The [Hatred Demon] had survived Alex’s [World Cleaver].
Though it had been struck, though it had been injured, it still remained.
Now, its massive, grotesque body was locked in place by the [Destiny Shackles], its dark form struggling against the golden chains that bound it.
Those restraints stopped it from using its skills, from regenerating, from fighting back.
And yet, even then, its mouth remained open. A deep, endless void, inhaling.
Crimson lines of essence surged into its maw, drawn from the fallen members of the [Hatred Sect].
Even as their corpses lay lifeless, their lingering hatred was consumed.
The Demon drank it all in, feeding on the remnants of their existence.
Alex’s gut twisted.
If that thing absorbed enough energy to regain its full strength… they were all dead.
He had to end it now.
[World Cleaver] hadn’t worked.
He only had 46 [Destiny Points] left—barely enough to matter.
[Flames of Oblivion] wouldn’t do much either; the [Hatred Demon]’s endurance and health were far too overwhelming.
His summons were useless here.
[Celestial Judgment] was still on cooldown.
And that left him with one final option.
The [Universal Orbs].
He had held back until now, only using them when absolutely necessary.
But now, with the [Hatred Demon] right in front of him, there was no more room for hesitation.
He had to use them all.
“DIE, YOU FUCKING THING!” Alex roared, his voice shaking the very air as he unleashed his full power.
His hand snapped forward, and the first orb was already selected.
[You have selected the “Orb of Cataclysm.”]
A flick of his wrist sent the dark-red orb hurtling toward the restrained [Hatred Demon].
It hovered before its chest for a single moment before it beeped.
SWASH!
A storm of crimson spikes erupted from the orb, each one as sharp as a divine blade capable of cutting gods apart.
They plunged into the Demon’s body, piercing deep, spreading further, latching onto its flesh.
But Alex didn’t wait to see the damage.
He had no time for that.
He was already selecting the next.
His fingers moved quickly, and—
[You have selected the “Orb of Annihilation.”]
A deep hum filled the air as the new orb activated.
It floated upward, positioning itself above Alex before flashing with eerie violet energy.
Then, it fired.
BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!
Fifty spears began raining down repeatedly from the orb, one after the other, each one carrying the strength to obliterate a Grand Mage in a single strike.
The Demon had no choice but to take the hits.
It could not move in the [Destiny Shackles], could not dodge, could not regenerate.
Each spear that slammed into its body detonated in a violent explosion, sending dark mist and crimson aura spiraling into the enclosed space.
Alex felt the vibrations shake his bones, but he forced himself to stay focused.
The spears would keep firing on their own now, but he needed more.
[You have selected the “Orb of the Storm.”]
The crackling of energy surged through the air as he held the orb in his palm.
Sparks jumped from its surface, volatile and unstable.
Then, he released it.
FWOOOOOM!
The orb transformed mid-air into a raging storm of thunder.
Lightning surged, snaking toward the [Hatred Demon] as if it had a will of its own.
Bolts of energy struck without mercy, blasting into its body over and over, arcs of raw destruction lashing at its limbs.
Still, not enough.
[You have selected the “Orb of Divinity.”]
Another flick of his hand, another deadly force unleashed.
FWISH!
A golden light cut through the mist, descending from the heavens themselves.
A massive celestial blade came forth, splitting the hideout’s ceiling, tearing apart everything in its way before plunging straight into the Demon’s body.
The sheer force of the impact sent shockwaves outward.
BOOOOM!
The entire hideout trembled. Walls collapsed. The ground beneath them cracked.
Alex didn’t care.
His eyes snapped toward the [Orb of Annihilation], and it was still firing.
That meant one thing: the [Hatred Demon] was still alive.
“NOT ENOUGH!” he shouted, his voice hoarse.
‘It should be dead!’
The restraints were still on it. It couldn’t regenerate. How was it still alive?!
It didn’t matter. There was one last orb he could use.
[You have selected the “Orb of the Mountain.”]
The moment it activated, the entire room began to shake.
Alex didn’t hesitate, he pointed at the Demon, and the orb responded instantly.
FWOOOOOSH!
The ground split open.
Massive jagged fault lines spread outward, cracking apart the earth beneath the Demon’s feet.
From the darkness below, black tendrils surged upward, wrapping around the creature’s massive form.
The Demon screeched, its voice distorted and raw.
“DIIIIEEEEEE!” Alex roared, his throat burning.
The tendrils tightened their grip and then—
BOOM!
The ground sealed shut. The abyss closed. The Demon was gone.
At the same time, the [Orb of Annihilation] flickered and faded away. Its spears stopped.
For the first time in what felt like forever, silence returned.
“Ah… ahn…” Alex panted, his breaths shaky.
It wasn’t from exhaustion. It wasn’t from pain.
It was from fear.
His hands trembled.
His entire body felt cold.
Even now, even after all of that, he wasn’t sure if it was over.
His mind screamed at him to stay on guard.
He looked around.
The battlefield, if it could even be called that anymore, was utterly destroyed.
The mist and crimson aura had faded.
The section where he had unleashed his orbs was completely gone.
And the [Hatred Sect]… were nothing but corpses now.
The crimson lines that had once surged into the Demon’s mouth had disappeared.
That was a good sign.
Then—
Ding! Ding! Ding!
Notifications began flooding his vision.
[You have killed “Kyofu, Guardian of Hatred” and gained 50 billion experience points.]
[You have killed “Kofuku, Guardian of Hatred” and gained 45 billion experience points.]
[You have killed “Kento, Guardian of Hatred” and gained 36 billion experience points.]
[You have killed “Gekido, Guardian of Hatred” and gained 42 billion experience points.]
[You have killed “Yokubo, Guardian of Hatred” and gained 38 billion experience points.]
[You have killed “Kito, Guardian of Hatred” and gained 54 billion experience points.]
[You are not the one who killed Lord X, thus you will not receive any experience and cannot extract.]
Alex didn’t care, no extraction prompts had appeared before him, meaning he needed to manually extract from everyone, and he didn’t care to begin with anyway.
Nothing they could grant him would enhance his strength.
But there was one thing missing.
No notification about the [Hatred Demon].
His stomach twisted. That was impossible.
Even Kaelios, the God of Destiny, one of the top five gods, had died when hit by the full force of Alex’s [Universal Orbs].
If even a god couldn’t survive it, how the hell could the [Hatred Demon] still be standing?
Was it truly gone? He had no way to check.
And so, he did the only thing he could do.
He stared at the spot where the [Hatred Demon] had been dragged into the abyss.
And he waited.
Five minutes. Ten minutes. Thirty minutes.
Nothing. No movement. No sound.
Only silence.
Alex let out a slow breath, forcing himself to believe it was over.
There was no way anything could have survived that.
Not even a god.
And so…
Without another word, Alex turned toward the hallway of the [Hatred Sect’s Hideout], leaving the battlefield behind.
Thinking his mission was complete.