<h4>Chapter 553: Killing Aluren</h4>


    "This is so frustrating. Just remember, after I finish this mission, I will give you a really cruel death since you upset me a lot with these tricks," Aluren told Ryder as he started searching ording to the map.


    The map had so many crosses that he literally had to search the entire neighborhood, all the houses. The map seemed useless in that department since it technically marked all the houses.


    Throughout the day, Aluren kept searching the houses for small puzzle pieces. Each search took him half an hour, enough to make him even more furious.


    He kept searching the whole day and the whole night before he actually found all the pieces of the puzzle.


    He carried all the puzzle pieces, which seemed to be more than fifty.


    All the pieces were tiny, which took him even more time to arrange. After two hours, he finally managed to put all the pieces together.


    As the puzzle waspleted, it seemed to make an image.


    The image was none other than a joker holding the card of a joker. There was something written on the card as well.


    "You."


    That was the word which was written on the card.


    "Are you calling me a joker? It doesn’t matter! I did what you asked, howe out as per the promise and fight me properly! Stop hiding!" Aluren said as he stood up, cracking his knuckles.


    "As you wish. Count to three," Ryder’s voice came through the speaker.


    Aluren started counting to three, and as soon as he finished, he was able to see Rydering towards him, flying.


    Soon, Rydernded before Aluren, ten meters away from him.


    There was no weapon in Ryder’s hands and no mask on his face. He was truly here as he was.


    "Finally, you’re here! Tell me who you are? Son of God of Theft? Or son of God of Wind? Or who exactly?" Aluren asked, frowning.


    "I am your father, Aluren Skywalker," Ryder said jokingly. "How’s that for a revtion?"


    "What?" Aluren asked, not understanding.


    "Cheh, you don’t even understand. It’s from the Movie called Space Wars. Anyway, to remove your misconceptions, I’m not really the son of a god. I’m just a normal human being, born and raised in this world," Ryder answered.


    "Honestly, I wouldn’t even do anything if you hadn’te here to kill me. But what can I say when someone’s time is bad, theye running to death," he further continued.


    "You’re not a god-son? How did you get those powers then?" Aluren asked, frowning.


    "That’s a question that you won’t get the answer to. Since you’ll be dying within a few seconds," Ryder replied as he raised his right hand and snapped his fingers.


    With the sound of his snap, a tree monster came out of the ground, having half his level.


    Honestly, he didn’t even need to snap his fingers to call out this tree puppet since he used his skill to do it. Just to bring some dramatic effect, he made the snap.


    "God of Nature’s ability? So you’re his son. So much for lying but did you really think that something like this could stop me?" Aluren asked as he recognized this ability. He was sure that it belonged to the God of Nature.


    "I can kill tens of these toys with my finger alone," he added as he raised his fingers to use his powers.


    "What? What’s happening? Why can’t I use my powers?" Aluren eximed as he realized that he wasn’t able to use his powers. It was as if all his powers were sucked dry, and he didn’t feel a thing.


    "What did you do to me, you bastard!" He asked Ryder, ring at him.


    "What did I do? I went neck-deep in loan to buy so much poison to suck your power dry. I don’t even know how I’ll pay back that loan. I’m starting to worry about that," Ryder replied, sighing.


    "Poison? What poison, no poison can affect me!" Aluren said firmly.


    "I know that no poison can affect you because your divine protection wards it off and protects your body. That’s why I used it in so many ces," Ryder started exining as he walked closer to Aluren, slowly and steadily.


    "The speaker you kept holding in your hand for the entire time? I used Protection Removal Poison on it. And all the clues that you picked up after that had this poison as well, which kept shing with your protection, slowly chipping it away."


    "As your protection was at its weakest, you got the puzzle pieces which had a different poison that sucked your powers and your strength, without letting you notice. And now happens to be the time when you barely have a fraction of your physical strength left."


    "As for your other powers, they’re gone for the moment, and they don’t return, at least not soon. So, what were you saying? Who did you want to kill?" Ryder asked,ughing.


    He seemed to be enjoying this. The trick had worked perfectly, and it wouldn’t have worked without the help of Janus.


    Even though Janus didn’t tell him about Aluren being the son of a god, he did tell him about the strength and weaknesses of Aluren. Janus also told him about the protection that was around Aluren, as if giving him ideas.


    That day, Ryder scrolled through the entire store to find something to help him take care of Aluren, and atst, he had found the section of the poisons.


    These things were expensive, though, and he barely had any points, so he took a massive loan. Using that loan, he brought the poison, which was the most of his spending.


    Seventy percent of his loan was spent on these poisons, while the rest was spent on items that he used to kill the Kings.


    Killing the kings was the most important part of his n since he needed the kings dead. That not only challenged the ego of Aluren, which was one of his weaknesses, but it also made him get Aluren alone, which was necessary for this n.


    "You, scheming bastard! Is that what the God of Nature taught you?" Aluren said as he started running towards Ryder to attack him physically. So what if he didn’t have his powers? He was going to use his strength.


    Even though he knew that running away was the best option at the moment since he could wait for his powers toe back and return, but he couldn’t show his back to his enemy because of his ego.


    Aluren was getting closer to Ryder when the tree puppet appeared in between the two. The puppet not only appeared between them, but he also punched Aluren.


    Aluren was so focused on Ryder; he had forgotten entirely about the Tree Puppet, which was why the attack got such a clean hit. His face was hit as he was tossed back like a doll.


    Aluren crashed on the ground, making a crater appear under him since his body was so hard.


    "This won’t do anything. Even if I don’t have my powers, I’m still a Divine Being! You can’t kill me like this!" Aluren said as he stood up.


    "I know, but he can, with this," Ryder said, grinning.


    Aluren looked at Ryder to see what he was talking about, only to find him standing with a Scythe in his hand.


    "Go on, little guy. Take him out. This should be easy from what Janus told me," Ryder said as he tossed the Scythe towards the Tree Puppet.


    "Janus told you? You mean it’s the work of Janus! That bas-"


    Aluren heard the name and realized everything, but before he could even finish his sentence, a Scythe came swinging towards him, slicing his neck.


    ...


    "Cheh, I thought killing a God should be tough. But he died pretty easily. Are gods really not that special? Even a mortal like me can kill him?" Ryder muttered to himself as he walked towards Aluren’s body which was lying, headless, and unmoving.


    ....


    Far away from Ryder, Janus was smiling. To see Ryder speak as such, it was funny.


    He couldn’t help but talk to himself, "No. It’s not easy to kill a god. Only a god can kill a god, so no. I mortal didn’t kill him. He was killed by the creature that appeared from a Skill that was cast by a god."


    Even though he was talking, he made sure that Ryder wouldn’t hear him.


    ....


    Ryder was sitting near Aluren’s body, prepared to absorb his strength.


    "Janus, I’m ready to absorb the strength. Start the process," he said.


    "No. You can’t do it today. If you do it, it would only be a wasted opportunity," Janus replied.


    "What do you mean, a wasted opportunity?" Ryder asked.


    "His powers were sucked dry. That body barely has some power left. Absorbing it won’t give as many benefits. Keep it in inventory for two days. The body will gain back the powers as the effect of poison wears off."