Chapter 1764: The Demon King's true power

Chapter 1764: The Demon King’s true power

“First of all, to finish your question…”

Tiamat’s voice resonated with a weight that seemed to ripple through the chamber, commanding silence. Her eyes sharpened, as if peering back across the eons.

“The Great War was a clash with an invading force composed of the most extreme powerhouses of the Depravita Race. The war extended across all nine layers of the Crimson World and brought countless deaths in its wake. It was only through a unification of every faction, sect, and organization within our universe that we were able to fight back. Yet, even then—even when all the power of the Crimson World was combined—we could only slow down an inevitable defeat.”

Cain, Meylin, and Bahamut could not help but narrow their eyes, especially the Neo-Demon. If the Depravita Race had once threatened an entire super universe like the Crimson World, then Cain had yet to glimpse even the faintest shadow of their true power.

Cain dared not interrupt, and the trio remained silent as Tiamat’s words painted a picture of devastation. She paused, her gaze distant, lost in painful memories. For a fleeting moment, the weight of the past seemed to press her shoulders down. But then, a small, almost imperceptible smile touched her lips.

“But then… when all seemed lost… he appeared.”

Cain’s heart jumped, and as if the thought had been drawn from Tiamat’s mind itself, he whispered the name in unison with her unspoken thought.

“Adam.”

Tiamat nodded, her eyes shimmering with awe and lingering admiration.

“Yes. Adam—a Dreamwalker, a warrior from the Nine Empyrean Suns Universe who marched into the Crimson World. His wits, schemes, and power were beyond anything any of us had ever seen. He didn’t merely push back the legions of Depravitas; he showed us how to fight their corruptive powers—how to strike at their very foundations.”

For a moment, a soft, nostalgic light lingered in her gaze. But then, her expression sobered, and her voice darkened.

“The final clash of the Great War took place in the Ninth Realm. I was not present, but according to the tales, Adam confronted the Patriarch of the Depravita Race himself… and killed him. After that, he vanished.”

Tiamat sighed, a breath that seemed to carry a billion years of weight.

“Until recently, I believed Adam had perished in that final battle. But now, I realize… I was too quick to assume.”

She paused, her gaze settling once more on the trio—sharp, calculating, yet not unkind.

“I’m sure you’re wondering why I declared that you three were under my protection—and why I stepped in to save you from the Lord of Ages.”

Cain, Meylin, and Bahamut nodded, their minds still reeling from the revelations of the Great War.

While it made sense for Tiamat to protect Bahamut—a loyal member of her sect in the First Realm—and perhaps Cain, given his connection to the Tiamat Sect and her own master, it was Meylin who stood out. She wasn’t part of the sect, nor was she a dragon. Why would an ArchDeity—one of the mightiest beings in the Second Realm—go so far to save a Depravita?

Tiamat’s lips curled into a small, enigmatic smile.

“Naturally, I protect my own,” she said, casting a warm glance toward Bahamut. Then her gaze shifted to Cain and Meylin, cooler now, though not without respect.

“But I am not so magnanimous as to extend my protection lightly. I don’t waste effort shielding those who aren’t part of my forces—even if we share some distant connections through our masters.”

Her words were blunt, not meant to insult but to state facts. Cain and Meylin understood; they, too, were not given to sentiment. Power ruled all, and Tiamat was no exception. Yet the question still remained: why had she chosen to protect them?

The answer came swiftly, like a blade cleaving through fog.

“The reason I helped you… is because of your master.”

Tiamat’s gaze locked onto Meylin, and a flicker of realization lit the young Depravita’s eyes. There was only one person she could call her true master—the being who had granted her power without demanding anything in return.

“The Demon King.”

Tiamat nodded in affirmation, her expression softening as she spoke the name.

“Correct. The Demon King arrived in the Second Realm a few years ago, and… we spoke. It was thanks to his guidance that I was able to elevate my cultivation and refine my path. It was because of him that I was able to repel the Lord of Ages so easily.”

Shock rippled through Cain, Meylin, and Bahamut. Tiamat, an ArchDeity, one of the most powerful beings in existence, had been guided by the Demon King?

That realization hit them like a bolt of cosmic lightning. They had all known the Demon King was powerful—but this?

As they struggled to grasp the full implications, Tiamat’s expression shifted—her gaze sharpening, her voice laced with an edge of urgency.

“Listen to me carefully: you must not tell anyone that your master is the Demon King.”

Cain, Meylin, and Bahamut exchanged confused glances, but Tiamat pressed on before they could speak.

“During his ascension into the Second Realm, the Demon King had the misfortune of appearing near an Eternal Kingdom—one ruled by the Embodiment of Carnage. That ArchDeity was… volatile, the type to attack first and ask questions later. And the Demon King… he is not the kind to accept bullying. You can imagine what happened.”

Cain’s eyes glimmered with sudden comprehension, nodding slowly as the pieces fell into place.

“So you want us to remain silent to avoid drawing attention from the Embodiment of Carnage’s forces.”

Meylin and Bahamut nodded in agreement, reaching the same conclusion.

But Tiamat tilted her head slightly, a soft chuckle escaping her lips, a note of amusement breaking the tension.

“Hahaha… it seems the Demon King never told you just how strong he is.”

The trio’s confusion returned in full force. Tiamat’s next words left them utterly stunned.

“The Demon King killed the Embodiment of Carnage… and destroyed his Eternal Kingdom.”

A silence thicker than the void itself settled over the chamber. Cain, Meylin, and Bahamut could do nothing but stare—eyes wide, hearts pounding.

The implications were staggering.

The Demon King… had slain an ArchDeity… and annihilated an Eternal Kingdom.