Chapter 264: Walking Cheat

Meanwhile...

Kael and Atlas could be seen floating slightly away from each other as they looked around the entire structure of the Domain. Darkness surrounded them from every direction, making it impossible to determine where the Domain truly began or ended.

The only things visible within that darkness were dozens of massive ashen-colored Rings floating throughout the surrounding space, each one positioned at a different distance and height.

The Rings were completely different from anything Kael had encountered before.

They radiated an immense amount of power, but it wasn’t Soul Force, nor was it Spirit Energy. The power didn’t even feel like a conventional form of energy that could be sensed or measured in the same way. Instead, there was something strange about its presence, as though the Rings themselves represented a rule that had been imposed upon the entire space.

Kael frowned slightly as he stared at them, ’System, what is that power? Don’t tell me it’s something new again?’

He asked the System directly because he couldn’t be bothered to spend time analyzing something Unknown himself. After everything that had happened since he entered this Domain, he had already seen enough strange things for one day.

The System remained silent for a moment before responding.

[That is not something new, Host, that is the power of his Domain.]

Kael’s expression changed slightly.

[The power to consume events. You can say that his Ultimate Ability has turned into a Law, which is why it is giving you a distinct feeling.]

Kael nodded slowly as he understood the explanation, ’So that’s why this place feels different.’ He looked around once again, his eyes moving from one ashen Ring to another, ’To think an ability could actually turn into a Law...’

The thought made him somewhat curious, but another thought quickly replaced it, ’But System, I’ve been wondering about something. Why isn’t there a function to fuse my own Unique Abilities? Shouldn’t a System have something like that?’

Kael’s expression became slightly serious as he continued thinking, ’I’ve read plenty of novels where Systems had fusion-type functions. If I can obtain multiple Unique Abilities, being able to combine them should obviously be possible too.’

[...]

The System became completely speechless.

Kael had been granted the ability to wield limitless Unique Abilities, something that should have been impossible for anyone in this World, and yet he was still asking why he didn’t have a function to fuse them together.

Truly, his shamelessness knew no bounds.

Kael waited for several seconds, but when the System didn’t answer, he simply shook his head with a small chuckle, ’I guess that’s a no.’ After another brief moment of silence, the System finally spoke again.

[Host should be warned at this moment. If that man, Orivian, wanted to, he could have killed all of you the moment you entered this Domain.]

Kael’s smile disappeared.

[It is highly likely that he wants something else, as he has not done so.]

’What?’ Kael’s eyes widened in shock. He immediately looked around, searching for Orivian’s figure, but there was no sign of him anywhere. The realization behind the System’s warning sent a chill through his body.

’Wait... If that’s true...’ His expression became increasingly serious, ’First, he made a fool of me using that illusion, and now you’re telling me he could kill all of us without even breaking a sweat?!’

Kael clenched his fists, For the first time since arriving in this World, irritation spread through his mind because he felt genuinely weak.

He had always known that there were stronger beings in this World. He had never considered himself invincible, nor had he believed that his Unique Abilities meant he could defeat everyone he encountered.

But there was a difference between being weaker than someone and realizing that the gap between the two sides was so enormous that he couldn’t even understand how the other person could kill him.

Orivian had entered that category.

Kael slowly exhaled as he tried to calm himself, ’So this is what it feels like to actually be powerless...?’ The feeling irritated him to the extreme.

Then another thought suddenly entered his mind, ’Wait.’ Kael’s eyes narrowed, ’His ability had one counter, right? It was those Flames Atlas released before... and that Null he has.’

The System immediately responded.

[Yes, Host. Those flames are something entirely different. Even the System cannot analyze them except for their name — Flames of Nothingness.]

Kael stared toward Atlas, for several seconds, he remained silent, but then again thinking about what had happened till now, he couldn’t help but laugh inwardly.

’Hah! At this point, he’s the walking cheat, not me.’ Kael shook his head, ’Is he even from this World at this point? I’m having a hard time believing that.’

His gaze shifted toward Atlas, the moment he did, he noticed Atlas moving. Unlike everyone else, Atlas wasn’t standing around trying to understand the Domain. He had already focused his attention on one of the massive ashen Rings floating nearby.

Atlas slowly moved toward it, Kael’s curiosity immediately returned, ’What is he planning to do?’

He didn’t have to wait long for an answer.

Atlas raised his hand.

The familiar black flames of Nothingness immediately covered his fist.

The moment the Flames of Nothingness appeared, the surrounding space seemed to become slightly distorted. Atlas didn’t hesitate. He simply pulled his arm backward before punching directly toward one of the massive ashen Rings.

The fist collided with the Ring.

CRACK!

The sound echoed through the darkness.

The massive Ring instantly developed countless cracks across its entire surface. The cracks spread from the point of impact at an incredible speed before the entire structure collapsed.

Its enormous body broke apart into countless tiny motes of light that floated briefly through the darkness before even those motes themselves began disappearing one after another.

Within an instant, everything about that ring was erased, Kael stared at the empty space where the Ring had existed, ’System, I understand that was the power of the Law, right? And it disintegrated just like that?’

He paused before shaking his head, ’Sigh...’ Kael rubbed his forehead, still trying to process what he had just witnessed.

The Ring was supposed to represent the power of Orivian’s Law within this Domain. Yet...Atlas had simply punched it with the Flames of Nothingness and destroyed it as though it were an ordinary object.

Kael’s gaze then shifted toward Atlas again, another thought surfaced, ’But there is one thing...’ He had been watching Atlas’s movements carefully, ’His punches and attacks are always crude, as if he has never really practiced fighting at all.’

Atlas simply relied on overwhelming physical strength, Fundamental Force, Null, and his various abilities to destroy whatever stood in front of him. Kael had noticed this before, but seeing Atlas fight inside a place where an existence had turned his Ability into a Law made the difference even more obvious.

The System responded after a brief pause.

[Host’s concern is valid.]

[Atlas Mariorett has never fought anyone besides Monsters inside the Ruins, making him unable to learn real combat techniques.]

Kael’s eyes narrowed slightly, ’Hmm... I see now.’

That actually explained quite a lot.

Atlas had spent most of his life fighting Monsters inside Ruins. Those battles had certainly given him enormous combat experience, but fighting Monsters was fundamentally different from fighting intelligent opponents who could use techniques, read movements, create openings, and deliberately manipulate an opponent’s reactions.

Atlas had become incredibly strong without ever having the opportunity to properly refine his fighting style.

A faint smile slowly appeared across Kael’s face as he thought something, ’Then what if I were to give him...’ His eyes narrowed with interest, ’...’that’?’