The Glorious Evolution Chapter 432: Cathedral of Dread.

In the blink of an eye, Rain disappeared... leaving a fleeting illusory afterimage that vanished moments later. The genuine Rain? He stood atop the rope now, advancing toward Levi with a blank expression.

Disheveled white hair shrouded his drowsy eyes... it flashed subtle red tinges whenever light glanced off it, evoking a feral beast cloaked in innocent hues.

His stare seemed casual, yet it harbored a frosty edge, the type unrelenting in pursuit of death.

A slim chain draped over his black uniform, hardly noticeable under the lengthy dark coat billowing with each stride... the coat dangled loosely on his slender build, skimming his legs as he moved.

Tight black gloves and boots clad him, evoking a professional assassin... To everyday observers, he passed for human, but Levi’s Harmonic Spine exposed his otherworldly form.

’What kind of species is he...’

Levi’s brow creased sharply at the crimson humanoid Chameleon fused atop Rain’s head... its face sported hyena traits like an extended snout, broad jaws, and speckled hide.

Detecting observation somehow, the Chameleon sluggishly parted its eyes... hollow and devoid of feeling, they fixed on Levi like insignificant vermin... then it sealed them shut, reverting to dormancy.

"You have slain Fang alone... More respect to you, but..."

With delicacy, Rain drew his katana and tilted it earthward... the blade fractured into scores of tiny segments. Serrated links pulsed with dim red glows between them like pulsing veins, replicating a Chameleon’s tongue.

Rain trailed the weapon after himself, its foremost edge rasping along the rope and scattering tiny sparks.

"I can’t allow you to go two for two... our lives depend on it."

Scarce had Rain’s final syllable escaped when Levi triggered Combustion Leap to hurl himself rearward... prickling chills swept his skin, cautioning that one more instant there meant no escape... whatsoever.

Rain utterly disregarded him... observing his fallback to Arthur and his comrades without facial alteration.

He simply pressed onward at a measured pace until the remaining Nightcrawlers scaled the rope and reached his side.

’Mr. Rain... what’s the plan? Give me your orders, and I will relay them.’ Kaeh’thos inquired gravely.

As captain of The Law Defiers... following Nyr’Kalloth’s downfall—the Faction’s leader—and the potent Nightcrawlers’ demise, Rain formed their ultimate safeguard.

Kaeh’thos recognized defeating the Raiders Faction sans Rain neared impossibility... Levi wrought irreversible havoc on their morale and might.

Kaeh’thos discerned it in the surviving Nightcrawlers’ gazes... primal terror of facing oblivion.

’Plan? Oh...’ Rain pivoted toward him blankly and stated, ’I do have a plan... and you guys are a vital part of it.’

At those words, hope gleamed in Kaeh’thos’ eyes... He knew little of Rain, yet trusted the Bishop dispatched no incompetence for his dealings.

Fang had shown strength far beyond the norm... regrettably, his quarry emerged a far more terrifying abomination than foreseen. Seeing Levi’s drooping arms and faint weariness on his visage, Kaeh’thos felt confident Rain dominated him.

’What do you want from us? Everyone has climbed the rope, and the Toxic Kingdom hasn’t been fully destroyed.’ Kaeh’thos proposed firmly, ’We can accelerate the expansion until their captain is forced to fight you inside of it. This time, we know better... we will avoid his green flames and focus on supporting...’

Midway through, blood erupted from his throat, overwhelming his speech... Kaeh’thos clutched his severed neck in bewilderment, dazed eyes locked on Rain’s back.

The attack evaded his sight... truly, everyone’s. Its velocity baffled comprehension of events. Without Rain’s blood-smeared segmented blade, no one would implicate him!

"You talk too much."

Those were his final sounds... his corpse slumped onto the rope beneath all their shocked stares.

Rain brushed off their gazes, persisting in dragging the segmented blade... its path smeared Kaeh’thos’ blood, convincing all this was no illusion.

"Yo..You!! You bastard mercenary!! What have you done!!"

Kaeh’thos’ comrades first shook off stupor, encircling Rain with unchecked rage distorting their faces... they recalled mercenaries bound by contracts against harming clients.

Yet, this rule held no sway during events... anyone could slay freely, anyone, anytime.

"What a sudden twist! The Hired Blade Jor’Thyrek has gone rogue!"

Gamemaster Envy's face beamed with delight, thrilled beyond measure by Rifters from the same side betraying one another.

At the same time, Arthur and his fellow Daywalkers stood equally baffled... to them, betraying comrades at such a pivotal instant was utter madness. They trailed behind in points and Rifter count already.

A betrayer in their midst now? Quickly, wicked smirks spread across their features.

"I don’t know why he did that, but I ain’t complaining." Tyrese sneered. "They should just kill each other and get this game over with."

The other Daywalkers nodded along eagerly, but Levi wore a heavy scowl... he alone knew Rain’s real identity.

That insight told him Rain’s bold strike against his own team meant he either required no aid to complete the task or desired their demise for some reason.

Just as anticipated, when Rain got encircled, he didn’t flee or beg mercy... instead, he yawned lazily and muttered, "Whatever... this is faster, I guess."

Rain remained motionless while Nightcrawlers encircled him with deadly glares... the sole remaining captain even dove into the pursuit, grasping that the Bishop had doomed them by deploying this lunatic.

Even worse, reporting to the Gamemaster was out of the question due to their NDA... Bishop Na’thir had wisely guarded such damaging details.

"DIEEE!!"

"KILL HIM!"

"GET RID OF THE TRAITOR BEFORE WE GET ATTACKED!!"

While Nightcrawlers bellowed skyward, gearing up for their joint strike, Rain lightly touched the blade's edge to the rope.

’Scarlet Noctem Arts: Cathedral of Dread...’

Rain’s words resounded in his thoughts as a slender crimson fog burst outward in every direction... It swept over the rope and slipped past their feet before they could respond.

Instantly upon contact with the blood mist, hallucinations seized their minds... the raging crowd halted, fury morphing into quaking, primal horror.

A Nightcrawler started shrieking, retreating from an invisible horror... he flailed his weapon at nothingness... Another collapsed kneeling, gaping at his bloodstained hands that refused to clean... A third unleashed his venomous power on a teammate, yelling at shadows to retreat.

Nothing was visible... viewers and Daywalkers grew even more perplexed. Yet now, dread flickered in their eyes, aware that Rain’s one skill had reduced six Nightcrawlers to this, and they might suffer similarly.

With every Nightcrawler ensnared in their deepest terror, scarlet fumes rose from their forms amid mounting dread... The haze floated to Rain and absorbed into him, causing his pale locks to pulse crimson repeatedly.

Louder screams thickened the fog... greater panic fueled his rising power.

Nightcrawlers fell one after another onto the rope, forms withered unnaturally, visages contorted in nightmarish grimaces... as though sheer fright had slain them.

Rain ignored the slaughter entirely... he simply pivoted toward Levi and his squad. Then came a faint grin, so minuscule and eerie it chilled every onlooker to the bone.

"Who’s ready to face their worst fear?"

His query carried sincere concern... as if urging them to conquer their terrors. Yet he knew better; it wouldn’t occur.

He’d unleashed this countless times... none had overcome their ultimate horror.

No one.