As the phantom image of the Temple of Truth faded, Terenas relinquished his chance at god. His resurrection had been a blessing in disguise, allowing him to break through to new heights of power.
Even among Ultimate Lords, Terenas was now a top contender.
As the phantom image disappeared completely, Terenas looked up at the sky.
He hesitated, then released his staff, taking a half step back and kneeling on one knee. His voice, filled with awe, was barely a whisper.
“I am at your service.”
The invisible barrier dissipated, revealing Mike and his companions.
The Shadows stood behind Mike, silently observing the scene.
A newly ascended Ultimate Lord, a figure of immense power and influence, was pledging allegiance to Thor.
Terenas, due to his past actions, had a lot of baggage:
He had killed Richard Sterling with his own hands. As a Demon Cult Leader, he had spilled a lot of blood.
Such an individual, now wielding the power of an Ultimate Lord, could potentially disrupt the balance between humanity and the demon race.
How to handle Terenas was a delicate matter.
“Shadow Three,” Mike said suddenly.
“Present.”
“Test him.”
“Alright.”
The bone-adorned figure strode towards Terenas.
“This punch,” Shadow Three said, his voice earnest, “will be at 30% power.”
Before Terenas could respond, Shadow Three’s fist connected with his face, sending him flying.
One punch, critically injured.
Shadow Three, looking awkward, scratched his head, glancing at Mike for guidance.
His message was clear:
The next punch, at 50% power, would be fatal.
Mike now had a clear understanding of Terenas’s strength.
“He’s so weak? An Ultimate Lord newbie?”
“Not exactly,” Shadow One chuckled. “Shadow Three is incredibly powerful within the Abyss. His 30% punch could kill an average Ultimate Lord.”
“Got it.”
Shadow Three retracted his fist, returning to Mike’s side.
Terenas, his expression unchanged, acted as if nothing had happened.
A minor punishment.
Terenas, seeking redemption for his past sins, had made a deal with Apollo: he would solve the Blood Shadows problem.
The Guardian Shadow was currently led by Shadow Nine.
Convincing Shadow Nine would be difficult.
Although Terenas didn’t know what had transpired during his death, it was clear that Thor was now in charge of the Guardian Shadow.
He needed Thor’s approval to proceed.
Without a word, Terenas moved behind Mike, standing at the back of the group.
Mike stood up from his rocking chair, clapping his hands. “Time to wrap things up here.” “Shadow Ten.”
“Present.”
“Take James and Richard back to the human base,” Mike said. “While the Fifth Abyss is vulnerable, launch a counteroffensive. But don’t overextend yourselves.”
“Yes, sir!”
James, succumbing to his injuries, had long since lost consciousness.
He hadn’t witnessed Richard Sterling’s transformation back from a Blood Shadow.
“Shadow One, retrieve Shadow Two. He’s exceeded his vacation time.”
“Yes, sir.”
Stunning Woman turned and left.
“Shadow Four, assess the current state of the Blood Shadows. Compile a detailed report.” “Yes, sir.”
Shadow One, Shadow Four, and Shadow Ten, having received their assignments, departed. Mike turned to Shadow Three.
“Let’s go.”
“Alright.”
As they were about to leave, a certain ‘good person’ couldn’t help himself.
“Hi, Thor!”
“It’s me, Michael!”
Mike ignored him. Shadow Three remained impassive. Terenas didn’t even flinch.
Michael was getting desperate.
He had just been resurrected. He didn’t want to betray humanity again.
As Thor turned to leave, Michael resorted to his trump card.
“Thor, we met at the gym!”
Mike stopped, turning to face Michael, a smirk playing on his lips.
Interesting.
Michael’s words were very interesting.
He was implying that he knew Thor’s true identity in the real world.
Shadow Three understood.
He raised his fist, ready to resort to his usual method of dealing with loose ends: erasing
Michael’s memories.
A physical solution, permanent and effective.
“Hold on.”
Mike stopped Shadow Three, glancing at Michael.
In a way, Michael was important.
His resurrection was a miracle.
Unlike Vladimir and Dracula, whose “deaths” were merely temporary, reliant on the river of blood, Michael and Terenas had truly died and been brought back to life.
Michael was unique.
And there was another crucial factor: he had transformed from a shadow into a real person!
Such a valuable test subject couldn’t be allowed to die, at least not until Shadow Nine
returned.
“Follow us.”
“Yay!”
Michael, beaming, skipped over to Mike, his spirits soaring.
With the situation in the Fifth Abyss resolved, they set off for the Ninth Abyss.
As they traveled, Mike was even in the mood for small talk.
“Shadow Three, what’s your story?”
Shadow Three looked awkward. “Well…”
“Just make something up,” Mike said. “I’m really curious about that 99.99 million Lord merit
intel.”
Shadow Three thought for a moment, then nodded. “Alright.”
His story went like this…
“A long, long time ago, I was born.”
“And then?” Mike prompted.
“And then, I lived until now.”
“What a fascinating tale!” Mike gave Shadow Three a thumbs-up.
Shadow Three couldn’t lie, but his story was as good as useless.
They traveled quickly, soon arriving back in the Ninth Abyss.
“Fourth Bro, where to?”
“Find Blaze Morrow.”
The game was nearing its end, and Mike had figured out most of the pieces.
His initial reason for coming to the Ninth Abyss was to help Blaze with his breakthrough.
According to Apollo, all Blaze needed was a trip to the Ninth Abyss to reach level 900.
At the time, Mike had been confused.
Was there a connection between Blaze and the Ninth Abyss?
Now, he understood.
Blaze Morrow’s inner turmoil wasn’t just about his deceased brothers.
His brothers… had most likely become Blood Shadows!
Otherwise, with the Guardian Shadow members technically still alive, albeit in a different
form, Blaze wouldn’t be so tormented.
And Terenas held the key to solving the Blood Shadow problem.
A gust of black wind swept them above the battlefield, where they looked down below.
Blaze Morrow, his body engulfed in flames, was battling a demon Lord.
He was on the back foot, but he had opportunities to break through and turn the tide.
That was the problem…
“Damn it! Why can’t I break through?!” Blaze Morrow’s eyes were bloodshot. He was pushing
himself to the limit, but he couldn’t surpass the level 899 barrier.
Just then, three crimson lights emerged from his shadow.
Mike sighed.
Three names appeared before his eyes: [Brook Morrow, Argent Morrow, Ashton Morrow]