"Of course. You have every right—" Edwin stopped, his expression shifting to alarm as he seemed to truly see Lily for the first time. "Wait. Why is a Soul Walker present? The temples are sacred ground, forbidden to those who manipulate death and souls!"Soul energy gathered around Edwin's form, and before Marco could react, spectral chains erupted from the ground and wrapped around Lily. She gasped as they tightened, her own power unable to break free of the divine-level bindings."Stop!" Marco grabbed Edwin's arm—or tried to, his hand passing through the ghostly form. "She's with me! She helped me get here!""She defiles this holy place with her very presence!" Edwin's voice carried genuine fury. "Soul Walkers are abominations, practitioners of death magic that corrupts—""She saved my life!" Marco roared. "Multiple times! If you harm her, I'll destroy every brick of these temples myself!"The threat made Edwin hesitate. "Young master, you don't understand. Soul Walkers are—""My com

"United and empowered." Edwin's form brightened slightly with pride. "Before the War God's rise, human warriors were treated as fodder—cannon meat to be thrown at enemies while mages and priests did the 'real' fighting. The War God changed that. He developed techniques that allowed warriors to fight gods, to stand against magic users and supernatural beings as equals."Edwin gestured toward the closed temple doors. "He established the three Supreme Temples—Blood, Honor, and Fury—each teaching a different martial path. Blood focused on overwhelming offense and life-stealing techniques. Honor taught defensive mastery and unbreakable formations. Fury cultivated berserker rage and unstoppable momentum.""Three paths for different types of warriors," Lily mused."Exactly. And with these teachings spreading, humanity's military power exploded. Warriors became feared across every dimension. Within two centuries, the Human Race expanded from its tiny foothold to controlling nearly a quarter o

"By then, we had thirty-seven Heavenly Gods total. Impressive growth in such a short time." Edwin's tone turned scathing. "But they were all occupied. Defending other territories. Pursuing their own divine agendas. Building their personal power bases. When Marcus called for aid against the Abyssal invasion, most found excuses not to come."Lily heard the disgust in his voice. "They abandoned him.""Worse. Some were actively working against him." Edwin's form pulsed with old fury. "You have to understand, Miss Tucker. Thirty-seven Heavenly Gods means thirty-seven egos, thirty-seven ambitions, thirty-seven power structures competing for dominance. Marcus was the strongest, the War God, humanity's champion. Many of the others resented that. Saw him as an obstacle to their own ascension.""So they let him fight alone.""Not entirely. Raymond and Christopher stood with him, along with perhaps a dozen others. But against the combined might of the Abyssal army and their allied forces?" Edwin

The floor beneath Marco's feet began to shake. He stumbled as the entire room reconfigured, walls sliding apart and floor tiles rearranging. When the motion stopped, he found himself standing in a massive gladiatorial arena, its stands filled with ghostly spectators that cheered and jeered.In the center of the arena stood a figure that made Marco's blood run cold. A Demon Lord, its form constructed of shadow and crimson energy, easily five meters tall. Curved horns sprouted from its skull, and its clawed hands could crush stone.Benjamin's voice echoed from above. "Surprise! I thought you could use a proper warm-up. Don't worry, I've limited this construct to First Transition peak strength. Should be a fair fight.""Fair?!" Marco stared at the monstrosity. "That thing is twice my size!""Then you'll have to be twice as clever. Begin!"The Demon Lord roared and charged. Marco barely rolled aside as a massive fist cratered the ground where he'd stood. The shockwave alone knocked him sp

Marco didn't retreat. Instead, he charged straight at the creature's open mouth, his sword raised high."You're insane!" Benjamin shouted."Probably!"Marco activated Jump Slash mid-sprint, launching himself upward as the Demon Lord unleashed its breath weapon. He soared above the blast, flames licking at his boots but not catching him fully.At the apex of his jump, he drove his greatsword down with every ounce of enhanced strength he possessed. The blade, coated in Fighting Spirit and soul-slaying enchantment, pierced through the top of the Demon Lord's skull and buried itself deep in the creature's brain.The breath attack cut off abruptly. The Demon Lord's massive form shuddered, convulsed, then began fragmenting. Cracks of golden light spread across its body as the construct collapsed from within.Marco landed hard as the creature dissolved beneath him, his sword clattering to the ground. The enhanced state from Lion King's Descent faded immediately, leaving him feeling hollow an