Chapter 248: The God’s Head
“You’re such a scoundrel.”
“Isn’t that a compliment among you Demon Beasts?”
Two distinct voices, one arrogant, the other calm, bickered within the Demon King’s mouth.
Ignoring the awestruck Demon Beasts who had witnessed his display of power, Nagath carried his son’s body into the laboratory, confirming that the seals, traps, and restrictions were intact.
Then, he waved his hand, and a hidden door, leading into a dark, oppressive space, appeared in the wall.
Even within his laboratory, there was another hidden chamber.
He entered, the door vanishing behind him, leaving no trace.
A long, dark corridor stretched before him, only the sound of his footsteps echoing in the oppressive silence.
“By the way, did that axe attack kill the Hero?” the calmer voice asked.
“Who knows? It should have. Although that Second Hero is quite capable, I don’t think he could withstand that attack.”
“Of course, he might have some strange life-saving ability.”
“Should we go finish him off?”
“It doesn’t matter. Whether he lives or dies is of no consequence to me. In fact, it might be better if he’s alive. He can attract the attention of those… unpleasant… beings, making things easier for us.”
As they bickered, the Demon King continued down the corridor, the darkness not hindering his vision.
After what seemed like an eternity, the corridor opened into a vast, empty space, larger even than the Demon King’s Palace, larger even than the entire Demon King’s Castle.
Countless skulls, each one a lamp, flickered with a faint, eerie light. Their combined illumination, however, barely penetrated the vast darkness.
The voices within him fell silent, his expression turning grim. The flickering flames cast long, dancing shadows.
In the center of the space was a towering mountain…
No, not a mountain.
It was a massive, impossibly large head.
Larger than the tallest mountain on the Heavenly Continent, its long hair, each strand as thick as a stone pillar, scattered on the ground around it.
Its eyes were wide open, bloodshot, staring into the void.
Its nose was like a cliff face.
Its lips were curled into a proud, defiant sneer.
Its neck was severed, the cut smooth as glass.
Even the towering Demon King seemed like an ant before this colossal head.
It was motionless, yet it radiated an unparalleled aura of power.
Demon King Nagath stopped some distance away, a flicker of fear in his eyes.
He, who feared nothing, the strongest being in the Heavenly Continent, the one who could force back even the powerful Second Hero with a single axe blow, felt fear before this severed head.
He could almost imagine the unimaginable size of its complete form.
Nagath was strong, a god among ordinary Demon Beasts, but this head… this was the presence of a true god.
He stared at it for a moment, then lowered his eyes, unable to bear its gaze for too long.
The oppressive pressure was immense. A weaker being would have been crushed instantly.
Even the Demon King couldn’t look at it for too long, lest he be driven mad.
A struggle flickered across his face, and he took a deep breath, speaking to the other presence within him, or perhaps just to himself, “Damn it…”
“I’ve been looking at this thing for hundreds of years…”
“And every time, it fills me with dread.”
“It’s just a severed head, yet it feels… alive.”
Then, his voice changed, “This is the head of a god… a being from another dimension entirely.”
“How could such a powerful being be killed?”
“It must have been another being of equal power… Let’s not waste any more time. Let’s begin. I hope we can gain something this time.”
He walked towards the massive head, carrying his son’s corpse. The closer he got, the more oppressive the pressure became. Although the air was still, he felt as if he were caught in a tsunami, his body swaying, his forehead slick with sweat.
Each step was a struggle, his muscles straining, the veins on his arms bulging.
His heart pounded in his chest, its rhythm increasing rapidly.
His face flushed red.
The pressure wasn’t physical, but spiritual, his very soul screaming at him to retreat.
Ignoring his instincts, he finally reached the base of the massive head, his strength gone, and he dropped his son’s corpse.
His son’s soul, cowering within the body, was on the verge of dissipating.
Even the Demon King sank to the ground, gasping for breath.
After resting for a while, he stood up and, with great effort, extracted a fist-sized drop of blood from the severed neck.
The blood, like viscous jelly, shimmered with a strange, unsettling beauty.
Ignoring the immense pressure, he injected the blood into his son’s corpse.
Then he poured the contents of dozens of vials and bottles down Diabolique’s throat.
The next instant, Diabolique’s corpse began to convulse violently.
As if he had come back to life.
His body spasmed on the ground, wracked by an agonizing pain that could shatter the mind. He opened his mouth, as if to scream, but no sound came out.
Strange cracking and crunching sounds echoed through the chamber.
Muscles, like snakes, wriggled beneath his skin, his limbs growing thicker and stronger.
His bones twisted and reformed, the wounds on his back healing rapidly.
A crimson heart grew on his chest, pulsing strongly.
Then, with a sickening crack, it exploded, sending a spray of blood into the air.
And along with it, Diabolique’s flesh and tendons disintegrated, the stench of blood filling the air.
Although his flesh was gone, his pale skeleton seemed to have grown slightly larger, thicker.
Then, new flesh began to regenerate…
Disintegrating and regenerating… an endless cycle.
Such pain, only a dead man could endure.
Only someone like Diabolique, with his considerable strength and resilience, could withstand this transformation.
A weaker Demon Beast would have been completely destroyed, not even a chance for regeneration.
This was an experiment.
If it succeeded, they would be one step closer to their goal.
…
Meanwhile, Qin Chu, Heloise, and Iyeta appeared in a forest.
Heloise and Iyeta were still in shock, unsure what had just happened. They wanted to ask Qin Chu, but he was wearing a strange, excited smile.
Was it the exhilaration of a near-death experience?
Although they had faced a powerful enemy, Qin Chu’s reaction made Heloise and Iyeta feel that their new master was… reliable.
He had brought them with him, not abandoning them like Diabolique had abandoned Heloise.
Such a man was worth following.
Seemingly noticing their gazes, Qin Chu shook his head, his expression returning to its usual calm.
“That was Demon King Nagath’s attack,” he said.
Demon King Nagath?
Heloise and Iyeta’s hearts skipped a beat.
Although they were now bound to the Hero, the Demon King’s name still held immense power over them.
The name Nagath was synonymous with invincibility, with brutality.
Fear gripped their hearts.
Qin Chu smiled faintly. He knew Demon King Nagath very well. They had fought three times. The first time, he had lost, but escaped. The second time, it was a draw. And the third time, he had killed Nagath.
He was very familiar with the Demon King’s power.
That old man had actually left his palace?
Was it because his son was about to be killed?
No… Qin Chu didn’t think Nagath was the type to care about his children.
To him, they were just byproducts of his lust, nothing more.
Heloise and Iyeta exchanged glances, seeing the shock in each other’s eyes… They hadn’t fully experienced the attack, but they could sense its terrifying power, the force that had torn the sky.
Although the arc of light hadn’t landed, they had felt their bodies lock up, unable to move, as if they had already seen their own deaths.
“That is the power that surpasses the level 100 limit.”
“Below level 100, even at level 100, no matter how strong you are, how many magic spells or martial skills you know, in the face of such power, you are nothing but trash.”
“That power… even a hundred Diaboliques wouldn’t be a match for it.”
“Now do you understand how foolish it was for him to try and overthrow the Demon King?”
“He is one of the only two transcendents in the entire Heavenly Continent…”
“The other one…?” Heloise asked softly.
“Is Shaye, the Dark Witch…”
He didn’t know if Ireta, the Daughter of Death, had reached that level. She didn’t like to fight and was incredibly elusive, her true strength a mystery.
Qin Chu smiled faintly, “And I… will be the third!”
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