100X Returns System: I Dominate the Age of Gods-Chapter 134. "Break the ..s.."

William noticed that something about him had changed.

The realization settled slowly, and unsettled him so much to the point that he did not want to acknowledge it.

But some parts of him liked it.

He was feeling a sudden wave of clarity in his mind, and the feeling was intoxicating in some manner he could not explain.

He stared at his reflection in the glossy pool of blood beneath his feet for a moment.

His own face stared back at him, his own heartbeats echoed in his ears.

Suddenly, he felt something moving at his feet as the william in the reflection came closer.

A smile appeared on the reflection’s face as its lips moved.

A ghastly voice echoed.

~~~"Break the ..s.."~~~

He heard a vague, low sentence in his ears.

William studied the reflection carefully and did not feel any fear, as if it were a part of him.

Actually, it was.

He then rubbed his eyes, which smeared residual blood on them instead of clearing his vision.

This time, he did not see the reflection moving on its own anymore.

William’s earlier outburst had vanished without leaving behind even a trace, as if someone had flipped a switch inside him and reset everything to a neutral state.

William slowly turned his head and looked behind him. The corridor was a slaughterhouse.

Blood coated the walls and floor, broken bodies lay scattered where his daggers had cut them down, and the air was thick with the metallic stench of death.

The bloodied daggers lay pinned to the wall at the front of the corridor.

Yet as he looked at the devastation, it felt strangely distant, like he was observing the aftermath of someone else’s actions rather than his own.

"What happened to me just now?" he asked with confusion, clearly undercutting his words.

[Okay, steady yourself. Take a deep breath.]

The system’s voice sounded calm inside his mind.

"Okay," William replied after a brief pause.

He nodded once, more out of habit than conviction.

He did not feel reassured, but he chose not to push the matter further.

Part of him did not want to talk about it, and another part felt that digging into it right now would only complicate things further.

So he suppressed the question and locked the feeling away for later.

He walked back toward Grimlock, who lay twitching on the blood-soaked floor. William withdrew his sovereign sword intent, and the moment he did, Grimlock sucked in a deep, shuddering breath.

The vampire coughed violently, his body convulsing as blood spilled from his mouth and stained the stone beneath him even further.

William watched him without expression. Once Grimlock’s movements slowed enough to indicate he was no longer in immediate danger of dying, William activated Luminous Embrace using demonic energy.

Soft light enveloped Grimlock’s broken form, knitting torn flesh and stabilizing shattered bones, though the injuries did not vanish completely.

As he worked, a thought that had been nagging him finally surfaced.

"I don’t understand something," William said internally. "If light affinity opposes demonic energy, then why am I able to use demonic energy to execute a light elemental spell?"

He paused briefly, then added, "Are there demons with light affinity in the abyss? I’ve never seen one, not even once."

[Using light element with demonic energy is impossible, host.]

William rolled his eyes slightly. "I am literally doing it right now."

[They are being forced to obey you, host.]

"Why?" William scoffed. "Am I the daddy of the universe or something?"

[Geez, don’t overestimate yourself.]

The system’s tone turned mockingly dismissive.

[It’s because of the great me that you can do what you are doing.]

William clicked his tongue in irritation. "Just say it clearly that you can’t reveal it to me. Why are you bullshitting so much? That’s not funny."

[Funny?]

[Do you know what’s funny?]

[You have the Beloved of the Universe talent, and despite that, you want to be its daddy.]

[Tsk, pervert.]

"At this point, just shut up," William muttered, ignoring the system’s rage baiting.

He shifted his attention back to Grimlock.

The vampire had managed to push himself up into a kneeling position, though his movements were stiff and labored.

His injuries were partially healed, but it was clear that Luminous Embrace alone was not enough to restore him fully.

William sighed faintly and handed him a few demonic potions, watching as Grimlock drank them obediently.

Once Grimlock was stable enough to stand, William spoke.

"Cover your injuries. Go outside and bring in Barash and others. Take over the base and force everyone here to accept the Mark of Slave."

Grimlock bowed his head and nodded without hesitation before rising to his feet and moving toward the elevator.

William watched him go, his thoughts already shifting forward.

Earlier, when Barash and Benson had enslaved a third individual, the system had immediately notified him.

That was when he realized something important.

His slaves could act as conduits, allowing him to expand his control without personally placing every mark.

Initially, William had planned to destroy the entire base and enslave only a handful of useful individuals.

Now, however, the situation had changed. If he could enslave everyone efficiently, then there was no reason not to do so.

According to Barash’s initial intelligence, the base was protected by countless layered formations around level 7 or even above.

Without Grimlock’s authority, entry was impossible, even for ascension-realm powerhouses. That was precisely why enslaving the leader had been his top priority from the very beginning.

With that accomplished, the rest would fall into place.

***

Celestial Army Headquarters...

In a dark, heavily warded meeting room, several powerful figures sat gathered around a large table.

Andrea occupied one seat alongside her guests who had visited her earlier, while General Marcus sat at the head of the table in a rigid posture.

The door opened, and Blood Rose entered with measured steps. She approached Marcus’s side, struck her fist against her chest in salute, and spoke without delay.

"General."

Marcus inclined his head slightly, granting her permission to report.

"Our spies have identified several major terminals being used for trafficking," Blood Rose continued.

She placed a set of maps on the table, each of which was marked with red circles highlighting specific locations scattered across the map.

Marcus studied the maps briefly before nodding.

"The Abyssal Extermination Division is preparing to move. I’ve already called for Damian. Let’s hear what he has to say."

Blood Rose nodded and stepped to the side at the back of Marcus, positioning herself behind his chair.

Marcus then turned his gaze toward the assembled leaders of the various races and spoke bluntly.

"So," he said, "are you all going to rush south and bring back your kids, or what?"

Raegor Babylon spoke resolutely. "I will rescue Sara. As for Kara, she is old enough to make her own decisions. That said, once I find out where she is, I will assist her."

His tone was calm now, a stark contrast to the rage and panic he had displayed earlier.

The Elven Empress nodded in agreement. "If I do not allow Seraphine to face danger, she will never grow. We know the children are heading south, so we will accompany you and ensure their safety beforehand".

The human leaders nodded as well.

Klaus, in particular, showed no hesitation.

His master had thrown him into fire countless times, and that was how he had survived and grown stronger. As a master himself now, he could only follow that same path.

The Titan Emperor voiced his opinion, "I want my heir safe. He is the bearer of a divine physique, and while I understand your perspective, I cannot risk what is at stake here for me. I have already mobilized my forces to search for him."

"We all want our children to be safe, Rominus, but we also understand that they need growth. We won’t let them die, since the time they reach their destination, they will only find ruins of their enemies".

Selena Sylvaris spoke with determination, "We just don’t want to hinder the process of travelling and dealing with minor dangers on their own way."

"I had already stationed some hounds to safe gaurd Leila, Ethan, and William," Emperor Aurelius spoke while nodding.

"Since they are in the group, that means the hounds are tracking them.

Everyone in the room looked at Aurelius with wide eyes. Lord Raven Claw spoke in surprise, "why did’nt you tell us?"

"They were stationed to safeguard the future of the human race, the fewer people who knew, the better." Aurelies then continued, "Since the situation has come to this, I thought I might as well just tell you all that I have my eyes on the group."

"Do whatever you want," Marcus replied with a tired sigh. "Just don’t interfere with my mission."

Andrea offered him a knowing smile, which earned her an irritated glare in return.

At that moment, the doors to the meeting hall swung open, and Damian entered with long strides.

His entire form was drenched in blood, his boots left dark crimson stains across the pristine white floor.

The sight drew immediate attention as everyone in the room frowned while turning their heads.

Damian stopped in front of Marcus and saluted by striking his fist against his chest with a detached expression on his face.

Marcus smiled faintly as he observed the reactions around the room.

He gestured subtly toward Damian’s blood-soaked appearance.

"Everyone, this is Damian Cross, Commander of the Abyssal Extermination Division. I doubt he needs any introduction."

"His purpose is already written all over him."