Chapter 511: Dead

"Boom!"

A terrifying roar erupted from the depths of the void, and an endless cascade of chains burst forth, moving with impossible speed to coil around Sura—who was still held by Wang Yu—and forcibly wrench him from his grip. A vast concentration of abyssal power and corruption swirled around the chains, coating Sura’s body in that same dark energy as he was dragged away.

"Let me guess: the reason your so-called third node has been forged is because of the Sky Mechanical City?"

Watching Sura, who had not retreated but remained standing at a point in the void within his field of vision, Wang Yu spoke calmly.

"Indeed. You don't seem particularly surprised. Is it some hidden ace or another factor that gives you such confidence?"

He offered an answer, not minding a few more words with Wang Yu. With the third node forged and the entity from the starry sky beneath the void brought under maximum control, Sura—or rather, the unified consciousness formed over the long passage of time—was certain that nothing on this continent could stop them now.

"It was easy enough to figure out once I had a hint, though knowing it doesn't change much. After all, I don't have any hard evidence."

Conversing with his enemy, Wang Yu took up a combat stance, his gaze fixed on the background behind Sura, where a chaotic, turbulent expanse of deep purple and blood-red flickered incessantly.

"Avia, I knew your hypothesis was right. There is something wrong with the Sky Mechanical City—the tower spirit, the incomplete database, and of course, the fact that the Utopia members emerging from the ancient ruins possess the general and even cutting-edge knowledge of this era. It all points clearly to this answer."

He spoke in his heart to Avia, who remained within the void domain. The girl had suspected the Sky Mechanical City for some time, and after she had shared her thoughts with Wang Yu, he had naturally come to agree.

"It is hard to imagine another entity in this era capable of providing such a vast repository of knowledge. While the other intelligent races on the continent would never dream of questioning such an irreplaceable organization, I, having grown so close to an 'outsider' like you, have every reason to be suspicious."

Avia replied with a faint smile. She had already retracted the powers of the Lady of Night and pushed the Tree of the Night Sky aside; such divine forces were meaningless in the coming clash.

From Wang Yu’s perspective, the conclusion that the Sky Mechanical City was compromised was easy to reach. He was not a native of this world and felt no emotional attachment to its history.

Thus, the sense of sanctity the world held for the Sky Mechanical City did not exist for him. He maintained a lingering skepticism toward it and similar institutions, his mind untethered by the guidance of the Utopia organization.

Influenced by him, Avia had developed the same ability to think outside the box. As a girl far more perceptive than Wang Yu in these matters, she found it even easier to spot the discrepancies.

Where did the Utopia members, awakened from ancient ruins, acquire such rich knowledge of the current era? The Sky Mechanical City, the repository where all knowledge converged, seemed like a likely source.

Furthermore, this explained why the city’s archives contained no intelligence regarding shadow organizations like Utopia or the Lightless Secret Sect. If one wished to manipulate the continent's perception of reality, controlling an organization with such high authority made the task both easy and feasible.

Of course, this was merely a hypothesis. Neither Wang Yu nor Avia could find proof, but they remained vigilant. In any case, neither had ever intended to prove it.

"Then, farewell. This power, capable of affecting the entire void, should be enough to kill an existence like you, which I still cannot comprehend. We do not have much time. Even this spirit sea, forged from a vast number of souls, is being distorted and corrupted by the entity we have just named the 'Outsider Demon.' Be erased, quickly."

Sura waved at Wang Yu, his words rambling as he expressed his—or rather, "their"—thoughts. As he was bound by the chains, he had already begun to merge into the massive spiritual mass that was currently steering the Outsider Demon. The one speaking to Wang Yu was, in truth, the entire Utopia organization.

"I never took you for such a chatty bunch. Are you lonely? When every independent existence on this continent has been devoured and merged into one, can they truly be considered alive? Or is it that, in reality, you are the only son of a bitch left?"

A chaotic, formless mixture of deep purple, blood-red, and discordant energies surged forward like a tidal wave, crashing against Wang Yu, who clung to his cubic domain in the void to anchor himself. Contrary to his usual nature, Wang Yu was quite talkative in the face of this enemy.

"We should have stopped debating this long ago. You likely think our actions are meaningless, but are the people and things you care about truly meaningful? You are such a powerful individual; your lifespan must surely be long enough to watch them pass away one by one."

"How will you face these friends who, in your eyes, are destined to become mere specks of dust? Or, when faced with a catastrophe so great that only you can survive, how will you protect them? Take this Outsider Demon we are utilizing—only by breaking and rebuilding, by carving out a pure future where these threats are purged, can we give them true meaning."

No longer constrained by form—no need for energy beams, explosive projectiles, or forged weapons—the pure power of the Outsider Demon completely submerged Wang Yu, who looked ridiculously small before it, even as "Sura" continued his response and questioning.

"I’ll play it by ear. What else? Don't give me a list of hypothetical problems. All I know is that the current predicament I’m in was caused by you bastards."

"Bang!"

The disgruntled retort echoed from within the domain submerged by the Outsider Demon's power. Simultaneously, a massive hammer, condensed from the power of the Chariot, pierced through the turbulent sea of energy, surging upstream to strike at the true location of the Outsider Demon, whose physical form remained elusive.

The two sides seemed to be speaking on entirely different wavelengths. Wang Yu’s previous words were merely to taunt Sura, devoid of any deeper meaning, while his opponent seemed intent on justifying its actions.

As for Wang Yu’s attitude, he had never truly agonized over the questions posed to him. He was not a man to look too far ahead; he only knew how to solve problems and eliminate those who created them. Utopia and the Outsider Demon were simply the next things to be dealt with.

Whoever messed with him, he messed with back. That had never changed. As for "playing it by ear," that was the only answer he cared to give after a moment’s thought. "Who knows what I’ll think then? I’ll do whatever I feel like doing when the time comes. Why waste time thinking about it now?"

"..."

Realizing once again that Wang Yu was beyond communication, the Utopia organization increased the output of the Outsider Demon’s power, preparing to execute this final threat.

As they had said, this power, which integrated all members of Utopia, was still being eroded by the Outsider Demon. They needed to absorb more wills to form a spiritual aggregate strong enough to suppress it.

"Hum!"

The formless entity of the Outsider Demon merely vibrated, and the hammer Wang Yu had thrown with all his might was sent flying. The power of the Chariot could touch the Outsider Demon’s elusive core, but it lacked the strength to truly harm it. The gap was simply too great.

"You are weak. You seem special, but in reality, can you truly pose a threat to the Outsider Demon? I am curious: you possess no corresponding true power, yet how are you able to affect it?"

The Utopia organization sensed something amiss. Wang Yu’s performance in the face of pure power was abysmal.

With his strength level absolutely crushed, the surging tide of power swallowed his form entirely. His resistance was negligible; the thrown hammer was like a final, dying breath, utterly meaningless.

"Ah, because I’m weak right now. But I’m also very strong."

The disjointed answer suggested the man had lost his mind. In the face of such an absolute power gap, he looked pathetic, making the aggregate consciousness feel a hint of ridicule. Was this really the existence they had deemed a major threat?

The mockery did not hinder Utopia’s actions. All power was mobilized with a single goal: to completely destroy Wang Yu.

"Hmm, so that’s how it is. Still need time to digest… might be… a little… too late…"

Within the sea of abyssal power submerging Wang Yu, a figure gradually emerged. Wrapped in the power of the Chariot, he struggled upstream against the irresistible force, muttering words of unclear meaning.

The matter constituting his body peeled away layer by layer as he fought the Outsider Demon’s power. Bone, muscle, blood—even his skull, reinforced by shattered meteorite iron—could not withstand the scouring. The Outsider Demon was simply too strong; it was a monster in the truest sense, achieving the most literal and simple victory by crushing Wang Yu with absolute force.

When Wang Yu’s form was fully revealed, he was no longer human. His skin and flesh had been stripped away, leaving only a skeleton. His internal organs disintegrated rapidly amidst the gore. His final words were incoherent, impossible to decipher.

The core of his life was finally erased. First, his stubbornly beating heart was crushed by the endless power, and then only his skull remained.

The reinforced meteorite iron allowed his head—even with his eyeballs disintegrated—to hold on until the very end. When the skull was finally shattered, the brain within was wiped clean in an instant. It was a clean death. Everything that had constituted Wang Yu’s body was cleared away by the Outsider Demon. In every sense, he was gone.

"An outsider who should never have stood against us. Farewell, then, to the genius who was always helping him. Isn't that right?"

The voice of the Utopia organization, seemingly tinged with a hint of sentiment, echoed after Wang Yu was completely erased. Wang Yu was dead, and his domain in the void vanished accordingly. Avia fell out, only to be met by the devouring power of the Outsider Demon, which sealed off every possible path of escape.