Chapter 525: Merciless Slaughter

Whoosh!

Two figures appeared in the sky: Nolan and Malverna.

They fixed their gaze on a secluded cave carved into the massive mountain before them, then exchanged a glance.

"Do you feel it?" Nolan asked.

"Yeah, I feel it," Malverna nodded seriously. "There’s a surge of demonic power inside, as if a group of demons occupies this place. But the energy is unstable, which means they’re not demons—they’re humans."

Nolan smirked, a hint of mockery in his tone. "Obviously members of the Underworld Gate. Looks like we hit the jackpot."

Since the chaos caused by the Underworld Gate, the palace had taken no retaliatory action—they had been too busy cleaning up the aftermath.

So let him be the one to settle the score.

Suddenly, the green thread guiding them to Demon Emperor Zerathos quivered, then shifted westward.

"Oh? It seems he’s noticed your presence, Malverna." Nolan looked surprised. "In that case, chase him. I’ll finish off the remaining members of the Underworld Gate."

Malverna nodded and, without a word, vanished from sight.

Nolan turned back to the cave. A devilish smile spread across his face as he raised both hands and shouted, "Let the party begin!"

Whoosh!

The sky within a three-kilometer radius darkened instantly, as if even the smallest light had been swallowed whole.

Then, in the next instant, a snake hundreds of meters long erupted from the center of the darkness.

Jet black, with two horns atop its head and eyes as red as blood, it coiled menacingly, exuding raw, terrifying power.

It slid toward the cave and tore it apart. The Underworld Gate members caught off guard were killed instantly.

A few survived, like Gehena, their eyes widening in terror at the sight of the monstrous creature.

"Monster!"

"Damn it! Where did that thing come from!? Run! Run!"

"I don’t want to die! Run!"

Screams of desperation echoed from all directions. The Underworld Gate numbered around twenty thousand, and most were gathered in their main headquarters—the cave.

The giant snake’s sudden appearance spread chaos and fear like wildfire.

Sssh!

The snake let out a ferocious hiss and tore through everything around it.

Fifty people running nearby were devoured in a single bite, while others were crushed beneath its massive body.

Within minutes, tens of thousands lay dead. Their corpses were not wasted; the snake devoured them all with gleeful satisfaction.

When the destruction lost its thrill, Nolan snapped his fingers. Instantly, the monster dissolved into mist and vanished.

He descended slowly into the carnage, surveying the wreckage around him.

A faint smile curved his lips as his gaze settled on a pile of rubble about twenty meters away.

"Someone’s still alive," he whispered.

He stepped forward and kicked the debris.

Behind it lay a woman, unconscious—none other than Gehena.

Nolan showed no mercy. He crouched beside her and slapped her sharply.

The sting brought her back to consciousness instantly.

When her eyes met his, she froze.

She tried to recoil, but Nolan was faster. He gripped her neck tightly and slowly rose to his feet.

"Who are you here for?" Nolan asked casually.

"Ugh!" Gehena gagged under his hold. She tried to answer, but no words came out.

Realizing this, Nolan loosened his grip.

Gehena gasped, finally able to breathe, though each breath felt heavy.

"My name is... Gehena. I am... one of the direct subordinates... of the Holy Apostle," she stammered.

As she spoke, an overwhelming fear gripped her.

She didn’t know who this man was—but one thing was certain: he was terrifying.

The Underworld Gate’s headquarters had been destroyed with ease by his power.

If luck hadn’t spared her, she would have been devoured by the giant snake along with her comrades.

"One of the Holy Apostle’s direct subordinates, huh? What luck," Nolan said, satisfaction in his voice.

He hadn’t expected someone of such high rank to be here—that was clearly advantageous.

"Now, tell me where your Holy Apostle is. And are there any other headquarters besides this one?"

The person he hunted most was the Holy Apostle, the main reason the Underworld Gate had caused chaos in the empire back then.

They had exploited the palace’s negligence to carry out massacres in major cities.

Fortunately, the palace had responded swiftly, sending countless troops, aided by four dukes, to eliminate the heretics.

Gehena didn’t answer immediately, which only sharpened Nolan’s irritation.

"What’s wrong? Why aren’t you answering?" His eyes narrowed as he tightened his grip on her neck. "Don’t tell me you’re trying to protect her?"

"Ugh!" Gehena gasped, her face turning pale. "No... it’s not like that! The Holy Apostle... he’s gone! I... I don’t know... where he is!"

Nolan’s eyes narrowed as he scanned the area. The Holy Apostle was nowhere to be seen.

Even those devoured by the giant snake had been mere foot soldiers.

Suddenly, a thought struck him, and a thin smile curved his lips.

’So that’s it. I understand,’

he murmured, chuckling softly.

Most likely, the body Zerathos had possessed belonged to the Holy Apostle.

Once his position was compromised, the Demon Emperor Zerathos had naturally fled with it.

"Then answer my second question. Are there any other bases?"

Gehena shook her head weakly. "No. This is our only base. But... many members are still out there. Some in disguise, some lurking. There are thousands. Beyond that... I don’t know. Please, believe me!"

Tears welled in her eyes. She didn’t care that she had betrayed the Underworld Gate.

After everything, the organization had been utterly destroyed. There would be no more Underworld Gate.

And she didn’t care. As long as she was alive, that was enough.

Nolan studied her eyes and saw no hint of deceit.

Without a word, he released his grip on her neck. Gehena collapsed to the ground, gasping for air.

"Th... thank you... thank you!" she stammered, gratitude flooding her voice.

"Go. Don’t ever show yourself to me again," Nolan said, waving her off.

Gehena nodded. Without hesitation, she forced herself up and ran.

She knew lingering here would mean death.

But suddenly—

Screak!

Her steps froze. Wide-eyed, she stared at her left chest.

A dagger wreathed in black fire had pierced her.

"How... how is this possible? Didn’t you... promise...?"

Whoosh!

The dagger erupted into black flames, rapidly consuming her body until nothing remained but ashes.

Nolan showed no mercy. Gehena wasn’t a helpless victim—she was a criminal who deserved death.

As a member of the Underworld Gate, she could not be entirely innocent. Killing her was the swiftest form of justice.

"All right... let’s finish the rest."

Nolan pressed his palms together. Slowly, Gehena’s ashes rose into the sky, merging into a single drop of blood.

With a cold expression, Nolan whispered,

"Forbidden Technique: Blood Curse!"

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A/N:

Another month has flown by so quickly. Thank you all for your support! Please continue to support me next month! Thank you :)