After Vale's domination over the Demon Generals was completed, a ripple of fear spread through the ranks of the demonic creatures.
They felt the change in their Generals' aura…
They could not be mistaken. They had witnessed their leaders' fall from power.
Furthermore, the sight of the once-mighty Generals now bound to the will of an Immortal sent shivers through their malevolent forms!
Although they were demons and could slaughter humans without hesitation, they were still hoping to continue living and immerse in the pleasure of torturing other beings below them!
They were still afraid of dying!
This feeling couldn't be controlled at this moment since the Aura of the Demon Generals that could make them follow any commands had disappeared!
They couldn't help but think of escaping right now and let the Demon Saint handle this mess!
"Hmph…" Vale could tell what was in their minds, so he turned to the Demon Generals to order them.
Vale's command was simple and chilling…
"Cleanse this place of your kin."
The Demon Generals, Gorath and Zarvok, moved to obey, their weapons now turned against those they had once commanded.
It didn't take that long before the battlefield became painted with the blood of demons who fell not to an external foe but to their own turned leaders!
As Gorath's Hellforged Axe swung through the air, it found new targets in the bodies of his former troops.
Zarvok's demonic sorceries, once used to ensnare souls, now ripped them from their corporeal confines. The demonic creatures, who had anticipated a triumphant invasion of the Human Realm, found themselves facing an unexpected massacre!
Aaarrgghhh!
Vale watched the slaughter with a detached gaze, his mind already turning to the injured Demon Saint, Azzak.
A smile played on his lips as he contemplated the confrontation. The Demon Saint was also weakened, and if they battled, it would surely be in his favor as long as he aimed for their weakness.
'But that will be tough… A single mistake would kill me…' Vale thought.
With the experience he gained from battling a few Demon Saints, he already had an idea of how to deal with them. However, he was still suppressed and weakened at this point. He was only courageous because he was simply an Avatar. His death here wouldn't be his end.
However, Azzak had different thoughts.
"You---" Azzak, sensing the shift in the tides, chose flight over fight!
Before Vale could even act, he slipped away into the shadows of the Abyss. His retreat was hastened by fear and the pain of his wounds!
"What?"
Vale simply had no way of chasing the Demon Saint, as his movement technique was too mysterious. It was as if he was being helped by the Realm itself to escape from him!
Unbeknownst to Azzak, Vale's strength was already low. It wasn't even 20% if Vale would give an estimate.
The Will of the Abyss pressing down upon him had already reduced his formidable power to a mere fraction! It actually felt that the suppression had gotten stronger after killing so many Demons!
"I guess it's better that he escaped… I'm sure he can tell that I'm being suppressed, but he still didn't take the risk… He really values his life, huh…" Vale muttered as he might also sacrifice this Avatar if they really fight to the death.
With that said, Vale decided to help the two Demon Generals…
With the three of them working together, the job was done much quicker.
"Whew~ It's time to sit down… Come here, both of you…"
With the battlefield cleared and the remaining demons dispatched, Vale and the two Generals took a moment to rest.
The silence that followed was heavy with the weight of what had transpired. Demon corpses littered everywhere, but Vale didn't mind them…
Vale then turned to his new servants, his eyes were filled with the expectation as he wanted to learn more about this Abyss Realm…
There was no one better to ask such questions than these residents of the Realm itself!
"Tell me of the Abyss Realm…" Vale began, his voice echoing in the stillness.
"Speak of the Demon Lord and the 72 Demon Saints. Leave no detail to shadow."
Gorath, his voice now a hollow echo of its former glory, spoke first.
"The Abyss is vast, a realm of darkness and despair. Our Lord reigns with an iron will, his power unchallenged by any save the Saints."
Zarvok continued, his voice still sounding like an assassin hiding in the shadows.
"The 72 Demon Saints are the pillars of our society, each ruling over legions, each a master of their domain. They are the architects of chaos, the harbingers of the Abyss's will."
'Oh? Those Demon Saints are really powerful, huh…' Vale nodded as he didn't expect that those he killed before were actually some sort of mayors or maybe governors in this land.
He couldn't help but wonder what would happen to their territories once they died…
'Will they assign a new Demon Saint? What's even the requirement for that?' Vale mused.
Anyway, Vale didn't ask this random question for now and listened intently, his mind weaving together the strands of information. He wanted to hear all important information first.
After some time, he finally spoke…
"And the Demon Lord, what of his plans? What designs does he hold for the Human Realm?"
"The Lord seeks dominion…" Gorath rumbled.
Vale nodded as this was too obvious. He remained silent as he allowed the Demon General to continue.
"His gaze is set upon the Human Realm, and he describes it as a jewel he wishes to claim. The creation of the Rifts and the massacre of mankind are but the first step in a grander scheme, a plan centuries in the making."
Zarvok's eyes, now dim, flickered with a remnant of cunning.
"The Saints are his instruments, each tasked with a role in this conquest. Saint Azzak's return meant a failure of one of the plans, but the Lord's ambition was undeterred. The Human Realm will soon become the Abyss Realm…"
"Oh? Is he planning to abandon this realm? Is there a problem here?" Vale asked.
"I am not aware of any problems in this Realm, Master Vale." Gorath replied.
"I only heard through the conversations of other Demon Saints that the Demon Lord requires a stable realm that could control its might..." Zarvok added.
"A realm that could control its might?" Vale frowned.
"Yes, the Demon Lord gets stronger the more Realms he conquers. We have no idea how he does it, but that is what we heard from the Demon Saints."
This revelation was certainly alarming… If the Demon Lord had already conquered many realms, then its strength should've been unimaginable already!
"How many Realms have you conquered already?" He asked immediately.
"We're only about two hundred years old, Master Vale. We only witnessed two Realms being conquered. Prior to that, we had no idea… This Human Realm we're trying to attack would be the third."
Vale gently nodded but his smile faded, replaced by a grim line.
"It seemed that this Demon Lord will be a tough opponent…"
The conversation continued long into the night, with Vale extracting every secret, every piece of lore the Generals possessed.
Surprisingly, there were no other Demons or Demon Saints who had bothered to come and attack him…
Anyway, Vale obtained a lot of information from these two…
Knowledge was power, and in this war between realms, it would be the key to victory or the harbinger of defeat.
***
After Vale obtained as much information as he could, with the enslaved Demon Generals Gorath and Zarvok at his side, he ventured deeper into the Abyss Realm.
They traversed desolate landscapes and shattered ruins, there seemed to be plenty of remnants of wars…
According to the two, there were always powerful figures in each Realm who would dare to enter the Abyss Realm and cause havoc. However, they would still be killed in a few days after staying here.
Anyway, their group had also encountered other demons…
Vale's prowess with his Black Runic Sword was unmatched, and together, they laid waste to demon squads and legions that dared to challenge them.
On the third day, as they stood amidst the ruins of a demonic citadel, the air grew heavy with a new threat.
The Demon Lord, having taken note of the havoc Vale was wreaking, dispatched five of his most formidable Demon Saints to quell this defiant Shadow Immortal.
'They're finally taking me seriously… I wonder why they took so long. Are they too busy fighting the Arcanists of the Human Realm?' Vale mused.
The Saints were a terrifying sight, each exuding an aura of malice that distorted the very air around them. However, none of these Demon Saints were using their humanoid form!
They were in a grotesque demonic form which seemed to be a form that would allow them to release their full might!
Whom~
They descended upon Vale and his companions and didn't even bother to communicate! They were only here to kill!
Vale had to send the two Generals away as they would simply become a hindrance…
The battle that ensued was cataclysmic… Vale almost died several times if he failed to use his Presence Shift in time!
"I guess it's really too much, huh…"
Despite his skill, Vale knew when a battle was unwinnable. He had to escape!
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