Beyond the Apocalypse-Chapter 1072: The end of the Second Layer

Ragged breathing echoed across the City of Unkept Promises as the warriors of the Six Sun Alliance finally allowed themselves to rest. The battle had pushed them far beyond their limits, burning every last iota of energy within their bodies and souls.

This exhaustion was not limited to the Sages and Legends alone—even the Sovereigns bore the marks of prolonged combat against beings that ruled Hell itself.

Capturing Devil Lords was infinitely more difficult than killing them, but it was worth it.

A slain Devil Lord was merely a corpse. A captured one, however, was a treasure beyond measure. Their souls could be refined into supreme cultivation resources, while their bodies could be transformed into god-grade weapons, armor, or arcane constructs. Every Devil Lord represented power that could be reclaimed and repurposed, strengthening the Alliance for the wars yet to come.

Among all the fighters present, Vlad stood in the best condition.

Even the initial clash against multiple Devil Lords had been extraordinarily taxing, yet thanks to Jormungandr’s soul, vitality and energy flowed endlessly into his body. The world itself fed him, replenishing what was spent almost as quickly as it was consumed. His breathing was steady, his posture relaxed, and his aura remained sharp and oppressive.

Silently, the True Depravita of Wrath rose into the sky and came to a halt beside the White Death.

Vlad’s eyes narrowed. A dangerous, meaningful light flickered within them.

The White Death noticed immediately and responded with a silent nod, his expression turning solemn.

"I felt it as well," Vlad said at last. "I cannot say for certain... but there is a high possibility that another Paragon exists within Hell—one other than Beelzebub."

The White Death had not remained idle while the rest of the army fought. Throughout the battle, he had used every fragment of power in his soul to scan the surrounding layers of reality, searching for hidden surveillance, distant observers, or hostile consciousnesses lurking beyond perception.

And he had found something.

A presence that surpassed the limits of the Lord Tier.

An aura that did not belong to Beelzebub.

A deep frown appeared on Vlad’s face, but it did not last long. Soon, his eyes burned with unwavering resolve.

"These are terrible tidings," he admitted calmly. "But they do not change our course. We will continue to push forward. If we allow two Paragons to halt our advance, then we may as well surrender now and give up fighting the Alien Powers altogether."

The White Death gave a deep nod.

Paragons were terrifying beings—entities that stood at the summit of their respective paths—but Empyreans existed on an entirely different level. One of them led the Alien Powers, and they were currently on a journey to annihilate another.

Vlad exhaled slowly before speaking again.

"You should cultivate," he said. "The Devil Lords diverted most of the Origin Power of the Second Layer into this city’s Infernal Monolith. It was damaged during Heaven’s Gate’s initial barrage, but it has already recovered. I will remain vigilant and monitor any movement from Hell’s other Paragons."

"Thank you."

The White Death’s expression softened into a rare, genuine smile. He nodded once before descending toward the heart of the city.

At his level, ordinary energy was no longer useful. Only forces like Origin Power—primordial energy tied directly to the foundation of existence—could aid his growth.

Vlad took a deep breath and assumed a meditative position in the sky. Psychic power surged outward in all directions, forming an invisible net that enveloped the city and its surroundings. If anything moved—if even the slightest anomaly appeared—he would sense it instantly.

While Vlad kept watch, Overlord turned his attention elsewhere.

The Thiamatos larvae swarmed over the fallen Devil corpses, devouring every scrap of flesh and blood with ruthless efficiency. Once their task was complete, they released hundreds of metallic orbs into the air. These constructs scattered throughout the shattered walls and broken fortifications, embedding themselves into stone and metal alike.

Almost immediately, reconstruction began.

The city had suffered immense damage during the battle, yet it remained a Lord Tier stronghold. Under Overlord’s direction, the walls grew stronger than before, infused with infernal alloys and reinforced with formation arrays. Towers rose anew, streets were repaired, and the city’s defensive systems were upgraded beyond their original limits.

This city would serve as an excellent foundation.

A foothold for conquest.

A future center for the terraformation of the Second Layer.

Overlord permitted the forces of the Six Sun Alliance to remain within the City of Unkept Promises for an entire month. During this time, he fully overrode the Infernal Monolith’s core, allowing colossal surges of Origin Power to flood both earth and sky.

Every warrior was allowed to absorb as much as they could.

It was a miraculous period of growth.

Legends pushed closer to the peak of their realm. Sages stabilized their foundations. Even weaker cultivators advanced by leaps and bounds, their bodies and souls tempered by Hell’s primal energy.

When the month ended, the Alliance moved without hesitation.

Expansion followed swiftly.

Having already defeated the strongest Devil Lords and Legendary defenders of the region, the conquest accelerated dramatically. Most strongholds lay abandoned or lightly guarded. Resistance crumbled before it could even form.

In less than six months, more than half of the Second Layer of Hell had been claimed and secured.

Yet from that point onward, progress slowed.

Several Devil Lords might still be hiding throughout the layer. Though the Sovereigns could easily eliminate them, a chance encounter between such beings and ordinary Legends or Sages would result in catastrophic losses. To prevent this, every expedition group moved under the direct leadership of a Lord.

Fortunately, the next six months passed without incident.

No Devil Lord appeared.

This meant only two possibilities: either they had all been present in the City of Unkept Promises—or they were hiding with terrifying effectiveness.

Either way, it no longer mattered.

One year after their arrival, Overlord formally declared the First Phase of the Second Layer Conquest complete.

The other Sovereigns agreed.

Though the time spent was only half of what had been required to secure the First Layer, the Alliance had acted with extreme caution. Nearly eighty percent of the Second Layer had been dominion-marked and thoroughly scanned, revealing no threats above the Legendary Realm.

A month later, an interstellar teleportation formation activated at the heart of the Second Layer.

A massive portal tore open in the sky.

From it emerged two figures.

One belonged to the Dvergar Race. The other hailed from the Faerathia Empire.

They were accompanied by one hundred Legends and thousands of Thiamatos drones, their march disciplined and precise. Upon reaching the Sovereigns, the two figures clasped their hands together and bowed deeply.

"Father," they spoke in unison.

They bowed respectively toward Orkin and Brightkin.

They were none other than Prince Horin of the Dvergar Kingdom and Prince Akai of the Faerathia Empire.

Brightkin and Orkin wore wide, unmistakably proud smiles as they looked upon their sons. To be entrusted with the Second Phase of the Conquest of the Second Layer was no small honor—it was a responsibility reserved only for those deemed truly worthy. Yet both fathers knew that this decision had not been made lightly.

Overlord demanded far more than raw power.

He required wisdom, restraint, and the ability to survive when retreat was the only correct choice. His standards were notoriously high—borderline unreasonable—and many who possessed great strength still failed to meet them. That Horin and Akai had succeeded in earning this trust spoke volumes about their growth.

The moment Overlord stepped forward, the atmosphere changed.

His eyes glowed with an intensity that sent a chill through the two princes. Instinctively, they straightened, their expressions sharpening as they focused with absolute attention, not daring to miss a single word. The True Depravita of Pride did not raise his voice, yet his presence alone commanded obedience.

Just as he had done with Altharion and Lancel, Overlord meticulously detailed every step of the Second Phase. He explained where they were to advance, which territories were to be secured, and—more importantly—what actions were forbidden. He emphasized again and again that expanding their domain was never worth their lives.

"You will be needed in future battles," he stated coldly. "No land, no resource, and no victory is worth the loss of a Lord."

The words carried weight far beyond their simplicity.

Horin and Akai listened in silence, committing every instruction to memory. Only after Overlord was certain they had fully internalized his commands did he gesture for them to return to their troops.