At the very first step inside the Light Kingdom, the Lords understood that they were in terrain never seen before.

Buildings taller than skyscrapers loomed high in the air, their forms shimmering with rays, constructed from light, fire, and what appeared to be gold.

Simulated vegetation clustered throughout the kingdom. Flowers, trees, and plants had all been created by harnessing the nearly infinite power of the Sun.

The surroundings bore an uncanny resemblance to life rather than illusions created by MSAP-8.

Without a shadow of a doubt, if an unsuspecting mortal were to step inside the realm, they would mistake the place for heaven... until the lethal heat reached them a second later.

Since Michael was now traveling through unfamiliar territory, he had Devil shrink down again and settle on his shoulder. The less attention they attracted to themselves, the better.

’It’s so beautiful!’ Heaven’s Judgment proclaimed, the barrel of the double-shotgun gleaming in awe at the sheer sight before her.

’Even if it sounds a bit weird, I feel right at home here!’ She said, taking in every detail of the surroundings.

Devil scoffed.

’But of course, superficial beings like you only value outer appearances, disregarding how rotten the insides are!’ Devil replied telepathically, lest the others think he had gone insane, since Heaven’s Judgment was not yet able to communicate like him.

Heaven’s Judgment frowned.

’Can’t stand seeing me in awe at the sight? Quite the miserable existence you are! Not to mention, we all saw who truly was rotten to the core when you fused with Master!’

Devil laughed.

’At least I acted to save your Master’s life, while you were too weak to even reach us.’

For the first time in a while, Heaven’s Judgment was left with no way to retort.

When Michael had entered his Demonic Form on Venus, she had tried to reach out to him countless times, yet she had been too weak to make any meaningful change. If Nicole hadn’t pulled him out of his state, there would have been no going back.

Heaven’s Judgment hated herself.

She hated that she remained confined to simple weapon forms.

The fact that she hadn’t been able to stop Devil from fusing with their Master by offering an alternative...

It was all because she didn’t possess a real form.

The worst part was that she couldn’t do much about it.

Unlike Devil, who could move on his own, she was but a mere tool.

A weapon with personality, true, but a simple tool nonetheless.

Perhaps that was why Heaven’s Judgment felt so at home inside the Light Kingdom. Almost as if the time for a change was near.

"Let’s not linger needlessly in the open." Nicole suggested, taking the lead. "With our flying abilities restricted, it would be wisest to first take a vantage point."

With all of the cultivators being in the Lord realm, certain common tactics had been replaced with greater alternatives.

For example, the idea of scouting the terrain and remaining mindful of potential overwhelming threats was not a mindset that usually aided them when they were typically the strongest in every confrontation.

However, the hostile region of the Light Kingdom flipped that attitude entirely.

Like soldiers who had just started to cultivate, it was smarter to assume that everything awaiting them would be vastly superior to them and prepare accordingly. Otherwise, they might meet their demise before even managing to encounter MSAP-8, much less defeat it.

Exchanging glances, the Lords adopted a battle formation that left no blind spots and headed toward the closest tower that appeared high enough.

Remaining vigilant, they scanned every nook and cranny along the way.

A downside to the illusions of the Iskra Titan was that although their cores contained a certain amount of spiritual energy, it was hidden by a thick layer of light and flame that almost perfectly masked them from the Lords’ senses.

Because their instincts could easily be misled, the Lords opted to rely on their sight instead.

"Seeing us cower like this makes me appreciate how far I have come." Elina murmured. "I can’t imagine that most people feel like this when they are in our presence... it’s kind of terrifying."

Persephone smiled menacingly, the bottomless darkness in her eyes intensifying.

"Or exciting... I have long grown bored of everyone being too scared to openly challenge me. Hopefully, this Light Kingdom will prove to be a worthy challenge."

She paused momentarily, throwing a glance at Michael’s back, then licked her lips.

"Oh well, even if it turns out to be disappointing, I have a plan B."

They passed by a golden fountain that was spilling plasma in a graceful arc.

Reaching the opening of the tower, Francesca raised her hand, signaling everyone to stop.

She and Nicole moved to the entrance’s two sides, making sure there were no hostile enemies lying in wait.

Once the perimeter was confirmed clear, they stepped forward.

"Judging by the wide entrance, it was clear this place isn’t made for human size, but..." Noctis held his breath, his vision rising upward. "These steps must be at least a meter high, if not more... It’s quite bizarre."

"Less talking, more walking." Emanuel said coldly, proceeding forward.

Solomon nodded. "We can relax once we confirm there isn’t anything hidden at the top."

While flying was much harder due to the amplified gravity, the Lords got around the looming stairs by briefly infusing their legs with power, allowing them to jump high enough to climb steadily.

One of the benefits of traveling through a kingdom made of light was that there was no danger of the surroundings ever growing dark.

Following the circular structure of the staircase, they ascended, the faint echoes of their steps momentarily breaking the stillness.

"Aren’t we being too paranoid?" Rosalie exclaimed in a low voice. "We already neutralized the creature guarding the gates. The other illusions can’t be much stronger than that, can they?"

"I prefer to be a worried paranoiac than an overconfident corpse." Michael declared calmly, not halting his ascent.

Rosalie didn’t like his tone one bit. Due to her past experience causing her general dislike toward men, she was ready to retort until...

"We are here." Nicole signaled, reaching the top.

The Lords were several kilometers high, giving them a clearer view. However, even with their enhanced vision, they couldn’t hope to grasp more than a small part of the Light Kingdom.

MSAP-8’s territory was larger than the entirety of Earth’s habitable terrain, after all.

Persephone clicked her tongue. "This is going to be like searching for a needle in a haystack. It’s going to take forever. Where do we even begin searching for a Titan amidst this whole place?"

Her opinion resonated with the others.

Still considering their options, Michael glanced at the sister Lords.

Excluding him, they were the weakest among them since they were still at the Absolute stage.

"Elina? Are you okay?" He asked, noticing the pale color on the woman’s face.

His question caused everybody to stare at her.

"...Uh? I..."

She was taken by surprise by the question. Appearing disoriented, she placed her hands over her ears, slowly crouching and making herself seem smaller.

"I think..." She spoke barely above a whisper. "I am hearing a voice."