After Slayer tore Deag Grav apart, his blood began to spread rapidly, forming a strange symbol. Alex immediately realized — this wasn’t just ritual residue. It was a trap. Everything happening looked like a carefully orchestrated maneuver by Davoth and the Minister of Monoliths.

But instead of panic — only calm. Alex silently watched the priest’s blood shape into a magical pattern — a summoning circle. And if this trap led directly to the enemy’s doorstep… why interfere? He simply took a drag from his cigarette and kept watching the circle without blinking.

Moments later, the blood symbol finished forming and flared with a bright crimson light. Alex flicked away the cigarette, glanced at Slayer, and gave a slight nod, asking, “Ready?”

Slayer answered the same way — a short, confident nod.

At that moment, light flooded the entire throne room, engulfing their figures. Space began to collapse, then suddenly compressed. Alex felt their bodies being pulled deep through the thin boundaries of the worlds. He had experienced something similar before — on the day he first encountered the avatar of Nyan-Nyan. That moment marked the end of his peaceful life.

But he had no regrets. And he had no intention of stopping.

Alex and Slayer were thrown out of the portal — like meteors, they fell from great height toward a foreign, harsh planet. Through the roaring wind and screaming atmosphere, Alex glanced over at Slayer and gave him a thumbs-up. Slayer, true to himself, responded with a silent nod.

As they plummeted, Alex studied the landscape. Beneath them stretched an icy abyss — the planet was covered in endless snow plains and frozen ridges. In some spots, traces of an ancient civilization could be seen beneath the ice. But what shocked Alex most was something else — he recognized this place.

Tau Volantis. A world that, by his assumption, was the domain of the Minister of Monoliths himself. A place from which he observed all universes and meddled in their fates. A kind of divine citadel beyond time and space.

And then Alex saw something he first mistook for ruins. But upon closer look, he realized — they weren’t ruins. It was a massive Black Marker. A colossal structure, black as the void, rising all the way to the clouds. Even Slayer, falling alongside him, noticed the construction.

“So that’s where you’re hiding,” Alex muttered.

The fall continued. They streaked through the atmosphere, leaving blazing trails like two burning meteors plummeting toward an icy hell.

“Catch up, Slayer! I’m going in first!” Alex shouted, pinning his arms to his sides to accelerate.

Slayer didn’t lag behind. He mirrored the movement, and both warriors hurtled toward the planet even faster. The ground was closing in fast. The air howled in their ears. The snow and ice trembled in anticipation.

Alex hit first, landing with a devastating impact. A shockwave rippled outward, destroying everything nearby. The earth shook, ice cracked. In the center of the newly formed crater stood Alex — snow on his coat and a faint smirk on his face.

A second explosion followed — just as destructive. Slayer landed beside him, creating his own crater.

And so, the two warriors — like harbingers of doom — arrived on Tau Volantis. Their goal was clear. Their resolve — unshakable.

Ahead of them lay the Black Marker, where the Minister of Monoliths and Davoth awaited.

Standing in the center of the crater, Alex calmly lit another cigarette. Taking a deep drag, he exhaled smoke into the sky. Holding the cigarette between his teeth, he began climbing the slope of the crater. Almost simultaneously, Slayer emerged at the top.

They were met by the harsh cold of Tau Volantis. The freezing wind whistled across the snowy plain, whipping Alex’s coat and sending ice crystals into the air. Alex looked around, scanning the distance, trying to determine the direction of the Black Marker.

“Hell of a welcome they’ve got,” he muttered, running a hand through his hair to slick it back. “Could’ve dropped us at the front door. But no — they throw us out of orbit. That taxi gets half a star, tops.”

“Hmmm,” Slayer grunted, casting a brief glance at his companion.

Alex shrugged, waiting for a reaction, and was just about to ask if Slayer’s suit was still connected to VEGA — when a loud noise from behind caught their attention.

Both spun around sharply and saw a horde of Necromorphs charging at them with shrieks and howls.

Slayer didn’t waste a second — he pulled a shotgun from his shoulder and blasted the chest of the nearest creature. The Necromorph flew back but, to their surprise, was still alive.

“Slayer, aim for the limbs! These things only die when you take out their arms or legs!” Alex shouted, firing Blue Rose directly into the joint of one of the monster’s claws.

To make it clear, he fired two more precise shots — and the Necromorph collapsed, dead.

Understanding the trick, Slayer didn’t hesitate again. He charged forward and with the first kick crushed the torso of the nearest enemy. Anything that came into his reach — shattered, broke, and turned into a bloody mess.

Alex smirked, summoned the Muramasa katana into his hand, and followed into battle. With one rapid dash, he crossed the distance to the next group of Necromorphs, assumed a battōjutsu stance, activated the sheath’s mechanism — and the blade shot into his hand with a deafening snap.

Gripping the hilt, Alex spun in a circular slash, cleaving through the surrounding enemies. A moment later, he slid the blade back into its sheath — and a distinct metallic click echoed. Several Necromorphs around him froze before their bodies began to slide apart — their upper halves neatly separated from the lower.

Looking up, Alex saw Slayer tearing through Necromorphs with just as much brutality, ripping off limbs and heads effortlessly.

“No wonder even demons fear him,” Alex muttered, dodging a strike from one of the monsters’ sharp bone-blades.

He caught the attacking limb, ripped it off with a crunch, and kicked the creature backward — right toward Slayer. Without missing a beat, Slayer caught the flying body by the head, clenched his fingers — and the skull exploded in a spray of black ichor.

Alex raised a hand in a gesture of apology. Slayer gave a silent nod, indicating it was fine.

When the battle ended, the path forward became clear. The Necromorph attack confirmed one thing: the way to Davoth and the Minister of Monoliths would be riddled with obstacles. No one was going to let them reach their target easily.

But the target was already set. The destination — known.

Alex and Slayer exchanged a glance. No words needed. And they moved forward — toward the Black Marker.

The cold, piercing wind of Tau Volantis battered their bodies from all sides, and the thick snow, whipped up by the storm, clouded their vision, making it hard to see what lay ahead. The snow was so deep it reached their waists, but it didn’t stop them. Whatever stood in their way — debris, ice blocks, or collapsed structures — they simply destroyed it. One punch from Slayer or a kick from Alex — and the path was cleared.

However, as they crossed another stretch of frozen plain, the ground beneath them cracked with a crunch — and gave way. With a thunderous crash, they fell into darkness.

Landing in some kind of cavern, Alex and Slayer got to their feet. Darkness surrounded them. Alex raised his hand, and a ball of light flared in his palm, illuminating the walls.

“Hmm,” Slayer grunted, glancing at the fresco-covered stone.

Alex stepped closer and began examining the images. A whole story unfolded before him — the tragedy of Tau Volantis told without a single word.

“Want to know what’s depicted here?” Alex asked, his gaze still fixed on the wall.

“Hmm,” Slayer nodded, standing beside him.

“In short… it’s the story of this planet’s fall. Here, it shows the height of their civilization. Judging by the frescoes, this place was once a true paradise. But then came ambition… the desire for more. They sought knowledge, advancement, greatness. And in that pursuit, they opened a passage into their world.”

Alex ran his finger along the image where a sharp, ominous monolith towered over a burning horizon, its surface etched with strange, unreadable symbols.

“They let something in… a living entity that looked like a gigantic, pointed monolith. At first, it gave them knowledge and power. But later, some realized what they had unleashed. And here” — Alex pointed to the next fresco — “are the final words of one of the survivors:’In our pursuit of truth, we brought madness. We lost not only our bodies — but our souls. Even death denied us mercy. We became prisoners… locked in the planet’s core, trapped in an endless cycle of suffering and madness.'”

“Sir, are you suggesting that in their pursuit of knowledge and ambition, they doomed themselves?” came VEGA’s voice over the communicator.

“Exactly, VEGA,” Alex replied grimly. “And it’s not unique. It repeats in every universe. No matter what the world is called — if there’s intelligent life, there will be ambition. And there will always be those willing to destroy everything for their own gain. Remember what happened in Slayer’s first world? Humans searched for a new energy source, opened a portal to Jekkad — and let demons into their world. Slayer lost everything… and became who he is. Then came Argent D’Nur, ambition again. Even your creator, Samuel Hayden… he couldn’t resist and made the same mistakes.”

“I understand, sir…” VEGA responded briefly and fell silent.

Alex heard Slayer’s gauntlet creak beside him as his fists clenched. Without a word, Alex placed a hand on his shoulder, offering silent support.

Casting one last glance at the fresco depicting the fall of Tau Volantis, Alex and Slayer began searching for a way out. Soon they came upon a blocked passage, and with a single powerful kick, Alex cleared the debris.

The glowing sphere in his palm lit the way deeper into the cavern. After walking a little farther, they entered a spacious chamber with a massive hole in the center. Dim light shone from above, while an impenetrable darkness yawned below. Alex realized that the path upward was the exit — but his eyes were increasingly drawn to the abyss below.

He stepped to the edge and peered down. The void seemed endless.

“I wonder… what’s down there?” he murmured.

But before they could come up with a plan, a deep rumble echoed from the darkness below, shattering the dead silence. Alex lowered the light deeper — and what he saw prompted a quiet curse.

Hundreds of tentacles were rising from the depths, merging into a fleshy mass resembling a tangle of twisted human bodies fused into one grotesque entity.

“Looks like the local wildlife’s not too fond of us,” Alex muttered, watching the nightmare draw closer.

“Hmm,” Slayer growled quietly, also staring into the approaching swarm of tentacles.

They both recoiled at the same time as one of the tentacles slammed against the cliff’s edge. Stones broke off and fell into the chasm — and then hundreds more slimy, fleshy Necromorph tentacles erupted from the pit.

One lashed toward Alex. Instantly, he gripped Muramasa’s sheath and activated the mechanism. With a sharp snap, the blade launched into his hand. In one lightning-fast motion, Alex sliced the tentacle cleanly off — the edge so hot it seared the flesh on contact. A tortured, wrathful howl echoed from the depths.

A second tentacle lunged at Slayer — only to be caught in his iron grip. With a sudden yank and the revolting sound of tearing meat, he ripped it out of the creature. Another furious shriek followed, and a low, growing rumble from below signaled something massive was approaching.

The ground beneath their feet cracked. Before they could leap back, the earth gave way — and both Alex and Slayer plummeted into the void.

During the fall, the creature to which the tentacles belonged was finally revealed to them. What Alex saw, he would unhesitatingly call the most disgusting being he had ever encountered.

Bursting from the darkness was a colossal Necromorph, its body made of fused flesh, shards of stone, and fragmented corpses. It howled, writhed, and ascended at terrifying speed. Alex and Slayer found themselves riding on its back, trying to stay balanced while fending off attacking tentacles.

“I can safely say — not a bad elevator to the surface,” Alex smirked, dodging another tentacle, “if only it didn’t try to touch me in places that are absolutely off-limits.”

“Hmm,” Slayer rasped, slicing through a reaching tentacle with his chainsaw.

Alex pushed off the creature’s body, flipping in midair. A tentacle swiped past him, and in that moment, he unsheathed his blade and sliced it clean in half. Catching movement behind him, he flipped again, drove Muramasa into the tentacle’s flesh, and slid down along it, cutting all the way to the base.

He leapt to the side, evading another strike. Overhead, a rocket streaked past, fired by Slayer, and exploded deep within the monster’s body.

Spotting another tentacle lunging toward Slayer, Alex instantly dashed behind him and severed it before it could strike.

Meanwhile, the Necromorph reached the surface. With a deafening roar, it erupted from the planet’s depths and crashed onto the snowy plain, flattening everything around it. Alex and Slayer were flung from its back, tumbling across the ground and digging deep furrows in the snow as they came to a stop.

“I still don’t get why those two idiots couldn’t just teleport us to their damn doorstep…” Alex muttered, lighting a cigarette. “Or maybe they just enjoy watching us brawl with the local freaks.”

“Hmm,” Slayer growled darkly, reloading his grenade launcher.

“Exactly. But whatever. Let’s just kill this thing and move on,” Alex said, cracking his neck.

Slayer nodded and launched a rocket directly into the monster’s ribcage. There was an explosion, and a ragged, bloodied hole tore through the creature’s torso. It roared, writhing in agony, and suddenly turned its full attention to Alex and Slayer. One of its massive tentacles slammed down with a crash, forcing both warriors to leap away. The shockwave sent snow flying, burying their bodies. Alex’s cigarette was knocked from his mouth, and he found himself buried under the powder.

Irritated, he burst out of the snow and sprang to his feet. Stashing Muramasa in his inventory, he pulled out another sword — a massive, two-meter black blade. Worn and intimidating, the sword radiated dread just by its presence.

Alex charged forward, weaving through a storm of flailing tentacles. Using one as a springboard, he slashed through a chunk of flying debris, twisted midair, and drove the sword into the monster’s flesh, climbing upward with each pull of the blade, carving a deep, bleeding trench behind him.

Blood and viscera gushed from the wound as the Necromorph screamed in agony — a feral, bone-shaking howl that pierced even the howling wind and crashing destruction.

Meanwhile, Slayer emerged from a snowdrift and spotted Alex climbing the massive Necromorph, tearing into its flesh with his enormous black sword. Wasting no time, Slayer pulled a super shotgun from his back and activated the meat hook beneath the barrel. Latching onto one of the tentacles, he launched himself upward, soaring through the air with brutal momentum.

In midair, he stowed his shotgun behind his back and drew the Gauss Cannon. Quickly aiming, he fired at the conspicuous yellow core located on the monster’s back. The plasma charge hit the target dead-on. The core exploded, releasing a thick, yellow pus that hissed as it poured out. The Necromorph roared in pain, its whole body trembling.

That moment of confusion allowed Alex to reach the top of the creature’s body and slash the flesh from its abdomen up to the skull, exposing the insides and another core — murky and pulsating, as if boiling with some liquid inside.

“Slayer, shoot the core!” Alex shouted, hovering over the Necromorph’s head.

Slayer landed with a heavy thud, creating a crater beneath his feet, and immediately pulled out the BFG. Aiming at the exposed core, he fired. The plasma charge, glowing green, raced forward, vaporizing the snow in its path. When it struck the core, a deafening explosion erupted, lighting up everything around, and the Necromorph emitted its final, deathly scream.

Tentacles all over its body immediately went limp and crashed to the ground with a thunderous sound. The monster itself then collapsed, like a mountain falling into silence.

Alex fell onto the dead body from above, resting his sword on his shoulder.

“We make quite the dream team,” he smirked, jumping off the carcass and adjusting his grip on the sword.

“Hmm,” Slayer nodded.

“And just recently we were beating the crap out of each other until we lost pulse and even destroyed a planet. As the masters from Ryōzanpaku like to say: if you haven’t beaten the spirit out of your friend, then you’re not really friends,” Alex added with a cheerful tone.

Slayer looked at him. Despite the helmet, Alex could tell from his posture that he thought it was complete nonsense.

Looking away, Slayer moved forward, but their path was blocked by the giant Necromorph’s corpse. Not wanting to go around it, Alex grabbed one of the tentacles and with a powerful throw shoved the monster back into the gaping hole it had emerged from.

Clearing the way, Alex and Slayer continued forward. The weather on Tau Volantis seemed to mock them: a snowstorm began, greatly worsening the already poor visibility. Covered in snow and ice, they moved cautiously now—not wanting to fall again into the depths full of nightmares.

Suddenly, Slayer’s visor detected movement. He raised his hand, signaling Alex to stop. Alex raised an eyebrow and looked ahead—through the blizzard, something was indeed moving.

“VEGA, what do you see through Slayer’s visor?” Alex asked via communicator.

“Anomalous movement detected within the storm. Target moving too fast. Tracking is impossible,” VEGA replied.

Alex immediately knew what they were dealing with. Twitcher. Necromorphs of this type move so insanely fast that to an outside observer, their movements look like trembling, blurry shadows.

Noticing a flash of movement on the left, Alex extended his hand—and caught the creature midair. Gripping it tightly, he grabbed its leg with the other hand and, with a sharp twist, tore it in half. Blood and flesh splattered across the snow.

While Alex was occupied, another Twitcher attacked Slayer. Slayer drew his super shotgun, plunged it into the necromorph’s torso, and pulled the trigger. The blast tore the creature to shreds.

Alex brushed off the remains of his opponent, clapped his hands to try to clear the blizzard. For a moment, the storm calmed, revealing dozens of Twitchers lurking in the snowy haze.

“I keep wondering… are we really going to have to butcher all the local wildlife before we reach our goal?” Alex squinted and said.

“Sir, we cannot rule out that possibility,” Vega replied.

“Thanks, Vega. Just like a true Slayer assistant. Spirit twin, really,” Alex answered calmly.

“I’ll take your sarcasm as a compliment, sir,” Vega shot back, then fell silent.

Alex rolled his eyes at Vega’s response. He didn’t even want to imagine what would happen if the AI ever came into contact with GIR, MIMI, and Stitch all at once. That trio was already a natural disaster on its own—adding Vega would be like triggering a nuclear war across the multiverse.

But Alex’s thoughts were cut short by a sharp shotgun blast. Slayer wasn’t the kind to wait for the enemy to strike first; he always attacked first. The first victim was a Twitcher who clearly overestimated himself, thinking he was the fastest — like some kind of steroid-fueled Flash.

Almost immediately, the other Twitchers scattered in all directions, hiding behind snowdrifts and rocky debris, preparing to ambush. Alex raised an eyebrow at the foolish tactic, then stomped his foot. At that moment, stone spikes erupted from beneath the snow where the Twitchers had been hiding, impaling several unlucky ones.

Slayer didn’t play hide-and-seek either. He punched through the frozen ground, grabbed another Twitcher by the head, and with a sickening crunch tore it in half. As if on command, all the remaining Twitchers charged at them from every side.

Those rushing toward Alex were already close, but he merely snapped his fingers — and a powerful shockwave tore the flesh from the enemies, exposing their bones. Only bloody remains fell to the snow. Meanwhile, Slayer easily finished off the rest, smashing bones and ripping bodies apart like paper.

After clearing that wave of undead, Alex and Slayer continued on. Breaking through the storm, they finally saw a black obelisk in the distance. Alex smirked. He knew this wasn’t just a structure. It was the body of the Minister of Monoliths. Hidden beneath the guise of a lifeless edifice, but Alex could feel its gaze. Like Sauron: watching, silent… waiting.

He and Slayer silently stared ahead. Behind them lay a long path filled with deadly battles, underground collapses, and the secrets of a fallen world. Ahead lay the second half of the journey… and whatever lurked within the black mass of the obelisk.

Alex lit a cigarette, took a drag, and said.

“Halfway done… For all the gods, they could’ve just teleported us right to his damn doorstep by now. Feels like they get some sick pleasure watching us crawl through the snow while killing everything that moves wrong. They might as well have dropped us on another planet so we’d have to find a spaceship to get here, stretching out our journey.”

He glanced away from the obelisk.

“Hmm,” Slayer rasped, stepping forward.

Alex shook his head, holding a cigarette between his fingers. He hoped the rest of the journey would be easier. But, as always, his luck had other plans. A new squad of necromorphs was already waiting for them ahead.

“Well, of course…” he muttered, watching the approaching horde. “God forbid we get there without some trouble.”

He began to suspect that the Minister of Monoliths was deliberately sending necromorphs in waves—not to kill them, but for entertainment. He just enjoyed watching Alex and Slayer fight their way through hell.

With an irritated chuckle, Alex kicked the nearest necromorph. It was a Pack—a type of necromorph made up of twisted children. They looked like small, fast monsters but were still part of the overall threat.

Alex didn’t bother with courtesy. He kicked the creature like a soccer ball, sending it flying. Suddenly, a strange sense of pleasure awakened in him. Why not turn this into a game?

Every time he saw another “kid,” he eagerly launched it into the air. From the outside, it looked like a sports match. At one point, even Slayer turned his head and glanced at Alex. A wide, satisfied smile shone on his face.

It was like he’d found a new way to entertain himself.

To be continued…

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Source: Webnovel.com, updated by NovelKeep