"Lead the way."
Feelings of excitement ran through Ross's body as he tried to picture what high-level universes looked like. Although this was his first time being outside his universe, there was nothing in the true void to experience.
He and Julia had received a lot of information about the true void and how universes were stratified. But seeing and experiencing was always better than simply listening and imagining.
The redhead looked behind him to look at his home universe, mildly surprised to see nothing. 'We're too close…'
He then turned his attention back to the Chief Enforcers, silently watching what they would do next.
Going from one's home universe to another has been the challenging aspect for Veilwalkers. However, with the connection they shared with their universe, finding it anywhere in the larger multiverse was very easy.
Even natives like Julia and Ross would be able to sense where their universe was anywhere in the multiverse. The feeling was akin to a homing beacon that called to them constantly.
With a nod of acknowledgement, Drakmor unleashed a gentle wave of his energy to engulf everyone. For a moment, Ross and Julia attempted to resist when they heard Alexander's voice through their connection.
'Don't resist the energy, it's harmless. Besides, with my energy shielding you, you have nothing to worry about.'
Having learnt their lesson, Ross and Julia had become very sensitive to any actions the Enforcers would take.
The dragon was observant enough to understand how Alexander's companions were feeling. Only after receiving another nod from Alex did he proceed to shift everyone along.
Like that, a journey that would have potentially taken several days to weeks was traversed in less than a second.
***
The destination was already set before the group left Alexander's universe. There was no need for a detour when they could move as swiftly as possible.
"We're here."
In the endless darkness of the void, Drakmor's voice echoed throughout the surrounding energy as everyone reappeared, floating in the same position as they were when they shifted.
"Fuck!" A curse escaped Ross's lips. "Was this what you meant by restrictions?!"
The dragon and his companions looked over their shoulders when the redhead's curse echoed from behind them.
Similar to what happened when they unleashed a bit of their presence, Ross, Julia and Cassandra struggled to stand upright in the void, the Immortals more so than the demigod.
Unlike the barely existing restrictions in the low-level regions of the multiverse, the restrictions from the mid-level to high-level universes were insane to experience. Cassandra had a much easier time compared to Ross and Julia, who were not built to withstand such restrictions.
Everything suddenly felt extremely heavy. Just moving their muscles felt like they were carrying tons of load on their shoulders. But this was a natural response that their bodies would soon adapt to.
"It's even stronger inside universes in this region." Alexander replied, but his attention was not on his struggling friends and fiancée. "Give it a bit of time, you'll get used to it."
With furrowed brows, Alex flew past his friends, slowly approaching the Enforcers, who made way for him. A few light-years away, far enough to give a view of the universe's outline, was something straight out of a horror story.
Void creatures littered the surrounding void like pests, going in and out of the universe while devouring the dark and vile essence. A few of the powerful ones, numbering in the tens of thousands, noticed their presence and charged forward without hesitation.
Ranging from humanoid shapes and sizes, planets to entire stars, the grotesque-looking void creatures let out predatory clicks and snarls as they closed in speedily, covering quintillions of kilometres in microseconds.
Drakmor got ready to act. However, a directive from his companions shifted his gaze over to Alexander, who looked on at the incoming void creatures with cold, disgusted eyes.
The intent of his companions was simple. They wanted to see what Alexander was capable of. After all, the incoming creatures weren't the normal god-tier creatures he might or might not have dealt with.
Alexander did not bother with their little observation test. He didn't even look their way, his focus entirely on the void creatures.
'They aren't like the ones I killed before.' Alexander silently mused. 'Looks like absorbing the remnant essence had made them more disgusting to get close to. Not to mention extremely powerful…'
From the grotesque bodies of the void creatures was a dark, smoke-like essence. While weaker than the remnants from the ruined universe, the essence they gave off was more than Alexander had ever felt from the Hulmite.
'Fucking hell…' Ross's voice echoed in Alexander's mind. 'Those things are vile…! Urgh!'
Alex could almost feel the existential shudder of rejection through their connection, eliciting a small smile from him. 'Yeah… That's what happens when disgust is cranked up a few notches. It just gets worse. Much, much worse.'
As for Julia and Cassandra, they didn't have the heart to look at the creatures for long. The very act of looking at the void creatures induced extreme nausea in them, their bodies trembling periodically, as if tiny creatures crawled underneath their skin.
They had to avert their gaze, keeping it lowered while they adjusted to the overbearing pressure around them.
'So this is what he meant by 'nasty business' when he described his experience.' For a slight moment, Julia regretted coming.
However, the moment of weakness was snuffed out when she felt a wave of refreshing aura wash over her from her ring, eliciting a radiant but shaky smile on her face.
Knowing they would eventually be fine once their psyche and body adjusted, Alex refocused on the task at hand, where the void creatures had crossed the boundaries of his domain, unaware they had stepped into their slaughterhouse.
'Using the spear would take a bit of time if I choose that route.' Alexander didn't want to simply wave his hand for everything. Moreover, this would be a display of his power to the other Enforcers.
Although not necessary, he wanted to. 'I should use a weapon that guarantees I'll obliterate them in multiple strikes compounded into one.'
After carefully considering his options, he came up with something that brought a light smile to his face. With confident strides, Alexander stepped forward, creating a few meters of distance from the group.
He widened his stance and lowered his centre of gravity, leaning forward slightly. Then, his left hand moved to his hips, where a long, black, curved sword manifested in a blaze of white essence — a katana.
'We can finally see what his unique energy is capable of.' Nyssa shared through their connection. 'Hopefully, it won't take him too long to kill them.'
Whether Alexander used a weapon or a wave of energy to kill the creatures did not matter to them. They were only interested in seeing how effective his energy would be.
Alexander had taken his striking stance as silence settled around the group, save for the muffled groans from the back. Everyone had their attention on him, waiting to see how he would deal with the void creatures.
They watched as Alex moved his right hand, firmly grasping the handle of his sword. The strike was imminent, and expectations from the Enforcers were varied.
Click.
But then Alexander suddenly let go of the handle, straightened his posture and turned to face the group, the sword on his waist disappearing in a mote of white essence.
"..."
The Enforcers were baffled, looking at Alexander and then at the still incoming void creatures, wondering if he'd given up the task.
"That should take care of them." Alex muttered coolly, puzzling the Enforcers even more.
'Did any of you see him make a move…?'
The question lingered in the shared connection of the Enforcers. Alexander's declaration made no sense. The void creatures were still closing in. But Alexander's attention was no longer on the void creatures.
His gaze was now on the woman named Julia, whose radiant smile did not falter while looking at Alex with evident desire in her eyes. Although the Knight princess did not see what happened, she knew Alexander had acted.
But then, a sudden flash of white light, too faint at the beginning, drew everyone's attention towards the incoming void creatures. A single horizontal streak expanding from one extreme end to the other came forth.
Then came a second streak, a diagonal streak, and a vertical streak. The streaks of white light continued to light up the dark space until the entire area, spanning several trillions of kilometres, lit up in a network of crisscrossing streaks.
SCREECH…!!!
"!!!"
The momentum of the void creatures abruptly came to a stop. Every single one of the hideous creatures, from the smallest to the largest, let out painful cries as their bodies began breaking apart, transforming into motes of white essence.
The void creatures stood no chance from the very beginning. But for the Chief Enforcers, more than seeing the creatures disintegrate was the shock that came with the realisation that they had failed to perceive Alexander's move.
'Impossible…'
The shock did not end there. Dealing with void creatures that had devoured the corrupted essence was akin to dealing with cockroaches. They were notoriously difficult to kill in one strike, even for them. But Alexander made it look so easy.
Moreover…
'H-he purified the corrupted essence!'
The words rang through their shared connection like alarm bells, constantly ringing to emphasise the point. Drakmor and his companions could not help but look at Alexander differently.
'I was right…' Drakmor let out a sigh, feeling some of the invisible pressure he bore disappear. 'He is the key to freeing ourselves from the corruption we have brought upon our reality.'