“I see…” Another piece of the puzzle clicked into place for Mike.
Shadow Nine had sent him a letter from the Supreme Abyssal.
The letter contained only the code phrase, but it omitted one crucial detail: what to do after finding the mole.
Now, the truth was clear.
Shadow Nine’s message was simple:
The Ninth Demon God is the mole. Don’t kill him!
The code phrase was the Ninth Demon God’s lifeline.
Years turned into decades, decades into centuries. Two hundred years had passed.
The mole had become the Ninth Demon God, and Shadow Nine still hadn’t extracted him!
Understanding the situation, Mike maintained his composure. “What are the stakes of this meeting?”
A level 1,000 Progenitor of Ghosts and the human race’s future Supreme Being, Thor, were heavy hitters.
Even a boxing match between champions involved millions of dollars in prize money.
Mike was curious what the Supreme Demon God was offering in exchange.
The black mist hesitated, then finally answered. “Regardless of the outcome of your battle with the Progenitor of Ghosts, my master will guide Shadow Nine.”
Guide Shadow Nine?
Shadow Nine had ventured into the Supreme Abyssal to search for Nathan’s remains.
Mike’s face darkened. “Don’t tell me that old geezer got lost?”
“Shadow Nine has a terrible sense of direction,” Shadow Three added helpfully. “And he can’t draw maps.”
[Haha, now you understand my power!]
Ignoring the Eye of Truth’s smug remark, Mike focused on the upcoming battle.
“Hold on a moment. I need to apply some eye drops.”
He pulled out a vial, carefully applying a drop to each eye.
[Congratulations! You have gained two uses of Sage Mode (official version)!]
After cleansing his eyes, Mike focused his gaze on the sealed Progenitor of Ghosts. [Using Sage Mode, you can analyze the enemy’s first attack.]
[Analyze?]
“Yes!”
He had two chances, and his only target was the Progenitor of Ghosts.
He would deal with this level 1,000 boss first. Everything else could wait.
Mike’s expression turned grim as he reviewed the Eye of Truth’s analysis.
The enemy was a level 1,000 entity. Even in its weakened state, it was still a force to be reckoned with.
And the Progenitor of Ghosts’ first attack would undoubtedly be its strongest, aiming for an instant kill.
If it connected, even Fate’s Reversal wouldn’t save him.
This was a clash between beings of vastly different power levels.
Fortunately, the Eye of Truth had provided a solution:
[Have a being at level 990 or above take the hit for you, and you’ll survive!]
Whether the sacrificial lamb survived was another matter entirely.
Mike looked at Shadow Three.
Shadow Three, as if reading his mind, said, “Fourth Bro, I’m not level 990 yet. And to weaken that thing to level 989, I need to conserve my strength. It’s best if I don’t intervene unless absolutely necessary.”
With Shadow Three out of the picture, the Ninth Demon God turned away, avoiding Thor’s gaze.
What was there to see?
They weren’t friends.
That left only one option.
Mike turned to the Fifth Demon God, his voice grave. “Do you want to die?”
The Fifth Demon God snorted, ignoring Thor.
He had his own agenda.
He wanted to die, and it didn’t matter who killed him.
Mike turned to his only human companion. “Find a corner and stay out of the way.”
Joseph’s current strength was insufficient for a battle of this scale.
With all preparations complete, Mike steeled himself for the fight.
“Progenitor of Ghosts, come at me!”
The Demon Emperor’s Hall was cleared.
The two figures shrouded in black mist wisely retreated to the sidelines, unwilling to get
involved.
Whether the Progenitor of Ghosts or Thor perished, their mission would be complete.
The Ninth Demon God also stood back, observing from a safe distance.
A wisp of black mist emerged, and countless black chains materialized, wrapping around the
cube.
*Crack*
The first chain snapped, and the cube exploded, releasing a cloud of black smoke that engulfed the battlefield.
[Here it comes!]
A colossal undead monster, its body glowing crimson, emerged from the smoke. It had three heads, eighteen arms, and a grotesquely protruding spine.
It looked like a patchwork of countless corpses stitched together.
“Die!”
*BOOM*
As predicted by the Eye of Truth, the Progenitor of Ghosts unleashed its most powerful attack,
aiming to obliterate Mike.
In a flash, a figure intercepted the attack, shielding Mike from the devastating blow.
The Fifth Demon God!
Mike even let out a dramatic cry of “No!~~~~”
He had foreseen this using the Eye of Truth.
The Fifth Demon God, taking the full brunt of the attack, would undoubtedly perish.
And for humanity, the Fifth Demon God’s death wasn’t necessarily a good thing.
The Fifth Demon God, offering no resistance, seemed almost serene. He even had the
presence of mind to offer Mike a final request.
“Take care of my son.”
“My mantle as Demon God awaits him.”
As the Progenitor of Ghosts’ attack crashed down, a wave of ghostly energy engulfed the Fifth Demon God, attempting to obliterate him…
But then, the unexpected happened.
Just as the ghostly energy was about to consume him, a shard embedded in the Fifth Demon
God’s chest erupted in a blinding flash of light.
A surge of energy, emanating from the void fragment, materialized into a level 1,000 void
fiend.
The void fiend intercepted the ghostly energy, its own aura flickering weakly.
“I thought I was well hidden,” it hissed. “But you found me.”
It had been a celestial fiend, drifting through the void, seeking to infiltrate the Tower of
Truth.
But just as it was about to succeed, it had encountered an unfortunate individual who had transformed it into a void fragment.
After a series of twists and turns, the fragment had ended up in the Fifth Demon God’s
possession.
It had planned to remain dormant, biding its time.
But the Fifth Demon God’s reckless act had exposed it.
*Whoosh*
A gust of black wind swept through the hall as the Progenitor of Ghosts turned its attention
towards the void fiend. The two level 1,000 entities clashed, their battle shaking the very
foundations of the Demon Emperor’s Hall.
Thor, the supposed protagonist of this encounter, was now a mere spectator.
The Fifth Demon God’s face was a mask of disbelief.
He had even delivered his last words, yet he was still alive!
Even Shadow Three was surprised.
“Older brother, where did you get that void fragment?”
The Fifth Demon God, after a moment of silence, uttered a single, ominous name.
“Afterskin gave it to me.”