Vigil: This guy has become an absolute monster.
Vigil's six levitating hands, each bearing an eye, transformed into gigantic tarantulas.
Ishvel: What a tough opponent.
Once again, Ishvel sliced the Dehedra into pieces.
Vigil: Eat him.
At her command, the massive tarantulas descended upon the scattered flesh, devouring it hungrily.
Lanfer: What a delectable taste…
The gigantic swarm bodies of Lanfer and Leonor materialized, tearing into the Dehedra's severed dragon-heads. Achilles had joined the Insectoid Knight Army, his blade slicing and decapitating heads with frightening speed, making the swarm's hunt all the more effective.
Leonor: Such an endless torrent of energy. Oh my… Sister, with this power we can—
Lanfer: Yes… we can break through to the next realm. Hahaha! Hunt them down! Bring them to us!
Leonor: Bring us those dragons!
The insect legions went berserk, their frenzy intensifying. They hunted the regenerating dragon-heads with wild aggression. Even as the Dehedra regenerated, the swarm body devoured relentlessly. If the Dehedra possessed instant regeneration, Lanfer and Leonor's mother swarm possessed instant absorption and digestion.
Even their dead insect legions were fed back into the mother swarm to be consumed.
Lanfer: I guess it's time to return to our body, Sister.
Leonor: Indeed.
Both were swallowed by their mother swarm body once more.
Yalzar was also feasting.
Yalzar: Wahaha! I never thought you'd be such a tasty prey. Give me more of your meat!
With savage delight, he charged again.
Vigil: Oh… this torrent of pure energy… Ahh, such ecstasy…
She steadied herself, intoxicated by the taste of the Dehedra.
Vigil: Everyone, devour this dragon. Its power is an endless treasure for our cultivation. By consuming it, we can ascend to the next realm!
At her declaration, all eyes turned greedily toward the beast.
Kargaren, colossal in size, lunged in. As he neared, he bit through one of its heads with a sickening crunch.
Severeno, equally massive, severed another head and devoured it whole.
Severeno: Vigil is right! This prey will raise us to the next realm!
Their conviction grew as the endless torrent of energy surged from every bite of Dehedra flesh.
Vigil: Ahh… this overflowing power. Even though I already stand at the conceptual level, I need to strengthen this body. Only then can I wield my concept with greater force.
Her body blazed with light, her aura skyrocketing beyond imagination. Already at the peak of Mythical Rank, she had long delayed her breakthrough due to endless duties. But now—
The sky darkened.
Vigil: Oh… so it's about time.
Clouds gathered, heavy and vast, a doomsday storm of blackness stretching across the horizon.
She ascended into the air.
Vigil: Come on.
Her aura had already surged into the Ancestral Lord Rank.
Vigil: I can feel it… my blood evolving into something greater. So this… this is what it feels like to ascend as an Ancestral Lord. To become a progenitor of one's race. The first step on the path to Primordial Sovereign.
The massive tarantulas that feasted below shifted back into her black, all-seeing hands, enveloping her in the sky. Tribulation lightning descended in torrents, but she absorbed every bolt.
While Vigil broke through, the others fought and devoured the Dehedra without pause.
Nearby, the mother swarm body of Lanfer and Leonor consumed all the long dragons—and then turned inward, devouring the insect legions themselves, sparing only the nine generals.
The swarm body glowed fiercely. Their ascension had begun as well.
Horus: Those sisters are getting ahead of us again… Then I'll do the same.
He unleashed his conceptual body, transforming into a torrent of black-red mass that tore apart one of the Dehedra's heads, grinding it into a pool of blood.
Horus: Absorb! Ohhh… Hahahaha! This is divine!
Ishvel struck again, decapitating another head, then froze it solid.
Ishvel: Condense and converge.
The colossal head crystallized into a glowing blue orb, which Ishvel devoured.
Ishvel: This power…
He smirked coldly.
Ishvel: Give the Dehedra time to regenerate. This is no longer a battle. We'll turn him into a tonic for our breakthroughs to Ancestral Lord.
Misery: Oh… I've already reached the peak.
Her vines and roots receded as she reformed into the shape of a sinister, beautiful dark elf woman. The sky answered her too—tribulation lightning rained down upon her as it did Vigil, Lanfer, and Leonor.
Dehedra: ROOOAARRR!
The beast howled in agony. This was no battle—it was torture. He was being eaten alive.
Every attempt to flee was stopped—decapitated by Ishvel and Severeno, torn apart by Kargaren who devoured an eighth of his flesh every passing minute, only for it to regenerate again.
Dehedra: ROAAAAR!
The cycle continued.
Ishvel endlessly severed heads, condensing the remains into orbs for the others to consume, while deliberately leaving time for regeneration.
Magnus abandoned his humanoid Ashura form, transforming into a colossal Ashura Kong, battling and devouring as relentlessly as Yalzar.
Chrovix embedded himself within the Dehedra's body, parasitically extracting its energy.
Agarez and Desmir pinned the beast, holding it down.
Kargaren and Severeno ripped it apart with their fangs, preventing any escape.
Teros joined, creating colossal arms that dragged the beast deeper into the ground, while Valor's gravity pressed it down with crushing force.
Achilles, having finished with the dragon-heads, turned to aid Ishvel, helping decapitate regenerating heads so Ishvel could focus on forging more orbs.
Zakhar consumed one such orb, regaining his full strength.
Zakhar: I'm not usually one for flesh, but damn… this is too good! ROOOAARRR! I'm brimming with power!
His body surged with more energy than ever before.
Zakhar: This… this feels like I'll explode! Amazing. Thanks, Ishvel.
Ishvel: Then help us pin him down. He's struggling too much.
Zakhar: Sure.
He grew larger, slamming into the Dehedra's back to aid Agarez and Desmir in pinning it.
Then—
The Dehedra's body shone with light. A barrage of thunderous lightning rained down in millions of strikes.
Dehedra: ROAR?
Confusion filled its voice. None of them were affected.
Agarez: Unlucky for you, big guy. We're all immune to thunder and lightning—even tribulation lightning. ROOAAAR!
He siphoned the lightning into himself.
Agarez: What tasty volts…! ROOARR!
With renewed force, he pressed the beast further down.
Agarez: Teros!
Teros: Let's do it.
All the surrounding metals converged, forging chains and locks that bound the Dehedra—bolts clamped its mouths shut, preventing breath attacks.
The regenerating heads were devoured one after another: chewed by Kargaren, Severeno, Desmir, Agarez, Yalzar, and Horus; decapitated by Magnus, Teros, Valor, Chrovix, Zakhar, and Achilles. Ishvel tirelessly condensed each piece into orbs.
A true torture—for a monster of endless regeneration, infinite energy, and undying immortality.
Dehedra: ROOOOAR…
Its locked heads could only growl weakly.
Time passed.
Desmir's body began to glow, their aura skyrocketing. Zakhar, Horus, and Valor surged as well.
Horus: At last…
The sky blackened further, raining tribulation lightning upon them all. Yet they never stopped feasting—devouring Dehedra while absorbing heaven's punishment.
Severeno: The heavens themselves are aiding us! Keep going! Rain it down! Hahaha!
His aura flared, tribulation lightning striking him as well.
Minutes later, Yalzar, Valor, Achilles, and Teros drew their tribulations.
Kargaren followed, his storm growing the sky into a miles-wide maelstrom.
And then Ishvel's tribulation descended, the torrent of black clouds twisting into something truly terrifying.
Kargaren: ROOOARRR!
He siphoned the tribulation lightning into himself, the earth trembling as its essence was drawn into his body, swelling his size, making him even more colossal.
Kargaren: ROOOOOARRR!
The storm intensified. Red, blue, and black lightning rained down.
A bolt of black lightning struck Agarez.
Agarez: Argh! This tribulation… it's beyond powerful! Too intense—it can even strike at the soul and spirit!
But then he laughed, fangs flashing.
Agarez: Fortunately, we're bound to our master. The White nullifies the pain, turning it into cultivation! Hah! Heaven itself bows before our master's power!
The others felt the same. The first strikes seared with agony, but after three bolts, the White within them transformed the pain into nourishment.
Severeno: MORE! MORE! Hahaha!
Their power soared beyond all expectation.
Tribulations were never meant to last this long. And yet—
Two hours had passed since Vigil's breakthrough had begun.
And still, the storm raged on.
---
Meanwhile, inside the spiritual realm within the body of origin of Dehedra—where his soul resided.
Sedestro: "What the hell…?"
Both he and Xukhar appeared like ants before the colossal sight of the thousand-headed dragon Dehedra. Its appearance here was unlike its outer form—far more terrifying, ancient, and divine. The oppressive pressure it released didn't feel like a mere Mythical Rank beast at all.
Dehedra: "Hmm… a few ants have managed to crawl into my spiritual realm, while those savages devour my body outside. Interesting."
In an instant, Dehedra destroyed Sedestro and Xukhar with a mere thought. Yet, their forms quickly converged back together.
Dehedra: "Fascinating. Demons like you have managed to evolve into invincible, omnipotent beings—like those annoying flies I've encountered before."
Sedestro: "It's pointless destroying us. We won't perish. We have already conceptualized our existence."
Dehedra paused, ceasing his attacks.
Dehedra: "So… conceptualization is what you call these forms. Interesting."
Unlike the berserk monster outside, this Dehedra could actually reason and speak. Sedestro's sharp eyes also noticed golden chains coiled around the colossal soul, binding it in place.
Xukhar noticed it too.
Xukhar: "This soul is restricted… sealed."
Dehedra: "Not bad. You recognized it. The body outside is just a vessel—my reincarnation shell. You can destroy it a thousand times, and it will still regenerate. Yet… curious. Those beasts… the flesh they consume from me disappears. That shouldn't be possible. How can my body be instantly digested like that?"
Sedestro: "I don't know what you mean, but it's fortunate they're keeping your vessel in check. From the sound of it, they're doing quite well."
Dehedra: "Haha. They won't last. Eventually my body will overwhelm them. They will grow full, unable to fight, and then I'll escape. Tell me—what do you intend to do here?"
Sedestro: "You'll find out."
Sedestro's body erupted in a flood of blackness, engulfing the spiritual realm in darkness. Xukhar followed, detonating into a torrent of purple, which forged countless chains that wound tightly around the colossal dragon soul.
The restraints locked deeper than the golden chains already suppressing Dehedra. His freedom diminished even further. Before, he had only his tail free—now even that was sealed.
Dehedra: "Oh. Even my last freedom is gone. Well… it doesn't matter. I've been like this for thousands of years. So what now? Do you plan to capture both my body and soul? I hope it's at least entertaining."
Xukhar: "Hehe. Our master wants to tame you. We're here to capture you for him."
Dehedra: "HAHAHAHA! Ah… it's been so long since I laughed. Do you truly think I can be tamed?"
Xukhar: "We never thought you were sentient at all. We believed you just another old beast in the Wildlands. But whether or not, master will decide your fate."
Dehedra: "Your master must be formidable, to have so many beasts of pure bloodlines serving him. Then why doesn't he come himself?"
Xukhar: "Because if he came, there'd be no fight. You'd be tamed instantly."
Dehedra: "HAHAHA. You place far too much faith in your master. Do you not see the depth of my strength?"
Xukhar: "We do. You're endlessly powerful. But master… cannot be defined by logic. I know he can tame even you."
Dehedra: "...Interesting. To have such unshakable confidence in him. Very interesting. Now, I'm truly eager to meet this master of yours."
Suddenly, the spiritual realm itself was enveloped in a colossal sphere of black, slowly moving outward from Dehedra's body.
Dehedra: "Hmm? You're making a grave mistake. By doing this, you're killing me! Didn't you say your master wanted me tamed?"
For the first time in countless eons, fear touched his voice. His reincarnation body had been painstakingly forged—a vessel meant to evolve infinitely.
Xukhar: "Don't worry. Sedestro is an expert. He'll connect your soul back to your body, but you'll be unable to fight. Your instant regeneration, however, will remain."
---
Outside.
The Dehedra's body stopped moving. Yet whenever Ishvel severed a head, it still regenerated instantly. The slaughter continued.
Moments later, a massive black sphere erupted from within Dehedra's body. Everyone froze.
It was colossal—far larger than the Dehedra itself.
Vigil: "What the hell is that?"
She had just emerged from her cocoon, radiant like a queen reborn. But even she was stunned to see a giant Sedestro lifting a vast black sphere into the heavens, inside of which lay a thousand-headed dragon, bound in golden seals and purple chains.
Ishvel: "I think we struck it big this time."
Dehedra: "Greetings, young ones. Ahh… to be outside again after so long. But this weather… this blackened sky reminds me of Armageddon, thousands of years ago. How did you summon Heaven's Annihilation Wrath? And how are you all still alive—absorbing it even? What an intriguing bunch of youngsters. Now… I am even more interested in this master of yours."
His booming voice reverberated like divine thunder, striking directly at their souls. It was meant to annihilate spirit and essence alike—yet none of them were harmed.
Dehedra (thinking): Interesting. Even my sound at the level of origin is ineffective…
His thousand eyes turned skyward.
Dehedra: "What is happening in this continent to summon such a calamity? This is no good."
He extended his divine sense into the void, spanning the continent. There, hidden in the depths, seventeen presences gazed back at him.
Dehedra: "This… is not good. I must leave. That damn geezer still lives—I refuse to be captured again. Fortunately, they are bound to this continent's source realm."
Everyone clearly heard his muttered words.
Dehedra: "So what now, young ones?"
Still, they continued tearing apart and devouring his regenerating vessel.
Yalzar: "Your body is a delicacy. A cultivation treasure beyond compare. We'll keep eating until master arrives."
Sedestro: "Hey, can you give me some?"
He was curious—after all, everyone had already advanced to Ancestral Lord Rank since he and Xukhar entered the soul.
Xukhar: "Hmm. This?"
He grabbed one of Ishvel's condensed orbs and swallowed it. Then another.
Sedestro followed suit. His body trembled violently, nearly exploding from the surge of potent energy.
Sedestro: "Oh my…"
Greedy, he leapt down, gulping the mountain of orbs Ishvel had prepared.
Ishvel: "You gluttons! Leave some for the others!"
Sedestro: "Yes, yes!"
Soon after, both Sedestro and Xukhar were engulfed in tribulation lightning—the dreaded Heaven's Annihilation Wrath. But this time, it intensified. Blinding, colorful bolts rained down.
Dehedra: "This?! Hey! I'm in soul form—such power will annihilate me!"
Sedestro: "Don't worry, old man. Inside that sphere, you're safe."
The rainbow lightning struck everyone, yet it was ineffective—they absorbed it effortlessly. But when it struck the earth, entire kilometers of land melted into lava.
Dehedra (thinking): How…? Even Celestial Realm powerhouses are annihilated by Heaven's Annihilation Wrath. It erases existence itself. Yet these young ones… immune? This is no mere tribulation. This is a Heaven-forged execution meant to obliterate me. Those damn geezers—they've intensified it! And yet… these beings treat it like a tonic? Impossible!
Driven by disbelief, he extended his divine sense into their bodies, trying to probe deeper. But when he peered inside—
Something peered back.
Dehedra: "Ack! What… what the hell?!"