“Welcome back to the Godslayer Auction. Please, make sure to come again!”
Orson narrowed his eyes as he bid farewell to the crowd of rich patrons, leaving the aftermath to “Security #1” to handle.
The others, already jittery and on edge, scrambled towards the underground parking garage, practically fleeing. Their faces still showed traces of fear—someone had become a devil in their eyes.
“How about staying a few more days in Kanting? I’ve already arranged a hotel room for you,” Bradley suggested, trying to keep things calm. But Kanting, who wasn’t exactly on bad terms with Orson, couldn’t hide his panic.
“No, I have urgent matters to attend to. I need to leave now!”
Orson, feeling helpless, gave him a ride downstairs.
It didn’t matter whether the man was a powerful faction leader or a ruthless figure in the real world—against the power of Infinite Dimensions, he was just a joke.
Orson had already dispatched various faction leaders in his copies, and he knew there would be people wanting to eliminate him in the real world.
While he didn’t fear retaliation, the constant threat of someone targeting him would only bring trouble.
So, he decided to make his warning loud and clear.
There was no better way to shock someone than to let them witness a “miracle” firsthand.
And this move? It paid off in spades.
Currently, Orson was holding 31 million gold coins, and with the loot from the Abyssal Rift, along with his equipment and materials, his total assets had reached over 40 million gold coins.
Even after paying back the national debt and leaving 10 million in the guild’s account, he still had 20 million left. With proper management, he could use it to massively upgrade his gear.
Of course, Orson knew this amount was nothing compared to what the top-tier financial magnates had.
His conquest plan still needed to be executed. Wherever Celestial Fortress descended, whether it be NPCs or major guilds, they would all bow under the Forbidden Curse cannon!
Only with a constant flow of income could the massive ship carrying the hopes of Godslayer launch its immortal campaign against future enemies!
Bradley and Madman, escorted by members of The Bruce Family, headed back to their villa to log into the game.
Orson and Naoko stayed behind.
“They’re all here, right?”
Orson stood under the dim streetlamp, wearing all black. His eyes were as deep as an endless starry sky.
“I don’t know.”
Naoko, no longer her usual erratic self, nervously dialed a number, but no one answered.
Suddenly, a message popped up, and Naoko’s face turned pale. “They’re threatening me to go back to UJ. If I don’t, they’ll take my parents and torture them to death…”
Ishinaka and the others had a clear goal: if they couldn’t get their hands on the fragments of Yamata no Orochi, they would cripple Naoko’s future combat power. They would kidnap her parents and use them as leverage to force her back to UJ to continue working for the behind-the-scenes consortium.
Naoko’s eyes filled with tears as she looked up at Orson, her expression pitiful, almost heartbreaking.
The man before her was ruthless—no less than the old, cold-hearted leaders of the consortium.
She had watched him wipe out the NUK assassins and forced all the wealthy patrons to bow. His strength and intellect made it impossible for her not to feel fear.
But now, she had no choice. She could only trust Orson.
“You better listen carefully, understand?”
Orson walked over with a cold expression, a mysterious smile curling at the corner of his mouth as he smoothed down her disheveled hair, as though soothing a frightened puppy.
“I… of course, I’ll listen to you.”
Under the streetlight, Naoko forced a smile and nodded obediently.
Orson smiled back at her and walked past, whispering softly, “I don’t want you to make the same mistake again. If you do, I’ll kill you myself.”
A violent killing intent swept through the chilly autumn air.
Naoko’s blood ran cold as she turned around, panic rising.
She could feel a strange, oppressive pressure coming from the man’s back as if an ancient, malevolent god had just opened its eyes.
Death. Despair. A feast of blood!
Born from hope. The will of the living!
In that instant, these conflicting forces were manifested within the figure of the man before her.
“Despair,” she thought.
“Hope,” she also felt.
Her voice trembled, a strange mix of fear, fanaticism, and obsession, pushing her to the brink of madness.
Orson smiled, his fingers twitching slightly. The Heavenly Fire Staff appeared in his grasp. He waved his hand lightly, and the night sky tore open, revealing a rift in the void, through which a blood-red, bloodthirsty eye gleamed.
In the blink of an eye, a Wild Gale swept through, filling the air with a nauseating, iron-like stench of blood.
A massive black shadow rushed toward him. Orson smiled faintly as the giant figure dropped to the ground before him.
“Old buddy, I’m in a hurry.”
Orson nodded with a grin. The terrifying creature before him was none other than the Crimson Lizard King!
Its size had shrunk by several dozen times, now comparable to its form when Orson first conquered it. Still, the beast was over ten meters long, weighed several tons, and had tusks capable of crushing steel. Anyone who saw it during the day would likely die from fright.
Orson thought to himself, What if I fully weaponize it? If the Crimson Lizard King eats the Divine Dragon Heart of the Death God Dragon Clan, then it could level up into a Saint Lord-Class artifact. Just how powerful would it be then?!
“God… He is a God!” Naoko thought, her heart racing.
“I love him! I love him! I would die for him!!”
Her eyes burned with feverish intensity as she watched Orson ride the Crimson Lizard King, heading towards the apartment building.
At the building’s entrance, Ishinaka, Yamamoto, and Kawakita led a group of heavily armed UJ assassins, slipping into the building like shadows.
Unlike the scattered, disorganized NUK forces, these men were like well-trained mercenaries. They knocked out the security guard at the entrance, destroyed the surveillance system, and quickly took control of all exits.
Three of them knocked on the door. Naoko’s mother had no time to react, and her father was immediately shoved to the floor.
“You know what she’s done. If we don’t see her within half an hour, you’re both dead.” Yamamoto sneered, stepping on the middle-aged man’s head.
“I’m sorry… we didn’t know!”
Naoko’s parents, ordinary people from the bottom of society, could only kneel, crying, begging for mercy.
“Oh my god… what’s that? A beast?”
A terrified voice suddenly crackled through the intercom.
Kawakita: “What’s happening? Did the US police get involved?”
“Hey, talk to me!” Yamamoto shouted into the intercom.
“This can’t be happening! It must be a mistake! Ahhh…”
Along with a burst of static, a blood-curdling scream rang out, followed by the unmistakable sound of flesh being chewed.
Ishinaka and the others froze, desperately asking what was happening downstairs, but all they heard were panicked breaths and hurried footsteps.
In less than ten seconds, even the breathing had stopped.
The night fell silent, as though the very air had been suffocated.
Naoko’s father, groaning in pain, sounded eerily like the whispers of a vengeful ghost in their ears. They all shuddered, not knowing what to do.
“This is the most valuable minute of your lives.”
“Trust me, there’s no such thing as regret. If you oppose me, you will either die or submit.”
A voice they knew all too well reached them.
“Where is he? Where is he?” Yamamoto looked around in horror.
Kawakita trembled, pointing toward the window, her eyes wide with disbelief.
Ishinaka’s mind was reeling. Kawakita’s finger was pointing outside!
Bang!
The floor-to-ceiling window shattered as a massive head appeared, its mouth dripping with shredded flesh and blood, which fell down the balcony’s railing.
“This is the mutated lizard… unbelievable!” Yamamoto’s jaw dropped. He felt warmth spread in his lower body.
Orson, however, understood.
Facing such a nightmare creature, it was perfectly normal to soil yourself and lose your mind from terror.
Fear could lead people to hell, but it could also make them tougher and stronger. Orson knew this all too well.
“Get on your knees—In the name of the God of mortals.” Orson held the Heavenly Fire Staff, his body surrounded by the effects of the Heavenly Fire Set.
In this moment, he was a true god among men!
The supreme being in this world!
Yamamoto and Kawakita were paralyzed by fear, unable to summon even a flicker of anger. All they felt was overwhelming terror.
Thud.
Ishinaka collapsed to her knees.
Her fingers crossed in front of her forehead, she whispered,
“The legends are true. The ancient gods will descend and grant blessings to the strongest Infinite Dimensions players!”