As time passed, the battlefield in the incubation world grew quieter. The frenzied cries of sughter became sparse, but the stench of blood grew thicker. Aurion stood beside a massive boulder, his eyes scanning the surroundings with cold precision. The air was heavy with an oppressive tension, the eerie silence more unsettling than the chaos that had come before.

  The battlefield was no longer the chaotic free-for-all it had once been. The surviving demon spawn were now exceptionally fierce, their terrifying auras radiating the countless battles and devoured souls that had shaped them. These demons, having consumed vast amounts of soul energy, had grown stronger and more intelligent. They were no longer mere beasts relying on brute force; they had begun to exhibit cunning, and some had even awakened unique supernatural abilities.

  Just then, a deafening roar echoed from the distance, as if from the edge of the world. The ground trembled faintly, and a dense, oppressive energy filled the air. Aurion’s gaze snapped toward the source. Above the center of the small world, a massive rift tore open in the void.

  The rift exuded an indescribable aura, like a gateway to destruction. It resembled a colossal vortex, twisting the surrounding air as if tearing it apart. The essence of the Abyss seeped through the crack, carrying with it an overwhelming sense of ruin, corruption, and madness. It was as if this rift were the very source of darkness and chaos.

  Aurion felt an irresistible pull deep within his soul, a call from the Abyss that he could not ignore.

  Around him, the other demons also sensed the allure. Their eyes turned toward the rift, filled with longing. Almost instinctively, they began to move closer to the Abyss.

  The energy around the rift grew stronger, yet it remained inaccessible. Only the st surviving demon would earn the right to pass through this rift and enter the unknown, far more dangerous world of the Endless Abyss.

  Aurion stood at a distance, observing the other demons near the rift, calmly assessing the situation. Despite his growing excitement, he didn’t act rashly.

  A burly demon broke the silence first. Impatient and enraged, its eyes bloodshot, it roared and opened its mouth, releasing a swirling mass of bck fire. The fmes rapidly expanded to the size of a basketball before hurtling toward the nearest demon.

  The target demon barely had time to react before the fmes engulfed its body. Instantly, the fire raged, searing flesh and soul alike. The demon’s agonized screams echoed as its body turned to charred remains. Within seconds, it colpsed, the fmes still burning, leaving nothing but ash.

  This single act shattered the fragile bance. The pent-up killing intent erupted like a flood. The remaining hundred or so demons let out low growls, and the tense standoff dissolved into utter chaos.

  A massive demon charged into the fray, its body suddenly encased in thick, bde-like scales that gleamed coldly. Cws sshed at it, but the scales held firm. With a powerful sweep of its tail, it sent several nearby demons flying.

  On the other side, a strange purple mist began to spread like a silent serpent. Demons caught in the fog looked around in confusion, their eyes gzed. They shed out blindly, attacking each other with pained roars. The illusions in the mist drove them into madness, their skin slowly corroding and oozing bck blood.

  In the center of the battlefield, a demon let out a bestial roar. It tore into its own flesh, blood spraying as its eyes filled with murderous intent. Its power surged, and it charged at its enemies with reckless abandon. Each strike carried devastating force, easily tearing through nearby demons, their blood raining down like a storm.

  A lean, agile demon darted into the chaos like a ghost. Its speed was blinding, leaving afterimages as it appeared before its prey. Its cws gleamed coldly, piercing through chests with ease before vanishing again, leaving its victims to colpse.

  Aurion stood at the edge of the battlefield, his eyes cold as he watched the carnage. He didn’t rush into the fight. Instead, he remained patient, like a hunter analyzing his prey, waiting for the perfect moment to strike.

  Aurion wasn’t the only one keeping his cool. At the edge of the battlefield, a group of demons also held back, observing the chaos like he was. Among them were clearly more intelligent beings, biding their time, waiting for the perfect moment to strike.

  As time passed, this group noticed Aurion. Their eyes met briefly, and in that silent exchange, an unspoken agreement was made. They lunged at him as one. Aurion felt their killing intent surge, but he had no intention of engaging them now.

  He shifted slightly, preparing to activate Shadow Step and escape, when a powerful soul wave struck him like a hammer to his consciousness.

  The shockwave rattled his soul, tightening his body and slowing his movements. The dey cost him precious time, and the demons closed in, their distance shrinking rapidly.

  As Aurion tried to recover, another demon moved. This one was pale, its body withered and bloodless, its eyes hollow, as if it had lost its soul. It looked like a walking puppet. Suddenly, the shadow at its feet came alive, slithering toward Aurion’s shadow like a venomous snake.

  Aurion instinctively tried to dodge, but the shadow was too fast. It wrapped around his own shadow like a chain, binding it with icy, soul-piercing force. He felt part of his soul freeze, his movements slowing, his reflexes dulled.

  He flicked his tail irritably, trying to suppress the unsettling sensation in his soul. His sharp eyes scanned the area, his annoyance growing. These demons had successfully gotten under his skin.

  The group closed in. At their center was a small, rge-headed demon. Its body was frail, its skin pale and gray, its limbs thin. Its oversized head was veined and grotesque, its deep red eyes cold and calcuting. It stared at Aurion with greedy hunger, as if he were already its prey.

  The big-headed demon sent out tendrils of soul energy, like tangible threads, tching onto the soul cores of the other expressionless demons around it.

  Aurion realized the earlier soul attack had come from this creature. It was using these soul threads to control the others.

  Aside from the shadow-binding demon and a burly one that stayed close to the big-headed demon, the remaining five controlled demons charged at Aurion. Their eyes were vacant, but their movements were swift and precise. Though they cked supernatural abilities, each was a formidable fighter.

  The first demon lunged with a vicious snarl, its cws slicing through the air toward Aurion’s head. Despite the shadow-binding slowing him, Aurion’s combat instincts kicked in. He sidestepped the attack with a slight shift of his body.

  Before he could steady himself, the second demon moved in, its tail whipping toward his side. Aurion raised a cw to block, but the force of the blow pushed him back, his cws aching from the impact.

  The remaining three demons didn’t give him a moment’s rest. Cws and tails came at him from all angles, their coordination fwless. Aurion knew these demons couldn’t kill him easily, but a direct fight would only trap him in their encirclement. He activated Shadow Step, becoming a blur as he darted between them, evading their relentless assault.

  "This is far from elegant," Aurion thought, a flicker of irritation crossing his mind. He gnced at his cws, the dull pain in his fingertips only fueling his frustration.

  He had been forced into the fight prematurely, and this messy sughter didn’t align with his sense of artistry. He flicked his hand, trying to shake off the discomfort, but the emotions he had suppressed for so long began to surge like a volcano.

  "Fine. If it can’t be perfect, then let it be chaos." A faint, almost manic smile tugged at Aurion’s lips, his eyes gleaming with wild light. The excitement he had held back for so long burst forth, his demonic instincts fully unleashed.

  In an instant, he appeared behind one of the slower demons, his cws gleaming as they aimed for its throat.

  Just as he was about to strike, another demon stepped in, taking the blow on its shoulder. Bck blood sprayed as the demon’s flesh tore, but the wound wasn’t fatal.

  The demons’ coordination was nearly fwless, every one of Aurion’s attacks skillfully blocked. He quickly reassessed, searching for an opening.

  The shadow-binding grew heavier, his movements increasingly sluggish. Yet, he remained calm, using Shadow Step to dart around, pressuring the demons’ formation.

  After several exchanges, Aurion spotted a brief opening. One of the demons overcommitted to an attack, leaving its partner slightly out of sync.

  Aurion seized the moment, activating Shadow Step to appear behind the overzealous demon. His cws pierced its skull like lightning.

  A shrill scream echoed as the demon convulsed and colpsed. The remaining demons closed in, but their coordination faltered.

  Aurion quickly targeted a rger demon, using Shadow Step to close the distance. As the demon’s defenses wavered, Aurion’s cws plunged into its unarmored throat. Bck blood gushed as the demon let out a guttural roar before falling.

  With the second demon down, the remaining ones began to falter, their attacks growing disorganized. Aurion, though fatigued, continued to absorb the souls of the fallen demons, replenishing his strength bit by bit.

  The shadow-binding persisted, weighing him down, the icy grip on his soul growing more oppressive. Breathing became bored. Realizing Aurion’s strength, the big-headed demon joined the fray.

  Every time Aurion tried to use Shadow Step to attack, the big-headed demon would unleash a soul tendril, disrupting his focus. The soul-deep ache left him momentarily disoriented, unable to execute Shadow Step cleanly, trapping him in the encirclement once more.