Chapter 167: Mammon, The Golden Calf

On the devastated industrial road outside Zenith City, Jet stood several meters away from Damian Visconti, watching the golden markings spreading across the young man’s body.

The elaborate tattoo of a horned calf glowed beneath Damian’s shirt, while intricate patterns resembling ancient coins and interlocking chains extended along his forearms.

His previously ordinary eyes had turned metallic gold, and the Mana radiating from his body was considerably denser than Jet had anticipated.

Around them, the remains of the armored convoy lay scattered across the road, surrounded by shattered concrete, damaged warehouses, and the bodies of the hired Awakeners who had attempted to stop Jet.

Damian slowly flexed his fingers, examining the golden markings covering his hands before turning his attention toward Jet.

"I must admit, Saint-Clair, you’ve exceeded my expectations. When I first received reports about the Palladium Fruit expedition, your name barely attracted my attention. An eighteen-year-old Awakener accompanying several experienced veterans didn’t seem particularly important, but watching you slaughter my guards has certainly changed my opinion."

Jet tightened his grip around the Vorpal Blade, keeping his four arms positioned for combat.

He could sense the difference between Damian and the mercenaries he’d defeated earlier, particularly the overwhelming concentration of Mana gathering around the young man’s body.

Nevertheless, Jet had no intention of retreating after finally reaching the person responsible for threatening Inez and the others. "You talk too much, Visconti. If you’re planning to fight, then stop wasting my time."

Damian chuckled before extending his right hand toward the damaged asphalt. "Very well. Since you’ve gone through so much trouble to meet me, I suppose you deserve a proper introduction. My Divine Rune is called Mammon, The Golden Calf. It’s an S-Rank Divine Rune, and its Authority is Avarice. Although I doubt someone your age understands just how useful that particular Authority can be."

The moment Damian finished speaking, golden light spread across the road beneath his feet.

Jet immediately sensed Mana flowing into the surrounding concrete, and before he could determine what Damian intended, several sections of the damaged roadway began changing color. T

he dull gray asphalt transformed into a brilliant metallic substance, its surface becoming smooth and reflective as the transformation spread toward Jet.

He immediately retreated several meters, but Damian merely smiled and closed his fingers into a fist, causing enormous golden spikes to erupt from the transformed ground.

Jet twisted sideways to avoid the first spike, then launched himself upward as three more burst from the road beneath him.

However, the moment he entered the air, Damian raised his other hand, and several golden chains erupted from the surrounding metallic surfaces.

They shot toward Jet from different directions, moving with astonishing speed as they attempted to wrap around his arms and legs.

Jet swung the Vorpal Blade, severing the first chain before catching another with one of his additional hands, but a third wrapped around his ankle and violently dragged him toward the ground.

BOOOOM!

Jet crashed into the asphalt, shattering the surface beneath his shoulder.

Before he could recover, two more chains wrapped around his additional arms, pulling them apart while another tightened around his waist.

He immediately activated the Asura Physique, channeling Mana throughout his muscles as he struggled against the restraints, but the chains proved considerably stronger than ordinary metal.

Their surfaces were covered with intricate golden markings, and he could feel Damian continuously reinforcing them with Mana.

"Those are my Chains of Avarice," Damian explained, approaching with an amused expression. "Unlike ordinary restraints, they’re manifestations of my Divine Rune, which means their strength depends on how much Mana I invest in them. Naturally, a 2-Star Awakener will find it rather difficult to break something created by a 3-Star Awakener like myself."

Jet gritted his teeth as the chains tightened around his body. Rather than continuing to struggle against their physical strength, he summoned Samadhi Flame, allowing golden-white Divine Fire to erupt across his arms and shoulders.

The intense heat immediately began consuming the Mana sustaining the restraints, and Damian’s amused expression changed slightly when cracks appeared along their surfaces.

Jet seized the opportunity, pulling his additional arms inward with tremendous force before tearing through the weakened chains and launching himself toward Damian.

Damian barely moved as Jet closed the distance.

Instead, golden light gathered around his chest and shoulders, rapidly forming an elaborate suit of metallic armor that covered his torso, arms, and legs.

Jet’s flaming fist struck the breastplate with enough force to send a violent shockwave across the road, but rather than shattering, the armor absorbed most of the impact.

Damian slid backward several meters, leaving deep grooves beneath his feet, before retaliating with a golden spear that materialized directly above his shoulder.

Jet twisted his head aside as the spear shot past his face, narrowly avoiding the weapon before striking Damian with another flaming punch.

This time, the impact cracked the golden breastplate, but Damian immediately reinforced the damaged section while summoning two enormous shields beside himself.

One shield intercepted Jet’s next attack, while the other slammed into his ribs with tremendous force, sending him crashing through the wall of an abandoned warehouse.

Jet landed among broken machinery and scattered metal debris, coughing as pain spread through his chest.

He quickly pushed himself upright, only to notice several golden weapons floating through the opening he’d created in the wall.

Swords, spears, and axes hovered around Damian as he entered the warehouse, their polished surfaces reflecting the golden light radiating from his Divine Rune.

Damian flicked his wrist, and the weapons immediately attacked.

Jet raised the Vorpal Blade and intercepted the first sword, then used his additional arms to deflect two spears approaching from opposite directions.

However, Damian controlled the remaining weapons with remarkable precision, forcing Jet to continuously adjust his movements as axes descended toward his shoulders and swords attempted to strike his exposed legs.

Jet retreated between the abandoned machines, using their enormous metal frames to obstruct the attacks, but the golden weapons simply tore through the obstacles.

Realizing that ordinary defense wouldn’t be sufficient, Jet accelerated toward Damian, using the Asura Physique to propel himself between the incoming weapons.

He deflected a spear with the Vorpal Blade, seized another with his additional left hand, and hurled it back toward its creator before closing the remaining distance.

Damian summoned a shield to intercept the returning weapon, but Jet was already upon him, delivering a brutal combination of flaming punches that forced the armored Awakener backward.

For several seconds, the warehouse shook beneath their exchanges.

Jet’s four arms allowed him to attack from multiple angles, and his Weapon Master proficiency helped him recognize openings in Damian’s defenses, but the difference in their Star Realms remained painfully apparent.

Damian possessed greater Mana reserves and could reinforce his golden armor while simultaneously controlling his weapons, whereas Jet had to carefully regulate his expenditure to avoid exhausting himself before the confrontation reached its conclusion.

Jet finally found an opening and drove his flaming fist directly into Damian’s abdomen, shattering a section of the golden armor.

However, the moment his knuckles touched the exposed surface, a strange golden marking appeared across the back of his hand. He immediately attempted to withdraw, but Damian caught his wrist and smiled.

"Got you," Damian remarked, tightening his grip.

A metallic sensation spread across Jet’s hand, and he watched in alarm as portions of his skin began hardening beneath a thin layer of gold.

The transformation advanced toward his wrist, restricting the movement of his fingers while Damian’s Mana continued flowing through the point of contact.

"That’s Mammon’s Claim," Damian explained, examining Jet’s struggling hand with obvious satisfaction. "Anything I mark becomes easier for my Authority to influence. Objects are naturally simpler, but living opponents can also be affected, provided their Mana resistance isn’t sufficient to reject my claim."

Jet immediately circulated Mana through his affected arm, attempting to suppress the invading energy.

However, Damian released another burst of Mana, causing the metallic transformation to spread farther before driving his armored knee into Jet’s abdomen.

The impact forced the air from Jet’s lungs, and Damian followed with a powerful punch that sent him crashing through another warehouse wall.

BOOOOM!

Jet struck the road outside and rolled several meters before stopping. His right hand remained partially covered in gold, and the strange marking continued glowing beneath the metallic surface.

He could still move his fingers, but the resistance was becoming increasingly troublesome, especially with Damian approaching through the shattered warehouse wall.

"You’re beginning to understand, aren’t you?" Damian asked, stepping onto the road as several golden chains emerged behind him.

Jet slowly rose to his feet, breathing heavily as he examined his affected hand.

Damian’s explanation had revealed something important. The golden transformation wasn’t ordinary metal spreading across his skin; it was being sustained by the man’s Mana and Divine Rune Authority.

If Jet could overwhelm that influence, he might be able to reverse the effect before it spread any farther.

He concentrated Samadhi Flame around his right hand, carefully directing the Divine Fire toward the foreign Mana rather than allowing it to spread uncontrollably.

The golden markings resisted initially, but as the flames intensified, cracks began appearing across the metallic layer. Jet clenched his fist, forcing additional Mana into the flames until the golden coating finally shattered and fell away.

Damian stopped walking.

For the first time since the battle began, genuine surprise appeared on his face.

"You actually broke my claim?" Damian asked, narrowing his golden eyes.

Jet flexed his restored fingers before raising the Vorpal Blade. "Your Divine Rune is impressive, I’ll give you that. But if you think a few golden tricks are enough to defeat me, you’re going to be disappointed."

Damian stared at him for several moments before laughing. His amusement gradually faded, however, as the golden markings covering his body began glowing more intensely.

The damaged armor surrounding his chest repaired itself, and enormous chains emerged from the transformed roadway, spreading across the battlefield like metallic serpents.

"Golden tricks?" Damian repeated, his expression becoming cold. "You’ve barely experienced what Mammon can accomplish, Saint-Clair. I was planning to keep you alive for questioning, but perhaps I should break a few more bones before we continue our conversation."

Jet lowered his stance as Samadhi Flame spread across his four arms.

His Mana reserves had already suffered considerable depletion, and several painful injuries reminded him that Damian possessed a genuine advantage in both experience and raw power.

Nevertheless, he could feel the Asura Physique strengthening his battered body, while the Divine Fire surrounding his fists continued burning with extraordinary intensity.

Across the road, Damian raised both hands, causing dozens of golden weapons to emerge from the surrounding metallic surfaces.

Jet tightened his grip around the Vorpal Blade and prepared to advance.

The battle had only just revealed how dangerous Mammon truly was, and he knew that surviving the next exchange would require everything he’d learned since awakening his Divine Runes.