Tower: Rebirth of the Absolute Demon
Chapter 46: Ch 46: The Divine Gambit

Chapter 46: Ch 46: The Divine Gambit

The Death Dragon writhed in defiance.

Its enormous body, an ancient monument of destruction, was now pinned against the ground.

The force holding it down was invisible but unyielding, crushing it as if the weight of the heavens had descended upon its shoulders.

The beast screeched furiously, its guttural cries echoing through the ruined forest.

Claws as large as boulders tore into the earth in a desperate bid for freedom.

Its wings thrashed, sending gusts of wind that flattened the nearby trees.

But no matter how much it struggled, the invisible pressure remained, holding it firmly in place.

"What... is this power?!" the dragon roared, its voice laced with panic for the first time in centuries.

But then, abruptly, the pressure vanished.

The dragon blinked in surprise, its chest heaving as it scrambled to its feet.

For a fleeting moment, hope flickered in its ancient heart.

It had escaped.

Or so it thought.

Before it could savor the moment, the Death Dragon’s instincts screamed at it to move.

With a mighty leap, it propelled itself into the air, its massive wings beating furiously as it ascended.

However, no matter how high it climbed, it couldn’t escape the ominous presence that awaited it.

Hovering just above the canopy of the shattered forest was a figure... a boy, radiant and unyielding, his entire body wreathed in a golden glow.

The Death Dragon froze mid-flight, its eyes narrowing as it recognized the figure instantly.

"Eviar!" it spat venomously.

The boy in question, Ye Tian, floated effortlessly in the air, his battered and bloodied form now radiating an overwhelming, divine aura.

Despite the tattered remains of his clothing and the streaks of dried blood across his skin, something about him had undeniably changed.

His blonde hair had turned a brilliant, snow-white, flowing as if caught in an unseen breeze.

His cerulean eyes... the mark of the Eviar bloodline... had vanished, replaced by crimson irises glowing with an unholy brilliance.

Tendrils of energy, crimson and golden, seeped from his eyes like liquid fire.

And then, he smiled.

It wasn’t a kind smile.

"Yo, lizard..." Ye Tian drawled, his voice casual but carrying an undeniable edge of malice.

"You’re so screwed now."

The Death Dragon roared, its pride refusing to acknowledge the threat posed by the boy before it.

With a snap of its jaw, it lunged forward, its maw wide open, intending to swallow Ye Tian whole.

But it never reached him.

Before the dragon could close the gap, Ye Tian lazily raised a hand, his fingers curling slightly.

Boom!

The dragon’s massive body jerked to a halt mid-air, as if an invisible chain had wrapped around its neck. Its wings flailed, but they were powerless to move it.

"Sit." Ye Tian commanded, his voice dripping with mockery.

With a flick of his wrist, the dragon was slammed back to the ground, the earth shattering beneath its colossal weight.

The impact sent shockwaves rippling through the land, toppling trees and raising clouds of dust.

The Death Dragon growled, its pride and body both in tatters.

"What... what are you?! This power... it is not of this world!"

Ye Tian chuckled, descending slowly until he hovered just above the dragon’s battered form.

"Blame your luck, little lizard. Even I didn’t know I could use prana here."

Prana.

The word sent a chill down the Death Dragon’s spine.

It had heard of this power in ancient texts... an energy far beyond the reach of mortals.

Ye Tian, seeing the dragon’s confusion, decided to educate his opponent.

"Let me break it down for you..." he said, raising a finger.

"There are four fundamental energies in any good fantasy world. First, we have mana... the energy of imagination and magic. Simple enough."

He raised another finger.

"Then there’s aura... the energy of willpower, mostly used by knights and warriors. Very practical, very human."

A third finger joined the others.

"Next is miasma... the energy of death and decay. Nasty stuff. You’re familiar with that one, aren’t you?"

The dragon snarled but said nothing, its glowing eyes locked on the boy.

"And finally..." Ye Tian raised a fourth finger, his smile widening.

"Prana... the energy of life itself. Divine, unyielding, and oh-so-exclusive. It’s said to be a gift from the gods, given only to those they favor."

The dragon’s eyes narrowed.

"You... you are no devotee of the gods. How can you wield their power?!"

Ye Tian smirked.

"Oh, you’re absolutely right. I’m no saint. But here’s the thing... gods are greedy creatures. They like sacrifices. Give them something they want, and they’ll bend their rules. Convenient, isn’t it?"

The dragon growled, realization dawning upon it.

"What... what did you sacrifice?!"

Ye Tian’s grin turned wicked, his crimson eyes glowing brighter.

"Your life..." he said simply.

The Death Dragon thrashed wildly, its roars shaking the heavens.

It tried to break free of the invisible force pinning it down, but Ye Tian was unrelenting.

"You see..." Ye Tian continued, floating closer to the dragon’s massive head...

"you’re a threat to this world. Left unchecked, you’d destroy everything... the land, the people, even the gods themselves. And gods don’t like that. No followers, no faith, no power. They wither away just like mortals."

He leaned in, his crimson gaze boring into the dragon’s cerulean eyes.

"So, when I offered them your life in exchange for a little bit of their power, they were more than happy to oblige."

The dragon roared in fury, its massive claws tearing at the ground.

"You... you dared to manipulate the gods?!"

Ye Tian shrugged.

"Manipulate? Nah. I just gave them a good deal. You were doomed the moment I started praying."

Prana... the energy of life... was coursing through Ye Tian’s body now, its golden light intertwining with the crimson glow of his demonic heritage.

It was power in its purest form, unrestricted by the limitations of mortals.

And Ye Tian was more than happy to wield it.

The boy raised a hand, the golden glow intensifying around his fingers.

The air around him grew heavy, crackling with energy.

The Death Dragon felt its chest tighten, its ancient heart pounding as a suffocating pressure enveloped it once more.

"You’ve had a good run, lizard," Ye Tian said, his tone almost bored.

"But all good things must come to an end."

The dragon’s roars turned to shrieks as the pressure mounted, its body sinking further into the ground.

For a moment, silence reigned.

Then Ye Tian smirked, his energy flaring as he uttered his final words.

"All this time, it wasn’t me who was cornered..." He paused, his crimson eyes narrowing.

"It was you, mister god."