My attributes are increasing infinitely Chapter 385: Killing a protagonist
Previously on My attributes are increasing infinitely...
Ethan rose slowly within his personal dimension.
Beside him, two cocoons pulsed with a soft rhythm, resembling the steady breathing of dormant beasts. Nini remained encased in a shifting vortex of chaos, while the World Tree was shrouded in a silent, formidable crystal shell.
Ethan was in no rush to disturb them.
True power of that magnitude could not be accelerated by force.
Releasing a long breath, he let out a low chuckle.
"Hahaha... fine. Take your time to grow. I'll spend the interval hunting."
His primary objective remained unwavering.
Strength.
Bloodlines.
Authority.
And ultimately, the Throne of Destiny within this eternal domain.
To him, everything else was merely background noise.
Stepping out of his inner world, Ethan’s physical form manifested back onto the actual battlefield. The gray haze had settled, leaving behind nothing but fractured earth and shattered laws.
He gazed toward the horizon of reality.
"That outburst earlier surely would have triggered a nexus event," he remarked to himself. "If I hadn’t deployed the Ultimate Domain, half of the higher realms would likely be fixated on me by now."
He rubbed his chin and laughed again.
"Hahaha... yeah, staying hidden is a chore, but being pursued by old monsters is far more troublesome."
After reconsidering his options, Ethan reached a conclusion.
"I'll continue to use it. For the time being."
The Ultimate Domain expanded without a sound, consuming space, destiny, and his very presence. The world ceased to acknowledge his existence.
Then, he moved.
Ethan soared forward.
His velocity increased until the concept of distance became irrelevant. Stars stretched into streaks of light, and space folded like thin parchment. Before long, the boundary of reality loomed ahead.
The barrier.
It remained unchanged—vast, translucent, and woven with infinite layers of law and authority.
Ethan came to a halt before it.
As expected, the familiar prompt resonated.
[Do you wish to use your authority to pass the barrier?]
Ethan didn't bother to listen.
He was already losing interest.
Reaching behind him, he drew the Sword of Infinity.
The blade vibrated with anticipation.
With a casual motion, Ethan raised the weapon.
"Slash."
He delivered a swing.
There was no sophisticated technique, no gathering of energy, and no flashy display of light.
The blade simply cut through the air.
The barrier was cleaved instantly.
A pristine rift tore open, as if reality itself had sustained a wound. Natural laws were shredded, and authority seals shattered like brittle glass.
Ethan paused for a brief moment, then laughed.
"Hahaha. The ghost of the Anomalies, Ethan Hunt, is about to begin his hunt. Are you ready?"
Silence was his only answer. He was merely talking to himself.
He stepped through the rift and entered a new reality.
The instant he crossed the threshold, a crushing pressure hit him. This world rejected his presence, its laws screaming out in defiance.
Then, the Will spoke.
[You have entered the reality of another candidate.]
[You must challenge the native candidate within 5 days.]
[Failure will result in your location being revealed to him.]
Ethan finally took notice.
"So an intruder is always destined to be exposed," he noted with composure.
He had one hundred million realities to visit.
Spending even a single day in each world would total one hundred million days.
That was far too slow.
And far too inefficient.
"I don’t have time for this shit," he grumbled. "I’ll need to eliminate as many anomalies as possible in a single day."
Ethan shut his eyes.
His mental domain began to radiate outward. With his spirit now at the Genesis Realm, encompassing a single reality was a simple task.
His consciousness surged like an invisible tide, blanketing the entire reality. Continents, seas, metropolises, beasts, Cultivators, and celestial bodies—all fell under his scrutiny.
He searched for the anomaly and didn't have to wait long. Something irregular appeared in his vision.
A lone man.
Standing upon a planet drenched in blood.
The individual was slaughtering others as if they were mere livestock.
Every stride he took extinguished lives. Every motion wiped people out. His expression remained frigid and vacant, bordering on boredom.
However, it wasn't the carnage that piqued Ethan's interest.
It was the evolution.
With every life taken, power flooded into him.
With every dying cry, his aura surged higher.
His Cultivation was at the Emperor Realm.
Identical to Ethan's.
Yet his combat effectiveness had already surpassed the Progenitor Realm and was currently pounding on the gates of the Primordial Realm.
Ethan's eyes narrowed slightly.
"Oh?" he whispered. "Interesting."
He observed the scene intently.
A mist of gray and red spiraled into the man's frame.
Chaos.
Absolute chaos.
A Bloodline that flourished on pure destruction.
"How is he achieving this?" Ethan mused. "Does he possess a system as well?"
A slow grin spread across his face.
"No... this feels much filthier than a system."
Ethan vanished.
Space warped, and he materialized above the devastated planet. The metallic scent of blood saturated the atmosphere, and the echoes of screams rose from below.
Ethan looked down and gave a small sigh.
"What a messy world."
His form began to shimmer.
His aura dissipated into nothingness.
In a heartbeat, he transformed into a destitute old man. His back was hunched, his skin wrinkled, and his breathing shallow. He wore nothing but tattered rags.
He descended slowly, landing among the panicked survivors.
No one paid him any mind.
Everyone was far too preoccupied with dying.
Ethan’s gaze remained tranquil.
His intent was straightforward.
He needed to confirm if this individual was indeed the candidate.
He didn't have to wait for long.
The Will announced:
[Two Emperor of Destiny candidates are within 1 km apart.]
[A battle is required.]
The declaration reverberated across the field of slaughter.
Both candidates heard the message.
The young man stopped in his tracks.
He whipped his head around abruptly.
"Another candidate?" he hissed. "Here?"
His eyes swept across the area.
"Did he employ authority to infiltrate my reality?"
Then, his mouth twisted into a smirk.
A sinister smile took hold.
"It doesn't matter."
His aura erupted with violence. Gray ash billowed from his skin like smoke rising from a charred cadaver.
"My Primordial Ash Bloodline thrives on chaos and ruin," he declared coldly. "The more I slay, the more powerful I grow."
He glared at the humans cowering before him.
They were on their knees.
Pleading.
Sobbing.
Ethan stood silently in their midst, propped up by a walking stick.
The youth snapped his fingers.
Every survivor was instantly reduced to powder.
There was no blood.
No final screams.
Only death.
A fresh surge of chaos flowed into his body.
His aura spiked once more.
He took a slow, deep breath, savoring the sensation.
"Show yourself," he commanded calmly. "Let me determine if you are worth the effort of killing."
He waited.
He was completely oblivious.
He hadn't received even a single hint of a warning.
That at this very moment, a predator far more dangerous than himself was marking him.
Ethan’s elderly disguise began to tremble.
A laugh broke through his lips.
"Hahaha..."
"So you derive strength from chaos," Ethan thought. "Good."
This Bloodline was a prize worth seizing and integrating into his own.
He straightened his spine.
His bones popped and realigned.
His wrinkles smoothed out.
The disguise shed away like dead skin.
His true appearance was revealed.
The air grew heavy and oppressive.
The young man felt the shift immediately.
A cold shiver raced up his back.
His survival instincts began to scream.
Danger.
He spun around to identify the source.
Their gazes locked.
For the first time, a flicker of doubt crossed the youth's face.
Ethan smiled.
It was the smile of an apex predator.
"So," Ethan remarked casually, "you must be the little protagonist of this reality."
The young man’s eyes turned into slits.
"Who are you?"
Ethan watched him with a calm intensity.
"Don't worry."
The Sword of Infinity materialized in his grip.
"You'll find out soon enough."
The earth cracked beneath his heel as he took a step forward.
"I was intending to gather bloodlines regardless," Ethan added nonchalantly. "And it seems you happen to possess a very appetizing one."
The young man’s ash aura flared up aggressively.
"You believe you can defeat me?" he sneered. "I grow more formidable with every passing second. I am fueled by chaos itself."
Ethan nodded in agreement.
"I am aware."
Then his grin widened.
"That’s precisely why I’m looking forward to this."
"Show me just how loud you can scream."
Slash!
He didn't strictly need the sword, but he chose to use it anyway.