Awakening：The Infinite Evolution of My Talent as a Low-Level Awakener

As Sterl had anticipated, no matter what thoughts the Nightmare Elites had in their minds, at this stage—especially after he revealed his absolute leverage—they would not defy his orders.

In fact, anyone who dared to defy him would be torn apart by these lunatics working together!

Of course, these Nightmare Elites, who had been sealed for tens of thousands of years and were on the verge of distortion and losing control, could almost never become Sterl's loyal servants. Instead, they were a double-edged sword; once they turned on him, the consequences would be disastrous.

However, Sterl was not worried about this at all.

It wasn't blind confidence in his own charisma, but in the absolute leverage and power he wielded.

Once the full effect of War Soul Resonance was activated, even if Sterl ordered them to leave, they would never depart.

Furthermore, he didn't need their loyalty—he only needed these Nightmare Elites to be strong enough to tear apart any enemy's attacks and defenses, becoming wild dogs under his control, and that was all.

Once his goals were achieved, whether these wild dogs stayed or not would be entirely up to his mood.

Moreover, once he had solidified his future development system, his strength would experience a huge increase in a short time. It might not be long before his combat power would reduce the threat posed by these wild dogs to the minimum.

Before long, the already dim and gloomy sky was overshadowed by a massive shadow.

With a low growl and the sound of howling wind, Barbatos, with enormous wings and the body of a serpent and bull, slowly descended from the sky.

It looked down at Sterl, and compared to its massive body, which stretched over a thousand meters, Sterl now appeared so tiny.

After devouring the life sources and souls of numerous Nightmare Beasts, Barbatos' strength had nearly recovered to about 80% of its prime state.

This gave it an impulsive feeling—the urge to test this imposter's true strength before the others arrived.

Once this thought surfaced, it could not be stopped. Its enormous eyes gleamed with a sense of eager anticipation.

However, at this moment, Sterl, deep in meditation, seemed to sense something. Slowly, his eyes opened.

In an instant, a faint, chilling scent of blood filled the air, and behind Sterl, it was as though a massive and fierce bloodthirsty beast was greedily watching him, as if it would tear him apart and devour him in the next second!

In addition, a chilling sensation ran down Sterl's back, and it seemed that Barbatos could feel it too. It was as though a heavy sword was pressing down on its head, constantly threatening to sever its head at any moment.

In that instant, the viciousness in Barbatos' eyes instantly vanished, replaced by an expression of clarity. It quickly curled its body and lowered itself, changing its posture by an entire 180 degrees.

Seeing this, Sterl walked up Barbatos' massive wing and seated himself atop its head on the crystalline throne, a subtle, almost imperceptible smile playing on his lips.

Before long, the ten Grand Marshals and the head of the personal guard, Wood, arrived. Another ten minutes passed, and all the Nightmare Elites had gathered.

Sterl looked around, his gaze finally settling on the Marshal of the Mind's Nightmare, Walker.

However, like the other marshals, Walker kept his head lowered, and with his unique appearance, it was impossible for Sterl to discern the thoughts within him.

After staring for a moment, Sterl withdrew his gaze. This signified that he wouldn't pursue those insignificant matters for now, but it was also a warning.

Barbatos, as a Colossal War Beast that followed the War Demon and was its exclusive mount, though massive in size, was by no means a fool.

Having recognized Sterl's abilities, it would never consider testing Sterl at this stage for any reason.

Therefore, something must have affected Barbatos just now.

It should be noted that Barbatos at his prime was on the same tier as the ten Grand Marshals and the head of the personal guard.

He possessed the strength of a powerful god at the lower threshold.

The only force capable of silently influencing Barbatos would be Walker, who commanded the Power of Nightmares.

As for whether anyone else was involved, Sterl had no way of knowing, nor did he care to know.

Back when they were in the Abyssal Prison's lower depths, these former high-ranking individuals had chosen not to act, and that had cost them their only opportunity.

With the aid of the War Soul Resonance arcane skill, those who sought to act with ill intent would soon discover that Sterl's power, growing like an unstoppable flood, would crush any opposition in its path!

"The Dream Spirit Empire has begun. The one holding the key will break the seal. That is our only chance," Sterl said, looking down at everyone before speaking slowly.

"Break the Eternal Light, break free from the seal, return to the Nightmare, and let the Dream Spirit Empire fall to ruin. The Nightmare Empire will be re-established in this world!"

"To the death, we will defend His Majesty's glory!"

Walker stepped forward. His voice wasn't loud, but it clearly reached the ears of everyone present.

Soon, the surroundings erupted with deafening chants and slogans.

Sterl cast a glance at Walker, a hint of an inexplicable smile on his face. Then, at his command, all the Nightmare Elites were once again divided into eleven armies, each led by one of the ten Grand Marshals and Wood. Under the power of one of the marshals, they concealed themselves within the constant nightmares, preparing to give the Dream Spirit Empire a massive surprise.

At the same time, all space was sealed off, eliminating any possibility of unexpected events.

As for Sterl, he remained seated in place, meditating with his legs crossed, waiting quietly.

He didn't concern himself with those investigating the Eternal Light World. What truly made him cautious was the potential encirclement he would face after breaking the seal.

Since the disturbance of the Ancient Tree of the Abyssal Prison up until now, two full days had passed. He didn't believe the Dream Spirit Empire would be foolish enough not to take any countermeasures.

In these two days, they must have set up an intricate web of traps, preparing for the worst possible outcome.

However, Sterl wasn't overly concerned about the Dream Spirit Empire's ambush or preparations. Putting aside the Dream Orb's life-saving ability, he had gone from nothing to this point and had encountered similar situations many times before.

He hadn't lost before, and he wouldn't lose now.

In the Eternal Light World, outside the Abyssal Prison, beyond the circle of Constant Abyss, a bright light spot suddenly appeared in the air.

Then, like the tip of a paintbrush, the light spot drew a streak through the air. The streak expanded, forming a five-meter-diameter light gate.

From the light gate emerged a figure, stooped and ancient, with an aura that felt as though it didn't belong to this era. The old man slowly stepped out.

In his withered hand, he held a bronze key, and his aura was as ancient as the relics of time. Though his eyes were cloudy, there was a flicker of divine light that sent a shiver down one's spine.

The old man surveyed the surroundings, and after a moment, a slight hint of nostalgia appeared on his face. The next moment, warriors clad in heavy armor, each wielding a hooked spear, stepped out from the light gate, standing in perfect formation behind the old man.

These soldiers exuded a bloodthirsty aura, and the faint smell of rust could be detected from their armor. This wasn't due to the armor rusting, but rather because it had been soaked in so much blood from countless slaughters that it had slowly seeped into the armor and couldn't dissipate over time.

Soon, over a thousand soldiers had assembled, and a battle-hardened legion commander, with a stern and iron-faced expression, approached and stood behind the old man.

"Lord Asa, my army is ready to advance at any time."

This commander had just been transferred from the frontlines, and the secret runes on his body faintly glowed with a purple divine light.

It was clear that the runes inscribed on him were a rare purple, second only to the golden ones!

With immense potential and secret runes, combined with the baptism of war, his combat power was undoubtedly among the top tier in the entire empire.

The elite troops under his command were forged through trials of blood and fire. With a thousand soldiers gathered together, and the added secret rune resonance, even the legendary War Demon could escape, and he still had the confidence to completely slay that barely surviving War Demon!

However, in the face of the elderly man before him, the legion commander remained very respectful. This seemingly frail and ordinary old man was, in fact, a figure from forty thousand years ago.

Forty thousand years ago, he had been a tough and iron-willed marshal of the empire. The most crucial fact was that Asa was the one who had held the key and sealed the War Demon forty thousand years ago!

But after nearly forty thousand years, even with the power of arcane skills, Asa had remained in a dormant state. As a Rune Warrior, his life force still couldn't stop its slow decline.

If it hadn't been for the riot of the Ancient Tree of the Abyssal Prison, this once-renowned marshal would have fallen into eternal slumber, lost to time.

"Let's go. Without the key, the War Demon cannot escape the Eternal Light. He will wait for us in the Abyssal Prison."

Asa didn't pay attention to the legion commander's expression. Feeling the faint life force within him, he couldn't help but feel a sense of nostalgia.

Once, he was known as the last hope of the empire, but unfortunately, in front of the real power holders, he was merely a tool.

Yet, for the sake of the people of the empire, he had willingly become that tool, a pawn in their hands. This had been his firm belief before he had ever engraved the runes.

Compared to dying in his slumber, being able to do something meaningful before his death was far more worthwhile.

Asa then took a deep breath, and a faint yet extraordinarily brilliant golden light flickered in his chest.

Under the golden light, his previously withered flesh began to visibly recover, regaining its fullness. His aging aura grew stronger and more expansive.

Before long, the frail Asa, who had appeared on the brink of death just moments ago, transformed into a robust and imposing figure, his presence as deep and vast as an abyss!