"Congratulations on becoming the Three Realms' first Death Embodiment. Henceforth, you are immortal."
Selene applauded within Konrad's mind.
In the meantime, as she returned to life, Else's pale skin reverted to its usual porcelain white. At first, her eyes laid on Konrad's corpse, which remained pressed against her chest, and in a flash, tears filled her eyes.
But as she shifted her gaze toward the black-robed figure standing before her, and saw another Konrad standing unblemished, her eyes widened in disbelief!
"What…what?"
She stammered while her gaze went between the corpse and the standing version whose icy-blue eyes remained locked her face. Konrad's lips curled into a smile, and with a wave of his hand, an irresistible force lifted Else from the ground to drop her into his arms.
"I believe the words you're looking for are -how can this be?- I can only say that your last attempt was a success."
Konrad half-lied before planting a kiss on Else's forehead. If at first Else beamed with joy, when she felt the coldness of Konrad's lips, that joy turned into fright! Alarmed, she pressed her hand against his chest, and was further shocked by the lack of heartbeat within!
"Oh. I almost forgot."
Konrad snapped his fingers, causing his temperature to return to normal, and the silent chthonian heart within his chest to start beating. But if anything, this sudden change only further worried Else, who failed to comprehend the nature of this startling change.
"I have absolute control over my body and can do with it as I see fit. I need neither pulse nor breath to live and cannot be killed. At least not in a way I can imagine. My previous temperature was due to a surge of chthonian energies."
Konrad explained to dispel Else's doubts.
"What about your original body?"
Else asked while glancing toward Konrad's previous shell.
"Now that it's dead, the Withering Leaves will vanish. I could return to it, but there is no need to. Although its physiques are many, and its cultivation foundation unequaled, in terms of strength, it can't compare to my current body.
For now, I will keep it stored, I have plans for it. As for the bloodline…"
Konrad stretched out his hand, causing the World Devourer Blood Origin within his previous body to fly toward his chest. But instead of diving into the left side where his heart laid, it went through the right!
There, Konrad created a second heart where he stored his World Devourer bloodline. Meanwhile, the left one remained filled with chthonian energies, waiting for a new bloodline to occupy it.
"…since I need to fuck, we might as well integrate it now."
Witnessing this, Else was scared out of her wits.
"Impossible. How can you just…integrate a bloodline?"
"I am Death. The deceased, the lifeless, the undead, all belong to me and are mine to do with as I see fit."
Konrad seriously replied. Unable to differentiate joke from truth, Else no longer knew what to say. And if with the third layer of the Blossoming Death Art, Konrad had already grown to this extent, she dared not imagine what he would become with the fourth layer.
But then, she realized all her fears needless. None of those startling transformations mattered. Only one thing did:
Alive.
He was alive! Regardless of nature and state, Konrad was back to life and held her in his warm embrace! Nothing more mattered! Without a sliver of restraint, Else wrapped her arms around his back and held him as tightly as she possibly could.
And though she said nothing, as her heart drummed against his chest, Konrad understood everything.
But at that time, the Terrestrial Expression realized that the barrier separating it from his meal…no longer remained!
"Three days…three fucking days!"
The Terrestrial Expression cursed. That barrier appeared out of nowhere, preventing him from enjoying his sumptuous meal and ascend to a new form. Meanwhile, once they figured his true nature, those bold demonic ants only grew more determined in slaying it!
For three days and three nights, they battled within the sky, both with endless energy and without any side willing to show weakness.
Never in its short but glorious life did it ever feel so aggrieved!
And now, it firmly believed that Konrad was the cause of all its woes! Ever since he appeared, things started going downhill. From bad to worse, and from worse to intolerable! But now that the barrier was lifted, it could have its revenge, refine him, and extinguish them all!
"DAMNABLE COCKROACH, SURRENDER YOUR LIFE!"
The Terrestrial Expression roared, and broke free from the ant queens' encirclement to shoot toward Konrad!
Seeing this, Konrad kept his left arm wrapped around Else's waist, aimed the right at the descending Terrestrial Expression, and snapped his fingers.
*BAAAANG*
With that one snap, the Terrestrial Expression stopped dead in its tracks, and before it could comprehend what occurred, burst and vanished into nothingness, leaving behind the tremendous chthonian energies it contained. But instead of returning to the mountain range, those energies flew toward Konrad and integrated themselves with him.
With another snap of his fingers, the Bone Mountain rose and, unable to resist, vanished within a space treasure of his.
The ant queens, elders, and Ilkaalt who witnessed this scene all couldn't believe their eyes, which now threatened to pop out of their sockets.
"Run…run away!"
The seventh queen ordered and before waiting for her peers or princess, turned to flee the scene!
Alas, she'd not even taken a step, that Konrad appeared before her and flicked her forehead!
*BAM*
The seventh queen flew backward, and by the time she landed on the ground, her body collapsed in blood and gore! Worse, in the instant she perished, the pressure of Konrad's aura rose to another level!
A deathly silence dropped on the scene!
"Formation!"
The eighth, ninth, and tenth queen roared, gathering their life essence in a battle-formation to empower and support one another. However, as Konrad turned to face them, although Else still remained within his left arm, they all felt the same thing:
Hopelessness!
A simple glance into his icy blue eyes filled them all with hopelessness and the immutable belief…that Death was their only outcome!
"Life Severing."
Konrad stretched out his right hand, causing icy blue light to erupt from his palm and coalesce into a ball of pure chthonian energies.
Konrad crushed the ball, causing it to detonate in an explosion of chthonian force that brushed the thirty ant elders and three remaining queens.
All trace of life essence within them vanished, and they all tumbled toward the ground, their bodies outwardly unblemished, but their souls erased! Meanwhile, their internal organs absolutely suffered no damage!
Again, Konrad's abilities grew in might!
And Ilkaalt, who survived due to Konrad not targeting her, staggered and dropped on her knees!
Terrified!
Shocked to the core of her soul!
Unable to move an inch of her body and comprehend the root of such boundless might, she laid there dazed and horrified!
"How is that a mortal? Clearly…he's a God."
