The orange flames wreathing the "Ancient Flame Demon" lost their color the moment the crystal-clear beam struck them, as though they had been consumed by an abyssal blackness that devoured all light and warmth.
The beam dissolved into countless silver-white currents and translucent lasers, densely packed and flickering in and out of visibility. Flowing along utterly uncanny trajectories, they wove themselves into a mesh of traps invisible to the naked eye, completely enveloping the "Lord of Fire."
Within this phantom, permeating "net," everything — absolutely everything — was frozen. Every last thing sank into a silence beyond imagination, as though even the most infinitesimal particles had lost the ability to vibrate.
This bizarre spectacle began at the outermost flames of the "Ancient Flame Demon" and, in an instant, spread across its surface, seeped beneath its demonic scales, and penetrated deep into its body.
The "Lord of Fire" appeared to have fallen into a state of "Greater Temporal Stasis" — not a single part of its body exhibited the slightest fluctuation. Then, without warning, its body turned transparent, clearly revealing its "Demonic Core": a flame that seemed as though it could burn for all eternity.
This "flame" was straining with all its might to resist the encroachment of that bizarre state, yet it was so feeble, so utterly caught off guard — it rapidly shifted from a flickering, wavering state to one of absolute, frozen stillness.
As for the molten ocean connected to the "Lord of Fire," the flames still appeared to be burning, yet they radiated not a shred of warmth — only a bone-deep cold that sent chills through the heart. Moments later, they too were frozen solid, transformed into a vast ocean of pitch-black, lightless ice.
All of this happened so swiftly that even the "Dark Lord" Gornheim, who had been watching the battlefield intently, could not come to the "Lord of Fire's" aid. After a brief moment of stunned shock, the situation was beyond recovery — or rather, the instant he saw that pillar of ice strike the "Lord of Fire," he understood that this third-tier Legendary demon sovereign was about to be utterly annihilated. Lucian had cast a Legendary spell he had never even heard of: "Forgiveness of the Ice Goddess." And the crystal-clear beam produced by that spell had reached Gornheim all the way at the "Frozen Fortress," striking him with an unparalleled, bone-deep cold!
This degree of cold appeared to have reached the very limit of the world. Even he, who commanded the powers of frost and darkness, had only managed to first touch this level of extreme low temperature after reaching the peak of Legendary rank — relying on the Abyss's resonance and his own innate abilities!
So, when he saw the "Forgiveness of the Ice Goddess" strike the "Ancient Fire Demon" that had just withdrawn its high-temperature flame defense, he abandoned the notion of a hasty rescue.
This extreme low temperature, which differed from the critical point of "Absolute Zero" by less than a degree, could not exist for long. Rejected by the entire world, and compounded by the fact that this was the "Boiling Ocean," everything began to melt within the span of a single breath, vanishing bit by bit, rapidly and without a trace.
The "Lord of Fire's" translucent body remained frozen in mid-air, its feet treading upon the surface where surrounding magma was already surging back. Then, the unceasing scorching gales of the Boiling Ocean swept past, and its entire body collapsed all at once, seeming to disintegrate into countless particles that thoroughly dissipated into this world.
This Ancient Fire Demon, who had lived for untold millennia, had finally reached the end of its existence!
*BOOM!*
From the very center of the "Boiling Ocean," a pillar of magma erupted straight into the clouds, and the entire plane erupted into an unprecedented frenzy of boiling.
Subsequently, that terrifying magma coalesced in mid-air, forming a throne of flame. Every Fire Lord engaged in battle with the Frost Lords, Ice Elves, and Frost Giants turned their crimson-gleaming eyes to gaze back. This was the summons of the Abyss, the call of slaughter. Which Fire Lord, under such circumstances, could defeat all its rivals? To ascend that throne was to receive the empowerment of the entire plane, the reward of the Abyssal Will, and become the new "Lord of Fire"—albeit only at the first-tier Legendary rank!
Within the swirling blizzard, two figures materialized. One wore a black double-breasted frock coat, donned a black top hat as if attending a gala, and held a silver-white pocket watch in his right hand, seemingly calculating whether he would be late for the banquet. The other had long purple hair cascading over silver-gray full-plate armor that exuded a cold, grim luster, carrying a similarly colored longsword with minimal ornamentation in the right hand and gripping a small, exquisite black shield in the left.
"So it is indeed Lucian Evans and Natasha Vaught..." Inside the Frozen Fortress, seated upon the Dark Throne, Gornheim narrowed his eyes slightly. His right hand lifted from the armrest and thrust forward in a grasping motion.
With that grasp, the void before him split open, revealing the ever-boiling molten ocean!
Although the "Lord of Fire's" unexpected demise was not part of its plan, this did not hinder it from achieving its own objectives — after all, it had never truly expected the "Ancient Fire Demon" to be able to stop a fully prepared Lucian Evans. Having learned that there were only two paths into the "Chaotic Starfield," if Lucian Evans had not made preparations specifically against the "Lord of Fire," then one would have every reason to question how he had become a Grand Archanist and Legendary Arcane Mage in the first place.
In the "Dark Lord's" mind, the "Lord of Fire" was merely a pretext — one that would allow it to intervene openly under the guise of helping a subordinate, delay Lucian Evans for a time, and let its plan, which required strict sequential timing, proceed smoothly.
Following normal yet rigorous logic, the Ancient Fire Demon was the master of the Boiling Ocean, its temperament violent and explosive — it would certainly obstruct all living beings who tried to pass through. And since it was the Ancient Fire Demon's superior, with one of its subordinates under attack, it would naturally step in to help. In this way, Lucian Evans would not realize that it was deliberately blocking him from obtaining the "Spatiotemporal Tablet," but would instead regard it as an inevitable encounter in the Abyss.
As Gornheim extended his right hand, his strikingly handsome face materialized upon the crystalline ice walls of the Frozen Fortress's outer hall. Two small demonic horns crowned his brow, seeming to draw in all light.
"I've considered it. Your offer is far from satisfactory, but it's better than nothing — and the 'Spatiotemporal Tablet' is of little use to me." He spoke toward the illusory, shifting figure before him — a form composed of gathered light, its outline unstable.
Clement had come in his true body this time, though he had taken appropriate precautions to conceal himself. Yet here in the Frozen Fortress's hall, with his reflection refracted from every direction by the translucent ice walls, he felt as though everything about him had been laid bare. He was desperate to leave, but the "Dark Lord" Gornheim remained in no hurry to give an answer, dragging things on for a full ten minutes!
Upon hearing Gornheim's reply, Clement let out a breath of relief. "Most honored Dark Lord, your decision is exceedingly wise."
Had he not heard that the newly ascended Demon Prince was the "Dark Lord" — someone who could be negotiated with, someone amenable to an exchange of interests — he would never have ventured into the "Desperate World" formed by the merger of the "Frozen Fortress" and the "Abyssal Maw." After all, in the domain of a peak Legendary powerhouse, the slightest lapse in vigilance could mean his complete annihilation. The previous "Demon Princes" had cared far more for slaughter and destruction than for plans and profit!
"If the Dark Lord refuses, then I'll have no choice but to find a way to lure the Lord of Fire away and enter through the 'Boiling Ocean'…" As these thoughts ran through his mind, Clement — with Gornheim's assistance — leaped into the "Chaotic Starfield."
…………
The 554th Layer of the Abyss. The "Boiling Ocean."