Chapter 348 -: 347 Eastern continent.

Chapter 348: Chapter: 347 Eastern continent.

The man abruptly stopped laughing.

His expression slowly changed as he turned toward the corpse lying behind him.

The body was still there, its blood continuing to flow across the ruined ground, and everything about it looked exactly as it should have looked after the death of a god.

He had felt the soul when he attacked her, felt the presence within that body and the resistance of her existence when his dagger pierced through her neck.

That was precisely why he had been so confident in his attack. He had not merely struck an empty shell or some superficial illusion; he had sensed a genuine soul within it.

Yet now, from behind him, he could clearly feel her presence.

Ian’s throat tightened, slowly, he turned around.

Destiny was standing there.

She wore the same pink robe, not a single trace of blood upon it, and a smile rested upon her lips as she watched him.

Her crimson eye was glowing brightly, so intensely that Ian instinctively narrowed his eyes.

The strange radiance continued for several seconds before gradually fading, and the moment the light disappeared, the corpse lying on the ground behind him vanished as well.

Ian swallowed.

A strange chill crawled across his scalp as he stared at her.

It didn’t take a genius to understand what had happened. It had been an illusion, somehow. He had been deceived from the very beginning, and yet that explanation only created more questions than it answered.

An ordinary illusion could fool his eyes, perhaps even his senses, but what he had experienced was completely different. He had felt a soul.

He had sensed the presence of a living god within that body, and his dagger had genuinely pierced through flesh and bone. Even the blood had been real.

How could an illusion possess a soul?

How could something that wasn’t real deceive even his perception of existence itself?

Ian’s fingers tightened around the ivory dagger before he slowly lowered it. He had no time to dwell on the mystery.

His betrayal had failed, and Destiny knew exactly what he had attempted. Now the only question that mattered was whether she intended to kill him.

His condition was already terrible, far worse than he had allowed himself to show.

The curse of time was devouring his lifespan, the flames of destruction were still burning within his soul, and his body had barely recovered from the countless injuries he had accumulated.

At this point, an ordinary god might have been capable of killing him, and Destiny stood on an entirely different level from anything he could currently fight.

If she decided to kill him, there was nothing he could do. Honestly, Ian couldn’t even resist.

He slowly raised his head and looked at her.

"Worry not."

Destiny smiled.

"I won’t kill you."

Ian released the breath he hadn’t realized he had been holding. The tension within his body eased slightly, and the cold expression he had worn before slowly returned to his face.

He was about to speak, already preparing to convince her that he would never betray her again. Of course, the promise would have been a lie.

Ian had no intention of abandoning his goal, and if another opportunity presented itself, he would undoubtedly attempt to kill her again.

But there was no reason to be prideful at a moment like this.

He had survived, that was enough...for now.

However, before he could utter a single word, Destiny continued.

"However, now that you’ve tried to kill me, you can’t simply walk away without punishment."

Ian’s brows furrowed.

"Punishment?"

Destiny nodded cheerfully.

"So I’ll punish you."

Ian stared at her.

For a moment, he couldn’t understand what she meant. Then a sneer slowly formed on his face. Whatever punishment she had in mind, he had endured worse things than anything a goddess could possibly inflict upon him.

"Do your worst, witch."

His eyes became cold.

"You might not remember, but I’m a demon who doesn’t regret anything I’ve done. I’ve become accustomed to all kinds of pain. So what if you beat me? I’ll endure it."

His sneer deepened.

"And someday, I’ll still find a way to kill you....?"

The words had barely left his mouth when—pain exploded throughout his entire body.

Ian’s expression twisted instantly.

It came without warning, so violently that his entire body convulsed. It felt as though every nerve in his body had been seized and pulled apart individually, while his muscles were being torn from his bones one by one.

His heart felt as though an invisible blade had been driven directly through it, and the bones within his chest creaked beneath an unbearable pressure.

His legs gave out, he crashed onto the ground.

"AAAGHH!"

His scream echoed through the ruined battlefield as he desperately clawed at the earth. His body twisted uncontrollably, his fingers digging into the soil as he tried to find even the slightest position that might lessen the agony.

There was none. The pain did not come from his wounds. It came from somewhere deeper.

It was as though...as though...his entire existence had become a source of suffering, as though every part of him was being punished simultaneously.

His nerves screamed, his muscles contracted violently, and even his soul seemed to tremble beneath the invisible torment.

Ian rolled across the ground, his breathing becoming ragged as another wave of agony ripped through him.

"S-stop..."

His voice broke.

"Stop!"

Destiny simply watched.

Then she slowly knelt in front of him, resting her chin against her palm while a small smile curved across her lips.

"Didn’t I tell you that you only need to accompany me and experience mortal life?"

Ian glared at her through his tears, his face twisted by pain.

"Why are you so stubborn?"

Her smile widened.

"You even tried to kill me. That can’t go without punishment."

Ian wanted to curse her, he wanted to attack her. He wanted to do anything that might make the pain stop.

But his body refused to obey.

The woman chuckled softly as she watched him writhe upon the ground. There was an almost innocent enjoyment in her expression, as though she were watching something amusing rather than tormenting a man who had spent countless years fighting gods.

Ian’s eyes filled with resentment.

He had killed gods. He had survived battles that should have been impossible.

He had endured wounds that would have destroyed other beings completely.

Yet now he was lying on the ground, unable to even stand, because of a punishment inflicted by a woman who hadn’t even touched him.

The realization only made his hatred burn hotter.

But the pain continued.

Time seemed to lose meaning.

Ian couldn’t tell whether several minutes had passed or several hours. Every attempt to endure it only seemed to make the sensation worse, until eventually his consciousness began to blur at the edges.

Then, as suddenly as it had begun, the pain disappeared.

Ian collapsed onto his back.

His chest rose and fell violently as he struggled to breathe. His face was as pale as paper, and sweat covered his forehead. After several moments, he coughed weakly before forcing himself into a sitting position.

Destiny looked at him.

"Now that you’ve experienced what happens when you have funny ideas..."

She placed a finger against her lips as she thought.

"Hmm?"

Her eyes suddenly brightened.

"How about we go to another world?"

Ian barely reacted.

He was still trying to recover from the lingering aftertaste of the pain, and Destiny’s words were almost meaningless to him at the moment. However, Julius, who had been watching everything from nearby, leaned forward slightly.

Another world?

That was something even he hadn’t expected. Destiny continued, apparently unaware of Julius’s curiosity.

"Your weak powers would be suppressed there."

Ian’s eyes immediately shifted toward her.

"But mine wouldn’t be."

She smiled.

"So you wouldn’t be able to try killing me again."

Destiny seemed rather pleased with her own idea.

"And there are only mortals there. No gods, no wars like this, and no one strong enough to interfere with us."

She looked at Ian expectantly.

"How about it? Do you want to go there?"

Ian’s expression darkened.

"No."

His answer came immediately, he couldn’t afford that.

If his already weak powers were suppressed while Destiny retained hers, then he would have absolutely no chance of killing her.

Even if he were given another opportunity, what could he possibly do without his strength? His entire plan depended on finding a way to recover enough power to eventually kill the last god and, ultimately, the being responsible for everything.

He clenched his teeth and glared at her.

"We’re going to the eastern continent."

Destiny blinked.

Ian forced himself to stand, though his legs were still trembling slightly.

"And I won’t attack you again."

His expression was filled with barely restrained irritation.

"Happy?"

Destiny’s face immediately brightened.

"Very happy!"

She laughed as she stood up and dusted the hem of her pink robe.

"Then let’s go."

Ian stared at her back for a moment, he still couldn’t understand her.

She had caught him attempting to kill her, tortured him until he couldn’t even stand properly, and yet she seemed completely satisfied now that he had agreed not to attack her again. There was no hatred in her expression, no murderous intent, and not even the slightest trace of distrust.

It was almost as though she had already forgiven him.

Ian’s eyes narrowed. That made her even more dangerous.