Asher enjoyed the demon's obsession with battle — his refusal to give up, no matter how outmatched — and thus decided to seal away his divinity for this fight. Instead, he would rely solely on the inherent demonic energy of a demon.
So began a battle between the two that would last for several days.
Though Asher had significantly restrained himself by not using his divine powers, and was physically weaker than his opponent, he still triumphed through superior technique and combat experience. As a former Awakened who had fought tirelessly in a twenty-year-long war against monsters, this was no surprise.
The newly born demon, though full of potential and strength, still had to learn how to properly use it. In terms of technique, he was clearly inferior.
The battle finally ended after more than a week, and unsurprisingly, the victor was Asher.
For demons — born to fight, needing no food and incapable of dying — it was no shock that such fights could last days, weeks, or even months.
However, Asher was far more exhausted and worn out than he had expected. Who could have guessed that this insane demon would keep getting up, again and again, even after being knocked down dozens of times? He was truly the peak of stubbornness.
"Haaah… haaah…" Kyros lay on the ground, stretched out, breathing heavily and completely spent. His body was covered in cuts and injuries from the long fight. Violet blood oozed from multiple natural and unnatural openings, soaking the grey earth beneath him.
Asher, meanwhile, sat on a chopped tree trunk nearby. He too was too drained to stand, but much calmer. He silently observed his former foe while resting.
"W-why… why did you hold back?" Kyros clenched his teeth once he had enough strength to speak again. The first thing he did was question Asher.
He had sensed from the start — after Asher first effortlessly knocked him down — that Asher was no longer using his full power.
Hearing this, Asher couldn't help but chuckle and furrow his brow in amusement and confusion. Instead of being angry about losing, Kyros was actually upset that his opponent hadn't gone all out. That seemed to wound his pride more than defeat itself.
"Haha~ You're a funny one. Why did I hold back? I didn't. I fought with the same power as yours — that of a newborn demon. If I had used my true power, you would've turned to dust the moment the fight began. But I didn't fight to win."
"What?! What do you mean, you didn't fight to win — when you won anyway?!" Kyros shouted in disbelief.
"I was simply searching for a worthy opponent. That's all. Until next time…"
Without further explanation, Asher left Kyros with those cryptic words and vanished on the spot. He had no interest in explaining himself to a mere demon or justifying his reasons. He wasn't responsible for teaching a newborn anything or easing his confusion.
Having left him behind at the cliff, Asher reappeared not far away — atop another mountain peak — still in his demon form, and looked around thoughtfully.
Hm~ I think I'll stay here for a while. After a battle, one always sees their flaws most clearly. I feel like I can better harness my divinity if I first master other kinds of power, like demonic energy…
He considered whether to leave hell or remain for some time longer. Eventually, he decided to continue living in the Endless War Hell as a demon — to train and test his strength further.
When Asher received his divine title as the God of Doom, he was also granted a cultivation method and knowledge on how to use his power. Until now, he hadn't had a chance to properly test that method — and hell seemed the perfect place to do it.
As a Creator God who would one day have to battle other deities, he needed to hone his own combat strength as well.
Thus, hell presented itself as the perfect training ground.
But before diving into training, Asher applied time acceleration to hell itself — ensuring that not too much time would pass in the outside world during his stay.
At the beginning of his journey, Asher explored the new structure of hell, inspecting its different regions.
Since he had largely created the Endless War Hell using preset templates from the World Shop — saving faith points in the process — he wasn't fully familiar with the realm's layout.
Of course, he could have read its description carefully or scanned it with divine perception, but this method suited him better. He wanted to experience the realm firsthand, in the skin of a demon.
During his journey across the many strange biomes of hell, Asher challenged every demon he encountered to a fight.
Over time, more powerful demons began to appear and attract attention.
After just a hundred years, the first Noble Demons emerged — comparable to high-rank Awakened. These nobles, roughly equivalent to A-rank beings, formed their own legions and seized territories across hell.
A hundred years into his journey, Asher began throwing himself into these fights in earnest. He faced one opponent after another — sometimes several at once — and dominated most of them with superior technique and rising power.
But that didn't last. Eventually, he lost — for the first time — to a Noble Demon whose demonic power vastly surpassed his own.
As a newborn demon, Asher had to increase his demonic strength just like other demons or Awakened did with mana.
But this growth only came through combat — a unique feature of demonic power, which could only grow through destructive battles and intense emotions.
So Asher plunged himself into endless, brutal fights. Years, decades, centuries passed as he battled hell's inhabitants.
After 150 years of training, Asher finally reached the level of a Baron — a low-ranking Noble Demon — without ever using his divine power.
But the endless battle continued.
After 500 years, the first Duke-class demon finally emerged in hell. Ranked third-highest among demons, just below Princes and Kings, his power far outclassed even high-rank Awakened.
That new Duke was a familiar face: Yaksha — the demon who, 500 years prior, had crushed two men's skulls barehanded amidst a swarm of damned souls.
By now, Yaksha had become even more fearsome. Over ten meters tall, he exuded a suffocating, oppressive aura.
He was now known as Yaksha, the Duke of Desolation.
By this point, Asher had grown powerful himself. As a Count-level demon, he wasn't far behind.
His demonic energy and control over his strength had grown exponentially with every battle.
After exactly 1,000 years, he had surpassed all five Duke demons of the time — defeating each of them at least once.
500 years later — 1,500 years after the start of his journey — Asher decided it was time to end his stay in hell.
By then, he had reached the peak of the Endless War Hell and earned the title: Demon King of Doom.
With unmatched power and destructive might, he subdued all demons and spread terror as the Demon King of Doom.
There still existed a higher rank — the Seven Deadly Sins Demon Kings — but Asher chose not to claim one of those limited seven thrones, leaving them for the true demons of hell.
Moreover, reaching that level would take far more time, and his current strength as a true deity was already beyond comparison.
Even as a Demon King, he had surpassed the divine power of most deities — his battle strength nearing godhood.
So, satisfied with the title of Demon King, Asher concluded his training journey.
Upon leaving hell, he reappeared in the void of his galaxy, next to Renas — who stood on a floating platform at the highest point in the cosmic emptiness.
Thanks to time acceleration, only a few hours had passed outside, and Renas didn't have to wait long.
"Welcome back, Master. I hope your time was enriching," Renas greeted him.
Asher nodded. "Yes, it was worth it. But tell me — don't my accomplishments transfer to my current self? Or are they limited to use only in hell?"
Still in his demonic form, Asher had a few things to clarify before returning to Gaia, the mortal world.
"Confirmed. While you were in the Endless War Hell, you received several World Voice notifications. I took the liberty of muting them, so as not to disturb you. Would you like me to play them now?"
Asher raised an eyebrow in surprise. He hadn't expected Renas to do that — much less without his permission. But it didn't matter now.
He nodded, and the World Voice began to speak.
[You have reached the maximum amount of Faith Points. You have ascended from a 'Lesser Deity' to a 'True Deity.']
The first message stunned him.
He hadn't expected to gain so many faith points — especially after spending over a thousand years in hell.
But he brushed that aside and continued listening.
[You are the first demon in the history of the Endless War Hell to ascend to Demon King. You have earned the title: 'First Demon King.'][You reached one of the highest demon ranks by your own strength and earned the title: 'Demon King of Doom.'][By defeating over one billion demons, you have earned the achievement: 'Demon Among Demons, Slayer of Billions' and unlocked the bloodline of the 'Chaos Demon.']
As the World Voice finished, Asher felt it instantly — like a switch flipped inside his deepest being.
His divinity and faith points surged explosively, erupting from him like a volcanic torrent.
A mysterious power began to rise within him.
His body heated up. He felt the bloodline he unlocked in hell take root, fusing with his cells and evolving him to a new level of existence.
His demon form dissolved, returning him to his original human appearance — but then his heart began to thunder violently, as if hundreds of explosions echoed within.
Dark, ominous light burst from his body, plunging the galaxy into a momentary darkness.
Then, his entire form turned black and disintegrated into a chaotic, formless black mist — a swirling mass of power.
Despite his new intangible shape, Asher could still feel his body — now freer and mightier than ever.
"What… is this? Why has my body changed like this?!" his deep voice boomed like thunder across the void.
Renas observed in awe, scanning Asher from head to toe.
"Congratulations, Master. The bloodline you unlocked as a demon has now fused with your divinity — and evolved into the bloodline of a Divine Chaos Demon."