"Rise with the sun, rest at dusk..."
The Sacred Executor's voice was clear, imbued with a peculiar cadence that seemed almost in harmony with nature.
Below, the succubi bowed low, their Lost Soul pendants glowing faintly as they pressed their foreheads to the ground in devout worship.
A hypnotic chant began to swirl through the air, like a bewitching melody that crawled into Orson's ears, raising goosebumps across his skin.
Out beyond the village, Heaven Demons howled. Their huge lantern-like eyes lit up, dotting the darkness like a grotesque galaxy.
The sight was so bizarre, so wrong, it left Orson staring in silence, chilled to the bone.
His gaze returned to the Sacred Executor.
Beneath the flowing white robes and ornate armor, the man's body was withered, his eyes dull and lifeless.
The divine aura spilling from him clearly emanated from the golden scale in his hand.
This was nothing but a corpse, animated by some lingering will, now preaching to a congregation of Heaven Demons. It was absurd beyond belief.
"Bring forth the offering!"
At last Mia's father called out.
"Yes, the offering! So the Sacred Executor may protect us for another ten years!"
"Mia, lead the sacrifice forward!"
In an instant, the villagers' expressions shifted. Their faces twisted into hungry, predatory grins as they all turned their eyes on Orson.
\\[Heavenly Spirit's Heart]
Task Tip: Defeat the Sacred Executor and obtain Vortigon's Reversed Scale to weaken the laws affecting this realm.
Orson's brow furrowed, his gaze locking on the golden scale in Cetran's hand.
So that was it. This was a scale from Vortigon, lord of the heavens, brimming with the law of flight denial—exactly the force disrupting Era of Immortals.
Which meant there were likely two more, probably held by the other two war gods.
This was a classic Infinite Dimensions scenario: defeat three champions, claim the divine scales, pass the trial.
Technically, you could skip it—but being unable to fly or teleport was a massive handicap.
"You say it's rare to find a human untainted by demonic blood. By that, do you mean there are still other humans in this world?"
Orson looked down at Mia, his eyes softening as if fond.
Seeing that warmth, Mia's nervousness vanished.
She smiled sweetly. "Those half-blood adventurer descendants marched to Heaven Dragon City, hoping BlazeKing would protect them. But where in this world does absolute safety exist?"
Then she gave a playful little wink.
"If it did, the Sacred Executor would be it."
"And these adventurers... where are they now?" Orson asked calmly.
Mia tilted her head, dimples appearing. She pointed at the roast goat leg on the platter.
Then Mia giggled and shook her head. "No, no—I misspoke. That's only part of them. I couldn't bear to eat it myself, but you wouldn't accept my kindness."
It seemed his earlier suspicions hadn't even gone far enough.
Proud of herself, Mia explained how they raised adventurer offspring, turned this broken world into both hunting ground and prison for Heaven Demons.
By forcing these adventurers to breed with humanoid Heaven Demons, they maintained a steady food supply.
That was how they'd survived so long.
But it also diluted the bloodline.
So the Sacred Executor's attempts to revive by consuming them had failed. He couldn't truly return to life and lead the Heaven Demons out of this world.
"No... someone besides the Sacred Executor opened this prison before. Isn't that so?"
Orson's eyes narrowed. He wanted more answers.
Fear flashed across Mia's face.
"That lord is cruel and monstrous. Of course he wouldn't help us escape. Thankfully, we still have the Sacred Executor's protection."
So BlazeKing might be gone, but his schemes were still in motion.
"All right. I think I understand now."
Orson smiled faintly and stepped forward, climbing onto the blood-soaked altar. He tilted his head to look up at the Sacred Executor.
"Before me, and you will not kneel?"
Cetran's hollow voice drifted down.
"Kneel, filthy worm! Bow with all your heart!"
"Damn creature—if you weren't useful to the Sacred Executor, we'd have flayed your skin and snapped your bones already!"
Several succubi screamed, their eyes glowing red, fangs slipping past their lips.
Orson actually laughed.
Heaven Demons brainwashed by Cetran's half-alive corpse—acting like devout keepers of ancient human rites.
Meanwhile, Cetran himself used their Lost Soul pendants to control them, pushing them to mimic human ancestors and keep him safe.
All so he could orchestrate some twisted rebirth through their hands.
It was grotesque, but also grimly fascinating.
"Kill him now—let the Sacred Executor feast on his flesh and blood!" Mia's father shrieked.
The villagers transformed. Their limbs elongated, skin darkened to inky black, turning them into monsters as they lunged.
\\[Bloodshadow Succubus: Level 90]
\\[Mid-Tier Heaven Demon]
\\[ATK: 3,000–90,000]
\\[Skills: Desire's Seed, Lesser Control, Shapeshift]
Orson arched a brow, smirking.
Succubi were strange among Heaven Demons. Terrifyingly strong if their prey was caught in Desire's Seed—powerful enough to kill even high-tier adventurers in a single blow.
But against someone with iron will, they were weaker than the lowest trash demons.
He raised the Supreme Arcane Blade, a six-pointed chaos star forming beneath his feet.
"Awaken—Judgment Flame."
Magic Dragon Curse form activated.
A death star blazed into existence overhead, swelling into a black sun that eclipsed even the blood moon.
The village crumbled. Hundreds of succubi screamed in terror, pulled upward toward the searing chaos star.
"I am the Sacred Executor, guardian of peace—no evil shall stand before me!"
Cetran thrust out a withered hand, golden light exploding along his arm. It suddenly ballooned to hundreds of times its size.
"Immortal Art—Heaven-Smiting Palm!"
Orson's eyes widened.
"So this is what a max-level powerhouse can do?"
The black sun of Judgment Flame was caught by that colossal golden hand—then crushed in its grip, snuffing out with a violent shockwave.
The succubi dropped to the ground in a heap.
"Sacred Executor! His immortal might is undimmed!"
"Praise be! That foul devil will be obliterated!"
The succubi shrieked with ecstatic worship, eyes shining as they looked up at the golden figure.
Orson just stood there, brows drawn tight, unable to tell who the hell was the real villain anymore.
"Master... we exist with the world, undying, eternal!"
A roar finally tore free.
The Death Dragon's Breath.
The Crimson Lizard King let out a deafening howl, instantly shifting into a Celestial Winged Dragon. Black flames of the underworld surged in all directions.
Over a dozen succubi disintegrated into ash without so much as a scream—including Mia's "parents."
Mia's sweet face twisted, her voice low and furious.
"Will of the Heaven Demon Emperor, reach across the three thousand worlds!"
Outside the village, the waiting Heaven Demons howled back, a chilling rustle echoing through the night.
Orson glanced out—and his heart went cold.
Countless spectral demon eyes ignited in the darkness, like a tidal wave of eldritch light advancing toward them. Too many to count.
Blazing Meteor Shower!
The Crimson Lizard King wasn't fazed. It spread its wings wide, hurling dozens of meteors into the advancing swarm.
"Draconis... is that you?"
Cetran's cloudy eyes flickered, his gaunt face twitching with what looked like confused recognition.
Orson blinked, startled.
"Wait... could this mummy actually come back to life?"
But then the confusion faded.
Cetran's hand formed a bizarre seal, voice cold as death.
"Soul Seal—Aspect of the World!"