King stood motionless outside the shack, the Magic Staff gripped firmly in his right hand. Vi and Eli maintained their position. Maya remained inside the shack, watching through the window with all curiosity.

The two red cursors on King’s map drew closer, their movements clearly indicated haste. Whoever was approaching wasn’t sneaking. They were announcing their presence.

The figures crested a small rise in the terrain, silhouetted against the morning sun. King narrowed his eyes, focusing on their forms as they descended toward him at the fore front. 𝗳𝚛𝗲𝕖𝕨𝕖𝗯𝚗𝚘𝕧𝕖𝗹.𝗰𝗼𝕞

The first figure was unmistakably human. A tall, muscular man with slicked-back black hair and stitched scars across his eyes and torso. He exuded a calm but intimidating presence.

Worn over his bare upper body was a lion-pelt fur, and his bottoms were fitted black leather trousers, and long dark leather boots with straps and buckles. Silver rings adorn his fingers, adding a refined yet dangerous touch, while a cigar and drifting smoke completed his ruthless.

Cain.

The number two in the Power Rankings. His aura was visible even from a distance.

Beside Cain walked something decidedly inhuman.

An angel.

The creature stood nine feet tall, its body wrapped in a spotless silver armor. Two wings sprouted from its back, but unlike the tarhished white feathers King had seen on Archangel Voriel, these wings were glorious, the feathers sharpened at the edges.

The angel’s face was obscured behind a golden helm, and in its hands it carried a massive glaive.

A High-Tier NPC. Angel class, judging by the divine aesthetic, king was allied with the All Gods afterall.

King kept his stance neutral, watching as Cain and the angel approached. They stopped approximately twelve meters away, close enough for conversation but far enough to maintain tactical distance.

Cain puffed one last smoke, and removed the cigar from his mouth. He leaned forward slightly, studying King with open interest.

"King," Cain said in a deep and resonant voice. "The rank one himself. Gotta say, you’re shorter than I expected."

King didn’t respond.

Cain grinned, clearly enjoying himself. "Relax. I’m not here to wipe out your whole party." He pointed the cigar at king "...Just you."

Vi tensed behind King, her grip tightening on her weapon. Eli shifted slightly, angling the rifle’s barrel incrementally toward Cain.

Cain noticed the movements and gestured toward the fallen angel beside him. "That’s why I brought insurance. This guy right here? He’s under strict orders. If your friends interfere, he engages, and boy does he pack a punch."

"But" he raised one finger. "If they stay back, he stays back. Simple."

The angel said nothing, its presence alone radiated divine menace.

King studied Cain carefully, assessing the situation. Cain was broadcasting confidence, but there was calculation behind it. This wasn’t random aggression. This was a statement. A public challenge designed to solidify Cain’s position as the true number one.

"What do you want?" King asked, his tone flat.

"A fight," Cain said simply. "One on one. You and me. No interference, no tricks, no running. Just pure combat. Winner takes the glory, loser takes the dirt."

"And if I refuse?"

Cain’s grin widened. "Then I’ll just kill all of you anyway, and run through this territory. But I prefer a more fun way? You’re ranked number one for a reason, right? Prove it."

King considered the offer. Refusing would mean a chaotic battle with the fallen angel involved, putting Vi, Eli, and Maya at risk. Accepting isolated the threat to himself, but it also meant fighting Cain without backup.

But King had known this confrontation was coming. From the moment Cain posted that message in the World Chat, the challenge had been inevitable.

King turned to them, addressing Vi and Eli without taking his eyes off Cain. "Stay back. Only interfere if I give the call."

"King..." Vi started.

"I’ll be fine," King said firmly.

Vi closed her mouth, clearly in frustration. But she nodded.

Eli lowered the rifle slightly, giving a slight nod with a stern look. "Understood, Master King."

King stepped forward, putting distance between himself and his companions. He planted the Magic Staff into the ground beside him and rolled his shoulders, loosening his muscles.

Cain’s grin turned feral. "Smart choice."

From somewhere in the distance, concealed among the scattered rocks ruins, and something mysterious that totally masked his presence, Pantheon watched.

His red-tinted glasses reflected the scene below as he stood behind cover, observing without revealing himself. The pale snake on his shoulders hissed softly, sensing the impending violence.

Pantheon opened his interface and typed a single message to an unknown player.

And in a brief moment an anonymous player announced in the world chat.

[ The #1 vs #2 is happening RIGHT NOW in the Null Alignment Territory. King vs Cain. Live.]

Pantheon checked the world chat and watched the message drop.

Within seconds, the World Chat exploded.

[WHAT???]

[NO FUCKING WAY]

[King vs Cain RIGHT NOW?!]

[WHERE?? I need coordinates!]

[Null Alignment Territory, someone said, king’s live location still accurate right?]

[This is going to be INSANE]

[Rank 1 vs Rank 2, you’ll be stupid to go in there, you’ll just get caught in the crossfire]

[Cain’s gonna destroy him]

[King hasn’t lost yet, don’t count him out]

[I wish we could stream this]

[You’re the one on stream, idiot]

The chat devolved into chaos, thousands of messages flooding in per second as players scrambled to locate the Null Alignment Territory or beg for live updates.

________________________________________

Back at the shack, Cain reached up and grabbed the heavy fur coat draped over his shoulders. He pulled it off and tossed it casually to the fallen angel. It landed on the NPC, hanging on its shoulder, but the angel didn’t flinch.

Cain turned back to King, cracking his neck left and right. "Alright. Let’s make this interesting."

King walked some distance, further away from Vi , Eli, and the shack.

Cain walked by him, opening his inventory interface. A small object materialized in Cain’s palm, a pill, roughly the size of a marble, glowing faintly with a dark red luminescence.

King’s expression shifted, concern and interest mixing across his features. He recognized consumables from his playthroughs, but he’d never seen one with that particular coloration or glow intensity.

Cain held the pill up between his thumb and forefinger, grinning at King. "You know what this is?"

King didn’t answer.

"You’ll know soon enough," Cain said, savoring each word.

He came to a stop, popped the pill into his mouth and swallowed.

The effect was immediate and horrifying.

Cain’s skin began to darken, shifting from its natural tan to a deep, charcoal gray. His veins bulged beneath the surface, pulsing visibly as whatever compound the pill contained flooded his system. His teeth elongated into sharp points, and his fingernails extended into claw-like talons.

His eyes turned blood red, the pupils dilating until they were almost entirely black.

Cain’s body expanded. He grew approximately two inches taller, his muscles swelling and hardening . The trousers stretched, adjusting to accommodate his increased mass.

King tightened his grip on the Mage Staff, his mind racing through calculations.

Buffs. Player enhancements triggered by consumable items. They didn’t directly influence Power Points in the ranking system because they were temporary and external.

The rankings measured base stats, skills, levels, things that actually made up the player, not what players could temporarily juice themselves with.

Which meant this version of Cain, the ehanced, pill-fueled version standing before King, wasn’t reflected in the Power Rankings at all.

This Cain was superior to the Cain who held the number two position.

King ran the numbers. Cain’s base stats were already formidable. Add a high-grade buff on top of that, and the gap between them could be insignificant. King’s armament and superior level l gave him advantages, but Cain had closed the distance considerably.

This would not be easy.

Cain rolled his shoulders, testing his enhanced form. His voice came out deeper, rougher, distorted by the transformation.

"Can you feel that? This is what real power looks like."

King settled into a combat stance, balancing his weight evenly. He met Cain’s eyes without flinching.

"Prepare yourself," Cain’s rough voice called.

BOUFF!

... he lunged.