"This is…troublesome, to imagine you managed to leave such damage." Slapping his enemy, God's Hand pushed Kang back before looking at the light burns he had sustained from the prior explosion. His expressions and behavior were dead cold compared to before which made Kang doubt his previous judgment.
Was the guy faking it all along, or did he simply misjudge? The guy was acting unlike himself and the question bugged him since he knew very well he couldn't feel, as all he experienced or knew prior to being human.
Shooking his head, Kang decided the best way to know was to directly question his target and thus he didn't hesitate to do it even though he knew it was most likely the former given the guy's statement.
"What is wrong with you? Or was it an act all along?" Ignoring Kang, God's Hand stood still in a praying posture with both hands brought together. Soon God's Hand began chanting as the golden light surrounded his body, slowly healing him as the burning marks continued fading one by one, leaving nothing behind.
"Act? There was never an act, it's just the side effect of an ability. Regardless, does it matter? What is important now is the fact that you crossed your boundaries!"
"Come out, Paladin's Spirit!!!" Separating his hands, God's Hand revealed a golden half-sword lit by lightning as a towering paladin's figure materialized slightly behind.
Similar to the sword, the figure had an aura of nobility and majesty as the golden light cascaded on God's Hand, bathing him in his glow. The paladin seemed to be alive, eyeing Kang carefully before speaking his thoughts out.
"This one before you is quite strange, certainly not a human. What do you think?" Looking at Kang, the paladin seemed to have seen through him immediately before quietly discussing it with his partner, who seemingly didn't care whether his opponent was human or not.
"Does it matter? I don't really care, just lend me your power for a moment!" Forcibly absorbing the light surrounding him alongside the paladin's spirit, God's Hand body became reinforced by the golden armor as the sword in his hand glowed brighter compared to before.
Leaning forward, God's Hand tilted his sword back before activating what seemed to be an ability as the lightning started piercing through the palace's roof before forming a couple of condensed layers snaking through the sword's surface.
"Divine Punishment!" Muttering his words, God's Hand swung his sword forward before making a rough angle as a thin beam of light raced forward severing everything that came in its way.
"As expected of an S-rank hunter! You do not care about destroying anything since your wealth far surpasses the costs, am I correct?" Excited by God's Hand power display, Kang activated his Crimson Armor, boosting his stats by fifty percent.
Curious about the ability's strength, Kang formed two blood weapons to defend himself while intentionally leaving himself sightly vulnerable. Surprisingly, the sword passed through Kang's body, separating his upper and lower parts with his stomach being the center.
The result was good enough to push him forward with his plan. Since the guy was strong enough, then there was no reason not to recruit him. Either way, Kang didn't have many choices here as his regeneration would reveal his identity sooner or later.
"This is bad, partner…"
"You should think about a solution before you get yourself killed." Witnessing Kang's lower body turn into a buddle of blood while another one replaced it, the paladin's voice echoed through the palace, revealing the worries carried by his tone.
'Too late, I should have contacted the elders before bringing him in…'
Gritting his teeth, God's Hand understood that he was in a rough situation since he didn't take any safe measures before allowing Kang in. All assistance he could get now was from the palace guards and the hunters that may come due to the lightning he caused by activating his ability.
"There are two easy solutions for you, how about you hear me out?" Standing up from his place, Kang twisted his body before making his way toward God's Hand, whose wariness seemed to have hit the ceiling.
"Stay away first, then speak up your offer! Taking a defensive stance, God's Hand stepped back before shouting at Kang.
"Fine, I will be as blunt as possible. My first offer is death, you simply die. You saw my regeneration, and you worked for my enemy, thus it means you can't be trusted. On the bright side, you get to see what's below my mask. Although, I doubt it would be a fun experience."
"Second, you man up, help shut down the abandoned rifts, and become a hero and gain more fame as the time goes by. Of course, you'd leave the council and keep my identity a secret if you chose this option."
"Either way, the choice—HUH" Feeling the connection between him and the heavenly demon disappear, Kang frowned deeply as the system messages flooded his face.
[Ding!]
[The heavenly demon has met an unacceptable death, evolution trial has failed!]
[-34,500 Blood | Remaining Blood: 0]
[Trail Quest Failed: Master the Crimson Aura and defeat the blood demon using the blood arts!]
[Rewards: Transcendence and {Ability: Blood Mark(S)}]
[Failure Punishment: -50,000 Blood]
'What did he do? No, how did he die?' Glancing at the messages before him, Kang thought for a moment before pushing this situation aside. Since he could start the trail again, Kang didn't dwell on it and gave the guy in front of him his full attention.
"I do not have much time left, you have a total of three minutes to give me your answer before I take the matter into my own hands." Making his attention clear, Kang stared at the guy while waiting for his answer patiently.