A Truce and a Rise to Fame

Not only Lister was stunned, but the players were also dumbfounded as a large number of World-Ending Level NPCs suddenly appeared, and the public chat was instantly flooded with messages.

Holy crap! This is a team of top-tier players! What an amazing lineup!

"What am I seeing? A whole bunch of SS-level '???' big shots!"

"The Emerald Royal Court! The Order of the End! This Expansion is going to be explosive!"

"This eighth act was absolutely brilliant!"

"Count Merrick is so cool! He single-handedly dominated the entire scene! No wonder he's the game's favorite son!"

SS-level NPCs, which were never seen before, are now appearing in droves.

In the eyes of the players, it seemed as if they had finally encountered the game's ultimate hidden boss.

Even though they are still far from being on par with the bosses, their Fighting Spirit for the future is undisguised.

However, their current aura and gaze alone are not enough to attract the attention of these World Annihilation beings.

"Gentlemen."

Lister suddenly spoke, his voice carrying Killing Intent Wave across the battlefield.

The crimson light on the blade dimmed slightly, but its imposing aura and indescribable sharpness remained captivating.

"If you're just here to watch the show, it's time to leave."

Given the current situation, the fighting certainly cannot continue.

Lister's original strategic objective has been achieved, allowing the power he currently controls to truly manifest itself in the universe.

And it is becoming the eighth super power in the making.

"I didn't expect him to have such a temper."

The woman with the crystal crown had a cold gaze, and emerald vines bloomed into flowers at her feet, spreading her hostility toward Lister as if it were a tangible force.

"They only injured Curtis; do they really think they've won for sure?!"

"Aiselyn, isn't your Emerald Royal Court overstepping its bounds?"

Before Lister could speak, Kaos, who was standing to the side, had already started to laugh strangely, pointing his chained arms at the woman with the crystal crown.

"He has a backup plan... Doesn't Lister have one too?"

"Or is Curtis just like you were 2,700 years ago? He can't accept defeat?"

Lister listened quietly to the chatter of the crowd, much of which he was encountering for the first time.

He was well aware of Curtis's situation.

Since Curtis is a World-Ending Level powerhouse, he couldn't possibly be that simple.

There will inevitably be a second and third phase of development, as well as various trump cards.

He himself was the same; before entering the second stage, his strength was hardly enough to truly reach the threshold of World Annihilation, but he was far superior to most Hegemon.

The only aspect where it has the advantage from beginning to end is the strength of its soul.

In a real life-or-death battle with Curtis, Lister himself wasn't very confident.

His opponent was three levels higher than him, so it was hard to say whether they could really fight to the bitter end.

Of course, none of them could truly fight to the very end.

Even Lister wouldn't risk a fatal blow at this moment.

Even killing Curtis wouldn't do him any good.

This will only completely shatter the already fragile balance of power among the seven superpowers.

Once things really get chaotic, the World-Ending Level battles and internecine warfare will be what Lister finds most troublesome.

Before he had the strength to truly overwhelm everyone, he only hoped that his emerging force could take the lead.

Furthermore, it could cause even more undercurrents to stir up trouble among these seven superpowers.

Until the grand melee that will inevitably unfold in this true future begins.

"What? You really think you beat me back 2,700 years ago?"

"You only gained a slight advantage; if it hadn't been stopped, you probably would have died on that battlefield!"

"If you're not satisfied, we can continue now!"

The atmosphere on the battlefield suddenly froze; it seemed that Aiselyn of the Emerald Royal Court had suffered a loss at the hands of Kaos.

Moreover, judging from this attitude, they have no fear of Kaos.

The loss he suffered in the battle 2,700 years ago was likely due to reasons beyond his control.

"Enough!"

A deep male voice rang out, and the Grand Duke of the Blood Oath's greatsword, still in its scabbard, crashed into the void, dark red runes flowing through the star field like blood.

Immediately, an even more powerful binding force than the Void Corridor descended.

This binding force completely halted the confrontation between the two.

At the same time, players discovered that their system panel was malfunctioning and lagging for the first time.

All mastered skill icons turned gray, except for skills of SS rank and above, which were not restricted.

Lister felt the same way; some basic martial arts and other physical skills were sealed away.

As powerful world World Annihilation, they certainly each have their own methods!

Seeing that the atmosphere had eased, both sides restrained themselves.

Arkas then looked at Lister with a meaningful expression.

"The new World Annihilation, your Undead Legions... are not bad, but compared to the Void Corridor... they are still far inferior."

Even if you're quite skilled, continuing this fight won't do you any good!

"You need to know..."

"Know what?"

Lister's Shadowless Blade was once again in his hand, and a massive Killing Intent Wave materialized and filled the entire battlefield.

"Do you want to know how you divide your spheres of influence?"

As he spoke, he pointed to the dissipating rhomboid crystal Great Wall.

"Or is it that those who know about the Void Corridor can come and go freely in my star system?"

It's clear that this Grand Duke of the Blood Oath wanted to uphold justice, or rather, to call a halt to the fighting.

It's a pity that you can't expect him to back down right away.

"Since you want to continue, then continue!"

Curtis's diamond-shaped crystal on his chest exploded completely, and a total of seven specially made crystals emerged.

A void force far exceeding the previous one began to impact his killing intent.

As expected, no one had used their full strength just now.

Curtis was unaware of his swordsmanship and, due to carelessness, managed to withstand the soul-piercing blow.

Lister was now fully charging up his power, revealing no more hidden strength. Although it was only the first stage, the astonishing power he exuded caused those who were close to Lister to become serious once again.

Clearly, he was still wary of Lister's swordsmanship, especially since he had just witnessed it before, and didn't want to really fight head-on.

Upon seeing this, the Grand Duke of the Blood Oath drew his rune-inscribed greatsword completely, carving indescribable cracks in the void.

The binding force immediately intensified once more, interrupting Curtis's attack and suppressing Lister's gathering killing intent.

"Stop."

After stopping the two men, Arkas looked at Lister with a serious expression for the first time.

"Just tell me your terms!"

Only then did Lister finally suppress his murderous intent and make his actual demands.

"Two requirements."

The raised finger was immediately surrounded by tangible crystals of killing intent.

"First, withdraw all intelligence personnel from the Merrick - Babylon - Divine Rise Galaxy through the Void Corridor. The discovery of even one such person will be considered a decisive battle!"

Curtis was about to speak when Aiselyn's vines suddenly wrapped around his wrist.

Seeing this, Lister continued speaking.

"Secondly, I want ownership of the Gray Domain Galaxy."

Lister didn't have many requirements in mind; this Gray Domain Galaxy was just a spur-of-the-moment idea.

The Gray Domain Galaxy is currently a public galaxy, but it is actually located in the area surrounding the Emerald Royal Court's influence.

Inside, there are the coordinates originally promised by the Lord of Qingteng Green Vine; the Ash Corridor is the ruins of the original Ancient Machine Faction.

Kavin had previously sent mechanical lifeforms to the system, but upon entering, they discovered that it had already been jointly occupied by the Emerald Royal Court and the Void Corridor.

The reason it wasn't officially announced was simply because the two companies were only collecting special resources generated by special energy storms in certain regions of the galaxy.

As for the rest, I wasn't interested, including the ruins of that Ancient Machine Civilization.

Lister wanted this area for two reasons: firstly, the Ancient Machine Civilization could help the Kavin Mechanical Civilization grow more rapidly.

On the other hand, it also lays the groundwork for the birth of the Seed of Eternity four hundred years later.

It allows for close observation of the Emerald Royal Court's power structure.

All eyes turned to Aiselyn, as this star system was, after all, located on the outskirts of the Emerald Royal Court.

Even if the galaxy itself has no value, people are not optimistic about whether Aiselyn will agree.

Unexpectedly, Aiselyn agreed without hesitation.

Grand Duke Alkas of the Blood Oath then looked at Curtis.

The conditions were not limited to one party; Curtis also had his own requirements.

"Our battle continues, but our highest combat strength is currently limited to the Overlord Tier."

As expected, the Void Corridor had no intention of stopping the battle.

Instead, just like the actions of the seven major powers today, their battles have been kept at a level below the Overlord Tier.

For no other reason than simply not wanting to engage in one-on-one fighting at this moment.

In World-Ending Level war, no one will allow one side to amass power on its own.

The contract between the two parties was written with the Grand Duke of the Blood Oath as witness, thus forming a special blood pact.

For these World-Ending Level beings, the level of constraint was barely noticeable.

However, if the agreement is violated, the contract will promptly remind both parties.

Seeing this, the Grand Duke of the Blood Oath and the Ruler Ercai left first.

Aiselyn then slowly stepped forward until she was right in front of Lister.

His eyes remained cold and filled with murderous intent, but a slight smile played on his lips.

"Qingteng certainly knows how to find people; it seems he completely distrusts our Emerald Royal Court."

"In that case, you and Qingteng should prepare yourselves."

"There are still 407 years until the birth of the Seed of Eternity. Enjoy these last moments."

Having said that, his figure transformed into a patch of emerald green fluorescence and vanished into the air.

Kaos, who was standing to the side, patted him on the shoulder, raised an eyebrow, and then disappeared.

The battle in the N7 Star Sector has finally come to an end, or rather, the battle concerning Lister personally has come to an end.

The players' battles continue unabated, and the entire Void Corridor has now become their battlefield.

Furthermore, Lister relinquished all tactical authority over the entire battle plan, including flanking maneuvers, to the players themselves.

However, the actual impact of their gathering of multiple World-Ending Level beings far exceeded that of ordinary gatherings.

Especially Lister... the terrifying image of his blade shattering the triple dimensional prison had already been transmitted throughout the entire universe by the quantum recorders carried by the spectators.

Inside the Crimson Covenant's Starfield Tavern, a holographic projection repeatedly played Lister's stunning slash.

"Have you heard? Even Lord Curtis of the Void Corridor had his soul slashed by it!"

"Merrick Saber Technique... I really want to see it for myself..."

"That newly World Annihilation powerhouse is said to be only at level 21... and his faction also has a level 19 World Annihilation powerhouse."

"Two in total? This might really make them the eighth super power?"

Similar conversations were repeated among the various factions.

For the first time, the name of Lister truly entered the vision of the universe's top powerhouses.

Inside the highest council of the Emerald Royal Court.

Three green lights were reflected in Aiselyn's amber eyes.

Each cluster of light and shadow represents a World Annihilation powerhouse, and one of the true rulers of the Emerald Royal Court.

"Mother, that Lister..."

"I know."

A mature, gentle female voice emanated from within the ball of light.

"His soul is extraordinary... more extraordinary and powerful than any life form we have ever seen."

"Moreover, the way he strikes is also unique, each strike a direct hit to the soul."

"Although its rank is not high yet, in terms of combat, it is not weaker than the leaders of the major powers."

The green light cluster was somewhat excited at this moment, and as it spoke, it revealed the pulsating emerald flames within.

"But he chose the wrong side."

"Since they dare to help Qingteng, there's no need for us to win them over."

"The Seed of Eternity must belong to the Royal Court—this is the key to the future growth of our race."

Aiselyn bowed her head in obedience; she was the youngest in the Emerald Royal Court.

He now sits in the Emerald Royal Court and wields great power, but he still doesn't have much say in front of his World Annihilation elders.

"You agreed very well regarding the Gray Domain Galaxy matter."

"He wants to observe us, and we need to observe him too."

Another green light cluster spoke up at that moment.

"Another World Annihilation within his faction also needs attention; their growth resources should be reduced as much as possible."

"Four hundred years from now, it will be our decisive battle against them, and against other forces as well."

The Void Corridor, inside the rhombus-shaped temple of the floating city.

Curtis's wounds were still oozing a golden mist.

The elders of the Void Clan surrounded him, continuously injecting energy into his body.

"His knife..."

Curtis's voice was heavier than ever before.

"It wasn't just a soul attack... I could sense something far more dangerous hidden within his killing intent."

"There's no need to investigate the three star systems he controls in the short term."

"Focus your attention on the Gray Domain Galaxies, and prepare accordingly."

"Four hundred years later, the battle between the Emerald Royal Court and Lister will be inevitable."

"That will be the time when our universe is truly reshuffled!"

Damon suddenly stepped forward.

"My lord, regarding the research on the Undying Legion..."

"Continue!"

Curtis clenched the healing crystal in his palm and crushed it.

"We've finally found so many undead; we can't miss this opportunity."

"The warriors sent into battle don't need to be too strong; just enough to hold off the enemy. We need to understand as much as possible about the undead's immortality."

Curtis and Lister limited their battles to those below the Overlord Tier, naturally for their own reasons.

The undead have always been a rare race in the universe, and are also the subject of research by major forces throughout the universe.

Of course, most factions couldn't figure it out.

Because of the lack of samples, the project often ends inconclusively!

This time is different. So many undead are appearing in a legion-like formation. Their forces must be studied as thoroughly as possible.