James’s defiance sent a chill through the Demon Cult members.
“I do love a challenge,” a gaunt old man cackled, his few remaining strands of hair a sickly yellow, his bony fingers clutching a staff.
“Don’t kill him just yet,” he rasped. “Screaming souls are a delicacy.”
“Just wait a little longer,” another voice chimed in, laced with malice. “Once that Blood Shadow loses control… heh heh heh…”
Sinister laughter echoed through the group.
The color drained from James’s face, replaced by a grim determination.
Escape was no longer an option.
He wasn’t afraid of death.
His father had died on the Abyssal battlefield.
But…
He glanced at Draco, standing protectively before him. He could face death, but he couldn’t bear the thought of Draco suffering.
“If Senior Draco becomes a Blood Shadow, loses control… I’ll never forgive myself.”
His left hand brushed against something cold and metallic.
It was a gift from the Blood Sea Corps Leader, an item that could trigger a mutual destruction blast, taking both user and enemy down with it.
He would free Draco from his torment.
James’s gaze swept over the Demon Cult members, his eyes filled with murderous intent.
He would take these bastards down with him.
His desire for revenge was impossible to conceal.
As the Demon Cult members continued their mocking laughter, a pair of eyes watched from the shadows.
Shadow Ten, hidden within the darkness, pulled out a Magic Conch and whispered into it. “The situation is…”
After a brief explanation, he concluded with a question.
“Can I engage?”
A voice crackled from the conch.
“Wait.”
…
Millions of miles away, in the Ninth Abyss, Mike put away the Magic Conch, his mind racing.
The situation was clear.
The battlefield was divided: the Fifth Abyss and the Ninth Abyss.
To humanity, the Fifth Demon God was a unique anomaly.
Firstly, he was the Exiled Demon God.
Killing him would only empower the Supreme Demon God.
Since the era of the first Supreme Being, Morpheus, humanity’s stance on the Fifth Demon God had been clear:
Don’t kill him.
Furthermore, for reasons unknown, the Fifth Demon God was actively seeking death.
His corps was the most brutal and unruly in the entire Abyss.
Putting the pieces together, Mike arrived at a simple conclusion:
They couldn’t kill the Fifth Demon God, but that didn’t mean they couldn’t target his forces!
The Fifth Demon God was undoubtedly aware of this.
His willingness to sacrifice his own troops could only mean one thing: he wanted to die.
Clearly, the demon creatures from the Supreme Abyssal possessed something that posed a significant threat to the Fifth Demon God’s existence.
The situation in the Ninth Abyss was clear.
But the Fifth Abyss was Apollo’s game. His true motives remained a mystery.
However, Mike had prepared for this.
He had sent Shadow Ten to accompany James, ready to intervene if necessary.
And to infiltrate the Fifth Abyss, he had dispatched his most capable Shadow, the Guardian Shadow’s top fighter: Shadow Two!
As long as Shadow Two made her move, everything would be fine.
Within seconds, Mike had assessed the situation and formulated a plan.
The Demon Emperor’s Hall shook violently as the doors swung open once more.
A middle-aged man in a long robe swaggered into the Ninth Demon God’s domain.
A smile appeared on his face as he exclaimed loudly, “Shadow Nine, your fifth brother has come to visit!”
“After I die, are you interested in becoming the Fifth Demon God?”
His laughter echoed through the hall, sending shivers down the spines of the lesser demon
creatures.
Joseph felt a cold sweat trickling down his back.
He had never witnessed anything like this.
The Ninth Abyss now housed two Demon Gods, the Fifth and the Ninth, along with powerful
demon creatures from the Supreme Abyssal, and Shadow Three!
There were at least five beings at level 995 or above present!
And these weren’t mere projections. These were their true forms.
There were no spectators, no bystanders. Everyone present was a player in this deadly game, fighting for their lives.
Not since the end of the Blood War had there been such a gathering of power.
“Joseph, don’t be afraid,” Thor said, his voice a low rumble. “If you have any last words,
now’s the time to speak them.”
Joseph thought for a moment, then mumbled, “I don’t want to die…”
That sounded a bit pathetic.
“I don’t want to die like this,” he amended.
Dying at the hands of a Demon God, without even putting up a fight, was too humiliating.
“Look on the bright side,” Mike said, trying to offer some comfort. “Dying to an Eight-Star Lord would be a stain on your honor. But being obliterated by a Demon God? That’s a
highlight reel moment.”
That… actually made sense.
As they chatted, two figures shrouded in black mist emerged from behind the Fifth Demon
God.
They carried a sealed cube between them, entering the hall.
Mike held his breath, focusing his gaze.
[The black mist on the left is a piece of wood.]
[The black mist on the right… angel? Ghost? Honestly, they’re probably the same thing.]
[The cube contains a level 1,000 being. Want to spar?]
Mike frowned, recalling a specific detail.
Apollo had visited his private space a couple of days ago.
The Nature Elf Envoy had transformed into a piece of wood.
And from his previous experiences, all vampires turned into pigs in Apollo’s presence.
Did that mean… the Elf Ancestor was also a piece of wood?
As for the black mist on the right… angel, ghost? Was it the Progenitor of Ghosts he was supposed to eliminate?
He couldn’t be sure.
He shifted his gaze, meeting the Fifth Demon God’s eyes.
Or rather, the Fifth Demon God was looking at Mike’s shadow.
“It’s you.”
The Fifth Demon God snorted, recognizing Shadow Three.
“I thought you looked familiar. The Abyss’s favored child, reduced to a human pet. Shadow
Three, you’ve truly fallen from grace.”
The figure, draped in various bone ornaments, emerged from the shadows.
Shadow Three was unfazed by the Fifth Demon God’s insults.
“Wait!”
The Fifth Demon God’s face hardened, his gaze fixed on Shadow Three, his voice trembling
slightly.
“You’re alive. You’re with the Guardian Shadows…”
“Then… where is my son?”
