chapter 26: an act of kindness, a rank 3 action

*...ding...*

A metallic sound echoed as their weapons struck Void, but they caused no damage. Void grinned, sending chills down their spines. The five figures retreated quickly, their eyes wide with shock.

"Oh come on... attack," Void teased, a smile playing on his lips. His casual taunt only angered them further, and they launched their attack again.

This time, Void didn't stand still like a target. He moved with grace, using just enough strength to block their strikes. Each attack was countered effortlessly, his hands deflecting weapons with ease.

*Boom... boom...*

Linkir watched in awe as the battlefield erupted with deafening sounds. The ground beneath them shattered, mountains crumbled, and the sheer force of their movements erased entire sections of the landscape. She couldn't keep up with the speed of their movements—she could only see the devastating aftermath they left behind.

Void's hands and feet met their weapons, and after repeated clashes, the once-formidable blades broke against his unyielding body.

"Are you done? That warm-up wasn't much of a warm-up at all," Void said, shaking his head in disappointment.

The five warriors' bloodshot eyes returned to normal as they realized the true extent of Void's power. Desperation crept into their faces. Without a word, they split up, each moving in a different direction.

"They always run... don't they?" Void chuckled darkly, spreading his wings as he pursued them.

---

**At the Divine Plane**

The bodies of countless creatures littered the ground. The battle had been a massacre, especially for the Rank 0 beings, who stood no chance against the higher ranks. When Rank 1 warriors saw an incoming Rank 2 attack, they could still flee, but Rank 0s were nothing more than cannon fodder.

A fire attack from a Rank 2 was something they couldn't comprehend. The flames couldn't be extinguished, not even by water. A water attack drained entire lakes dry. The devastation was unimaginable, and the death toll of Rank 0s climbed with each passing moment. Here, at the divine plane, even the weakest soldier was at the peak of Rank 0.

"This can't go on... tell the Lords to make a move," a Rank 2 warrior commanded a Rank 1 underling.

The Rank 1 nodded and rushed to the portal, disappearing to the other side.

Meanwhile, on the other side, the Rank 3 beings watched. They felt the same frustration—their power was too great, and if they entered the battlefield, they risked destroying the world itself.

"I see, we have to leave this to the Rank 2s," one of the Rank 3s said.

"You're right. I've just received word—we have more powerhouses than they do," another chuckled, a note of confidence in his voice.

"This will be easy," a third laughed.

"Hold your horses... we have a problem," one of the Rank 3s frowned, their expression darkening.

"What's the issue? A hidden powerhouse?" another Rank 3 asked.

"No... it's our Rank 0s. They're too weak. They're our future powerhouses—they can't keep dying like this. One of us needs to intervene," the Rank 3 said, his voice heavy with concern.

"I'll go. Let's see what's standing in our way," an old man with a white beard volunteered. Despite his power, he kept his aged appearance, unlike others who chose to regain their youth at Rank 3.

The old man appeared at the portal, and from a distance, he extended a single finger into the world below.

---

Void stood victorious over the five figures, their souls devoured. A satisfied grin spread across his face.

"Life sure is good now," he muttered as he returned to his army. The demon soldiers, driven by their instincts, would have already gone hunting for souls, but they obeyed Void out of fear.

"Let's move to the next city," Void commanded, landing beside Linkir and folding his wings. Just as they were about to march, Void's expression changed. His heart began to race.

"What... is this?" Void struggled to speak, feeling an overwhelming pressure crush him.

---

**At the Divine Plane**

The war came to a sudden halt. Every soldier, from Rank 0 to Rank 2, was pressed to the ground by an invisible force. Groans filled the air as they struggled in vain to rise. The source of the pressure was clear—a single finger, slowly emerging from the portal.

Everyone watched in horror as the finger tapped the divine plane. The ground shattered like fragile glass, and in an instant, the pressure and the finger disappeared.

"It's done," the old man said with a satisfied smile. The other Rank 3s chuckled, already discussing how to divide the spoils of war.

---

Back in the shattered world, Rank 0 beings fell from the sky like meteors, blazing trails as they crashed into the earth. Their bodies burned as they plummeted, creating impact craters that stretched for miles.

"Survive as long as you can," the God of Light urged the others. He could sense their despair, but he hoped to inspire them. Even though the odds were stacked against them, he wanted to damage the enemy and boost their morale, knowing full well they would still lose.

"No don't," the Goddess of Wind responded hurriedly, but it was too late.

The energy of a Rank 1 being was already enough to destroy planets. A Rank 2 was far more devastating. But no one had ever seen a Rank 2 self-destruct before... until now.

---

*Boom...*

The sky ignited, turning a blazing red, and the sound of the explosion echoed far and wide

**At the Mortal Realm**

All creatures looked up in horror as a massive finger tapped the sky, shattering it instantly. Void stood frozen in shock.

"There's no doubt… that's a Rank 3 existence," he gasped. Destroying a planet didn't make him feel powerful, but witnessing this was a different matter—these beings could destroy entire universes.

"Wait, system… how did I come to the DC multiverse? Isn't it supposed to be fiction, an imaginary universe?" Void asked, watching as the finger and the palpitation disappeared.

*(Host, if every multiverse or world is created normally, it would be like a scripted movie. But there is one way for the multiverse to be as diverse and unpredictable as it is now.)*

"And what is that?" Void asked, intrigued.

*(Consciousness. It's something even powerhouses can't fully explain. It's the essence of being alive. Every living being, no matter how powerful, is connected to a particular realm of consciousness. This allows all imagined universes and multiverses to manifest as real, shaped by the creator's imagination or discretion.)*

"Wow… I had no idea. So does that mean my former Earth was… wait, system, am I one of them?" Void's heart raced as his face grew solemn, the idea swirling in his mind.

*(Host, I cannot answer that.)*

"I see…" Void smiled bitterly, feeling like he'd already received his answer.

"I don't know who created me, but I'll tell you this: I'll become strong enough to meet you face to face. We need to have a chat." Void's gaze shifted to the shattered sky. Meteors rained down like a storm, but on closer inspection, each one was a living creature.

Suddenly, a loud explosion echoed across the sky, turning everything red. Void felt the world's pain, and he knew at that moment—a god had died.

"A god is dead already," Void murmured, glancing at his army.

"Linkir, we need to move quickly… your world is dying." Without waiting for a response, Void picked a location where a teleportation circle would take them to the next country.

Upon arriving at the teleportation circle, Void activated it and stepped through.

He appeared in the next country but was immediately disappointed. The land lay in ruins, completely destroyed. Dragons, creatures clearly from the other side, roamed freely. Now came the pressing question: was this a universe he knew, or something entirely unknown?

The demon army charged forward, but Void kept the peak Rank 0 demons at the back. He needed them for later. Suddenly, something caught his eye—a number 14 floating above a dragon's head. The dragon was five meters long, dark-skinned, and sleek, slaying the attacking demons with ease.

A peak Rank 0 demon prepared to attack the dragon, but Void stopped it.

"Linkir, control them. I'll be back in a moment," Void commanded before disappearing.

He reappeared in front of the dragon, halting its rampage.

Chaos, the dragon, froze in terror. A 25-meter-tall demon had just appeared in front of him, and though Chaos was only Rank 0, he knew this battle would be dangerous. He had crash-landed in this country by accident and had been slaughtering the locals to evolve into Rank 1. Now, however, his instincts screamed at him to flee.

Chaos backed away, his body trembling uncontrollably, until he noticed the number 8 on Void's head.

"You… you're a human?" Chaos asked in disbelief.

"I was," the demon replied, causing Chaos to gape in shock. Number 8… but this couldn't be him. Chaos had seen Number 8 before, and it wasn't this demon.

"Who… who are you?" Chaos stammered.

"You don't need to know. Leave. I won't kill you because we were once human." Void's voice was cold as he disappeared.

"I… I…" Chaos couldn't finish his sentence, the demon already gone.

"Fireblade told me people would change, but this…" Chaos muttered, before quickly flying away.

The other dragons were puzzled when they saw the peak Rank 0 dragon retreat, but with little time to dwell on it, they continued fighting the demons in front of them.

Void hovered above, watching with disinterest. "Boring… I need to speed things up," he said. He had given Chaos a chance, but if the dragon didn't get far enough, Void wouldn't care.

With a swift movement, Void summoned his sword and slashed.

*Boom!*

The entire country vanished from the surface of the planet, both demons and dragons alike wiped out. Their souls automatically flowed into Void, stored neatly by the system.

"You can leave now. Do whatever you want." Void turned to the demon army before looking at Linkir.

"Let's go," he said, before flying off. Linkir hurried to follow.

The remaining demon army was confused by the sudden departure, but the peak Rank 0 demons had already made their exit. Some demons started fighting among themselves, while others ventured off to other locations.

As Linkir chased after Void, she gritted her teeth. His speed was just slightly faster than her maximum, allowing her to see him but never catch up. She knew Void was doing this on purpose.

"Master!" Linkir shouted, her voice straining, but Void remained silent, continuing to fly.

Minutes later, Void finally stopped and landed. Linkir quickly caught up, panting.

"Where's the portal? Is it in the village ahead?" Void asked without looking back.

"Yes, master," Linkir replied, bowing. She had been calling him master and bowing for a while now, but the truth was, she was tired of it. Still, what choice did she have? Void was far stronger than her.

"Kill them all," Void commanded.

"What?" Linkir gasped, but Void said nothing more. The silence spoke volumes, and Linkir closed her eyes. She had been able to kill her own people, convincing herself they had betrayed her, but now she was ordered to slaughter an entire village.

With a heavy heart, Linkir moved forward, quickly reaching the village. She released her aura, and the two mages who guarded the village appeared, bowing to her despite her monstrous form. Their lives were now hers.

"The children, mothers, and elderly should leave now. I'll kill the rest in ten minutes," Linkir said with a grim expression. The two mages were stunned but had no choice. They were thankful, at least, that their loved ones would be spared.

"Thank you," they replied, one of them rushing back to relay the message.

*Boom!*

Multiple explosions echoed through the air, turning the sky a deep, unsettling red.

"What exactly is happening?" Void murmured, watching from afar.

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