Drakmor and his companions were left speechless for several seconds after the streaks of white light died down, along with the complete eradication of the void creatures.
'I still can't get over the fact that we missed his move…' Calyndra repeated, her stare boring holes into Alexander's side profile. 'If I recall correctly, he only has one universe core fused with his existence, right?'
'That's what you're mulling over?' Ignarok chided. 'His attack purified the corrupted essence like it never existed, killing the void creatures in one strike, and you're worried about how many cores he has?!'
'But Calyndra is right…' Nyssa chipped in. 'Aside from the Supreme One and a few primordials, we Chief Enforcers are the strongest Veilwalkers around. Regardless of what energy he uses, he shouldn't be stronger than us.'
'It also explains his relaxed attitude around us.' Vornarax noted, glancing back at the now-empty space devoid of void creatures. 'He never saw any of us as a threat to him.'
'...'
It was a hard pill to swallow for beings of their calibre, but this was their reality, and it brought up conflicting feelings they didn't know they still had.
Drakmor remained silent, not adding anything to their shared conversation. He recalled the actions Alexander took when he visited Universe Prime, realising that Alexander had become more powerful than before.
'Is this the power of true independence?' Drakmor mused in the private recesses of his mind. 'Even their black cores were purified and destroyed.'
Unbeknownst to them was that inside Alexander's domain, he was absolute. Speed and power became a blur, practically non-existent. He could choose to make his movements perceivable to those around him, which was the reason the Enforcers failed to see or sense anything.
"I'll be going in for a closer look." Alexander said, looking at the Enforcers. "Lady Calyndra, you'll be coming with me."
"W-What?" The tigress was momentarily taken aback. "Why me?"
"Because I'll need someone as a guide," Alex replied calmly, looking straight at the woman. "That won't be a problem for you, will it?"
"..."
The tigress stared back blankly, wondering why Alexander chose her instead of someone he was more familiar with. She glanced at Drakmor, who merely looked back but said nothing, outwardly or inwardly for that matter.
"C-Can I come along?" Julia asked in a strained tone.
"You're still getting used to the pressure." Alex looked at her warmly. "That revolting feeling you're experiencing right now will be a lot more pronounced inside. And I don't know what attributes this enhanced corrupted essence will have."
"F-Fine…" Julia had no choice but to agree, knowing Alexander was right. She looked at the outline of the universe and shuddered. "Urgh… It's so revolting to even look at. Why would anyone desire something like that?"
Julia genuinely wondered with a repulsed expression, glancing at the Enforcers.
"Power is power…" Ross coldly sneered, prompting the Enforcers to look his way. The redhead did not back down from their intimidating gaze this time. "Even at the cost of all life forms."
Though he was on a knee, struggling to overcome the overwhelmingly restrictive pressure, the defiance and disgust in his eyes could not be hidden. He was never one to shy away from being blunt.
"This is the kind of power superior beings go after." Ross continued. "The kind that rejects your very existential essence. How disappointing."
The expressions of the Enforcers remained neutral, showing no signs of being affected by Ross's words. They were beyond such petty emotions and limitations, after all.
But Alexander agreed wholeheartedly, glancing at Cassandra, who appeared to be adapting well. With a nod her way, he turned around to look at the fractured and broken shell of the universe.
"Let's go."
Alexander disappeared and reappeared at the edges of the universe when a new and intense wave of revulsion hit him like a sledgehammer. For a brief moment, Alex felt his entire being shudder.
'Heesh! So revolting!'
A split second later, the tigress appeared beside him, her expression and body betraying her stoic demeanour. Calyndra was as revolted as Alex was, if not more.
RUMBLE…
A rumble akin to a thunderstorm came from inside the universe. A dark, smoky essence leaked out from the fractured boundaries, seemingly blending with the surrounding void.
The essence drifted everywhere, spreading farther and farther out. Alexander did not know how long this had been going on, but more than quintillions of kilometres around the edges of the universe was bathed in the corrupted essence.
He hadn't dived in yet, calmly studying the behaviour of the corrupted essence. Unfortunately for him, there wasn't much he could deduce from the outside. As far as he knew, there were no records to sift through in the true void.
"You should be careful of those—" Calyndra began, but quickly caught herself when she realised who she was advising. "Right… You're capable of purifying the black essence."
Alexander momentarily glanced at the tigress, who noticed his gaze. She held it for a moment before turning back to the universe before her. "There is one more thing you should know. You might be able to purify the corrupted essence, but the same can't be said for me or anyone else."
'In other words, I should look out for you.' Alex smiled slightly, turning to look ahead. His domain already covered that part. The tigress simply could not tell she was within Alexander's domain.
"We're going in." Alexander muttered, his expression serious. "Stay close."
Without waiting for the tigress's response, Alexander flew forward, swiftly plunging into the corrupted essence. The tigress didn't dally either, quickly following behind Alex. Soon, they crossed the Veil and entered the universe.
'As expected...' Alexander thought with a scowl on his face, looking around calmly. 'The inside is much worse.'
Crossing into the universe via the Veil did not place them at the edges of the universe, as Veil Tears led to different regions within the universe.
Everywhere Alexander looked were dense clouds of corrupted essence floating around like dark gas clouds. Occasional rumbles would echo through the clouds, their exact origins unclear.
The once-brightly lit universe with its mesmerising cosmic hues was no more. Everything and everywhere looked the same — a black canvas with no light whatsoever. It was even a miracle they could see with their unique set of eyes.
The universe's expansive landscape, which encompassed most of the universe, was in tatters. They were no longer connected, but fractured and broken all over. The landscape, along with everything that came along, was corrupted beyond measure.
"This universe belonged to the demon race…" Lady Calyndra appeared beside Alexander and spoke, her expression marred with revulsion. "The demon race and races of similar settings aren't like other universes.
"Their entire existence and history are marked with nothing but conflict. They are extremely ruthless, uncaring and unforgiving, willing to do anything to get ahead of the competition."
"So that made it okay to use this universe as a pawn, right?" A mean side-eye from Alexander sent a shiver down her spine. "What makes you guys any different from them?"
"It doesn't." Calyndra unconsciously floated backwards, more cautious of Alexander than before. "You should know there is no such thing as good and evil. There is only energy with attributes."
Alexander did not reply, averting his gaze from the tigress to the scene before him. He knew the tigress was right. There was only energy, and energy was the expression of will. And will… could be anything.
This was the origin of their stance on what they did. Power was indeed power, regardless of its attributes. This time, however, they went too far, having no idea what they were doing or where it could potentially lead.
'This universe and others like it might also be the origins of the myths we have in our universe.' Alexander's mind wandered. 'Demons, devils, curse magic, witchcraft, and everything in between, huh. That also means the races on the other side of the spectrum would be…'
"Our corrupted colleague, Zauren, came from this universe." The tigress continued, gauging Alexander's expression. "Like its natives, he cared little about his race and universe. He chose to sacrifice his universe core for the trial."
"And this was the outcome…" Alexander sneered.
"..."
The tigress showed no signs of remorse. She was only mindful of Alexander and what he might do if he snapped. Although it was hard to accept that Alexander was stronger, the facts were facts.
Calyndra remained silent, patiently waiting for Alexander to do what he came here to do. She didn't fail to notice how the corrupted essence did nothing to her when she was literally inside it. Aside from the revulsion she felt, nothing was amiss.
Meanwhile, Alexander pushed his senses to their absolute limit, stretching beyond his own universe's size. The effort drained an enormous amount of his essence, leaving him utterly shocked. Even then, he could not encompass the entire universe.
To bypass the corrupted energy, he needed to use more essence than normal. His senses could not penetrate the solidified and liquefied essence around him. It meant he had no clue what could be lurking in the depths of the corrupted oceans.
'The fabric of this universe, its laws, energies and records are all corrupted.' Alexander furrowed his brows. He knew this was a long shot when he came in here, but he didn't think it would be this bad.
'There's nothing to learn from here. Although…' He turned his attention towards a certain direction, his core thumping out of nowhere, making him swallow imperceptibly.
Several million light-years from where he and the tigress floated was something that left him bewildered and... spooked. He wasn't entirely sure. The corrupted oceans were already driving him curious enough as it was.
But what his senses detected, or rather failed to detect, stole the moment.
"What is it?"
Lady Calyndra asked, looking in the direction Alexander was looking. She noticed how troubled Alex looked, leaving her uncertain as to how to feel or what to think. Unlike him, she could not extend her senses. She was completely blind, except for her eyes.
"I-I don't know…" Alexander muttered, his tone shaky and unsure.