“Tell me, Predator. Who is this girl and why is the Dark Pantheon protecting her?”

At that moment, the Dark Pantheon woman really didn't know what to say. Protecting her...protecting her? Are you blind or are you just plain stupid? Since when has torturing been considered protecting? Do your god-damn research before storming in here with all guns blazing and slaughtering us all! 

“I…you are mistaken!” The woman did her best to defend herself, although she knew quite well she wouldn’t get out of this alive. “We weren’t protecting her! She is our enemy! We’re torturing her here! Can’t you tell?”

“Oh…” The Chief raised his eyebrows as he glanced over at the Iron Maiden torture device. That...that actually makes quite the sense. Then again, looking around the corpses scattered across the abandoned factory, he realized what the Dark Pantheon was doing with this girl was no longer relevant. Instead, he gestured at the sealed metal cage and waved his hand, and two Mu Tribesmen made their way over.

Even as they moved, the woman collapsed on the ground with her skin melting away. The Chief had no need for prisoners. 

The two Tribesmen reached the sealed cage. Two Branch Blades appeared in their hands as they cut away at the lock of the device. The device was designed to hold people in, not to keep people out. It took a while, but in the end, they were able to crack the cage open. 

The first thing they saw was water. Enough water to fill the cage, mixed with a good dosage of blood and gore, washed over the two Mu Tribesmen and forced them back. Along with the water, came the battered body of Katie Lockwood. 

Katie didn't look well. At all. Countless bloody holes were across her skin, inflicted and prevented from healing by the metal spikes across a span of two days. Water dripped down her lips. Even as she hit the ground, her body was shaking uncontrollably, though at this point this was just a natural reflex from the excruciating pain exerted on her. 

“She’s dead.” One of the Mu Tribesmen behind the Chief commented. He was about to walk up and check on Katie’s corpse when the Chief raised his hand and stopped him. 

“No.” The Chief said quietly. He almost sounded concerned. “No, she's not.” 

The Tribesman looked at his leader like he was crazy. You try getting stabbed by thirty or so metal pikes, be sealed underwater for god knows how long, and still be alive! But before he could say anything else, Katie sat back up. 

Beneath her ripped and wet clothes, the Chief could see clearly that the wounds on her body were nowhere to be seen. As soon as the spikes were gone, her body proceeded to heal itself. As for the water...judging by how Katie was moving, the Chief supposed she was anything but a drowning victim. 

Mr. Isaac thought taking away Katie’s power intake and killing her repeatedly could exhaust her powers, thereby truly killing her. This theory by itself wasn’t flawed, but Mr. Isaac’s execution of that plan left a little more to be desired. 

Katie was back, but she didn't look too normal...even for her. Instead, she looked...she looked unsatisfied. 

The Chief took a step forward, his entire body tensed up and ready to strike. Before he saw Katie, he didn't expect much from this woman. After all, Kameron was nothing compared to him, and Kameron almost beat Katie. But as he found himself facing the woman, there was just something weird about her...the way she moved just felt...out of ordinary.

“You killed my son.” The Chief of the Seven Tribes started. He wanted to test the waters first, but Katie was having none of that. 

“I...I need more…” She growled, staring into the Chief’s eyes with nothing but desire. “I need it. I need it!”

“You need what?” The Chief frowned. Food? Water...well, probably not water. 

Katie didn't answer. Instead, she suddenly disappeared, reappearing right in front of one of the Mu Tribesmen. Most of the Seven Tribes forces, including that Mu Tribesman himself, were taken back in shock. Did that girl just teleport? But the Chief, more powerful than all of them, knew one cold, chilling fact. 

Katie didn't teleport. She was just moving really, really fast.

But...but how? He has seen the security footage of the fight between Katie and Kameron! Katie was easily suppressed by Kameron! Yes, she had some healing powers, but...but she was never shown to be this fast! 

Katie had no desire to enlighten any of them with knowledge. All she did was grab onto the Mu Tribesman’s neck and, with the slightest flicker, snapped his spine. The elite Tribesman screamed as pain engulfed him...and that was just what Katie needed. 

“I can feel your pain…I can taste it!” She whispered with the widest sickening grin on her cheeks. “And it tastes...delicious!” 

Mr. Isaac got something completely wrong. He didn't know what Katie’s power intake was. He didn't know where Katie drew her power from. Vampires drew their power from blood. Werewolves, from flesh. Agents of the Dark Pantheon gained strength from their pacts and sacrifices to the Chaos Domain. Even the Cult of Ascension drew power from the human flesh and essence they consumed. He just assumed Katie drew power from the biomass or essence of her kills. In that case, depriving her of kills or bodies would starve her to death.

Except Katie didn't draw power from biomass or essence. Her powers came from something much more elegant and much more conceptual. Something that made a lot of sense, but Mr. Isaac didn't even consider because he thought it was impossible.  

Katie Lockwood drew power from the very concept of agony. This included the agony of others and that of her own. When she jammed her blade into her thigh, she was feeding herself. When she stabbed a person, a ghost, a monster, or even a Chaos Descendant, as long as it could feel pain, the process was also feeding her. 

As long as agony existed around her, Katie could never starve. As long as someone was suffering, let it be herself or her enemies, Katie would never stop fighting. Every strike she did against her enemies would empower her. Every strike her enemies unleashed against her would also empower her. Even if her enemies could feel no pain, all Katie had to do to satiate herself was give herself a little stab, and the food would come flowing in. 

Combining this power structure with masochism and immortality, Katie was an unstoppable killing machine on the field of battle. Unsurprising, considering that was how she was designed by beings far more powerful than anything this world has ever seen. 

Even if the Seven Tribes never came here, Katie would be strong enough to break out in a few more days with the power she received from the torture. Soon, even the runed form of the Iron Maiden would be snapped apart like paper by her grip. 

Nonetheless, at this point, Katie had already been placed in the Iron Maiden for two days. Add that to the drowning and Formula 6...let’s just say she was more than fed. In trying to kill her, Mr. Isaac empowered her stronger than ever before.

What was the result of that? Enhanced strength. Enhanced speed. Enhanced regeneration. Enhanced anything and everything. Most of this effect would fade away after a while, but before that could happen…

The brunette dropped the crippled Mu Tribesman. As he screamed in the background, Katie turned to the second Tribesman. 

“Ready to join the feast, my friend? I assure you...this is going to hurt a lot more than you think...”

She reached out. Just as she went into motion, the Chief’s eyes widened and he reached out as well. Nine pieces of leaves darted across the air, aiming for Katie’s body. For all the Dark Pantheon Predators, he only used a single leaf, but when it came to Katie, he went all-in. 

Katie appeared in front of the second Tribesman and grabbed onto his neck. Before she could do anything, the nine pieces of leaves carved their way through her body countless times before finally running out of energy.

Countless tiny cuts took place across Katie’s skin, but that was just the beginning. Corrosive powers started spreading their way outward from the wounds. They made their way a few centimeters out, and...and that was it. The corrosive power stood its ground briefly before being forced back by Katie's regeneration power until the wounds were nowhere to be seen at all. 

“Ouch.” Katie hissed as the leaves worked on her. For a while, she closed her eyes and enjoyed the process. It was only when the wounds disappeared did her eyes snap open again. The second Tribesman, sensing his fate, struggled in Katie’s grip. Unfortunately for him, that wasn’t enough to stop Katie from snapping his spine and tossing him onto the ground. 

As the suffering around her intensified, Katie shuddered in pleasure before turning her gaze to the rest of the Seven Tribes forces. 

“How dare you!” The Chief growled loudly, doing his best to hide his fear. He knew what his leaves could do. The strike he just unleashed could kill a Dominator and even threaten a weaker Dark Pantheon Lord, but Katie literally did nothing and endured his strikes without breaking a sweat. For a second, he wanted to attack regardless, but his logic was able to conceal his emotions. 

The man took a deep breath before attempting the peaceful way out. After all, during the clash between the Seven Tribes and Katie, it has always been members of the Seven Tribes that ended up dead. The Tribes never really harmed Katie, not to mention they actually saved her here. So...maybe a truce was possible?

Most importantly, Katie had proven herself to be more than a mighty foe. The Chief could direct the forces of the Seven Tribes to avenge Kameron, but throwing away the elitist members of the Tribes against a foe that appeared to be unkillable? That was hardly the wisest call as a leader. 

“Katie, right?” The Chief started once again, this time with his tone a lot softer. “Look...we can talk this out. My son, Kameron...maybe he had it coming. There is no need to go to war because of his foolishness. We have made a mistake in coming here, and we are willing to leave right now.” 

If Katie was still fully conscious, then the logical part of her brain might consider the offer. After all, she didn't have time for this. Even now, Caitlin had been gone for two days, and only god knew what sickening game Mr. Isaac was forcing her to play! She needed to go back to school and save her now!

But Katie wasn’t conscious. In fact, she wasn’t thinking straight at all. All she knew was, for two whole days, she was placed in heaven with anything and everything she could possibly hope for. And then, someone just reached in and pulled her out, stripping her of that ultimate pain and pleasure! And that...that really pissed her off!

If you strip me of my pain, then maybe I can make up for it with your suffering! What? There’s no logic in that? What? Objectively speaking you saved me? Do I look like I care? I didn't want to be saved at all!

With a mocking grin on her face, Katie didn't even bother answering the Chief’s kind gesture as she charged right into the ranks of the Seven Tribes before anyone could react. Within just moments, half a dozen Tribesmen were on the ground, crippled and in agony. 

“No!” The Chief screamed. Then again, as the leader of the Tribes, he was by no means weak. When peace failed, he wasn’t afraid of war. More corrosive leaves darted into Katie’s body as he led the charge. “Seize her! Restrict her movement and restrain her! Now! For the Tribes!” 

The Tribesmen reacted quickly at the Chief’s command. The two Ling Tribesmen focused their powers and tried to hold Katie in place. Katie’s form, previously carving through the Tribesmen, suddenly froze in place. It was unfortunate that the two Ling Tribesmen didn't last too long, as almost immediately, the two Tribesmen collapsed on the ground with blood coming out of their mouths and nose. 

The freed Katie grabbed onto a Huo Tribesman and snapped his arms. Flames scorched across her arms, melting away her clothes and skin alike. Unfortunately, it did little lasting damage to her while every strike from her continued to cripple a Tribesman. 

More thunderbolts landed on her, barely able to leave a mark before Katie’s regeneration powers took effect. 

As only a handful of Tribesmen were left standing, the Chief and a few of the more powerful Mu Tribesmen finally got ready for one final stand. They channeled their powers as one, and all of a sudden, countless veins burst out of the concrete ground and grabbed onto Katie’s entire body, holding her in place. 

“Finally!” One of the Tribesmen still standing took a breath of relief. It was a costly victory, yet a victory nonetheless. Thankfully, most of his comrades were still alive, and given the time, their injuries could be mended.

Even the Chief found himself slightly relieved.  

But if they thought Katie could be tamed so easily, they were hopelessly mistaken. Katie slowly looked down on the veins, and with a surprising move, she suddenly raised her hands. 

The next second, the eyes of the Chief and the Mu Tribesmen were filled with disbelief. Katie...she was competing with them for the control of the plants! She has to be crazy to think she could overpower some of the strongest Tribesmen of Clan Mu! But as they tried to counter Katie’s attempts, they quickly realized they were fighting an unwinnable battle. With a terrifying level of power, power that was boosted by the feast she just enjoyed, Katie gained control over the veins around her body and instructed them to release her and stand down. 

Before the Tribesmen could take back the veins, Katie was on the move. Tribesman after Tribesman fell until the Chief was the only one left. Everyone else from the strike force was maimed on the ground, screaming in pain and thus feasting Katie. 

The Chief made one desperate last stand. His Branch Blades cut through Katie’s body countless times, slicing through her flesh and soul alike. But as the man stared into Katie’s eyes and saw nothing but endless ecstasy, he realized his fate was already sealed. 

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What's sadder than trying to starve your enemy to death, only to feed her? 

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