"Alrighty you lot, let''s hop to it!" Ares clapped his hands to bring the other cultivators back to their senses. Ares was still walking around with a hole in heart, after all. "Hm, seems the groups gotten a bit bigger than before, I''ll be keeping my eye on you lot so behave yourselves." Ares was referring to the cultivators who worked for Maro as they had finally made their way down into the tomb and caught up with everyone. A few them, upon seeing Ares'' current state, considered trying to take him down but, when they saw him bounding around without a care in the world and testing out his new art, they figured he wasn''t nearly as injured as he looked. That, or he was seriously just a trooper. Either way, a maniac like that wasn''t worth messing with as they tended to be the suicidal ''I''ll take you with me'' types. Of course none of them knew he was a revenant either.


    The group set off and passed by the grassy area, all the while keeping an eye out for any suspicious movement from the kickas. They adhered to their chief''s final declaration, though, and simply went back to their business with a sad, gloomy aura. It seemed like they were maybe going to host a funeral for the chief, but that was their problem. If they hadn''t been so stubborn when it became apparent they weren''t going to win, they wouldn''t have had to lose so many of their family and friends. Ares only really felt a small amount of remorse, and only because they were cute bunnies. At the end of the day, he needed to get stronger for personal reasons and he wasn''t going to falter in the face of cuteness.


    Past the grassy area was more of the same cavernous type of route as before. Water dripped off stalactites overhead, spooking Aejaz, but there didn''t seem to be any actual creatures or dangerous traps in the immediate vicinity. Ares rounded a corner and just shook his head when he saw a cultivator ahead of him, pissing on a slime... Slimes were harmless creatures that digested anything and everything. Some were even kept as domesticated pets that functioned sort of like bins. The key word is ''domesticated'', though, as untrained slimes would just roam about the house devouring anything of value. Slimes can technically cultivate, but it requires intelligence that most of them don''t possess. Your average cave slime is just a mindless entity that roams around... Doing basically nothing. As for why the cultivator was pissing on it... Either he was a germaphobe that really didn''t like dirtying his surroundings, or he was just a weird person. The correct answer was likely the latter. Everyone of the other cultivators in Ares'' group who rounded the corner came to the same conclusion and looked at the man with disgust. The man in question took a second to realise he had an audience, at which point he scarpered, presumably back to the other group who went down the spider route. It seems they cleared their side quicker, although that was likely just because Ares had waited a small eternity for the others decided how they wanted to approach the bunny room. The group continued onward, past the slime which had turned yellow in colour after absorbing... Well, you know. Everyone made an effort to steer clear of the pudgy toilet bowl and walked until they came across the other group who were worse for wear. Ares was the single most injured person in the tomb, but that wasn''t including the people who had died along the other path as the group was noticeably smaller than before, even with the arrival of Maro''s group. Whether they ran into a chief-like existence or came across any treasures was up in the air, but they had clearly not had the greatest of times as a large number of their group had acid burns and a few missing limbs. The other group looked up at the arrival of Ares'' and kissed their teeth. If they had gone down the other route, Ares would have done all the work and they could have gotten to this point without suffering! They all collectively made this decision to follow Ares next time as the person on their path who took charge made awful decisions at every turn before getting his head bitten off by a spider. Meanwhile Ares looked like he''d single-handedly navigated a warzone to plant a flag and clear the way for his followers.


    When Ares moved onto the next path, both groups of cultivators followed in his stead. Seeing this, he turned to Aejaz and gave order. "Come-by. Get back. Bark. Hold... That''ll do!"


    Aejaz stared blankly at his stupid brother. "Since when did I become a sheep dog?!"


    The cultivators Ares had jokingly herded behind him were all glaring at the idiot, wondering if they could collectively jump and kill the obnoxious bastard. Ares didn''t concern himself with any of this as he marched ever onward, ignoring all of the cold gazes poking at his back. After another five minutes or so of walking, another opening appeared leading to a relatively large space. This one didn''t have any grass or living beings as far as they eye could see. It was just an open area with no obstacles. No rocky pillars jutting out, no bushes or greenery, nothing hanging off the ceiling... But that''s not to say the room was completely empty though as, in the middle of the left wall sat a rather innocuous chest. Neither gaudy nor plain accurately described the chest as it was sat somewhere in the middle. It was made of some type of metal, but not any type that would even be worth its own weight in gold. There was a ruby red jewel attached to the lock that was seemingly valuable, if going by its lustre anyway, and that alone was enough to have some of the poorer cultivators itching to jump straight towards it. The only reason they didn''t was because this room was a death trap if ever there was one. Although it looked plain, that was arguably the problem. Would a boulder come crashing out of the ceiling? Would the walls close in and squish them all? None of these would be surprising considering the kind of place they were in, so everyone was staring at the room to try and figure out the catch hidden somewhere in it. Ares had done the same with his Omniscience, so he knew... He knew the room was completely safe! To prove it to the others who would be hesitant to believe him if he said as much, he strolled into the open area without a care in the world and headed straight over to the chest. Upon seeing Ares unharmed and successfully twiddling his thumbs as he made his way to the goods, a number of cultivators, roughly ten or so from both Maro and Hans'' groups, followed suit and headed in. Those who chose to stay back didn''t believe for a second things were as simple as Ares made them look. They''d not known him for long, but they knew he was absolutely the type to play around with dangerous matters and not show them their due regard.


    As Ares neared the chest, one of the cultivators behind him called out to utter a complaint. "Why should you get the chest instead of any of us? You already got something in the grassy area earlier, right? Don''t be greedy. We can talk this out."


    Ares shook his head at the idiot who clearly didn''t understand how any of this worked. "For starters, so what if I took the last treasure? I earned it and, even if hadn''t, I assure you I would have taken it anyway. I have more important concerns than allowing some nobody with no future to raise their mediocre strength. How would you propose we sort this out anyway? There''s one chest, and roughly eleven of us here. If only one person is going to get it, its going to be me and that''s final."


    The cultivator frowned and tried to be diplomatic one more time even though he was aware he wasn''t going to make any progress. "We can talk this out, or we can fight this out."


    "Does it really matter which I choose? if violence is the problem, violence is the solution. If talk is the problem, violence is still the solution. Also, I like my odds against you chumps. Still... I''ll make you a deal. Give me 100 mid-grade stardust and its all yours."


    "DON''T BE RIDICULOUS! That''s clearly way too much! How can any one of us afford that? Are you just setting it that high to force us to fight you, you damn sicko?"


    "Idiot. I''m allowing all ten of you to contribute. 10 mid-grade stardust each isn''t impossible. I refuse to believe you chumps are that broke. You should take the offer while you can, you aren''t going to have any better opportunities than this to get your hands on treasure from here on out now that I''m in charge. I''m the only one who can pass these obstacles on my own. I can take all of you out simultaneously. You do the maths and tell me who calls the shots here, me or you. If it weren''t for your... bravery in trying to follow me, I wouldn''t have nearly as much... Respect for you as I do, which is the only reason I''m even giving you this one chance. Think carefully."


    The group of ten didn''t even know how''d they go about splitting the treasure once they got it, but they figured that any split of it would probably be able to net them their money back if it was a good quality treasure. In short, they agreed to pay the toll as Ares'' words made sense; as long as he was around, everyone else could kiss their chances of having first dibs on treasures goodbye. It wasn''t even impossible for him to simply lay claim to everything in this damn place and stroll out like a king. Having this chance was miraculous in and of itself, so to turn it down would be stupid. They were all cultivators that had been hired by big shots and had the stardust needed to pay the pseudo bridge troll that was Ares, so they coughed up the payment. Ares smiled genially and walked back over to the original group who weren''t falling for any of this nonsense. ''Respect'' my ass! Ares clearly had nothing but contempt for the people who were trying to steal his treasure! Something was very much not correct about all of this, and the room still reeked of ''trap'' to anyone with a functioning brain cell. Unfortunately for one of the cultivators in the group, his brain cells seemingly weren''t functioning as a thought raced through his head. He believed that ditching everyone and running ahead was the best decision! If hanging around Ares wasn''t going to net him any loot, then going forward on his own, before Ares, would give him free reign over everything within the tomb! Whatever trap was tied to the chest was something he was willing to not interface with as the exit to the open area was directly across from where the group was standing. Screw the chest! Screw the group! There were surely more possibilities lying ahead, so he bolted across the room and made a dash for the other side. As he sprinted, he looked back over his shoulder to check if anyone was launching an attack at him out of spite but all he saw was Ares waving goodbye with that same smile still on his face. The cultivator refused to allow himself to be psyched out and kept going. He''d seen enough of Ares'' twisted personality to not fall for his dastardly ruse!


    THUNK


    He''d fallen for Ares'' dastardly ruse! Curses!


    A wall had fallen down and blocked the exit, leaving a stumped cultivator confused as to how to continue. The wall had a small indent in it, the shape of which looked familiar... The jewel on the chest... The cultivator realised there was no going forward without interacting with the chest and that what he was doing was pointless. Still, it could have been worse, there could have been a life-threatening trap of some kind. He appeared to be safe for now and that would probably be the case as long as those idiots hadn''t opened the chest yet and triggered the trap that was obviously attached to it. The cultivator turned around to start returning to the other side of the room, but he was taken aback when he saw Ares standing right in front of him. Something was off about this Ares though... his eyes were blood red... The cultivator looked over at the chest but it was gone... As were the cultivators who were about to open it. Other than a few pools of blood and a few detached limbs, the other cultivators were nowhere to be found. Next, the cultivator looked back at the group that had hung back the entire time, and there he saw something that he really didn''t want to see... Ares, still waving at him with the cursed smile on his face... If the real Ares was still over there... Then the Ares with the red eyes in front of him... The cultivator looked back but the only things within his vision were two rows of gigantic, sharp teeth.


    Reading on this site? This novel is published elsewhere. Support the author by seeking out the original.


    Chomp


    The group of cultivators cringed at the sight of the man getting his head chewed off while taking a few steps back from the entrance... And Ares. He was the real one, but watching the clone of him massacre the cultivators put the fear of God in them. Ares chuckled and turned to face them. "What? Come on now, I don''t bite." Ares laughed some more as he bared his fangs at the group which collectively retreated another step. Aejaz himself had somehow wriggled through the crowd and was standing the furthest away, because of course he was. Ares turned back to face the creature that took on his appearance and was staring straight at him.


    "What is that disgusting thing?!" One of the cultivators complained.


    "OI!" Ares was not amused. "If you have a problem with my looks, say it to my face!" Ares kissed his teeth at the rude woman. This, of course, was not the reason she was actually complaining, but Ares was offended nonetheless! Choose your wording carefully, damnit! "For your information, that ''thing'' is a mimic. They''re extremely rare monsters that can shapeshift innately. They lure in people by disguising themselves as chests and the like before eating their pray when they get too close. Most mimics aren''t really that strong, but this one seems to be different. Those red eyes aren''t normal. It''s probably a mutant of some kind with genes from another type of monster in it. If I were to hazard a guess, this mimic''s disguises aren''t just aesthetic like normal mimics. It can probably copy combat ability, not including magic, to a certain extent."


    "What makes you say that?" One of the cultivators peeped up.


    "Because it picked me, obviously? If its strength increases based on the person it picks, then why would it bother picking any of you losers?"


    The cultivator almost physically reeled at the comeback he wasn''t expecting, but he had his pride so he stood his ground. "You wish. Your arrogance is seriously overboard. Without your magic, you''re just a poxy fourth realm cultivator. Anyone one of here could swat you away like the ant you are!"


    Ares simply pointed at the mimic. "Go kill it then, if you''re so confident. Or what, are you just posing? Who for? You got a crush on someone here so you''re trying to act like a bigshot?" The man''s face reddened and Ares knew he''d hit the mark with a bullseye. "Well go on then Mr. Smooth. Go show your love interest what you look like getting eaten. I''m sure that''ll really turn her on!"


    "Fuck you!" The cultivator was about to storm into the arena and throw down but he felt a hand grab his own and stop him in place. The cultivator he had a thing for was stopping him and shaking her head.


    "Lucky you, you''re lady friend is smarter than you. You should really marry her. Maybe she''ll help you live longer in this world. So, how about it? Anyone else wanna prove I''m just some weakling poser when I can''t use my magic? I''ll even throw up some stardust for a wager if you want?" Ares expected everyone to back down here which was ultimately his goal. He was slowly trying to degrade and humiliate everyone to reduce their outward hostility to him and make them show deference. That way everything in here would be his for the taking with no opposition left. It was going to be his regardless, but if he could get away with not having to work unnecessarily hard for it, then so be it. Contrary to his assumption that no one would take him up on the bet, a group actually did; a group of ten cultivators. Actually, it had been closer to four or so, but as more people stood up and moved forward, more and more people begun to feel confident they could actually pull it off. "Oh? Feeling brave today are we? Ok, how about you all put up another ten mid-grade stardust each and I''ll put up the one hundred I just got?" Ares took out the stardust and piled it up in the corner. The group of ten all looked at one another and nodded silently, taking out their stardust and putting it on the pile. They turned to the open area and saw Ares politely gesturing them toward the cave, acting like an usher. "I''ll even do you a solid and give you one more piece of information on the house. Mimics can use Blink. It''s the only magic they can use, though, and they typically don''t use it unless they feel threatened, so you chumps won''t have to worry about that. Thanks for the stardust. Oh, and if you try to run and hide back here, I''m going to blow you up, so don''t even think about it. Buh bye now!"


    The cultivators evilly side-eyed Ares as they walked past the devil in human skin. Little did they know he was actually more like a wolf in sheep''s clothing!


    They stepped into the arena and the mimic immediately charged straight at them. Three of the ten took up stances at the front of the group, ready to intercept the monster and keep it busy for the backline to kill it. The three cultivators all pulled out shields of varying types and readied themself for the oncoming attack. Their necks had to crane upward, however, when the mimic Double Jumped above their heads...


    Even Ares hadn''t seen this coming. The mimic could copy his arts! Probably not the destruction pillar ones, but it seemed open pillars were fair game. The fact the mimic could copy even unique arts was incredible. Unfortunately for the group of ten, this also meant it could use Gamble and Echo... The fight was unfair to begin with, but this was going to be a one-sided massacre if ever there as one.


    To protect themselves, the cultivators raised their shields directly above their heads towards the ceiling. The cultivators believed they were doing well even in this unforeseen circumstance, but that groundless belief was shattered when they heard the other seven cultivators yell out in unison.


    ""WATCH OUT, LOOK DOWN!""


    They never got the chance as their heads were severed cleanly by the blade wielding mimic. The Double Jump above them was a bait to get them to raise the shields and block their own vision. The mimic then hit itself in the stomach with an Echo to reverse its momentum, landing back in front of the three cultivators who were none the wiser. From there, decapitating them was a cakewalk as they were quite literally extending their necks for the mimic who severed their heads with one fell sweep.


    Hitting himself with an Echo to push himself around was something Ares had considered but never actually done. This meant one of two things. Either A: This mimic had absolutely all of Ares combat capabilities and strategies available to it. B: The mimic was incredibly good at combat. It knew how to use everything available to it in unconventional ways that most people wouldn''t dream of. Regardless of which option was correct, this was a really interesting monster Ares had stumbled upon. He was also curious what would happen if he brought Dominus out... But he unfortunately couldn''t. Dominus was presumably still cooling off.


    The cultivators regrouped and four tried simultaneously launching various arts but hesitated when the mimic vanished. It had utilised Double Jump in the same manner as Ares, combining it with Echoes to become a speedy nightmare that was already standing behind the unaware cultivators. Due to their awkward positions, the mimic couldn''t hit multiple people with a single sword swipe, so it abandoned the sword and took matters into its own hands, literally. It''s two hands reached out and grabbed one head each as its mouth widened to extreme lengths, revealing its monstrous mouth as it ate a third cultivator''s head directly in front of it. The two cultivators it grabbed died on the spot as an Echo blasted their heads to pieces, leaving four cultivators who were terrified of the demon that was utterly trouncing them. One of the cultivators could see his fate was set in stone and made the choice of abandoning the fight even though he knew the real Ares wasn''t going to tolerate it. Ares was in a perfect position to establish dominance over the group by killing him, the cultivator knew that. He''d shown off the strength of his magic, this mimic was displaying his physical capabilities, and killing him would make his ruthlessness apparent. Anyone who picked a fight with Ares after that was categorically insane. Still, the mimic was guaranteed death anyway. There was no harm in trying if he was going to die anyway. Maybe he could even bribe Ares to let him live!


    "Grand Annihilation."


    "Eh?" The cultivator hadn''t expected Ares to dole out death the second he got within range, not even allowing him to speak. The cultivator was swallowed by the chain explosions and died in stunned admiration. In his last seconds he couldn''t help but respect Ares for having the willpower and determination to just let loose whenever he felt like it. In the back of his head, the cultivator had always wanted to be a domineering existence like that. One that could just swing his weight around... Oh well.


    The mimic paused slightly as it looked over at the real Ares in contemplation. Ares knew what it was thinking. The mimic had essentially already lost the fight against Ares thanks to that little display of power. Power the mimic could never replicate. It had its own strengths that, when combined with what it stole from its target, would allow it to beat its opponents pretty consistently... But that magic was just impossible for the mimic. It knew Ares'' speed first-hand and if the real one could combine it with that level of art, the mimic was facing a hopeless situation.


    One of the last three cultivators tried to attack the distracted mimic, but he received a knee to the gut as compensation for his efforts. The mimic didn''t even look down at the cultivator as it used its hand to push his head down, forcing his body to flip over the mimic''s knee and land on his back on the floor. The mimic''s raised foot came crashing down on the cultivator''s skull, splattering his brain over the floor while the mimic continued to stare at Ares. It was tempted to defy the rules that had been set for it, attacking Ares even though he wasn''t in the room. The threat of his very existence was driving the mimic mad with an unpleasant feeling in its heart that it was going to die here. It had just gained access to an incredible form, and yet it was going to die... It viewed this as incredibly tragic. It decided to, if nothing else, enjoy this body while it still could by finishing off the last two cultivators who were inching backwards in horror. The mimic took a step forward and the cultivators took a step back. This repeated until the cultivators had their backs against the wall and were trembling like lambs before the slaughter. The mimic took another step before it paused. Now it was the mimic''s turn to tremble in fear as it realised something... No, someone was standing on its shoulders. Someone it was intimately familiar with as they shared the same body. Someone who crouched down and bent over, looking into his eyes from a place far above him. Although the face was upside down, the mimic knew that the deep frown on Ares'' face was, in actuality, a fierce smile. Ares'' lips moved slowly.


    "You''re a fascinating creature. Let''s dissect you."