Hero? Are You Worthy?
Chapter 379 - 246: Divine Skull (3)

Chapter 379: Chapter 246: Divine Skull (3)

"You, you’re simply shameless."

"To you demons, isn’t that a compliment?"

From within the Demon King’s mouth, two vastly different voices were constantly bickering.

Ignoring those demons who witnessed the long-silent Demon King once again demonstrating his power, Demon King Nage, carrying his eldest son’s body, entered the research laboratory.

He checked all the prohibitions, mechanisms, and seals; everything was intact.

Immediately, Demon King Nage gently flicked his hands midair, and what appeared to be empty space suddenly parted to reveal a large door, behind which was oppressive darkness.

Inside this research laboratory, there was yet another mysterious space.

Carrying his eldest son’s corpse, Demon King Nage walked into this mysterious space; the door behind him slowly closed, vanishing cleanly from the air as if it had never existed.

This was a long and deep passage, with no indication of where it led.

In this nearly stifling silent world, only the footsteps of the Demon King echoed.

"By the way, did that axe strike of yours kill the Hero?" The voice switched abruptly to a calmer demeanor.

"Who knows, I suppose it killed him? Although the Second Generation Brave Warrior is quite exceptional, I don’t think he could withstand that axe strike from earlier."

"Of course, it’s possible that fellow had some weird power to save his own skin."

"Shall we go and finish him off?"

"It doesn’t matter to me whether he lives or dies. In fact, it might even be better if he’s alive. He could attract the attention of those vile creatures, making our movements easier."

With the chaotic conversation in the background, the Demon King continued forward.

A world shrouded in darkness seemed not to impede the Demon King’s vision in the slightest.

In this silent environment, where the sense of time was almost imperceptible, after an unknown duration, the deep and profound corridor finally came to an end, opening up before him.

There was a vast and empty expanse.

The entire area was even larger than the Demon King Palace... no, larger than the entire Demon King City.

Over this immense ground, numerous lanterns made of skulls burned with small flames.

There were many lanterns, but compared to the vast space, the light they provided was still faint.

Upon arrival, the voice from the Demon King’s mouth came to an abrupt halt, his expression becoming markedly solemn. The flickering flames cast long shadows across the ground.

In the center of this massive plain stood a towering peak...

No, that’s not right.

It wasn’t a peak, but a colossal, exaggerated skull.

That skull was larger than the tallest mountain on the Sky Dome Continent, with long hair scattered across the ground, each strand as thick as a stone column.

Its eyes bulged roundly, filled with black pupils laced with crimson blood vessels.

Its nose stood tall, like a cliff face.

Its corners of the mouth turned upward, holding an unruly majesty, as though it scorned the world.

Its head was severed at the neck, the cut as smooth as a mirror.

Even with the formidable stature of the Demon King, standing before this... this skull, he still seemed as insignificant as an ant.

The immobile skull exuded an unsurpassable presence.

Even from a distance, Demon King Nage ceased his steps, a hint of fear in his eyes...

Fearing nothing on earth or in the sky, the most powerful entity across the Sky Dome Continent, capable of forcing back the mighty Second Generation Brave Warrior with a single axe blow, now felt fear in front of a mere skull at this moment.

Just by looking at the enormous skull before him, he could almost imagine how exaggerated the full form of this mysterious being must have been.

Demon King Nage was powerful; in front of ordinary demons, he was as mighty as a god; but the skull before him made Demon King Nage realize what a genuine god’s existence was like.

The Demon King watched the enormous skull silently, and after a few seconds, he lowered his eyelids; he dared not look too long.

An incomparable sense of oppression, if it were another being slightly less powerful, would have likely exploded upon nearing this place.

Even the Demon King dared not stare too long, for fear of going mad.

A struggle mingled with resentment appeared on his face, and he took a deep breath, as if speaking to another presence within him, or perhaps muttering to himself, "Damn it..."

"I have looked at this thing for hundreds of years..."

"Yet each time, I feel that hair-raising terror."

"It’s just a dead skull, yet it feels as alive as ever."

Soon, his voice shifted again, "This is the skull of a god... a being not even of our dimension."

"How could such a powerful creature have been killed?"

"It must have been the handiwork of a being on the same level... Stop wasting time and let’s begin. I hope there will be some gains this time."

Demon King Nage nodded and, carrying his eldest son’s corpse, walked towards the skull. The closer he got, the more terrifying the oppressive force became.

Late on, even though the entire space was still and windless, Demon King Nage felt as though he was in the midst of a torrential storm; his body even shook continuously, and a layer of dense sweat beads emerged on his forehead.

Each step was extraordinarily difficult.

His entire body tensed instinctively, straining, veins bulging on his arms.

Thump, thump, thump, thump...

Demon King Nage could feel the intense pounding in his chest, the rate increasing ever more rapidly.

His entire face was flushed red with congestion.

The pressure was not actually physical but originated from the soul, the deepest instinct of the soul constantly reminding Demon King Nage not to draw any closer.

Enduring the soul’s resistance, Nage took step after step towards the immense skull, and it was as though he had lost all his strength, tossing his son’s corpse onto the ground.

At that moment, his eldest son’s soul was curled up, trembling with fear, almost on the verge of disintegration.

Even the Demon King himself sat down on the ground with a thud, gasping for breath.

After resting for a while, Nage finally stood up again and collected a fist-sized drop of fresh blood from his severed neck.

The blood looked like a thick gel, crystal clear, and it possessed a weird kind of beauty.

With overwhelming pressure bearing down and without the slightest hesitation, Demon King Nage injected the blood directly into his son’s corpse.

He then poured the contents of several dozen bottles and jars, a chaos of liquids, down Diaberlic’s throat in one go.

The next instant.

Diaberlic’s body, long dead, suddenly began to convulse violently.

It was as if he had come back to life and was having spasms.

Twitching on the ground, it was agony so unbearable it could nearly drive one to madness; Diaberlic even opened his mouth as if trying to scream, but not a sound came out.

Rustle, rustle... Click, clack...

Various weird noises started to emerge.

Before one’s eyes, a layer of muscle snaked rapidly over Diaberlic’s corpse, his limbs bulking up significantly within moments.

Crackle, snap...

That was the sound of bones warping.

The wound on his back was healing at a speed visible to the naked eye.

On the surface of his chest, a vivid red heart quickly grew and began beating vigorously.

A few seconds later, there was a loud pop as the heart exploded, and a mass of blood burst forth.

At the same time, all of the flesh and sinews on Diaberlic’s body shattered, and the thick scent of blood began to spread in this darkened world.

Although the flesh was in tatters, the pale skeleton inside seemed to have grown a bit longer and sturdier than before.

Soon, a new layer of flesh began to grow...

The flesh burst, then regenerated...again and again, countless times in a cycle.

This sort of agony, if not for a corpse, would probably be unbearable.

Only a fairly strong individual like Diaberlic, with a solid foundation, could withstand the impact of such a transformation.

If it were a weaker demon, it’s feared that it would have been reduced to dust at the very first instance, with no chance of fleshly rebirth.

This was an experiment.

If successful, they would be one step closer to their goal.

...

Elsewhere!

Qin Chu, Helois, and Iyeta appeared in a forest.

Helois and Iyeta both looked stunned, still not understanding what had just happened. They wanted to ask Qin Chu but found that their master was sporting a weird, excited smile at this very moment.

Was it the excitement of a narrow escape from death?

Despite encountering a very powerful enemy, Qin Chu’s reaction made both Helois and Iyeta think that their new master was not too bad.

In a situation that was a second away from death, the master still chose to take them with him, unlike Diaberlic who would abandon his women.

This was a man worth following.

Noticing Helois and Iyeta’s gazes, Qin Chu shook his arm, his face regaining its composure:

"That was an attack from Demon King Nage."

Demon King Nage?

Helois and Iyeta’s hearts trembled.

Although they now had to follow the Hero, the name of Demon King Nage still had a significant impact on them.

The mere name "Nage" signified invincibility, brutality.

A wave of fear washed over them, and their hearts clenched.

Qin Chu smiled faintly, he knew Demon King Nage all too well. They had clashed three times in total. The first time, he failed but managed to escape; the second time ended in a stalemate. The third time, he slew Demon King Nage with his sword.

He was quite familiar with the power of the Demon King.

That old fellow actually deigned to leave the Demon King Palace and not stay holed up?

Was it because his son was about to be killed?

Unlikely... Qin Chu did not believe Demon King Nage was the type to care about his son.

To Demon King Nage, a son was meaningless, just a byproduct of fulfilling a desire. Beyond that, worthless.

Helois and Iyeta exchanged glances, mutual shock in their eyes... They had not fully experienced that recent attack, but they could feel the power that tore through the heavens, just how mighty it was.

Even though the arc of light hadn’t yet hit, they already felt completely locked down, immobilized, and they even felt they had seen the vision of their own deaths.

"This is the power that surpasses the level 100 limit."

"Below level 100, even at level 100, no matter how powerful one is, no matter how much magic or martial arts one knows, in the face of such limit-breaking beings, they’re like trash, not worth mentioning."

"That power, not just Prince Diaberlic, even seven or eight, ninety or a hundred would be mere fodder."

"Now do you understand how foolish Diaberlic’s plan to overthrow the Demon King was?"

"That is one of the two Transcenders on the entire Sky Dome Continent as of now..."

"The other..." Helois asked softly.

"Is Dark Witch Shaye..."

Death Witch Ireta’s exact level is uncertain; she doesn’t like to fight, is elusive without a trace, and is far too mysterious, making it impossible to judge the Daughter of Death’s true strength.

Qin Chu wore a light smile: "And I, will be the third!"