Beyond the Apocalypse

Chapter 1128: The calm before the storm

The Eighth Layer of Hell was the complete opposite of the Seventh.

The previous layer had been an inferno of magma and flame, where waves of scorching heat dominated the entire realm and burned anything too weak to endure its fury. Rivers of lava flowed endlessly across a blazing landscape, and even the air itself carried the oppressive weight of fire.

The Eighth Layer, however, was a realm of ice and silence.

As far as the eye could see, the only thing the Lords of the Six Sun Alliance could observe was coldness. Endless frozen plains stretched toward the horizon, covered in massive glaciers and jagged fields of frost. Yet this was no ordinary ice.

When one looked closely at its reflective surface, faint shapes could be seen trapped within.

Screaming faces.

The ice that covered the entire layer had been forged from souls frozen in a state of absolute agony. Countless spirits were imprisoned within the frozen structures, their expressions twisted in eternal torment, their silent cries locked inside the crystalline prison that formed the very land.

It was disturbing, but given everything Vlad and the others had already witnessed during their campaign through Hell, it was not enough to shock them.

What truly unsettled the Lords of the Six Sun Alliance was something else.

Silence.

Other than the cold wind and the faint howling of imprisoned souls, there was nothing.

The Eighth Layer of Hell was an enormous realm, vast enough to rival the landmass of a supreme world and capable of holding trillions of devils. Due to the density of its energy and the purity of its infernal laws, it should have easily supported several powerful Devil Lords.

Yet there was no one there.

Vlad frowned as he analyzed the situation.

He glanced toward the True Depravitas, and without hesitation they fused with him, allowing him to activate his Ultimate Form. The Quantum Eye manifested on his forehead, radiating an eerie glow.

In the next instant, the True Depravita of Wrath unleashed his power.

The surrounding Lords felt reality tremble as Vlad’s perception expanded across the layer. Space-time itself seemed to quiver as his senses spread like an invisible web across the entire realm.

He searched every mountain, every abyss, every fortress, and every frozen sea.

The process took nearly an hour.

When Vlad finally opened his eyes, he looked toward the Sovereigns and the assembled Lords with an unsettling expression.

"This is not like the Third Layer, where they were hiding and waiting to strike," he said slowly. "There is no one here."

The absence of enemies should have been good news.

Instead, it made the situation even more disturbing.

It was understandable that some Devil Lords might flee rather than face the overwhelming might of the Six Sun Alliance. But for every single one of them to abandon the layer completely was far too strange.

Something was wrong.

Yet for the moment, there was no clear answer.

Vlad remained in his Ultimate Form as he turned toward the White Death. The latter gave a solemn nod and sharpened his focus. Whatever was happening, danger could appear at any moment, and they had to remain prepared.

"Take control of the main stronghold," Vlad ordered. "Secure as much Origin Power as possible without damaging the foundation of the layer. We must be ready for anything."

The commands of the Xoas King spread through the assembled Lords, and they immediately moved into action.

With no resistance to slow them down, the conquest of the Eighth Layer proceeded rapidly. Within only a few weeks, the forces of the Six Sun Alliance had secured the entire realm—far faster than their campaign in the Seventh Layer.

The Origin Power they harvested from the layer was immense.

It restored their strength, pushing many of them back to their peak condition while also enhancing their foundations even further. Their auras grew stronger, their laws more refined.

Yet none of it brought them comfort.

If anything, the ease of their victory only made the future feel more ominous.

Once their preparations were complete, the forces of the Six Sun Alliance gathered once more.

At the front stood Vlad, the antimatter doppelgänger controlled by Overlord, and the White Death—a trio capable of unleashing power on the level of Paragons.

Behind them stood Merlin and Ankil, two Limit-Rank Lords who had already placed a foot in the Paragon realm, followed by Altharion and Lancel.

Next came Marshal Maximo and Spartacus. Though they had not been Lords for long, their laws made them terrifyingly destructive combatants.

Finally, five more Lords stood with them—renowned figures across the Six Sun Alliance. Each of them had once been a Superior Legend who had played a crucial role in the fall of the Vorometallicae Race and had later broken through their limits during the brutal campaigns across Hell.

Three Paragon-tier warriors.

Two Limit-Rank Sovereigns.

Seven powerful Lords capable of defeating Devil Lords without difficulty.

It was an astonishing force—the kind of power that could roam the universe freely without fear.

And yet every one of them felt tension tighten their hearts as their eyes drifted toward the Ninth Layer of Hell.

The pressure of the coming battle was overwhelming.

Vlad had already attempted to spy on the situation beyond the barrier separating the layers. But space-time itself had been sealed, and every drone sent by Overlord had been destroyed before it could report any information.

Charging blindly into the unknown was unwise.

Fortunately, they had another option.

The Longinus Spear appeared in Vlad’s hand, radiating a terrifying power capable of piercing existence itself. After the destruction of the Quietus Sword during the battle against Baal, the divine spear had become his primary weapon.

In the Antimatter Doppelgänger’s grip appeared Excalibur and Durendal, forming a perfect balance between overwhelming offense and supreme defense.

The White Death summoned no weapon.

Instead, the flames surrounding his fists condensed into blazing plasma, compressed by an immense gravitational force.

The three warriors exchanged a final nod.

Then their power exploded.

With a simultaneous roar of energy, they unleashed their attacks toward the deepest point of the Eighth Layer of Hell, tearing open the path to the final realm below.