Chapter 14：The Awakening Beast

James's gaze snapped to Cain, and to his shock, the man who should have been dead now stood, radiating an unsettling energy. The multicolored glow emanating from Cain's body pulsed with an ominous intensity, filling the air with an unexplainable sense of dread.

Cain stood motionless, his expression devoid of humanity. His eyes locked coldly onto James and his team, a predator studying its prey.

The henchmen instinctively stepped back, their unease palpable. One of them stammered, "Ms. James, his evolution metrics… they've skyrocketed!"

"This can't be real! We killed him!" Another in disbelief mounting.

James's expression hardened. He didn't need their commentary to realize the gravity of the situation. Cain's sudden surge in power wasn't just remarkable—it was unnatural, and it posed a genuine threat to his life.

Could Cain have been hiding his true strength all along? But why reveal it now, only after death? The scenario didn't add up. Unless… Cain wasn't dead at all.

A plausible explanation clicked in James's mind. Cain must have feigned his death, luring them into deactivating the zone-locking field—a one-use device that could no longer restrain him.

"Ms. James, what do we do?" One henchman's voice shook with panic.

James, ever composed, gave his order with a chilling calmness. "I'll handle him. The rest of you, secure the box and deliver it to the young master. Fail, and neither you nor your families will live to see tomorrow."

Before they could act, a series of grotesque sounds cut through the air.

Pop! Pop!

One by one, the henchmen's bodies twisted violently and exploded, James staggered back, his expression one of shock and disbelief as crimson droplets splattered across his face.

 His voice trembled for the first time. "What kind of power… is this? Who the hell are you?"

Cain remained silent, he merely stood there, silent as a predator, his gaze fixed on James like a beast sizing up its final quarry.

James's gut told him this fight was inevitable. But despite the horrifying display, he didn't waver. Cain was stronger now, certainly—but James wasn't weak.

"Been a while since I've had a real challenge," James growled, removing his coat and assuming a combat stance.

With a low growl, a layer of white energy surged over James, encasing him in a protective aura. "Let's see what you've got!" he roared, launching forward in a blur.

James's first punch was aimed straight at Cain's face. Cain didn't flinch. Instead, he narrowed his pupils, and James's protective shield shattered by unknown impact. A fraction of a second later, his right hand exploded in a spray of blood and bone.

"Gah!" James grunted, staggering back but quickly recovering. Ignoring the pain, he pivoted on one foot, sending a spinning kick toward Cain's head.

Cain didn't flinch. His gaze shifted to James's leg, and within an instant, it exploded as well, leaving James to collapse unceremoniously to the ground, balancing on one leg.

Grimacing through the pain, James pulled a white pill from his pocket and swallowed it. His mangled limbs began to regenerate almost immediately, reforming in moments. He clenched his fists, his energy flaring with newfound intensity.

"I don't know what you are," James growled, "but this ends now."

White energy surged from his palms, forming a massive wave that he hurled at Cain. The force hit Cain squarely, sending him crashing through a reinforced steel wall, which crumpled under the impact.

James didn't relent. Raising a hand, he activated his most feared ability: Bloodflay.

A sinister black light shot from his fingers, striking Cain directly. His flesh began peeling away, disintegrating like wax under a flame. 

The sight was grotesque, a gruesome manifestation of James's mastery of black magic—a category of abilities feared even among evolvers.

But Cain didn't react. Even as his body began to disintegrate, he remained unfazed, staring James down with those cold, unrelenting eyes.

Then, Cain's pupils contracted again.

A split second later, James's chest exploded outward in a violent burst of blood and gore.

"ARGH!" James screamed, staggering backward as pain overtook him. He clutched at the gaping wound in his chest, his breath ragged and uneven. For the first time, fear clouded his once-icy composure.

"His power… it's too unnatural. I can't keep fighting this," James thought, panic rising in his mind.

Every instinct screamed at him to flee.

Without hesitation, James Reaching into his jacket and pulled out a teleportation device.

His trembling hands activating it with practiced precision,In the blink of an eye, James vanished.

Leaving Cain stood alone in the desolate factory, his ominous glow dimming. Slowly, his monstrous energy subsided, and his bloodied flesh began to regenerate, restoring him to an unscarred state.

When his consciousness returned, Cain staggered, gripping his head in confusion. "What… what just happened?"

"You drove off your enemy," Dante's voice answered, calm and matter-of-fact.

"Drove off? I don't remember…" Cain muttered, his tone tinged with unease.

"You were overtaken by your totem's power. It acted on its own because you haven't mastered it yet. But be warned—your marks are depleted. You're treading dangerous ground now."

Cain's breath caught. "What happens if I die again?"

Dante paused. "I don't know. I suggest you avoid finding out."

Cain nodded slowly, a chill running down his spine. Whatever was happening to him, it was beyond his understanding. For now, survival was all that mattered.

He slipped away from the factory moments before the authorities arrived, his thoughts racing.

At a lavish estate sprawled across ten kilometers of pristine land, James stumbled into a private villa. Though his body had been restored, his mind remained haunted by the events in the factory.

After composing himself, he entered the main house, bowing respectfully at the doorway.

"I've returned, young master," he announced.

"Come in," a calm voice replied from within.

James stepped into the room, where his master, Leon, sat before a canvas, adding the finishing strokes to an abstract painting.

"How did it go?" Leon asked without turning.

"The data disk is secured. Please inspect it," James said, presenting the recovered box.

Leon finally set down his brush, taking the box with a slight smile.

He opening it with a casual press of his finger. Inside lay a smooth, unremarkable circular disk.

A smile touched Leon's lips. "Finally. It's back where it belongs. And the loose ends?"

James's face darkened. "Forgive me, young master. One remains alive."

Leon's brush froze mid-stroke. His voice turned cold. "What did you just say?"