Grand Canyon, Arizona.
Just like many other places on earth after the evolution and appearance of mana, the Grand Canyon had become a ground full of dangers. Monsters had made the treacherous cliffs their bases, digging and altering the terrain.
New fauna and flora also appeared, bringing a new kind of atmosphere to the place.
Just like the savanna desert, the Great Bermuda Triangle, and many other dangerous places, the Grand Canyon was labeled as an SSS-rank zone, a place where danger could lurk at every corner.
Despite that being the case, two figures could be seen casually strolling through the dangerous terrain as if they were here just to play around.
The figures belonged to a man and a woman. The man had long, tied-up dark blue hair and bright blue eyes, wearing tech-wear-style clothes, his figure going up and down the hills like they were nothing. The woman, on the other hand, had long, flowing black hair and dark purple eyes, her body covered in a skintight battle suit. Her entire figure seemed to glow in a purple light as she flew slowly.
These two figures were, of course, Rui and Jane, who had decided to spend some time together exploring the world after the change. Rui was interested in the changes, especially since he hadn't traveled much before his death.
It had already been a few weeks since Jane had completely recovered, which meant that they could now travel around freely without any repercussions.
Unlike Jane, who had a unique skill that granted her flight, Rui hadn't learned any techniques for flight. Rune masters would naturally develop the ability to fly once they reached a certain stage, so techniques that created a version of flight were pretty rare.
Rui could simulate flight, however, by just coating his entire body in runic energy, giving him the ability to not only glide but also stay in midair easily. He could even create energy platforms beneath his feet to boost him further up, essentially granting him a fake form of flight.
So, even though Jane had the ability to fly, in reality, Rui had far greater versatility and could even surpass her flight speed with ease. Unlike Jane's form of flight, which was a glorified floating technique, Rune Master flight allowed extremely precise movement even in midair, being able to travel through the air and space like it was natural, becoming another function of their daily lives.
Usually, one would unlock the ability to freely fly as a rune master once they reached the third rank, also known as the rune core stage, where one's rune sea would be condensed into a runic core.
As they reached the rune core stage, rune masters would intuitively be able to fly without any prior form of training.
The Grand Canyon was the second SSS-Rank zone the two of them had visited, the first being Yellowstone National Park, which had turned into a hellish zone, completely void of life.
Since Jane was much weaker than Rui, she had to keep a relative distance from the dangerous zones and even look out for flying beasts.
Although Rui seemed to be recklessly traveling the dangerous hills, he was in fact constantly looking out for dangers and even eliminating dangerous creatures that Jane wasn't able to handle.
Suddenly, Rui noticed an anomaly, prompting him to launch himself back in a hurry, his figure flashing and appearing next to Jane. Holding her tight, he backed off a few kilometers from the area, with Jane asking about the situation in a fluster.
"Someone planted a trap here. From what I can tell, it seems to be some sort of nuclear weapon. Thankfully, I noticed it early; otherwise, it could've been bad."
Rui said, his eyes narrowing as a bloodcurdling aura began to cover his body. Although Rui was a rune master, he hadn't yet reached a stage where he was immune to death. A nuclear warhead had the power to even kill a third-rank rune master if he or she was directly hit.
Jane opened her eyes wide in shock at the news. She couldn't understand who would do such a thing, especially someone like her and Rui, who were not normal people. Suspicions as to who the perpetrator was began to surface in her mind, but she couldn't be sure.
"Tch, it looks like they noticed. What do we do now? Ditch the plan or attack anyway?"
Said a snarky voice, annoyed with their failed assassination attempt.
"I suggest ditching the plan, its too dangerous."
Replied another voice, clearly weary of the situation.
"I think we should attack. With how wary our target is I don't think we will have another chance."
Said a third voice, this one deeper and more domineering than the others.
"Honestly, I don't see a way of defeating that monster. Even killing Agron wasn't this hard, and you know that bastard was fucking hard to kill. I think we should give up."
Another voice chimed in, completely disappointed with the situation.
These four voices belonged to the supremes who had decided to follow through with the plan of assassination.
Specifically, they were Ali Abdullah, Yamamoto Satoshi, Tsetsegmaa Panchee and surprisingly, the last member was Anthony Hall. Despite dismissing the idea, he later on took part in the plans, his inferiority complex playing a big part.
Just as they were arguing with one another as to how they should proceed with the situation, a figure suddenly flashed nearby, looking at them with a hint of anger, disdain and hatred.
The four of them didn't notice the figure since they were getting into a heated argument.
Rui, who had just found his assailants, stood there stunned for a second as they argued about how they were going to proceed forward. He had left Jane inside a runic barrier and tracked down all the energies in the area, finding four that seemed out of place.
Rui decided to use his identification skills on them to see who was bold enough to attack him.
[Yamamoto Satoshi, Age 59
Rank: [SSS-Rank]
Physique: Hero Sword Physique
Combat Power: 90000
Character Personality Path: Fanatic Samurai
Luck: 56 ]
[Ali Abdullah, Age 34
Rank: [SSS-Rank]
Physique: Sand Typhoon Physique
Combat Power: 81050
Character Personality Path: Parasitic Subordinate
Luck: 42 ]
[Tsetsegmaa Panchee, Age 32
Rank: [SSS-Rank]
Physique: Sky Dragon Physique
Combat Power: 85000
Character Personality Path: Pragmatic Advocate
Luck: 51 ]
[Anthony Hall, Age 22
Rank: [SSS-Rank]
Physique: Copycat Physique
Combat Power: 98000
Character Personality Path: Inferiority Overlord
Luck: 65 ]
Rui raised an eyebrow at the status windows, clearly taken aback. Thankfully, his level was a lot higher than theirs, and the systems on their bodies were unable to detect his prying.
To begin with, his [Identify] and [Understanding] skills had become a part of his being since he first unlocked them. Although at the start he was worried that the other systems would detect him, after he removed Jane's system, he realized that the other systems had categorized him as an anomaly, that could remove other systems, and he had become a target.
Rui had predicted that the ones who wanted him dead were those that were affected by the system quest, aka the supremes. Surprisingly, only four of them had attacked him, which he found weird. He knew for certain that Nayeli wouldn't have the courage to assassinate him; as for the rest, he hadn't even interacted with them.
Not wanting to waste any more of his time, Rui pulled [Sun Cutter] from his inventory. In an instant, the small ornate knife became an ornate longsword, which launched four different slashes towards the four supremes.
Anthony and Yamamoto were the first ones to react to the attack, with Anthony taking the lead to block the upcoming blades.
Two giant shields materialized into his hands as they tried to block the incoming attacks.
Sadly for him, the shields didn't even last a split second before getting destroyed, causing him to take almost all the attacks head-on without any resistance.
Thankfully, Yamamoto had also acted, launching a sword attack of his own, which blocked some damage, though Anthony was still heavily injured. He had lost one of his arms, and a giant gash had appeared on his chest.
"FUCK, WHY AM I ALWAYS THE ONE THAT HAS TO GO THROUGH THIS SHIT?"
Anthony screamed in distress, anger evident in his voice. Anthony instantly activated his unique skill, [Copycat], copying the skill of an already dead person, [Hyper Regeneration].
[Copycat] allowed him to copy any ability of a user he had previously touched, with one restriction, which was that he had to be stronger than the original skill user.
Although the skill was an exact copy of the original, it only functioned at 80% of the original's strength. Although that was a heavy restriction if one was fighting the original skill owner, [Copycat] had the ability to recreate multiple skills at once.
In an instant, Anthony's lost arm began regenerating at an astonishing speed, while the gash on his chest was nowhere to be seen.
"Damned cockroach… Just prepare for a counterattack. From that attack right now, our opponent isn't someone we can deal with."
Said Ali, his eyes glowing in an eerie hue.
Rui couldn't help but be amazed at the uniqueness of Anthony's skill. Wanting to see how far these four could push him, Rui decided to use a bit more strength to fight against them.
He decidedly used [Cloak], [Buff] and [Shred] at the same time, using [Sun Cutter]'s [Dimensional Slash], while at the same time performing the first form of [Beginning sword], [Birth].
The energy surrounding [Sun Cutter] turned a blinding dark purple as the energies combined. Thanks to the bloodline evolution, his [Rune Celestia] had strengthened, allowing him to exert far more strength with each skill.
The four supremes all turned pale in fright once they sensed the incredible energy coming from Rui's body.
"Fuck, all of you retreat! We can't defeat this monster! He is not even using his full strength!"
Screamed Anthony, who had used one of the copied [Identification] skills. In fact, the skill he had used was Nayeli's unique skill, [Life's Eye]. He could instantly tell that he was no match against Rui, and he even knew that Rui wasn't using all of his strength.
Just seeing the black aura around Rui's body sent shivers down his spine.
Hearing his warning, the three supremes instantly began retreating, knowing fully well that Anthony's words were to be taken seriously.
Rui smiled at their retreating figures, runic energy circulating faster inside and outside his body.
In the next second, Rui's hand blurred, swinging [Sun Cutter] with incredible speed. The four supremes felt a piercing killing intent as the temperature in the hot canyon instantly dropped by a few degrees.
"DUCK!!"
Screamed Anthony, his entire body getting consumed in countless layers of shadows, his figure blending into the floor like he was never there. This was the skill of Juma Kenyatta, [Shadow Lord]. If one thought about how Anthony could copy and use multiple skills at the same time, he seemed invincible, but he still had a limit.
He had a certain cool-down period between each skill. For example, he could only use up to five different skills in an hour, and he had already used four, which meant he could use only one more copied skill in the next hour.
His first copied skill was [Grand Protection], which was a skill that materialized extremely durable shields from one's body. Sadly, this skill failed him, which made him use his second skill,[Hyper Regeneration], which was a skill that was only useful when one was alive to use it.
Anthony could sense the danger of Rui's attack, knowing fully well that he would die from it thanks to his third copied skill, [Life's Eye]. And finally, he had copied Juma's [Shadow Lord] skill, which had a control and assassination function.
Since three of his copied abilities were utility-based, Anthony could only run.
Rui's attack had already passed above him, launching towards the other three. All of them dove, barely surviving the slash attack by a hair's breath.
Rui, however, didn't stop at one slash attack, as he swiftly launched more than a dozen, covering each and every way with dimensional slashes and opening dimensional rifts all over the place. Right now, he was just playing around with his assailants.
Each of Rui's dimensional slashes was like a rift in reality itself, capable of cleaving through almost anything. The Grand Canyon, once known for its beauty, was now being torn apart as if by some cosmic force. The landscape bore the scars of this battle, with deep ravines and shredded cliffs marking the path of Rui's attacks.
He could have easily killed them if he wished to, but he was more curious as to why only the four of them had come to kill him.
Antony, desperate to survive, used his fifth and final skill copy for the hour, [Deal]. It was a skill that originally belonged to the man named Argon Tzeka, a person that the current supremes struggled to kill while they were still pawns inside the "Ruins".
Anthony grimaced just thinking of the thought of using the skill, but he felt like there was no other choice. He was disgusted with himself, using the skill of a devil personified.
Gritting his teeth while still covered by shadows, Anthony shouted.
"DEAL! I WISH TO MAKE A DEAL!"
As soon as he spoke those words, Anthony's vision darkened, and time seemed to cease.
Time appeared to come to a standstill, and the world around Anthony seemed to blur and warp as if he had stepped into another dimension. In this peculiar realm, he was not alone. Before him stood a dark figure, cloaked in shadow and emanating an eerie aura.
"What is it that you seek, mortal?"
The shadowy figure's voice echoed ominously.
Anthony, his heart pounding, felt a bead of sweat trickling down his forehead. He had no choice but to continue.
"I seek a deal, an agreement to escape from impending doom. Spare me from the onslaught of that terrifying [System Destroyer]."
The dark figure, its shadowy form shifting like an inky mist, seemed to consider Anthony's request.
"I am one who relishes in the making of deals, but my terms are never light. To spare your life, you must offer something of great worth."
Said the dark figure, its glowing blood-red eyes turning into a crescent shape, informing Anthony of the harsh requirements.
"I understand. Name your price, and I shall pay it."
Anthony responded, his voice unwavering.
The shadowy entity leaned in closer, its cold, unsettling presence almost suffocating. The shadows covering its frame slowly faded, revealing a pitch black body with indistinct features, except for its three large red eyes.
"Very well. In exchange for your life, you will offer me your loyalty. Swear your allegiance to me, and you shall be granted power beyond your wildest dreams. You will serve as my instrument in the world of mortals, and in return, I shall protect you from this danger."
Anthony hesitated for only a moment, thinking of his own survival and the chance to gain unfathomable power.
"I accept your offer. I swear my allegiance to you."
As the words left his lips, an unseen force created a physical contract, which was automatically signed by both parties. The dark figure moved its hand, swiping away the contract, a large, toothy grin appearing on its previously featureless face.
A newfound strength surged through Anthony, his body enveloped by shadows that clung to him like armor.
A system window notification appeared in front of him, showcasing a newly added skill in his arsenal.
[Dog of the Devil]
[As the loyal dog of the devil, you are given the abilities of a low-ranking demon.
Your strength is proportional to the demonic energy you possess.
The more sacrifices you make, the stronger you become.]
[Demonic energy: 200000/200000]
[Sacrifices: 1]
Anthony frowned at the description of the skill, already expecting something like this. This was the reason why Argon was so incredibly hard to kill. By the time they had killed him, he was nothing more than a monster who searched for boundless power.
Oddly enough, however, after feeling the power in his body, Anthony's disgust began to lessen drastically as he slowly came to enjoy his new ability.
With this newfound power, Anthony, shrouded in darkness, returned to reality to the spot he previously was.
The barrage of dimensional slashes from Rui had just landed, severely damaging the three supremes.
Yamamoto was the least injured of the three, his body only sustaining a few cuts here and there. Ali Abdullah and Testsegmaa Panchee, on the other hand, had each lost a limb; their faces were desperate.
The two of them didn't have a skill like Anthony's, so they could utilize items and potions to heal their missing limbs. Disgruntled, the two of them drank potions to recover their missing limbs.
"HAHAHAHAHAHA"
Suddenly, the three struggling supremes heard a lout of laughter coming from where Anthony had disappeared. Looking at the laughing figure, they were stunned.
Anthony had completely transformed, both in appearance and personality.
"Shit, don't tell me that idiot actually copied [Deal]? Does he want to destroy the world?"
Cursed Ali, realizing what had transpired.
"Now we have more problems to deal with."
Said Yamamoto, his eyes narrowing into slits, a pure white aura covering his entire body. Yamamoto's unique skill was known as [Hero's Sword], a skill that gave him unbelievable power and ability when it came to swordsmanship, especially when he faced evil individuals.
There was a reason why he was unable to block Rui's attack despite trying his best. It was because Rui was clearly not evil, even if Yamamoto and the other supremes thought so.
Although Rui had a demonic personality, he wasn't an evil person. If one were to categorize his personality, it would be chaotic neutral.
Rui frowned as he took in Anthony's new form.
Instantly, he used [Identify] and [Understanding] on him.
[Anthony Hall, Age 22
Rank: [EX-Rank]
Physique: Doppelganger Physique
Combat Power: 250000
Character Personality Path: Devil's Dog
Luck:██]
Rui's eyes opened wide in surprise when he looked at Anthony's updated status window. He couldn't understand how a status window could change so drastically. Not only did the combat power more than double, but the physique, rank, and even the character personality path changed.
It was the first time Rui had seen such a drastic difference.
However, even though the combat power had more than doubled, Rui felt no threat coming from the man. In fact, he somehow felt easier to defeat, as if Anthony was not yet used to his new power.
Rui felt like getting rid of Anthony and then capturing the rest of the Supremes would be the best thing to do.
"Rai, why did his strength suddenly increase so much? Also, what is this foul aura I'm feeling?"
Asked Rui, clearly perturbed by the sudden change.
╓ The individual known as 'Anthony Hall' has made a deal with a 4th-dimensional being, which resulted in an increase in strength and a drastic decrease in life span.╖