Beyond the Apocalypse

After the cataclysmic battle against Beelzebub and Baal, Vlad chose to spend time with his family. He remained with Freya, enjoying the warmth of his wife as she carried his children while he recovered from the dire wounds he had endured.

From the moment he charged into Heaven—where he massacred billions, slaughtered legions of Gods, crippled two Archangels, and ultimately killed a third—the True Depravita of Wrath had not experienced a single moment of true rest.

War had followed war, battle after battle, each one more devastating than the last. But now, at last, he allowed himself to pause. It was time to rest, and he had more than earned it.

The fight with the Devil Paragons had been extraordinarily dangerous. If not for the evolution of his bloodline and Life Level before the battle, the outcome could have been very different.

With so much death surrounding him in recent times, taking a moment to enjoy the quiet peace of life felt almost surreal.

Of course, while the True Depravita of Wrath rested, the forces of the Six Sun Alliance remained in constant motion.

Several battalions of the alliance, led by Altharion—the son of the White Death—and Lancel, the brother of the Obsidian Dragon King, continued their massive terraforming campaign across the first three layers of Hell.

Their goal was not to completely transform the laws of the realm; such a feat would require centuries, perhaps even thousands of years, and could only be accomplished under the guidance of Paragons capable of rewriting the fundamental rules of the universe.

Fortunately, such drastic changes were not necessary for their immediate plans. The main armies could move freely throughout Hell and the Abyss thanks to the alterations Overlord had performed on their bloodlines. Meanwhile, the civilian population remained safe inside the Divine Domes, protected from the corruption of the infernal realm.

Instead, the army’s objective was strategic control.

They moved methodically across Hell, seizing the vast network of energy lines that ran through the infernal plane. Their aim was to transform Hell into an immense fortress—one completely under the control of the Six Sun Alliance. Once completed, it would become a defensive bastion of unimaginable scale, a stronghold so formidable that even Paragons would need to think twice before attempting to invade it.

The attack on Terra had made the need for such a refuge painfully clear. The people of the Six Sun Alliance required a place where they could retreat and survive even if the wider war spiraled into catastrophe. As a result, a tremendous portion of the alliance’s resources was now being directed toward this grand project.

However, that did not mean their conquest and expansion had slowed.

If anything, it had accelerated—especially within Hell.

With Baal dead and Beelzebub severely wounded and forced into hiding, the defenses of the infernal plane were at their weakest point in ages. The forces of the Six Sun Alliance had no intention of wasting such a rare opportunity.

Merlin left the Abyss and returned to Hell, bringing with him the soul of a Lord-tier Demon—one perfectly suited for the Amazon Queen. After she absorbed it, her power nearly doubled, pushing her strength to an entirely new level.

Soon after, she and the Obsidian Dragon King led a massive battalion composed of hundreds of Superior Legends and several newly advanced Lords. Together, they launched a full-scale assault into the Fifth Layer of Hell.

Unlike the Fourth Layer, which was almost entirely covered by dark, endless waters, the Fifth Layer was a vast and merciless desert. 𝒇𝒓𝒆𝒆𝙬𝒆𝒃𝓷𝒐𝓿𝙚𝙡.𝒄𝓸𝒎

As far as the eye could see, endless dunes stretched beneath a scorching sky. The heat was relentless, generated by four massive burning suns that dominated the firmament. Their combined radiance eroded moisture from the land and even seemed to weaken the very concept of night itself.

The Devil Lords who ruled the Fifth Layer were far from weak. In Hell, the deeper one ventured, the stronger the inhabitants became. Yet news of the catastrophic defeat suffered by the Devil Paragons had already spread throughout the infernal plane.

The story of how the True Depravita of Wrath and the White Death had crushed them—and the confirmed death of Baal—had shattered the morale of many devils.

Some attempted to flee before the armies of the Six Sun Alliance could reach them. Others tried a different strategy.

They sought negotiation.

A number of Devil Lords attempted to forge pacts with the invading forces, hoping to preserve their lands and lives by betraying their fellow devils.

Honor and brotherhood meant nothing in Hell. Survival was the only law that truly mattered. If switching sides could ensure their continued existence, many devils were more than willing to abandon their former allies.

Unfortunately for them, their offers were rejected.

The only reward they received was death.

Allying with devils was extremely dangerous. Their nature was rooted in deception and betrayal, and trusting them would be an invitation for disaster. Even if some appeared sincere, their loyalty could never truly be guaranteed.

Ironically, the Six Sun Alliance did possess someone capable of outplaying them at their own game: Overlord, a mastermind capable of deceiving even Devil Paragons.

Yet the alliance chose not to rely on such tactics.

Although Hell had proven to be an extraordinary battlefield—one where they constantly tested their strength and harvested immense resources and oceans of Origin Power—that was never the primary reason they had come.

They had come to forge a home.

A place where their people could live safely.

That dream could never become reality if devils were allowed to exist among them. Betrayal and manipulation were woven into the very essence of their race. It would only take one devil secretly opening a path for the Alien Powers to turn their sanctuary into a nightmare.

Thus, the doctrine of the Six Sun Alliance was simple.

The only good devil was a dead devil.

The march across the Fifth Layer of Hell became a brutal and bloody campaign. Battle followed battle as the alliance’s armies crushed every demonic force that stood in their path.

Yet the campaign was not driven by blind slaughter. It was conducted with meticulous coordination and strategy.

The soldiers of the Six Sun Alliance were not merely killing devils.

They were harvesting their souls.

The command had surprised many. When dealing with devils, the usual practice was to seize their bloodlines rather than their souls. Bloodlines provided immense power and evolutionary potential and in order to harvest the soul, the body needed to be sacrificed.

However, this order had come directly from Overlord.

And when Overlord issued a command, few questioned it.

Thus, the Amazon Queen and the Obsidian Dragon King ensured their forces carried out the directive with precision as the war in the Fifth Layer raged on.

---

While bloodshed raged across the Fifth Layer of Hell, something equally important was taking place in the Third Layer.

Jormungandr’s eyes were sharp and thoughtful as he studied the White Death standing before him. The small yellow cat radiated an air of calm authority that belied his appearance.

"You are human at your core," Jormungandr said slowly, "but because of the influence of Entropy and the laws that shape your existence, you are now closer to a cosmic phenomenon than to a being of flesh and blood."

The White Death gave a solemn nod as he listened to those words.

He was one of the strongest lifeforms in the universe, feared across countless realms, yet at this moment he stood with complete focus and respect. The being before him was the greatest alchemist in existence—the only one capable of implanting a bloodline into his unique and unstable body.

"If I implant Baal’s bloodline directly into you," Jormungandr continued, "your Entropy Flame Lineage will simply devour it."

A faint ripple of power appeared in the air as the small yellow cat spoke, illustrating the sheer volatility of the White Death’s bloodline.

"So the first step," Jormungandr said, "is to alter your current bloodline. I will achieve this using the essence of Dream of Madness."

As he spoke, a stream of strange and chaotic energy appeared before them. It condensed into a swirling mass that radiated a distorted aura—the bloodline essence of the Empyrean monster known as the Dream of Madness.

The White Death frowned the moment he saw it.

"Wouldn’t that corrupt my body and mind?" he asked.

"Oh, most definitely," Jormungandr replied without hesitation. "If that were the only thing I did, you would become a monster within a few weeks."

The small yellow cat nodded calmly, acknowledging the concern behind the White Death’s words before continuing his explanation.

"However, I have no intention of keeping the Dream of Madness as a bloodline within you. Instead, I will use it as a catalyst."

The White Death remained silent, listening carefully.

"In fact," Jormungandr went on, "this process will initially weaken you. The presence of the Dream of Madness essence will disrupt the natural flow of your Entropy Flame Lineage. Your power will not circulate through your body as freely as it does now."

The White Death did not interrupt. He understood that power always demanded a price.

"But this temporary disruption is exactly what we need," Jormungandr continued. "While your Entropy Flame Lineage is restrained, I will implant Baal’s bloodline into your body. With the Dream of Madness acting as a stabilizing catalyst, the two forces will not immediately destroy each other."

The alchemist’s eyes gleamed with intelligence as he described the process.

"Once the integration is complete, Gravity and Entropy will begin to interact within you. These two powers will achieve a rare and powerful synergy."