While Alm and Bruno reflected on everything they had witnessed in that sealed world, a sudden change in the environment made them turn in alert. Both focused their senses in the direction of the disturbance. Alm quickly honed in on the flow of the laws around them.
’The Infernal Laws are being absorbed by someone,’ he deduced immediately.
Bruno frowned, narrowing his eyes. ’It’s not Almin. I don’t sense the Yang or the characteristic heat of his fire laws.’
It was as if a cultivator had gradually taken control and was channeling the Infernal Laws to a single point, drawing them in consistently. At first, the force was subtle, but it quickly intensified, growing stronger with each passing second. Something—or someone—was approaching the core of the Infernal Laws, absorbing everything in their surroundings.
’How can anyone do this?’ Bruno questioned seriously. ’We’ve only encountered members of the Shadow God Sect here. It must be one of them...’
Surprise and curiosity gripped them both. These laws should have been uncontrollable for any cultivator.
Almin had only managed to partially master them because his body had adapted when his cultivation was still low. That, combined with him strengthening his internal rune countless times through tribulations, had allowed him to succeed. For anyone else, such a feat would be suicidal—impossible—especially for a genius of the Shadow God Sect who would never take such reckless risks.
’Let’s investigate,’ Alm decided, and the two began moving quietly.
The landscape around them was a graveyard of bones and corpses, so vast the ground itself was obscured.
Using the Yin tattoo, Alm camouflaged himself perfectly with the environment, while his Celestial Soul ensured impeccable concealment. Within minutes, both noticed intense fluctuations in the distance and were left confused.
The energy was wild, like that of a beast, yet it carried unique fluctuations as if three distinct forces existed together—similar yet intertwined as one. It was reminiscent of the existence Alm and Bruno shared, but these three were not opposites, merely slightly different.
The vitality radiating from the presence ahead was immense, almost tangible, like that of someone extremely young.
Alm and Bruno’s steps became cautious as they moved through the dense mist. A shadow began to form ahead, growing larger and more defined with each step. The silhouette wasn’t that of a demon, but of a beast.
As they approached, the figure finally revealed itself: a quadrupedal creature standing five meters tall, entirely black. Its presence was imposing, radiating an aura of pure, supreme Yin that was overwhelming.
Before they could fully identify the figure, a reaction came from within their inventory. The small white cat widened its eyes and trembled. Ruri turned toward it as it murmured in an incredulous voice: "S-Sir..."
The beast had three heads, all with scarlet eyes glowing with an infernal intensity. It was unmistakable—a Cerberus, the legendary Guardian of the Underworld Gates.
Alm and Bruno noticed something, intrigued, and dropped their concealment as they reached within meters of the creature. Instantly, the central head of the Cerberus—the only one possessing higher intelligence—turned to face them, its eyes wide with surprise.
It was startled by their sudden appearance, completely outside its senses. Just as the Cerberus was about to react furiously, something unexpected happened.
A figure began to materialize on Alm and Bruno’s shoulder. It was Fides, taking on a more tangible form as a spiritual white cat, radiating dense Yang energy. Trembling, he looked directly at the Cerberus and exclaimed, "Sir Vrix..."
The Cerberus’s expression changed instantly. Its eyes, once filled with caution, widened further. After two seconds, they brimmed with emotion.
It murmured incredulously, "F-Fides?!"
The giant beast’s gaze locked onto the young Heavenly Elemental Spirit, its shock evident. "Y-You..." it began but was cut off.
"Yes," Alm replied coldly, waving impatiently. "You’re taking too long. Let’s get to the core quickly; we can talk there."
He turned and started walking, his Yin tattoo activating to eliminate all pressure around the Cerberus.
Feeling this, Vrix took a deep breath, momentarily in stasis. This was undeniable proof of their identity. Only someone with such authority over the laws—someone above them—could do such a thing. Without hesitation, Vrix followed closely behind.
---
When Alm and Bruno explored the abyss of planet Prisite, they found Fides as nothing more than a newborn spirit of a weapon.
Vrix had a long history with Fides. Alm and Bruno didn’t have the time to educate or teach Fides about the world, but they encountered Vrix—an ancient Cerberus who had sealed his soul to extend his life. They tasked him with guiding Fides, and the two spent a long time together in their inventory.
Later, when they ventured into the Underworld, Vrix was reincarnated as the son of Shuki, a promising young Cerberus destined to lead her clan. This had taken place only a few years ago in the Queen’s Universe, but time in the Underworld could flow differently depending on the region someone resided in.
---
Upon arriving, Vrix took on a smaller form, standing nearly two meters tall. Fides ran to him, clearly emotional. Luimi and Vorion stepped out of the inventory to watch the scene with faint smiles.
This 𝓬ontent is taken from fгeewebnovёl.co𝙢.
Luimi quietly commented, "To Fides, Vrix was his first reference in the world. Now that he can fully communicate, I always thought his behavior was overly harsh, almost beast-like. It seems his worldview is a reflection of the time he spent with this ’father’ of his, even if it was brief."
Vrix looked at Fides with a mix of pride and emotion. "You’ve grown... you’re completely stable and mature now," murmured the Cerberus as Fides excitedly began recounting his experiences and the time he had spent with Alm, Bruno, and the others.
Meanwhile, Alm and Bruno were visibly energized. They had clearly felt the Dao of the Shadow God Sect emanating from Vrix, confirming his connection to that sect. This discovery was a key to countless possibilities. A new door had been unlocked, and they were ready to explore it.
Standing beside a small white cat radiating pure energy, the dark, malevolent Cerberus exuded a sinister power. Despite the stark contrast between the two, they seemed like family reunited after a long time.
Vrix spoke in a rough manner, like an old man hardened by life. On the other hand, Fides, a bit clumsy, mirrored his tone in an endearing way. Internally, Fides was glowing with joy; it was clear they shared a solid father-son bond.
After several minutes of conversation, Vrix finally turned to Alm and Bruno, as though he had forgotten their presence entirely.
"How did you end up back in this universe?" Alm asked directly.
Nodding, Vrix began to recount his story. He explained that he had been perfectly reborn as the son of Shuki and Muphs, members of a clan of purebred Cerberuses in the Underworld. From the beginning, he had retained all his memories—a gift bestowed by Alm and Bruno.
However, a significant change had occurred in the Underworld a few years ago: several sects from the Queen’s Universe began recruiting talents with all their resources and connections.
As the Cerberus clan was prestigious and had close ties to demons, the Shadow God Sect conducted rigorous tests on all the young members of the clan.
Vrix, unsurprisingly, didn’t just pass the tests but completely outshone his peers.
He was taken into the sect, and within a year, he could suppress even those in realms far above his own. His meteoric rise left even the leader of the Shadow God Sect stunned.
He wasn’t just scarily talented—he had an uncanny ability to control the Infernal Laws. While his control wasn’t greater than the Shadow God himself, Vrix was very young, and his potential was unparalleled.
Because of this, he became the central disciple of the Shadow God himself, receiving personal training. Although he carried the title of a heroic disciple, his true role was even more special: he was the sect’s secret weapon, kept far from the spotlight.
"In the beginning, I received resources similar to those of the other heroic disciples," Vrix explained. "But that only happened because the sect was burdened with supporting an Ancestral Devil brought in by the Chaos Dragon. Then one day, everything changed. That was when the Ancestral Devil died... and the Shadow God too... wait, was that... Sir?"
"Hm? Indeed," Alm replied emotionlessly. "That bastard was killed far too easily. Unfortunately, I didn’t have the time to deal with him the way he deserved."
Vrix snorted, a mixture of frustration and dark satisfaction. Technically, he had been the Shadow God’s disciple. But he felt no loyalty or gratitude toward him—quite the opposite.
"That damned demon..." Vrix growled, filled with hatred. "I wanted to kill him myself. After taking me as a disciple, he visited the Cerberus clan in the Underworld. There, he slaughtered all the pureblood members and forced me to refine their bloodlines to make mine denser and more powerful. Luckily, my parents survived by hiding, but the clan was nearly wiped out. Since then, I’ve never been able to visit them. I’m sure they’re suffering, and the clan is on the brink of destruction—all because of me..."
Alm scoffed. The Shadow God’s cruelty didn’t surprise him. Killing a young man’s family and forcing him to absorb their bloodline... it was a level of cruelty even Alm found excessive.
Vrix continued. After Dem Zarn and the Shadow God died at the convention, the sect placed all its bets on him. As their greatest talent, he received every available resource.
However, the sect decided to continue hiding his existence. With the death of their God and leader, they were left vulnerable. Many enemies waited for an opportunity to destroy them, and exposing Vrix was an unacceptable risk. He was the sect’s future, its hope for survival.
Although Vrix was forbidden from entering sealed worlds, the sect devised a sinister plan. Disciples sent to these worlds would undergo tests after obtaining karmic fortune. Those who failed were sacrificed, and their karmic fortune was transferred to Vrix. This allowed him to advance his Empyrean level without ever leaving the safety of the sect.
As for Vrix’s presence here, the sect had secretly infiltrated the area. Even then, they had kept his identity hidden, making him appear as just another ordinary disciple. Only in this isolated region, with no chance of anyone approaching and surrounded by fellow sect members, was he permitted to absorb the Infernal Laws.
Bruno sighed before commenting mentally, ’We’ve been subtly prevented from settling our karma with this sect. We were always dragged into bigger problems, and it kept getting postponed. But clearly, everything was manipulated by Heaven’s Will. In the end, all the sect’s investment was in someone connected to us.’
Alm nodded, a dark smile forming. ’Excellent. Let’s create chaos with this opportunity.’