"So the Abyss has fully acknowledged me?" Void asked.

(Yes, host. You now possess the benefits that Rank 5 beings have.)

"Oh…" Void nodded. That was good. It seemed that devouring a multiverse whole, getting onto the Book of Creation—one directly tied to the Main Heaven—and all the things he had done in the past were the right choices.

"Right… and I created a new path for myself," Void added.

(Yes, host. Your plan—the Contract of Causal Debt—was a success.)

"Yeah… it was. The experiment was a success… meaning more and more Sons of Destiny can be cultivated," Void said as his gaze shifted back to the bound Sword Demon.

Once, the master of Shen Ye… and he had been brave enough to go against Void.

Impressive.

"So, what do you have to say, Sword Demon?" Void asked as he and the slaves surrounded him.

"There's nothing to say. Punish me as you see fit," Sword Demon replied, his eyes filled with tears.

He was once praised as the most talented being of his generation in the cultivation world. Yet Void's presence had changed everything. His arrival brought chaos and destruction.

What about his parents? Were they dead? Had the SEIDES claimed them?

"I have lost everything… my world, my disciples, my parents, and finally… my family," Sword Demon said as he looked at Linkir and the others.

They were the family he spoke of.

They stood with him. Protected him. 𝙛𝒓𝒆𝙚𝒘𝒆𝓫𝙣𝓸𝙫𝓮𝒍.𝒄𝒐𝓶

Nephem was like the brother he never had—always there, playful, disobedient, yet always trying to act cool.

Linkir was the respected leader, the one everyone turned to for guidance. She led everything.

Alayot was the brain, the mysterious one. He always seemed to know more than everyone else, constantly questioning why things happened.

Nyx was the executioner, often sent on critical missions due to her efficiency.

And Junnie… Junnie did whatever she wanted. Only Linkir could restrain her, and recently, she had become strangely obsessed with Void.

Sigh…

This was his family.

And now, because of his betrayal… he had lost them.

"So… should he be killed?" Mark asked as he looked at the bound figure.

Honestly, he was the weakest among them but not for long. Once he adapted to being an Aeron, his strength would skyrocket. After all, his origin was Chaos.

Still, he was curious.

What would Void do to a former subordinate? One who had served him for so long… yet betrayed him because of the pain Void had caused him?

"No, now death would be a blessing for him. We're going back home," Void said as a massive portal opened before them.

Even within the fitel, they could feel the heat emanating from it, clinging to their bodies. Instantly, they felt a sense of nostalgia.

Even Mark felt strangely drawn to whatever lay beyond the portal.

His mind echoed with a single thought:

Was this… the Abyss?

Among them, Void alone looked forward to where they would be placed within it.

The First Abyss was where the eggs of all demons were kept. Upon birth, demons were thrown into war, killing each other in a brutal struggle for survival.

The Second Abyss was even worse. It was now structured..Rank 0 beings fought endlessly, day and night. No friendships. No alliances. No intelligence. Only raw, chaotic instinct, unleashed without restraint.

The Third Abyss was slightly better. Rank 1 and Rank 2 demons coexisted, and the foundations of civilization began to appear.

The influence of stronger demons became evident.

Armies and factions existed everywhere.

Rank 3 demons in the lower Abyss controlled Rank 2 demons, and Rank 2 demons commanded armies of Rank 1s.

You worked under someone.

You joined an army.

Wars against planets, galaxies, and beyond were common.

Rank 3 beings were leaders, and in wars against universes...Rank 2 were commanders, and Rank 1 were elite soldiers. Meanwhile, the Second Abyss remained open, Rank 0 demons were nothing more than cannon fodder.

The Fourth Abyss was home to Rank 3 beings. They possessed personal armies composed of Rank 2 and Rank 1 demons.

This was where Void had once resided before leaving to attack the multi-universe of Dared, Caius, Hollowind, and the rest.

Now that he was returning…

Which layer of the Abyss would he be placed in?

And what awaited him there?

With that thought in mind, Void and his slaves stepped through the portal…

…and returned to the Abyss.

*******

Back in the Titan Realm

Kila had returned alongside Sun Wukong.

Of course, news of Sun Wukong had already spread far and wide. By now, the entire Titan Realm knew of him, his wild, unrestrained nature impossible to ignore.

"You have grown since I left," Kila said as he sat in his room, sipping traditional Titan alcohol infused with the cores of stars.

"Yeah, I have. So you're actually a big shot, old man?" Sun Wukong replied with a cheeky grin.

Hearing this, Kila simply shook his head and smiled.

"A little bit… yeah," Kila said as Sun Wukong stood up.

Within the room, he could sense artifacts radiating world-shaking auras.

He looked at them one by one, and with each artifact he observed, he was shocked by the presence it emitted.

"You know, I could help you craft your weapon to suit you even better," Kila said.

"Really?" Sun Wukong asked.

"Definitely," Kila replied.

Then

He caught Sun Wukong's staff.

"This monkey…" Kila narrowed his eyes.

Sun Wukong hadn't even hesitated before throwing his staff directly at him.

Did he trust him that much, or was this just Sun Wukong's natural behavior?

"You seem pretty trusting," Kila said as he examined the staff.

To him, it was a weak weapon but for a Rank 2 or lower being, this staff was almost mythical in level.

"You're a Rank 5 being. If you wanted to take it, I couldn't stop you, right?" Sun Wukong said.

"I told you I'm Rank 5?" Kila asked with a grin.

"Not that hard to guess, old man," Sun Wukong replied as his gaze shifted to a bead.

Within it, he could see worlds… universes… and even..

"Wow…" Sun Wukong scratched his head in shock. It felt as though his eyes had been opened to something far greater.

"I see. But aside from upgrading your weapon, I have something more to give you," Kila said as he stood up.

Sun Wukong curiously walked toward him and the two disappeared.

The next moment, they arrived at the edge of a pool with no end in sight.

The pool was filled with blood, glowing with a golden hue.

"This is the Bloodline Ascension Pool of the Titans. For us, it's a way to upgrade our bloodline. But for you and other non-Titan creatures, it is a way to obtain the Titan bloodline."