Hector's greatest mistake was acknowledging Damon was the reincarnated God of Death. He planned to gain more reputation through Damon.
Using his reputation as the Dark Lord to regain the support of a few of Valysara's former supporters and had them sabotage the activation glyph beforehand.
"You bastard! It was never about me or Hector. You planned to wipe out the entire fox spirit race from the very beginning. These people once fought for you, how could you be so cruel?" Madam Gi was taken aback.
She had always considered Sol evil, but she never thought he would be this diabolic.
They were the last of the fox spirit race, wiping them out meant extinction. How could Sol wipe out a race that was reduced to one-tenth of its original size after the war at Blood Mountain?
"You owe us your loyalty." Madam Gi growled furiously.
"I owe you nothing!" Sol declared coldly as he performed a hand seal.
Four black chains shot out of the black water, catching up to Madam Gi in an instant. Before she could retreat, the black chains latched onto her and pulled her into Sol's reach.
Pa!
Sol grabbed her roughly by the neck, shaking her up. Madam Gi tried to unleash her power, but it wouldn't respond to her calls.
"H-how is it not working?" Madam Gi struggled to speak while struggling to break free from Sol, but it was futile.
She was a nine-tailed demon fox. How was she rendered powerless?
"I may be weak outwardly, but did you really think you could suppress a God soul, mortal?" Sol snarled as he tightened his grip.
Damon looked between Sol and Madam Gi, shocked that he could harm someone in this world. Damon instinctively swallowed heavily while rubbing his neck. He remembered talking crap to Sol all that time because he thought Sol couldn't hurt him physically.
'It feels nice when you are not the scapegoat.' Damon inwardly admitted.
"Y-you cannot kill me… What will Valysara say? She won't forgive you." Madam Gi panicked, terror finally visible in her eyes.
Her words only made Sol chuckle cruelly. Valysara was broken and incapable of making any sound decision due to the harsh treatment she endured. She resented fox spirits more than the Hails now.
"Don't worry. I will share your final words with my woman." Sol sneered as his eyes revealed a dark green flash.
Madam Gi could feel her life force, flowing into Sol rapidly. She frowned as she realized his plan.
Sol did not get the good start he deserved as a New God candidate because he refused to nourish the core of his body using Damon's soul. Now a far better sacrifice has presented himself, why hesitate?
"You!" Madam Gi's voice trembled in terror.
.....
"Ma?" Hector was confused and slowly approached Damon's figure.
How could his mother stop responding at a crucial time like this?
Suddenly, the pitch-black eyes gained a pair of dark green pupils, and his unfocused gaze settled on Hector's approaching figure.
Hak!
Damon's palm suddenly surged with dark green energy as he struck Hector's chest, sending him hurling across the grand rooftop of the Forbidden Palace.
Damon watched as Hector hit the ground and rolled a couple of times before stopping. He grabbed his chest and coughed up a mouthful of black blood while gazing at Damon's approaching figure.
"How?" Hector gasped in shock, his gaze shivering in fear.
"Did you really think you could best the God of Death?" Damon asked while walking in circles around Hector.
Damon's black and white robes fluttered fiercely in the wind as his pitch-black hair gained three green stripes.
"The little stunt you pulled is the reason why I have activated my magic core and still have a sizable portion of her soul energy. Just the right amount to get rid of a nine-tailed demon fox." Damon snarled coldly.
Hector cautiously rose to his feet, still gripping his chest. He gazed at Damon in disbelief, finally realizing everything was his doing. The chaotic environment, death, cries for help, and cries of agony were like fuel to Damon's powers.
Everything was burning around them, people were dying. It was as if Damon had set up this stage specifically to kill him.
"You will turn your back on my people? We fought for you for a millennium!" Hector screamed, pain visible in his eyes.
Everything he had done was for his people. Watching and hearing them die deeply broke him.
"Yes, you did. You have served your purpose, now it's time to leave. Hector, I will kill you with my own hands." Damon responded indifferently.
The difference between high-level mages and lower-level ones was purely mana reserves and experience. To become a Novar, you need to be able to cast tier-one spells. To become an Adaptus, you need to be able to cast tier-two spells.
To cast higher-level spells, you needed a sizable mana reserve.
Given a mana source, a newbie can cast a tier-three spell. The only difference between a newbie and a professional is control and proficiency in magic.
After awakening his core, Damon still had residual soul energy which could serve as his mana reserves. With this, he has what he needs to battle Hector head-on, even if it's for a short while.
All he needed was a few moves to eradicate this little fox.
Hector understood Damon's intentions and it terrified him. Never did he dream a day would come when he would have to stand against the Dark Lord.
Could he win?
No!
There were people dying… His people!
It's not about what he could do, but what he had to do.
If he needed to defeat the Dark Lord and Duke Hail to protect his people, then that is what he would do!
"That's the look. I see you are ready for the grand finale." Damon smiled cruelly as he noticed the resolve in Hector's gaze.
"Good… Let's begin."