as he tried flying in different directions, only to find himself circling the same area.
"Don't bother," Hazel said to Zig, his voice carrying an air of finality. He turned his back on the ongoing conflict and walked towards the trapped demon prince.
As Hazel was about to pass Darwin, Darwin grabbed his shoulder, his grip tight with anger. "We are not done yet," he snarled. Hazel simply replied, "Yes, we are," and unleashed a surge of his aura.
The force of Hazel's aura slammed into Darwin, sending him flying backward. It was evident to everyone present that Hazel's power had increased significantly once again.
Hazel continued his approach towards Zig, his monstrous aura billowing around him.
Darwin crashed into a nearby rock, his anger reaching a boiling point. He scrambled to his feet, shouting, "I will kill you! I don't care if you're a f*cking immortal or a god, I will kill you!" He charged towards Hazel once more.
Hazel, on guard and increasingly irritated by Darwin's stubbornness, intended to knock him unconscious. But just as Darwin reached Hazel, Alexa intercepted, her hand flashing out to deliver a sharp slap across Darwin's face.
"Will you stop acting childish?" Alexa snapped at Darwin, her voice sharp with annoyance.
Darwin recoiled in shock, as did the others. Ashton, however, seemed to be thoroughly enjoying the unfolding drama.
Without a word, Darwin turned and flew away, disappearing into the distance.
Hazel watched the exchange, but his focus remained on Zig. He continued his advance, his terrifying aura still radiating intensely.
"I only have one thing to say," Hazel said to Zig, his tone imbued with an unimaginable weight of command, demanding absolute obedience and instilling profound fear.
Zig, a demon prince no less, was completely overwhelmed by terror.
"Will you stay and protect my town and my people? You will also be safe here with your sister," Hazel stated, his request surprising.
Zig, without hesitation, blurted out, "I will do whatever you want! Please don't kill me!"
~System notification~
{Zig the demon prince has submitted to you}
{The demon prince is now your subordinate}
{You have unlocked the title "Royal Master"}
~End of System notification~
"Good. Loris, show your brother around. I'm leaving," Hazel said, turning to depart.
"Things are really getting complicated," Oscar muttered, walking away.
"Yeah, it's a shame it ended so fast," Ashton said, following Oscar.
Loris helped her brother to his feet, and they walked off together.
Mia remained standing, silent and still.
"You really have a dramatic life, don't you?" Freyja commented to Hazel as he flew through the air.
"I guess," Hazel replied wearily.
~Darwin~
Darwin flew far from Hazel and the guild, his anger propelling him through the air. He was so consumed by his rage that when he saw a figure directly in his path, his first instinct was to kill them without stopping.
Summoning his axe, Darwin prepared to strike. But just as he swung, the figure's hand shot out and clamped onto Darwin's head, halting his movement. Panic surged through Darwin as he realized he couldn't move. He tried to use his hands and legs, but they were numb, as if severed.
Not willing to go down without a fight, Darwin instantly activated his vampire mode. His severed limbs regenerated in a flash. He grabbed the figure's hand, spun around, and broke free.
Releasing his vampire form, Darwin's fangs extended, his appearance shifted, and his aura and stats surged, though the sunlight weakened him.
"Wow, you really are strong," the figure said, a hint of surprise in their voice.
"You cut off my arms and legs in an instant, and I wasn't even able to see you with my speed. So, I could say the same to you," Darwin retorted, taking a defensive stance. He tried to summon his axe, but it remained on the ground where it had fallen.
As if responding to his will, Darwin's axe rose from the ground and hurtled towards the figure, who effortlessly dodged it, seemingly disappearing and reappearing in a different location to evade the attack.
"Whoa! You're a vampire!" the figure exclaimed.
"And so what?" Darwin challenged.
"Oh, nothing. I'm just surprised you're still in your right mind despite being a vampire," the figure remarked. "What about this? Join my guild."
"I'm already in a guild," Darwin stated.
"Well, it doesn't matter if I take over your guild, right?" the figure replied, a sinister undertone in their voice.
"Do you really think you can kill my guild master?" Darwin asked Doom, a hint of disbelief in his voice.
"I assure you, it will be like killing an ant," Doom replied with unwavering confidence.
"Alright then, if you can kill my guild master, I will join you," Darwin said, retracting his axe and his fangs, his appearance returning to normal as he suppressed his vampire form.
"Good, then I guess we have a deal. I hope this will be fun," Doom said, a faint smile playing on his lips.
"Anyway, what's your name?" Darwin asked.
"Well, my name is Noah, but gods call me 'Doom'," the guy said.
"Whatever. When are we killing the pr*ck?" Darwin asked impatiently.
"You must really hate your guild master. No matter, he will be dead soon enough," Doom said calmly.
Darwin, observing Doom's cool demeanor, couldn't shake the feeling that Doom was underestimating Hazel. "Don't underestimate my guild master," Darwin warned. "He is really strong."
"Don't worry, I will be just fine," Doom assured Darwin. "Let's go meet my guild members."
"Stay still," Doom instructed, holding up his hand towards Darwin. Suddenly, the forest vanished, and Darwin found himself in a completely different environment. He was standing in ruins, with a large supermarket directly ahead.
"Surprised, right?" Doom said, appearing behind him.
"How is there a supermarket here?" Darwin asked, bewildered.
"This supermarket was here before the apocalypse," Doom explained. "Come, let me show you something."
Doom led Darwin towards the supermarket. "This is where we stay," Doom said. "Staying with food is a good idea, right?"
They entered the dimly lit supermarket. Shelves lay overturned, and discarded goods littered the aisles, remnants of a time before the world changed. As they ventured deeper, a figure lunged at Darwin from the shadows. Darwin, reacting quickly, easily dodged the attack.
Summoning his axe, Darwin stood ready. The figure, a man dressed in dark, assassin-like clothing, emerged from the shadows and began to attack. However, Darwin's enhanced speed and reflexes allowed him to evade every strike.
"Enough," Doom commanded, and the attacker immediately ceased his assault. "Don't be angry with the fool. He's obsessed with being strong, but yet he is the weakest of us all," Doom said to Darwin.
"Am not the weakest! Am just holding back!" the assassin retorted. He fully revealed himself. "My name is Seth, popularly known as Death Eye. Nice to meet you," Seth said to Darwin.