In the northeastern corner of the Treacherous Destruction Continent, a majestic mountain stands between heaven and earth. Mechanical stars, radiating powerful auras, revolve around the mountain peak, while various chilling mechanical weapons are scattered in every corner, some overt and some covert.
Gustavo arrived here under the guidance of his teacher, Asuye.
Asuye's friend Muro was already waiting there. This was a Dragon-Hunting Spider had just stepped into the Middle God. All eight of its bladed legs had been mechanically modified, and its spider eyes had been replaced with electronic eyes. Its chest was covered with fission-like patterns, giving it a sinister and cold aura.
"Asuye, it's been a long time."
When the Dragon-Hunting Spider named Muro saw Asuye, a genuine smile immediately appeared in its eyes.
After a brief exchange of pleasantries, Muro turned his gaze to Gustavo and smiled, "As expected of the seed of the Main God of my Mitrola Clan, my detection system tells me that you are very strong, and I am probably no match for you."
"What?!" Asuye exclaimed in surprise, looking at Gustavo in disbelief, thinking he had misheard.
"What's wrong, Asuye? Aren't you Gustavo's teacher? Don't you know your disciple's true fighting strength?" Muro asked doubtfully, thinking that Asuye knew Gustavo's true strength.
"Ah... Although I am this little monster's teacher, I have never given him any real combat training, so I don't know much about his strength," Asuye said with an awkward smile.
Upon hearing this, Muro immediately understood and teased, "Then it seems you won't have a chance in the future."
"Alright, come inside with me. The patriarch has agreed to receive Gustavo."
Following Muro, Gustavo and Asuye soon arrived at the ancient temple at the top of the mountain and met the Lord of Demonic Machinery.
This is the second time Gustavo has met the Lord of Demonic Machinery; the first time was when he participated in the Fate Supremacy War.
"Greetings, Lord of Demonic Machinery."
The three True God bowed respectfully before the throne.
The Lord of Demonic Machinery nodded, gesturing for them to rise. He then looked at Gustavo and smiled, "Little fellow, we meet again. I've already heard about what happened from Muro. I'm not interested in your intention to release the King of the Demonic Sea. However, if you want me to take action, you must first agree to one condition."
"What are the conditions? Could you tell me first, sir? I'm afraid that if I can't meet them, it would delay your business," Gustavo said with a shy smile.
"You little rascal, you're quite the smooth talker. Don't worry, this will be very beneficial for you."
Having said that, the Lord of Demonic Machinery stated his conditions.
"Join the Demon-Hunting War?"
Gustavo tilted his head slightly, a look of confusion on his face. "If I remember correctly, isn't the Demon-Hunting War limited to Transcendent beings below the level of True God? I've already become a god, can I still participate?"
The Lord of Demonic Machinery smiled slightly and explained, "Don't worry, the rules for this year's Demon-Hunting War have changed, and the restrictions have been relaxed. Transcendent beings below the True God Tier Three can participate. The judging standard will be the number of Demons of the Abyss hunted, and the one with the best performance will become the Prison Lord's disciple."
"To become the Prison Lord's disciple?"
Not only Gustavo, but even Asuye and Muro gasped in astonishment.
This is not surprising, after all, he is the Prison Lord, the Guardian of the Abyss, and one of the nine Eternity of the Astral Realm. Becoming his disciple would not only greatly increase one's status, but also ensure a bright future.
According to statistics from some authoritative institutions in the Astral Realm, most disciples who become Eternal are able to advance to the rank of Main God. The rest are not due to a lack of potential, but rather because they unfortunately perish in the process.
In other words, the disciple of the Eternal is equivalent to the future Main God, which is far more authoritative than the title of the seed of the Main God.
"The information I've shared is currently only circulating within the Main God' circle and hasn't been made public, so it's normal that you're unaware of it," the Lord of Demonic Machinery explained, seeing the three of Gustavo exchanging bewildered glances.
"So, have you thought it through?"
"Well, in that case, I certainly have no reason to refuse. I'll participate in the Demon-Hunting War," Gustavo said with a grin.
Seeing this, the Lord of Demonic Machinery smiled. Although he hadn't told Gustavo some of the secrets, and it was almost impossible for the latter to become the Prison Lord, it was a rare opportunity to connect with the Eternal, so it was worth a try.
Whether there are dates or not, let's just poke at it and see what happens.
As the highest-ranking member of the Mitrola Clan, the Lord of Demonic Machinery, like the Lord of the Fallen Realm, is well aware of the hidden dangers lurking beneath the Treacherous Destruction Continent. As mere tools, who knows what the future holds for their race?
It's always good to have another path. If Gustavo really catches the eye of the Prison Lord, even if he can't save the clan in the future, he can at least protect himself and leave a seed for the Dragon-Hunting Spider lineage.
Of course, all of the above are worst-case scenarios. No one can say for sure what will actually happen. It's possible that the mastermind behind the creation of the Dragon-Hunting Spider Clan doesn't intend to discard them after their usefulness is over, and that they are just being overly pessimistic.
Shaking his head, the Lord of Demonic Machinery cleared his mind of distractions, stood up, took a step forward, and stood beside Gustavo. Turning his head, he smiled and said, "Since you've agreed to my conditions, I will naturally fulfill your request as well."
After he finished speaking, a spatial ripple, like a cascading curtain of water, enveloped Gustavo and the Lord of Demonic Machinery, and then their figures vanished simultaneously.
The Dark Void.
The area that once belonged to the Star-Forging Dragon Nest has now been incorporated into the East Third War Zone of the Treacherous Destruction Continent.
One after another, biological warships flew through the Void. Through the portholes, many warriors gazed in amazement at the ice-blue amber that lay dormant in the Void, and they discussed it among themselves.
"This must be the Astral Realm Anomaly, the King of the Demonic Sea? Legend has it that even the Upper God were helpless against it; only the Main God could seal it away, but even that couldn't kill it."
"What a terrifying creature."
"Since the King of the Demonic Sea was frozen by the Lord of Ice Dragons, why don't we, the Treacherous Destruction Continent, help him unseal it? Wouldn't that give us another ally?"
"Help? You're dreaming. These Astral Realm Anomaly have no sense of good or evil. The Lord of Ice Dragons sealed it away, but that doesn't mean it's friendly to us or hostile to the True Dragon Clan. If we rashly unseal it, we might suffer the consequences."
"Oh, is that so? The Dragon Clan were really unlucky back then, being attacked by the Astral Realm Anomaly."
Buzz!!
Ripples spread through the space, Lord of Demonic Machinery Gustavo appeared out of thin air.
Looking at the enormous block of ice before him, and the King of the Demonic Sea frozen within it, Gustavo smiled slightly, "Old friend, I've come to take you away from here!"
"Since you want to utilize its power, I'll help you send it to the Black Hole Domain. With the help of the gravitational field, even if this Astral Realm Anomaly suddenly goes berserk, it won't cause much damage in the short term."
"Yes, I'll do whatever you say, senior," Gustavo quickly replied.