Ghaster was waiting for them to make a move. He knows he should kill them quickly but he wants to toy with them. Power is euphoric. He became able to do some things with lightning that he never thought he could do. To be honest, he stumbled on the revelation but it empowered him the same. That power is his now and it feels great to have. It feels even better when there are others who lack power.
These people who have not yet managed to learn the laws of this world are no match for him. If not for their use of explosives, they would have been hunted like rats with no way to fight back. Instead, they chased him and sent him running like a rat. But the world works in mysterious ways. He is here for payback now. He is not a rat anymore. He is the predator.
The feeling of hunting is a good feeling to experience. He doesn't aim to be the last man standing in this challenge. He just wants to fight and fight to his heart's content. He was to wield lightning as a hunter and unleash it on his prey. So he waited for them to move. One of them did move. She brought out an explosive from her space ring and tried to jug it at him.
Her movement was quick. The explosive appeared in her hand in the blink of an eye. All she had to do was throw it at him. Then she will cause it to explode. She failed to throw it. She spasmed instead as a bolt of lightning shot from his outstretched hand to her. She shook and fell to the ground with her eyes rolled far up into her head. She might have been fast but lightning is faster.
Starting from transcendence, injuries become a serious matter. The elements of the body and soul are not separate any longer. So she just had both her body and mind fried with lightning. It is a nasty experience to endure. Her body continued to shake on the ground even after Ghaster stopped channeling the lightning. Her partner watched with dread.
"Wasn't going to work anyway," Ghaster said to her unconscious form.
Explosives are thrown. They go off when the person with spiritual control of them wills them to explode. The explosion is deadly but it is only effective against those that can't move. You have to throw it first at the target and there's no way someone with freedom of movement will not dodge. Transcendents move at a mind-boggling speed which makes targeting them very, very difficult. Nᴇw ɴovel chaptᴇrs are published on ɴovᴇl_Firᴇ.ɴet
Only talented individuals that can target where someone will be can use explosives effectively. Such talented individuals won't need explosives in the first place. So her attempt to use an explosive on him wouldn't have worked on him anyway. She is not one of those talented individuals and even if she were, he is too fast to be targeted. They also don't have the numbers to try and overwhelm him with explosives anymore. It is just two of them and he can react to both of them.
Of course, she didn't hear him. She is preoccupied with spasming and mind-cutting pain. It is of no harm. His words were for her partner. Ghaster said it so that he will try something different. What fun will a showdown be if the two of them try the same useless thing? It is best that the partner learn from her mistakes and try something else. Preferably something fun.
He was waiting for his prey to move. But his fun was interrupted. A nearby group heard the thunderclap and saw the descent of lightning. It is not a normal occurrence. They figured that it must be due to some treasure and they are confident of wrestling ownership of the item from whoever had it. It is why the first group came to hunt Ghaster in the first place. They are partly right. The power he has shown is a combination of his new skills and the blade in his hands. Access to world power when combined with lightning manipulation is a deadly combination.
"Good. More people. More fun." Ghaster said with excitement.
His instincts to do battle began to rear their head. He did not feel unhappy with the interruption of his showdown. As they say, the more the merrier. It is a party and all are welcome to join. He has the confidence to fight and escape if he needs to because of his skill, weapon, and speed. He began looking forward to the appearance of the group after hearing their footsteps rushing toward him.
Ghaster's blood turned cold when he saw the leader of the group. His craving for a battle turned into a warning of danger immediately. This group didn't approach him because of their foolhardiness. Their leader is a king. One of the most talented beings in the challenge that the sage had hopes for. It is why they are confident in subduing him.
He became pensive as the king approached. His eyes stayed glued to the golden crown on their head. His instincts are telling him that he has to take this fight seriously. This person is dangerous and he will have to try his best to defeat them. The chances of victory are not absent. The odds are 50/50. He can win and he can lose. The problem is the company following the king. Even now, they just keep coming.
'They must be more than 100 of them.' he thought to himself. 'This is not looking good for me.'
What he saw while observing his surroundings is not good news. He began considering retreating. He can't face off 100 people. He looked around and realized that they have the place surrounded. That isn't going to stop him from escaping though. He can manage it now when they are still in disarray and he should escape before he can't. He might not be able to retreat if the two sides join in battle.