Cataclysmic thunderstorms and powerful winds ripped through the chaotic lands, while the passionate and hidden group continued their sonorous performance.

  Scott glanced at the slew of new notifications, a smile creeping onto his lips. I’ve attained demi-godhood, yet I’m barred from receiving all the information related to it. Someone out there really doesn’t want me to know about it.

  His grip tightened around his weapon as his gaze shifted toward the new set of prisoners emerging from the towering light pillars. They retrieved an array of weapons from their inventories, eyes gleaming with greed and ferocity as they cautiously inched toward him.

  Scott raised his head toward the skies, staring at the turbulent heavens. Despite receiving permission, it doesn’t look like those bastards plan on descending anytime soon… unless they’re waiting for these guys to tire me out first, he thought as he lowered his gaze once more.

  The number of prisoners continued to rise, yet none dared to make a move.

  “Aren’t you guys after freedom too?” Scott’s voice boomed across the area. “If you keep delaying, it’s only a matter of time before you-know-who gets pissed and kills you all off. But I’m not complaining,” he chuckled, his gaze traveling across the electrifying battlefield.

  The chains coiled behind him, towering several feet into the air like living serpents—predatorily staring at the hesitant prisoners.

  The notification appeared before Scott and numerous prisoners simultaneously. He chuckled aloud. “See? I told you.”

  The expressions of the champions soured, their resolve hardening. No one knew who moved first, but in a flash, the group charged toward Scott like a pack of deranged madmen, craving mayhem.

  The Chains of the Abyss thrashed violently, their links rustling without end. The moment the prisoners moved, the chains advanced to intercept them. Instantly, the sentient chains activated Annihilation Zones as well as Abyssal Hunger.

  The unsuspecting prisoners within the zone of annihilation were swiftly erased from existence, while those bound by the chains had their essence and life force drained before being discarded like used rags. Yet, the number of champions approaching Scott increased by the hundreds each minute as new pillars introduced fresh waves of prisoners into the chaotic hellscape.

  Scott, with his war hammer in tow, charged toward the prisoners in his line of sight. Each time his hammer crashed down, heads exploded, and lives were snuffed out in an instant.

  Slowly but surely, a mountain of corpses began to form over the barren land, fresh blood pooling into sizable rivers. Yet, the destruction continued unabated. Meteor showers descended from the chaotic skies at random, obliterating scores of prisoners before they could even grasp the reality of their situation, while the calamitous symphony echoed in the background.

  Instead of rushing Scott headfirst, many prisoners retreated, staring at the enemy of the gods—his form and weapons drenched in blood.

  “He’s too powerful for us to fight alone. We’re all going to die needlessly at this rate,” a prisoner suddenly cried out. “We need to work together if we want to stand any chance against him!”

  Several prisoners turned toward the beastman. No one could refute his words. The number of champions Scott and the Chains of the Abyss had eliminated wasn’t far behind that of the meteor showers. Yet, Scott showed no signs of fatigue, let alone injury. In fact, none had successfully landed a blow on him.

  “It doesn’t matter who lands the final strike,” the beastman continued, his voice rising. “All that matters is that he’s dead. I’m sure the gods will reward us accordingly—”

  Before he could finish, the beastman suddenly submerged into an inky pool of darkness. Several champions blinked in stunned silence, their gazes tracing the shadowy void that had appeared without warning.

  They followed the darkness to the mountain of corpses before their eyes settled on Scott’s shadow—the source of the abyss.

  Scott took a step forward. The prisoners instinctively retreated in unison, their visages twisted with primal fear.

  “What sort of monster is this?” a vampire blurted, her arms trembling as she stared at Scott. “Nobody said anything about him being this powerful…”

  Many of the champions were no strangers to violence or brutality, but this was unlike anything they had ever seen. They had accepted the gods’ proposal, believing that no matter how powerful Scott was, he couldn’t outlast hundreds of thousands of foes simultaneously. Yet, the terrifying truth revealed itself before their eyes.

  Scott took another step forward. More champions recoiled. At that moment, the towering piles of corpses began sinking into the nihilistic zones. The expressions of the onlooking prisoners darkened as they distanced themselves further from Scott.

  “It’s not going to end well for you guys if you keep retreating,” Scott said, a deranged smile plastered across his face. “You should at least try instead of simply giving…” A series of thundering pops interrupted his words.

  He watched as several prisoners' bodies swelled grotesquely before bursting in bloody showers. The chain reaction carried across the battlefield, prisoners exploding by the dozens.

  “You should have listened to me,” Scott cackled softly, his gaze sweeping across the carnage. Without exception, every prisoner had been obliterated. The numerous light pillars that had besieged the battlefield vanished without a trace.

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  It seems like they’re done messing around, Scott thought as he gazed skyward. The nihilistic darkness devoured the remnants of the corpses while his thoughts wandered. From here on out, they should be sending in the big guns.

  As if responding to his musings, lightning tore through the heavens, striking the ground two kilometers away. Scott raised a brow at the five figures left behind in the elemental discharge.

  I knew it. I guess it’s time for the second round… Scott chuckled, stepping forward at a measured pace.

  As if conforming to Scott’s thoughts, the music from the hidden orchestra shifted. The once-turbulent, high-energy composition slowed into a chilling melody with pulsating highs. As Scott advanced, so did the sponsored candidates.

  Two female sirens, clad in glistening armor and surrounded by shimmering water, led the five-man party. Behind them stood a beastman adorned with ominous tattoos etched across his bulging muscles. Next to him was a lithe, short figure hidden beneath a massive paper mask, a question mark drawn across its surface. Towering above them all was the representative from the Order of Light—the Son of Light. His golden form gleamed like a moving statue in the chaotic wasteland. Draped in a simple golden toga, his four muscular arms and draconic tail were impossible to miss. A flaming crown, pulsating in shifting shades of light, hovered above his head. His face, devoid of a mouth and nose, bore only two luminous eyes that brimmed with pulsating energy.

  Suddenly, the sirens broke away from the group while the remaining candidates halted their advance. Scott’s brows furrowed. Are they serious? They want to fight me in turns? He suppressed a chuckle and continued his approach until the sirens abruptly stopped.

  Scott halted as well, now less than eight hundred meters away from them.

  “We applaud your bravery despite the odds stacked against you,” their voices chimed, sweet and melodic, as appealing as their visages. “However, true fearlessness is knowing one’s limits and responding accordingly.” Their pearl-like blue eyes focused on Scott. “You should have fled instead of naively approaching us. You—”

  Scott chuckled, shaking his head. “There was a time when running for my life was my only option against people like you,” he admitted, his smile broadening. “Sorry to be the bearer of bad news, but that era is long gone.” He took another step forward. “You’re the ones showing true naivety by approaching me.” He suddenly paused, grinning. “By the time you realize the folly of your ways, it will already be too late.”

  “Boastful words,” the sirens declared simultaneously, their expressions impassive, bordering on derision. “It seems you’ve yet to understand the weight of **** seal.” They flashed eerie smiles. “In the mortal world, you are no longer a being of authority,” they intoned, pointing at him. “You can, and will, be killed here!” they declared with finality.

  Scott’s grin only widened. “Alright then, shall we begin?” he teased.

  The sirens' expressions turned indifferent once more. Then, they declared, “I suspend all laws within my domain!”

  Scott observed as the echoes of cascading waves surrounded him, though the waves themselves remained unseen. The sirens, standing side by side, locked arms and began to sing. Their melodious voices intertwined with the haunting orchestra, giving birth to sparkling blue waves that erupted from beneath their feet.

  Their voices soared, and so did the waves. Towering hundreds of feet, they folded into multiple layers, ready to lay waste to the already-barren land.

  Scott lifted his gaze, locking onto the pristine wave amid the surrounding wreckage. Music, huh? Slim would have loved to fight them. Taking another step forward, his focus narrowed on the blue-haired sirens. Let’s see what these two can do.

  The moment he moved, the singing sirens suddenly pointed their clasped hands in his direction. The gigantic wave behind them shuddered in response, then surged forward. The cascading layers rose and fell violently, racing toward Scott’s position.

  With a silent command, the Chains of the Abyss shot forward, spinning vigorously as they manifested several massive Annihilation Zones. The towering wave vanished the instant it reached the imperceptible area, leaving the sirens speechless, their wide eyes betraying their disbelief.

  “Well, that was a good opening move,” Scott’s voice carried to them as he continued closing the distance. The chains manifested even more Annihilation Zones, scattering them throughout the battlefield. “Surely, that wasn’t all you had to offer, right?” He halted, chuckling as he locked eyes with the champions. “Because you’re just wasting my time.”

  The chains spun with increased ferocity, thrashing violently as they spread their nihilistic influence. This time, the other sponsored candidates stirred, preparing to intervene.

  But Scott’s voice came like an ominous whisper. “Don’t even bother. It will be less painful that way.”

  Before they could react, the ground beneath their feet blackened, and dark tendrils surged from the abyss, ensnaring the stunned champions and dragging them into the void.

  At the same time, the Chains of the Abyss latched onto them. Guttural screams escaped the sirens and beastman as their bodies visibly withered, their essence being drained. Their cries faded in mere seconds as the tendrils plunged them deep into the inky darkness. The candidate with the comically large paper mask coated their self in violent hazel lightning, but it crumbled under the persistent assault of the Annihilation Zone. Moments later, the candidate from the Lightning Dragon Clan also succumbed, vanishing into the abyss.

  Meanwhile, the Son of Light stood unwavering, his form radiating a blinding luminance. His feet remained firmly planted as the tendrils recoiled, unable to breach his presence. Even the Chains of the Abyss hesitated, the Annihilation Zones crumbling at the mere existence of his divine light.

  “Oh?” Scott’s brows rose as he studied the massive champion. “They actually sent someone decent,” he muttered, nodding to himself.

  He stepped forward but immediately noticed a massive, emerald prayer bead materializing around the champion’s neck, exuding an intense glow. Then, in each of his four hands, golden staff appeared. A sharp crack echoed through the battlefield as a mouth manifested on the champion’s once-expressionless face.

  “Vile spawn of the Nihilithians. This place shall not bear your abhorrent essence!” A mechanical voice reverberated from the immobile mouth. The Son of Light lifted his weapons, his presence becoming absolute. “I suspend all laws within my domain!”

  For a brief moment, silence festered.

  Then, brilliant light illuminated the heavens. Hundreds of thousands of portals manifested within the radiance, and through them emerged an army—countless variations of Judges of Light descended from the dazzling skies.

  Scott threw his head back, laughing ominously. “What an interesting Domain,” he mused, shifting his focus back to the Son of Light. “It’s been a while since I used mine, but you won’t be disappointed.”

  Taking another step forward, his voice thundered across the land. “I suspend all laws within my domain!”