Rise of The Anti God (Web Novel)
chapter-96

Emily and Leo had a perplexed expression on their faces hearing Damien's words. They didn't understand why Damien was asking them to leave when they had unfinished business with Marcus.

But they realized from his tone that Damien was not asking but instead indirectly ordering them to leave. They didn't know what Damien was planning to do to Marcus since they thought he didn't have any personal vendetta against Marcus.

Damien saw the expression of the two people before him and got irritated seeing how they were simply wasting his time when he was trying his best not to fall unconscious.

Even after chugging those healing pills, it wasn't enough to alleviate the severe backlash he had suffered from slicing half of his soul essence.

"I take it that you don't care about your dear friend's life or death, right?" He said curtly.

The couple had blinking expressions on their face, but before they could say anything, Damien continued, "If you do, then you two won't be leaving this place, am I clear?"

The couple gulped hearing Damien's threat. They didn't know what Marcus did to incur the wrath of someone so powerful or how he had the guts to even offend him.

They simply nodded meekly. Seeing their nod, Damien growled, "Then leave!"

"Thanks for saving us Sir Alchemist! We will leave right now." Emily quickly let out a few words of thanks for saving their lives and didn't tarry any longer as she hurriedly helped Leo up.

The effects of the drug had already worn off as she felt her cultivation returning. Without any delay, she sped off carrying Leo using her Wind ethereal arts. In the end, the couple was genuinely thankful to Damien for saving them and didn't really care whether Marcus died or not.

After all, after betraying and trying to kill them, all those years of close friendship dissolved right away.

Damien wasn't surprised by the turn of events. He actually predicted such a thing happening right when he noticed the way Marcus occasionally looked at Emily. He once again realized how years of so-called trust and friendship could be easily broken within just moments.

In his perspective things such as brotherhood and true friendship were not something one can find easily. After all, he had experienced how even his so-called lifelong friends and brothers betrayed him easily and turned on him without any hesitation.

Damien was now a bit averse to the concept of brotherhood and he would never by any chance let a man stay close to his girl. In his eyes, Leo was utterly foolish for not being able to notice such a malicious person near him.

Marcus was still under the immense pressure exerted by the huge roc's ethereal aura. Blood had already started leaking from his seven orifices. He couldn't understand how things took such a bad turn.

He had meticulously used a rare type of leaf as an ingredient in the drink he gave to Damien which makes one dizzy after a certain period of time after inhaling just its fragrance. One need not even have to drink it and the effects would still take place in a certain period of time.

It was rumored to even affect Sky Ethereal Realm cultivators! He had obtained one such leaf from a certain exploit in the Gale Empire.

Even if Damien had refused his drink, he was confident the effects would still take place. He also varied the dosage in the drinks he had given to Leo and Emily according to his plan.

He tried to drug Damien so that he could make Emily stay with the unconscious Damien while he finished off Leo. He took in all variables into account as Emily might rejoin them sooner if Damien was not unconscious.

Besides, he didn't want Damien interfering with his plans as he had no idea if Damien was the type to poke his nose in other's business'.

Even if Damien had died under the hands of a Sky Ethereal Realm beast, he wouldn't be afraid of his backers from the Xeton Empire since they wouldn't be able to trace his death back to him.

It would just appear as if Damien died overestimating himself in the presence of a Sky Ethereal Realm beast.

Marcus never really bothered about the reward in the first place. He was so obsessed with Emily that, all these years of waiting had driven him crazy. When he heard Leo would be marrying her soon enough, he thought he had to do something quickly no matter how.

And Damien's mission seemed like the best opportunity for him. Emily wouldn't even remotely suspect him of drugging them and Marcus' would have shrugged it off as ingesting some strange plant or fruit.

He thought he had timed it perfectly enough so that when he got back, Emily's cultivation would get sealed and he could save her from any potential beasts just like a knight in shining armor saving the damsel in distress and winning her affection. At least, that would be a good start, or so he thought.

However, Damien thought that his plan was extremely dumb and foolish and wasn't surprised seeing how madly obsessed he was with Emily.

Damien looked at him and said cynically, "In your next life, don't think with your dick...well if you are born with one."

Damien simply placed his hands on Marcus' back and started taking away his life and soul essence.

"ARGHHHHHH!!"

Marcus' eyes bulged when he felt his vitality oozing out like a balloon and shrieked in pain as his soul essence was being sucked out from his soul plane. He was unable to even let out a strand of his ethereal energy from his ethereal core since it was being sealed in by the huge roc.

How can a High-Level Earth Ethereal Realm cultivator hope to struggle against a Peak Level Sky Ethereal Realm beast? Their fundamental strength itself was worlds apart. He wouldn't even be able to struggle against a Low-Level Sky Ethereal Realm beast, let alone one at the Peak Level.

Damien finished taking out Marcus' soul and life essence and supported himself on the huge bird. He was completely spent and exhausted that he could barely stand.

"Take me somewhere safe and guard me." He commanded the Phantom Mist Roc as he got on top of it.

As soon as he got in a comfortable position and felt the cool breeze caressing his face, his consciousness had already faded out from fatigue and weariness.

——

4 days passed and it was the usual busy morning day in the Rong Imperial City.

In the middle of the streets, a little girl with rosy pink hair was walking while looking around anxiously as if searching for someone.

Her mouth was moving as she mumbled in a perturbed manner, "Big Brother Damien...Big Brother...where did you go?"

The girl's exotic hair and her exquisite dress attracted many people's attention, but when they saw her face, most of them winced in disgust seeing those ghastly scars on her face.

"Oh my god, what an ugly girl!"

"What are those hideous scars on her face...tsk tsk poor girl."

"Hey, don't get too close to her, ugly girls like those are bad luck."

"Why would I? I don't want to burn holes in my eyes...damn it."

"Those creepy red eyes are just like those of scary beasts in the Dark Forest. What kind of abomination is she?"

Some even got creeped out seeing her face and tried their best to avoid her while some others remarked about how ugly she looked and a very few people pitied that such a little girl's face had been destroyed.

The girl heard those remarks crystal clear and wondered why people were looking at her in disgust and calling her ugly.

Damien had complimented her by saying that she was the most beautiful gem one could behold in the world. She was confused why the words that were coming out from the people around her contrasted with what her Big Brother Damien said.

She was already feeling nervous and tense when she ventured out from her territory. She was afraid to step out into the outside world alone but gathered up the courage to find her Big Brother who hasn't returned for 6 days after he left.

She waited the first three days without any worry since Damien said he wouldn't be able to come. But on the fourth day, she started to feel a bit restless not seeing Damien. She even waited the next day but still, there was no sign of Damien.

Feeling uneasy and wondering if Damien was in trouble, she decided to set out in search of him based on the vague location of his villa he had pointed out before.

Hearing the caustic and nasty remarks from the people around her, she felt scared and a bit hurt but didn't pay it much mind since her mind was totally focused on finding Damien in this crowded and strange place.

However, a few blocks away, two men spotted Valentina aimlessly walking around. Seeing her, they discussed among themselves,

"Hey, do you see that ugly kid with the pink hair?"

"Yea, what about her?"

"I think the boss will be happy if we take her to him. We would even get some nice commission if he is able to sell her off as a foreign product. After all our Dark Sky Guild is best known for selling such products."

"How do you know if she is really alone or not. Maybe her parents must be here somewhere."

"Don't you see, she's obviously alone. A lost kid would be crying for their parents but something is off about this kid."

"Even if she is alone, are you stupid? No one would buy such an ugly kid, not even to clean their toilets. It would be an eyesore for them to see her face daily. "

"Since you are new, you have no idea about the kind of customers that come to buy our products. You do know that tomorrow there is going to be a mega auction where various kinds of customers would be participating. We can convince the boss to auction off this ugly girl and some rich crackhead who has a liking for odd things might buy her for a huge price seeing her uncanny hair and eyes. Think about it...we can probably get enough Spirit Stones to enjoy those hot girls at the newly opened pavilion."

"Still, what if she is some young miss of some rich family? Look at the dress she is wearing, it seems inexpensive."

"Why don't we just try our luck? When have those kinds of things stopped us hehe."

"Alright fine let's see."

…

"Hey kid, are you alone?" A man walked in front of the girl and asked with a gentle smile.