"Don't you have a legendary chain named Nebula?"
The golden Dragon King, holding several writhing tendrils in one claw and a lump of foul-smelling flesh in the other, turned to Muria.
"Yes," Muria replied, summoning a shimmering chain that appeared to be woven from countless stars.
"I don't have anything suitable on hand, so lend me your chain for now. It'll serve as the core of a temporary seal. Once we take care of this guy, we'll lift the seal and rebind him properly."
"Sure," Muria agreed without hesitation. The Nebula chain had been crafted specifically for binding and sealing enemies.
"Not bad. But it's a bit behind your current level," Deimos remarked as he examined the chain, his golden eyes gleaming.
For a legendary item forged from a mix of Void Star Gold and nearly ten other legendary materials, the Nebula chain was exceptional. But to Deimos, a Dragon King accustomed to wielding epic-grade artifacts, it was just decent.
"Let me give you a small upgrade," Deimos said with a grin. He ignited a golden flame in his claw, causing the writhing tendrils to emit eerie cries.
The flames burned through the tendrils, which twisted and writhed as mouths filled with jagged teeth emerged on their surfaces. The tendrils shrieked in agony, an unsettling sight that lasted only briefly.
Soon, the tendrils shriveled, turning to ash within the flames. Left behind were several crystal-clear droplets of blood, pulsating with an oppressive aura that could make even the strongest mortals tremble.
The blood, or rather the Essence Blood of the Evil God, seemed to destabilize the golden flames momentarily. However, Deimos quickly reasserted control, refining the droplets until they were reduced to half their original size.
"See that?" Deimos asked, extinguishing the flames and holding the refined blood before Muria.
"I saw everything," Muria nodded. He had been observing closely, knowing his grandfather was deliberately teaching him.
"Good. If you ever get your hands on the remains of an epic being, this is how you extract their essence. These droplets have a multitude of uses: healing injuries, cultivating rare plants, or crafting potent medicines. But for now, let me show you a common application—weapon enhancement."
Deimos guided the droplets into the Nebula chain. As soon as the essence touched the chain, it let out a pained cry, and cracks began to appear along its length, as if it were about to shatter.
Muria remained calm, understanding that this was part of the process. The chain wasn't breaking; it was undergoing a transformation.
The essence filled the cracks, fusing seamlessly with the chain. When the process was complete, the Nebula chain shone brighter than ever, resembling a miniature galaxy condensed into a single artifact.
"Hurry up and seal that thing. We've got another one to deal with, so stop dragging your claws," Arudiba interjected impatiently.
Deimos rolled his eyes. "I'm upgrading the chain to ensure there are no mistakes. Do you want to waste time fixing problems later?"
Ignoring Arudiba's irritation, Deimos cast the now-transformed chain into the void. The Nebula chain expanded, stretching across the cosmos until it resembled a massive river of stars.
The Evil God's cries echoed as the chain coiled around him, layer after layer. With the chain as its core, a massive and intricate sealing array emerged, binding the Evil God completely.
Deimos pulled the sealed figure back and tossed it to Muria, who caught it with a mix of surprise and confusion.
"This is yours," Deimos declared nonchalantly.
"Mine?" Muria asked, holding the glowing, chain-wrapped sphere. Within, he could feel the Evil God's presence, still struggling to recover.
"Of course. It was your chain, and you were part of the battle."
"But I didn't do much in this fight," Muria admitted. "Without you two, we couldn't have captured him."
Deimos waved dismissively. "Don't overthink it. Just take it. But," he added with a smirk, "it's not entirely yours. Half of it belongs to Mikaela."
"Half?" Deimos's expression darkened as he turned to Arudiba. "You greedy bird! You think you can just claim half because you want to?"
"Why not?" Arudiba shot back. "Who got you here in the first place? Without me, you'd still be lounging in your mate's hoard."
Deimos opened his mouth to retort but paused, his lips twitching. He suppressed a laugh, remembering the embarrassing events that had brought them here.
"Muria," Deimos said after a moment, "consider this Evil God shared property between you and Mikaela. How you split it is up to you."
Muria nodded. "Fine. Fifty-fifty." There was no need to argue with Mikaela over such matters.
"Actually," Deimos said with a glint in his eye, "if we can drag the little coward hiding in that world out here, there won't be any need for a split."
He glanced meaningfully at the origin world of the Evil God of Desolation. Inside, the Evil God shuddered, having witnessed the downfall of his counterpart and fearing he might be next.
Arudiba snorted. "Do you think your enhanced body makes you invincible? That's a mid-tier world. Without external help, we can't break its defenses."
Deimos smirked. "Who said anything about breaking in? That's so... linear. Why not just push it?"
Both Mikaela and Muria stared at Deimos in confusion. Arudiba raised an eyebrow. "Push?"
Deimos explained with a grin, "We can't penetrate its defenses because of the Evil God inside. But if we combine our strength, we can move the entire world. Let's give it a little... shove."
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