Chapter 1001: First Battle Victory

Chapter 1001: A Triumphant First Strike

A mist of black-purple blood erupted from every pore, blooming like a firework torn from the void, and the forbidden art was shattered in an instant.

With a sharp hiss, Tolain shot backward from the crimson haze, his face etched with sheer terror, his body drenched in blood, a picture of utter devastation.

In that fleeting moment, the cold shadow of death had brushed against him.

Since ascending to the Super A-Tier, Tolain had forgotten what it meant to fear for his life, yet this single strike violently dredged up those buried memories, forcing him to taste that dread once more.

The blow had vaporized over twenty percent of his vitality; for a Super A-Tier entity boasting millions of health points, this was a crippling wound, laden with multiple debilitating afflictions, as the detonating death energy within nearly reduced his cells to ruin, leaving him trembling with lingering horror.

The sheer might of Hela’s ability defied all his expectations!

At this moment, Tolain watched Hela from afar, his eyes heavy with profound wariness.

Death Reaping had inflicted grievous wounds upon him, yet the total detonation of that death energy also purged the stacked layers of Death Erosion, instantly restoring his natural regeneration as internal injuries began to knit and his vitality slowly climbed.

Yet his maximum health had been permanently shaved by roughly ten percent, barring any return to his peak condition.

Hela, however, would never idly watch an adversary recover; seizing the moment while Tolain reeled from the blow, she halted her retreat, closed the distance, and unleashed a tempestuous onslaught, death energy surging across the sky like a suffocating tide.

Unfamiliar with the nature of her power and paralyzed by caution, Tolain hastily fell back as she approached, daring not to engage directly as before; instead, he hurled spells from a safe distance while frantically weaving layer upon layer of protective wards, desperate to avoid another brush with that corrosive energy.

The tide of battle instantly reversed into a frantic chase, Tolain scurrying like a routed rat with Hela hounding his every step.

The devastating force of that maneuver startled Austin just as deeply.

"This newcomer is just as ferocious? Wait... why did I say 'just as'..."

He had feared Hela would fall victim to the corrupted blood's insidious trap, yet against all odds, Tolain was brutally crippled in the nick of time.

"Had that been me..."

Austin could not help but place himself upon that battlefield, only to realize his odds would be equally grim; though he possessed myriad purifying spells, the relentless corrosion of death energy would simply reattach itself no matter how many times it was cleansed, leaving only one viable solution: avoid letting it touch his flesh at all costs.

Under such circumstances, even if certain Super A-Tiers might not ultimately lose to Hela, they would undoubtedly fight with crippling hesitation, forever holding back for fear of reprisal.

Tolain now found himself trapped in precisely that mindset, cowed by Hela’s sudden eruption into extreme caution, leaning heavily into defense and daring not to take the slightest risk.

To clash in melee would expose his true form to another devastating strike, yet to kite her from afar proved futile against her superior range, leaving him utterly passive and devoid of a winning path, trapped in a paralyzing dilemma.

Tolain cursed bitterly in his heart; this time, he had truly struck solid iron!

Hela cared nothing for her opponent’s inner turmoil; since Tolain chose to turtle, she would simply hammer through, treating his heavily shielded form as a mere training dummy while she rained down apocalyptic barrages of death energy.

Boom! Boom! Boom!

Magical barriers shattered into cascades of luminous dust, peeled away layer by layer like an onion, making it appear as though Hela were unilaterally trampling Tolain, grinding him mercilessly into the earth.

Yet despite his wretched appearance, Tolain was no paper tiger; bolstered by a vast reservoir of mana, he continuously conjured fresh wards, barely weathering the storm of her relentless assault.

"This has devolved into a war of attrition, a test of whose reserves run deeper; though I am on the back foot, victory is not yet impossible—it all hinges on whether her ability drains her stamina first, or my mana runs dry!"

A spark of renewed vigor ignited within Tolain.

The True Name Liberation of his demonic lineage allowed his cells to generate far greater stamina; as fellow newly ascended Super A-Tiers, he was certain his species held an undeniable edge in endurance.

At that moment, Hela’s brows furrowed slightly as she recognized the same truth.

"Hmm... a battle of attrition works against me."

Her death ability wielded devastating power but demanded a heavy toll; Hela possessed few techniques to replenish her stamina, relying primarily on slaying foes to siphon life energy, and in a solitary duel, there were naturally no fodder troops to serve as her sustenance.

Having only recently broken through to the Super A-Tier, she had scarcely found the time to master advanced stamina cultivation methods, making her limited energy pool the primary shackle upon her power, with endurance standing as her glaring weakness.

Her eyes flashed, and with a shift of her hand, streams of death energy coalesced within her palm, spiraling into a vortex as she unleashed a newfound technique:

Abyss of the Dead!

A bizarre psychic ripple detonated outward, blurring the vision of everyone present as the surroundings abruptly warped.

Every spectator vanished, leaving each soul utterly alone in a pitch-black expanse, with only a faint glimmer overhead, as though trapped at the bottom of a fathomless well.

"Ahhhhhh—"

A cacophony of piercing shrieks suddenly erupted from below; hastily looking down, they saw only a void carpeted with translucent, ashen faces of countless creatures, spanning every species and visage, packed together in a suffocating, endless mosaic.

Each countenance was contorted in agony and sheer terror, mouths gaping and snapping shut to emit discordant wails, an ocean of faces stretching to infinity that radiated a profoundly eldritch horror, a sight that shattered the sanity of many onlookers and sent their minds spiraling into madness.

These visages were born from the fractured soul shards of those Hela had slain, their essence absorbed to fuel her growth, while the dregs of those shattered spirits settled and festered, birthing this abyss of the departed.

Suddenly, the wailing ceased as every pair of eyes locked onto them in unison, endlessly repeating a single phrase, tens of millions, hundreds of millions of voices layering into a colossal, resonant chorus that echoed with an ethereal chill.

"Become... one with us..."

In the next instant, countless tentacles erupted from that grotesque sea of faces, each appendage woven from pallid arms linked like chains, constantly merging, elongating, and thickening as countless hands clamped onto their legs, gripping with vice-like force and dragging them downward.

"Let me go!"

"Help, help!"

"Not there!"

An overwhelmingly authentic sensation of freefall washed over them, prompting terrified screams and frantic struggles from the crowd.

Then, with a sharp crack, the entire vision shattered into a storm of drifting fragments.

Many who had clamped their hands over their eyes hastily parted their fingers, peering through the gaps to find themselves exactly where they had stood, realizing the entire ordeal had been nothing but an illusion.

A cold sweat drenched the onlookers.

Yet the spectators had merely brushed against the technique's faint aftershocks; Tolain was the true target, and whatever unspeakable horror he witnessed left him completely catatonic, halting every motion as though his sanity had been wiped clean.

Looking closer, the crowd gasped to see a phantom silhouette protruding from Tolain’s body—his astral form, forcibly dragged halfway out by Hela’s telekinetic grip, thrashing in desperate rebellion.

Had a status screen been visible, all would have seen Tolain simultaneously drowning in a cascade of afflictions: Fear, Loss of Control, and Chaos.

Death energy carried a potent psychic attribute, granting Hela specialized means to assault the mind; Abyss of the Dead was a mental domination technique capable of wrenching a target's soul outward, forcing a psychic tug-of-war that temporarily severed their command over their own flesh.

With his wards left unreplenished, countless bolts of death energy slammed directly into Tolain’s physical form, instantly riddling his body with gaping wounds.

"Stop this at once!" Tolain’s astral projection fought desperately to break free from the Abyss, his eyes nearly splitting with rage at the sight.

That was his own flesh and blood!

Powerless to intervene, forced to watch his adversary mercilessly pummel his vessel into a pulpy ruin, panic instantly seized him.

Hela turned a deaf ear, seemingly resolved to beat Tolain into a bloody paste right then and there.

Witnessing this, Tolain’s courage shattered, and he shrieked in desperation:

"Stop, stop! I yield!"

He had only sought to pad his combat record, never intending to fight to the bitter end.

Hela narrowed her eyes, pivoted sharply, and unleashed a concentrated jet of death energy that blasted Tolain backward, simultaneously severing the grip of the Abyss of the Dead.

Freed from the mental shackles, Tolain’s spirit hastily snapped back into his vessel.

The next moment, tidal waves of agony crashed through every nerve, his mind left utterly drained, bearing the unmistakable marks of severe trauma.

"Wounds like these... will likely take years to fully heal..."

Tolain’s face twitched as he scrambled backward, simultaneously mending his injuries and keeping a wary eye on Hela, terrified she might press the attack.

Seeing this, Hela drew the death energy back into her body, fixed Tolain with a cold glare, and projected a frigid psychic message, blunt and absolute:

"Get lost."

The words sparked a flash of wrath in Toraine’s chest, but one glance at Hela’s indifferent visage instantly drowned his irritation in apprehension, stifling any urge to retaliate.

“Hela, is it? I shall remember you!”

Teeth grinding in his jaw, he wheeled about and took to the sky, making straight for the Void Spirit Cult’s armada.

To claim he felt no bitter regret would be a lie; Toraine had come seeking his maiden triumph over a Beyond Grade A, intending to use Ames as a stepping stone, only to clash with a formidable rival and become the very rung upon which another would climb to glory, handing them a legend-making victory on a silver platter.

The expedition had yielded nothing but a crushing defeat; his psyche lay battered, requiring years of solitude to mend, and the bitter irony of his failed gambit only stoked the fires of his fury.

Defeat was already sealed, leaving Toraine with neither the dignity to offer parting words nor the courage to utter threats in Black Star’s presence—what if the man actually called his bluff? Thus, he simply chose to withdraw.

The Void Spirit armada retrieved their fallen champion and executed a humiliated about-face before slipping into warp, their retreat executed with a practiced, almost elegant haste.

“You will not detain him?” Ames cast a sidelong glance at Han Xiao.

“He has lost; I see no reason to press him further,” Han Xiao replied with a shrug.

Toraine was a peculiar breed, weaving brazen arrogance with prudent cowardice, offering Han Xiao no pretext for further hostility; besides, the wounds Hela had inflicted would haunt him long enough, and the sheer years shaved from his lifespan alone constituted a devastating toll… Once the truth dawned on him, his regret over this day’s folly would be immeasurable.

With misfortune firmly resting on his adversary’s shoulders, Han Xiao’s spirits remained high, and he felt little inclination to harbor grudges.

Watching Hela’s gradual descent, Han Xiao turned to Ames with a smile and remarked:

“Word of this clash will spread like wildfire; before long, every major faction will learn that the cosmos has birthed yet another Beyond Grade A.”

“At last, it is your turn to bear the headache,” Ames murmured with a soft chuckle.

“What cause have I for headaches?”

“Heh. The moment you ascended to Beyond Grade A, you severed your ties and stood alone. What odds do you fancy now of keeping Hela at your side?” A faint curve touched Ames’ lips. “Ambition shifts with power and station. Do you truly believe you can bind a Beyond Grade A to your service by choice?”

“I would wager the odds at even,” Han Xiao answered noncommittally. “Even should she choose independence, our bond will mirror yours and mine—that of steadfast allies. In the worst of scenarios, we still gain a favorable outcome.”

Just then, a shimmering portal tore open beside them, and Austin emerged from its depths, a warm smile gracing his features:

“Black Star, my congratulations. Your lieutenant has ascended to Beyond Grade A, bringing the Shattered Star Ring’s total to six. I daresay Cisco shall be utterly despondent.”

“Has he not been languishing in despair for quite some time already?” Ames replied with a gentle smile.

After a brief exchange among the trio, Hela finally touched down upon the docking platform and approached; Austin’s eyes brightened instantly, and he stepped forward to greet her, ever eager to forge new acquaintances.

Hela and Austin were no strangers, yet until this day, the vast chasm in their prowess had reduced their acquaintance to mere recognition; now, at last, they stood as equals in discourse.

She offered a few curt replies, her demeanor as frosty as ever, but Austin took no offense; having laid the groundwork for future camaraderie, he took his leave of the assembly and departed in a flash of spatial displacement, the Arcane Sanctuary vanishing with him.

The idle spectators have finally taken their leave… Han Xiao mused inwardly, his gaze fixed upon the rapidly collapsing portal.

Only then did Hela turn her gaze toward Han Xiao’s avatar; after a moment’s hesitation, she spoke slowly, “Once I return, I wish to speak with you properly.”

“I shall await you at headquarters,” Han Xiao nodded.

He suspected her words would turn toward future paths, and for a companion who had walked beside him since the earliest days, such weighty matters demanded his true presence, not a mere proxy.

Hela gave a slight nod before turning away; she found little purpose in conversing with an artificial shell, for a cold construct could never match the presence of the man himself.

Meanwhile, within the administrative spire of Planet Azure, Bennett had been pacing in anxious vigil; the moment the dispatch arrived confirming Hela had repelled the invader, a heavy breath of relief escaped his lips.

As his eyes scanned the combat summary, the initial tension melting from his features slowly deepened into a profound, wistful gratitude.

Hela, too, had ascended to Beyond Grade A?

Did that mean their humble world had now given rise to two such transcendent beings?

What an astronomically rare miracle!

“This is a profound blessing upon Planet Azure!”

Bennett murmured in awe, his thoughts inevitably drifting to the old adversary who had shadowed half his lifetime, stirring a tempest of complicated emotions within him.

“For all the sins you committed, you old scoundrel, you ultimately forged two guardians for our world… and for that, your legacy is beyond measure…”