Coughing blood, Prince Samatv got back onto his feet and looked at the woman who appeared at the entrance in fear.

But his eyes narrowed as he noticed that she was staring only at Telor. That gaze was filled with so much hatred that the Prince could only wonder how this imposter managed to piss her off so much.

On the other hand, Zara didn't care about the injured prince. It was clear that the two fought and had bad blood between them.

So, she didn't kill him as she would have otherwise. It was a small thing, but the woman wanted to torture Telor in every possible way. If it meant keeping his enemy alive, she'd be glad to do so.

Varian gave her an irritated look. "It's not that I don't want to beat the shit out of you. It's just that a woman I'm close with already called her dibs on you. Please understand and fuck off."

Prince Samatv's jaw dropped. His hatred for the imposter didn't decrease even a bit but other than that hatred, an emotion called surprise filled his feelings toward this man.

At his words, Zara's shoulders trembled before she cackled. While she did that, her nails pierced her face and tore her skin. Fresh blood spilled out and she looked at him with a look that had already gone beyond the realm of sanity.

"Did anyone tell you? Your tongue is quite poisonous. I wanted to rip it apart before, but now I will let you keep it. The very tongue that mocked me with the most nefarious of insults, I wonder how it sounds as you beg me for mercy, pleading me, and praying me. Ahhh~ I can't wait!"

'This bitch has gone crazy.'

Varian's expression crumpled and his fist moved forward. Instead of upping one path, Varian raised Paragon Body and Death Giant.

It was very weird to activate both of them at once.

Paragon Body powered by

and

was in direct contrast with Death Giant powered by

and

The two powers clashed against each other violently and Varian's skin started to turn red and black.

His punch that should've caught her offguard was invalidated as his speed and strength all crashed.

On the other hand, Zara was able to respond with a swing of her spear, which neatly cut Varian into two, right across his waist.

As he lay in pieces, Varian couldn't even think of anything else. He won't die from this injury. But from the implosion that these two forces might make, he would definitely not survive.

'Fuck!'

He decided to turn off one path and boost only one. But as he was about to do that, something unexpected occured.

As if responding to a call he could not hear, the soul path broke through the bottleneck.

A mystical fire began to burn from his soul. A force began to awaken. 𝙛𝓻𝙚𝙚𝔀𝙚𝓫𝓷𝙤𝒗𝙚𝙡.𝒄𝙤𝒎

It was there when the first human came into existence.

It was there when the first creature embarked onto the divine path.

It was there when creation began.

The mystical power of soul soared. His soul was now a miraculous fire. It had the power of soul but it also had control of life—and as a living being, it gave him an unfair advantage.

[Ignis Rank 7: 0/10,000

If life is but a clump of cells, what even is a soul?

Instinct is material. Consciousness is not.

Every sentient life has soul breathed into it. Soul does not exist without life.

would control people through the power of soul but only the dead. Because he has a major control over soul with some control over death.

would also control through the power of soul but only the living. Because she has a major control over soul but only minor control over life.

These two paths are aimed at control. At externalities. To become the leader of an army.

But the other way is internal. At self-enhancement. To become the perfect soldier and be your own army.

While all paths might be considered equal in the grand scheme, for an individual in

specific race, at a specific talent, with a specific need, paths are unequal.

You are not born in the Mors, Empire of the Dead. You are a living being.

So, the path of

would not show its full potential.

However,

is suitable the best fit.

Even though these paths are the same in the realm of the soul, the affinity they have towards life and death will make their value for a living and Undead different.]

It was a long, long message.

The System was audacious enough to give that a fricking essay when he's cut into two pieces and was about to implode.

Turns out, Logos was not that dumb.

Once the power of Ignis activated, the clashing forces of life and death came under control in an instant, as if the implosion that was about to set off was just an illusion.

Varian's body that was severed down the waist shone with a blue fire and joined back.

All the injuries on his body disappeared. Forget stabs from the spear, there wasn't even a scratch on his skin.

"Y-You!"

Zara who just took out the torture box was mortified.

She had kept an eye on him and noticed he wasn't moving at all. Heck, his aura was so unstable that she worried he might die on the spot. So, before he died, she wanted to torture him in the last moments.

But what the fuck happened in just an instant?

"M-Me!" Varian also pointed to himself and stuttered in confusion.

He was more confused than anyone else. Despite his strength reaching the borders of a rank 8 previously, it did not breach into that territory.

But when his soul power awakened and controlled the opposite energies, his strength broke into the rank 8 territory.

He only had three paths in rank 7 so far and they just entered rank 7.

Even though he had four peak rank 6 paths, the gap between rank 7 and rank 8 was too big for them to bridge.

So how exactly did three rank 7s and four rank 6s push him to the height of a rank 8?

'The four rank 6 paths are only contributing around 10%…these three, no, the three of them together are leading to this situation.'

He'd have to study it properly later.

Zara Woz scanned him in confusion, ready to counter any surprise movements while the spear in her hand started to charge for a dangerous attack.

"Who the fuck are you?" She asked in a tense tone. "You are weird. Your powers are werid. Was it the power of death? Or soul? Or both? No, no. It makes no sense."

Prince Samatv quietly moved to a corner of the hall and took out a card. A powerful aura began to leak out of it.

"You traitorous son of a bitch! People like you should be killed to purify this world of filth!"

With a powerful burst of aura, the phantom of a woman in purple clothes appeared.

She wasn't just a rank 8. She was also a familiar face.