Bottomless Abyss, Wailing Forest.
The forest remained as perilous as ever, with eerie howls never ceasing and endless Demonic Creatures lurking within, hunting one another.
A stone mountain stood within the forest.
Its surface, which should have been barren and strewn with rubble, had recently begun to sprout vibrant crimson flowers. Wisps of blood-red mist drifted above them, lending the entire peak an ethereal, dreamlike beauty.
Yet, bizarrely, not a single living creature could be found here.
No Demons, no Demonic Creatures—not even the venomous insects that infested the Wailing Forest could be spotted.
No sound emanated from this place, a stark contrast to the ceaseless slaughter everywhere else. It was a realm of absolute silence, evoking an instinctive dread.
'The time is almost here.'
Amid the sea of flowers, Olthagia opened his eyes and gazed at the murky clouds above.
He sensed the presence of the [Gift of Souls]. Though the scent was still faint, the signs had already appeared.
After roughly estimating the time, he closed his eyes again, adjusting his state.
At the moment, his mind was still somewhat unsettled.
After destroying the capital of Maddon Duchy, he had been expelled from that world and returned to the Bottomless Abyss.
His first act upon returning was to find a quiet place to lie down.
If no quiet place could be found, he would simply silence the noisy inhabitants of any area he chose.
Thus, the original residents of this mountain peak had been dealt with.
Regardless of their original forms or intentions, they had all been transformed into beautiful flowers, forever robbed of their ability to make noise.
By now, he had lain here for about ten days, pondering many things. His thoughts had mostly settled.
A few more days passed. Sensing the chaotic fluctuations of power in the distance, Olthagia ran a hand through his hair and stood up, taking a deep breath.
The scent of blood—fresh and abundant.
A faint smile curled his lips as he murmured to himself, "Just thinking about it really is pointless..."
This was the conclusion he had reached after over ten days of contemplation: 'When you're in a bad mood, thinking achieves nothing. It's far more practical to vent your fury in battle!'
His wings unfurled behind him, unleashing a powerful gust that carved a massive crater into the ground. The Doom Blossoms within a radius of dozens of meters were swept away along with the dust!
Meanwhile, his own figure blurred into a crimson streak, streaking through the sky at breakneck speed.
A clear flight path traced his passage through the air.
Traveling at several times the speed of sound, the atmosphere compressed into a wall of air, friction sparking flames across his body. He looked like a blazing meteor, as though forged in a furnace!
For ordinary creatures, this might have been a problem—but Olthagia found it comfortable.
Because he was a Demon.
A Balor, no less.
Ordinary flames and scorching heat were not a burden to him. They were a source of power, a form of sustenance.
Everything along the way—whether Demons or magical beasts—crumbled like fragile building blocks before Olthagia's full-speed flight, instantly shattered into pieces midair by sheer brute force. Even their blood evaporated from the heat, leaving only scattered remnants painting the sky.
Not long after, mere minutes later.
Olthagia saw them—the Demonic Creatures in the distance, already engaged in unrestrained slaughter.
In the sky, on the ground, beneath the earth—millions of Demonic Creatures were reveling, blood staining every inch of the land. This was the Wailing Forest's celebration. Whether in the past, the present, or the distant future, it would always embody the most fundamental theme of the Bottomless Abyss: kill or be killed!
The smile on his face grew more pronounced, his eyes brimming with undisguised savagery.
Without hesitation, Olthagia's wings trembled, accelerating once more as he plunged headfirst into the battlefield above, obliterating everything in his path indiscriminately.
The current him was already incomparable to his former self.
Last time, he had to hold back, avoiding standing out too much. But now, he no longer needed to consider such things.
At this moment, he stood at the very top of the Wailing Forest's food chain!
Here, he feared nothing and no longer needed to conceal himself. If he wanted to act, he simply would.
No matter the danger, he was confident in handling it—such was his faith in his own strength!
Holding a half-crushed skull, Olthagia glanced around at the Demonic Creatures still charging at him without fear and laughed. "The Bottomless Abyss truly has the best customs! Once the madness takes hold, there's no fear, no retreat—everyone can slaughter to their heart's content!"
Compared to easily cowed humans, the Demonic Creatures of the Bottomless Abyss were far more savage and cruel. Once their bloodlust was roused, they became the most ruthless killing machines, devoid of fear or hesitation. Slaughter was their most primal instinct.
Whether in combat skill or sheer viciousness, these beings—born to destroy—far surpassed ordinary humans.
Every underhanded attack was wielded with masterful precision, as natural as breathing!
Even Olthagia had to take them seriously, immersing himself in the brutal carnage.
Many techniques he had only simulated in his mind in the previous world—due to the lack of worthy opponents—were now casually unleashed, tested firsthand for their practicality.
With the synergy of his multiple talents, Olthagia's combat prowess had reached new heights. As the slaughter continued, his skills sharpened at an astonishing rate, as if propelled by rockets.
The first attempt with a technique might be clumsy, the second already proficient, and by the third, he wielded it with flawless mastery. What took others a lifetime to achieve was as effortless as breathing to him.
When his hand reached out to crush the opponent's brain, his innate talent instinctively guided him on how to do it better. When the other tried to counterattack, his talent told him how to interrupt it—as if he were born with this ability, rendering every reaction of his opponent transparent to him.
Amidst the chaotic battle, Olthagia continuously adapted to the rhythm around him.
Soon, what had initially been somewhat flustered movements turned into effortless ease. He could now easily predict the various attacks around him, cutting through the chaotic energy field to directly discern which posed a threat to him.
And his own attacks grew increasingly fierce. A casual strike could sever all escape routes at the perfect angle, leaving the opponent unable to even dodge, effortlessly tearing through their scales and twisting open their skull.
Raising an eyebrow slightly, Olthagia suddenly sensed something interesting.
His tail immediately pierced through the chest of a nearby Demon, and without bothering with its struggles, he yanked it in front of himself.
The next moment, the air before Olthagia distorted silently, and the Demon he had pulled forward was instantly torn apart, leaving only a small portion still hanging from his tail.
Unfazed by this, Olthagia, unwilling to waste anything, drained the remaining flesh and blood essence before casually tossing the corpse aside.
His gaze turned to a spot not far away, where several Demons were locked in combat. But Olthagia's attention wasn't on them. With a hint of interest, he remarked, "A spatial ability? Quite rare among [Low-Rank Demons]."
"..."
Seeing that the other party had no intention of revealing itself, Olthagia smirked disdainfully and casually reached out with his right hand.
As the surrounding space twisted, a creature—relatively short in stature, with slender limbs and an oversized head atop its neck—was lifted by the throat in his grip.
Watching it struggle, Olthagia plunged his other hand into its chest, gripping its spine and shattering every bone in its body. Unhurriedly, he commented, "Even by Demon standards, I still think you're ugly."
With its bones completely broken, the Demon in his grasp ceased all resistance, hanging limp like a dead dog.
Ignoring Olthagia's mocking remark, it spat blood and asked resentfully, "How did you find me...?"
Whether within the Wailing Forest or across the chaotic mess of other worlds, his proud ability had never failed before.
Merely having his attack dodged by Olthagia had already left him in disbelief.
Never in his wildest dreams did he expect the other to so effortlessly detect him hidden within the folds of space—and then casually pluck him out like a dog with a single hand.
He hadn't even realized what had happened before it was over.
Lowering his head to dodge a Poison Nova, then turning back to spit a flaming glob that incinerated a Demon trying to approach him, Olthagia replied indifferently: "Seems you haven't carefully studied your inherited memories. Aside from Demons like you who naturally awaken spatial abilities, others will also develop some spatial capabilities when their Bloodline purity reaches a certain level. I've awakened some spatial perception abilities myself."
"Though just some minor auxiliary skills, my strength far surpasses yours, so sensing your location is more than sufficient. As for the power to pull you out, that comes from some Spell abilities."
After hearing this, the other party paused, replying with somewhat dejected expression:
"I see... thank you for the explanation..."
Shrugging, Olthagia said casually:
"No problem, minor issue."
Then with slight force from his right hand, he plucked off the other's head.
After examining it briefly, Olthagia thought uncertainly: 'A spatial-type Demon should be quite nutritious, right?'
Though spatial abilities aren't particularly rare for Demons—a race specializing in planar invasions—this was his first encounter with one.
Curious, he pondered: 'Compared to ordinary Demons, this should count as rare quality?'
After draining all the energy essence and seeing the increase in Evolution Points,
Olthagia immediately discarded the remains in disappointment...