Silence.
Complete silence.
The shattered iron gates creaked as twisted tal slowly settled into place.
No one moved.
No one spoke.
The Scorpion Clan mbers stared at the crater in the mansion wall.
At the broken body embedded within it.
Big clans inside the Tower of Ascension were not sothing to scoff at.
They were powerhouses.
Organizations that had cleared multiple floors.
Controlled territories.
Commanded resources and influence across different trials.
So of them were even backed by deities within the Tower itself.
Divine beings who granted blessings, artifacts, and protection.
The Scorpion Clan was one of those nas.
One people thought twice about before provoking.
And yet—
Alex dusted off his sleeve casually.
"Damn it."
"I used too much power."
"And now the walls of my mansion are damaged."
His voice snapped everyone out of their daze.
Rage flooded the faces of the Scorpion Clan mbers.
Weapons were drawn instantly.
Blades.
Spears.
Every type of weapon imaginable.
Clara grabbed Alex’s hand urgently.
"Let’s run!"
"There are too many of them!"
Jas was still dazed on the ground.
Alex looked at her calmly.
"Don’t worry."
"Today I’ll show you how to properly rob soone."
"Just watch and learn."
Clara stared at him in disbelief.
’This guy is insane.’
The Scorpion Clan mbers surrounded them.
More than a hundred at least.
Filling the courtyard.
Alex cracked his knuckles.
The sound echoed clearly.
"What are you guys waiting for?"
"You have at least a hundred people."
"And I’m alone."
"Don’t tell you’re afraid."
One of them roared.
"You will pay for this with your life!"
All of them charged at once.
Weapons glowing.
Different types of energy condensed around their bodies.
They lunged simultaneously.
Alex smiled.
Softly.
And uttered a single word.
"Reality Shift."
A translucent window materialized before him.
Floating.
Cold.
Systematic.
[Combining multiple affinities]
[Ti Affinity: Activated]
[Space Affinity: Activated]
[Void Affinity: Activated]
[Shadow Affinity: Activated]
The next second—
The sky darkened.
A massive black sun ford above the mansion.
Not burning.
Not shining.
But absorbing.
Everything dimd.
Light twisted unnaturally.
Shadows elongated across the ground.
The Scorpion Clan mbers froze mid-charge.
Pain.
Imnse pain.
Their bodies began to crack.
Thin lines spread across their skin like fractures in glass.
They tried to move—
They couldn’t.
It felt as if reality itself was rejecting them.
As if the world had decided they did not belong.
Fear unlike anything they had ever experienced gripped their hearts.
Their breathing beca shallow.
Under that black sun—
It felt like standing beneath the embodint of death itself.
Alex raised his hand slightly.
"Collapse."
The word echoed like a decree.
The world obeyed.
One by one—
Their bodies shattered.
Not exploded.
Not torn apart.
They cracked like broken mirrors.
Fragnts splitting apart.
Pieces falling to the ground like shattered reflections.
Within seconds—
The courtyard was empty.
Only fragnts remained.
Like broken glass scattered across stone.
No one stood before him.
Clara collapsed to her knees.
Her eyes never left Lucifer.
As if she were witnessing sothing she was never ant to see.
Jas stared in horror.
Even the air felt heavy.
The black sun still hung in the sky.
Then—
The sky returned to normal.
Alex turned toward Clara cheerfully.
"See?"
"I didn’t resort to violence at all."
-------------
Clara and Jas stood frozen.
The courtyard was silent.
Fragnts of what used to be Scorpion Clan mbers glittered faintly across the ground like broken glass under dim light.
Clara’s breathing was uneven.
Her hands trembled.
Jas slowly pushed himself up from the ground, wiping the blood from his lip.
Alex dusted his shoulders casually.
"You guys stay here."
"I’m going to bring back our supplies."
"Without violence."
"Don’t worry."
Jas could only nod in response.
Clara still hadn’t fully processed what she had just witnessed.
Alex stepped forward through the shattered gates.
Fragnts crunched beneath his boots.
Each step produced a sharp, crystalline sound.
Crunch.
Crunch.
Crunch.
The sound echoed unnaturally in the quiet courtyard.
Clara finally found her voice.
She grabbed Jas’ arm tightly.
"That guy is clearly trouble."
"Jas... should we run?"
Jas t her eyes.
He swallowed hard.
But despite the swelling in his jaw—
His eyes were shining.
Bright.
Focused.
Clara shook him slightly.
"Jas!"
"Are you even listening?"
He blinked.
"I can hear you fine."
"Don’t worry."
"It’s just..."
Clara frowned.
"Just what?"
A calculating smile slowly ford on Jas’ lips.
"I’m finally seeing a way."
Clara’s brows furrowed.
"A way to what?"
Jas’ voice lowered.
"A way to the top."
----------
anwhile—
Alex walked forward calmly.
Stepping over fragnts.
Each shard cracked softly beneath his boots.
The broken iron gates hung twisted.
The courtyard statues were chipped and damaged.
The massive black sun still lood above.
Silent.
Watching.
He reached the entrance of the mansion.
Just as he was about to step inside—
He stopped.
And slowly looked up.
A smile ford under the skeleton mask.
On the roof of the mansion—
Two figures stood.
Watching him.
The first looked like a twelve-year-old girl.
Dressed entirely in black.
Long pitch-black hair flowed down her back.
Her dark eyes were emotionless.
At first glance, she looked cute.
Almost fragile.
But the aura surrounding her—
Cold.
Oppressive.
Wrong.
Beside her stood a tall man with blond hair and sharp amber eyes.
Despite the destruction below—
He looked calm.
Like a still lake untouched by wind.
Alex studied them.
’They weren’t affected.’
’They’re strong.’
The two figures suddenly turned their heads.
eting his gaze.
Alex raised a hand slightly.
"Hey, guys."
"I’m just here for compensation."
"Will you co down so we can talk about it? Peacefully."
They vanished.
Gone.
In the next instant—
A chill ran down Alex’s spine.
The black-haired girl appeared behind him.
A massive scythe materialized in her hands.
Its blade curved unnaturally.
Dark.
Ominous.
At the sa ti—
Beside the blond-haired man—
Multiple shadows began rising from the ground.
Twisting.
Forming monstrous shapes.
The ground beneath Alex’s feet liquefied.
A black pool ford.
Shadowy hands shot upward—
Grabbing his legs.
His torso.
Dragging him downward.
Alex remained calm.
He spoke clearly.
"Disintegrate."
The black sun in the sky pulsed.
Brighter.
Darker.
The shadow constructs shrieked silently—
And dissolved.
The black pool evaporated instantly.
The scythe in the girl’s hands began to crack.
Thin fractures spread across the dark blade.
The weapon vibrated violently—
Then shattered into black fragnts of light.
The pieces were drawn upward—
Absorbed into the black sun.
The girl landed lightly a few steps away, now empty-handed.
Her expression did not change—
But her eyes narrowed slightly.
The blond-haired man’s calm expression faltered for the first ti.
Shock flickered in his amber eyes.
The girl spoke quietly.
"Remus... that masked guy is very dangerous."
Remus exhaled slowly.
"You think I can’t see that?"
His gaze lifted toward the black sun.
"That black sun he created..."
"As long as it remains in the sky, the area around us is devoid of ti, space, shadow, and void."
"It’s as if those concepts have been rejected by reality itself."
His jaw tightened slightly.
"And who knows what else he removed."
The girl looked at Alex steadily.
"Just who is he... to be this powerful?"
A voice answered from directly behind her.
"Who, ?"
Alex stood there casually.
Unhard.
"The na’s Lucifer."
He tilted his head slightly.
"Lucifer Morningstar."
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