The oppressive weight of Null's words hung in Sooji's living room, thicker than any silence. "The Devil has been summoned. He brings the Tens. There is a war for all existence." The reality, stark and brutal, had finally sunk in. Kai slumped, burying his face in his hands, the weight of a cosmic conflict crushing his usual easygoing demeanor. Ashley stared blankly at a patterned rug, her nascent ice power a tingling, unsettling presence in her fingertips. Sooji, still cradling the small white dragon, Lumina, felt the warm, steady pulse of the creature against her skin – a quiet, comforting anchor in a suddenly terrifying world.
"A war for... all existence?" Kai finally mumbled, his voice muffled. "With gods and devils and... and Prime Stones? How are we supposed to fight that? I can't even use my power, and Ashley just made a leaf frosty! And Sooji's dragon just woke up!" His head snapped up, desperation etched on his face. "We're not soldiers! We're just... us!"
Ashley looked up, her face pale. "He's right. We're not ready. Not by a long shot. We don't even know what we're doing. What can we do?"
A subtle shift occurred in Null's posture. He tilted his head, his golden-yellow cross eyes fixing on each of them in turn, assessing their fear, their unpreparedness. He understood the desperate need for training, and the universe's timeline wasn't going to wait for them to catch up.
"Time is a luxury we do not have in this reality," Null stated, his voice flat but resolute. "However, there are other realities. Other dimensions. Nexus points." He paused, letting the implication hang in the air, his gaze distant as if looking through the very walls of the apartment. "I know of a place. A training ground. One I have used before."
Fang, in his dapper human form, pushed off the bookshelf, a knowing glint in his amber eyes. His suit remained impeccable, his scarlet bow tie a defiant splash of color against the grim topic. "Ah, the Wonder World," he chimed in, a faint smirk playing on his handsome features. "My Liege's rather quaint little pocket dimension. Excellent choice, if I do say so myself. Though rather sparse on amenities, and the lack of proper cosmic-grade tea is a travesty." He then leaned closer to Lumina, his voice softening to a theatrical whisper. "But it does offer ample space for a beautiful Lumina to stretch her magnificent wings, should she desire, my radiant pearl." Lumina merely purred, a soft, ethereal sound.
Sooji blinked, staring from Null to Fang. "Wonder World? What exactly is that?"
Null answered, his gaze unwavering, his voice a steady stream of facts. "It is a constructed reality, connected to a universal leyline. A dimension where the flow of time is... different. Relative. For every hour that passes here, in your reality, days can pass within the Wonder World. Sometimes even weeks, depending on the stabilization and the focus of the training within it."
Kai's head snapped up, a flicker of genuine hope illuminating his face. "Wait. You mean... we can train for days or weeks, but only a few hours pass in the real world? Like... a time chamber?"
"Precisely," Null confirmed, a faint, almost imperceptible nod of his head. "It allows for accelerated growth. We can condense years of training into weeks, weeks into days. It is where I learned to hone my abilities after my awakening. Where I fought to control Umbro and the... presence of Asura."
Ashley, her initial apprehension slowly giving way to a new spark of fierce determination, looked from Null to Sooji. "So, we can actually train? Learn how to use our powers without the world ending while we practice? That's... that's incredible."
"Indeed, little iceberg," Fang agreed, stepping closer, his demeanor shifting slightly to that of a seasoned, albeit sarcastic, mentor. He clapped his hands together with a soft pop. "My Liege, in his infinite wisdom – and astonishingly brief training period, I might add – can impart the necessary knowledge. And I, of course, will provide tactical guidance, much-needed commentary, and perhaps even lessons on proper bow tie etiquette in multi-dimensional combat."
Lumina, still the small white dragon, stirred in Sooji's hand and emitted a soft, resonating purr that seemed to calm the very air in the room. It is a place of potential. A necessary step. Her gentle, telepathic voice instilled a quiet confidence in Sooji, a deep-seated knowing that this path, however strange, was the right one.
Sooji looked at Null, at Fang, at the now-hopeful faces of Kai and Ashley. The prospect of facing a cosmic war was terrifying, but the idea of being utterly helpless was worse. This "Wonder World" offered a chance. A genuine chance to fight back, to become more than just victims.
"Alright," Sooji said, a newfound resolve firming her voice. She adjusted her grip on Lumina, who shimmered faintly in response. "Then what are we waiting for? Let's go to this Wonder World. Let's train."
Null's cross eyes held a rare, almost imperceptible glint of approval. He rose from the sofa, his presence once more radiating a quiet, focused power. "Good. We leave now."
As Null's words faded, preparing to open a gateway to another dimension, the scene blurred, the cozy warmth of Sooji's apartment dissolving into an oppressive, suffocating heat. The air here was a miasma of brimstone and scorched metal, yet strangely devoid of true smoke. It was a vast, cavernous space, carved from obsidian and pulsating with a sickly crimson light that seemed to bleed from the very stone. Chains, impossibly thick and dark, hung from the unseen ceiling, clanking faintly with the shift of unseen currents. This was no ordinary lair; it was a fragment of an infernal realm, forcibly dragged into existence.
Seated upon a throne of jagged, shadow-infused rock, bathed in the sickly red glow, was The Devil. His form was as described in legends, yet far more imposing in person. His white hair, long and unbound, cascaded over broad shoulders, contrasting sharply with the deep crimson of his snake-like eyes that glowed with an unsettling intensity. From his temples, two curled, obsidian horns spiraled elegantly upwards, sharp and menacing. A palpable aura of power, untamed and absolute, radiated from him, making the air crackle with latent energy.
Before him, on one knee, was a figure Null's group would not recognize: a tall, gaunt man clad in dark, functional armor, his head bowed. This was Vesper, a loyal but nervous operative of The Devil's inner circle.
"My Lord," Vesper's voice was strained, laced with a fear that went beyond mere respect. "The retrieval mission... it failed."
The Devil's eye twitched, a barely perceptible tremor that nonetheless sent a ripple of terror through Vesper. "Failed?" The Devil's voice was a deep, resonant rumble, surprisingly calm, yet carrying an undercurrent of unimaginable power. "Explain." His competitive spirit, his desire to prove himself the strongest, brooked no error, no deviation from his grand design.
"The Conduit – the one with the Life Prime Stone – she was located as planned. Our operatives were in position to secure her without incident," Vesper hurried on, sweat beading on his brow despite the oppressive heat. "But another Prime Stone user intervened. An unknown. He... he annihilated the team."
The crimson glow in The Devil's eyes flared. His white hair seemed to stir, as if by an unseen wind, revealing the hints of a powerful, aggressive exterior. "An unknown? In my territory? Interrupting my plans?" His voice remained calm, but the pressure in the air intensified, making it difficult for Vesper to breathe. The Devil was a being obsessed with strength, with being the undisputed Apex of Heaven. Any challenge, any unexpected variable, was not merely an inconvenience; it was a personal affront to his self-proclaimed title, "Champion among angels."
"He appeared suddenly, My Lord," Vesper stammered, "using... shadows. He transformed. wielded a weapon of pure void. The operatives were simply... erased. Nothing left."
The Devil hummed, a low, dangerous sound. His mind, though often consumed by the thrill of battle, was also analytical, capable of instantly dissecting new information. Shadows? An Umbro user? Or perhaps... an old one, reawakened? This Null. He dares to interfere. The thought of a true rival stirred something within him, a competitive surge that was both thrilling and intensely irritating. It reminded him, fleetingly, of his greatest rival, the one he constantly sought to surpass in power and influence.
"And the Conduit?" The Devil's voice was dangerously soft now. "Was she secured? The Life Stone?"
"No, My Lord," Vesper whispered, fearing the answer he had to give. "The unknown user protected her. He took her, along with two other mortals. He... he gathered them."
The Devil closed his eyes for a long moment, the curled horns casting sharp shadows on his face. When his eyes snapped open, the crimson intensity had doubled. His calm facade shattered, replaced by an infuriated snarl that stretched his handsome features into something monstrous. "UNACCEPTABLE!" he roared, the sound echoing through the cavern, shaking the very chains that adorned the space. "Failure is not tolerated! Not when the stakes are so clear! Not when the glory of the King of Stones is so close to being manifest!" His short-sightedness, a trait born from his love of battle, had flared, overriding any strategic patience.
His hand rose, fingers splaying. The air before him shimmered, distorting. "You come before me with incompetence," he seethed, disappointment a palpable, burning fury in his voice. "You allow an unknown variable to snatch away a key piece. You disappoint your Lord."
Without another word, without a moment of hesitation, The Devil unleashed his power. From his outstretched palm, tendrils of pure, Infernal Conflagration erupted. It was not just fire; it was a living, consuming agony, impossibly hot, radiating a malevolent intelligence. The flames coiled around Vesper and the two other terrified subordinates who had accompanied him, engulfing them entirely.
The screams were immediate, piercing, then cut short as the flames began their work. They were relentless, consuming every atom, yet leaving no ash, no smoke. The Soul-Scorching Flames clung to their victims, burning hotter than anything known in the cosmos, and they never stopped until the enemies were dead, their very existence purified by the inferno. In seconds, the three figures were gone, dissolved into nothingness, leaving only the lingering smell of ozone and the oppressive heat.
The Devil watched them vanish, his red snake eyes narrowed in cold satisfaction. He did not revel in cruelty for its own sake, but in the absolute enforcement of his will, in the removal of imperfection. "Inefficient," he muttered, flexing his fingers as the last traces of the flames dissipated. His insecurity, masked by his aggressive exterior, demanded this brutal display of power.
He leaned back on his throne, the crimson glow reflecting in his eyes. A new variable. An Umbro user. This "Null" had proven himself a more intriguing obstacle than mere minions. A faint, almost predatory smirk touched The Devil's lips. "Very well," he rumbled, his voice now a dangerous purr. "If my pawns cannot bring me what I desire, then perhaps it is time for the Apex of Heaven to descend and claim his prize personally. This 'Null' will make a fascinating warm-up for the main event. And that Life Stone... it will be mine." The universe was a game, and The Devil, the self-proclaimed "Champion among angels," was always ready for a new challenger.
End of chapter 34
See you soon