Merin follows Evelyn's father without a word.
Behind him, Salem and his group—four King Kong realm martial artists—join silently.
Merin already knows these are the same people he eavesdropped on earlier.
There were eight then.
Now only five remain.
That means three died during the battle at the lake.
The hidden passage turns out to be an underground river that resurfaces further ahead.
They jump in, diving deep beneath the rock.
For ordinary people, the journey would be impossible.
But they are martial artists.
They can go days without needing to breathe.
With control over their body down to the cellular level, they open pores in their skin to draw oxygen directly from the water.
Darkness wraps around them as they swim silently through the submerged tunnel.
Eventually, they see a faint light ahead.
Breaking the surface inside a wide cavern, they pull themselves out silently.
They find a narrow passage and move quickly, following markings left behind by those who came before.
Then Merin hears battle echoing from further in.
He steps into a massive cavern.
Bodies of demon hunters lie scattered across the ground.
More fall is even now.
At the far end, two Demon Worshippers stand—both exuding the terrifying strength of the Demon Weaver Realm.
They guard the captives.
Merin’s eyes immediately find Evelyn.
She lies unconscious, her body wrapped in glowing red chains.
Nine others are bound the same way, placed around her in a circle of red.
At the very centre sits another enemy, calm and waiting.
Without hesitation, Evelyn’s father rushes forward, releasing his full strength.
Merin curses under his breath, “Shit.”
Evelyn’s father is at the level of a Unification realm martial artist.
Only two realms beneath the Demon Weaver Realm.
But the gap between them isn’t small.
It’s more than ten times in raw power.
Merin runs forward after him.
Behind him, he hears Salem cursing, “He’s gonna die!”
They know they’re one full realm behind, too.
And none of them know the truth about Merin.
They still think he’s just another peak King Kong martial artist.
But Merin broke through that realm.
He is the first Stone Body realm martial artist.
He’d rather not reveal that.
Because King Kong was supposed to be the end.
But somehow, within hours, Merin had crossed that entire realm—then created the next.
If they knew, too many eyes would fall on him.
Eyes he doesn’t want right now.
But he has to rescue Evelyn when he can.
Even if his feelings are under control, he won’t abandon her.
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There is no danger to him, and he cannot let her father die.
As Evelyn's father rushes forward, weaving between attacks, one of the Demon Worshippers hurls a spear made of poison energy toward him.
Merin sees it and knows—this will kill him.
He explodes forward, his speed doubling.
In the blink of an eye, he appears in front of the attacker and blocks the spear with his bare hand.
The spear bursts, releasing a cloud of corrosive poison.
Evelyn’s father stares in shock and shouts, “No—Adam!”
Behind them, the others stop.
They believe Merin is dead.
But a moment later, the poison cloud bursts outward as Merin steps out unharmed.
And reappears with a fist slamming into one of the Demon Worshippers’ shoulders.
The impact sends the man flying across the cavern, crashing into the stone wall.
Merin shouldn’t be able to do that.
They had seen him as a newly advanced King Kong realm martial artist—he broke through just a few hours ago.
Merin himself told them, and they saw Merin in the lake as an unification realm martial artist.
But what they feel now is something else.
Merin’s aura rises—deeper, heavier, vaster.
It’s stronger than any King Kong martial artist they’ve ever seen.
Their eyes widen as Merin’s skin takes on the smooth texture and sheen of stone.
He doesn’t give the second Demon Worshipper a moment to react.
His punch flies—but this one meets an energy barrier.
The enemy blocks it, gritting his teeth. Nᴇw ɴovel chaptᴇrs are published on NoveI★Fire.net
But the shock still cracks the air.
The rest finally move.
Seeing Merin's strength, they charge in.
Some rush to fight the enemies.
Others sprint to rescue the captives.
But the third Demon Worshipper stands slowly.
Without a word, he steps forward to block their path.
Merin and the demon worshipper crash against the cavern floor, then explode upward, slamming along the wall toward the roof.
Each impact sends shockwaves through the stone, shaking the entire cavern.
Chunks of rock fall like hail, but no one flinches.
Even if the cavern collapses, they wouldn’t die—and it would interrupt the ceremony, which is even better.
Merin feels the pressure.
The enemy's energy is slightly higher.
His energy shield tears, and the enemy's strike lands.
Pain spreads across his chest, but his stone-hardened body takes the blow.
The injury is only slight.
Still, it confirms what he suspects—this opponent’s power isn’t just one realm higher.
He rechecks his memories.
When a martial artist at the King Kong realm prepares to advance into the Demon Weaver realm, they begin refining the spiritual parts of demons.
Even one such refinement changes their energy completely.
Their strength multiplies.
That’s what he’s facing now.
This man has already refined one demon spiritual organ—he’s beyond the King Kong realm, and stepping into the Demon Weaver realm.
Then realises something.
The next realm after the Stone Body realm would be the true martial artist path that rivals the Demon Weaver realm.
Merin understands it now.
Even as he trades blows with the enemy, his mind sharpens.
He feels the subtle pulses of the Earth’s electromagnetic field flowing through the cavern.
If he can align his energy and body with that force—refine himself further—he can ascend.
But now is not the time to break through.
Not in the middle of a battle.
So he uses it another way.
Merin shifts his stance, lets the field guide him, then channels the magnetic force through his limbs.
His punch gathers invisible power.
And when he strikes, the enemy's shield breaks, and his fist slams into the demon worshiper's chest.
The man stumbles back, only a few steps, his feet grinding into the cavern floor.
Merin clicks his tongue and calls more of the Earth’s magnetic force into his body.
It sharpens his strikes.
Thickens his limbs with strength.
His movements become heavier, his blows faster—just enough to match the demon worshiper’s power.
But the cost is sharp.
With every movement, his energy drains rapidly.
His breath grows heavier.
And still, he fights.
Dodging a sweep of claws, Merin ducks under, pivots, and drives his knee into the demon worshiper’s side.
The impact echoes, cracking the stone beneath.
But in the corner of his vision, Evelyn’s unconscious body lies bound in red energy chains.
Every blow Merin trades, every step he shifts, his thoughts loop back to her.
How to break the chains.
How to save her before something worse begins.
He weaves between strikes, lets his body move on instinct, but his mind stays locked on that goal.
The battle is a blur of force, but Merin refuses to fall behind—because Evelyn doesn’t have time for him to lose.
A fireball slams into his back.
It pushes him forward, searing pain running down his spine.
Instead, he uses the momentum—flies straight toward Evelyn.
His hand cuts through the red energy chains.
The restraints shatter.
She drops into his arms.
The enemy roars behind him, already closing the gap.
Merin wraps his body around Evelyn and shoots into the air.
His back is wide enough to shield her.
But he doesn’t need to take hits for long.
The third enemy whistles.
Suddenly, all three demon worshipers retreat.
Hours later, Evelyn wakes up in a hospital bed in Nova City.
Her eyes open to find Merin seated beside her, slumped in a chair.
She stares, then throws herself at him.
Merin blinks, surprised, but lets her hold him.
He stays calm, plays the role from before his memories returned.
He pats her back, presses a soft kiss to her neck.
Two days later, Evelyn leaves Nova Super City.
Her family had been shaken by her kidnapping.
They needed to see her, and she needed to see them.
She promises to return soon.
He watches her leave.
Then returns to the research centre.
One day, his boss, Siera, calls him in.
She reveals something unexpected—news of a large, living, stable dimension.
A dimension as vast as a world.
She asks if he wants to enter.
Nothing is holding him here.
That evening, he returns home and thinks about Evelyn.
Before his memories returned, he had planned to propose.
But now\... it doesn’t matter.
The flood of ancient memories has dulled the emotion.
His love for Yanli and Asuna, from another life, clouds everything.
Two hours before departure, he makes a choice.
He decides not to tell Evelyn face-to-face.
Not even over a call.
He knows if he hears her voice, he won’t go through with it.
So, he writes an email.
A simple message: he wants to take a break from their relationship.
Then, when the time comes, Merin stands before the portal.
Alongside many other martial artists, he steps through into the new dimension.