Chapter 3 – The Demon’s Awakening

Kael barely dodged as the black chains tore through the temple floor, sending chunks of stone flying. He sprinted to the side, his mind racing through possibilities. No cultivation, no direct confrontation. I need an opening.

Raius’s eyes gleamed in the dim moonlight, his corrupted aura distorting the space around him. “Still running?” he mocked. “Did all your travels teach you nothing?”

Kael ignored the taunt. His hand brushed against the inside of his cloak, where a small silver emblem rested—a fragment of his unfinished Catcher. It wasn’t complete yet, but if he could just buy himself time…

System interface. Open inventory.

Before he could retrieve another item, Raius flicked his wrist. A dozen chains shot toward him. Kael barely managed to roll aside, but one of the chains grazed his arm. Pain shot through him—not just physical pain, but something deeper.

His soul trembled.

Kael gritted his teeth. So that’s how it is. These chains don’t just bind—they corrupt.

If he got caught, it was over.

He pressed his palm against the nearest pillar, fingers tracing the ancient carvings. A binding formation… good. Even though the temple was ruined, remnants of its magic still lingered. He might be able to use it to trap Raius, even for just a few seconds.

I just need him to step inside.

Kael took a steady breath. “You talk too much, Raius,” he said, wiping blood from his arm. “Guess possession makes you arrogant.”

Raius chuckled. “You think I’m possessed?” He spread his arms wide, as if inviting Kael to look closer. “This is enlightenment. The Demon God showed me the truth. He gave me power. You, of all people, should understand the price of weakness.”

Kael’s chest tightened. The Raius he knew would never have said that.

“You were never weak,” he muttered.

Raius’s expression darkened. “No?” The runes on his sword flared, and the entire temple trembled. The looming presence of the Ten Saints grew stronger, their shadowy figures flickering at the edges of Kael’s vision.

Raius stepped forward—into the formation.

Kael moved. He slammed his palm against the stone, activating the binding array. Golden light surged upward, forming a barrier around Raius.

For a split second, Raius’s face twisted—not in pain, but in recognition.

Kael saw it. A flicker of his old friend.

Then, darkness erupted. The golden light shattered like glass.

Kael barely had time to react before Raius was in front of him. A cold hand grasped his throat and lifted him off the ground.

"You think I’m still in there, don’t you?" Raius whispered. His eyes weren’t just glowing anymore—they were burning with something monstrous.

Kael’s vision blurred as the grip tightened. His system flickered, warnings flashing across his mind. His body was weak. His cultivation was zero. He couldn’t win this fight.

Not yet.

But he wasn’t here to win.

His fingers curled around the silver emblem hidden in his cloak. The fragment of his Catcher pulsed faintly. If he could just complete it…

Raius tilted his head. "Still fighting? Fine. Let me show you the power of a god."

A surge of dark energy erupted from his body. The temple walls crumbled. The Ten Saints' voices echoed through the ruins, chanting in an ancient, terrible language.

Kael’s breath hitched. He’s not just possessed. The Demon God is awakening.

His grip tightened on the emblem. He had to survive. He had to finish what he started.

Even if it meant breaking every rule of this world’s cultivation system.

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