Soul of Searing Steel

Panda Novel

The mist that clouded all of the Sixth Abyss dispersed as if an illusion, revealing the dim, lightless World Barrier beneath it.

Worlds were luminous. Ever since the Multiverse was born within the Initial Flame, each world was a composite of fire and steel, the light they emitted being the form which the cycle of matter and energy inside the world itself is presented in the Void.

In most worlds with advanced civilizations, the cycles in side that world would be greater and more detailed, which was why the brighter the light would be. Still, it was not to say that only civilized worlds emit dazzling light—worlds brimming with energy but were unsuitable for life and hosted none were bright by itself.

The light of countless worlds was hence projected into the Void; it is the infinite stars that all the numerous living worlds could see. Even in worlds with innumerable stars such as Stellaris, there are some galaxies that were actually single stars, just as most stars were worldly light reflected from other worlds. Upon realizing that and developing an interest, it would be the time when the civilizations of the stars strode out into the Void. They would not feel curiosity and anticipation towards the ‘starlight-that-did-not-actually-exist’, and step up to the great stage of the Multiverse.

But if the energy and physical cycles inside a world stopped, both the sun or the planet’s core would gradually die, becoming a barren land that no longer birth souls. Its appearance in the Multiverse’s Void was a dark world that had no light at all.

Just like an Abyss.

The thickness and endurance of the World Barrier came from the instinctive cycles in all life. It was also a world’s immunity, and the cycles in healthy worlds alone could repel hostile assaults from Evil Gods. That was also why Void Behemoths, being creatures that resembled a world, did not have to spare much effort to break such cycles. However, the toughness of a World Barrier in dead worlds would increase instead of fall because all Flame was extinguished and gathered as ashes. The dead Steel Python would latch its own power upon it, using its remains as a barrier—the final act of protection the world provides for all life in its body.

Be that as it may, Joshua did not believe that the World Barrier of the Sixth Abyss could stop him.

The warrior entered and left countless worlds and was himself a newborn world. He understood World Barrier more than most, and no matter how hard one could be, or multi-layered it was, they were simply layered biscuits. If he wanted, Joshua could break it as easily as he broke the Sartrean World Barrier, shattering the dark mist that covered the Sixth Abyss and detonate the World Barrier.

He could do that, but it was unnecessary.

Joshua was here in the Sixth Abyss to get the most powerful demonic organization at present—Goliath the Demon King and its minions to become firefighters of the Abyss, while have it point him towards the Bottom of the Abyss. As a dire threat descended upon millions of worlds, even the demons might be beings they could attempt to communicate with.

“When the endless Abyss invaded Mycroft thousands of years ago, you conspired with the Evil Gods to destroyed many worlds… but it was clear that neither demon nor Abyss benefited, and it proved to be the worst choice to join hands with the Evil Gods.”

Watching as the dark world before him nullified its defenses, Joshua spoke mildly, “But what we ask of you now is simple. You just have to ensure that the demons under your influence would not become Evil God feed, and do your best to keep the peace amongst demons of other Abysses… it isn’t hard for you, is it?”

In the pre-existence, the Demon King had swept across the Abyss, leading multiple Demon Generals to invade Mycroft, while itself boasted ability comparable to True Gods. Goliath, the Gluttonous Demon King certainly understood him.

Joshua did not add anything else. Its reaction was also clear since it had dispelled its defense, and the warrior simply waited for its answer.

“…Don’t be ridiculous. Those demons aren’t us, and since when had the Abyss become one faction? Demon is just the name you gave us.”

A familiar voice growled then. “The Abyss itself is a summation of countless ruin worlds, and we are not them… Mycroftian, do you mean to say that the anomalies now have been wrought by Evil God? What proof is there?”

“You’re not Goliath.”

In the Void, Joshua frowned. His furnace core began to whirled again as he spoke quietly, “Ah. You’re that Insectoid Demon General Saluka, the one who survived and was rescued by Goliath… Sounds like you actually recovered some of your ability and improved as well, how lucky.”

‘But does luck even have anything on you?!’

The information transmitted over the World Barrier suddenly emanated a sensation akin to a choking. After its grievous injuries, the Demon General had kept to the Abyss, devouring other realms to recover through continuous battles, struggling until now when he barely recovered its original strength. The Steel person before it, however, had grown exponentially in power—where it could barely hurt him before, it could not even guess how much power that clone now embodied.

It was possible that no one save for Goliath could really stand up against him in the entire Sixth Abyss, and would be at once wiped up even if they swarmed him… Furthermore, with the warrior’s character, it was considered friendly and sincere for him to not punch the World Barrier at once and make the world tremble, and that was precisely why Saluka would dare to dispel the defensive barrier Goliath put in place.

Or they would be tasting his punches.

“Saluka, you’re right. I really don’t want to chat with you now.”

Having ascertained the other’s identity, Joshua waved his hand, the massive force stirring dimensional turbulences, dispersing endless world fragments into the Void. “Your word holds no power. Where is Goliath?”

“My King has…”

Before he finished, the dimensions trembled.

Saluka quieted at once, while Joshua looked up to that side of the Void.

Almost every direction of the Void was emanating a horrific presence. The Mana Tide’s energies were being devoured, the light of worlds blocked, with many massive solid forms piercing the dimensional turbulences in the Void as it rapidly approached the Sixth Abyss.

Boom!

In a corner of the Void, dimensional turbulences were punctured as energy density sharply spiked and a dull redness flickered. As Joshua and Saluka looked on, a huge eye with a vertical pupil appeared in front of the Sixth Abyss, seemingly burning.

“My King!”

Saluka exclaimed in delight, as similar echoes rumbled over the other directions of the Void.

Thick black air streamed out of the dimensional turbulence, spreading dense Abyssal Breath—a presence unique to beings born in the Abyss after their world died and was filled with the will to destroy and finality. Even if their powers had barely any link to the Abyss they were born in, it was only with the restoration of their world or its destruction that demons would have a chance for new life.

However, not even demons would so easily abandon their home—or as one would say, domain and territory.

The Abyssal Breath in the Sixth Abyss thickened with the arrival of its Demon King. Many things, massive and small were flying out of the thick black air.

A huge hand, covered in black shell armor was darting in its direction from the distant Void.

A single tooth was also streaking through the Void, dragging a trail out of the erratic dimensional turbulence.

Like an insect swarm, black particles that were actually chunks of large bones hummed and screeched irritatingly welled out across all directions before gathering into a black cloud—self assembling, it quickly assumed a massive form.

More parts came even more swiftly: muscles, arteries, teeth, hair, limbs, and innards… in the Void around the Sixth Abyss, boundless powerful physical fragments surged and gathered, pasting together and finally forming a massive human frame. It was covered in a black shell and had a pair of wings that blocked the sun, and its upper body was so massive that it threw a shadow upon the continent. Its lower body was a black cloud with no fixed shaped, while its limbs that seemed to constitute out of infinite insect swarm churned.

Finally, a dark-red scorching heart darted out of the Sixth Abyss and sunk into that body. It was only then that the giant human frame showed signs of reviving as if gaining its main part.

Countless blood-colored lines began to spread from that heart and pasted every fragment together into a singular powerful form. A human form with two horns, hands, and wings along with eight eyes covered entirely in dark bone shells and a dark cloud as its lower body, the colossal demon form that was covered in countless blood red patterns hence appeared in the Void.

A faint, dreamy mutter was spreading in the surrounding dimensional turbulence.

“…Radcliffe…”

The deep echoing voice that seemed to only appear in nightmares and condensed out of shadows resounded. The gigantic human figure that was Goliath, the Gluttonous Demon King and Lord of the Sixth Abyss slowly opened its eight eyes and glared at the nearby Giant God of Steel. “You’re advising us to repel the Evil God threat together?”

“Of course not—why would it be advising?”

Joshua glared at the giant demon in return, finding it a little ridiculous.

The Demon King was not so massive in his pre-existence!

However, the game in the preexistence remained a game, and so the warrior simply answered, “We ‘demand’ and ‘compel’ that you all aid those demons that are destroying each other so and prevent the unknown Evil God from awakening, and throw the entire galaxy into a disaster.”

“Remember. The Sixth Abyss would have been our purge target if not for the Evil God’s awakening—you are one of the rare demonic factions in the Abyss that boast multiple Legends, and we would not so boldly assume the path to journey towards other stars if we didn’t wipe out you and other demons lurking in the Abyss.”

Goliath was silent in return; it appeared to be thinking.

Meanwhile, Joshua began to study why its current form was so different—even in the preexistence, the ability of the Demon King of Gluttony was clearly a class above typical Legends.

The Sixth Abyss was not actually the sixth in the Abyss, but was simply placed sixth in the order of Abysses discovered by Mycroft. In fact, the Insectoid demons born there are the most powerful demonic faction born in the last thousand years, the force they created having plundered the resources and souls of many worlds. They were very much pirates of the Void, endlessly robbing what they required.

Leaving aside the aspect of demon and Abyssal residents, the Insectoid civilization that had been once normal saw an exponential increase in individual power after the world fell into the Abyss, reaching the level surpassing most Void civilizations. Joshua believed that the reason for that was whenever Mycroftians summoned demons, those demons would in turn learn much profound knowledge about supernatural powers. Furthermore, with the rise of demonic cults, their skill attained even more deft.

Summoning spells are invoking of otherworld beings with magical element resonance with sacrifices as leverage. It depends on the summoner’s purpose as to why most beings summoned were either demons or elemental spirits, which are mostly for war and destruction, which is why those beings would answer the call because of their resonating aspects. Naturally, there was another reason—Abyss and Elemental Realms are unresistant to summon spells due to the gaps and anomaly of their World Wills, and it was much more difficult to summon an intelligent creature from a complete world.

Additionally, the demons who had gone to many worlds would naturally have seen much and unlocked their boundaries. That way, it was easy to understand how they would become stronger than before.

The demonic individual that was known as the Demon King possessed life essence akin to Mycroft’s Legends, obtaining a meteoric rise in its core. When the Three Abyssal Gates opened on Mycroft, it was several Demonic Generals who first entered, with Saluka the Insectoid and Helm the Beholder amongst them. Their ability was not inferior to Legends, and they could turn the tables in the Abyssal environment.

If that was the sole reason, the lacking ability of the Sixth Abyss certain would not stop the Mycroft factions that united despite infighting in their counterattack against the Abyss. Despite plundering many worlds off resources, they could not actually secure an advantage in direct confrontation in terms of advanced combat ability. Nevertheless, when the Demon King Goliath appeared, the many Legends found it hard to win even when working together, hence utterly breaking the advantage of the first counterattack.

At the time, one of the Legendary champions rated Goliath as ‘perhaps an enemy worthy of former pontiff of the Seven Gods Church, or divine incarnation’.

Of course, Igor did not die this time, nor did the Seven Gods head to the Abyssal Paradise to suppress the unknown Evil God. Furthermore, Israel was alive and well, not to mention that Mycroft has a few more Legends due to the lack of civil wars, hence steering the world towards prosperity.

On the other hand, the Sixth Abyss have tangled with Joshua several times and failed in its multiple conspiracies, falling to complete disadvantage on every end.

Be that as it may… what was with that colossal demon form that was reaching ‘celestial’ class?

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