Chapter 681: Preparing for a Rampage! Another Ambush?
Every time he absorbed soul power to break through his limits, the life-threatening dangers and excruciating pain made him want to crush the Soul Devourer Sphere into pieces with one slap.
After all, the backlash from this power was no joke. Its danger level was even greater than when he was exiled to the Endless Void. A single misstep could mean starting over from scratch.
But every time he succeeded in breaking through and saw the terrifying new abilities from his newly acquired talents, he instinctively changed his view of the Soul Devourer Sphere.
For a moment, he didn't know how to describe it.
It was like Pandora's Box—full of endless temptation and danger. And yet, Sterl knew full well the risks, but he couldn't bring himself to let it go.
Right now, his greatest wish was to evolve his cheat ability and give this thing a proper test. That way, he wouldn't have to worry every time he broke through his limits, constantly on edge, wondering what kind of conspiracy might be hidden inside.
After a long, thoughtful look at the Soul Devourer Sphere, Sterl stored it away in his space. He then made a firm resolution: no third breakthrough until his cheat ability had evolved.
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However, the second breakthrough had drained him of 3,600 points of high-level soul power, and he believed the third breakthrough would require an astronomical amount of power.
He shook his head. There was no point in worrying about it. What would come, would come. The gods who once towered over him, untouchable and beyond reach, had now become mere cannon fodder in his hands.
His eyes shifted uneasily toward the Star-Bone Sacred Body talent. A sense of relief washed over him, quickly followed by excitement.
"Just as I thought, Soul Prison's Eerie Eyes can be upgraded through cheat evolution—Star-Bone Sacred Body can be too!"
Sterl said, surprised. After evolving, Soul Prison's Eerie Eyes had become far stronger, both in power and effect. He was confident that once Star-Bone Sacred Body was upgraded, it would have even more unexpected benefits!
But right now, in the depths of Hell, the time dilation was working against the cheat's ability to refresh.
"First, I need to handle this troublesome matter, scour the area for resources, and then I can focus on leveling up these two talents."
With that, he formulated a basic plan. The next step was to settle the score with those damned insects.
His mind shifted slightly, and the Law Barrier that had surrounded him quickly dissipated, revealing his figure.
The Will of Hell, which had been watching the Law Barrier intently, froze for a moment and stared at Sterl, who now stood tall upon the ground.
Although it looked no different from before, for some reason, the Will of Hell couldn't shake off an unsettling feeling, as if within Sterl's body, there now existed a weapon capable of destroying everything.
Not only that, but an uncontrollable sense of extreme fear began to rise within it, as though it were facing a natural enemy. It felt like, in the next moment, Sterl might devour it whole.
"What are you looking at?"
Suddenly, a voice filled with curiosity rang out in its ear.
The Will of Hell shuddered, a look of terror flashing across its face before quickly suppressing it. Gathering its focus, it appeared beside Sterl, bowing respectfully.
"Congratulations, Mr. Sterl."
Upon hearing this, Sterl gave a faint smile, then turned to look at the Will of Hell, his expression immediately darkening.
"Congratulations? What are you congratulating me for? Could it be... you've discovered my secret?"
His voice grew icy, and in that instant, the Will of Hell felt an overwhelming pressure descend upon its consciousness, like a little rabbit locked in the gaze of a fierce lion—utterly powerless to resist.
For a moment, the Will of Hell stood frozen, unsure of how to respond.
"Heh, just messing with you. No need to be so nervous," Sterl suddenly laughed. The pressure that had surrounded the Will of Hell lifted just as abruptly, and it was only then that the Will of Hell snapped back to reality. If it had a physical form, it probably would have been drenched in sweat by now.
Terrifying! Truly terrifying!
The creature before it, this so-called Sterl, had likely completely unlocked its own power. In other words, this mysterious demon god was about to make its full appearance!
Just remembering the immense pressure it had felt earlier—like facing a natural enemy—left the Will of Hell feeling powerless. It had greatly overestimated Sterl's strength, and yet, it seemed it had still underestimated him.
Such a terrifying demon god was something only rarely recorded in its ancient texts. Even if such beings did exist, they had been eradicated long ago, with no chance of ever resurfacing.
Not paying attention to the Will of Hell's chaotic thoughts, Sterl simply found it amusing. After increasing his strength and awakening his second new talent, he had once been wary and cautious of these mysterious invaders. But now, he was completely at ease, no longer concerned at all.
He had full confidence in his Star-Bone Sacred Body.
Now that everything was in place, it was time to show those damned creatures just how powerful he had become!
"Let's go, we can't keep our old friends waiting too long."
Sterl's lips curled into a radiant smile, but to the Will of Hell, it appeared oddly sinister and menacing.
However, Sterl didn't activate The Authority of Hell to open a portal, nor did he consume the remaining million soul power reserves to enhance his soul energy.
Instead, he slowly raised his hand and threw a punch!
The space in front of him instantly collapsed, and along with it, the barrier between him and the 80th layer of Hell shattered.
Even though he hadn't activated Power of Star-Bone or enhanced his soul energy, the million soul power integrated into his body was no laughing matter. His pure physical strength now was such that even a casual punch could easily crush a weak Divine Power god to death.
With hundreds of Laws fused together to create a Law vortex, breaking through the Hell barrier was a trivial task.
Just as he was about to step forward and descend directly into the 80th layer of Hell, Sterl suddenly stopped.
"So, this is Dimension Perception? Even across different Hell layers, in different spaces, I can still sense the malice."
Experiencing for the first time the Dimension Perception ability granted by his Star-Bone Sacred Body, Sterl's face showed a hint of surprise, but he quickly adapted to it.
With a slight shift in his thoughts, he focused and began to carefully analyze what his senses were picking up.
Inside the 80th layer of Hell, a vast web of traps had already been set. Under the influence of his Dimension Perception, he could even sense many powerful monsters hiding within the dimensional space, evading his soul detection.
He then tried using his soul perception ability. His soul strength had reached a point where it could easily penetrate through the world, but after carefully scanning an area, he found nothing. Clearly, these invaders had anticipated this move.
However, what they didn't expect was that Sterl could also master Dimension Perception, effectively eliminating any possibility of being ambushed.
Even though he had sensed a faint trace of danger, Sterl remained unbothered. In fact, he was eager to see just how much power his Star-Bone Sacred Body could unleash.
"Wait and die quietly. This time, no one can save you."
A cold glint flashed in Sterl's eyes. The plan he had previously discarded resurfaced in his mind. The reason was simple—he now had enough strength to deal with any retaliation from these monsters.
Without hesitation, Sterl walked inside, and naturally, the Will of Hell followed him in.
This time, there was no dizzying sensation; he only felt a brief flicker before he found himself standing in the 80th layer of Hell. This might have been one of the benefits of his soul's strengthening.
Just as he stepped into this layer, suddenly, countless waves made of silver-white secretion surged toward him.
As these secretions approached Sterl, they rapidly transformed into the same dark tendrils he had encountered before, trying once again to ensnare him. However, this time, the prison that formed was much larger and heavier, almost like a miniature world in itself!
In addition, numerous combat-ready mother bodies appeared, quickly surrounding him in what seemed to be an attempt to overwhelm him.
"Mr. Sterl, be careful, there's an ambush! These mother bodies must have been pulled from other Hell layers. I can sense that these are all the available ones they could draw out!" The Will of Hell quickly reported to Sterl.
But in that very moment, the prison had already fully materialized, resembling a pitch-black Heavenly Curtain, engulfing Sterl within it. The space inside was vast, like a continent unto itself, and the strength of the prison was easily several times greater than the previous one!
Immediately, spheres of gray energy formed in midair, hanging like floating lanterns, their glow clearly visible in the dimness.
Around him, there were no less than twelve mother bodies, and each of them emitted an aura far stronger than any he had encountered before!
Just by looking at their forms, it was clear that these were specially designed to deal with him, or more specifically, his state after having his soul power enhanced.
It was obvious that the forces behind these creatures had already realized that while the enhanced soul power state was nearly unstoppable, it had a time limit.
Among the twelve mother bodies, some were massive and clad in incredibly sturdy armor, while others specialized in soul attacks, speed, strength, cutting power, and so on.
If they coordinated, they might just be able to withstand Sterl's enhanced soul power!
Without a doubt, this was the elaborate trap set by the masterminds behind these insects, meant to either trap Sterl or annihilate him completely!