Eternal Master: Path to Godlike Status-Chapter 23: Cost of Immortality Part 2

"Holy Presence," she uttered—and as if a mountain had descended, he found himself kneeling on the ground.

The marble beneath him cracked further, and even at full strength, he couldn’t lift it an inch.

"Give up. This entire sanctum feeds me power through a Holy Formation. Here, I’m almost unbeatable."

Rain remembered. It was the same one Alexandra had used—but its effect was completely different from this.

Alicia was on an entirely different level.

Still, he didn’t use it as an excuse. Territory advantage or not, it was part of her power.

"You think you were trapped because you were careless? Listen. Even if you hadn’t let your guard down, you’d still be here. You’d still be kneeling before me."

Rain clenched his teeth and laughed. Half of him wanted to be angry, while the other half felt a strange joy at finally being put in his place.

Long ago, he had stopped caring about anything except death. But now, he wanted to win against her.

110%

Blood ran down his skin as he pushed himself beyond his limits. Slowly, he managed to stand—though at this point, that was all he could do.

"Look at you—already struggling—while I’m just sitting here. The gap in our power is far greater than I expected. What a shame. With your strength, you could at least put up a better fight."

Rain smiled back. "If killing me was your goal, it would be over already. So why go through all this?"

Her eyes flashed white before she raised her hand, sending him crashing to the floor once more.

"Did I tell you to speak?"

He could only push himself up, lifting his head. She wasn’t joking—the disparity in power was staggering.

"Leave us." She turned her attention to the others.

They were reluctant, but when her expression turned sour, they scattered like frightened flies.

Once the room was empty, she rose from her seat and walked toward him without a hint of fear.

She cupped his face, and her smile twisted into something so unsettling that even Rain felt concerned about her state of mind.

"Oh my, you really are very tough. Do you know why I even bothered to bring you here?"

"To humiliate me?"

"That’s part of it, yes. But what truly interests me is your undying nature. I’ve already confirmed you’re not undead, and you’re not entirely bad considering you tried to save those girls."

A chuckle escaped his lips. "You can’t fool me. I know you’re enjoying this. So, what—do you get your kicks from causing pain?" 𝙛𝒓𝒆𝙚𝒘𝒆𝓫𝙣𝓸𝙫𝓮𝒍.𝒄𝒐𝓶

Her smile widened, confirming his suspicion. Power paired with a sadistic streak was never a good combination.

"All the toys I’ve had break easily... But you... you’re different."

She ran a hand through her dark hair, savoring his bloodied face.

"Be mine. And I’ll grant you purpose. I’ll give you a golden cage."

Rain burst out laughing. After eons of living and amassing knowledge, he was now reduced to little more than a source of amusement for someone else.

Yet he didn’t mind. Winners takes all.

"I’ll humor you. I’ll play the part of your slave—but the moment I grow strong enough, I’ll make you pay a hundredfold."

Instead of anger, she looked elated. "That’s it. I prefer that look in your eyes—the one before lacked life."

Both of them smiled at each other, flawed in their own ways—one craving death, the other craving endless fun through violence.

The "Holy Presence" vanished without warning, catching him completely off guard.

"You’re playing with fate. I could crush the life from your throat before you even blink."

She didn’t pull back. Her fingers remained threaded through his hair, her grip as delicate as a spider’s silk and just as unbreakable.

"You could," she whispered. "But then... you would be alone again. Back in the gray. Back in the boredom of living a long life."

She pressed her forehead against his, a collision of two different kinds of storm.

Rain couldn’t help but feel interested. This woman knew exactly which words to strike. She wasn’t just beautiful—she was terrifyingly intelligent.

Part of him already suspected she wanted something far more than just a plaything. But he chose to ignore it, curious to see what she was plotting.

They say curiosity kills the cat—but what if the cat had unlimited lives? He was the answer to that question.

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Authors Note:

P.S. Some of you might think the MC is being too passive with her—but remember, he’s an immortal bored with life. His character growth isn’t typical; it’s about rediscovering the human side he lost long ago.

Also, it’s not that he’s weak—the power scale in this world is just massive, and he was in her domain.

Imagine a superhuman who can lift a bus suddenly transported to a world where someone can destroy that same bus with a single breath.

This is intentional. The story focuses on him gaining power in this new world, using his already insane comprehension and talent to rise above everyone and become unrivaled.