Salvos (A Monster Evolution LitRPG)

611. Perdition Part Two

Samuel’s lips quivered. He stared at the darkness in his master’s faceless gaze. He brought a trembling hand up to his chest as his mind filled with the memories of that moment. That was right. He had assailed Via from behind. He had attacked her with all his might.

But… he couldn’t even hurt her. She just stared at him in confusion, before Trico shoved her into his Divine Trident. Her blood might have spilled onto Samuel’s hands, but it was not he who committed the murder.

It was Trico.

And yet, somehow, the Trickster had led Samuel to believe he was the one who slew Via. Perhaps it was because of his pride— his ego led him to accept what he was told. After all, to be the first one in the history of the Nexeus to slay a Worldwalker… was it not such a grand thing?

But it wasn’t. It came with its consequences. And because he had said it with such sheer belief, it became accepted as reality. Samuel slew a Worldwalker. That was what his subjects were told. That was what Trico had spread to the other planes. That a Worldwalker was killed, and now, there was going to be an invasion.

And yet, the truth was—

“I killed her. That annoying bitch. I finally shut her mouth for good. And I thought I was going to have to deal with her friends hunting me across the multiverse. I probably was going to have to go into hiding. Maybe stick around in a dead universe for a few eons. But… thankfully, you took the blame for her death. So thank you, my apprentice.”

Trico laughed as he patted the Devil King on the shoulder. He drew back, looking up towards the broken Paradise.

“All I had to do after that was go to Via’s friends and tell her what had happened. A mere mortal in the Nexeus had killed her! We should get our revenge! But don’t worry, I have this brilliant idea— I’ll befriend them, trick them, and get them to destroy their own world!”

He spread his arms wide, the stars returning to his cosmic body.

“Even your so-called wise Dragons bought the bait so easily. They erected the walls I had given them, and just like the world I taught you to create, it collapsed.”

Trico shook his head, continuing callously.

“Ironically enough, it was the foolish Spirits who were the hardest to convince to trust me. But it matters not. All across the Nexeus, the corruption shall spread. And every single one of you idiots shall die, while I get away with killing Via scot-free.”

“This is… happening all across the Nexeus?”

Samuel asked, finally breaking out of his stupor. Trico scoffed as he waved a hand dismissively.

“Of course! And… maybe in somewhere between fifty thousand years or a hundred thousand years, there will be nothing left of the Nexeus. Probably.”

The Trickster spun around as the Devil King felt his breathing relax. Samuel stared at his former master’s back, nodding as he finally processed what just happened. The pain was still there, the confusion overwhelming. The grief he felt was too much.

So he stopped thinking about it. He didn’t steel himself. He just looked down at the palm of his hand, and a black pitchfork appeared. He looked back up, ignoring whatever the Worldwalker was saying. It didn’t matter. Everything that needed to be said had been said.

Samuel whispered to himself as he rose from the ground.

“I see.”

And with that, he lunged forward. He moved so fast. He was no longer the same Lesser Demon he used to be when his master first met him. He was the Devil King now. He was a Primordial Demon. He had reached the final evolution of his Species, and now, he ruled the Netherworld. He thrusted his weapon at the Worldwalker’s back—

But Samuel paused.

He came to a halt as his pitchfork struck Trico. It was a Legendary Grade artifact. One he had constructed himself. And yet, it… barely even cut the black surface of the Trickster’s skin.

Trico craned his neck back, skipping away from Samuel.

“You’ve grown stronger! You weren’t even able to hurt Via with my Divine Trident, but look at you— able to give me a small scratch with your own pathetic little weapon.”

The Devil King gritted his teeth, spinning around to face his former master. Trico just shook his head.

“But… a scratch is just a scratch—”

The Trickster started, only to be interrupted as a massive fist struck him from behind, shaking the Seventh Layer.

“Oof—”

“[My Right Hand: Destruction]!”

Belphegor struck Trico, sending the Worldwalker flying into a nearby wall. His face was cracked in fury— his body like that of a golem. He raised his fists as an army of [Gargoyles] began to build themselves from the ground behind him.

“You talk too much, Trickster.”

Trico pulled himself out of the rubble, the stars in his face flickering for a brief moment. He looked up to see Samuel slowly striding forward with an army of Demons. Belphegor, Vepar, Agnares, Astaroth, Focalor, Beelzebub, Valefor, Aamon— each and every one of them Primordial Demons— followed by even more Primevals.

They surrounded the Worldwalker as he chuckled, staring at them all.

“I’m in trouble.”

And Samuel spoke a simple command.

“Kill him.”

All at once, the army moved. Belphegor sprinted forward, the fastest of them all. Space seemed to twist around his fist, and he swung once again at the Trickster

“[I Shall Bear Your Sins]!”

But this time, Trico flickered out of existence, teleporting out of the way. Belphegor’s fist struck the ground, but the ground didn’t shatter. Instead, a pulse ran through space. A ripple that even caused the spreading corruption in the distance to pause for a brief moment.

But it continued wrecking its destruction across the Seventh Layer a moment later. Trico flashed into existence high above the gathered Demons, wiping at his forehead.

“That guy is dangerous. That could’ve hurt a lot!”

Focalor’s gaze snapped up, hearing the Trickster’s words. He raised his hands to the air as pentagrams appeared around him.

“[Basilisk], [Hydra], [Behemoth], [Leviathan], [Ziz]. Come forth, and destroy the Trickster.”

All at once, terrible creatures— serpents, many-legged beasts, winged Demons— they all shot forward as they converged around Trico. Each and every one of them were Primordial Demons. But they all obeyed the command of Focalor.

Trico tried to back away, cutting off the [Hydras] heads. But each time he ripped one off, another two grew from its neck. One of the heads clamped down at his arm, yanking him back. And the [Leviathan] reached him a moment later, swinging its tail at him, sending him back flying to the ground.

He tumbled straight down, before slowing right before he crashed into the earth. He laughed as he flipped around, landing softly with a skip in his step. But before he could even say a single word, both Agnares and Vepar were on him in a moment.

The two of them moved in unison. They unleashed an onslaught of attacks, punching and kicking him as he stumbled back. He raised his open palms and blocked their attack, cackling wildly.

“Come on, is that all you’ve got? Are you really Primordial Demons?”

Both Agnares and Vepar glanced at each other, before nodding.

“It's your turn, Astaroth!”

They shouted as they vanished into the shadows. Trico stood there stupidly for just a moment, and the ground beneath his feet exploded with a deluge of magma.

“[Supervolcanic Eruption]!”

Astaroth screamed as the ground trembled. It was an overwhelming blast— it continued to pour out into the Worldwalker. She panted, taking a step back as her Skill finally came to an end. And floating above the caldera, there was Trico.

He was covered in droplets of lava sliding down his body. But even though he took the full brunt of her blast, he was still unscathed. Despite the flurry of attacks he had received, he had only suffered a single scratch. And that had been from the first attack the Devil King dealt against him.

“I can’t lie and say I’m not disappointed, but… I really am disappointed.”

Trico shook his head as he cast his gaze towards his former apprentice. Samuel stood surrounded by his subjects, eyes narrowed. He watched as the Worldwalker gestured vaguely at the gathering of Demons.

“I told you to build an army that could repel an invasion of Worldwalkers! And this is what you’re showing me? Did you seriously think this was enough to win?”

The Devil King didn’t respond. He refused to acknowledge anything his former master said. Instead, he raised his pitchfork like a javelin, aiming at the floating Worldwalker. He took a step forward.

“Honestly, it’s not even disappointing at this point. It’s just sad—”

Trico continued his taunts, and Samuel hurled the pitchfork forward.

“[Godkiller].”

It shone and shot forward, reaching the Worldwalker in an instant. Trico couldn’t even react. He was struck by the pitchfork in the middle of his speech. And when that happened, he was sent crashing through the ceiling, flying out of the Seventh Layer of the Netherworld.

And out of the Sixth Layer.

And out of the Fifth Layer.

And out of the Fourth Layer.

And out of the Third Layer.

And out of the Second Layer.

…

—--

Trico exploded out of the white ground, shooting out of a mountain in the First Layer of the Netherworld. His chest was cracked where he was struck. The nebula that was normally plastered there was gone, dispelled by the force of the pitchfork.

He grunted and conjured his Divine Trident as he soared high into the crimson sky. With it, he swung down, knocking the pitchfork back down to the ground. He slowed as he finally felt the pressure easing off him.

“Whew, that actually hurt quite a lot.”

He shook his head, watching the falling pitchfork tumble back to the ground. But before it could crash into the white earth, a figure appeared there. The Devil King flashed into existence, grabbing his pitchfork with the same apathetic gaze from before.

Samuel felt nothing. He was completely hollow within. He moved mechanically, not out of desire, but out of necessity. For the sake of his subjects, he had to destroy the Trickster. He snapped his fingers. Belphegor, Vepar, Agnares, Astaroth, and Focalor appeared next to him.

The Devil King snapped his fingers again. This time, Beelzebub, Aamon, Valefor, and an army of Primeval Demons appeared behind him.

He snapped his fingers once again, and even more of his kingdom came to his side. Again. And again. And again. Samuel summoned his subjects as he strode forward, staring down his former master.

Trico swept his gaze over the tens of millions of Demons looking up towards him. And more were appearing by the instant. He scratched the back of his head as he floated back.

“...you know what? I was wrong. This is actually quite impressive.”

But that wasn’t all. Samuel snapped his fingers, and dozens of portals opened up in the air behind the Worldwalker. He spun around and froze.

“Oh, fuck.”

He whispered as he caught a glimpse of the winged beast waiting there before a blue sky. They poured out by the dozens. Most of them spanned hundreds of feet in length, except for the one that led them all. An obsidian-black beast that wore a gaze of fury, over a thousand feet in length.

They were Dragons. And they weren’t alone. They carried on their back High Elves. Gorgons. Giants. Centinels. Cyclopes. Many more beasts from the Mortal Realm.

The obsidian Dragon opened its mouth, unleashing a plume of black flames at the Trickster as it spoke.

“HOW DARE YOU BETRAY US, WORLDWALKER!”

Trico raised his Divine Trident, blocking the attack as he conjured a fractal barrier. But the other Dragons unleashed their flaming breaths too, joining their leader. His barrier began to crack, and he teleported out of the way.

“To be fair, that’s kind of on you for trusting someone who calls himself the ‘Trickster’, you know?”

Trico appeared higher in the air, only for Samuel to snap his fingers once again. Even more portals opened up, this time showing a green sky. And out poured an eclectic of creatures. They came in all shapes and sizes. Some of them looked like floating rocks, while others looked like trees. They were Fairies and Angels and all sorts of Sacred Spirits amongst them.

They bickered amongst themselves, shouting at each other as they flew through.

“I told you we should not have trusted him!”

A tall Fairy spat as she floated forward. Her body glowed gold, and her wings were a translucent silver. She turned away from a huffing Pixie and an annoyed Gnome, before facing the Trickster. She raised a finger, unleashing a flurry of sparks his way.

He dove out of the way, only for the Gnome to wave a wand.

“Oh, shut it, Tera! Why would I have listen to you?”

The Gnome pointed at the Trickster. At once, Trico froze where he was, suddenly encased in ice, and the Pixie clapped her hands together.

“Just because you were right this once, does not mean you are wiser than us.”

Her eyes glinted as the ice shattered, before being engulfed by a brilliant explosion. The outpouring of Spirits slowed as they watched the blast clear. But Trico was no longer there. His laughter came from higher above, drawing all their gazes.

“So this is the might of the Nexeus!”

The Trickster floated atop the crimson dome of the Netherworld, covered in cracks. He had his hand on his chest like he was both laughing and in pain. He looked at the three grand armies that had gathered to face him— at the Spirits, at the Dragons, and at the Demons— before he shook his head.

“My apprentice, we managed to accomplish quite a grand thing, eh?”

He turned to Samuel. The Devil King narrowed his eyes, reacting for once, losing his cold demeanor.

“Do not call me your apprentice. I will kill you here, Trico.”

“That’s harsh, but understandable. There is no way I can beat you all on my own.”

Trico sighed as he lowered his head. He looked like he was ready to accept his fate, then the stars in his body twinkled like whenever he was about to play a trick. He spread his arms wide as his laughter filled the Netherworld.

“However, I am not alone.”

And the sky ripped open. The crimson dome was lifted as a brilliant light shone down at the three grand armies. The Spirits, the Dragons, and the Demons all paused as they raised their heads, looking at what was waiting there above.

A hundred figures floated there, waiting behind the Trickster. All kinds of beings and entities. The Devil King couldn’t get a good look at most of them— they were mostly silhouettes, but he recognized what they were in an instant.

“...Worldwalkers.”

Samuel’s eyes went wide as he whispered the word. He took a step back, watching as the hundred figures waited in the sky. And all of the inhabitants of the Nexeus froze in fear at the beings that they saw.

Most of the Worldwalkers were the size of an ordinary person. A few were larger— perhaps the size of the Beast. But some of them dwarfed even the Nexeus.

A giant turtle carried a world in its back, floating and waiting in the emptiness of the Void. Next to it, another hulking creature waited, with an anthropoid body, and a face covered in tendrils. Behind them both, a metallic sphere hovered like a massive moon, staring down into the open hole in the Nexeus.

Trico glanced up as he chuckled.

“Took them long enough.”

A single one of the Worldwalkers descended down to Trico. She had a single black wing, just like Via, but it was on the opposite side. She also only had a single pair of arms, and she wore no mask covering her face. She shook her head as Trico nodded at her, glancing at the sphere floating in the sky.

“You really went all out, didn’t you, Ana? I can’t believe you even got those Void Pirates to help out!”

She wore a cool expression on her face, replying almost mechanically.

“The Nexeus is a System-world, so I told Idu he can harvest its core if we are forced to invade it. However, let us hope it does not come to that.”

Ana drew away from the Trickster, before facing the three grand armies of the Nexeus. She spoke softly, but somehow, her voice projected for all to hear.

“Inhabitants of the Nexeus, listen to me: for the crime of killing my sister, we have condemned your world to perdition. The corruption shall spread quickly, and it shall all soon collapse. Perhaps you could reverse the damage, or maybe you can flee to another world. We shall not stop you if you do survive this punishment. But heed this—”

She took in a deep breath, before glancing at Trico’s damaged state. Her eyes flickered for a moment, and she looked back down. All those who were gathered there recoiled in fear. Whether it were the Dragons, the Spirits, or the Demons. But she did not cast her gaze towards them. She only eyed a single figure— Samuel himself.

“If the inhabitants of your world dare slay another one of our kind, we will ensure that nothing shall be left of the Nexeus when we return. That is all.”

With that message delivered, she flew back, and the sky began to seal shut. Samuel couldn’t react. He could only stand in stunned silence along with the rest of the Nexeus. The other Worldwalkers vanished one after another, until only Trico was left.

He flew back after Ana, before she disappeared too. The Trickster swept his gaze over the three grand armies of the Nexeus. The Dragons looked uncertainly between each other, and the Spirits hesitated. Samuel himself wanted to move, but he couldn’t bring himself to raise a finger.

“You heard her, you can’t kill me, so… goodbye!”

And with that, they could only watch helplessly as Trico vanished, and the sky sealed shut. There was a flash of light as the war between the Nexeus and the Worldwalkers finally came to an end.

The inhabitants of the Nexeus were left alone to deliberate their predicament— to ponder their perdition. Until the war against the end of the world began.