The Ancient One didn't waste a second. With a flick of her hand, Locke was sent straight back to the Federation base, the transition so smooth it felt like stepping through a door rather than crossing dimensions. The casual ease of it made him click his tongue in quiet envy, because no matter how many abilities he stacked, that kind of clean, effortless teleportation still felt absurdly unfair.
Only after landing did the system notifications in his mind begin to slow down. The constant stream of chimes, rewards, and alerts finally tapered off, giving him room to actually process what he'd done. He opened the system interface, and the moment he saw the numbers, even he paused for a second.
He had gone too far this time.
The total demon death count had reached over a hundred thousand. Even with his expectations already high, that result still exceeded what he had predicted. He had assumed that nuclear bombs would be weakened in Hell and that the Hell Lords would be able to block a significant portion of the damage. That assumption had been correct, but even so, the final number was still staggering.
At the same time, the rewards poured in like a flood.
Since most demons started at the silver tier, he had accumulated hundreds of silver-grade gift packs, along with a decent number of higher-tier rewards. Among them were several diamond-tier gift packs and one king-tier gift pack, the kind that could fundamentally shift his power ceiling.
It wasn't perfect. He hadn't hit the five-star threshold, which meant he missed out on certain peak-tier bonuses. Still, it didn't matter much, because the achievement rewards more than made up for it.
The kill streak bonuses alone had granted him tens of thousands of attribute points. On top of that, he had unlocked two major achievements—Massacre of Ten Thousand and Massacre of One Hundred Thousand. Just those two alone were enough to make this entire operation worth it.
With a thought, he opened all non-achievement gift packs at once.
Power surged through him instantly.
A total of 5,698 attribute points dropped into his pool, accompanied by a flood of new skills and abilities. Things like advanced spacecraft piloting, demonic language mastery, and control-based powers such as electronic manipulation and fire control all integrated seamlessly into his system.
Most of those were useful, but not immediately game-changing. The real prize came from the king-tier gift pack.
Frozen Breath.
When activated, he could exhale an immense wave of freezing air capable of locking enemies in ice instantly. It wasn't just a crowd-control ability—it had lethal potential if used correctly.
He skimmed through the rest of the rewards, noting a large number of skill and ability upgrade cards. Skills weren't his priority right now, so he set those aside. Abilities, however, were a different story.
After a brief evaluation, he made his choices.
Dragon Energy: Explosive Energy was upgraded to Dragon Energy: Diamond Body. With a single surge of power, his entire body could become both superheated and hardened, granting overwhelming offense and defense at the same time. The enhancement to his physical condition alone was massive.
Next, Flight evolved into Supersonic Flight. His aerial speed now reached five to six times the speed of sound, turning mobility into one of his strongest advantages.
Finally, Breath-Holding Technique advanced into Breathless State. This ability drastically reduced any form of detection, including mechanical and electronic scanning. Combined with his other abilities, it made him incredibly difficult to track.
There were limitations. Some of his most powerful abilities—like Thunder Lord, Spirit Eyes, and Fire of Vengeance—could no longer be upgraded through cards. If they could, he would have dumped everything into one of them without hesitation.
Another small regret lingered. His kill streak had capped at 5,000 instead of reaching 10,000, costing him an additional ten thousand attribute points. Even so, the total gain still exceeded 17,000 points.
After distributing everything, his stats skyrocketed.
His strength reached 6,292, putting his raw physical force well beyond several tons even without amplification. His speed hit 4,000, allowing him to exceed three times the speed of sound on the ground alone.
Defense, physique, and spirit all climbed to 3,000.
At this level, a tank shell hitting his chest wouldn't do anything meaningful. Even high-grade explosives would struggle to kill him outright. As long as he survived the initial impact, his regeneration would handle the rest.
The only human-made weapon that could reliably erase him instantly was the very thing he had just used—nuclear weapons.
His mental strength was just as terrifying. Combined with his soul defense, it formed an almost impenetrable barrier. He even had a faint sense that if his spirit grew stronger, he might naturally unlock abilities like astral projection.
Then came the title.
Demon Slayer.
From now on, he would have heightened sensitivity to demons and exert a natural suppressive effect on them. Considering how many enemies he had just made in Hell, this was less a bonus and more a necessity.
But the real prizes were still waiting.
The achievement rewards.
He opened the Massacre of Ten Thousand reward first.
[Congratulations: Field—Mountains of Corpses and Seas of Blood.]
Locke frowned slightly. A field-type ability?
The system immediately fed him the details.
He could deploy a domain spanning several hundred meters. Within that space, everything bent to his will. Those he spared would experience overwhelming horror, collapsing under the weight of hallucinations. Those he targeted for death would be dragged into an illusion of endless slaughter, torn apart both mentally and physically.
Only individuals with exceptional mental resistance could withstand it. Even then, they would be weakened, while Locke himself would be strengthened.
The downside was obvious. The energy consumption was enormous, limiting the duration to just a few minutes.
Still, it was undeniably powerful.
Which made the next reward even more exciting.
He opened the Massacre of One Hundred Thousand gift pack.
[Congratulations: Divine Essence—Definition Power.]
Locke blinked, momentarily confused.
Before he could process it, the system continued.
[Defining power source…]
[Ding. Definition complete: Power Source—The Sun.]
He looked up instinctively, his gaze locking onto the sunlight streaming through the window.
Something changed.
A strange, overwhelming energy surged through his body, different from anything he had felt before. It wasn't explosive or violent—it was constant, endless, and impossibly vast.
Without hesitation, he shot out of the window and ascended into the sky. Within seconds, he pierced through the clouds, hovering high above them.
Sunlight engulfed him completely.
There was no heat. No discomfort. Only a profound sense of ease, like every cell in his body had found its perfect state.
He raised a hand.
Thunder erupted.
Hundreds of lightning bolts surged outward, far more intense than anything he had previously produced. In the past, he could only sustain a few such attacks before running dry.
Now?
He fired again.
And again.
Stronger. Faster.
But his energy didn't drop.
It remained full.
Completely full.
It was as if the output didn't matter. The source behind it was infinite.
His eyes widened slightly as realization hit.
He activated Dragon Energy: Diamond Body.
His entire body ignited with power, heat radiating outward as his form hardened into something nearly indestructible. Previously, he could maintain this state for thirty minutes at most, or ten under heavy combat.
Now?
There was no limit.
He pushed further.
The domain unfolded.
Mountains of Corpses and Seas of Blood spread outward, staining the sky in crimson. The energy consumption that once drained him now felt insignificant.
He increased the output.
The red deepened.
Then darkened.
Until the entire space turned pitch black, like a void that devoured everything within it.
Inside that space, his figure flickered across every direction—not due to speed, but because he controlled the domain itself. Space, position, and movement all bent to his will.
Even within this state, his Absolute Zero Domain remained stable.
He casually pulled out several bullets, crushing them into powder with a thought before compressing them into perfect cubes. Every action felt effortless, precise.
Only then did he fully understand.
As long as the sun existed, his power would not run out. As long as his power did not run out, his combat state would never drop.
And more than that—
His peak would continue rising over time.
He laughed under his breath.
This reward deserved its name.
Divine.
He made a decision instantly.
He would build a palace that always faced the sun. And the next time he fought someone, it would be at sunrise.
Because now—
He could fight all day.
Just as he was enjoying the moment, a voice echoed from outside his domain.
"Locke, are you in there?"
The Ancient One.
The black sphere opened slightly, forming an entrance. Locke grinned. "Want to come in and take a look?"
Her gaze sharpened. "What is this?"
He waved it off casually. "Just a little project. Nothing serious."
Her eyes narrowed further, and he immediately corrected himself. "Kidding. Just something I built. I'll shut it down."
With a thought, the entire domain vanished.
She watched him in silence.
Locke shrugged. "Good news though. I got stronger again. Next time demons show up, I'll smash them myself."
Then he leaned forward slightly. "So… about that borrowing technique?"
She shook her head. "To borrow power from demon gods, you need to master nine forms of advanced magic. You haven't learned them."
He froze. "You're telling me this now?"
She nodded calmly. "I didn't expect you to reach this level so quickly."
Locke stared at her, incredulous. "That's it? What about your promise?"
She thought for a moment. "I will fulfill it."
His eyes lit up.
She continued, "If I cannot, the next Sorcerer Supreme will. And the one after that. Until it is fulfilled."
He sucked in a breath. "That's not honoring a promise—that's passing debt!"
She didn't respond.
Instead, she turned and left.
Locke stood there, stunned for a moment before narrowing his eyes.
Fine.
If she wouldn't teach him—
He'd find her disciple and make them pay the debt instead.
…
At a hidden S.H.I.E.L.D. base on Earth, the atmosphere was heavy.
Ever since Nick Fury's death, morale had been steadily declining. Acting Director Maria Hill sat behind the desk, reviewing a classified project.
The Tesseract development plan.
Fury had been working on it for a long time, intending to weaponize its power. The goal was clear—create something capable of defeating Locke.
Hill hesitated.
She had always distrusted the Cube. Its power was unpredictable, dangerous.
But S.H.I.E.L.D. needed a win.
Right now, their primary objective was simple.
Defeat Locke.
And the Tesseract was the only viable path.
She made her decision.
Continue the project.
Inside the laboratory, the Cube pulsed faintly, a portal-like structure forming at its core.
Suddenly—
It flared.
Brilliant blue light exploded outward.
"What's happening? Who activated it?" someone shouted.
"No one!"
The energy surged uncontrollably.
BOOM!
The explosion ripped through the lab, and from within the portal—
A tall, gaunt, inhuman figure stepped forward.
....
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