The battlefield, which had just witnessed the monumental clash between the forces of light and darkness, now found itself in the grip of an eerie silence. The last of the Beasts of Nihility had fallen, and for a brief moment, it seemed as if the defenders might have gained the upper hand. But that hope was short-lived.
From the depths of the Sea of Nihility, the dark waters churned violently once more. The air grew thick with tension, and a deep, malevolent presence began to rise. A figure emerged from the swirling void, much smaller than the towering Beasts of Nihility, but infinitely more terrifying.
This figure was no ordinary foe—it was the Commander of Nihility, the Devourer’s chosen general, and a being of pure, unadulterated destruction. Standing at just seven feet tall, the Commander’s form was that of a shadowy figure, its outline barely discernible against the backdrop of the Sea of Nihility. Its glowing red eyes pierced through the darkness, radiating a cold, emotionless malice. Though diminutive compared to the Beasts, the power that emanated from the Commander was enough to chill the soul of even the bravest warrior.
The Commander of Nihility surveyed the battlefield, its gaze locking onto the Shield of Aether that had thus far held back the Sea. With a roar that seemed to shake the very heavens, the Commander raised its arm and brought it down upon the Sea of Nihility. The impact sent shockwaves through the water, and from the depths of the Sea, another thousand Beasts of Nihility began to rise, their massive forms breaking through the surface like dark mountains emerging from the void.
The defenders, already exhausted from the previous battle, looked on in horror as the new wave of Beasts emerged. The Immortal Emperor, standing at the front lines, felt a deep sense of dread. This new enemy was far beyond anything they had faced before, and the arrival of the Commander of Nihility signaled that the true battle had only just begun.
But as the Commander of Nihility unleashed its power, something unexpected happened. From the ranks of the defenders, a figure stumbled forward—Zui Tian, the Drunkard. His tattered robes fluttered in the wind as he staggered onto the battlefield, a large wineskin slung over his shoulder. With a casual, almost lazy motion, Zui Tian took a long swig from his Endless Wine Flask, the liquid sloshing as he drank deeply.
The Immortal Emperor, seeing Zui Tian’s disheveled appearance and carefree attitude, felt a pang of frustration. Such godly wine, wasted on a wastrel like this! But there was no time to dwell on such thoughts; the Commander of Nihility was here, and the battle ahead would be the most difficult they had ever faced.
Zui Tian, however, seemed completely unfazed by the overwhelming odds. As he finished his drink, he let out a loud, satisfied burp, the sound echoing across the battlefield. He wiped his mouth with the back of his hand and looked up at the Commander of Nihility, his eyes gleaming with a strange mixture of joy and sadness.
To the Immortal Emperor and the gathered armies, Zui Tian looked like a lonesome hero, a figure forlorn by the world and abandoned by fate. Yet, there was a certain giddiness in his expression, a bubbling happiness that seemed to defy the gravity of the situation. It was as if Zui Tian had been waiting for this moment for a very long time—a moment when he could unleash the full extent of his power without restraint.
The Commander of Nihility, sensing the immense power within Zui Tian, paused in its advance. Despite its nature as a being of pure nihility, with no emotions or desires, it could not ignore the overwhelming force that radiated from the Drunkard. There was something ancient and terrifying about Zui Tian, something that even the Commander found unsettling.
With a roar of his own, Zui Tian raised his hand, and in a flash of light, a gleaming double-edged sword appeared in his grasp. The sword’s hilt was adorned with intricate silver dragon patterns, and its blade shimmered with an ethereal light that seemed to cut through the very fabric of reality. No one knew where Zui Tian had acquired such a weapon, but its presence alone was enough to command attention.
Zui Tian gripped the sword tightly and swung it horizontally, his movements swift and fluid. As the blade cut through the air, it unleashed a wave of energy—a force of pure nothingness that resonated with the power of the Aether, the very essence of creation and destruction.
The effect was instantaneous. The thousand Beasts of Nihility, each the size of a planet, were caught in the path of Zui Tian’s attack. The wave of energy washed over them, and for a brief moment, the battlefield was engulfed in a blinding light. When the light faded, the Beasts were gone—dissipated into nothingness, their souls crushed and returned to pure energy.
The sheer magnitude of the attack left the battlefield in stunned silence. The allied armies, the Void Beasts, and even the Commander of Nihility itself were momentarily frozen, unable to comprehend the power that had just been unleashed.
Zui Tian, still holding his sword, turned his gaze toward the Commander of Nihility. His expression was no longer that of a carefree drunkard, but of a warrior—a being of immense power who had finally been allowed to use his full strength. For the first time in countless eons, Zui Tian felt truly alive.
The Commander of Nihility, its red eyes flickering, took a step back. It was a creature born of nothingness, yet it had just witnessed a force that could rival its own—a force that had the power to undo the very essence of nihility.
But Zui Tian was not done. He took another step forward, his sword gleaming in the dim light. “Come now,” he said, his voice carrying across the battlefield. “Let’s finish this.”
The Commander of Nihility, though it had no emotions, could sense the inevitability of the confrontation. It roared once more, its body radiating with dark energy, and launched itself at Zui Tian, determined to destroy this threat once and for all.
But Zui Tian was ready. With a swift, decisive motion, he swung his sword again, the blade cutting through the air with incredible speed. The energy that erupted from the strike collided with the Commander of Nihility, and the two forces clashed with a sound that shook the very heavens.
The battlefield was engulfed in a maelstrom of energy, the ground cracking and the sky splitting as the power of nothingness and nihility collided. The allied armies could only watch in awe and terror as the two titanic forces battled for dominance.
But Zui Tian’s strength was unmatched. With a final, powerful strike, he drove his sword through the Commander of Nihility, the blade piercing its shadowy form and shattering its essence. The Commander let out a final, echoing roar as its body dissolved into nothingness, its power undone by the very force it sought to command.
The battlefield fell silent once more, the only sound the gentle hum of Zui Tian’s sword as he lowered it to his side. The Commander of Nihility was gone, and with it, the threat of the Beasts of Nihility had been vanquished.
Zui Tian, his expression now serene, took a deep breath and sheathed his sword. He glanced back at the allied armies, his carefree smile returning as he raised his wineskin in a mock toast. “Well, that was fun,” he said with a chuckle, before taking another long drink.
The Immortal Emperor, still processing what he had just witnessed, could only shake his head in disbelief. This disheveled wastrel, this Drunkard, had just saved the realms from annihilation with a single strike. The pain of seeing such godly wine being wasted was replaced by a deep sense of gratitude—and perhaps a little bit of awe.
Zui Tian, satisfied with his work, turned and began to walk away, his steps unsteady as if he were simply a man returning home after a long day. But everyone present knew that they had just witnessed something extraordinary—something that would be remembered for eons to come.
As Zui Tian disappeared into the distance, the allied armies began to regroup, their spirits lifted by the victory they had just achieved. But they also knew that the battle was not yet over. The Sea of Nihility still churned, and the true nature of the Devourer had yet to be revealed.