The battle had reached its brutal climax.
Feng was on his knees, blood pouring from the deep wound in his stomach. The golden-haired hero leader stepped forward with a cruel smile and drove his holy sword straight through Feng's stomach once more. The blade pierced clean through, and Feng collapsed forward onto the blood-soaked stage.
The fighting between the adventurers and the disguised soldiers stopped instantly. Both sides backed off, creating a wide circle around the stage. Everyone watched in stunned silence.
High above, in the distant Octagram hall, the Demon Lords were still watching the live projection from the spy's orb.
One of the Demon Lords laughed triumphantly. "Hah! Feng is dead. I win the bet!"
Rimuru Tempest, however, narrowed his golden eyes and spoke calmly.
"He is still breathing."
Back on the stage, the golden-haired hero planted his boot on Feng's head, pressing his face into the bloody ground. He laughed loudly, voice dripping with mockery.
"Ahaha! It looks like you're still breathing, you worthless farmer!"
He slowly pushed his holy sword into Feng's back, twisting the blade deliberately to cause maximum pain. Blood welled up around the wound.
Lina lay nearby, too weak from her own injuries to move. Tears streamed down her face as she watched her husband being tortured. She could only whisper brokenly, "Feng… no…"
Feng's vision was fading. Pain consumed every part of his body. His breathing was shallow and ragged.
Then, for the first time, he truly paid attention to the voice that had whispered to him before.
The ancient, deep voice of the Evil God echoed clearly in his mind once again:
"Do you need power? Do you need my help?"
Feng's lips moved weakly. With the last of his strength, he answered inside his mind:
"…Yes."
Suddenly, his soul was ripped from his dying body.
In an instant, everything went black.
When his consciousness returned, he found himself standing in an endless, pitch-black void. Before him floated a colossal, ancient presence — formless yet overwhelmingly powerful. The Ancient Evil God.
The voice that had spoken to him so many times before now resonated directly around him, deep and ancient:
"You have finally answered."