Beyond the Apocalypse-Chapter 1082: Entropy and Quietus vs Madness

"BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOMMMMMMMMMMM!"

Not even a second after the gates of the tomb split apart, a massive explosion echoed through the void as something incredibly powerful struck from within with overwhelming force. The ancient doors were blasted outward, revealing what lay imprisoned inside.

Even though they had already witnessed fragments of its existence through the soul memories of the True Depravita of Wrath, seeing the Empyrean directly was something else entirely.

It was beyond horrifying.

Gazing at it felt like staring into the concept of madness itself—an embodiment of corruption and insanity taken form. Its presence distorted perception, twisted thought, and weighed upon the mind like a living nightmare.

"ARRRGRHHGAHAHAH!"

The Dream of Madness released a horrifying scream that manifested as a spiritual shockwave, crashing directly into the souls of the Sovereigns. This was not mere sound—it was an assault on the spirit itself, powerful enough to shake the souls of Peak Lords and make even Paragons tremble.

Yet Vlad had prepared for this.

The runic formation he had engraved into himself and the other Sovereigns strengthened their spiritual defenses, allowing them to endure the maddening scream. Without even a moment of hesitation, all of them roared in response.

Their power erupted.

Every ounce of energy within their bodies and souls was released at once.

Merlin unleashed a cannon of dark plasma that burned hotter than the sun of a supreme world.

Orkin summoned thousands of lightning arcs, each one thicker than ancient trees.

Brightkin released hundreds of radiant beams capable of burning corruption itself.

Ankil raised her blade, summoning an ocean of blood that surged forward like a tidal wave.

Each of these attacks possessed the power of Limit Lord–tier beings. And thanks to their flawless teamwork—honed through countless battles together against the horrors of Hell—their attacks merged into a single, overwhelming blast.

The combined strike hit the Dream of Madness point-blank.

"BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOMMMMMMMMMM!"

A blinding explosion swallowed the alien entity.

It was a level of power that could cripple a Paragon under the right circumstances.

And yet, less than a second later, the Dream of Madness dispersed the attack.

The only visible damage was a series of burn marks across its immense form.

That alone demonstrated just how terrifyingly powerful it remained—even after being imprisoned for eons.

The four Sovereigns clenched their teeth, but none of them were surprised.

They had never expected their attack to destroy such a monster.

It had only been a distraction.

Dream of Madness prepared to unleash its full power and finally break free from the tomb that had held it captive for ages.

Then suddenly—

Shock appeared in its countless eyes.

A humanoid figure stood directly before its chest.

Compared to the colossal alien body, the figure was insignificant—smaller than one of the many tentacles that formed its face. Yet the power radiating from him caused the Dream of Madness to feel something unfamiliar.

Something it had never experienced before.

Fear.

That fear immediately turned into overwhelming killing intent. Massive claws flashed forward, seeking to crush the intruder instantly.

But they were not fast enough.

The White Death took a deep breath and clenched his fists.

This would not be a long battle. It would be short and brutal.

That was why, from the very beginning, he unleashed everything he had.

"NULL HORIZON!"

From the body of the White Death, a massive sphere of white flame erupted and expanded outward faster than light itself.

The flesh of the Dream of Madness—barely damaged by the combined attack of the four Sovereigns—began to disintegrate under the influence of the expanding sphere.

This was not ordinary fire.

It was entropy in its purest form—a power that pushed existence itself toward absolute termination. The highest expression of decay and annihilation in the universe.

It was the power that allowed the White Death to be called the strongest human alive.

The Dream of Madness immediately attempted to retreat, trying to create distance between itself and the expanding sphere of absolute entropy.

But before it could even move—

Another figure appeared above its head.

He looked slightly different now, his presence sharper and more dangerous, but there was no way the Dream of Madness could forget him.

The young man who had thwarted its first attempt to escape the tomb.

Vlad.

He smiled coldly as he saw the hatred and rage burning within the alien entity.

Without wasting a single second, he channeled all his power into the Quietus Sword and drove it downward.

The blade pierced the skull of the Empyrean.

Every centimeter felt like pushing through endless layers of divine metal. Flesh and bone resisted with impossible density, but Vlad forced the weapon deeper with everything he had, driving it in up to the hilt.

Then the gray flames erupted.

Poisons and curses meant nothing to an entity of this level. But Quietus Force was different. Like entropy itself, it stood above conventional laws.

Even an Empyrean could not ignore it.

The gray flames burned directly into the alien mind, disrupting its thoughts and slowing its reactions. Under normal circumstances, such interference might not have mattered.

But now—

The white sphere of entropy continued to expand, devouring more and more of its massive body.

When the Null Horizon reached its internal organs, a flash of genuine dread appeared in the Dream of Madness’ eyes.

Its power exploded in response.

A dark aura burst from its bone-white frame, carrying a force capable of twisting and mutating reality itself. The energy surged outward, colliding violently with the gray flames invading its mind and the white entropy consuming its body.

Three overwhelming forces met at once.

Gray annihilation.

White entropy.

Black reality distortion.

The clash erupted at the edge of the tomb.

Space and time themselves began to shriek under the pressure, warping and trembling as the collision threatened to tear the surrounding reality apart.

The True Depravita of Wrath and the White Death clenched their teeth. Simply being close to the dark energy emanating from the Dream of Madness was enough to affect their souls and minds, flooding them with waves of insanity and revulsion. Disturbing impulses, twisted desires, and scenes of debauchery beyond measure forced their way into their thoughts, so vile that they stirred nausea in the depths of their being.

And if that mental assault were not enough, the corruption soon began to affect their bodies as well.

The flesh around their arms started to mutate. Tentacles writhed beneath the skin. Eyes opened and closed where none should exist. Jagged teeth pushed outward from muscle and bone. It was a horrifying sight, a living nightmare made real.

Yet the rulers of the Graciea Empire and the Xaos Kingdom showed no fear and no hesitation.

Instead, they burned their energy even brighter and pressed their attack with greater determination.

They had caught the abomination by surprise—that was the only reason their assault had been so effective—and they could not afford to waste such a rare opportunity.

With wrathful roars, the powers of Quietus and Entropy erupted with even greater force. Their combined might flooded the monster’s brain and soul while simultaneously disintegrating its chest. The killing intent in the White Death’s eyes grew colder and sharper with every passing second as the expanding white sphere of annihilation devoured everything in its path.

The flesh was already gone.

The muscles followed.

The ribcage soon crumbled into nothingness.

The sphere reached the creature’s internal organs.

What lay inside was chaos made flesh—a grotesque mass of hearts, lungs, intestines, and unknown alien structures fused together in a disturbing and ever-shifting form. But the White Death did not hesitate. He did not recoil.

He simply continued to erase everything.

"AGRHHHHHHH!"

A scream of pure agony burst from the Dream of Madness. Even for a monster of its nature, the destruction of its internal organs was a torment beyond endurance.

Brightkin, Merlin, Orkin, and Ankil could not help but smile.

Their expressions were filled with awe, admiration, and, most importantly, hope. The damage was catastrophic. Perhaps—just perhaps—this nightmare would end sooner than expected. Perhaps fortune was finally on their side.

But hope in battle was often fragile.

Just as it began to take root, the White Death’s body trembled violently.

Blood burst from his eyes and nose.

Null Horizon was an extraordinarily powerful technique. The White Death had grown immensely stronger since his battle with Beelzebub, but even so, he had finally reached his limit. His energy fell into disarray, and the expanding white sphere of annihilation flickered... then vanished.

The damage stopped.

And with the disappearance of the sphere, the last barrier protecting him was gone.

A brutal, chilling awareness awakened within the Dream of Madness. 𝘧𝘳𝘦ℯ𝓌𝘦𝒷𝘯𝑜𝑣𝘦𝓁.𝒸𝘰𝓂

Its massive claw moved.

It flashed forward with terrifying speed, cutting through space as it lunged toward the human.

The White Death’s blood-filled eyes widened.

His energy was unstable. His body was exhausted.

If that attack landed—

He would die.