n

n

n

n

"In the midst of the chaos, the clones of the Commandments intervened,

" the undead explained.

"But they didn't act recklessly because they didn't want to antagonize the Administrator. It was still too early for that.

"

n

"Too early...

" Alexander repeated under his breath.

n

"The God's Will knows things about this world that others don't. They are erasing all those connected to the calamity. So, do not ever speak of it again. If they learn that you possess knowledge about the calamity, they will exterminate you, your family, and anyone associated with you.

"

nThe undead paused, allowing Alexander a moment to absorb the gravity of his words. After a few seconds, he resumed speaking.

"Have you, perhaps, heard of the Cold Break Incident?

"

nAlexander shook his head.

n

"The Cold Break Incident happened thousands of years ago,

" the undead began.

"The holders of the Cosmic Sign at that time perished, and no one knows how or why. It's strange, considering the holders of the Cosmic Sign are powerful, even among the gods-yet they were wiped out, just like that. My friend, the Isolated Formation God, and I investigated it, and we discovered traces of the calamity behind the incident.

"

nThe undead's gaze turned serious as he continued,

"Avoid the topic of the calamity at all costs. It's too early for you to delve into it. Even gods aren't safe if they seek out more knowledge about it. And the God's Will-well, they're especially cautious when it comes to the calamity. They wouldn't hesitate to offend the Holy Land if it meant dealing with this.

"

"I understand,

" Alexander replied, nodding solemnly.

n

"Good,

" the undead said, his voice resolute.

"Now, let's begin and purge this filth from the world.

"

n...

nOn the battlefield, Souta and Fhe exchanged high-speed blows.

nBang! Bang!

nSouta realized that his opponent was growing stronger with each passing second. For beings of their caliber, a second was more than enough time to execute thousands of moves. Yet no matter how many times Souta destroyed Fhe's body, the undead simply regenerated, returning with even greater force.

nIt was becoming increasingly difficult for him.

n'Souta, you have to destroy its soul, body, and energy source at the same time. And the most crucial thing... is the corruption. You have to extinguish it as well,' Saya's voice echoed in his mind, her tone urgent.

n

"It's easier said than done. Doing all that simultaneously is no small feat. Besides, I don't even know how to extinguish the corruption,

" Souta muttered, his sword clashing with Fhe's relentless assault.

nHe leapt into the air and raised his hand, his blood expanding outward and transforming into hundreds of crimson spears, ready to strike.

nWith a simple motion, hundreds of blood spears flew forward, tearing through the skeleton army.

nBang!!

nFrom within the smoke, the undead Fhe emerged, his energy level surging dangerously close to Hero-rank.

nSwoosh!!

nIn a blur, Fhe vanished from sight and reappeared right in front of Souta. Startled, Souta's eyes widened as he instinctively raised his weapon.

nHis reaction was quick enough to block the attack, but the sheer force behind Fhe's blow sent him crashing into the ground, creating a massive crater upon impact.

nBang!

nDebris of rocks exploded in all directions.

nSouta stood up from the crater, the metallic taste of blood in his mouth.

n

"Damn, I have to keep up the pace.

"

nHe cursed under his breath as two artifacts flew beside the Orb of Arcane Seal. The Darkness Hourglass and Goblet of the Night, both dark grade, joined the fray.

nHe activated their skills: Darkness Time, Traceless World, Carpet of the Night, and Darkness Sweep.

nOnce again, he clashed with the undead Fhe.

nBang!! Bang!!

nThe tide of battle seemed relentless. The undead continued to surge in overwhelming numbers, using their sheer force like a tsunami to press the Nine Heads into a corner.

nSouta knew they wouldn't last long at this rate. As he battled Fhe, he was continuously harassed by the undead, their attacks chipping away at him. While the minor attacks from SS- rank undead were manageable, the cumulative damage from SSS-rank adversaries was significant. Even Fourth and Fifth Shackle-level enemies could make an impact, albeit small.

nThe number of skeletons destroyed during the fight reached tens of thousands, and notifications flashed continuously as Souta unleashed a storm of blood spears across the battlefield.

nBoom!!

nSouta stepped forward, closing the distance to Fhe. A sword of blood materialized in his other hand, and with dual blades, his class ability was fully activated.

nFhe roared in response, charging with an overwhelming intent to kill.

nCrimson Moon!

nBoom!!

nEight Head and the rest turned their heads, sensing the intense energy fluctuations. They saw

na vast wave of crimson lightning surging like a tidal wave.

n

"Seventh Head...

" Third Head muttered.

n

"The famed crimson lightning of the Seventh Head,

" Fourth Head said.

nThey knew that things were getting worse if the enemy had forced the famed Blood Lightning

nMonster to use this power. This was the power that made the Blood Lightning Monster renowned throughout the Hall Plains, and his name even reached other lands.

nStill, the massive amount of energy from the undead clashed with the lightning. The clash

ncaused intense friction in the air and space.

nThe undead Fhe roared fiercely, his killing intent soaring through the air.

nHe looked ahead and, in the next moment, realized that Souta had grabbed his face.

nSwoosh!!

nSouta dragged the undead Fhe deeper into the darkness, crossing the vast land in just a second. Thousands of skeletons were destroyed in the process.

nThen, he threw Fhe heavily into the ground, causing a massive crater.

nSouta landed on the floor, staring at the undead. He was still experiencing excruciating pain,

nbut he didn't show it on his face.

n

"So this is how the Imperium plays, huh? I don't even give a ** about it. If you're going to

ntake it back, then take it back.

"

nHe opened his palm, and lightning flashed across his body. His aura rose sharply as white

nsmoke seeped out from his feet.

nSouta looked down and said,

"You know what? I've been trying to test the limits of my new power in the past week. I don't need it to fight the corruption. I alone am enough.

"

nHe stabbed his sword forward. The blade pierced through the space, causing a rift to open in

nfront of him.

n

"Dream is reality. Reality is a dream.

"

nWhite smoke poured out of the rift, enveloping the area. A strange power erupted, shaking the

nentire place.

n

"Right now, my voice is the rule, my body is the land, and my blood is the ocean. I am

neverything. Hahahaha!

"

nSouta combed his hair with his hand as he laughed madly.

n

"I call it Dream of the Twilight Blood.

"

nIn an instant, the entire scenery transformed. A vast crimson sky stretched above, with the sun

ntrapped in perpetual twilight. Darkness and light flowed across the land, and crimson

nlightning flashed erratically.

nFhe and the tens of thousands of undead caught in the transformation were overwhelmed.

nThe pressure exerted by this realm affected not only their bodies but also their very souls.

nSouta hovered in the sky, his hands clasped behind his back. A faint smile played on his lips as

nhe spoke.

n

"Welcome to my dreamscape, undead.

"

n

n