Deimos

Deep inside a cavern in a secluded mountain range. Zhou Tai Nine was drawing an array formation. The demonic power he had received was demon summoning. Although he wasn't particularly satisfied with this ability, it was only a one-time power that would expire after today anyway, so he didn't care all that much. "Number Three, let me go right now! I never agreed to cooperate with you! If you dare use me as a sacrifice, the others will never let you get away with it!" Pinned to the array beneath a massive boulder placed there by Zhou Tai Nine, Zhou Tai Eight kept alternating between threats and enticements. Perhaps one's personality dictated the course of their mutation. Because Zhou Tai Eight loved deceiving people, his mutation hadn't made him any stronger; instead, his body had become terribly emaciated, and his sole demonic power was a big mouth. His mouth had warped into something resembling a megaphone, capable of producing deafening noise. "Shut up. If you don't want to be the sacrifice, go swap into another body. This body is mine," Zhou Tai Nine said domineeringly. He had been overbearing from the start. Because Number One was unshakable, and Number Two sounded like some accessory hanging around, he had decided to take over the spot of Number Three. Fortunately, the original Number Three had known better and stepped aside of his own accord, or else Zhou Tai Nine would have fought him tooth and nail. After finishing the demon-summoning array, he slashed his wrist, letting fresh blood drip down onto the formation. Gradually, the array filled with blood and radiated a crimson light. "Number Nine, you just remember this! Sooner or later, I'll make you beg on your knees!" Seeing that the array had activated, Zhou Tai Eight roared in humiliated fury. He then swiftly withdrew his consciousness, returning the body to its original aberrant worm. Zhou Tai Nine curled his lip, paying no heed to the threat. Besides, he was Zhou Tai Three now—the fool couldn't even get his name right, so who was he threatening? By now, crimson light engulfed the cavern. Zhou Tai Eight's body rapidly shriveled, and an immense arm reached out from the array. With a casual swat, it sent the boulder pinning Zhou Tai Eight flying. Then, bit by bit, it tore the rift in the array wider and shoved its head through. "State your wish, insect." Glaring down at Zhou Tai Nine, it spoke in a language Zhou Tai Nine had never heard before, yet understood completely. Zhou Tai Nine grinned. "My wish is simple: slaughter everyone here. Kill anyone and everyone you see!" "A reasonable request. I grant it. Call upon my name—I am Deimos!" the demon said, flashing a grin filled with razor-sharp fangs. If the request had been unreasonable, or if Deimos hadn't found it interesting, it wouldn't have shared its name. That would have meant the summon was a total failure—losing a sacrifice with nothing to show for it. Deimos offering its name meant the pact was sealed. "Come forth, Deimos!" Zhou Tai Nine beamed and shouted at the top of his lungs. The spatial rift in the center of the array tore wider and wider as Deimos's horrifying frame slowly emerged. The demon's head blew straight through the cave ceiling, and soon its sheer bulk split the entire mountain apart. Deimos had a head resembling a hybrid of a baboon and a crocodile, an ape-like torso, bat wings sprouting from its back, and a cobra for a tail. Colossal in scale, it let out a long howl upon breaking free, then scooped Zhou Tai Nine into one massive hand. "You, I will save for last!" Deimos looked at Zhou Tai Nine with a wicked grin. Zhou Tai Nine couldn't have cared less. Smiling right back, he said, "Doesn't matter to me. Right now, I want to see rivers of blood! Go on, slaughter to your heart's content!" The instant Deimos emerged from the array, the various squads sounded the alarm across their communications channels. Deimos was simply too colossal, towering even larger than the mountain itself; everyone could spot it from miles away. Jin Sheng was stationed very close to Deimos, separated by only three peaks. Holding his phone, he sent messages while tracking the demon, his expression grim. "Tiger-rank? Dragon-rank?" "Evacuate! A major change has occurred! All personnel below Snake rank, withdraw immediately!" Qingniao flew swiftly across the mountains, shouting whenever she encountered team members. Scores of people quickly gathered their gear and began pulling back from the cordoned zone. Sitting atop a bubble, Yu Xian stared at Deimos radiating an aura of terror in the distance. "Which number Zhou Tai is he now?" "Hahahaha! He's the real Zhou Tai Three! I'm actually Zhou Tai Nine! Bet you didn't see that coming, did you?" Zhou Tai Three burst into a fit of laughter. The only reason Yu Xian had unsealed his mouth to let him speak was because he had realized Zhou Tai Three was truly a loudmouth. The fellow couldn't keep a secret to save his life and blabbed about everything. *Zhou Tai Three? Zhou Tai Nine?* For some reason, Yu Xian thought back to the giant ape he had fought earlier. Could that have been this Zhou Tai? *This is just ridiculous.* Yu Xian had thought his own rate of improvement was already absurd, but seeing this made him feel he could still stand to improve quite a bit more. It was settled! From now on, he was flying straight into the sky to bask in the sun! At that moment, Deimos suddenly planted its legs and leapt high into the air. Opening its maw, a crimson orb of light condensed rapidly inside, glowing more brilliantly than the sun. "Not good!" Seeing this, Yu Xian immediately backed his bubble away at high speed while thrusting his hands forward, sending out a flurry of bubbles. His bubbles could withstand speeds around Mach 5. Pushing them to their absolute limit, he enveloped many team members who hadn't managed to evacuate in time, whisking them away inside the bubbles. At first, some didn't understand what was happening and assumed they were under attack. Only after realizing the bubbles were carrying them away from the epicenter did they recognize it was an ally. *Boom!* The crimson orb coalesced with terrifying speed, and it descended just as shockingly fast. In an instant, a crimson pillar of light shot up from the earth toward the heavens, followed by more and more beams erupting across the ground. It was completely different from the explosion Yu Xian had envisioned, yet every bit as horrifying. With each beam that erupted, scorching heat and destructive shockwaves tore through the surrounding landscape. Those whom Yu Xian hadn't managed to shield and who hadn't reacted in time were reduced to ash in a flash. "Die, you bastard!" Just then, a petite figure darted from a nearby mountain straight toward Deimos, driving a fist directly into the demon's cheek. *Boom!* The flesh on Deimos's cheek rippled wildly, and its eyes rolled back into its head. Yet in the next instant, it gritted its teeth and braced itself, withstanding the girl's blow. Its tail whipped around and struck her, sending her flying backward until she smashed straight through three mountains before coming to a stop. "Lion's Majesty!" A lion's roar thundered across the battlefield as a golden lion composed entirely of raw energy materialized, its mane burning with scorching brilliance like the sun. *Boom!* The golden lion collided head-on with Deimos, the terrifying shockwaves sweeping away everything in the vicinity. A second later, Deimos let out a low growl, seized the golden lion with both hands, and hurled it with tremendous force. The lion was tossed through the air and crashed heavily into the earth. Its golden light shattered, revealing Jin Sheng's battered form. Jin Sheng coughed up a mouthful of blood, the light in his eyes instantly fading.