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

"Another day wasted. I can't afford to delay any longer.

I've already escaped the traps laid out by the Dream Spirit Empire. Given their fear of War Demon, they will undoubtedly do everything they can to eliminate the threat at its root. So... the Land of Nightmares is likely to face a devastating assault from the Empire's legions."

Sterl said, storing the Soul Devourer Sphere away and reflecting on the situation.

At present, his power had been self-sealed, and he could only exert less than a tenth of his full strength. Even so, the battle prowess he could still display was not much weaker than when he had first gained the Sublimation of Power ultimate passive.

With such strength, even facing an army of god-tier beings, he could still cause devastating damage.

This, he had already confirmed in the Realm of the Undying, where he faced the massive silver-white monsters.

"The time has come. It's time to start."

He muttered to himself, then suppressed his aura and began to leave the now unrecognizable Abyssal Prison.

Wherever he passed, aside from the hollowed-out barriers that had been devoured, there was nothing left—no other materials or life to be found.

Even when he passed from the fifth level to the fourth level of Abyssal Prison, the once impenetrable Abyssal Prison door had vanished completely.

"It seems something significant happened with my recent enhancement."

He suddenly recalled the images he saw during his time in Dimension Perception, peering into the river of time. The twisted flesh monster and the eerie, dangerous Mycelium Carpet had left his heart chilled, and he couldn't connect it to his own situation.

And now, the addition of over a million high-level soul power had only increased the disturbance.

Sure enough, as he moved forward, it was the same as before: the aftermath of devouring everything, from the bottom of Abyssal Prison to the first level.

Soon, Sterl arrived at the entrance of Abyssal Prison. Below the massive abyss, with a hundred-mile diameter, he looked up at the barren abyssal walls, noticing the smooth, cut-like marks. His eyes widened in shock.

"I didn't... devour the entire Abyssal Prison, did I?"

That thought flashed through his mind, and he nearly froze in place.

However, having witnessed the revival of Chaos Demon God Desolate from the fabric of time and space, he quickly accepted the possibility.

Shaking his head, Sterl took out the Soul Devourer Sphere and opened the Gateway of Passage, stepping straight through.

Outside Abyssal Prison,

Thousands of nightmare elites were still dispersed at the starting position. In the center, the ten commanders and the personal guard captain, Wood, stood together.

Compared to before, everyone seemed more subdued and passive, as if the eerie aura from Abyssal Prison had drained their energy. The earlier tension had suddenly turned into an unsettling stillness.

After the discussion ended, the other commanders fell into deep thought, each unaware of what the others were thinking.

Only the personal guard captain, Wood, occasionally showed slight changes in his expression, though no one noticed.

"Could it... really be him?"

At that moment, Wood's heart was already in turmoil.

After being unintentionally reminded by the Mind Marshal, Walker, he had been comparing the indescribable entity in Abyssal Prison with the aura of the War Commander.

But the result made him tense up, disbelief flooding his mind. He had made a shocking discovery—War Demon's aura and the mysterious monster in Abyssal Prison shared strikingly similar soul fluctuations!

Though the fluctuations were weak and chaotic, there was no mistaking it!

As the captain of the personal guard, Wood not only had immense combat strength but also unparalleled insight and a keen sense of danger and foresight.

This ability had helped him eliminate numerous assassins, even allowing him to foresee danger and prepare for it in advance. He was certain there was no mistake.

But despite the similar soul fluctuations, he could not reconcile the two; it was simply too strange.

"Truly..."

He took a deep breath, contemplating whether to reveal this discovery.

After all, War Demon was their only hope for escaping the Eternal Light seal, but now, that hope seemed to have been swallowed by that rift monster.

Yes, in Wood's mind, that monster could not possibly be Sterl. The only explanation for the similar soul fluctuations was that this imposter War Demon had been consumed!

Though this conclusion was hard to believe, the aura emitted by the strange rift monster earlier suggested it was likely an even more terrifying creature than the Nightmare Overlord at his peak, so its consumption was not entirely surprising. It could only be attributed to bad luck.

"Never mind, perhaps this is fate... the damn Many Causes..."

He muttered to himself, deciding not to hide his discovery anymore.

With a sigh, he rubbed his face vigorously. This was the first time he had ever been so melancholic, and after realizing it, he even felt a sense of unfamiliarity.

"Has being sealed for so long unknowingly affected me?"

He gazed around, a look of complexity in his eyes. Slowly, he stood up, turning his gaze toward the group of nightmare elites around him.

At the same time, the ten commanders and all the surrounding strong beings turned their attention to him, seemingly surprised by his behavior.

However, even though Wood hadn't spoken yet, why did Rein, Walker, and the others seem to be having such strong emotional reactions? Were the people around them... excited?

Wood was a little confused, but his inner turmoil made it difficult for him to focus on such details.

"Wood, are you lost in thought?"

Suddenly, a calm yet commanding voice quietly echoed from behind him.

Wood shivered. 'This voice…'

He snapped his head around!

Behind him, just a few meters away, a Gateway of Passage stood, seemingly appearing out of nowhere. Then, a massive figure slowly emerged from the gateway, those deep and authoritative eyes calmly gazing at him.

Seeing the figure before him—who, though not towering, exuded a certain magical presence that made one instinctively feel submissive—Wood's confusion and complexity instantly cleared!

"Welcome back, War Commander!"

He suddenly dropped to one knee, bowing deeply, a cold sensation spreading through his chest.

'What was I... doing just now?

Was it the monster in Abyssal Prison? When did I fall under its influence…?'

Wood's heart raced with a sense of regret. The chaotic and confused state he had been in was definitely not truly him—it was his consciousness being unknowingly twisted!

But why, then, could War Demon immediately recognize his problem and, without a sound, pull him out of it? Could it be that...

His mind was a whirl of thoughts, yet deep within, his wariness of Sterl intensified, and he couldn't help but feel a sense of fear and dread!

Moreover, he could vaguely sense the vast, indescribable power emanating from War Demon.

Just a glimpse of it made him feel insignificant and awed by its immensity.

"Greetings, your Majesty!"

"Greetings, your Majesty!!"

"Welcome back, your Majesty!!"

At this moment, the others reacted and quickly knelt, lowering their heads in submission to Sterl.

Soon, the thousands of nightmare elites followed suit, all kneeling in unison.

Their hearts were the same as Wood's—shocked! Awed! Disbelieving!

The weakest among them were at least of upper-level divine authority, with most at the extreme limits of upper-level divine authority, and the ten commanders were powerful beings of Divine Power rank.

With their perception, they could naturally feel the overwhelming, indomitable strength emanating from Sterl. Even the occasional fluctuations in his aura made them feel as if a mountain were weighing down on them.

Without a doubt, their mysterious War Commander had become even stronger!

In addition to awe, there was also excitement and anticipation.

It had been so long since the key was destroyed and War Demon vanished. They had been waiting for this moment. Now that their War Commander had returned, did this not mean they had found the way to leave!?

For a moment, the nightmare leaders and generals were all stirred up, their blood boiling and emotions running high. They were eager to leave this dark, oppressive place at the earliest opportunity.

However, this time, no one dared act impulsively. Instead, they quietly waited for Sterl's command.

Sterl slowly stepped out of the Gateway of Passage, casting a glance at Wood's massive and imposing form. A hint of surprise flashed in his eyes.

As soon as he stepped out, he sensed the faint yet noticeable soul disturbance coming from Wood.

The fluctuation of this power was identical to that of his Soul Prison's Eerie Eyes. After activating his Soul Prison's Eerie Eyes and instantly removing the power, he was certain: this power indeed belonged to the Soul Prison's Eerie Eyes, albeit twisted!

"Could it be... that during the time I lost consciousness, I had contact with Wood?"

He carefully analyzed the emotional fluctuations emanating from Wood, confirming this conclusion.

Not only had they made contact, but given Wood's current state, it was clear that a great shadow had been cast over him.

Unfortunately, after using Dimension Perception to peer into the future and destiny, this ability had suffered overuse and was now in a state of overload. It couldn't be used deeply again in a short time. Otherwise, he would have checked it further.

However, even if there had been contact, Sterl wasn't concerned. After all, with his current strength, even if all these nightmare elites surrounded him, he was confident he could wipe them out one by one!

This was the confidence brought by absolute strength.

Of course, these elites still had great use for him. Breaking through the Dream Spirit Empire's siege and subsequently controlling the legions would require their power.

"The power increase is too great. While I've partially adapted, I still need to achieve balance before I can fully suppress the aura I naturally emit."

Sterl surveyed the circle of nightmare elites kneeling on the ground, especially the ten commanders.

These people didn't truly respect or pledge loyalty to him; they were simply intimidated by the aura he radiated.