"I'm here to back you up!"
Everyone turned toward the source of the voice and saw a burly, colossal barbarian player standing tall upon the earth.
His massive greataxe was mottled with blood, his body coated in filthy scraps of demon flesh. His eyes glowed faintly crimson, and plumes of white smoke snorted from his nostrils, making him look like the descent of the Chosen of Bhaal, the Lord of Murder.
This was none other than Tiansheng Zhankuang, universally acknowledged as the strongest barbarian player in Elezerg.
The marilith sneered. "Just you? Even if a thousand mortals like you came, you would only be crushed beneath the Abyssal might!"
Instantly, an ear-splitting shriek pierced the sky.
Her six arms fanned out and swung through the air, sending out rippling waves of black light. Nearby players' veins burst, spraying blood as their entire bodies blew apart.
The players in front had their helmets caved in, their eyeballs popping into bloody mist from the sudden surge of intracranial pressure.
Even Dawei Tianlong coughed up a mouthful of blood, veins bulging across his skin as he channeled the ki within him through his entire body, barely managing to hold himself together and avoid exploding like his teammates.
"Die, insects..." The marilith's sinister laughter echoed across the battlefield like the hissing of a viper, sending chills down every spine.
Seeing this, Tiansheng Zhankuang hesitated no longer. Throwing his head back, he let loose a roar of utter fury. His muscles swelled, and both eyes flared with a berserk red glow.
"Aaargh—!"
Yet that was not the end. Tiansheng Zhankuang slammed a fist against his chest, where an inverted hexagram brand pulsed with flashing crimson radiance. Raging hellfire erupted from his eyes, nostrils, mouth, and even his pores.
Enveloped in scarlet light, his whole body seemed to catch fire.
Dawei Tianlong stared in astonishment, murmuring, "Could this be...?"
Amidst the chaotic fog, the marilith's eyes flickered with eerie light in the darkness. Her expression turned sharp and the hatred in her gaze deepened—for she sensed a familiar presence.
These demons from the Abyss cared nothing for honor. Almost in an instant, the marilith whipped her serpentine lower body forward, brandishing her array of weapons and dragging a trail of Abyssal black mist as she lunged at Tiansheng Zhankuang.
"So it's a hell-spawn mongrel!"
*Boom—!*
Air detonated with a thunderous crack. Within the blazing flames, Tiansheng Zhankuang's body expanded wildly, swelling to an even more monstrous size.
Massive, curling horns sprouted from his brow, broad bat-wings unfurled from his back, and hideous bone spurs jutted from his joints. His entire being radiated an overwhelming infernal pressure, as if poised to incinerate everything in sight...
In just a few seconds, Tiansheng Zhankuang transformed into one of Hell's most powerful high-ranking devils—a pit fiend!
"Die!"
The marilith hissed and pounced, bringing down her black-radiance-wreathed spear, greatsword, and battleaxe together toward Tiansheng Zhankuang.
Just as the greatsword was about to cleave the grotesque shadow, a pair of pitch-black eyes snapped open amidst the fire, pupils gleaming with blood-red light—causing even the marilith's heart to shudder.
How could this be?
How could she fear a mortal—even one granted a blessing of Hell?
*Clang—!*
A massive talon clamped onto the greatsword. Devilish scales grated against the blade, unleashing a shower of brilliant sparks.
Her face contorting, the marilith swung her remaining five weapons at the shadowy figure in the flames.
Tiansheng Zhankuang swung his greataxe with all his might. A succession of metallic clangs rang out, and under his colossal strength, those weapons were knocked flying all at once.
The warhammer flew from the marilith's grip and embedded itself deep in the dirt, while her battleaxe shattered on the spot into countless filthy shards.
Tiansheng Zhankuang locked eyes with the monstrous silhouette in the black fog, panting heavily. Sulfurous smoke billowed from him in gusts, evil energy wreathing his pit fiend frame.
Empowered by both his barbarian Blood Rage and the pit fiend form, his Strength had reached a terrifying 26 points—solidly boss tier.
Such a surge in power did not come without a price.
The pit fiend state lasted only three minutes, had a three-day cooldown, and permanently drained the user's vitality each time it was invoked.
His time was exceptionally precious.
Only by personally slaying this marilith could he recoup the costs of deploying his pit fiend form.
Without hesitation, Tiansheng Zhankuang flapped his powerful wings and rocketed skyward through the flames. Whirling his greataxe, he roared with fury, "Demon, the one who's going to die—is you!"
*Whoosh—!*
He swooped down, his greataxe trailing blazing trails of flame as it cleaved through the air and came crashing down toward the marilith's head.
Twisting her body through the black fog, the marilith suddenly thrust her spear straight at Tiansheng Zhankuang's heart.
In midair, however, Tiansheng Zhankuang shifted his vertical chop into a sweeping diagonal slash, carving a near-perfect arc across the sky.
The hellfire-churning axe blade severed the spear along with the arm holding it in one clean sweep, sending murky blood spraying everywhere.
"Cursed vermin!"
The marilith shrieked in agony and spewed a stream of viscous venom, yet it missed Tiansheng Zhankuang as he skimmed past low above the ground.
The glob of venom hit the earth with a violent hiss, corroding a deep pit that belched thick, brownish-yellow noxious fumes.
Had Tiansheng Zhankuang committed to a direct frontal jumping chop, that venom would have struck his chest square-on, melting away half his torso and his heart along with it.
Flapping his wings in the air, Tiansheng Zhankuang brandished his greataxe again and charged around to the marilith's rear.
The marilith whipped her torso around as well, her remaining five arms swinging deadly Abyssal-forged blades to barely parry his sweeping strike.
"Mortal, your time is running short, isn't it? A human vessel cannot endure the power of a pit fiend for long," the marilith rasped in a venomous whisper, glaring at him.
"Enough time to kill you!" Tiansheng Zhankuang roared. Veins bulged along his arms as his greataxe bore down against her five Abyssal weapons, searing hellfire erupting from the edge.
Abyssal black light clashed against infernal fire, locking them in a deadlock. The overwhelming wave of unholy malice that exploded outward knocked nearly every mortal within a hundred meters unconscious.
Neither Tiansheng Zhankuang nor the marilith dared to slacken. Both were waiting for the other to slip up.
The instant an opening appeared, the moment of life and death would arrive.
Right as the two hung in stalemate, an enraged shout rang out behind the marilith.
"Snake demon, cease your insolence!"
Dawei Tianlong leaped into the air, eight fists swinging furiously to generate ferocious gusts of force, each fist blazing with dazzling radiance.
This was naturally not Buddhist radiance, but rather the divine power granted by Dawei Tianlong using a Sacred Fist scroll—though when it came to exterminating fiends, the effect was practically the same.
Sensing that "disgusting" holy aura, the marilith twisted her head around in horror, gnashing her teeth as she snarled, "Damned mortal, you dare?!"
A terrifying aura of soul-crushing dread radiated from the marilith, making all living things tremble.
Yet Dawei Tianlong weathered it through sheer monk fortitude, his mind as still as water, his will unshakeable.
He unleashed his fists and bellowed at the top of his lungs, "Mighty Heavenly Dragon! World-Honored Ksitigarbha! Great Daluo Mantra! Prajna of all Buddhas! Prajna Bama Hum! Soaring Dragon in the Sky!"
*Thud!*
*Thud! Thud! Thud!*
In an instant, afterimages danced as countless fists infused with "Buddhist radiance" fell upon the marilith's grotesque fiendish form like a tempest.
The onslaught shattered her armor and sprayed blood, stamping charred fist prints plainly visible across her back.
The marilith let out a shrill shriek. Shuddering under the heavy barrage, she screamed almost maniacally, "Mortal, I will tear you to shreds! I curse you! The Abyss shall swallow you whole!"
Dawei Tianlong was deaf to her cries. Like a relentless punching machine, he battered through the surging Abyssal fog, dishing out insane damage until he snapped her spine in half.
At last, caught in a pincer attack between two top-tier players, the marilith coughed up a massive mouthful of foul black blood, the strength in her arms abruptly fading.
Seizing the opening immediately, Tiansheng Zhankuang exerted all his might. His greataxe cleaved downward, knocking every single Abyssal weapon from her hands.
He only had seconds left on his transformation.
And this was the perfect opportunity to slay the marilith!
"Die!"
Tiansheng Zhankuang leaped more than a dozen meters into the air, swung his hellfire-blazing greataxe in a full arc, and brought down a vicious leaping chop straight onto the marilith's skull, the sheer force fracturing the surrounding space.
*Slash—!*
The blade sheared through flesh, split bone, and churned through brains, cleaving the marilith's skull into two halves right down from the crown as murky brain matter splattered out.
Even that was not the end. Driven by the terrifying kinetic force, the cut tore through the marilith's neck, severed her spine down the center, and sliced her still-beating heart cleanly in two, leaving a cauterized, blackened cut.
Under Tiansheng Zhankuang's all-out blow, the marilith's entire upper body split open, disgorging black blood, dense toxic fumes, and countless writhing maggots.
Beneath the players' combined assault, this high-ranking demon embodying cruelty and malice breathed her last.
A moment later, Tiansheng Zhankuang's body shrank drastically, reverting to that of a muscular human.
His skin was flushed red and steam hissed from his flesh like meat fresh out of a steamer. He gasped for air, struggling even to breathe.
When a mortal gained extraordinary devilish power, a price had to be paid.
Such were the aftereffects of the pit fiend form. Following this battle, he would face three days of extreme exhaustion, unable to even lift his greataxe.
Yet looking at the notification on his interface reading *[You have slain a marilith]* alongside the ridiculously rich rewards, a deeply satisfied grin spread across his face.
What a fight! Absolutely thrilling!
Dawei Tianlong stood before the marilith's corpse, pressed his palms together, and murmured with an expression of profound pity, "At last, this wicked fiend has been delivered. If it were left in this world, who knows how many innocent lives would have suffered."
Tiansheng Zhankuang struggled to his feet and rubbed his shiny bald head, saying sheepishly, "Brother Tianlong, thanks. You played a big part in that fight. Once I claim my rewards, I'll wire you a thousand gold dinars."
The corners of Dawei Tianlong's mouth curled up, and a smile finally broke across his resolute face. He gave a slight nod. "Amitabha. Splendid, splendid."
Tiansheng Zhankuang scratched his head and thought nothing of it. After all, roleplaying like this was all too common in Elezerg.
Not far away, a high-level fighter player named "Hongren Tianzun," clad in armor and clutching a razor-sharp, three-meter-long tachi, launched a frontal challenge against an abyssal drake.
"Go for it, Brother Tianzun!"
"For the honor of the Longsword mains!"
A dozen or so players cleared surrounding low-tier demons while eagerly watching the duel.
Muttering obscure terms like "Step Slash, Fade Slash, Foresight Slash," Hongren Tianzun swung his slender blade, hacking repeatedly into the abyssal drake and showering sparks from the edge as he nimbly dodged its bites and claw swipes with quick footwork.
Then, letting out an excited bellow of "Helm Breaker!", he stepped off the drake's body, raised his tachi high, and vaulted six or seven meters into the air.
Unfortunately, Elezerg had no such thing as invincibility frames. The abyssal drake lashed out with a claw, swatting the player over twenty meters away with a single backhand.
Spitting blood in midair, Hongren Tianzun cried out in anguish, "How could this be?! This is my way of life!"
Before he could recover, the abyssal drake lunged forward, crushing down with its massive, heavy draconic bulk and instantly squashing the player into a paste.
The spectating players sighed in unison.
"Sigh, carted again."
"Pack it up, pack it up. Another failed run."
"What a clown of a Longsword main, daring to call himself 'Heavenly Venerable'?"
"That's what happens when you main Longsword—he's definitely got that one two-character weapon in mind."
"I demand the damn devs fix the game's physics model! Isn't having i-frames on Helm Breaker common knowledge?!"
"Hey, wrong game, bro! This is Elezerg!"
With players from the Cinder Empire joining the fray, the battlefield grew increasingly chaotic. Alongside the orderly devil legions, the Avernus faction now had the unpredictable wild card of players.
Across the Blood War's long history, common knowledge held that once combat devolved into a chaotic brawl, victory almost always went to the Abyssal demons—after all, they were the children of chaos, the physical embodiment of cosmic disorder.
Yet the players' arrival shattered that convention.
Even the most wildly chaotic demons had never witnessed humans this unhinged.
They feared neither death nor pain. They turned a blind eye to comrades' deaths—or actively cheered them on—and would gladly carry bombs into suicide charges just to deal a little more damage, inflicting catastrophic casualties upon the demonic horde.
And rallied by Cassius's quest calls, player numbers in Avernus surged rapidly, soon surpassing one million.
With more players storming the field, the trajectory of the war grew increasingly unpredictable.
Far behind the boundless fiendish tide, three colossal figures surrounded by high-ranking demons watched the distant players, endless cruelty and venomous hatred gleaming in their abyssal depths.
Chapter 732