Gods of Destruction

Chapter 3 The Blood Sword

"What is this?" Nasser Reza murmured in surprise as he picked up the object and placed it in his palm. He carefully examined the pill-like object, which was golden in color and felt warm to the touch. Nasser Reza could sense a mysterious energy faintly emanating from it.
He held the object in his hand, bringing it close to his eyes, his mouth slightly open, and a look of curiosity on his face, as if lost in thought.Suddenly, the pill-like object began to move for some unknown reason. Caught off guard as he was staring intently at it, the object rolled directly into his slightly open mouth. Before he knew it, his throat moved, and with a gulp, he accidentally swallowed it.Nasser Reza was stunned, his eyes wide with shock. Before he could react, the pill-like object had already settled in his stomach.The thought that he had just swallowed something from a human skeleton made his stomach churn. He quickly tried to induce vomiting by sticking his fingers down his throat, but no matter how hard he tried, he couldn't bring it back up.His face twisted in discomfort, filled with bitterness. It had been mere curiosity, and he had never expected something like this to happen.After retching for a long time without success, he had no choice but to give up. Fortunately, aside from feeling a bit nauseous, his body seemed fine. In fact, he even felt a warm, comforting sensation spreading through him, bringing a strange sense of comfort.Nasser Reza stopped pondering and stood up, only to notice a long sword beside the old man. The sword's blade was blood-red, half-buried in the ground, with a bronze-colored hilt. Embedded in the pommel was a bright red gemstone, faintly glowing.Earlier, Nasser Reza had thrown his axe at the giant serpent, leaving him without a weapon. Navigating through the dense, thorny forest would be nearly impossible without something to cut through the brush. With this in mind, Nasser Reza gripped the sword's hilt with both hands and exerted all his strength. Despite his efforts, the sword only wobbled slightly.Determination flickered across Nasser Reza's face. He tightened his grip on the hilt and pushed harder, veins bulging and his face turning red as he put every ounce of his strength into it. Finally, the blood-red sword began to rise slowly from the ground.When the last bit of the blade emerged from the earth, a clear, resonant sword hum echoed through the cave, reverberating for a long time.Fine swordNasser Reza couldn't help but marvel at the sight before him. The sword, over three feet long, radiated a blood-red hue that seemed to cut through the air with an aura of malevolence. As he swung it, the blade created a crimson arc that seemed to make the very heavens tremble.Curious, he lightly touched the blade with his finger, only to feel a sharp pain as a thin line of blood appeared. To his shock, a mysterious force surged from the sword, pulling the blood from his wound in a fine stream toward the blade. The sword absorbed the blood, deepening its red hue and emitting a faint, ominous glow.Startled, Nasser Reza instinctively tried to pull his finger back, but to his horror, he found himself completely immobilized. It was as if some invisible power had bound him in place, rendering all his efforts to move futile. His face paled as he realized the gravity of the situation.The blood continued to flow without stopping, and Nasser Reza found himself in awe of the strange turn of events. It was beyond belief—first, the sudden attack by the massive green serpent, then the discovery of a hidden cavern behind the waterfall, followed by the towering stone pillars and the mysterious skeleton. After swallowing the golden orb, he stumbled upon the blood-red sword, only to have it draw his blood as soon as he touched it.For most people, such extraordinary encounters might not happen in a lifetime, yet they all occurred to Nasser Reza in a single day. He couldn't help but marvel at his seemingly unparalleled luck.As he watched his blood flow steadily from the wound on his finger and be absorbed by the sword, Nasser Reza grew increasingly pale. The longer it continued, the more blood he lost, and soon a severe dizziness began to cloud his mind.Just as he was about to lose consciousness, a sudden warmth spread from his abdomen, providing a small measure of clarity. The contrast between the overwhelming dizziness and the inability to faint left Nasser Reza in a torturous state. The world around him seemed to spin and warp, making it impossible to focus, yet he remained cruelly aware of his surroundings, trapped in a state of unbearable disorientation.Nasser Reza remained unconscious for an indeterminate amount of time. In his haze, he felt the bleeding from his finger finally cease, and the mysterious force that had bound him dissipate. He stumbled and collapsed to the ground, his vision darkening as he lost consciousness.The blood-red sword, having absorbed all of Nasser Reza's blood, had become deeply saturated with crimson color, emitting a fierce bloodlight. The red gem on the sword's hilt continued to flicker, casting a brilliant and overwhelming glow that seemed to bathe the entire cavern in a deep red hue.After some time, the red light faded, and the sword returned to a calm state. It appeared as if it possessed some form of intelligence, as it automatically positioned itself back into Nasser Reza's hand.When Nasser Reza finally regained consciousness, he felt as though the events of the past were nothing more than a dream. As he looked at his hand, he felt a faint chill and saw that the blood-red sword was now held firmly in his grasp. There was an indescribable sense of connection, as if the sword was intrinsically linked to his very soul, a profound and unspoken bond that touched him deeply.Nasser Reza stood up, feeling as if the events that had just transpired were nothing but a dream. He straightened his posture and felt an unusual lightness and clarity. A pent-up energy in his stomach needed release, so he let out a long, deep roar, expelling a surge of frustration and finding a sense of relief.Reflecting on how much time he had spent in the cave, he reasoned that the large serpent outside had likely departed by now. With the intention of leaving the forest and continuing his search for his enemies, he decided to retrace his steps and head back the way he had come.Soon, the sound of flowing water grew nearer, and after a moment, Nasser Reza emerged from the water curtain. It was early morning, with the rising sun casting its light over the misty ravine. Dew dripped from the leaves of the green pines on either side.When Nasser Reza climbed ashore, he discovered that the clothes he had previously removed were nowhere to be found. He was immediately distressed—though tattered, they had at least covered and concealed him. Now, without them, he was at a loss for what to do.In his moment of panic, the water in the pool began to churn suddenly. A massive snake head emerged from the water—it was the same green serpent from before.Upon seeing Nasser Reza again, the snake paused momentarily, as if surprised. It then flicked its tongue and emitted a chilling hiss, opening its gaping mouth and lunging toward Nasser Reza.The serpent charged with ferocity, but Nasser Reza seemed unfazed, remaining rooted in place. For some inexplicable reason, the once fearsome and terrifying serpent now appeared almost trivial in his eyes.In the blink of an eye, the snake's tongue was merely a yard away from Nasser Reza. He leaped into the air, rising about ten feet off the ground, and brandished the sword in his right hand, swinging it fiercely toward the serpent's head.The blood-red sword sliced through the air, tracing an arc as it struck the serpent's head with tremendous force.It was as though the sword encountered no resistance at all; it sliced through the serpent's green scales effortlessly. The massive serpent's head was cleaved in two, with blood gushing out in torrents, turning into a shower of red rain. The serpent's body stiffened suddenly before collapsing back into the pool.Splash!The serpent's body hit the water, causing waves to surge up to a height of about ten feet. The cascading waves rolled towards the shore in concentric circles, followed by a downpour of blood rain. The entire pond turned a deep crimson as the serpent's blood mingled with the water.After a while, the blood gradually faded from the water, leaving the massive serpent's body motionless at the bottom.Nasser Reza looked down at his arms and the blood-red sword in his hand, struggling to believe what had just happened. The leap and strike had been purely instinctive, with no conscious thought involved.In a normal situation, such a feat would be impossible even for an adult man.Nasser Reza felt that his body had undergone some inexplicable transformation.Gurgle.At that moment, Nasser Reza's stomach rumbled loudly, and he realized he hadn't eaten since entering the cave in the mountain gorge. Dismissing his hunger, he reasoned that the changes he had experienced could be beneficial, and the greater his strength, the better his chances for revenge.Using the blood-red sword, Nasser Reza cut several pieces of the serpent's meat. Despite the serpent's tough exterior, the flesh inside was tender and delicious when eaten raw. The warmth of the meat spread through his body, providing an indescribable sense of comfort.After eating his fill, Nasser Reza skinned a large portion of the serpent, using the hide to cover himself. It effectively concealed his body and was quite comfortable, with the soft inner side against his skin and the tough outer layer protecting him from thorns and branches.He also took several large pieces of serpent meat with him for later use and left the pond, heading in the direction he had come from.However, shortly after Nasser Reza departed, an ominous wind began to howl within the cave behind the water curtain. A profoundly malevolent and bloody aura quickly spread throughout the cavern.Crack, crack.The two towering stone pillars suddenly emitted a series of crisp, cracking sounds, and then cracks began to appear on their surfaces. Within moments, the pillars collapsed with a thunderous roar. At the same time, the intricate carvings on the stone tablet began to glow with a brilliant golden light, while a dense purple mist rose from the base of the tablet. The two lights clashed as if they were mortal enemies, equally matched and unable to gain the upper hand.However, this standoff lasted only a short while. The purple light grew increasingly intense, while the golden light gradually dimmed. The purple light surged with overwhelming force and, in a crushing manner, buried the remaining gold.When the last trace of gold vanished, the stone tablet exploded, and a black mist began to rise. From within the black mist, a wildly ecstatic and evil laugh echoed out."Heh heh heh heh, who would have thought that I, Zahhak, would have a chance to reappear in the world! Hahaha!"