Chapter 1348: Demon King
Chapter 1348: Demon King
After all, his clones were still part of his body, and he could regenerate from them if necessary.
Furthermore, Souta had already accepted the possibility of being disintegrated. He knew that numerous peak Fifth Stage monsters would appear, and he couldn’t afford to underestimate them.
There was just one thing he absolutely had to avoid: getting hit by the Monster Lord.
If the Monster Lord struck him directly, there was a chance that even his regenerative ability would be shattered. And if that happened, Souta would truly die.
After that, news of the battle spread like wildfire. Countless people across the continent heard about the battle in the Great Shen Empire. Although the Council of High-Worlds hadn’t contributed much to the battle, its name still spread far and wide.
Why?
Because Souta was the one who made it happen.
He was the one who spread fabricated details about the Council of High-Worlds making significant contributions to the battle. Moreover, there was a survivor who could corroborate the story, and that was Shen Yao.
When Souta was fighting Thousand Earth and Kers Time, he had deliberately shouted the words, "Gluttony Army and Council of High-Worlds!"
He had infused his voice with energy, allowing it to travel far and wide.
As he had expected, his words had reached a handful of survivors.
It had been a magnificent performance.
Souta gazed at the trembling galaxy, his expression calm as he anticipated what was about to happen.
In fact, back in the game, the Council of High-Worlds had been annihilated by a certain being. The Council had been discovered interfering in the affairs of Imperium, and someone had taken great offense to it.
And so, that being had descended upon their territory and wreaked havoc across the entire galaxy.
BOOM!!!
The terrifying energy grew stronger and stronger, its overwhelming presence eventually alerting the five God-rank beings of the Council of High-Worlds.
One after another, they raised their heads and awoke from their slumber.
CRACK!!
Space above the star system contorted and twisted. Cracks spread across the fabric of reality before, in the next instant, space itself split open, revealing the boundless void beyond.
Thud!
The sound of a heartbeat echoed throughout the galaxy.
Then, a humanoid figure slowly emerged from the spatial rift.
He stood two and a half meters tall. His skin was blood-red, adorned with white markings. Sharp black nails extended from his fingers, and his teeth were as keen as razor blades. The sclerae of his eyes were pitch-black, contrasting sharply with his crimson-red pupils.
His long, dark purple hair fluttered in the void, and he wore nothing but a simple pair of tattered pants.
The sheer energy radiating from his body caused cracks to spread throughout the fabric of space itself.
He was a terrifying entity.
One of the Six Demon Kings of the Demon’s Land.
The Lord of the Flies. The Great Victorious Ba’al. The Red Cloud Thunderbolt God.
Yet, many knew him by another name...
Demon King Beelzebub.
The moment Beelzebub appeared in the space outside Imperium, everything around him seemed to grow fragile, as though all things were bowing before his presence. He made no attempt to suppress his energy, allowing it to leak freely. The entire galaxy and its surrounding space trembled under the weight of his might.
"Trash from a sub-world... You inferior beings shouldn’t even dream of setting your sights on Imperium. Lowly scum like you should rot here."
His voice reverberated throughout the galaxy, carrying an immense and oppressive force. It traveled through the very fabric of space, and everyone who heard it felt an overwhelming power assault their minds, threatening to crush their consciousness.
Beelzebub extended both hands, unleashing his immense power and enveloping the entire star system where the five God-rank beings of the Council of High-Worlds resided.
"I’ll send you back to the Soul Realm. Let’s hope you are born in Imperium in your next life."
...
The galaxy in Souta’s vision was suddenly covered by countless dark purple dots. He could no longer perceive anything clearly, but he knew one thing for certain.
The entire galaxy was about to collapse.
A battle between God-rank entities.
Even though Souta was powerful, this wasn’t a battle he could afford to observe directly. The sheer power unleashed by their clash was beyond anything he could withstand. If he tried to perceive it, there was a good chance he would be caught in the aftermath and suffer the consequences.
It wasn’t a problem for Souta to observe their techniques, but trying to perceive the power behind them with his own senses was an entirely different matter.
The Great Tribunal Galaxy descended into chaos. Immense waves of energy swept across the galaxy, shattering millions of planets. Even those with natural energy couldn’t withstand the destructive force and were reduced to dust.
The might of a God-rank entity was truly terrifying.
The only planet capable of withstanding beings of their caliber was Imperium. Compared to it, everything else seemed fragile before their overwhelming power.
"DEMON KING!! WHY ARE YOU DOING THIS?!"
Souta heard a powerful voice filled with indignation and grievance.
"Trash like you shouldn’t even be alive. How dare you interfere in the affairs of Imperium? Let the people of Imperium fight among themselves. Lowly beings from sub-worlds have no right to set their sights on Imperium."
It was the Demon King’s voice.
Souta knew that Beelzebub was fighting five God-rank beings alone, and he also knew how this battle would end.
Beelzebub would emerge victorious.
’This was supposed to happen in the future, but I’ve accelerated it. Well, I have no choice. You people brought this upon yourselves by trying to cross me.’
Souta sneered inwardly.
He gazed into the vast expanse of space, where immense energy had manifested into what was known as the Domain of the Gods.
An ability exclusive to higher entities.
When someone ascended to Godhood, they would naturally develop their own domain. A space where they could impose their will upon reality and everything within it.
Souta recalled the countless times he had been subjected to such power in the game. Back then, he had always ended up dying. Fortunately, he had the support of the other Commanders, which had allowed him to last longer in each encounters before ultimately perishing.
Ohm!!
Suddenly, a burst of immense energy erupted, spreading throughout the surrounding space. The shock wave even reached the planet beneath Souta’s feet.
A chill ran down his spine as intense heat and bitter cold assaulted his body simultaneously. The overwhelming mana crashed into him like a tsunami, threatening to tear him apart.
BOOM!!
In an instant, his body was blasted through the planet’s crust, plunging deep beneath the surface.
He knew that one of the five God-rank beings had perished. The wave of mana that had just swept through the area was the result of the shattered energy pool left behind by the fallen God-rank entity.
Souta tasted blood in his mouth. Yet, instead of fear, a wicked smile spread across his face.
"This is dangerous, but it’s also a precious opportunity."
The energy in the surrounding area had become incredibly dense. All the energy released by the fallen God-rank being had scattered throughout the region, saturating everything in its path.
Souta moved, bursting through the planet’s surface before emerging into the vastness of space once more.
The scenery above him had changed completely.
A sea of red clouds stretched across hundreds of millions of light-years, blanketing several galaxies. Countless tiny, fly-like creatures swarmed through the clouds, their movements resembling waves rolling across an endless ocean.
Every single one possessed enough power to pulverize Souta’s body.
"Not even a minute has passed, and one of them has already died..."
Souta took a deep breath.
He couldn’t afford to have his body destroyed again. If that happened, he would lose this precious opportunity.
Once the battle ended, he would make his move.
"DEMON KING! YOU WILL PAY FOR THIS!!"
"Pay? How exactly can trash like you make me pay? Such impure thoughts to have toward me, a pure being born in Imperium. Even if you’ve ascended to Godhood, you can’t change the fact that you were born outside Imperium. You truly deserve to die. I have nothing more to say to inferior beings like you."
The exchange didn’t last long before Beelzebub launched his assault once again.
A massive rift tore through the vast expanse of space as the four remaining God-rank beings attempted to flee. However, one of them was caught by Beelzebub.
What followed was death.
Another flood of mana swept across the surrounding galaxies, further thickening the already dense energy in the area.
Afterward, Beelzebub pursued the remaining three, who had fled into other dimensions.
At that moment, the Council of High-Worlds was no more.
It had been destroyed, leaving behind only a few planets under its control that were located elsewhere. Even so, it was unlikely that the Council would ever regain its former glory unless someone managed to ascend to Godhood.
Souta had witnessed everything, yet he hadn’t made a move.
Even with those higher entities gone, he remained where he was. The energy left behind by their battle was still violently surging through the surrounding space. If he approached it now, his body would be torn apart.