Awakening：The Infinite Evolution of My Talent as a Low-Level Awakener

It didn't make sense; Lovic's situation aligned perfectly with the normal energy consumption in [Swallowing Heaven]. Yet Mephistopheles could completely defy that!

Countless demons and [Swallowing Heaven] players were left in a daze!

Even Flanda's pupils contracted slightly. Although she hoped Mephistopheles was fine, she had lost hope when he didn't catch the life-saving item she had thrown earlier.

However, what unfolded before her eyes was beyond her comprehension: Mephistopheles was unharmed. Theoretically, that meant Flanda got what she wished for, but the method by which Mephistopheles survived exceeded her understanding.

Then, countless players realized something.

Could it be that Mephistopheles was about to win?

That was not something they wanted! They had offended him so terribly, even attacking him and buffing Lovic.

Mephistopheles absolutely could not survive!

That's what they thought, yet in that moment, countless demons fled without hesitation, scattering in every direction. The dense crowd of onlookers on the periphery quickly darted away into the distance.

They thought Mephistopheles could not survive, yet they lacked the courage to attack again.

If we can't provoke him, can't we at least avoid him? After all, everyone came from various layers of hell; if Mephistopheles sought revenge, he would have to hunt them down one by one. With the activity reaching this point, it was already impossible to continue.

Let's... run! We wouldn't lose anything.

Once back in their respective layers of hell, Mephistopheles would have to chase them down individually. Who knows, he might not even encounter me!

Players and demons analyzed the situation in their minds.

Just as they hadn't flown far, they suddenly halted.

Hmm?

Something was off!

At that moment, an unprecedented aura of power suddenly coalesced on the battlefield—

Lovic's eyes were bloodshot.

"Bastard, do you dare to toy with me!"

His aura surged again!

He made a slight grimace of pain.

Just now, Lovic had directly activated the [Concentration Stone], a Divine Power item granted to him by the Lord of Evil Spirits.

The effect of this item was to help him unleash his Iridescent-Level ability, named—[Destructive Light]!

This was a special Iridescent-Level skill exclusive to the Demon of Terror and Cruelty race. Even among this elite race, only extremely rare geniuses had a chance to comprehend it.

Moreover, once he learned this skill, Lovic would soon be able to ascend to godhood!

However, comprehension did not mean he could use it.

Sterl was mistaken; Lovic's Iridescent-Level ability was not a version that could be activated without divine authority. Instead, it was a technique that he had comprehended early as a racial talent!

It required divine authority to be effective.

Or it could be forcibly activated with a special item.

Originally, even though [Destructive Light] couldn't be used yet, it could give Lovic significant insights, helping him rapidly ascend to the divine level. But now, by activating the [Concentration Stone], Lovic could create a [Pseudonymous Destructive Respectable Position (divine authority)], unleashing about one-third of the power of his Iridescent-Level ability.

Lovic never expected to be pushed to such an extent by Mephistopheles.

At this moment, the battle situation was clear: Mephistopheles was at full capacity, while he himself was severely injured. Thus, he had no choice but to expend his precious items desperately.

In [Swallowing Heaven], battles were typically a fight to the death! Lovic wouldn't think for a second that Mephistopheles would spare him, even in his weakened state!

So there was only one option left… to fight with everything he had!

As the Iridescent-Level light burst forth, the countless demons and players who had fled earlier returned even faster! However, they positioned themselves much farther away than before, fearing they might get caught in the crossfire.

Excitement surged through them; who wouldn't recognize an Iridescent-Level skill?

In a very short time, they had already completed the equation in their minds—

An Iridescent-Level skill meant being invincible below the divine realm.

It meant that Mephistopheles, a Supreme, would definitely be unable to withstand it.

It meant Mephistopheles was doomed!

Many couldn't help but open their mouths, ready to cheer.

However, Lovic's use of the [Concentration Stone] meant that he wouldn't need to spend ages charging up to release his ability; that would defeat the purpose of [Destructive Light] in combat.

On Sterl's side, he had just seen Lovic pull out a crystal glowing with blue light and crush it.

Thus, the demons and [Swallowing Heaven] players didn't have time to cheer.

In the next instant—

The Demon of Terror and Cruelty's form rapidly twisted, transforming from that of a giant. The energy core within its chest and abdomen, which had been siphoning energy, began to rupture, morphing into a massive structure resembling a giant cannon.

Brilliant pure white light erupted forth!

Sterl had no time to react!

It was too fast!

The Iridescent-Level ability unleashed by the Demon of Terror and Cruelty, aside from being somewhat less powerful, was no different from a normal divine attack. Its speed was beyond anything that entities below the divine realm could counter or maneuver against.

No matter how strong Sterl was, he couldn't escape this.

At the same time, he felt that all his avenues for retreat and evasion were forcibly sealed. This wasn't a skill that confined him; it was simply the overwhelming divine might resonating with the forces of the world!

It helped the divine being trap his enemies!

The light of destruction had reached Sterl in an instant. He wanted to gather Shattered Void to counterattack, but it was too late…

Of course, even if he managed to accumulate it, the result would still be the same: he would be shattered by Destructive Light. No matter how powerful Shattered Void was, it couldn't meet the threshold for Iridescent-Level output.

It was evident that Sterl was about to take another lethal blow!

Meanwhile, the countless demigods and Supremes watching finally began to show expressions of joy and delight. After so much fear and anxiety, it seemed that Mephistopheles was finally finished!

Flanda, sitting on the ground, showed none of the demeanor of a strong individual. She simply shook her head helplessly. To her, Mephistopheles's death was inevitable.

Even though Mephistopheles had somehow managed to push the Demon of Terror and Cruelty to such extremes, he had his trump cards, and so did Lovic! Ultimately, there was no way he could survive!

However…

Sterl himself was completely unperturbed. He had an abundance of life-saving abilities.

This time, being unable to deploy his Protection Power was indeed unprecedented, yet it didn't disturb Sterl's composure. Instead, he found himself contemplating…

"Divine-level skills are truly extraordinary!"

After seeing an enemy with an Iridescent-Level skill on the panel, he realized he needed to be cautious. Such a technique had such a domineering control effect after being unleashed…

Sterl figured that it was just a matter of using his "resurrection" once. He had plenty of those to spare.

Sterl did not give up on resisting. He quickly activated various damage-reducing skills, finally unleashing—[Rebirth of All Thoughts]!

This Iridescent-Level ability would provide substantial damage immunity.

The Demon of Terror and Cruelty unleashed a new move, but the nature of the attack hadn't changed; it remained centered around the concept of destruction.

This was a transformation from the previous chaotic skills into the power of Respectable Position.

As a result, Sterl could perfectly absorb the damage reduction from [Rebirth of All Thoughts].

All of these abilities were invoked by a mere thought from Sterl; he chose to forgo some of the slower-releasing damage reduction skills.

In the end, Sterl also activated a [Solidification Method], which offered various high-tier passive bonuses. This was a complete Iridescent-Level ability!

At that moment, various lights erupted from Sterl, and he had not even attracted the attention of the outside world when his entire body was engulfed by the [Destructive Light].

Then…

Sterl was ready to unleash his resurrection ability.

He had figured it out: facing divine power might require him to resurrect more than once, as ordinary resurrection abilities could be cut down again.

He decided to activate his divine descent resurrection ability to choose his own moment of rebirth.

Meanwhile, the Demon of Terror and Cruelty was preparing to finally take down this formidable foe!

Although it pained him greatly, a hint of excitement crept into his eyes. Such a talent was about to fall at his hands—how exhilarating!

The demons and [Swallowing Heaven] players were ready to start cheering. Finally… Mephistopheles… you're too damn resilient! Facing an Iridescent-Level ability, I don't believe you can withstand it any longer.

Flanda, the only ally present, had also prepared herself mentally—

Power! I need more power! Otherwise, the next time I encounter a man like Mephistopheles who makes my heart race, I'll still be forced to stand by and watch. I can't accept that.

However…

Suddenly, Sterl opened his eyes in confusion.

Huh? It doesn't hurt??

He only felt a strong, persistent pressure acting upon him. It was quite comfortable, almost like a massage.

Sterl realized he was right in the middle of that destructive white light.

The light of destruction swirled around his body, tearing and rending, yet it couldn't pull anything away or cut anything off.

He had been feeling quite invigorated until he suddenly noticed that the durability of his equipment was plummeting!

A stream of blood-red notifications flashed before his eyes.

[Your equipment is about to break!]

[Your equipment…]

Sterl quickly took off his gear and summoned a set of simple clothing from his small world.

But as soon as the clothes appeared, they were instantly turned to nothingness by the destructive energy…

Sterl stood there completely naked.

At that moment, he suddenly realized something—

It wasn't that it didn't hurt.

The power of [Destructive Light] was incredibly strong, but when it struck him, it was first mitigated by a complete Iridescent-Level ability.

Then, it was further reduced by a specific targeting effect of one-third of an Iridescent-Level ability.

In essence, [Destructive Light] was merely the power of a flawed Iridescent-Level skill.

Not only could it not kill Sterl, but it couldn't even breach his defenses!

Simply put, the Demon of Terror and Cruelty's ultimate attack was nothing but a gentle breeze to Sterl.

"So, my strongest attribute is actually my defensive ability??" Sterl couldn't help but chuckle.

In fact, he had never really focused on finding damage-reduction abilities; he had always been boosting his attributes for output…

As a result, during this time enveloped in light, he quickly began crafting excuses and stories for himself to explain how he would perfectly escape from this situation, convincing the countless demons and players present that it was entirely reasonable…

After all, there were too many spectators around; Sterl had no way to ensure that he could silence them all…

Meanwhile, the duration of [Destructive Light] was not infinite. The terrifying Iridescent-Level attack slowly began to extinguish, and the dazzling light that had been blinding was gradually becoming clearer.