Beyond the Apocalypse

Chapter 1127: Into the Eighth Layer of Hell

A strong sense of urgency immediately fell over Vlad, Overlord, and the rest of the sovereigns.

One year.

That was all the time they had.

Conquering three entire Layers of Hell within a single year was almost impossible. Each layer was vast beyond imagination, containing countless fortresses, armies, and Devil Lords who had ruled those realms for millennia.

Even for the Six Sun Alliance, such a task seemed unrealistic.

However, after a moment of thought, Overlord’s eyes suddenly lit up. He shook his head and spoke with sharp clarity.

"We don’t have to conquer them," he said.

The others turned toward him.

"We only need to kill the Lords and take control of the major strongholds."

The True Depravita of Pride then turned to Odinvaldr.

"Normal Devils shouldn’t interfere with your transformation of the laws, correct?"

The Primordial God of Bloodshed and Battle nodded immediately.

"That is correct. As long as there are no Lords present in the layer, no one will be able to stop me."

A collective sigh of relief spread among the sovereigns.

Completely cleansing a layer of Hell might take years. However, eliminating its ruling Lords was a very different matter. With the strength of the Six Sun Alliance, such a campaign could be completed in a matter of months.

Of course, their schedule would still be extremely tight.

If they wanted to succeed, they had to begin immediately.

Seeing the determination burning in the eyes of the sovereigns, Odinvaldr nodded.

"I will begin spreading the Totems among your forces," he said. "When you are ready for me to transform a layer, simply call my name and I will appear."

He paused briefly.

"It will take me seven days to reshape the laws of each layer. If you wish to wait until the final month before calling me, that is acceptable."

Odinvaldr’s tone was calm, almost relaxed. However, as he finished speaking, his expression hardened.

"However," he added, "whether you succeed or not, we must leave once the year is over."

Vlad and the White Death exchanged glances before nodding.

They understood.

With that final agreement, both sides left the chamber and immediately set their plans into motion.

The Eyes of Sin on the forehead of the True Depravita of Wrath began to glow as three powerful figures emerged beside him.

Jormungandr.

Ouroboros.

Fafnir.

Each of these True Depravitas possessed enough strength to crush Devil Lords with ease. And since this campaign was a race against time, the more territory they could cover simultaneously, the better.

Using the teleportation formations the alliance had previously established across the layers of Hell, the sovereigns quickly reached the Sixth Layer of Hell before diving deeper into the Seventh Layer.

The lowest three layers of Hell were the most powerful of all.

The energy emanating from them was so dense and oppressive that it could suffocate ordinary Legends. The corruption within the laws of those realms was equally overwhelming.

However, this posed no problem for the sovereigns.

Not only did many of them possess Devil Bloodlines that allowed them to resist—and even harness—such energy, but their Demon Souls also strengthened their spirits against corruption.

When they finally arrived in the Seventh Layer, their eyes sharpened as they observed the landscape.

It was a true infernal world.

Rivers of magma and flame stretched as far as the eye could see. Within those burning currents flowed the tormented souls of the damned, endlessly cycling through pain and agony as they nourished the land itself.

Towering spires made from charred bones rose from the ground like grotesque monuments, forming gargantuan structures that pierced the burning sky.

It was a horrifying sight.

Yet the sovereigns did not feel fear.

Instead, excitement surged through them.

They could sense the incredible resilience of the layer’s laws. The sky and earth of this realm were stronger than even the most powerful Supreme Worlds they controlled.

This was a place capable of supporting trillions of inhabitants.

A fortress realm that could be fortified to such an extent that even Paragons would struggle to get in.

It was exactly what they needed.

And the thought of what might await them in the Eighth and Ninth Layers only increased their excitement.

Of course, that thrill did not last long.

Soon, killing intent filled their eyes.

Vlad raised his hand, summoning several portals that connected to different regions of the Seventh Layer.

By reading the souls of countless captured Devil Lords, the alliance already possessed detailed knowledge of the major strongholds and the locations of the ruling Lords.

Without wasting another moment, they launched their assault.

Hell had always been a realm of violence and slaughter.

But what followed over the next few weeks elevated that brutality to an entirely new level.

The forces of the Six Sun Alliance rampaged across the Seventh Layer, destroying everything that stood in their path.

And it was not only the sovereigns who joined the battle.

Soon, new Lords arrived on the battlefield.

Figures such as Altharion and Lancel, who had previously been responsible for large-scale terraforming operations, now turned their strength toward the war effort. With Odinvaldr taking over the task of reshaping the layers, their power was far better used in battle. Even the formidable Marshal Maximo appeared, leading devastating assaults alongside the other commanders.

More warriors continued to arrive as the campaign escalated.

The only forces that did not join the invasion were those with Brightkin Orkin that were stationed in the Abyss. Their focus remained on the demon realm, which was still too unstable to abandon.

Although Hell had become the primary objective, the alliance could not afford to neglect the Abyss entirely.

Not only was it another powerful stronghold, but the Demon Souls and Demon Bloodlines found there were vital to the growth of their warriors.

While the Lords of the Six Sun Alliance carved a bloody path through the Seventh Layer, the Primordial God of Bloodshead and Battle made his move.

Odinvaldr calmly began spreading the power of his Totems throughout the forces of the alliance.

An old man offering free power was normally the very definition of suspicion.

However, Overlord had already informed every warrior in the alliance that the Totems of the Primordial God of Bloodshed and Battle were safe. Because of that assurance, the soldiers of the Six Sun Alliance accepted them without hesitation.

Soon after receiving the Totems, they began testing their power on the corpses of the enemies they had slain.

The results were astonishing.

The warriors could feel the Totems growing at an incredible speed, strengthening their bodies and granting them a secondary pool of energy that could be used in combat. This additional reserve allowed them to fight longer, unleash more powerful techniques, and push their limits further than before.

The enhancement was immediate and dramatic.

Odinvaldr proved to be extraordinarily efficient. Within a matter of months, the billions of warriors of the Six Sun Alliance fighting across Hell had received his Totems.

And he did not stop there.

The old man also traveled into the Abyss, granting the same power to the forces battling in the demon realm. The warriors there welcomed the Totems eagerly, as the enhancements greatly increased their killing speed. Their bodies became so strong that many of them could overpower demons of the same cultivation realm using nothing more than raw physical strength.

Of course, Odinvaldr was not doing this purely out of kindness.

Vlad and Overlord understood that very well.

With every sacrifice made by the warriors and every surge of power gained through the Totems, the strength of the Primordial God himself also increased. The relationship was symbiotic: the soldiers grew stronger through Odinvaldr’s power, and Odinvaldr in turn regained strength through their growth and victories.

After the fall of Valhalla, such a source of power was something he clearly needed.

Finally, three and a half months after the arrival of the Primordial God of Bloodshed and Battle, the Lords of the Six Sun Alliance managed to purge the Seventh Layer of Hell.

The Devil Lords who had ruled that realm were either slain or captured. The alliance also seized control of the Infernal Monoliths and the major strongholds belonging to those who had fled.

Even if the surviving Lords attempted to return, everything that had once belonged to them was now gone.

Although the speed of the conquest was impressive, the sovereigns did not celebrate.

The campaign had taken considerable time, and their schedule remained dangerously tight.

Without wasting a single moment, the armies of the Six Sun Alliance marched toward the Eighth Layer of Hell.

Yet the moment they arrived, a heavy solemnity filled the hearts of everyone present.