Chapter 518 210: The Truth Shall Descend

"Heh heh..." The corners of Engelbert's mouth twitched beneath his bandages, his laughter chilling. "Things are different now. No one can stop a plan three eras in the making!"

"And now?"

"For now, there's no need to send any more of the Great True Sovereign's servants. Her abilities are a strong counter to us. Once our preparations across the great seas are complete—we will let this Puppet Queen, who has caused us so much trouble, vanish along with the shattering of the false world!"

The Rhombus Secret Cultivator reached for a black scythe and slowly rose to his feet. "This time, Truth shall descend!"

"It shall descend!"

「...」

「...」

"COUGH, COUGH, COUGH! Damn it!"

Wei'en clutched his chest. A gash slicing diagonally from his shoulder had nearly cut through his entire sternum.

If he hadn't dodged in time, that single blow would have dismembered him.

[You have witnessed a Commander-level Abyssal Creature: the Great Demon Commander. Because your Spirit Level exceeds 8,000, your body has not disintegrated, your soul has not dissolved, and your Origin has not been contaminated. Evaluation: Beware its Extraordinary characteristic; it is an Abyssal Creature bloodline talent! Special Reward: Survival Points +10, Resilience Level +2, Spirit Level +2.]

[Great Demon: A higher being from the Abyssal Depths. It has two wings, a body wreathed in scorching magma, and eyes as sharp as swords. Its power far surpasses that of an ordinary Commander-level Abyssal Creature.]

Wei'en grit his teeth as he stared at the four-meter-tall Great Demon before him.

'A Commander-level Great Demon... its rank is comparable to the Hand of the Kingdom, and its strength should be on par with the Judgment Knight, Huberto.'

But because of that damned abyssal contamination, he had to keep his Spirit Level above eight thousand. This had left him completely suppressed since the very beginning of the battle.

Otherwise, this fight wouldn't have been so difficult.

"Hee hee hee... Without the corrupting mutation from Little White Fur, and no help from any taboo items, is this the true extent of your power?"

The Joker, holding a glass of red wine, leaned back comfortably on the sofa. He watched the battle between Wei'en and the Great Demon Commander with a mocking air, inwardly delighted with the outcome.

'As expected of the Abyss World's royalty. Its strength is at least respectable.'

'No wonder that detestable Lord of the Abyss dared to offer such terms...'

'But at last, this bastard Wizard—who'd leave you for dead, burn his bridges, and repay kindness with betrayal—is finally getting a taste of a one-sided beatdown!'

At this thought, the Joker's scarlet eyes crinkled into a smile.

'Let's see him dare to suggest another one of his so-called 'gladiatorial trials.' He wants to improve his strength, does he? Fine, I'll let him improve until he's had his fill!'

Wei'en, at this moment, had no idea what the Joker was thinking. But even if he did, he wouldn't have said a word.

He was the one who had proposed fighting Abyssal Creatures. The only hitch was that the Joker had summoned a Great Demon that was far too powerful.

[You have been targeted by the killing intent of the Abyssal Creature, Great Demon Commander Balumonger... Gifford Pratt. Evaluation: A Wizard's combat intellect does not rely on brute force alone. Reward: Survival Points +100.]

'Combat intellect?'

'Easy for you to say!'

Wei'en's eyes were locked on the Great Demon Commander. This was, without a doubt, the most formidable opponent he had faced since arriving in this world.

By his estimation, this Great Demon Commander's Spirit Level was over forty thousand, its Resilience Level was at least around the same, and its Origin Power was even higher—likely surpassing the average for an Extraordinary on the level of the Hand of the Kingdom.

'An opponent like this...'

'If the Joker hadn't placed restrictions on it beforehand, I probably would have been crippled in the first exchange.'

"Weak human, abandon your struggle—"

The Great Demon Commander raised its massive Two-Handed Sword. Terrifying power, wreathed in magma, brought a searing wave of heat as it swung down at Wei'en.

"Nico, Ruke."

Wei'en blinked out of the way, his Spiritual Power nearly dipping below eight thousand. He hastily pulled out an Enlightenment Potion and a Healing Potion, pouring them into his mouth. They healed his wounds while rapidly restoring his Spiritual Power.

"It's useless!"

Watching the Great Demon Commander swing its sword and charge again, Wei'en's gaze hardened. 'Looks like I have no choice but to use *that*!'

With that, Wei'en barked, "Red Heart!"

Red Heart quickly recited the incantation for the Shadow Step Technique, "Fluo, Yize, Orella!"

Wei'en's figure abruptly vanished, passing through the viscous membrane between worlds and into the Realm of Death.

Just as before, he didn't look toward the slumbering Death God. Instead, he directly opened the panel in his mind.

At the same time, he activated his talent—Spiritual Conversion—and converted all his Resilience Level and Origin into Spirit Level.

On the panel, his Spirit Level instantly shot up to 21,578!

'Next, I'll allocate my points!'

Heart of Flesh and Blood (Death God) Level 2 (0/1000)... (1000/1000).

[Heart of Flesh and Blood (Death God) Level 2 (1000/1000). Upgrade?]

[Upgrade.]

[Congratulations, your skill, Heart of Flesh and Blood (Death God), has been upgraded to Level 3. Effect: Scales with Spirit Level. For every 1 point of Spirit Level, you gain an additional 0.3 points of Resilience Level.]

[Heart of Flesh and Blood (Death God) Level 3, Passive Trait: Immediately gain a bonus to your Resilience Level equal to 30% of your current Spirit Level. (One-time boost).]

[Under the effect of the Heart of Flesh and Blood (Death God) Magic, you have gained 6,473 Resilience Level.]

'Still not enough!'

'Talent: Spiritual Conversion! Resilience into Spirit!'

'Allocate more points—'

Heart of Flesh and Blood (Death God) Level 3 (0/10,000)... (10,000/10,000).

[...Your skill, Heart of Flesh and Blood (Death God), has been upgraded to Level 4...]

[...]

[Under the effect of the Heart of Flesh and Blood (Death God) Magic, you have gained 11,220 Resilience Level.]

Seeing the 100,000 Survival Points required for the next level, Wei'en decisively closed the panel.

He activated his talent one last time, keeping nine thousand Spirit Level and one thousand Origin Power, and converted everything else into Resilience Level.

With this, his Resilience Level soared past twenty thousand!

'With the buff from the Blood Boiling Technique on top of that... I can just barely put up a fight against the Great Demon Commander!'

Meanwhile, as Wei'en was allocating points to increase his power, the Joker stared at the empty space where Wei'en had vanished, a flicker of doubt in his eyes.

'This feeling... Did someone just open a Realm?'