"Kaine... so how many affinities have you unlocked?" Woods asked casually, resting his head on a soft pillow as he voraciously devoured the food he'd just manifested.
"I don't know," Kaine replied plainly, settling into a comfortable position.
"Aghhh… don't be a grumpy old man. There's no harm in telling me. I mean, it's not some super-secret we're sworn to protect!" Woods laughed, oblivious to the fact Kaine was actually telling the truth. He pouted as Kaine ignored him.
"So? Are you gonna tell me or not?"
"Shut up. You talk too much."
"Wow, I'm offended. Don't you get that we're teammates? We have to understand each other to work well together."
"Seriously, you should be quiet," Kaine muttered, eyes suddenly narrowing. Something felt off.
He instinctively glanced at his watch—five red dots rapidly approaching their position.
"WOODS, DOWN!!"
Kaine's shout came too late. Woods was still throwing his tantrum when five figures burst from the shadows, their powers lighting up the night with chaotic brilliance—flashes of lightning, shards of ice, bolts of wind and more collided violently, their fury turning the desert into a battleground.
There was no time to react.
Instant kill.
The thought echoed in both their minds.
Then—silence.
Time seemed to stop. The desert froze. Even the attackers stood suspended, confused expressions on their faces.
What… just happened? Kaine's mind raced. Did time just stop? No, that wouldn't make sense if it was the attackers' doing—they were trying to kill us. Unless…
A realization clicked.
Before entering the tower, the guide mentioned each floor was tied to a sin.
This... must be the doing of Sloth—the master of time.
Kaine clenched his fists. Woods, come on… figure it out.
As the ten-second mark passed, a thick, glowing shield surged around them—Woods' doing. The very next instant, the suspended storm of elements collided with it in a deafening explosion, blasting shockwaves across the landscape. Dust consumed the field.
At the epicenter stood a cracked, glowing shield, barely holding.
Kaine coughed, emerging from the smoke, his ears bleeding slightly. "Looks like we're not dying today. You're not useless after all."
"Hey!" Woods groaned, staggering to his feet. "I just saved our lives! You owe me!"
He was pale, the effort draining nearly half his Qi reserves—understandable, considering he'd been using his energy to manifest food, the campsite, and now this.
Then, a voice.
"Well, well… what do we have here? The failed genius and the pervert."
From the dissipating smoke stepped a stunning woman with long pink hair tied in a high ponytail. Her ruby-red eyes glowed faintly, and behind her stood four men, clearly her subordinates.
"K... Kaine," Woods whispered, eyes wide. "I don't think I can fight anymore—"
"You can rest. I'll handle this myself," Kaine replied coldly, assuming Woods was out of Qi.
But when he glanced at his friend, he nearly lost it.
Woods was drooling—drooling—with stars in his eyes, completely smitten by the girl's curvaceous figure as she blew him kisses.
She's clearly using Lust… and judging from those guys behind her, probably mind control too. Kaine sighed, flames igniting from his body and illuminating the night sky.
"Mmm, I heard you didn't have any affinities…" the girl purred. "Guess that was a lie. This is gonna be fun."
Kaine's glare sharpened. "You're disgusting."
He dashed forward and smashed his fist into her face.
CRACK!
She was sent flying into a boulder, the rock fracturing from the impact.
"NOOOOOO!" Woods screamed like his entire life had been stolen.
"Shut it and take care of the others, or I'll burn you next!" Kaine ordered, his tone giving no room for debate.
"You'll pay for this!" the girl hissed, emerging from the rubble with her aura surging. The rock behind her crumbled into dust.
She raised a hand—BAM!
A near-invisible telekinetic force slammed Kaine to the ground. He groaned as a crater formed beneath him, the pressure immense, blood trailing from his lips.
"Do you really think flames are enough to beat me, you worthless freak?" she mocked. Her body levitated, cloaked in pink energy. "Let me show you how to serve me."
Inside Kaine's consciousness, her presence invaded—appearing as a seductive succubus meant to enslave his mind. A weaker man would've fallen instantly.
But Kaine?
Kaine had seen far more terrifying beauty. His grandmother alone could shatter worlds with a glance. The succubus looked like a writhing worm by comparison.
"GET THE HELL OUT OF MY HEAD!" he roared.
The pressure vanished. Seethe activated.
Flames exploded from his body—so intense they burned through his fire-resistant clothes, reducing them to ash.
Before the girl could react, Kaine was beneath her, his fist glowing with violent flame.
BOOOOM!
Teeth scattered. Her pink hair burned off. She flew skyward, her body near death.
Kaine leapt after her, seized her neck mid-air, and used his flames to levitate them both.
"Invade my mind again, and I'll erase your existence."
He slapped her so hard her head twisted at a grotesque angle.
Before he could strike again—blue light.
She vanished.
If she survives… she'll be traumatized for life.
Still furious, Kaine needed an outlet.
He streaked across the sky like a comet, descending upon Woods' battlefield. His friend was barely hanging on.
Grabbing one enemy by the head, Kaine slammed him into the ground.
Blue light. Vanished.
"Whoa! Dude… that's some massive thing you've got going on there!" Woods joked, limping.
Kaine ignored him.
He finished two more attackers with merciless efficiency, but just before he could strike killing blows, each one glowed blue and vanished.
Then came the last one—crawling, desperate.
"Wait! Wait, I can explain—I was being controlled! I wasn't myself—please! She tricked us!"
Kaine approached slowly, his entire body ablaze, molten footprints trailing behind him. His burning red eyes glared like a demon of vengeance.
"I surrender! I GIVE UP!!" the boy screamed.
Blue light. Gone.
Kaine stood, trembling with rage.
Then his gaze shifted.
To Woods.
A devilish grin formed.
Woods paled. "I know what you're thinking, and it's a very bad idea!"
"Letting rage consume you won't help you master your sin! You have to fight it!" Woods said, hand reaching behind him, trying to manifest something.
Blood trickled from his nose as his Qi drained further.
Kaine stepped forward, each stride more oppressive than the last—until Woods blinked—
Kaine was behind him.
What the hell? Woods' heart stopped. That speed… is this what a prodigy awakened at age seven is like?
Just as he expected Kaine to finish him off, a gentle cold hand lightly pressed on his shoulder.
"I'm not going to kill you, at least not today"
Hearing the calm soothing voice, all the strength in Woods dissappeared, falling down while panting lightly, the manifested object vanished without Kaine noticing.