The Unrelenting Force, an unstoppable power, can obliterate everything in its path. It can even shatter the souls of living beings. It is the most primal and greatest force among the Thu'um (Dragon Shout).
At this moment, this immense force surged through the narrow passage toward the cave entrance. Any living being touched by this power would perish instantly.
The energy would penetrate their fragile bodies, directly striking their internal organs. These weak mortals wouldn't even realize death was upon them until it was too late.
Within their seemingly intact bodies, their organs had already turned to bloody pulp. They died peacefully, feeling no pain.
But how could they not suffer?
As the power was recklessly unleashed, a strange emotion arose in Raiden heart—an emotion he hadn't felt in a long time, so long that he had almost forgotten it. This emotion was… rage.
In Raiden eyes, his fury burned. He was enraged that these creatures die so easily. They should endure every torment the world had to offer, their souls hung over a blazing fire for ten thousand years!
This emotion continued to intensify within Raiden. His gaze grew colder, but beneath it was an unmistakable, bloodthirsty fervor.
Perhaps this emotion was more than just rage.
Driven by this inexplicable feeling, Raiden recklessly expended his power. He chose not to use the Thu'um again. Instead, fire elements danced and rejoiced around him.
Only flames could burn away all the evil in this world.
Raiden spellcasting was extravagantly wasteful. Such high consumption of mana wasn't efficient for killing enemies, but for Raiden, as long as it brought suffering, it was enough.
This spell could make life worse than death! No one could die easily in the flames. The fire would first consume their body, then corrode their soul, and finally condense their soul into a soul gem, injecting the last vestiges of their living soul bit by bit for mages to use in their spells.
Of course, this process was excruciatingly prolonged, and thus, it brought infinite suffering. It forced the soul to watch itself slowly stiffen and petrify over the ages, then be imprisoned in a cage forged from its own soul, becoming a tool for others to consume. Each use would strip away the last remnants of their soul.
This was an extremely malevolent spell. Most mages didn't know it, and even fewer would use it, as it was more trouble than it was worth.
But Raiden was different now. Within him, in his heart, a certain emotion was awakening. A cruel beast was exploiting Raiden inner desires—his craving for death and suffering—to recklessly drum his power.
It wanted to weaken Raiden, to free itself. It had been imprisoned for countless ages, and now it was time to reclaim this body!
But just as it was about to break free and fully take over, the killing intent in Raiden eyes suddenly dissipated.
Are they all dead? Yes, they're all dead.
So tired…
Raiden was unaware of what he had done earlier. To be precise, he knew everything he had done, but he didn't notice anything unusual because, in his mind, it was all his own decision.
Raiden cautiously scanned his surroundings, but it was clear that there were no living beings left here. The rocks around him were shattered, and flames were still consuming everything in their path, burning anything that could be ignited.
Raiden slowly exhaled, his tense body finally relaxing. The energy stored in his voice had been completely drained, and even the energy within his body was now depleted. He had completely exhausted himself in that moment.
Raiden didn't know why he had done it. In fact, he didn't even think about why he had done it. He only knew that power should be used that way—as long as it brought pain to those bastards.
What Raiden had squandered was the result of four years of accumulation in this dirt cave. Of course, a significant portion of that energy had been obtained during his last "solar charging" session. But now, all that energy had turned into the flames burning around him.
Wait! Someone was still here.
The faint sound of footsteps echoed from the passage around the corner.
Raiden swung his hands, and two flames appeared in his palms, gradually growing stronger as if drawing energy from the air.
As the fireballs formed, a surge of blood-red color suddenly filled his eyes. The beast was finally about to break free.
In just two seconds, the flames had grown into two massive fireballs, burning fiercely in Raiden hands. The extreme heat scorched everything around them, and the light twisted inside the inferno.
Raiden hurled the fireballs forward, and the force exploded in the passage. The flames spread outward as if controlled, engulfing the tunnel.
Screams, thuds, and the sound of bodies scraping against the ground echoed through the tunnel.
Raiden lowered his head, a sinister expression on his face. These sounds were like the most beautiful music in the world—this was what they deserved… their reward!
Suddenly, a corpse on the ground caught Raiden attention. A somewhat familiar face… the guy who had hit him with the butt of a gun.
It seemed it was time to fulfill a promise!
Raiden picked up the gun from the ground and slammed its butt into the corpse buttocks. Ugh, disgusting. Raiden sneered, looking at the corpse with disdain. He swung the gun again, this time smashing it into the corpse head. Instantly, a mixture of blood and other fluids splattered everywhere.
"Haha, hahaha!"
Raiden soft chuckle turned into maniacal laughter. He laughed recklessly, laughed in utter despair.
As sorrow washed over him, the blood-red color in his eyes began to fade. The beast seemed ready to retreat under the influence of another emotion.
'No! Not yet! The bald man wasn't here! He wasn't dead yet. Kill him, kill him! Only then will I return!'
The blood-red color surged back into Raiden eyes, and the flickering flames of power reignited just as they were about to die out. He would burn away all the evil here!
Raiden had seen too much evil in this place. It was a filthy, despicable place. He would purify it. He would kill every single one of those of evil mongrels!
The storm of power once again swept through the cave. No one knew how a body on the verge of collapse could suddenly erupt with such immense strength.
Perhaps, when a person emotions reach an extreme, they can surpass their limits.
Perhaps, for Raiden, there was only one emotion left in his body, one feeling—a piece of what he had once lost, now reclaimed.
However strangely, this emotion refused to blend with the others. It clung tightly to something—a memory, Raiden obsession!
Kill!
Blood once again stained the cave red. It must be said, the Ten Rings had many members, but for Raiden, the more, the better!
.........
Far away in the Himalayas, a small village called Kamar-Taj nestled within the mountains. In the highest palace, a woman in yellow robes suddenly opened her eyes.
She was the protector of this planet, the Ancient One, who had guarded the Earth for millennia, shielding it from magical corruption.
And now, the Ancient One sensed a strange magical fluctuation—so strange that she had never encountered it before, which was why she could detect it so keenly.
More importantly, this power was something the Ancient One had not only never seen in the past but also had never discovered in the future. Here, it was, appearing now!
It had appeared on Earth, in the world she had sworn to protect.
The Ancient One extended her right hand, and a model of the Earth, constructed of energy, began to rotate in her palm. Surrounding the Earth was a thin membrane.
This membrane was supported by points of light emanating from various regions of the Earth. These lights shot up into the clouds, connecting with one another to form a massive protective shield enveloping the entire planet.
The Ancient One carefully examined the outer membrane but found no breaches. So, where did this power come from?
Before she could ponder further, the space before her suddenly began to fracture. A black light seeped through the cracks. The Ancient One shook her head, ultimately choosing to ignore this unfamiliar force.
Because no matter what, the Ancient One believed it was a power from Earth, a force belonging to this planet. She firmly believed that no power could bypass her and enter Earth.
So, her immediate priority was not to deal with this strange energy.
What the Ancient One needed to do now was to block external forces—whether they came from Asgard or beyond the Nine Realms.
For darkness was about to descend…