Standing at the entrance of the dilapidated house, Logan extended his hand and knocked on the door.
He was never one to lack manners.
If they could peacefully negotiate the ownership of the Netherworld Key, he was more than willing to sit down and discuss terms properly.
Staring at the mottled, weathered door, Logan waited quietly.
Before long, the door slowly creaked open.
From the darkness within, a silhouette gradually floated out.
Zoran hovered in mid-air, casting a peaceful glance at the crowd waiting outside the door.
In that instant, Logan knew for certain that the burst of Hetero-Energy he had sensed earlier originated from this very person.
He took half a step back.
The soldiers behind him synchronously retreated half a step as well, clearing a path.
Zoran nodded in satisfaction and said casually, "Enjoy your chat."
Logan froze for a moment. He hadn't expected the other party to be so incredibly easygoing.
The exchange was so commonplace, like encountering an acquaintance on the street, exchanging a brief greeting, and passing each other by, that for a moment, he didn't know how to respond. He could only silently watch Zoran's receding figure as it vanished into the nearby darkness.
"General, why didn't we make a move just now?"
The moment Zoran left, a soldier turned to Logan in confusion.
They had come to take, or rather, plunder, the Netherworld Key. A massive fleet of spaceships was already on standby in outer space, ready to swarm down at a single command.
Yet, that polite display just now looked nothing like a raid.
"That man just came out of the room. If he happened to leave with the Netherworld Key, wouldn't all our efforts be in vain?" the soldier asked, bewildered.
It was known that the Netherworld Key was on Earth in the First Parallel Universe, and their commander, Logan, had mobilized them overnight. The key was highly likely to be in that man's hands.
His confusion was shared by the rest of the soldiers.
Logan glanced at him.
"If the Netherworld Key isn't in that man's hands, we don't need to fight. If the Netherworld Key is in his hands..."
Logan paused suddenly, falling silent for a moment before continuing, "...we still don't need to fight."
Just because the soldiers couldn't see through it didn't mean he couldn't.
Logan didn't want to shake the army's morale, so he spoke cryptically.
He couldn't help but sigh. That was a Nebula Body.
Although his current strength didn't allow him to fully gauge the individual's exact energy level, fundamentally speaking, that person was a figure on the same tier as Hades and the Snow Emperor.
If the Netherworld Key truly was in that person's possession, what would be the point of fighting?
It would mean that to resurrect Hades, they would first have to defeat an opponent of Hades' own caliber.
Was that something mere subordinates like them could achieve?
Turning back around, Logan knocked on the door once more. This time without hesitation, he strode right inside.
On the other side.
Zoran was in a rather pleasant mood. His body lifted into the air, ascending into the night sky.
In a sense, he really had come out to make a phone call.
As the elder brother and senior, he naturally couldn't forget his sibling when good things came along.
Just now, the very first figure that flashed into his mind was Shendu.
Knowing that there were two or even three Nebula Body-level entities in this particular cycle, how could he, as a unique third-party force, remain a lone wolf?
What if he got ganged up on?
Though Zoran feared nothing in his heart, at this moment, he had indeed found a rather excellent excuse for himself.
An excuse to contact Shendu.
In the night sky, Zoran smiled faintly. Conjuring a wisp of Moon Demon Chi, he closed his eyes and immersed himself in thought.
He spoke softly, calling out, "Shendu."
An infinite distance away, inside a certain mega-mansion.
Shendu, who was currently enjoying the pampering of his servants, suddenly snapped his eyes open.
An incredibly faint calling echoed in his ears. He instinctively looked left and right first, but in the next second, he responded with absolute certainty:
"Brother?!"
"It is I."
The reply echoed in his ears, a voice carrying a hint of vicissitude and elegance that belonged exclusively to Zoran.
Shendu instantly stood up from the massive lounge chair specially designed for him.
It was as if he had suddenly snapped to attention. His calm expression instantly gave way to sheer delight.
"Brother, where are you?"
He knew Zoran was constantly traveling through other realms, but for his brother to suddenly reach out meant there had to be an important matter at hand.
Under the night sky, Zoran glanced at the minor skirmish brewing not far away and smiled. "I need your assistance, Shendu."
"I will come right now! Wait for me!" Shendu urged impatiently.
"Do not rush," Zoran laughed heartily.
Stranded in an alternate world, it would be a miracle if a fellow like Shendu could cross over right now without Zoran's assistance.
Shendu also seemed to realize his own impulsiveness and scratched his cheek in embarrassment. "I was reckless."
Without his brother opening the gateway for him, how could he possibly locate the coordinates?
He shouldn't have forgotten that, but Zoran's sudden contact had made him worry that the situation was urgent.
"The world I am currently in holds great fortune," Zoran explained slowly. "Even for you and me, it can be considered a remarkably profound boost."
"That is wonderful." Hearing this, the anxiety in Shendu's heart finally vanished.
Knowing his brother, this was definitely not a situation where Zoran actually needed his "assistance."
This was a good opportunity, and his brother was pulling him along to share the spoils.
The phrase 'connected by the same roots' truly maintained its weight in gold.
"In this world, based on the fundamental nature of our existence, we can harvest a significant amount of power. It is an exceptional enhancement..."
As Zoran spoke, something suddenly crossed his mind, and he changed his framing to continue, "...Furthermore, there are several decent, formidable adversaries here who are well worth a fight."
"Are there activities to participate in?! Enemies... I mean, power!" Shendu's voice instantly became ecstatic.
On the other side, the corners of Zoran's mouth curled upward.
He knew Shendu all too well.
If you mentioned power, he might be sluggish and indifferent.
But the moment you mentioned enemies and combat, he would instantly perk up.
Ultimately, it boiled down to Shendu's inherently combative nature and his sheer frustration at the lack of worthy opponents in his current world.
Even the world of Dragon Raja that Zoran had sent him to later on didn't possess any adversaries worth fighting.
Aside from the Holy Grail War last time where he truly fought to his heart's content, he had probably been bored out of his mind up until now.
"They are waiting at any time, my brother," Zoran said.
"Good, good! You must remember to summon me, Brother!" Shendu repeated eagerly, wishing he could traverse the multiverse and sprint over this very instant.
"Rest assured, I am never careless," Zoran promised softly before letting the Moon Demon Chi fade away.
Not far away, Logan's group had already clashed with Master Wyatt.
Soldiers against soldiers, generals against generals.
The howling night wind whipped up by the battle rushed past, carrying a refreshing crispness.
Raising a hand to suppress the spreading shockwaves of the conflict, Zoran felt nothing but comfort and pleasure.
He was in no hurry to summon Shendu just yet.
The primary reason was that this world had only just granted him a massive amount of Hetero-Energy. Even if he intended to fleece it, he had to pace his harvests.
The fluctuations from the battle between Master Wyatt and Logan swept through the streets.
Both of them were powerhouses.
And of course, there were also the future Hades, the Snow Emperor, and Ghost King, the three great Nebula Body powerhouses.
Yet, on this ordinary night, without their knowledge, they had already been chosen as opponents by a certain entity in another universe whose hands were itching terribly for a fight.
They were reserved for the upcoming seven-day cycle of battles.
The scene of Shendu clashing directly with a Nebula Body flashed through Zoran's mind.
That spectacle would probably be quite entertaining.
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