Monarch of Darkness, Arsene

“Screw you guys; I have the second-highest battle prowess here!” Ren proudly swore, bringing a slew of laughter from Ezra. “Is that a challenge?”

Ezra’s lips arched into a challenging smirk, “you sure you want to challenge a devil?”

“First off, both of you need to think. Not everyone is like Arsene; his spear is powered by the souls of two Elder Gods or did you forget. Breaking through those spiders’ defense might be more challenging for you two.” Lilith coldly pointed out.

Realization dawned on those two, and their gaze shifted to my spear. Personally, I could not tell how strong these abyssal spiders’ defense was; if Lilith hadn’t said anything, I, too, would have been clueless.

Tightening my grip around the Shadow Sword, a devouring essence only I could feel coursed from my soul into the blade. Fueled with the sin of greed, I bolted out, shadow stepping into the middle of the growing onslaught of Abyssal Spiders.

I made sure the dagger the Chancellor gave me was attached to my waist. And blood danced around the spear of Noctem staining the ground as I danced like the reaper. At the same time, the shadow sword would devour the very souls of the abyssal spider, causing their bodies to fall limp. I didn’t know my soul’s level, but I was sure it was far more terrifying than these spiders whose combined intellect probably couldn’t power a potato.

Nevertheless, these Abyssal Spiders were dangerously strong.

Their eighth legs were both fast and capable of cutting through my flesh as minor nicks slowly appeared around my body. They were nothing special and would heal the moment they appeared, but these spiders were faster than I was, making it tricky not to take damage, especially when surrounded.

Weaving through all deadly strikes with endless ease with my high battle prowess, bodies, and limbs oozing greenish-red blood spilled over the ground, creating holes to lower levels.

Shifting my attention to Lilith, who, like me, was dancing through the battlefield, I could not help but be taken back. Lilith did not use her sword like I thought she would but rather purely relied on the Dao of Space. Almost like she had an invisible domain around her, whatever Lilith touched, would fold into itself. Like they were paper, space would simply turn against them.

For ordinary cultivators defending against such a Spiral Arte was relatively easy, but these Abyssal Spiders were simply relying on brute strength. Nevertheless, their battle prowess was around Master, making them dangerous if I were to dismiss their attacks.

Noting Ren, whose battle prowess edged upon the level of King, I could not help but be shocked at his ability to move his sword. It was almost exactly like mine, yet carrying properties of Baphomet, when we fought. Ezra, however, battle prowess was around the level of late stages of Lord. Carrying her greatsword, which crushed the life out of these Abyssal Spiders, she was doing far more damage than Ren; whose fighting style didn’t focus on raw power.

“You limp dick fucker! I’m at thirty!’ Ezra cried in battle lust, cleaving an abyssal spider in half, grabbing the limb of its severed half, and plunging it into another Abyssal Spider’s eye.

Guess she is having no trouble killing these spiders. Just how powerful is her physical strength?

Ren’s expression dimmed, and he glanced at Ezra, causing his entire fighting style to shift. Knowing he just incorporated Ezra’s powerbase fighting style, I couldn’t help but shake my head as those two began to shower the scene in blood.

“Arsene,” Lilith whispered into my soul.

“I know,” I softly said.

While these spiders were fast and downright deadly, they did not have the speed or intelligence to hide from my darkness. Someone did that. 𝘣𝑒𝑑𝘯𝘰𝘷𝑒𝘭．𝑜𝘳𝘨

Keeping my sense open to the world around me, my soul fused even deeper into the darkness when it suddenly picked up on a moving target, and at that moment, before anyone could move or think. I shadow stepped.

Appearing before some monstrous type of man, with eight long spider limbs protruding from his back, I didn’t make a sound as my finger touched the back of his head.

‘Bang,’ I uttered as a bolt of darkness whipped through the back of his head, twisting his entire being into a shredded mist of red.

“Rimva!” A sudden howled bellowed as I felt several beams of light deadly as any sword pierced through space. Narrowing my eyes, a wave of a dark mist surged through my pores, devouring the deadly beams of light, leaving me free of injuries.

Eyeing the seven beastly Heavenly Lords, carrying similar characteristics to the spiders around us, the hairs upon my back stood on end as I felt bits of abyssal essence ripple form off of their bodies.

That’s. That’s impossible!

“Lilith, are you seeing this?” I uttered in disbelief, allowing Lilith to see through my eyes with our soul teether.

“Look closer,” She said to me as I focused on parts of the bodies that still held human features, like parts of their cheeks and shoulders, where I saw red puss leaking from what seemed like black veins.

‘There dying.’ I mentioned,

“Yeah. These were just low-level abyssal insects, and they have the battle prowess of Master; if you think that people of the Overworld can just come and steal my people’s body parts. Then you are mistaken. No one has that power. Except maybe you.”

I readied myself, chanting the path of abyssal night.

There were seven of them—each of them carrying a different weapon. Judging by the slew of energy and their stance, these Overworld bastards do not seem stronger than Masters.

“Everyone head deeper into the cave,” I commanded, “I’ll catch up.”

“You’re not going anywhere,” Spiderman One said, carrying an overly large spear. He darted towards me at such a speed I knew my only chance of dodging was with a shadow step. However, I couldn’t be bothered to dodge, meeting his spear thrust head-on.

Spiderman One’s eyes opened wide as his spear suddenly lost its initiative as my Mortal Dao stole all the momentum he gathered. I brandished my sword towards his neck, and a desperate cry resounded from his beastly jaw of spikes and acid. Twisting desperately to dodge my sword, I stole his arm, bathing my face in blood as two sigils appeared above my head.

“AAAAAAAAAH~” He roared when suddenly the very void shook, and in but a moment, his entire body was devoured by the darkness—eaten way by the sheer Emptiness of Night.

“Devouring Night,” I chanted, casting the first spell I ever created out.

Silence rippled out, and my laughter echoed, “Why don’t the six of you all charge at me. I’ll make it fair.”