Beyond the Apocalypse-Chapter 1036: Loss and growth

Vlad stood near the edge of a quiet river, its clear waters flowing gently over smooth stones as creatures moved freely through the surrounding forest. None of them noticed him. None of them could perceive his presence.

He remained there, hidden from the world, standing within this fragile pocket of peace and doing his best to steady his heart.

It had been three days since the fall of Valhalla.

Three days since the Alien Forces had finally set foot in the universe.

His physical wounds had long since healed, regenerated by his overwhelming vitality and the power of his Depravita Constitution. Yet his mind remained deeply unsettled. No amount of rest or isolation could erase the memories of that battle, nor the crushing realization that followed it.

Vlad had faced countless enemies since opening his eyes in this universe. Scheming devils who thrived on manipulation. Brutal demons who relied on raw strength and bloodlust. Even gods who believed themselves untouchable, ruling from thrones built upon faith and fear.

Against all of them, Vlad had prevailed.

He had always found a way to outmaneuver his enemies, to turn their arrogance, greed, or desperation against them. Wicked foes were predictable. They always placed their own lives and ambitions above everything else. They clung to existence. They feared loss. And because of that fear, they could be broken.

But Eternal Puppeteer had shattered that certainty.

The Alien Lord had not been some lesser ruler or disposable pawn. He was a being of terrifying stature—an existence standing on the same level as the Master himself.

The only reason Vlad had been able to fight him at all was because Eternal Puppeteer’s true body had never crossed into the universe. Only his soul had descended, and right before the battle, he suffered a horrific backlash that weakened him beyond measure.

And yet, even in that crippled state, Eternal Puppeteer had pushed Vlad to the brink.

"At his peak..." Vlad murmured quietly, his gaze fixed on the flowing river. "He should have been an Empyrean. The pinnacle of his kind."

His hands slowly curled into fists.

"Yet even then... he was willing to sacrifice himself for his goal."

That realization struck deeper than any wound.

Vlad’s eyes trembled as his fingers tightened, a suffocating pressure settling over his chest. It felt as though something unseen was dragging him downward, pulling at his heart and thoughts alike.

"How do I defeat something like that?" he whispered.

An enemy who did not fear death.

An enemy who valued their goal above their own existence.

For the first time in a very long time, Vlad had no answer.

Silence reigned within the mind of the Xaos King. Not the calm silence of meditation, but the hollow stillness of uncertainty. A deep sense of loss settled over him, heavy and unyielding. Valhalla had fallen. Entire worlds connected to it had been consumed. And despite his power, despite his resolve, he had failed to stop it.

Soft footsteps broke the quiet.

Vlad turned his head just in time to see a small yellow cat approaching along the riverbank, his movements calm and deliberate. A faint smile tugged at Vlad’s lips as Jormungandr leapt lightly onto his shoulder, curling there with ease.

"Everything will be harder from now on," Jormungandr said, his sharp eyes narrowing slightly as he spoke. "But standing still is not an answer. We must move forward."

The small cat’s voice carried a weight far greater than his size suggested.

"The past is behind us. We cannot change it. Worrying about the future will not make it easier to face. The only thing we can do is grow stronger—and learn from our mistakes."

Vlad remained silent for a moment, absorbing those words.

The weight of Valhalla still pressed heavily on his heart, but Jormungandr’s calm certainty pierced through the darkness clouding his thoughts. Slowly, the suffocating pressure eased, if only slightly.

"You’re right," Vlad said at last. "We can’t stop now. We need to keep growing."

His eyes sharpened with renewed clarity.

"And we already know the path forward."

With that, Vlad took a deep breath, steadying himself. In the next instant, space folded around him and Jormungandr as they teleported back to the Xaos Tower.

It did not take long for everyone to reunite.

The True Depravitas stood together once more—Freya, Ouroboros, and Fafnir—alongside Overlord. The expressions on their faces reflected a storm of emotions. Grief, anger, frustration, and lingering pain all surfaced in their gazes.

Freya’s expression, in particular, carried a quiet sorrow. Valhalla had been the world of her birth, the place where her legend began. Its end weighed heavily on her heart.

Yet despite that pain, determination burned within them all.

They were wounded—but unbroken.

Before addressing their next course of action, Vlad turned his attention to Overlord.

"How are things with the Vikings?" he asked.

The question carried weight. The Royal Guards and the Superior Legends of the Xaos Kingdom had rescued as many as possible before Valhalla’s complete collapse. But survival did not erase loss.

"It is... complicated," Overlord replied carefully.

"They are relieved to be alive and no longer under immediate threat. However, the loss of their world has affected them deeply—especially the older generations. I have assigned personnel to help them process the trauma and prevent instability."

Though Overlord was not burdened by emotion, he understood it well enough to act cautiously. Many of the Vikings were powerful warriors. Once they overcame this ordeal, they would become valuable allies—but only if they were guided properly.

Vlad nodded, satisfied with Overlord’s handling of the situation.

Then his gaze hardened.

"Then let us address our next move," Vlad said firmly. "It is time to march into the Abyss and become Lord-Tier Demon Soul Masters."

The air seemed to shift as his words echoed through the chamber.

Determination burned fiercely in Vlad’s eyes, mirrored by the True Depravitas standing before him.

"We are still far from capable of facing the Master and the full might of the Alien Forces," Vlad continued. "But this is the necessary step forward."

Jormungandr, Freya, Ouroboros, and Fafnir nodded. This was the path they had prepared for even before Valhalla’s fall.

Overlord’s eyes glowed faintly as he transmitted data packets to each of them. Tactical information, targets, contingencies—everything was already prepared.

"The battles ahead will be significantly more difficult," Overlord said. "We cannot simply kill our targets. To succeed, they must be captured alive."

With a gesture, he distributed God Prisons to each of them.

Overlord continued, "The feral nature of Demon Lords may drive them to fight to the death once cornered. This will make them extremely dangerous."

"And if the battle leaves them too damaged to survive the journey back," Vlad said calmly as he handed the runes, "perform the ritual on the spot."

"We will be operating in different layers of the Abyss, but the plan remains the same as in Hell," Overlord stated, his voice calm and precise. "You win your battles, secure your targets, and return immediately to the Void. Do not linger. If the strongest Devil Lords from the lower layers decide to intervene, the situation will become extremely dangerous."

His warning carried no emotion, yet its weight was undeniable.

The True Depravitas nodded in unison, fully understanding the risks. The Abyss was not merely a hostile realm—it was a living nightmare, where power ruled absolutely and weakness was devoured without mercy. Remaining too long would draw attention, and attention in the Abyss was often fatal. 𝒻𝑟𝘦𝘦𝘸ℯ𝒷𝑛𝘰𝓋ℯ𝘭.𝘤𝘰𝘮

Without wasting a single second, Vlad moved.

He fused with each of the True Depravitas, their powers intertwining flawlessly as he assumed his Ultimate Form. The pressure of that fusion warped the surrounding space. Once complete, Vlad placed his hand upon Overlord’s shoulder.

In the next instant, a swirling vortex of distorted space and light formed beneath them, swallowing both Vlad and the A.I. Chip Clone whole.

Using the Quantum Eye, Vlad executed interstellar teleportation with absolute precision. The transition was instantaneous. One moment they were within the Xaos Tower, the next they emerged at the edge of the Abyss.

What unfolded before them was a terrifying spectacle.

The Abyss was a colossal cluster of realms, layered one atop another in chaotic disorder, each world partially overlapping the next. Vast storms of chaos and destruction raged endlessly around it, acting both as a barrier and a warning. These storms obliterated the weak instantly and announced the presence of any intruder powerful enough to pass through them.

It was a natural defense—one that had claimed countless lives.

For Vlad, however, it posed no obstacle.

Without hesitation, he activated the Quantum Eye once more, teleporting beyond the raging storms and directly into the inner layers of the Abyss. Once safely inside, he released the fusion, allowing the True Depravitas to separate once again.

A heavy stillness followed.

Sharp focus and solemn resolve filled the eyes of Freya, Jormungandr, Ouroboros, and Fafnir as they exchanged brief glances. None of them spoke, yet their shared resolve was unmistakable.

They remembered Valhalla. They remembered defeat. And they remembered the helplessness that had followed.

That would not happen again.

This was their chance to grow stronger.

With a final nod, each of them vanished in a flash of power, shooting toward different layers of the Abyss where their designated targets awaited.