Chapter 802

【 CORE OF THE FIRST LAYER 】

—

Near the center of the First Layer of Hell.

Holy, ethereal hymns mingled with the howls of demons. On the ground, millions of abyssal forces clashed against the army of Einherjars clad in radiant light.

This was the second battlefield within the First Layer of Hell, created after the Demon’s complete failure to invade the world of Seigües. Demon Lords’ Mammon and Belial had personally led the remaining main forces of the Abyss to establish this front.

It was precisely because of the existence of this second battlefield that the actions of the True Gods had been greatly delayed.

Unlike the army of Einherjars on the other front, which was steadily advancing closer and closer toward the depths of the Abyss, the heavenly forces here were continuously forced into retreat under the relentless assault of the Abyssal army.

Given enough time, this region of Hell, which had once been occupied by the forces of the gods, would likely return to the control of the demons.

In other words, the situation on this battlefield was extremely favorable for the Abyssal army.

Even the two Demon Lords could faintly sense that the gods were beginning to withdraw.

However, at this moment, the two Demon Lords showed no trace of excitement. Instead, their expressions grew darker and darker.

“Hmph, is she looking down on our army? She actually dared to teleport troops into the depths of Hell at a time like this? How many people could she possibly send? Is the Goddess of Life trying to launch a direct attack from the center?”

The Third Demon Lord, Mammon, sneered.

“How could the Goddess of Life directly locate the coordinates of the First Layer? No… how did she know that each layers of Hell could locate each other without a Demon Lord controlling them?”

The Fourth Demon Lord, Belial, had a look of uncertainty and suspicion.

“Hah, how else could she know? She must have learned it from those Abyssal Myths she captured. It might even have been Samael or Azazel who told her! Otherwise, how could she possibly know the exact coordinates of the First Layer of Hell?”

Mammon snorted.

But the moment he finished speaking, the two Demon Lords suddenly froze as if they realized something…

The two looked at each other, and from each other’s eyes, they saw a trace of shock and anger.

“Not good—That idiot Azazel must’ve told her!”

“That bastard must have revealed the location of his origin core to the Goddess of Life! His core is probably near the place where the Goddess of Life appeared!”

“The Goddess of Life… Did she really came here for the core of the First Layer!?”

“We must stop her at all cost!”

After saying this, the two Demon Lords simultaneously flew into the sky. They first glanced at each other cautiously, then let out cold laughs before shouting toward their respective armies below, as well as the Abyssal Myths scattered among the forces:

“Stop wasting time! Follow us immediately!”

༺⟐༻

At the same time, inside the capital city of the First Layer.

Beelzebub also crushed the armrest of Azazel’s throne.

“Azazel! So he actually hid his core in such a close location!”

His expression shifted between surprise and anger. Then, he immediately flew out and shouted toward the demons below:

“Attention, all troops!”

༺⟐༻

Somewhere within the First Layer, among a vast stretch of rolling hills.

This area was located roughly thirty kilometers away from where Mammon and Belial were stationed, while the Capital City where Beelzebub resided was only seventy kilometers away.

Because of its relatively secluded location, the surrounding lands were usually quiet and rarely attracted the attention of the higher-ranking demons. Most demons passing through this region would simply ignore it, considering it nothing more than an ordinary stretch of barren land within Hell.

However, that tranquility had been completely shattered by the sudden appearance of a massive golden Stone Arch Gate atop one of the hills.

The ancient-looking gate stood silently beneath the dark sky, its surface covered in mysterious patterns that faintly shimmered with divine energy. A hazy golden glow continuously flowed around the structure, causing the surrounding space to distort slightly as if the very fabric of the world was being affected.

From afar, several demons hid among the shadows, their expressions filled with unease and caution as they stared at the strange structure that had appeared without warning.

None of them dared to approach.

They could instinctively sense that the golden gate was not something ordinary. Although they did not know what was on the other side, the unknown pressure it emitted was enough to make them hesitate.

But before they could continue observing, the Stone Gate suddenly trembled violently.

A dazzling radiance erupted from its surface, illuminating the entire sky above the hills. The golden light pierced through the darkness, turning the surrounding area as bright as day.

The next instant, a series of thunderous dragon roars resounded throughout the vicinity, shaking the earth and causing the expressions of the surrounding demons to change drastically.

Yet before they could even react, an enormous figure emerged from within the golden light.

One terrifying giant dragon after another flew out from the Stone Gate, their massive bodies casting enormous shadows over the land below.

Their majestic wings covered the sky, and their overwhelming presence caused the air itself to tremble. Every movement they made carried an ancient and terrifying might, as if creatures from legends had descended upon this land.

As more dragons appeared, an overwhelming pressure descended upon the entire area.

The mighty dragon might spread in all directions like a storm, causing the weaker demons nearby to tremble uncontrollably. Some even felt their bodies instinctively weaken under the terrifying suppression.

When they sensed the aura emanating from these dragons, the demons were completely horrified.

This was an existence far beyond what they could contend with!

Without hesitation, the demons quickly turned and fled in panic, desperately escaping in every direction. They did not dare to remain even a second longer, afraid that they would become nothing more than casualties if these terrifying creatures began to act.

Then, the Stone Gate once again shone brightly.

This time, figures began to emerge from within the golden light.

One after another, fully armed humanoid figures slowly stepped out, possessing elegant appearances and distinctive long ears.

Unlike the fear displayed by the demons who had fled, these elves carried a completely different expression.

Their killing intent was sharp, and their eyes were filled with excitement, as if they had finally arrived at the battlefield they had been waiting for.

Leading them from the front was Ji Gang.

He walked out of the Stone Gate while observing the unfamiliar world before him, his expression filled with both excitement and caution.

Just like the Sixth Layer of Hell, what appeared before their eyes was still a vast and desolate world.

However, there was a clear difference as the light scattered from the dark sky above was not the dim crimson glow they had seen in the Sixth Layer, but a deep purple hue that covered the entire horizon, making the world appear even more mysterious and ominous.

From time to time, beast-like roars echoed from extremely distant places, their voices carrying through the empty wilderness and giving the entire world an ancient and primitive atmosphere.

The ground beneath their feet was dark brown, stretching endlessly toward the horizon.

Far away, a massive city could be faintly seen, shrouded in darkness.

Although it looked extremely small from their current position, Ji Gang knew that was only because of the distance separating them.

Closer to them, a volcano stood ahead, constantly spewing thick black smoke into the already darkened sky.

Compared to the mountains of the Sixth Layer of Hell, which resembled countless twisted towers piercing straight into the heavens, this volcano was not particularly large.

In fact, at first glance, it appeared almost ordinary, no different from the countless volcanic peaks scattered across the vast lands of Hell.

However, it immediately attracted the attention of Ji Gang.

—No.

More accurately, it was not the volcano itself that caught his attention.

Rather, it was the figure standing before the volcano, as well as the overwhelming presence surrounding her, that caused Ji Gang and every other player nearby to instinctively stop and look.

A holy celestial gown fluttered gently in the wind.

Silver hair flowed like a river of moonlight.

A radiant golden light surrounded her figure, carrying a warmth and purity that seemed completely out of place in the dark and oppressive environment of Hell.

The Goddess of Life, Evé Yggdrasill.

She stood there quietly before the volcano, like a lighthouse shining through an endless sea of darkness, illuminating everything around her.

Her existence alone was enough to draw the eyes of every player who stepped out from the Stone Gate.

Under the countless gazes of the players, Evé slowly raised both hands.

Her expression remained calm as she began chanting a mysterious incantation.

The language she spoke was something the players had never heard before but each syllable carried a strange rhythm, as her ethereal voice slowly spread across the land.

Then…

A couple of seconds later, the earth began to tremble.

At first, the shaking was faint, almost impossible to notice.

But within moments, the tremors grew stronger and stronger, causing the ground beneath everyone’s feet to rumble violently.

The players stared in astonishment.

Under their shocked gazes, the seemingly ordinary volcano suddenly began to awaken.

A terrifying roar echoed from deep within the mountain.

The next moment…

The entire volcano erupted violently!

Scorching flames burst from the crater, followed by endless waves of blazing lava that shot into the sky like a golden-red pillar of destruction.

The eruption tore through the thick clouds above, painting the dark skies with a dazzling glow.

The once quiet and insignificant volcano had transformed into a scene of overwhelming majesty and destruction.

Yet, standing before this terrifying natural disaster, the Goddess of Life remained completely unmoved.

The golden light surrounding her only grew brighter, as if the eruption itself was merely a part of the miracle she had summoned.

Scorching, blazing, and dazzling lava erupted into the sky, tearing through the dark clouds above.

However, in the next moment, the lava seemed to be drawn by some kind of divine force. It surged toward the Goddess and continuously gathered before her, transforming into a massive Gate made of endlessly burning lava.

The players stared in shock at the terrifying and sinister-looking Gate that had appeared before the Goddess. The overwhelming sense of evil and fear radiating from it caused them to freeze in place for a moment.

A storyline cutscene?

This thought surfaced in Ji Gang’s mind.

Immediately afterward, he saw the Goddess take a step forward and disappear into the Lava Gate.

Ji Gang’s heart stirred.

He was about to call out to the players and have them follow, but in the next second, everyone suddenly heard the Goddess’s voice resound directly within their minds.

“Protect this place.”

The simple command caused Ji Gang to freeze slightly.

Protect this place?

He looked toward Mars, the Golden Dragon who had already landed beside him, and was about to ask what was happening. However, before he could speak, he noticed that Mars’ expression had suddenly become extremely serious.

The Golden Dragon, who had always appeared calm and confident, was now staring into the distance with a solemn gaze.

“They’re here.”

Mars’ voice was low.

He looked toward the horizon.

Following his gaze, Ji Gang saw that about one kilometer away, the air suddenly began to distort violently, as if space itself was being torn apart by some unseen force.

A blood-red vortex slowly formed in the distorted space, rotating endlessly before eventually transforming into an unstable, glowing portal.

A terrifying aura seeped out from within, causing the surrounding atmosphere to become heavy and oppressive.

Immediately afterward, more portals of the same kind gradually appeared within a one-kilometer radius centered around the Stone Gate.

One after another, the blood-red Spatial Gates opened, filling the surrounding area with a sinister atmosphere.

“Spatial Gates…”

Golden Dragon Mars narrowed his eyes as he watched the demons emerge.

“Looks like each Demon Lord stationed in this layer has already discovered our presence.”

The moment he finished speaking, the dark clouds in the sky began to violently churn.

The once calm heavens seemed to be shaken by the arrival of countless powerful beings. Lightning tore through the darkness, illuminating the sky with flashes of silver-white light, while one powerful aura after another gradually gathered from the depths of the clouds.

The pressure descending from above grew heavier with every passing moment, causing the air itself to tremble.

“The Abyssal Myths are here, and the demon army is here as well. Prepare for battle!”

Mars’ voice echoed across the battlefield.

After leaving behind those words, Mars, along with Meryer and the other Mythical Dragons, let out a resounding dragon roar.

Their massive bodies soared into the sky, cutting through the clouds as they flew directly toward the Abyssal figures hidden above.

Meanwhile, Ji Gang remained on the ground.

He swept his gaze across the demons gathering from all directions.

The number of enemies continued to increase, with more and more Spatial Gates appearing around them. The terrifying demonic aura spreading from those portals made the entire battlefield feel like it was being swallowed by darkness.

However, the players behind him showed no signs of retreating.

Instead, their eyes burned with excitement and determination.

Seeing this, Ji Gang raised the command sword in his hand.

“Everyone, pay attention!”

His voice resounded throughout the battlefield voice channel.

“Use the Goddess’s Stone Gate and the Lava Gate as the center point. Establish a defensive line and prepare for battle!”

༺⟐༻

On the other side, within the allied coalition army formed by the Gods of the Heavenly Realm.

Three incarnations floated in midair, their divine radiance illuminating the dark sky as they stared in surprise at the sudden mobilization of the demon army in the distance.

The scene before them was completely unexpected.

“What happened? Beelzebub actually retreated? Isn’t that the Capital City of the First Layer? And he’s just abandoning it?”

The God of War, Lóðurr, slightly frowned.

In his eyes, this was an extremely strange decision.

The Capital City of the First Layer was not just an ordinary fortress. It represented the authority and foundation of the entire layer of Hell. Even if the situation became unfavorable, abandoning such an important location without even attempting to defend it was something that a Demon Lord should not do.

Unless…

Something far more serious had occurred.

The suppression of true gods by Abyssal power was extremely powerful. Although from the perspective of a true god, the distance of several hundred kilometers between the allied army and the Capital City could be crossed in an instant, that was only possible within the material world.

Inside Hell, however, things were completely different.

Not only was spatial teleportation here impossible, but even their divine senses were greatly affected by the dense Abyssal power surrounding Hell. The connection between a god’s consciousness and the outside world was heavily restricted, making it impossible for them to accurately perceive everything happening in the distance.

Even the powerful senses of true gods could only extend a limited range within this corrupted land.

Unless one possessed a special spatial divine artifact, that is.

Therefore, despite the Capital City being only a few hundred kilometers away, the allied gods could not immediately determine what had happened there.

“Beelzebub would not make such a decision without a reason…”

A trace of seriousness appeared in his expression.

Meanwhile, the gaze of the Guardian of the Stars, Rigdal, remained deep and unreadable.

He looked toward the direction where the demon army had departed.

After remaining silent for a moment, he spoke:

“That one from the World of Seigües has arrived.”

“…That one?”

The God of War slightly frowned.

He glanced at Rigdal, and suddenly, realization flashed through his mind.

Lóðurr’s expression changed slightly.

On the other side, the Eternal Lord, Etriōu, narrowed his eyes and raised an eyebrow.

“What did she come here for? No, how did she enter the First Layer in the first place?”

At that moment, two sacred rays of light descended before the three Mythical beings as two members of the human divine coalition slowly appeared.

They were temporary incarnations condensed through divine power.

“Your Supreme Majesty…”

They bowed respectfully toward Etriōu.

“Demon Lords Mammon and Belial have suddenly withdrawn their armies.”

The God of War, Lóðurr, was slightly stunned.

“They withdrew as well?”

He looked toward the direction where the demons had departed, his heart filled with doubt.

“What exactly happened?”

The God of War frowned and thought for a moment before turning toward the Eternal Lord.

“Lord Etriōu, let us launch an attack while we have this opportunity. Regardless of what happened over there, the Demon Lords seem to have encountered some trouble. This is our chance…”

The Eternal Lord put away his smile and spoke softly:

“Attack? From here? Launch an attack and indirectly help relieve her pressure?”

The God of War frowned. He knew exactly who the other party was referring to.

He stared deeply at Etriōu for a moment before speaking:

“Lord Etriōu, our crusade against the demons has not ended yet… Therefore, we need to prioritize who our enemy is right now.”

Etriōu let out a soft laugh.

“Of course I know.”

His expression remained calm, but his eyes carried a trace of profound meaning.

After saying that, he looked toward the allied coalition army below and spoke:

“Inform all the participating members of our coalition… lead their armies and follow those demons.”

“However… do not engage them in battle yet.”

༺⟐༻

After passing through the Lava Gate, Evé arrived inside a magnificent palace.

The entire palace was built from enormous crimson stones, with sinister demon carvings engraved throughout. The corridors were vast and towering, making Evé, who had arrived in the form of an incarnation, appear incredibly small.

Candles hung throughout the palace, burning with deep and eerie flames that illuminated the entire hall in a dim and flickering light.

The flames continued to dance in a strange yet orderly rhythm. Faintly, a heavy heartbeat could also be heard coming from the depths of the palace…

On both sides of the great hall stood two rows of sinister demon statues. Each statue was over forty meters tall, with different forms and appearances, all of them ugly and terrifying.

The moment Evé stepped into the hall, the statues suddenly lit up one after another. Their stiff heads slowly turned, all of them looking toward her.

“Roar…!”

One roar after another echoed out, and every statue erupted with a terrifying aura.

Then, they suddenly gained the ability to move. Their bodies made cracking and grinding sounds as they raised their various weapons, their eyes glowing crimson as they charged toward Evé.

Every single one of them possessed the strength of a Demigod!

Looking at the approaching demon statues, a trace of surprise flashed across Eve’s eyes.

“So Azazel wasn’t completely without Mythical-rank subordinates after all. It’s just that he turned all of them into mindless statues to guard his Origin Core…”

She ignored the approaching demon statues and continued walking deeper into the palace.

However, when those terrifying statues reached Evé, it was as if they had encountered an invisible barrier and were unable to advance even a single step further.

Evé merely glanced at them.

In response, the bodies of the statues trembled slightly as countless cracks began spreading across their forms.

Under a burst of golden light, they suddenly shattered into pieces.

After ascending to the rank of a Higher Divine Power, Demigods were no longer worthy of Eve’s attention, even if she was in her divine incarnation.

Not to mention, these demon statues were merely mindless puppets. So at best, they could only be considered “pseudo” Demigods.

Stepping past the shattered remains of the statues one after another, Evé crossed the magnificent palace hall and entered the deeper regions of this place.

Somewhere in the darkness, the sound of a heartbeat seemed to grow louder and closer.

Following the route that Azazel had told her, Evé continued moving deeper inside.

As she advanced, the heartbeat became increasingly clear.

The palace was enormous and stretched far into the distance. At the very end, a long corridor extended into the darkness.

Without hesitation, Evé walked inside.

The moment she entered the corridor, the path beneath her feet suddenly illuminated.

The darkness that had covered the passage was instantly dispelled, revealing what lay beneath.

It was actually a sea of lava.

Endless flames surged below, with scorching waves rolling endlessly through the depths. The terrifying temperature distorted the surrounding space, causing the air to appear slightly warped.

The path Evé walked upon was a staircase floating above the lava.

Each step was carved from an unknown crimson material, suspended in midair without any visible support. Despite being surrounded by such a terrifying environment, the staircase remained completely stable, as if it had existed here since ancient times.

At the end of the staircase stood an ancient-looking palace door.

The surface of the door was covered with countless mysterious demonic symbols, and faint traces of Abyssal power continuously flowed across it.

The sound of the heartbeat grew even stronger.

Boom…

Boom…

Every pulse seemed to come from the depths of Hell itself, carrying an immense pressure that caused the surrounding lava to tremble.

However, at that moment, a sinister red dragon suddenly emerged from the lava and let out an angry roar toward Evé.

Its massive body rose from the sea of flames, with countless burning scales reflecting the crimson light. Its enormous wings spread out, covering the entire corridor, and the terrifying aura it released caused the entire space to shake.

A terrifying force spread outward, causing the entire world to seem to tremble…

This was actually a Mythical-rank Dragon!

No…

It could no longer be called a Mythical Dragon.

After looking at the lifeless pupils of the dragon, Evé immediately understood.

This was also a puppet without its own consciousness.

A Demigod-rank puppet.

The dragon before her had once possessed the bloodline and strength of a true Mythical Dragon, but now it was merely an empty shell controlled by the power left behind within this palace.

Of course, as a dragon, its strength was far greater than those demon statues from before.

Even without its own will, its powerful body and terrifying abilities were enough to crush ordinary Demigods.

Although it was incapable of fighting against a True God, it was still powerful enough to eliminate anyone below the ranks of Demigod that attempted to sneak into this place.

The First Layer of Hell did not possess any true Abyssal Myth.

Therefore, the level of power was already enough to stop any demons from entering.

However, to Evé, it was still insignificant.

She lightly raised her hand and pointed toward the dragon covered in flames.

The terrifying dragon trembled slightly.

Its enormous body suddenly froze in place, as if an invisible force had completely restrained it.

The next moment, just like the demon statues before it, cracks began spreading across its entire body.

The cracks rapidly covered its scales, wings, and bones.

With a loud explosion, the dragon collapsed completely.

Its massive body shattered into countless fragments that fell into the lava below, disappearing beneath the endless flames.

Evé withdrew her gaze and continued ascending the steps.

The disturbance just now had not affected her pace in the slightest.

She reached the door.

Then, she pushed it open.

Beyond the door was a hidden chamber.

The chamber was not large, only less than three hundred square meters, and was completely empty.

There were no treasures, no guardians, and no decorations.

It was as if this place existed only to protect something hidden within.

However, in the center of the room stood an altar.

The altar was three meters tall and shaped like a pyramid staircase. Countless demonic characters were carved across its surface, constantly emitting a faint and ominous glow.

Above the altar, a blood-red heart radiated a hazy glow as it continuously pulsed.

Every beat caused the entire chamber to tremble slightly.

Looking at the terrifying heart covered in countless blood vessels, Evé smiled slightly.

“Found it.”