GREED: ALL FOR WHAT?

Soul force blossomed from his soul and pushed the law matrix aside to create a domain. Matter and energy were subjected to the will of a superior being. They broke down to their base form within the domain. Houses and the Castle in the Cavern were destroyed. They disappeared as the domain spread outwards. But the power of the domain didn't stop Marlinto at all. The spiked tentacles he wields struck down on Ragnarok unimpeded by the domain.

Ragnarok didn't expect the domain to do anything to harm Marlinto. A domain can't harm a Monarch be they Vampire or Origin god. Not unless it is used together with a concept, which he currently lacks. So he wasn't surprised that Marlinto was able to resist destruction.

The domain didn't even separate Marlinto from the network of Primogenitors. Marlinto has a heart of Carnage so he remained connected to the demon god. The only change apart from the destruction of the environment is that the two of them have disappeared from the Underdark. 

They appeared in a dark world. Everything around Marlinto disappeared. But he wasn't flustered by the sudden change and the overwhelming darkness surrounding him. He knows that Ragnarok has succeeded in shifting the battlefield to a location more advantageous to him. He also knows how to escape from the domain. All he needs to do is kill its creator. So he wasn't afraid at all. 

Unfortunately for him, dispelling this domain will not be easy to do. Ragnarok doesn't plan to make it easy at all. He funneled origin energy into his divine ability. Then he opened his mouth and unleashed a black beam from his mouth. 

The black beam merged with the darkness perfectly so anyone that needs eyes and light to see will not be able to see the attack. But Marlinto was not caught off guard. He had been ready for something fishy. He expected it after seeing how powerful Rinoz was in person. 

So he was not going to underestimate Ragnarok despite his mocking and calling Ragnarok a mutt. That cautiousness helped him to react quickly to the sheer power of the beam. He noticed the beam with his divine sense and didn't underestimate it. 

He brought up a lot more of his tentacles to block the beam. 

Even so, he was caught off guard when the beam tore his tentacles to shreds. He had to rush to defend himself. The beam was so powerful that it only stopped when it was about to reach his skull.

He couldn't help but feel slight fear. "I can't believe that I underestimated you."

He didn't know the true power of the attack until he came into contact with it. The black beam is actually full of little black orbs. They are too small and packed together so they look like a single beam of light. 

And the black orbs are super-compressed maws empowered with Origin energy and reinforced with soul force. In a way, the black beam that looks like a single attack is hundreds of thousands of doom chomps. It is why the black beam tore through the avalanche of tentacles.

He said with seething anger. "I hope that is not the best you can do because it is not nearly enough to kill me."

Then he took the initiative to attack. His massive body swayed as more tentacles sprouted from his neck. Then he smashed the new tentacles at Ragnarok. 

"You are a bug the likes that should be smashed. I will do something your father should have done when you were born. I will kill you."

He is truly angry now. It is because he lost a lot of tentacles defending that attack and he can't heal them easily like he did last time. This is because his destroyed tentacles were devoured by the beam. 

It is one thing to be angry that Ragnarok disrespected him. But if Ragnarok is strong enough to harm him, then the way Ragnarok treated him earlier is not disrespectful. He can accept that if he were alone with Ragnarok. After all, Strength is to be respected. 

But he is not alone with Ragnarok. The other Primogenitors are watching this fight and they have seen how he was almost severely injured by a single attack. He can hear them mocking him. So now he must redeem himself by destroying this source of shame. 

He continued attacking Ragnarok as more and more tentacles were created. They sprouted from the base of his neck like tiny red vines then they grew into the great appendages that were threatening Ragnarok's life. 

Ragnarok dodged the attacks easily. He doesn't even need to actively move for him to move. He willed it and the world moved him far away from the tentacles. He is like a fish in water in this domain and he can control the water with his soul force. So the water moved him about without him using his limbs. He dodged while he maintained the black beam from his mouth. Both attacking and evasion were accomplished easily. 

The domain of an origin god is not for killing. It is for gaining absolute control over their environment. Marlinto is doomed if he doesn't find a way to restrict Ragnarok from moving about. He is a Monarch so he is not suppressed by the domain even though it belongs to an origin god. But his attacks are useless because of the increase in Ragnarok's evasive ability. 

It would be better if Marlinto had his own domain, then he would be able to fight for control over this space with Ragnarok and gain some advantages. He might even be able to nullify the domain. But he is a Vampire without an origin. He can't comprehend laws and he can't use this sort of domain that relies on the path of perfection. 

Fortunately, he is not helpless. He was able to kill an Origin god as a Duke and use the concept of that Origin god as a sacrifice to complete his fusion with the heart of Carnage. If he can kill an Origin god before he became a Monarch, then he can surely fight against the domain of an Origin now that he is a monarch, and a strong one at that.