Ex rank talent Awakening: 100\% Dodge rate-Chapter 205 - : DEMON WAVE XVII

The TAINTED stood up from its cratered landing site, staring at Greg with blazing fury in its eyes.

"Stop staring at me like that, or I might just beat you into a pulp," Greg said coldly, tightening his fists. He didn't plan to use Heaven Defier or any weapon—just his bare hands. Blows and kicks would be more than enough to beat the life out of this monstrous creature.

With a speed so fast it generated a sonic boom, Greg vanished and reappeared before the TAINTED in an instant. He delivered a brutal uppercut that launched the creature skyward. Not missing a beat, Greg soared upward, overtaking the monster in altitude, and with maximum force, he brought his fist down like a hammer. The TAINTED was sent crashing back to the earth, slamming into the ground with a thunderous impact that deepened the crater and shook the landscape.

Hovering above the destruction, Greg cracked his knuckles and spoke coldly. "Oi, stand up, you dumb bastard. I'm not done with you yet."

"RRAAAHHH!" the TAINTED roared defiantly.

Greg stomped down on its chest, silencing it with sheer force. "Enough. Scream one more time, and I'll stomp your skull until your brain splatters all over the ground."

The TAINTED trembled beneath him.

"Since you won't get up," Greg said, his voice turning dark, "I guess I'll offer some help." His lips curled into a grin. He wasn't a violent man—but even he couldn't deny the satisfaction he felt using the TAINTED as a punching bag. It was decent enough sport.

He grabbed the creature by its thick neck, lifting it with ease as it thrashed uselessly against his grip. "Well, I'll give you credit for your durability," Greg said, amused. "After the demonic sandworms, you're my second-best punching bag." Then he slapped the monster's face repeatedly, delivering one stinging blow after another.

He tossed the TAINTED into the air like a toy, caught its legs, and slammed it left and right into the earth like a ragdoll, pulverizing the ground with each impact.

From a distance, Brian stared in awe at what he couldn't even call a battle. Greg was simply toying with the creature like a cat with a broken mouse.

"Give up. You can't compete with that monster..." The words of Abyss echoed in his mind. He smiled bitterly, finally experiencing the gap between himself and Greg firsthand.

Of course, the gap was to be expected. Greg had a ridiculous ability to absorb and purchase stats. Comparing himself to Greg—who he couldn't even outmatch in level—was laughable.

The celestial messenger had originally been a level 200 divine being, receiving 8 stat points per level compared to Brian's 5. But after its corruption, its level had surged drastically to 230, growing stronger the more carnage and destruction it caused.

That Brian had even survived against such a creature was a testament to his skill and talent—standing his ground against a being more than twice his level.

Greg, on the other hand? Tsk. All his stats were over 800—far above the TAINTED's, even after its transformation. That was why he could so easily make a mockery of the fight.

Blow after blow rained down on the TAINTED. It hadn't even had the chance to strike back. Consumed by wrath, it had thought of nothing but destruction. But now... now something else filled its mind—something that began to outweigh its desire to destroy.

Fear.

Absolute, paralyzing fear of the being standing before it.

"Huh? Tired already? No fun. Thought I could play with you a little longer," Greg said with a sigh, ending his ruthless game.

He dropped the broken creature to the ground.

"It's time for you to die now," he muttered.

Heaven Defier materialized in his hand with a flicker of divine light.

"Alright then… off you go," he whispered, driving the weapon into the heart of the TAINTED.

[Congratulations! You have defeated the TAINTED!]

[THE EVENT HAS BEEN SUCCESSFULLY COMPLETED!]

[CALCULATING PLAYER'S CONTRIBUTION POINTS...]

[COMPUTING PLAYER RANKING BASED ON CONTRIBUTIONS DURING THE EVENT...]

[COMPUTATION COMPLETE!]

PLAYER RANKINGS

Nemesis – Neutral Camp

Sword God – Celestial Camp

Abyss – Neutral Camp

Dual Blade – Celestial Camp

Puppet Master – Celestial Camp

Odin – Celestial Camp

Berserker – Celestial Camp

Gold Goblin – Celestial Camp

Kyle – Demon Camp

Jade – Celestial Camp

The event's end was met with cheers from the entire player base. Those who had joined the Demon Camp were filled with regret—earning contribution points during the final event had been nearly impossible. That's why none of them, aside from the now-dead Kyle, made it to the leaderboard.

[Congratulations for defeating the level 230 TAINTED creature!]

[You have leveled up!]

[You have leveled up!]

[You have leveled up!]

[You have plundered the stats of the TAINTED.]

[You have stripped the bloodline from the TAINTED, gaining two bloodlines.]

— Celestial Messenger Bloodline

— Tainted Bloodline

[Warning! Both bloodlines contain negative effects. Host is advised to tread with caution!]

[You finished first in the event...]

[Check your inventory to receive your reward.]

Greg listened to the notifications with casual indifference. He hadn't really put in much effort during the battle.

Others, like Brian, had worked harder—but there Greg was, standing first on the rankings just because he'd taken down the big boss.

Like he always believed: work smart, not hard.

"Are you okay?" he asked Jessica gently.

She nodded, eyes soft. "Mm."

"Thank you," she whispered.

"It's nothing," Greg replied with a warm smile. "I'd do it over and over again if it meant protecting you. I won't let anyone hurt you."

Jessica's lips curled into a tender smile.

"Let's go," Greg said, lifting her into his arms like a princess.

He intended to fly away with her—but the system had other plans. Jessica was instantly teleported back to the location she had been in before the event started.

Brian, who had begun walking toward Greg to exchange some words, was also suddenly teleported away—leaving Greg standing in empty space, blinking awkwardly.

With Jessica gone, he turned his attention to the coordinates Aaron had sent him. Before leaving, his eyes drifted toward the towering castle walls of the Empire's boundary.

"Your time is coming soon, Emperor," he muttered, a satisfied smile creeping across his face.

And without further ado, he soared into the sky.

"Oracle, the divine being has been defeated," a priest informed the bedridden seer.

Though the Oracle's life had been saved through extensive healing, his legs had been irreparably damaged. He would remain legless for the rest of his days.