34.When the Chains Break
The Arrival of Madness
The night air crackled with tension as Damon strode through the darkness, his golden eyes alight with wild amusement. His laughter drifted on the wind—sweet, sharp, laced with an edge of something unsettling.
He leaped skyward, hair trailing like the tail of a comet, his exhilaration spilling into the night.
"Vivi, isn't this amazing?"
He pressed his fingers to his ears, tilting his head as if listening to an unseen symphony.
"I can already hear the screams."
If anyone had seen him, they might've mistaken him for a mischievous trickster. But beneath that grin lay a predator disguised as a man.
And his prey?
The Lin Clan.
---
A Trap of Chains
Damon's boots touched the earth before the Lin Clan's grand gates. He spread his arms wide, voice dripping with mockery.
"People of the Lin family, I have arrived with gifts!"
Before his words settled—
CLANG!
A blade shrieked through the air.
Steel kissed his cheek, drawing a single crimson bead.
Damon raised a finger to the wound, inspecting the smear of blood with a faint smirk.
"Tsk, tsk. Is this how you welcome a guest?" He sighed, shaking his head. "Oh well. I suppose I'll invite myself in."
The ground trembled.
A formation activated.
Six swords impaled into the earth pulsed with runic inscriptions. Chains erupted like metal vipers, wrapping around him in an instant, tightening, biting deep—
And for the first time—just a moment—Damon felt it.
Weight.
Not just on his limbs. No, these chains dragged at his very existence. His essence recoiled, as if something ancient and insidious had sunk its fangs into him.
Ah…
Damon tilted his head. So, they thought this would work?
Two figures emerged from the shadows—Kings Realm warriors.
One in golden robes, his aura suffocating and venomous—the Viper King of the House of Vipers. His slitted eyes gleamed with a predator's patience.
The other, clad in obsidian armor, stood like an immovable monolith—the Mantis King. His aura was sharp, disciplined, honed through generations of bloodshed.
"You dare step into Lin territory and mock us?" The Viper King's voice slithered through the air.
"Blasphemy!" The Mantis King spat, his killing intent razor-sharp.
They had been warned not to underestimate this man.
But they didn't realize—
They weren't fighting a man.
They were facing a monster.
---
Breaking the Chains
Damon exhaled.
CRACK.
The array didn't just shatter—it screamed.
The chains trembled. Rattled.
Then snapped.
The Kings felt it first.
A pulse. A shift. A wrongness.
Then—
BANG!
The chains exploded into dust.
The Kings leapt back, instincts screaming—attack first or die.
"Crazed Step."
Damon vanished.
A blur. A violent gust of wind.
The Viper King barely had time to react before—
BAM!
A brutal punch sent him hurtling through stone walls.
The Mantis King moved instantly. A master of discipline, he struck Damon's pressure points—sealing his arms, locking his movements.
A flawless strike.
A masterful execution.
But instead of despair—
Damon laughed.
"YES! THAT'S IT! FIGHT ME LIKE YOU KNOW YOU WILL DIE TODAY!"
The Mantis King didn't hesitate. His blade flashed.
SHING!
Damon's arms were severed.
Blood splattered across the battlefield.
The Kings expected him to fall. To scream. To retreat.
Instead—
Damon smirked.
"Fools."
His arms didn't just regrow.
They twisted. Jerked. Spasmed. Bone snapped into place wrong before correcting itself, flesh crawling over itself like writhing snakes.
The Kings felt a deep, primal disgust watching it happen.
This was not healing.
This was corruption given form.
---
A Battle of Monsters
Damon moved.
SHOOM!
He appeared between the Kings, gripping their skulls.
The Viper King hesitated.
He didn't want to die here. Not like this.
He cut his palm, his lifeblood venom seeping into the air.
A serpent sigil formed before him.
His veins bulged, turning jet black. His body erupted with venomous flames.
"I will not die alone!"
With a desperate twist, he ripped Damon's arm from his flesh.
A heartbeat later—
A wet pop echoed.
The Mantis King's skull caved inward, fragments of bone and brain matter spraying in a sickening arc. His body twitched once—twice—before crumpling lifelessly.
The Viper King froze.
Damon grinned, holding his bleeding stump.
"Oh?" He licked his lips. "Your venom touches the soul?"
For the first time—since arriving in this strange world—
He was at a disadvantage.
And he loved it.
His blood boiled.
His sanity cracked.
HA HA HA HA HA!
His laughter rang through the battlefield like a war drum.
The Viper King attacked.
Damon dodged—but something was off.
His senses dulled. His body felt heavy.
"Ohhh… this is fun."
He kicked the Viper King, launching him back.
Then—
"Madness First Form."
Damon jumped, his body spinning, Avalonia a whirlwind of destruction.
The Viper King blurred, dodging with the Lin Clan's secret movement art.
But—
He felt a pull.
Avalonia dragged him in.
And then—
Damon was in front of him.
One fist cocked back.
The Viper King's eyes widened.
If this hit—
He was dead.
Desperate, he spat venom—
Damon twisted midair, dodging.
Avalonia returned to his grip.
One swing.
A single, perfect arc.
SHING!
The Viper King's head flew.
His body took three steps before collapsing.
Damon watched the corpse, then spat on the ground.
"Only if you weren't with the Lin family."
---
A Storm Approaches
Damon turned to the Lin Clan's gates.
BOOM!
They exploded inward.
A volley of spears rained down.
Damon weaved through them, effortless, untouchable.
A spear came too close—
He caught it mid-air, spun it—hurled it back.
SPLURCH!
A commander burst apart in a rain of gore.
Damon sighed, flipping Avalonia lazily in his grip.
"Boring."
Where was the real fight?
Where was the madness?
And so, he walked forward—
But unbeknownst to Damon, four figures watched from the shadows.
"Who is this child? He provokes my soul... my bloodline cries for me to slaughter this evil seed."
One of the figures spoke.
They didn't laugh.
They didn't mock.
But they knew—
They would do whatever it took to protect their prestigious Lin family.
And even Damon wasn't ready for them.
---
Refinements Applied:
Tighter, more visceral combat.
Sharper dialogue with more impact.
Enhanced atmosphere and tension.
Smoother flow between action and reaction.
Hope this hits the mark! Let me know if you want anything else tweaked.