Chapter 503: Island Rescue (8).
'Most of they are ascending to Tier 1.' Cain was a quick conclusion after observing for a bit.
A big difference between Mutant Creatures and humans was that humans had to take on certain trials before they would be allowed to ascend up the next Tier. However, for Mutant Creatures, there was no trial.
So long as they accumulated enough EXP and consumed a vast amount of flesh and blood to grow their physical power, they would seamlessly break through.
Right now, a lot of these creatures were breaking the Level 100 boundary and becoming Tier 1 creatures. This meant these waters were about to get a hell of a lot dangerous.
Looking into the distance, Cain could make out numerous people engaged in battle with themselves and Mutant Creatures as well.
He could instantly make out a few familiar and not so familiar faces.
He quickly picked up speed...
Just as Steve was wondering what to do, a loud bang assaulted his ears. Francis, who was in the middle of losing his group being ganged up on by more than three people, already covered in multiple terrible wounds, stared down at his chest is surprise.
Where a certainly vital organ had once been was now a large, bloody hole. One would be able to see the not-so-lovely scenery behind him through the hole.
"W-what..." It has happened so suddenly. Slowly, he turned around.
Standing there with a smoking barrel pointed at Francis, Cain spoke in a voice laced with permafrost,
"Remember me?"
Terrible memories immediately filled his head.
How wouldn't he remember? This was the same bastard that had cut his arm off. He would have been killed for sure that day, or perhaps something even worse if he hadn't chosen to act.
Suddenly, he remembered his words from that day...
"Don't move from this place. If you do, I will find you and take your legs from you. I let you off easy today, but next time I won't be so nice. You've hurt my comrade badly, so this is the least I can do for you."
These were the words Cain had spoken to him that day. The only problem was that had he not moved, he would have died one of three ways; he would have either frozen to death, died from blood loss or an infection for not having his severed hand treated, or he would have been eaten by a scary dweller of the depths.
Also his pride would have never allowed him to have just kept standing there like a fool...
But the consequences of this...
'He... he doesn't remember, right?'
Cain grinned, "I remember."
Cain pulled out {Platinum Genesis} from his inventory and gracefully slashed, severing Francis' legs off.
"Arghhh!" A loud scream of agony shot out of Francis' mouth as he became delirious due to the pain.
"All of you, stop!" Noticing that somethkng was wrong, Rollo quickly broke away from Ignis and Steve, then turned to face Cain who had seemingly appeared out of nowhere.
'It's him... What is he doing here?!' Rollo thought with a frown.
Suddenly, he looked around and spotted Luke who had disappeared for some time, as well as a few others surrounding them, weapons drawn.
He immediately knew what was going on.
Cain turned his head to face him, "Oh? Seems like your situational processing isn't bad at all."
Right now, the Crimson Warriors were doing bad. Most of them were dead, and the ones that were still breathing were hanging by thread. However, they fought on still because of the assumption that Guy was still fighting on. Once he won, defeating their enemies wouldn't be impossible at all. They just had to hold out.
"What are you waiting for? Luke! Where have you and your men been?! Kill them all!" Zue shouted at the remaining Lightslayers. Now that Francis was down and Luke had appeared from seemingly nowhere, the pressure on them had reduces greatly. Now, they would also be able to handle these guys that had come from nowhere.
Zue could already thing about it. Once he one, Lukas would congratulate him for a job well done, and they would gain greater favors from the Light God.
Things absolutely couldn't go wrong.
BANG!"
Zue let out a shout as a bullet punctured through the flesh of his arm.
"Who said you could speak?" Cain shot his a lazy glance.
"W-what is going on?! Luke! Are you betraying us?!"
The other Lightslayers immediately became alert and pointed their weapons at Cain.
Luke and his men pointed their weapons at what remained of the Crimson Warriors and the remaining Lightslayers.
Luke waved dismissively, "I was never on your side in the first place, so there is no way I can betray you. It was merely a relationship of convenience."
Zue gritted his teeth, "Just you wait. Once Lukas gets here, you will be sorry. Chloe! Cast a barrier!"
Hearing that, Evangeline smiled softly, but said nothing.
Chloe sighed and stepped forward. Throughout the battle she had been very essential in the survival of the Lightslayers. The only reason there was not more of them dead was thanks to her support capabilities, providing shields and healing at opportune moments.
She stared straight at Cain, "You... Who are you?"
Cain shook his head, "Introductions can come later. First, we have to get rid of the rabble." He then turned towards the remaining Crimson Warriors.
Feeling the weight of his stare, Rollo took a step forward,
"I don't think we have offended you in any way. Right?"
Ignis stared coldly, "Tell that to the humans you brutally slaughtered that day."
Rollo seemed confused, trying to figure out what the relationship between the woman who didn't seem fully human standing before him, and the human that had appeared all of a sudden and shot Francis in the chest.
Cain fixed Rollo a strange look, "So he's the one..."
Ignis nodded. However, she hesitated for a moment,
"He only did it due to the commands of their leader, but that doesn't mean he isn't guilty."
Cain nodded calmly, "I see... Then, we are willing to take prisoners. Anyone who drops their weapons and surrenders in the next three seconds won't be killed."
There were about seven Crimson Warriors, including Rollo, Idris, and Francis, left. There men were the cream of the crop in the Blood God's camp, each and every one of them Tier 1.
They weren't afraid of death at all.
Cain narrowed his eyes seeing that they had no intentions of complying,
"One."
Rollo seemed to think of something for a second before he turned to the rest of the Crimson Warriors,
"Put your weapons down."
Francis, laying on the ground, his legs already having disappeared into the only depths, yelled at him,
"What the fuck are you saying, Rollo?! You freaking scumbag coward! Kill the bastards!"
Idris had already taken proper stock of their situation. Even if Cain and Luke alongside his men hadn't shown up, they would have still lost. Perhaps he would have been able to escape with his life then, but now, that didn't seem possible.
"Well, I don't want to lose my life, so I'll give up for now. However, when the Boss gets here, you'd better prepare yourself." Idris said as he let his weapon slip out of his hands. The daggers plopped into the water and sank into the depths.
Cain frowned. White light flashed on his hands, and a large, blood-red battle axe appeared,
"Trust me. He won't be coming. He told me himself."
Silence...
"He... he-h... He...!"
Rollo couldn't believe what he was seeing,
"Why are you with that?!"
Idris was wide eyed for a second before calming down a wet smile on his face,
"I see. He lost, didn't he." He wanted to laugh, but he couldn't bring himself to.
The other Crimson Warriors quickly understood what was going on. One of them, the only female in the group, quickly threw her weapon away. The remaining for seemed to still hesitate. However, the time for hesitating was over.
Cain's voice was cold, "Time's up."
Just as he was about to act, Luke and his men beat him to it. Unsheathing his blade, Luke sent a streak of dark energy at one of them cleanly loping of his head.
"Wait wait wait! I surrender! I surren-"
The rest could barely get a word in before they were brutally slaughtered as well.
"Such is the fate of men who fall to the more like pigs. Their fate is to die like pigs as well." Luke said coldly, sheathing his sword.
Then he turned to Cain, "Sorry. This is the only closure we can get now."
Cain nodded, "It's alright. Saves me from dirtying my hands anyway. So that means three survivors, huh..."
"Three..." The words had barely fallen off his lips when he saw Cain approach him.
Lifting his hand, it fell again. That was the last thing Francis would see, as his head came off the next moment.
Blood splattered on him, but Cain didn't pay it any mind.
He turned to Rollo, "I won't kill you yet. However, you have a lot of explaining to do, and a lot of debts to pay before I grant you death."
His voice was casual, yet contained a malice unlike anything Rollo had ever heard. Even Guy was not this intensely baleful.
He could only stay silent.
Meanwhile, the previously empty horizon sudden had something on it.
Gwendolyn had found her master...