Chapter 35 back home, a disciple
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**"Back in one piece,"** Void muttered as he landed at the familiar Third Abyss. He smiled. He was home, and now Linkir had recovered, yet Void felt he was pushing boundaries he shouldn't be.
**"No place like home."** Void glanced upwards, avoiding Linkir's gaze.
**"Yes, master, your home is amazing but... but... master, your hand..."** Linkir stammered, a blush creeping across her face.
Void frowned at her, his eyes narrowing. **"What are you thinking about? Me and you? Pfft, never."** He slowly averted his gaze and faced forward, placing her small body gently on the ground.
**"That was close. So awkward,"** Void thought, a slight grin forming on his face as his hands wrapped around her, inevitably squeezing her slightly.
Linkir lowered her head, bowing in shame and disappointment.
**"So, system, what exactly did Asmodeous do to me? I can't believe he left me like that."** Void's expression shifted to one of confusion as Linkir curiously adapted to the gravity and heat of the Abyss.
(You are right, host. He used you as a beacon.)
**"Huh? A beacon? What's that?"** Void asked, surprised.
(Host, at Rank 2, demons can leave what's called a beacon. It functions like a GPS to track a world or universe.)
**"I see... so where is it?"** Void asked urgently. The thought of Asmodeous being able to track him through a beacon worried him.
(Host, the beacon has dropped. It was only meant for him to know the location of the Abyss.)
**"Oh, that's a relief. I was worried for a moment."** Void let out a small laugh, feeling the tension fade.
He took a deep breath, scanning his surroundings. Portals opened and closed, demons of various sizes marched around. The stars embedded in the ground remained, but the demon who had first introduced him to the Third Abyss was nowhere in sight.
**"I'm only one year old,"** Void sighed. Time had flown by. A year ago, he was just an 18-year-old human who had lost his parents and entered a game. Now, he stood alone, surrounded by cold-blooded demons with no sense of family.
**"But even among demons, where betrayal, hatred, and murder are rampant, we still have one constant—The Abyss."** Void knelt down, placing his palm on the ground.
**"Thank you... and sorry for bringing the beacon here,"** Void whispered.
The ground vibrated beneath his hand, as if the Abyss was responding to him. He smiled.
**"Hey, Linkir,"** Void called out.
**"Yes, master,"** Linkir replied, hurrying forward.
**"You're too weak to be of any use to me,"** Void remarked, his imposing figure towering over her small frame.
**"Master, I will work hard. My life is yours,"** Linkir responded with determination.
Void glanced at her, intrigued. **"Why are you so obedient? Was it the torture, or is it something else?"** He asked, a playful smile on his face.
**"Master... the torture,"** Linkir hesitated before sighing, her voice faint.
Void nodded at her response. **"Let's go,"** he said, turning to walk forward, with Linkir hurrying to catch up.
**"Fear isn't a permanent solution. She'll get over it eventually. Or perhaps she already has, and is only pretending. I wonder... when will you make your move? Will it be soon, or when we are both powerhouses of the Omniverse?"** Void's thoughts swirled with rising expectations.
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*Meanwhile, in the Hans Universe...*
An old man appeared with the rescued natives.
**"You did well. I'll send you back to your world now. Stay there,"** the old man said, and trillions of natives disappeared, each returned to their respective worlds.
**"So, how was it?"** asked a figure as multiple beings appeared.
**"It was going fine until a quasi-rank 3 showed up. I had to intervene,"** the old man replied, regret in his voice.
**"So, the world..."** another Rank 3 being began but paused.
**"Gone,"** the old man said softly.
**"And the quasi-rank 3? I want to see it,"** demanded another Rank 3, his breath uneven, his aura threatening to burst forth.
**"Not dead, but close. He took my attack head-on. I nearly wiped out his soul, but a portal appeared and swallowed him. His body is severely injured now,"** the old man said, placing his hands behind his back.
**"Alright, let's leave,"** another Rank 3 being said, and they all disappeared.
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*At a Multiverse...*
A massive structure stood in the center of a vast court. The building spanned light-years, with its full width unseen by the creatures observing it. At the heart of the structure sat an enormous throne. The throne's aura was powerful enough to collapse entire universes. Surrounding it were smaller thrones, each occupied by beings of immense power.
Sitting on the largest throne was a being whose figure seemed present, yet not fully in their reality, as if existing in another dimension.
...**tik... tik... tik...**
Footsteps echoed through the hall, and the discussion paused. A human figure entered, each step covering millions of miles. In moments, she reached the center of the hall and bowed. Compared to the colossal beings, she was tiny, like a speck of dust, yet all attention was on her.
**"My lord, the world I was stationed in was destroyed,"** the figure said while bowing.
**"How? What happened?"** asked one of the figures below the large throne.
**"My lord, our world clashed with a universe on the verge of evolving into a multiverse,"** the woman replied.
**"Ah, so that's how it happened..."** murmured another figure.
**"My lords, that's not all. A creature appeared and clashed with the Rank 3 being from that universe. Their battle erased the world. Following the rules you taught us, we didn't interfere,"** the woman continued.
**"You couldn't interfere. A universe like that would have Rank 4 beings, or even multiple,"** remarked another being seated on a throne.
**"My lord, the being that attacked... it's the 'demon' you mentioned earlier,"** the woman said, causing frowns among the figures on the thrones.
**"I see. You may leave,"** the being on the largest throne finally spoke.
**"Yes, my lord,"** the woman replied, bowing before walking out.
The woman was none other than the Hostess.
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"So they're here already. Much quicker than I thought," the figure at the highest seat murmured.
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**At the Auction House**
A naked figure lay on the ground, and above her sat a beautiful woman on a long golden seat adorned with embroidered flowers.
"Aah...," Ariya groaned, slowly standing. "Where am I?" she asked, glancing around at the elegant room she found herself in.
"Welcome, dear," came a soft voice. Ariya's body stiffened. She looked up and was mesmerized by the beauty before her. Even as a woman herself, she couldn't help but be amazed.
"Who... who are you? Where am I? Am I dead? Is this the divine plane?" Ariya asked, backing away in panic.
"Relax, my dear disciple," the hostess said, rising from her seat, her voice calm and soothing.
"You..." Ariya's words stuck in her throat as the hostess appeared right in front of her, her flawless face inches away.
"Girl, you must have some serious luck to end up with me. Consider yourself fortunate," the hostess smiled. Ariya watched that smile, her breath catching, only snapping out of it after a moment.
"I... I..." Ariya stammered, but the hostess gently placed a finger on her lips, the cold touch startling her.
"Do you want to become stronger?" the hostess asked. Ariya, her mind still racing with thoughts of where she was and what had happened to her world, nodded instinctively.
"Your father is dead, along with your world," the hostess said matter-of-factly. Ariya's eyes widened in horror. Tears welled up, her body frozen in disbelief.
"I..." Ariya began, her voice shaking as tears fell.
"It's alright. I will make you strong enough to fight back, strong enough to avenge your father," the hostess promised, a smile still on her lips.
Ariya blinked, her shock slowly turning into resolve. She might not know the names or the powerhouses responsible for attacking her universe, but the face of that huge creature was burned into her memory—she would never forget.
"I'll kill him," Ariya whispered, clenching her fists. The hostess smiled again, pleased. After all, Ariya's hatred was now perfectly directed at the demon who had destroyed her home.
"Good. Now, go outside. A servant will bring you clothes and show you where to wash up," the hostess said, turning her back as her robes swirled gracefully.
Ariya bowed her head, her tears still falling. She had fought with her father countless times, and now, he was gone. Her father, her last remaining family, was dead.
"Sob... sob... sob..." Ariya wept as she walked out. As promised, a servant greeted her and directed her to a large pool of water. Ariya, still naked, was too consumed with grief to even notice.
Placing the clothes on the ground, she slipped into the pool, her body still stained with blood. She sat in the water, silent and lost in thought.
"Could you leave me for a moment?" Ariya asked the servants softly.
"Yes, my lady," they replied and left the room.
As soon as the last one exited, Ariya burst into uncontrollable sobs. Her body shook with grief as she realized the full weight of her loss.
"Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaah!" Ariya screamed, her voice cracking. But no one could hear her—the room was soundproof. She curled up in the pool, weeping bitterly.
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**At the Abyss**
"Interesting," a voice echoed from a strange, ugly building. Despite its unsightly appearance, the building was constructed from the rarest and most expensive materials in the Omniverse—the ore of the Abyss, simultaneously the weakest and strongest substance in existence.
A figure lay on a bed, its body severely damaged. Only its head and upper torso remained intact, with its limbs missing and regeneration blocked by a powerful law.
"Aah, found you," the figure muttered, turning its head slightly. This was none other than Asmodeous's clone.
"Sigh, this will take thousands of years to heal," Asmodeous lamented with a weary smile.
"Do I really have to ask my main body for help? Sigh... well, alright then," he said, clearly disappointed. He didn't want to trouble his true self, but he had no other option.
Asmodeous's clone closed its eyes.
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**At the 6th Layer of Space**
A figure bound by chains floated in the void, its size indeterminate. Its shape constantly shifted, taking on the best forms of all races—male, female, and everything in between. This entity's eyes were closed, and it hovered in the center of a giant rune.
"I see... interesting. When I break out, I will pay a visit to this so-called Abyss," the figure whispered, its eyes snapping open.
Space began to collapse, tearing itself apart as the figure's gaze pierced through dimensions. The collapse reverberated from the 6th layer to the 5th, 4th, and all the way to the 1st layer. From there, the figure could see the remnants of Linkir's former world.
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Shout out to Teozin, ultraman and eternal void for the power stone.