Chapter 394: Mad God
"Who... who are you?"
Helen looked warily at the young man beside her.
Paine had just left, and if she screamed, he would surely hear her.
The suddenly appearing youth was none other than Li Meng.
Li Meng smiled slightly and took Helen's hand.
"Don't be afraid, Helen. I won't harm you."
Helen looked at the young man with confusion.
His voice seemed familiar, as if she had heard it somewhere before.
Wait, this voice...
Helen's eyes lit up with surprise and joy as she looked at the young man beside her.
"You... you are Silver Mask?"
Li Meng smiled and gently stroked Helen's cheek.
"Helen, I see you haven't forgotten me!"
Was this really Silver Mask?
Helen looked at him in disbelief, yet excitement filled her eyes.
"Silver Mask, how... how did you end up like this?"
Li Meng sat on the lounge chair beside her.
"Didn't I tell you before? It was a curse, and now it's been lifted."
A curse lifted?
Helen didn't know what exactly had happened to Silver Mask.
It seemed his purpose in traveling to the Saint Biron Continent had been fulfilled.
Feeling the warmth of his palm, Helen blushed slightly.
"Congratulations, Silver Mask!"
Li Meng looked down at Helen's belly.
"It looks like it's almost time."
Helen followed his gaze to her stomach.
"Yes, very soon."
"Silver Mask, how... how did you find me?"
Helen asked curiously.
No one except their family knew they had moved to Oka Village.
So how had Silver Mask found her?
Li Meng smiled but didn't answer directly.
Instead, he gazed at Helen's beautiful face and leaned in closer.
As his face neared, Helen's cheeks flushed red.
Her eyes flickered nervously.
She could feel her heartbeat accelerating.
She slightly parted her lips, wanting to say something but hesitating.
In the end, Li Meng kissed her lips.
Lying beside Helen on the lounge chair, he gently pulled her into his embrace.
Helen instinctively moved slightly to the side, letting him press half his body onto hers.
After a deep kiss, Li Meng finally pulled away, leaving Helen gasping for breath.
Their eyes met, and Helen's face was flushed crimson.
"Silver Mask, you... be gentle!"
Looking at Helen's blushing, slightly sensitive expression, Li Meng grinned.
He hadn't intended to do anything more.
But judging by Helen's reaction, she seemed quite aroused.
Half an hour later...
"Little one, take good care of your mother."
Li Meng gently stroked Helen's rounded belly as he spoke.
Helen was about to give birth, and he would never truly take advantage of her.
Helen blushed, her eyes full of shyness.
The child in her belly was their shared bond.
"Alright, I should go now."
Li Meng stood up and left the lounge chair.
The first Goblin hybrid was about to be born, and Li Meng was quite looking forward to it.
But he couldn't just stay here waiting.
Helen had her own family, and it was best not to disturb them.
"Silver Mask, will we... will we meet again?"
"Of course."
Helen blinked, and in that instant, the young man beside her had vanished.
She rubbed her eyes and looked around the room.
She was a Sword King, yet she hadn't noticed how he had left.
"Was it all just a dream?"
Helen reached out and touched her lips.
No, it wasn't a dream—the lingering sensation on her lips proved it.
She turned slightly and gazed out at the estate's courtyard.
"Silver Mask, just who are you?"
---
Dragon Kingdom.
At an altitude of ten thousand meters, a streak of white light shot across the sky.
"I didn't expect the Demon Clan to invade the Southern Continent at such a crucial moment. How frustrating."
Though the war in the northern kingdoms wouldn't affect the Outer Territories immediately,
if the Demon Clan truly swept through the Southern Continent, the Outer Territories would inevitably become their next target.
"What should my future self do?"
Li Meng's expression turned contemplative.
Now that he understood the vastness of this world,
and that other worlds existed beyond it,
his vision could no longer be confined to just this world.
"Xiao Bai, the Abyss is one of the ways to leave this world, isn't it?"
[No. The Abyss is a mysterious void dimension where beings from the main universe cannot enter.]
[In every world, Abyssal Demons are disasters akin to plagues.]
[They are parasites of existence itself, feeding on the souls of all living things.]
[Both Angels and Demons are actually the same species.]
[The only difference between them is how they acquire souls.]
[Abyssal Demons consume souls through slaughter, while Angels gather them through faith.]
"So the only way to leave this world is through 'ascension'?"
If he ascended, he would be the only one able to reach the Ancient Upper Star Domain.
But Li Meng wasn't looking for a solo journey to the higher realm.
[If one knows the coordinates of the Ancient Upper Star Domain, a teleportation magic array can be used to travel there. However, forcefully breaking through dimensions will trigger universal divine punishment. One mistake and you'll be reduced to ashes.]
"Then how does one acquire the coordinates of the Ancient Upper Star Domain?"
[If the soul leaves the body, the cosmic laws will naturally summon it toward the Ancient Upper Star Domain.]
[Once you reach the Saint Sovereign Realm, you can briefly separate your soul from your body.]
Saint Sovereign Realm?
Li Meng grinned viciously, his aura filled with murderous intent.
"Looks like I need to unify this world."
Only in war could he devour countless souls and grow stronger quickly.
Li Meng didn't know how powerful a Saint Sovereign truly was.
But he would push himself to limitless strength.
"I suppose I should check out the Demon Clan's battlefield."
The white light streaking through the sky suddenly changed direction, vanishing toward the north.
[Master, are you heading to the Demon battlefield?]
"Yes. If possible, I want to become the Demon God Emperor."
[Demon God Emperor? Master, you intend to conquer the Demon Clan?]
"The Demon Clan is a formidable force. If I can subjugate them, I'll unify this world within twenty years."
[Master, you may be strong, but you may not yet be powerful enough to make the Demon Clan submit.]
Li Meng smirked at Xiao Bai's distrust.
Although the Elemental Spirit skill was useful, the world-class skill "Mad God" was his true power.
He had never used this skill before.
But now, with the Light Elemental Spirit skill protecting his soul, he no longer feared the aftereffects of the Mad God skill.
Li Meng was eager to see just how powerful he would become in his Mad God form.
"Xiao Bai, let's make a bet."
[What are we betting on?]
"If I win, from this moment forward, you belong to me. I know a contract won't bind you, and right now, you probably can't return to the Temple of Life, right? Then become my possession."
"If you win, you'll gain your freedom. No matter what your goal is or what you want to do, I will unconditionally support you."
Li Meng wasn't sure what being a World Lord truly entailed.
But Xiao Bai was no longer one.
Over the years, Li Meng had sensed Xiao Bai using his life force to strengthen itself.
Yet, Xiao Bai had proven to be a useful tool, so he had turned a blind eye.
[Alright, I accept. If you can conquer the Demon Clan with your own strength, then I will serve you forever.]
Li Meng suddenly halted mid-flight.
"Xiao Bai, it's a deal!"
His light wings dissipated as he stepped onto the void.
With a smirk, Li Meng spread his arms.
"Xiao Bai, watch closely. Let me show you my true power!"
With that, Li Meng activated the Mad God skill.
In an instant, time seemed to freeze.
Even the sunlight stalled around him.
The next moment, crimson energy erupted from his body.
A thunderous screech echoed through the sky.
Then, the unthinkable happened.
Above Li Meng's head, space collapsed, forming a black hole-like fissure.
A crimson halo burst from his body, shattering space like fragile glass wherever it passed.
The once bright sky darkened, transforming into a cosmic abyss.
Though Li Meng's body remained unchanged, he was now wreathed in blood-red energy, his eyes glowing with a crimson brilliance.
"So this is the power of Mad God?"
Li Meng looked at his hands and casually waved.
Space shattered.
A rift extended three kilometers in the direction of his swing before stopping.
"Unbelievable!"
To shatter space with a mere gesture—
Even Li Meng himself felt a trace of fear toward his own power.
[Shattering space? This... this is impossible! Master, where did you get this kind of power?]
Xiao Bai's voice trembled in disbelief.
Xiao Bai prided itself on knowing everything about its master's abilities.
Yet today, it realized it knew nothing.
Ever since their encounter, Li Meng had never fought at full strength.
"Xiao Bai, you belong to me. I will win!"
Li Meng grinned viciously, clenching his fists.
Not only was his power overwhelming, but he also sensed something else.
Information about the world flooded his mind.
He saw Obenlo City.
Inside the palace, a man was engaged in bed with a woman.
The emotional fluctuations resonated with him.
It was Grand Duke Ferrandy.
And beneath him was Princess Angela.
"People are never what they seem. This is messy."
Grand Duke Ferrandy had always carried an air of righteousness.
Yet his private life was anything but noble.
If Duchess Katerina found out, she would be furious.
Unless... Princess Angela wasn't Ferrandy's daughter?
Their bloodline resonance suggested otherwise.
Shaking his head, Li Meng turned his gaze northward.
That direction was drenched in blood energy, filled with the wails of countless souls.
Compared to that carnage, Ferrandy's affairs were trivial.
Li Meng looked up at the fractured sky above.
With a flash, he transformed into a streak of blood-red light, disappearing into the void.
The moment he entered the broken space, the sky returned to normal.
The collapsed rift healed instantly.
------
Kingdom of Catemia.
Main City: Saint Odon.
"Warriors of the kingdom, stop them! Kill!"
A fierce battle raged outside the northern walls.
Heavily armored cavalry poured out from every gate, crashing through the shimmering blue magical barrier and charging into the Demon Army.
Beyond the city walls, the Demon Army stretched endlessly across the horizon.
In the distance, thousands of trebuchets launched fireballs like a meteor shower against the magic barrier.
The blue magical shield rippled from the impact.
"Kill! Kill! Kill!"
The charging knights surged toward the trebuchets.
Thunderous hooves shook the earth.
"Foolish humans!"
A massive figure observed the scene from the Demon Army's command tower.
The tower, fifty meters tall, provided a panoramic view of the battlefield.
A towering warrior clad in dark red armor sat atop the high platform.
His skin was crimson, and two horns jutted from his forehead.
A long scar marred his face.
He sneered at the audacity of the human cavalry.
"Wipe them out!"
Beside him, flag-bearing Beastmen stood ready.
A Beastman with a crimson banner stepped forward and waved it high.
"Hahaha! Warg Riders, charge!"
From the Demon frontlines, a horde of Beastmen Warg Riders surged forward.
Thousands of them, wielding massive blades, howled as they advanced.
Unlike human cavalry, their wolf mounts made little noise.
Yet their sheer numbers and speed formed an overwhelming tide crashing toward the knights.
"It's the Demon Warg Riders! We must stop them!"
A figure in silver armor stood atop the city walls.
Despite his youth—barely thirty—he wore a crown.
With his royal sword raised, he pointed forward.
"Battle Mages, attack the Warg Riders!"
At his command, the city's Battle Mages began chanting.
Thousands of magical flows connected to the magic barrier.
Runic formations shimmered in vibrant hues.
Fireballs, ice arrows, and wind blades erupted forth.
A dazzling array of elemental magic rained down upon the Warg Riders.
"Magic! Human magic!"
Explosions tore through the ranks of the Demon cavalry.
Ice spears impaled riders, while fiery blasts sent wolf mounts howling in agony.
Mushroom clouds of flame erupted across the battlefield.
Severed limbs and charred corpses littered the ground.
Still, the surviving Warg Riders pressed forward, their bloodthirsty howls echoing.
"Damn humans! Kill them all!"
Magic had thinned their numbers but failed to break their charge.
The battlefield descended into chaos as human knights and Warg Riders clashed in a brutal melee.