"Heh…"

"You know I don't like those who sneak attack me…"

Hollowind's face returned to normal as his flesh regenerated instantly, healing in an instant.

Caius's eyes were filled with horror. This… this was the headquarters of the Federation, where terrifying Rank 3 beings capable of easily destroying universes resided.

Even some ancestors of the royal family, Quasi Rank 4 beings, were also here.

Yet this woman had managed to appear here unnoticed?

But was that even the important question? Or the fact that she could injure Ancestor Hollowind… didn't that mean she was also Quasi Rank 4?

"Tsk… how cocky…"

Suddenly, Caius heard a voice beside him and froze.

The woman who had attacked was now standing next to him.

At some point, she had already moved into the room and was speaking with Hollowind.

Hearing this, Hollowind sneered as he stood up.

"Have you decided to attack? Have you chosen to execute your plan? To destroy everything?" Hollowind asked with a smirk.

"You know… you should learn to shut your mouth. Besides, do you even know who you're standing in front of?" the woman replied as her appearance shifted into that of a young lady.

She smiled as a long spear materialized in her hand.

"Why should I bother remembering the name of someone who's already dead?" Hollowind replied as he stood up.

Dual blades appeared in his hands.

"Haha… you brat. So this is the strongest of today's generation? Don't disappoint me," the woman now a young lady said as she bit her lip.

Hollowind moved.

And they were gone.

Caius remained seated. Silence filled the room.

In front of him, only a hole through the wall remained.

Both Hollowind and the woman had disappeared.

Caius looked at his hand, which trembled as his vision blurred.

A terrifying realization formed in his mind.

"The Forefathers are going to destroy everything…"

---

Elsewhere…

Dared paused and turned back.

"Then why are you here?" he asked.

Azerak smiled.

"To kill you."

Dared raised an eyebrow, staring at the smiling figure in front of him. He could feel it, Azerak wasn't joking.

"Hm…"

Just as Dared attempted to move, he felt the surroundings grow heavy. His body was locked in place as Azerak appeared in front of him, walking slowly.

When they were only inches apart, Azerak spoke.

"A chosen one…"

And—

Blank.

Azerak looked at the orb with silver plating in his hand and smirked.

Without hesitation, he swallowed it and licked his lips.

"Thankfully, I found him first. My chances of winning this battle have increased," Azerak said before disappearing.

Behind him, Dared's body trembled.

His eyes bled as his body slowly fell, the restraint disappearing.

"Hm…"

Dared's body was suddenly grabbed by an arm.

"Dead," Jake said, looking at Dared's body and shaking his head.

To be honest, there was a lot he couldn't understand about this human race—but it didn't matter. He was quite pleased with how they destroyed each other.

Without hesitation, Jake disappeared with Dared and reappeared before a terrifying being.

"No matter how many times I meet him, this sense of oppression only keeps getting stronger…" Jake thought as he looked at Alayot.

Still in his scholar-like human form, Alayot sat cross-legged.

Both palms hovered a few inches apart as a small orb of light danced between them.

Around the room floated tiny marbles that constantly cracked and reformed.

They were being reshaped… and seeds that pulsed with energy were injected into them.

But no matter what, the marbles always shattered.

Above Alayot's head was a long, almost infinite string, sending tendrils into every marble, connecting them all.

Finally, everything settled back into the orb between his palms.

"What is it?" Alayot opened his eyes, and for a moment, Jake felt like he was seeing realities collapse, multi-universes screaming.

"I…" Jake struggled to speak, but by then Alayot's eyes had already returned to normal.

"Dared is dead. I sensed a being and followed him to Dared's location."

"I understand," Alayot replied calmly, glancing at Dared's corpse.

"Do as you wish with him," he said.

Jake nodded and disappeared.

As he left, Alayot resumed his work.

If Jake had understood what he was seeing, he would know:

The marbles were universes.

The seeds were worlds origin.

The infinite strings were laws.

The orb was the origin of souls.

Alayot was attempting to create a mechanical race with infinite lifespan and infinite potential but it was failing, something was still lacking.

Each shattered marble was a universe collapsing, universes with potential to evolev into a multi-universe destroyed.

"Hmm… what am I doing wrong?" Alayot muttered, unable to understand.

---

Back at the Federation…

"Brother…"

Cough…

Blood splattered onto the ground as a young lady coughed violently.

"RUN!!!" Lyssandra shouted.

At this moment, only her upper torso remained intact. Her lower body was gone. Both arms had vanished. Half her face was missing, leaving only exposed bone.

In front of her stood an aged man, who traced her face with his fingers, licking them afterward—her blood staining them.

Her torso rested on his massive rock, which presence alone seemed to collapse space around him.

Nearby, a young man with his back peeled open was fleeing.

This was Vaelen.

"Fuck… fuck… Caius… the Forefathers… they aren't saviors… they are demons…" Vaelen thought as tears mixed with blood streamed down his face.

---

It wasn't a grand battle or a heroic war like everyone imagined.

There were no screams, no declarations.

Only silent annihilation.

A quiet attack by the Forefathers that left the entire multi-universe in shock.

The Federation was struck first—but it didn't stop there.

It spread quickly to the other organizations as well.

---

At the Mercenary Group…

The number one and mysterious leader of the Mercenary Group knelt on one knee.

His eyes were cold, filled with unwillingness.

His chest was pierced by a long staff.

Across from him stood five beings shrouded in darkness.

Behind them lay mutilated corpses, each still exuding a terrifying Rank 3 aura—but all were dead.

Their souls and consciousness had been completely destroyed, leaving only their physical bodies and fading auras behind.

He was the only one left alive, a Quasi Rank 4 being who had fought against the five of them. Yet he had lost… and quite miserably.

Not that the five were unscathed, but he had failed to take even one of them down.

"You fought well," one of the five beings said.

"But a cub is still a cub, no matter its age."

Shiiing—

The staff was pulled out, and the man felt his insides burn instantly.

His soul writhed in agony as his consciousness began to disintegrate.

"I won't die like this…" the man said as he forced himself to stand.

His eyes burned with fury as he moved.

Boom.

The five stepped back—but only slightly. It was merely a final struggle.

The moment the man's foot touched the ground again, his life ended.

The leader of the Mercenary Group was dead.

And so were all the other leaders.

With that…

The first organization to be exterminated was the Mercenary Group.