Chapter 22: The Demon King's Reckoning
John Vance stepped through the smoking gap where the Citadel gates once stood. The Inner Citadel was a grotesque cathedral of despair: enormous halls carved from black, oily stone, illuminated by sputtering torches that cast long, dancing shadows. The air here was heavy with concentrated demonic power, thick enough to choke lesser beings.
The throne room lay at the end of a vast, obsidian nave. Perched on a massive, spine-ribbed throne sat the target: the Demon King, a colossal entity twice the size of the former Dimensional Guard. Its body was a jagged mass of iron-hard carapace and muscle, with four razor-sharp obsidian wings folded behind its back. Its eyes were twin pools of condensed malice, and its crown was forged from the screaming skulls of conquered dimensionals.
The King had been expecting him. Around the throne were gathered the Demon King's final, powerful retinue—ancient sorcerers and elite Royal Guards, their forms radiating true, high-tier demonic power.
The Demon King raised a clawed hand, its voice a deep, resonant rumble that shook the very foundation of the Citadel. "So, the scavenger has arrived. You have destroyed my army and devoured my general. You are an anomaly, Magus. But this is the end of your feast. No one consumes the essence of a King."
John stood utterly unphased. The intelligence absorbed from Krull gave him the Demon King's full tactical profile—his abilities, his weaknesses, and his planned portal location to Earth. John didn't reply with words; he simply powered his Ultimate Magus Armor. The Essence Devourer Sigil flared, a silent, terrifying declaration of intent.
Battle of the Universal Nexus
The battle began not with a charge, but with a complex assault from the Demon King's retinue. The sorcerers unleashed a unified blast of High Demonic Arcana—a dimension-tearing wave of pure corruption. The Royal Guards, meanwhile, teleported to flank John, preparing to immobilize him.
John met the threat with overwhelming, effortless mastery:
* Deflection and Supremacy: The wave of corruption slammed into John's armor. It didn't damage him, but his [True Magus: Universal Arcana] instantly analyzed the spell. He didn't just negate it; he reversed the spell's vector and amplified its power a hundredfold. The corrupted blast shot back, obliterating the sorcerers in a blinding flash.
* Kinetic Brutality: The Royal Guards, momentarily stunned, attempted to strike. John didn't give them a chance. He utilized his [Advanced Kinetic Sovereignty] to apply a force field unique to each demon's heart, collapsing their torsos into pulp instantly. The eight elite demons fell dead before their weapons could drop.
[EXP Gained: 1,200,000,000 EXP!] (Reflecting the high value of the sorcerers and elite guards)
The Demon King roared in outrage. This wasn't a fight; it was an execution. It ripped itself from the throne, its massive wings snapping open, and charged.
The King's attack was raw, physical, and brutal: a massive claw swipe and a torrent of fire that warped the stone floor. John met the charge head-on. He didn't just dodge; he used the opportunity to demonstrate his absolute dominance.
John's STR (over 1.6 million) was far superior. He grabbed the King's charging fist with his gauntlet and, with a terrifying display of power, instantly shattered the King's carapace and forearm bones. The King screamed, a sound of agony and shock.
The True Magus vs. The King
The King, realizing physical might was useless, shifted to its ultimate power: Dimensional Banishment. It opened a dark, swirling vortex intended to banish John to the void.
This was the King's final mistake. John had [Dimensional Sovereignty (Tier 2)] and the King's plan in his mind.
* Counter-Command: John pushed his will into the vortex, instantly wresting control of the King's spell. The King's planned banishment was instantly reversed and focused directly back onto the King himself.
* Extraction and Annihilation: As the King was sucked into its own dimensional gate, John maximized the opportunity. He activated the Essence Devourer Sigil to its absolute limit, a terrifying crimson-and-black beam tearing into the King's core. The sheer, immense power of a Demon King's essence was ripped from its screaming form, the process consuming the King's physical body utterly and feeding John's armor a truly apocalyptic feast. The beam lasted for a full, horrifying minute before the King vanished forever, leaving behind only the profound silence of the Citadel.
[EXP Gained: 5,000,000,000 EXP!] (Reflecting the near-universal threat level of the Demon King)
The Dimensional Quest Reward
With the death of the Demon King, the entire dimension suffered a catastrophic systemic collapse. The Citadel began to crumble, and the sky outside turned a final, terrifying black. John knew this dimension was folding in on itself.
The System, recognizing the completion of a multi-chapter, high-stakes dimensional quest, delivered the ultimate reward:
[Dimensional Quest: Annihilate the Invasion Nexus - COMPLETE!]
[Quest Reward Granted: Universal Attribute Bonus (x20)]
[Massive EXP Surge Detected! Commencing Level Ascent!]
The final harvest of the Demon King's essence and the quest reward triggered the final, massive power leap of this arc.
[Level 120 -> Level 200!]
[Level 200 -> Level 225!]
[Congratulations! You have surpassed Level 200! New Power Tier Unlocked!]
[Attribute Points Gained: 6 Attribute Points x 105 Levels = 630 Attribute Points.]
[100x Multiplier applied to Base Gains! Total Attribute Points Gained: 63,000!]
The raw data was staggering. John's stats had taken another enormous leap, cementing his position as a truly Universal force.
The Next Step
A new portal opened nearby, but this was not a chaotic purple tear. This was a smooth, silent rift of prismatic light, emanating a power signature far more ancient and formidable than that of the Ancient One. This was the gateway to the next, higher dimensional realm—a realm that would truly test the limits of a Universal Nexus.
John, his armor glowing with terrifying, contained power, took a final, deep breath of the dying dimension's air. He stepped through the prismatic rift without hesitation.
Status Update: Universal Nexus
| Category | Value | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Name | John Vance | The True Magus |
| Level | 225 | Surpassed the 200 threshold. |
| Overall Power | Universal Nexus (Tier 2) | Able to command fundamental universal laws. |
| HP/MP | 6,000,000+ | Reflecting the immense stat gains. |
| STR | 1,700,000+ | (Reflecting the 63,000 AP gain) |
| DEX | 1,700,000+ | (Reflecting the 63,000 AP gain) |
| VIT | 1,700,000+ | (Reflecting the 63,000 AP gain) |
| INT | 1,700,000+ | (Reflecting the 63,000 AP gain) |
| WIS | 1,700,000+ | (Reflecting the 63,000 AP gain) |
| LUK | 1,700,000+ | (Reflecting the 63,000 AP gain) |
| Core Skill | [True Magus: Universal Arcana] | Absolute command over all magical systems. |
| Armor Status | Ultimate Magus Armor | Integrity now well over 120% (Permanent). |
| New Skills | [Dimensional Sovereignty (Tier 3)] | Reflecting the intense battle and dimensional reversal. |
John Vance was no longer a terrestrial hero; he was a cosmic variable, ready to face the deepest, most complex threats the multiverse could offer.