Chapter 359: Chapter 359: This is Unreasonable!
Among the countless skills being unleashed, there was also a faint mist-like energy orb that was thrown into the fray. It was Flanda, seizing the opportunity to offer assistance.
Sterl didn't even glance at it.
A private message popped up in front of him. Flanda indicated that by using that energy orb, he could become invincible and lift all teleportation restrictions around him.
However, Sterl, discarding his cautious style, had no intention of trusting a demon…
At this moment, he could leave whenever he wanted. Although the space was sealed, he could use special items with side effects for teleportation to escape…
On his end, Sterl simply unleashed the third Shattered Void in advance, blocking a multitude of attacks.
Amidst the storm of blades and lights, all skills were shattered, and the item thrown by Flanda, being of decent quality, withstood the force of the attacks and was sent flying far away.
Neither the other demons nor the players dared to pick it up.
Flanda's intent to help Mephistopheles was quite apparent, but everyone present projected their own feelings onto her, still believing she was not trying to assist but rather had a conspiracy in mind!
That life-saving item awkwardly dropped to the ground.
At this moment, under the power of Sterl's skills, the Demon of Terror and Cruelty, being the core target of the attack, couldn't simply wait for Sterl's skill to finish and then attempt a sneak attack.
When locked onto by Shattered Void, he could only activate his Four-in-One platinum skill to defend himself.
The third clash mirrored the second almost entirely.
Most long-range skills launched by ordinary demigods and Supremes were dodged, and a few that exploded near Sterl were shattered by Shattered Void, causing no real impact.
As the high-energy reaction from the collision of the two major skills dissipated, the Demon of Terror and Cruelty acquired dozens more wounds, his life force significantly diminished.
Meanwhile, Sterl merely maintained an expression of headache.
During the moment of energy convergence, he quietly tested switching to Bionic Tear and then slipped into the small world to absorb the Fire of Ten Thousand Souls.
After observing for a while, Sterl concluded—
The Demon of Terror and Cruelty most likely hadn't noticed! After all, the small world could merge the three divine authorities of creation, humanity, and nature! What was hidden within it might escape even the attention of ordinary deities.
"We need to eliminate the root completely."
"This is the safest approach," Sterl pondered.
What if the Demon of Terror and Cruelty later recalled the moments and discovered the flaws in Sterl's actions? What if he had indeed noticed Sterl's little maneuvers but chose not to point them out, intending to launch a sneak attack during the battle later?
...
As Sterl's thoughts raced, the demons and players present were faced with the unfolding scene.
Mephistopheles was in pain, and the Demon of Terror and Cruelty was wounded, seemingly just a repetition of their previous clash.
However, the many demons present had anticipated this outcome and did not show any signs of disappointment; instead, their expressions grew even more expectant.
They understood…
In the end, Mephistopheles would still be unable to hold on.
The more he struggled now, the more valuable the experience became!
The Fourth Clash...
Mephistopheles stood with great difficulty, breathing heavily, as if he could barely hold on any longer.
On the other side, the Demon of Terror and Cruelty had accumulated numerous injuries, one of which was particularly severe, deep enough to expose bone and dripping with blood.
The Fifth Clash.
Mephistopheles appeared even worse off, struggling to remain upright. Although he bore no visible wounds, he was undoubtedly at his last gasp.
The Demon of Terror and Cruelty had sustained an injury that had damaged his internal organs, but at least he was still managing to maintain his mana.
Victory seemed possible!
Countless demons pondered this in their hearts.
The Sixth Clash.
The Seventh...
...The Twelfth!
At this moment...
Where Sterl and the Demon of Terror and Cruelty clashed, the remnants of any camp had long vanished, and even the hellish scenery no longer resembled its former self.
It was just a wasteland, filled with void and chaotic spatial currents.
Moreover...
The violent sounds had piqued the curiosity of players from countless main worlds far away.
However...
The demons and players under the command of the malevolent spirit had been lured by the deities of the main world to the Succubus Queen's camp to slay their companions.
Thus, the people from the main world, constrained by the commands of their deities, showed no intention of drawing closer.
Amidst the endless spatial turbulence, two figures floated.
Mephistopheles...
Uh...
He indeed looked worse off, but with each successive clash, the degree of his apparent suffering seemed to diminish.
This was not because Sterl was slacking or not acting convincingly.
It was mainly because human expressions have limits, and so does body language.
He could no longer think of any way to portray himself as more pained or closer to breaking down...
In fact, it was simply that the Demon of Terror and Cruelty had already incurred sunk costs, having tried so many times—
Mephistopheles's mana and overdrawn soul power would surely run out next time!
Otherwise, the Demon of Terror and Cruelty would have stopped the collision of skills long ago.
But after repeating this process twelve times...
The expressions of Demon of Terror and Cruelty, Lovic, and many other demons gradually turned strange.
From initial confidence and satisfaction, their expressions became increasingly odd, eventually losing their smiles as they stared blankly at Mephistopheles.
Clearly, after each wave of confrontation, he looked as if he was greatly exhausted and on the verge of collapse.
Yet, he somehow continued to hold on!
It even gave off a bizarre feeling...
TMD, this guy... could it be that he's just putting on an act for us?
"No, it's impossible!"
"The mana consumption of the platinum skills used by Mephistopheles cannot be low; he's not relying on technique, but purely matching output with Lovic's to achieve a stalemate... He must be pretending!"
"He won't be able to hold on much longer; the pain from overstraining his energy limits is something that can't be endured solely by willpower!"
"That's right, the battle is about to end!"
"Mephistopheles is already a dead man!"
...
At this moment, several Supremes spoke with certainty, their confidence stemming from common sense.
It is well-known that in Swallowing Heaven/Transcendence, no matter how strong players become, they cannot enhance their souls. Even if Mephistopheles has exceptional talent, the damage caused by overexertion will quickly destroy his soul!
They appeared confident, yet deep down, they felt an inexplicable sense of uncertainty. Logically, they believed what they said was undoubtedly correct, but according to logic, Mephistopheles should have collapsed long ago.
This line of thinking reignited a spark of hope in the eyes of the Demon of Terror and Cruelty. He shared the same thoughts as these Supremes, and with their encouragement, his resolve strengthened even more.
That's right! Victory was within reach!
Once more!
"Roar!!"
The immensely powerful demon howled, burning his life force to forcefully attack!
After twelve clashes, Lovic's energy had already been completely depleted. He had used a large amount of potions to compensate, but his soul was also bearing the brunt of overexertion!
At this moment, burning life force seemed to be the more advantageous choice.
Lovic felt—
"If Mephistopheles continues to endure… I won't be able to hold on!"
"Die for me!"
The Demon of Terror and Cruelty was engulfed in a blood-red flame, the power of his quadruple Platinum Skill fully accumulated and unleashed once again!
He aimed for a decisive strike, so the strength of his attack far exceeded anything before.
On Sterl's side, he simply released Shattered Void once again, his expression unchanging…
No, it was a sudden change; he contorted his face into an extremely pained expression, as if unleashing the skill was costing him half of his life.
Then he gathered the Flowing Water Blade, slowly drawing his sword…
Swish!
A storm of countless sharp blades and spatial fragments surged forth!
Ultimately, the attacks of the Demon of Terror and Cruelty and Sterl collided once more!
Under the high-energy impact, a destructive light burst forth. This time, it was not only a white light but also a surge of blood-red flames, symbolizing the Demon of Terror and Cruelty's desperate output!
Countless onlooking demons and players instinctively retreated a considerable distance.
As expected...
Amidst the blazing light, a storm quickly swept through, more terrifying than any previous skill clash, churning violently.
The area of the basin, already carved out by the energy waves, rapidly expanded!
With such an output, the expressions of many demons and players changed significantly!
This was precisely the scene they had imagined for Mephistopheles's demise!
The demons also showed respect for Mephistopheles, recognizing him as a… strong opponent!
He deserved a perfect conclusion.
...
As the white light gradually faded away once more...
The numerous Supremes who had sworn oaths, along with the demons who believed profoundly in their judgment, all widened their eyes in anticipation of the result.
They saw Mephistopheles's figure sway, then his toes lifted slightly...
Suddenly, he stood upright!
A provocative smile appeared on his face.
At this moment, Sterl showed no signs of weakness whatsoever. He had exhausted his imagination trying to figure out how to appear more tragic, so he simply stopped pretending.
In contrast, the Demon of Terror and Cruelty was battered and bruised from the numerous clashes, gasping for breath.
Boom!
A loud crash echoed through the air.
The Demon of Terror and Cruelty dropped to one knee.
That's right.
The outcome was indeed clear.
It was true that someone couldn't hold on!
But it wasn't Mephistopheles who couldn't hold on; it was Lovic, who had been a respected deity for a thousand years.
He couldn't hold on any longer!
Silence...
A hush fell over the area, leaving many demons dumbfounded.
"No way??"
"He's still fine?"
"Wasn't he on the verge of collapse just a moment ago??"
...
Their first reaction was to doubt their own eyes, and they began to reassess the situation.
"Lord Lovic... has fallen??"
"No, wait! Mephistopheles doesn't look weak at all; we've all been fooled!!"
"How does Mephistopheles seem like he hasn't consumed anything at all??"
...
They were filled with confusion...
Some of the Supremes felt their minds were about to explode—
Had Mephistopheles been pretending all along? Did he really unleash such powerful skills without any consumption?
Lord Lovic fell first?
Oh, that actually made sense; he had endured the backlash from over a dozen skills, plus he had just burned his life force. He was bound to give out.