The deep silence that had spread throughout the ocean did not last for long.
Perseus was the first to react.
A faint frown appeared on his face as he looked toward Kane, whose bloodshot eyes remained fixed on Ash without wavering even slightly.
"Kane, don’t tell me you’re actually considering that proposal."
His voice remained calm, but there was a trace of warning hidden beneath it.
"He’s the Absolute Anomaly. Whatever comes out of his mouth should be treated with caution. We are not dealing with an ordinary Transcendent here."
Kane remained silent.
That silence alone caused Perseus’ expression to become even more serious.
"Kane."
This time his voice carried considerably more weight.
"Don’t allow your instincts to make decisions for you. We came here for a reason, and every organization standing behind us expects results. If you allow yourself to be influenced by the words of the very person we are supposed to capture, then you are already making a mistake."
Sera also stopped what she was doing and looked toward the Vampire Prince.
Although she appeared calmer than Perseus, her gaze remained fixed on Kane the entire time.
"Perseus is right. The fact that he made such an offer in the middle of a battle already proves that he has absolutely no way to escape us."
Her eyes briefly shifted toward Ash.
"Whether he’s telling the truth or not doesn’t even matter. What matters is that helping him escape is not an option. And you might even get punished later if you choose to act now."
Kai Reed slowly nodded.
"The barrier is nearly underway. This isn’t the time to allow emotions or instincts to cloud judgment. Maintain your unwavering Will power, don’t let your instincts take over."
The three Celestials spoke one after another, their attention remaining firmly on Kane.
After all, among everyone present, Kane was currently the biggest uncertainty.
The scent of Ash’s blood had affected him far more than anyone had initially expected.
Meanwhile, Ash simply listened to the conversation without showing the slightest concern.
A moment later, he suddenly laughed.
The sound wasn’t loud, yet it immediately drew everyone’s attention back toward him.
"You people are acting as though I’m offering him some grand trap."
Ash shook his head before looking directly at Perseus.
"Let’s be realistic for a moment. What exactly am I supposed to do to him?"
Perseus narrowed his eyes.
Ash casually spread his hands.
"Seriously, look at the situation. I’m fighting a Celestial Rank being while being surrounded by hundreds of thousands of enemies. You’re speaking as though I’m some terrifying mastermind preparing to manipulate the mighty Hero."
"But let’s be honest here, how exactly would I even harm him?"
Ash pointed toward Kane.
"That guy can tear through my defenses with his bare hands. Every time he lands a clean hit, half the bones in my body start questioning their life choices."
Several Ocean Species visibly twitched after hearing that.
Even Sera’s expression became somewhat strange.
Yet Ash continued speaking as naturally as ever.
"If he genuinely wanted to kill me, I’d be in serious trouble. If he wanted to drag me somewhere against my will, I’d have a hard time stopping him. If he decided to punch me again right now, I’d probably go flying through another few thousand unlucky sea creatures."
His gaze returned to Perseus.
"So tell me, where exactly is the trap?"
The ocean became quiet once more.
Ash’s words were simple, but they weren’t entirely wrong.
At least from a purely logical perspective, the difference in power between him and Kane was enormous.
Seeing the complicated expressions on the faces of Perseus, Sera, and Kai, Ash suddenly felt an odd sense of familiarity.
I absolutely feel like the villain of the story who’s trying to mess with the main character’s mind right now, don’t I?
{You are.}
Eva’s response arrived instantly.
Wow, not even a second of hesitation.
Ash resisted the urge to roll his eyes before returning his attention to the three Celestials.
"I’m not asking him to betray his race, overthrow his organization, or stab you three in the back."
He shrugged.
"I’m offering a deal. He helps me leave, and in exchange, he gets exactly what he wants."
Ash’s eyes shifted toward Kane.
"Something tells me that my blood is a pretty valuable reward for a vampire."
The moment those words were spoken, the surrounding blood-red energy around Kane fluctuated violently once again.
And seeing that reaction, the expressions of Perseus, Sera, and Kai immediately became more complicated.
Before Kane could open his mouth, Perseus suddenly intervened.
His gaze remained fixed on the Vampire Prince, and unlike before, there was now a visible seriousness within his eyes.
It was almost as though he had already guessed what kind of thoughts were running through Kane’s mind the moment Ash made his proposal.
"Kane, don’t let him pull you in with words like that."
His voice was calm, but there was a weight behind it that immediately caused the surrounding Ocean Species to become even quieter.
"We both know that what he’s offering is tempting, but this is exactly the kind of situation where you need to think beyond your instincts."
Kane’s bloodshot eyes shifted toward Perseus, yet he still didn’t speak.
The blood-red energy around his body continued fluctuating irregularly, making it increasingly obvious that suppressing his bloodlust was becoming more difficult with every passing moment.
Seeing that, Perseus released a slow breath before continuing.
"I know better than most what his blood represents to a vampire, and I also know that the temptation you’re feeling right now is probably stronger than anything you’ve experienced in a very long time."
For a brief moment, his expression became somewhat complicated.
"To be honest, the last thing I want is for you to become even stronger than you already are. The balance between our factions is troublesome enough as it is without adding another monster into the equation."
A few nearby experts subconsciously glanced toward Kane after hearing those words.
After all, Perseus wasn’t speaking to an ally.
The two of them belonged to different factions, organizations that had been competing against each other. Under normal circumstances, Perseus would never willingly help Kane gain strength.
Yet despite that, he still continued.
"But the current situation is different."
His gaze briefly shifted toward Ash before returning to the Vampire Prince.
"The Anomaly has already attracted the attention of the Eternals. After everything that happened today, that much should be obvious to everyone present."
"If he escapes now, nobody can predict what kind of consequences will follow. The organizations standing behind us will not accept that outcome, and neither will the countless powers that are already watching this situation unfold."
Perseus’ eyes narrowed slightly.
"So if your concern is his blood, then fine. After we capture him, I won’t interfere with you drinking his blood."
Even Sera looked toward him after hearing that.
Kai Reed remained silent, but the slight movement of his eyes showed that he hadn’t expected Perseus to make such a concession either.
Meanwhile, Perseus simply shook his head.
"I dislike the idea. In fact, I dislike it immensely, because helping you become stronger has never been something that benefits me or my faction."
A faint bitter smile appeared on his face.
"But right now, preventing the Absolute Anomaly from escaping is more important than the rivalry between our organizations."
His gaze locked firmly onto Kane.
"So don’t betray this operation because of a moment of temptation. Capture him first, and afterward you can have what you want. That outcome is still far preferable to allowing the most dangerous anomaly in existence to disappear into the world after even the Eternals have started taking an interest in him."
The surrounding ocean seemed to grow quieter and quieter as everyone waited for his answer.
Meanwhile, Ash watched the entire exchange unfold before him, and the amused smile on his face gradually widened.
"Wow."
He slowly shook his head.
"I didn’t realize my blood had become valuable enough to make people negotiate against their own interests."
His eyes moved between Perseus and Kane.
"Now that’s what I call premium quality."
Kane stared at him.
Then, without saying a single word, he moved.
The surrounding ocean exploded.
Ash’s eyes widened.
Shit.
A clawed hand appeared directly before his face.
-BOOOOOMMMMMM!!!!!
Crimson Heavenly Lightning erupted wildly as Ash barely managed to bring his arms up in time.
The impact sent him flying through the ocean.
Before he could stabilize himself, Kane appeared beside him again.
Another punch followed immediately.
-BAAAAMMMMM!!!!!
Blood erupted from Ash’s mouth as his body was smashed deeper into the ocean.
Kane had already made his choice.
And his answer was a lot clearer than any explanation he could have given.
Far in the distance, Perseus released a quiet sigh of relief before immediately turning his attention back toward the barrier.
Meanwhile, Ash was sent crashing through the ocean once again as Kane’s relentless assault continued without pause.
-BOOOOMMMMM!!!!!
A fist covered in blood-red energy slammed into his side, sending pain spreading throughout his body as several freshly healed bones cracked once more.
{Not good. At the current rate, the barrier will be completed in approximately thirty seconds.}
Ughh... that hurts like hell.
Ash thought while forcefully stabilizing himself before narrowly avoiding another claw aimed at his throat.
{What should we do now? This attempt of yours failed too.}
A moment later, Kane appeared directly before him again.
-BOOOOMMMMM!!!!!
Crimson Heavenly Lightning exploded throughout the surrounding waters as Ash blocked another attack and was forced backward.
What else? Let’s go with the flow.
Another punch collided with his crossed arms.
At this point, I don’t exactly have many ideas remaining.
Eva fell silent.
{.....}
For several seconds, only the sounds of explosions and violent currents filled the ocean as Ash continued exchanging blows with the Vampire Prince.
Then a faint smile slowly appeared on Ash’s face.
Actually, there might be one thing.
{What do you mean?}
Ash ducked beneath a claw before driving a lightning-covered fist toward Kane’s chest.
The attack connected, but as expected, it wasn’t enough to do any meaningful damage.
It’s something I’ve never really tried before.
{.....}
Or rather, something I kept postponing because there were always more important things to deal with.
Eva immediately sensed where this conversation was heading.
{Ash...}
A dangerous glint appeared in his eyes.
I will give you complete authority over all my abilities, skills, bloodline abilities, and even the passive abilities of the Runes.
For the first time since the conversation began, Eva’s calculations abruptly paused.
{What?}
You heard me.
Ash was punched through the ocean again, yet the grin on his face only widened.
Synthesize everything.
Take every skill. Every ability. Every bloodline power. Every passive effect granted by the Runes. Break them apart and put them back together however you see fit. Synthesize similar abilities together, experiment with different combinations, and see whether any new skill can be created.
A faint pause followed.
Then Ash continued.
Don’t limit yourself to the abilities that naturally fit together. Try combinations that shouldn’t work as well. Just keep experimenting.
Even for her, the proposal sounded absurd.
{That process has never been attempted before. The probability of failure is extremely high. There is also a significant possibility that valuable abilities could be permanently altered into something completely different or even get permanently lost.}
And?
Ash immediately replied.
If I get captured in the next thirty seconds, I won’t be using those abilities anyway.
A claw tore across his shoulder.
Blood scattered through the ocean.
A second later, the wound was already healing.
We’re out of options, Eva.
His gaze briefly shifted toward the distant barrier that was rapidly taking shape throughout the ocean.
So let’s gamble.
A strange excitement gradually appeared within his eyes.
Maybe destiny will be on my side for once.
And if it isn’t... well, things can’t get much worse than they already are.
Eva fell completely silent.
For several moments, she said nothing at all.
Then finally—
{.....Understood.}
A faint tension appeared within her voice.
{Initiating large-scale synthesis process.}
{Target selection: All available skills, abilities, bloodline abilities, and Rune-derived passive abilities.}
{Searching for compatible synthesis paths.}
{Searching for unconventional synthesis paths.}
{Searching for possible escape-oriented evolutions.}
{Estimated outcome: Unknown.}
{Estimated success rate: Unknown.}
{Estimated consequences: Unknown.}
Ash couldn’t help laughing.
Now that’s the kind of information that inspires confidence.
****