Eternal Master: Path to Godlike Status-Chapter 35: Seal Part 6

Alicia raised her hand, and a dozen spears of white light materialized above her, each one humming with radiance, aimed directly at Haron’s kneeling form.

"Don’t worry," she spoke gently, her tone calm enough to suggest he wasn’t even worth her anger. "I won’t kill you. But you will face a fate far worse than—"

The entire area lurched.

Not a tremor. A heave—like something massive threw its weight against the world.

Alicia’s eyes widened. Her spears dissolved.

Rain felt it too. A pressure hard to describe. His eyes moved before he consciously decided to look.

The huge metal door at the far end of the chamber was opening.

No mechanism. No handle turning. The doors simply parted, as if whatever was on the other side decided it was time.

Darkness poured through the gap like smoke that forgot how to rise. It spread low across the floor, curling around the stone, swallowing the light that Alicia’s Holy Ground cast.

Every priest in the chamber reacted at once. They pulled together, shoulder to shoulder, channeling their power into a single barrier of white—thick, layered, braced.

It held for two seconds.

Then it shattered.

Anyone touched by the stone fell into a crazed state. They began sobbing uncontrollably, their faces twisting in agony before clawing at their own skin, tearing it from their bodies.

Rain stood in the aftermath, watching the last of the light go out around him. The dark energy moved through him like standing in a current—cold, corrosive.

He slipped into a brief psychotic episode, but his mind quickly steadied and pushed it aside.

Alicia did not move from where she stood. Her barrier remained—hers alone, intact where every other had failed.

Haron, on the other hand, was smiling, completely unaffected. In fact, he looked visibly younger, the dark aura granting him youth with every second he bathed in it.

"In the end, we won, High Priest." He rose to his feet. "Did you really think I was meant to defeat you? I was only buying time. Your arrogance is what allowed us to succeed."

She clenched her fists but said nothing.

"Rain, let’s go. We need to get out of here fast."

Without wasting another second, she shot into the air.

Sensing the danger, Rain immediately followed.

Strangely, Haron made no move to chase them.

Wind roared past them as they sped away, the cathedral floor shrinking beneath their feet.

Rain glanced back once. "Why are we retreating? Shouldn’t you activate the formation in the cathedral?"

She shook her head. "That only works inside my sanctum."

"So, you plan to fight it there?"

"I can’t beat whatever is inside that door," she replied without slowing. "We need to hurry and leave the city before it fully awakens."

His eyes pinched at the corners. "Don’t pretend, Alicia. You let it slip free—exactly the way you wanted."

Rain lived long enough to read the things others missed. 𝙛𝓻𝒆𝒆𝒘𝙚𝓫𝙣𝙤𝒗𝙚𝓵.𝙘𝙤𝙢

And as he replayed the entire sequence—her deliberate stalling, the way her eyes kept drifting to the gate even while Haron spoke—she didn’t confirm it. She didn’t need to.

"Let me guess." He watched her profile. "You want the church to prepare for war?"

She closed her eyes, then opened them again.

"The church has been complacent for a long time." Her voice carried no guilt, no hesitation. "A common enemy breeds progress."

"And the priests you just let die?"

"Casualties of a necessary awakening."

"You’re going to get a lot of people killed," It was not an accusation. Simply a fact.

"Yes." She gave him a sideways glance, completely unbothered. "And they should consider themselves honored—they’ll become the fertilizer for a new era."

His feet stopped, making her pause as well.

She didn’t look pleased by his actions. "What are you doing?"

"I’m going to fight that thing."

"Have you lost your mind? You’re not strong enough to beat it."

"Don’t worry. I just want to test my power against it. Worst-case scenario, you can just pick up my head and let it regenerate."

Her eyes glittered dangerously, a soft, almost sweet smile tugging at her lips.

"Test your power, huh? Or are you just getting soft—can’t stomach so many deaths?"

"Me?" he shook his head. "I’ve seen so many wars that I’ve grown numb to it. I just want to really test myself against that thing now that I have the VIEL."

"Fine." She drifted back a step, putting distance between them. "But don’t misunderstand me. I’m not giving you permission. I’m simply acknowledging that you’ll do it regardless."

"Pretty much." he nodded.

"Survive," she said. "That’s the only condition."

"Generous of you."

Her gaze dropped to him one last time—brief, assessing.

Then she moved.

Not away. Toward him.

She closed the distance, one hand gripping the front of his collar, and kissed him. Not gently. There was nothing gentle about Alicia—it was the same way she did everything else, with total ownership.

Then her teeth found his lower lip.

He felt the skin split. Tasted copper.

She pulled back just far enough to look at him, her thumb brushing once across the bleeding cut she made—very thoughtful, the way someone admires their own work.

"This is a reminder," she said quietly, "that you belong to me until you’re strong enough to do something about it."

"You have a strange way of saying good luck."

The corner of her mouth lifted. Then she released his collar, smoothed it once with her palm, and turned away without another word.

Rain ran his tongue across his lip. The cut was already closing.

He turned back toward the tunnel. Whatever was inside that gate was still waking up.

A twisted smile tugged at his lips, his hands trembling with excitement.

Ever since watching Alicia and Haron clash, he’d been holding back the urge to fight.