My attributes are increasing infinitely

Chapter 497: Entering seclusion

The colossal demonic creature finally forced its entire body through the rift. The tear in space expanded to its limit before stabilizing, as though reality itself had reluctantly allowed the being to pass. Its towering frame rose above the battlefield like a moving mountain.

Jagged black scales covered its body, layered like natural armor. Dark mist flowed constantly from between those scales, spreading outward and contaminating the surrounding air. Every breath carried an oppressive weight.

Its crimson eyes slowly moved across the battlefield.

To it, the gathered humans looked no different from scattered ants. Their weapons, formations, and defensive arrays appeared meaningless. The demon’s gaze lingered briefly, as if evaluating whether they were even worth the effort.

”Is this the lower realm?” it muttered to itself.

Its voice did not travel through sound alone. The words vibrated directly in the minds of everyone present. Several soldiers instantly coughed blood, unable to endure even the casual transmission of its thoughts.

”Why is the energy so thin here?” it continued, sounding mildly dissatisfied.

The demon raised one enormous clawed hand. Black energy gathered at its fingertips, swirling lazily.

”Let us eat some of those humans. We will soon know about them.”

The moment those words left its mouth, the entire battlefield froze.

This time, it was not fear.

Everything stopped.

The air halted mid-flow. Dust particles suspended in the atmosphere became completely still. Soldiers who were in the middle of lifting their weapons froze in their exact positions. Even the faint ripple of residual energy lingering in space stopped moving. Time itself had been forcibly locked.

Only three beings remained unaffected.

Ethan stood calmly where he had been, observing the scene without the slightest tension. His expression remained neutral, though his eyes carried a trace of interest.

The second unaffected figure floated above the battlefield. He had sharp features and long dark hair that flowed behind him. Two curved horns emerged from his head, giving him a demonic appearance. However, his face was strikingly handsome, and his aura carried an unmistakable arrogance. He wore a deep crimson robe that seemed woven from condensed energy.

Ethan glanced at him once, and information surfaced immediately.

[Name: Azamoth Ashborn

Race: Shura (God Child)

Strength: 10th dimensional]

Ethan’s gaze sharpened slightly.

Interesting. So he is a candidate and already a tenth dimensional being. Has he been born at this level, or did he grow to this power within a short time?

Azamoth stepped forward, completely ignoring the frozen humans. His attention remained fixed on the towering demon.

”Demon,” he said calmly, his tone filled with natural superiority, ”I am the child of a god clan. You should serve me.”

Ethan almost slapped his forehead.

This fool actually believed that background mattered here. In this world, lineage meant nothing. The trial worlds existed precisely to strip away external protection. Anyone who relied on status instead of strength would only die faster.

As expected, the demon looked down at Azamoth as if he were an insignificant speck.

There was no anger in its gaze. Only indifference.

A faint sound escaped its mouth.

The next instant, Azamoth exploded.

His body shattered into a cloud of blood mist without any warning. There was no struggle, no resistance. The tenth dimensional being vanished as though he had never existed.

The demon lost interest immediately, but then something caught its attention.

It slowly turned its head.

Its crimson eyes focused on Ethan.

The tiny human stood there, completely unaffected by the time stop. More importantly, he was observing the demon with calm curiosity.

”An insect from the lower realm can resist time stop?” the demon muttered. ”How very amusing.”

Ethan took a single step forward.

He disappeared.

The next moment, he appeared directly in front of the demon’s face, suspended in midair. Compared to the creature’s massive head, Ethan looked microscopic. Yet his calm posture made the size difference irrelevant.

”What is a being from the upper realm doing here?” Ethan asked.

The demon opened its mouth, intending to mock him.

But no sound came out.

Its pupils contracted instantly with confuision.

Ethan looked at it quietly.

”Only answer the questions I ask,” he said in a soft tone, as if explaining something simple to a child. ”Nothing else will come out. And every 10 seconds you waste from my time, one of your organs will be destroyed.”

The demon did not believe him.

It was a supreme entity from the upper realm. Countless rulers feared its presence. Entire civilizations had been erased under its claws. And now, a tiny lower realm insect was threatening it.

Ridiculous.

The demon tried to move.

But it could not.

Its entire body froze. This time, it was not its own time stop. An unfamiliar force bound it completely. Even its thoughts felt sluggish.

A trace of unease surfaced in its mind.

Boom.

Its right arm exploded.

Dark blood erupted outward like a broken dam. Normally, the arm would regenerate instantly, but the wound remained. The flesh at the edge of the severed limb began to decay instead of healing.

Ten seconds later, the left arm burst apart as well.

The demon’s pupils trembled violently. Pain flooded its senses, but it could not scream. Its mouth remained sealed.

Ethan watched silently, his expression was unchanged.

Another ten seconds passed.

Cracks spread across the demon’s chest. One of its ribs shattered and disintegrated into dust.

The demon’s mind finally collapsed into fear.

”I will talk. I will talk. Please stop.”

It shouted internally, but no sound came out.

Ethan remained still.

The demon struggled to answer.

”I came here... by accident.”

The moment the answer aligned with Ethan’s question, its mouth opened automatically. The words escaped without resistance.

Ethan nodded slightly.

”Oh. Then you are of no use to me.”

He lost interest immediately.

”Be gone.”

The demon’s pupils widened in terror.

It tried to beg.

”Please—”

Its body exploded into dark blood mist before it could finish.

The pressure disappeared instantly.

Time resumed.

The frozen soldiers collapsed to the ground as movement returned. Many gasped for air, unaware of what had just occurred. They remembered the demon’s arrival, then a blank void, and then nothing.

The sky was empty.

Only scattered drops of dark blood floated downward before evaporating.

Max staggered slightly, holding his head.

”What... what just happened?”

Erina looked around in confusion.

”The pressure... it vanished?”

Mira frowned, scanning the battlefield.

”There was something here. I am certain.”

No one could understand the missing interval. Their memories contained a gap that defied logic.

Ethan quietly returned to his original position beside Elina.

”What is going on?” Max muttered. ”Are we going crazy?”

Ethan shook his head calmly.

”You all should rest. The battlefield is unstable today.”

His tone was so composed that the others gradually relaxed. Although confusion remained, none of them could find an explanation.

They began retreating toward the base camp.

...

Ten hours later.

In Ethan’s room,

The air trembled.

The Founder appeared silently in front of him.

This time, a ring rested in his hand. Its surface was dark silver, engraved with complex patterns. Even without activating it, faint roars could be heard from within, as though countless creatures were trapped inside.

”Here,” the Founder said, handing it over. ”Monsters from level three to level eighty are inside. All restrained as you requested.”

Ethan accepted the ring carefully.

The moment his consciousness entered it, he saw rows upon rows of sealed beasts. Each one was bound by spatial chains, unable to move. The weakest trembled at level three. The strongest radiated the oppressive aura of level eighty.

Even Ethan felt satisfied.

”Thank you very much, sir,” he said, bowing slightly.

The Founder observed him.

”You plan to enter seclusion?”

”Yes.”

The Founder nodded.

”Then I will return later with the remaining ones.”

He vanished again.

Ethan closed his hand around the ring. The Cube hovered above his palm, glowing softly. With these resources, his strength would grow rapidly to level 80.