Peak Master vs Saint (3)

Rasoul lay lifeless on the ground. The Saint continued to close in while reading another attack. he knew should he land another time, he would immediately disintegrate Rasoul's body, finally ending this farce.

What he failed to notice was a figure moving behind him. Rasoul launched an ice attack, but at the last moment, the Saint sensed the danger and dodged it. The body lying on the ground disintegrated into sparkles of light.

"Hah, that was a close one. I must admit, that move of yours was impressive. Mind handing over the skill book?" Rasoul remarked as he leisurely strolled towards the saint. He couldn't resist a sly addition, "Ah, who am I kidding? It will be mine soon enough. Your demise will grant me access to that precious ring on your finger."

Still in a daze, the saint questioned in disbelief, "How did you manage to survive that?"

"Abracadabra, bitch. I wouldn't mind sharing, but that'd spoil the fun. Since you've got a front-row seat to today's performance, why not wait and enjoy? I promise it'll be a spectacle, one to linger with you in the afterlife," Rasoul retorted with a layer of mischievousness decorating his face.

"I don't know how you pulled that off, but I'll kill you repeatedly until there's nothing left of you," the saint declared, conjuring a new attack.

"Duh, and who do you think will bite the dust first? An immortal like me or a mere saint who doesn't even know his left and right. Don't overestimate yourself, Mr. Saint. I haven't even started yet. What you saw was merely a warm-up," Rasoul quipped as he initiated his own attack.

Surviving the earlier onslaught, Rasoul owed his continued existence to a modification he made to his clone ability using the Modification Pass. He introduced a new layer to the ability that allow him to swap places with his clones. Having strategically placed the clones before the battle commenced. When caught off-guard by the saint, Rasoul deftly switched places with one of his duplicates.

It was a risky move. Attempting to face a Saint while still in the Master realm. He knew with his cosmic ability, the Saint could unleash an attack faster than he could yet he underestimated him and nearly died. He felt the pain Pinky felt—yes, he had peculiarly named his clones Pinky, Sinky, and Dinky. A quirk of his eccentric nature.

"Glacial Impulse!" the saint bellowed, launching his formidable attack.

"Ice Shield!" Rasoul commanded in response, conjuring a protective barrier of dense ice that enveloped him. Without delay, he countered with another assault, "Fulminant Volley."

Electrifying projectiles surged toward the saint, impacting and propelling him backwards, coughing up a mouthful of blood. Rasoul, too, faced the repercussions. While his defences absorbed the brunt of the strike, he couldn't escape entirely unscathed and was pushed back.

His Ice Shield ability, designed to absorb and disperse attacks, proved crucial. Using all the empty scrolls he possessed, Rasoul had created numerous abilities to pace himself in the battle. However, circumstances dictated otherwise.

Observing the fatigue etched on the saint's face, Rasoul seized the moment, activating Soul Gaze. A smile adorned his face as he discerned that the saint's soul strength was weaker than his own. This revelation led him to deduce that the Saint's mental strength might be similarly compromised if the soul strength was lacking.

Recognizing the potential danger of continuing the battle on the same terms as the saint, Rasoul foresaw an imminent threat that his Hell defence formation couldn't easily counter. With a ten-minute cooldown after activation, he couldn't afford to rely on it exclusively. To preemptively avert unforeseen troubles, he decided to shift the dynamics of the encounter, leading the saint into uncharted territory.

In a swift move, Rasoul swapped places with one of his clones, assuming an observer's role in the ongoing battle. After ten minutes, he executed another swap, ensuring that he didn't experience the painful sting of death again. Another ten minutes later, back in his original position, he activated his illusion ability—Distorted Perception. During the twenty minutes of closely monitoring the battle between the saint and his clones, Rasoul activated another Formation that cost him 100 million Fire points.

"Mr. Saint, it's been quite the play for the past hour. I've learned a lot, and I'm grateful. But now, it's time to send you on an acid trip. Enjoy the dreamland," Rasoul remarked as he prepared to unleash his next move.

"Activate formation...Mind World Manipulator: Amplify." This formation specialized in illusions and mental attacks, designed to elevate Rasoul's illusion abilities to a higher plane when confronting realms beyond his current reach. The amplified effect promised to enhance the potency of his illusion-type abilities significantly.

Ten Minutes passed, but the Saint stood there deep in thought. Rasoul was also in the same state, frozen, still holding his swords. After another 5 minutes, they both snapped out from their trance-like state. They both stared at each other for a second before the Saint finally dropped dead on the ground.

To understand what happened, it must be viewed from the Saint's Point Of View.

*****

Randy's POV

A mere ten minutes ago, as he recovered from that relentless lightning assault, He attempted to activate a movement ability. However, His thoughts were abruptly interrupted by a voice I knew all too well.

"Hey, Randy. Didn't I warn you to stay away from my family? Since you think you're above everyone, prepare to pay for your actions." A voice that belonged to a man clad in battle armour, he moved toward Randy as annoyance etched across his face. It seemed like he had warned Him countless times, but He failed to heed the caution.

Confusion clouded his mind as He, supposedly Randy, stood before this man. Something odd was happening, a sense of déjà vu lingering in the air. He had experienced this before, but the details eluded me. Slowly, he pushed aside those thoughts, focusing on the present.

"I already told you, old man, I do what I want, and there's nothing anybody can do to stop me," I retorted, a smug expression on my face.

"You know, Randy, people seem to have forgotten where my family's roots lie. Why don't I lecture you? You see, thousands of years ago, a supreme being bestowed a legacy upon us—an ultimate ability that granted us the means to target the souls of our enemies. My family concealed this legacy not out of fear but because its power was enviable. We kept this power hidden from the public eye to maintain our peace and live a content life. Yet today, you've crossed a line. I don't care how many spectators are watching or how many will come after us. I will use this power to kill you, and I'll await the consequences.

"I don't care if you're the descendant of gods themselves; I will end you and your entire lineage. And once I'm done, I'll seek out your daughter and gift her to some bandit with whom I'm trying to ally with." Randy spoke with malice, but before he could make a move, a sudden sharp pain pierced his heart.

The pain surged through his body and into his soul. A seemingly casual wave from the old man sent Randy to the afterlife.

*******

Back to the present

Randy, the leader of the infamous Dark Minions assassin group, lay lifeless on the ground. Initially frozen in shock, Rasoul couldn't comprehend the seemingly impossible turn of events. He planned to manipulate reality using his abilities, as he had done with the seven Semi-Saints weeks ago. But when he activated Distorted Perception, an unforeseen phenomenon unfolded.

Rasoul was in the backseat, forced to witness countless memories reshaping the saint's reality. In the original memory, the saint killed the man in armour and proceeded to exterminate his entire family. He then offered the daughter as a gift to the Blood Brothers bandit group, sealing their newly formed alliance.

Yet, in this altered reality, the man in armour casually employed his ability, saving himself and his family. The Distorted Perception abilities, enhanced by the amplified formation, extracted Randy's memories and turned them against him. In essence, Randy had brought about his own demise.

As for the existence of this mysterious family, Rasoul now harboured intentions to seek them out. He hoped to unravel more about soul attacks and the potential his mind and soul could attain through rigorous training and increased strength. The unexpected events opened a new realm of possibilities for Rasoul's growth.

Ding...

[Host has defeated a Saint Level Cultivator - Randy Fancy: Leader of Dark Minions Assassin Group]

>500,000 Exp Received

>80,000,000 Fire Points Received

>10,000 Attribute Points Received

>New Fire type Ability Received

>Minds Eye Recieved.

Ding...

[Quest Kill the leader of Dark Minions Guild - Completed Successful]

[Rewards:]

>100,000,000 Fire Points Received

>10,000 Attribute Points Received

>10 Empty Scrolls Received

> Master-level Rune book Received

> Master-level Alchemy book Received

> Shop will upgrade to Lv.2 Received

> Hidden Reward Received

"That's more like it," Rasoul smiled cheerfully. He had struck gold once again.

[Congratulations, host, for not dying this time.]

"You must be disappointed," Rasoul replied to the system, a smile playing on his face.

[I have to admit, I wasn't confident in you defeating this Saint. It was unexpected, actually.]

"Sorry for disappointing you, but I don't plan on dying anytime soon. You'll have to try harder than that if you want me dead.

"The quest penalty blackmail thing is quite mischievous of you," Rasoul replied, still smiling.

[You think so? Well, you won this time. Let's hope you can keep your head on the next one.]

"I will, and you'll be right there with me... Hahaha."

*****

"I think that's the last of them. Hope Boss is still alive?" Sabrat spoke as he and Lara sneaked away from an underground mansion.

"He's still alive; if not, you wouldn't be alive right now", Lara replied, showcasing her intelligence in response to Sabrat's foolish question.

A few hours earlier, they infiltrated the base of the Dark Minions, placing formations around it as instructed by Rasoul. Currently, they are making their way out to meet up with Rasoul for their final showdown with the assassination group. With their leader now deceased, nothing significant could stop them.