I Spread my Genes to Level Up in the Apocalypse

"Our contract is still valid," the skeletal figure said.

"Then why?" Ray asked.

"Because you have offended a being you shouldn't."

The skeletal figure pointed at him and spoke in its deep, ancient voice.

"Do you mean the Universal Being?"

Ray carefully sensed his surroundings; he still had an affinity with the entire realm of the dead and could control it to some degree.

This was purely his skill at work, as well as the core principle he had managed to grasp from the Necromancer skill.

The core principle of the Necromancer skill was "link," exactly as its name suggests.

It was quite similar to the principle of the Lord of the Sky skill, which is the principle of "Will"—except that when he used Will, he took complete control of it, while Link allowed him to merge and compel it to obey.

Then Ray silently looked at the Grim Reaper again, a conclusion forming in his eyes.

"Your power is comparable to a Universal Being, so there should be no ban with just that Universal Being I offended," Ray muttered.

"Then what is it?"

He touched his chin, countless thoughts swirling in his mind. For some time, he couldn't draw a proper conclusion.

All he knew was that he had somehow offended something higher than the Universal Being, or that he had broken some law of this realm of death without even realizing it.

Ray didn't know what he had done to provoke this reaction. He had a knack for offending powerful beings without any awareness of it.

First, he attracted the ire of that Universal Being because of making the black hole to destroy the Planetary being of the Sun, and now he had somehow made another mistake without knowing it.

"Sigh, the stronger you become, the more enemies you will attract," Ray thought to himself.

It was inevitable for this to happen, even if Ray didn't intend it. His power was simply too strong, and even his slight movements could cause a terrifying impact that might incur the wrath of an even more horrifying enemy.

Ray understood this principle clearly; it was literally impossible for someone to be strong and not have any impact on the universe, even while laying low.

So, he looked at the Grim Reaper and spoke:

"What did I do?"

"What... have... you... not... done?" the ancient voice echoed, tinged with a hint of frustration.

"I shouldn't have done anything major that I can remember," Ray replied.

"You... have... opened... a... door... that... shouldn't... have... been... opened... so... go... away, human..."

"Which—?"

Ray paused, a small idea forming in his mind.

What was the most mysterious thing he had done that could disrupt the entire face of the planet? Well, that was very simple and easy to identify.

"The temple hidden in the Gene."

This was an extremely mysterious matter, and the timeless human he had captured still hadn't woken up. Yet, he had an intuition that this was somehow connected to it.

This gut feeling was usually right for Ray. After all, when he opened all the gates and a new place appeared before him, Ray could feel subtle movements in the outer spaces of his Dimension—likely caused by that universal being moving.

For it to move, there was likely a cause that he couldn't determine for now.

"What's so special about a human, and why are we failed humans?"

Even after reaching such heights, Ray was overwhelmed with confusion. In the end, he could only sigh.

"The more you know, the more you feel the vastness of the universe and its mysteries. It feels like endless grains of sand, with no sign of ever stopping."

Truly, that's how he felt. Ray gradually slumped his shoulders and turned around, his back now facing the Grim Reaper.

"Where are you going, human?"

"I am leaving," Ray said lightly, walking further away, his figure slowly disappearing.

"But you cannot leave…"

"What do you mean?" Ray frowned, and then his eyes widened as all his instincts and his very soul rang in alarm.

Boom!

A terrifying explosion echoed across the surrounding area as the darkness of the Realm of the Dead began to collapse in on itself.

The sharp sound of metal shattering reverberated through the air, creating an eerie symphony. Time seemed to freeze, and everything fell deathly still.

Before Ray's eyes, a terrifying roar broke the silence, shaking the very fabric of the space. Following the roar came a burst of hearty laughter—wild, unhinged, and filled with madness.

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"I am finally free."

Ray instinctively attempted to flee, but to his dismay, he couldn't.

He felt his connection to the Realm of the Dead severing, leaving him completely trapped within this collapsing void.

"Who are you?"

Ray muttered, his eyes narrowing as he focused on the center of the Realm of the Dead.

Even here, there weren't many things that could reveal his true perception, but he could see the different levels of the Realm of the Dead, divided into ordinary, celestial, and planetary domains arranged in a circle. At the center of it all stood a being bound in chains, suggesting that the realm itself was a prison for this entity.

"I can't completely see through the bindings," Ray muttered in surprise.

The most he could make out was a faint silhouette of a colossal humanoid figure, but he couldn't discern any details or gain further information from it.

In an instant, the creature's bindings shattered, unveiling its true form.

The colossal figure had skin of deep cyan-green, textured like the bark of a tree. Its head boasted intricate, branch-like antlers that radiated outward in a symmetrical, coral-like pattern. Tree-like growths intertwined across its chest, and it held a simple black stainless spear in its hand.

"Quite a strange thing we have here," Ray thought to himself.

Steeling his resolve, he prepared for a fierce fight. His muscles tensed, emitting faint crackling sounds, as Mutation Energy surged through his body like a tempest.

Countless swords began to materialize, forged from the darkness of the Realm of the Dead. These were no ordinary weapons—they were terrifying instruments of destruction. To amplify their lethality, Ray infused them with soul manipulation, maximizing their destructive potential.

Although Sword Grandmaster had never been Ray's most devastating skill, its effectiveness depended heavily on his environment. And in this case, his surroundings were perfect.

Anything could serve as a sword in Ray's hands—even the suffocating darkness of this realm, which now formed a terrifying entity under his command.

Ray's gaze locked onto the Grim Reaper, his expression sharp.

"You have betrayed me, and you shall face the consequences soon."

"I… didn't… betray… you… our… contract… is… still… valid…"

The grim reaper retorted in its deep, ancient voice.

"Well." Ray shook his head in disappointment. "Then let's fight."

His voice was steady, but the intensity in his eyes betrayed the storm brewing within. A wide grin formed on his lips, wild and unrestrained. The faintest glint of madness danced in his crimson and golden pupils. Every muscle in his tall frame seemed coiled, ready to spring into action.

Although he had a contract with the Grim Reaper that prevented him from attacking directly, it left the door open for him to make the first move in a different way. His maddened gaze swept over the sleeping Planetary beings around him.

His mutation energy spread outward. It transformed into his "Will," invading the consciousness of the dormant beings one by one.

"Hahaha!" Ray's laughter echoed, growing wilder with each passing moment. His fierce expression radiated defiance. "Come! Let's fight."

Behind him, a black void began to form, gradually expanding as it fed on the surrounding darkness.

At that instant, a simple black spear shot through the void, tearing apart space itself with terrifying speed. Its arc was precise and lethal, aiming directly for him.

Ray reacted without hesitation. With a casual motion, he formed a knife-hand and slashed at the spear, unleashing a sharp sword arc to counter its trajectory.

Shing!

The two forces collided, sending shockwaves rippling through the realm. Yet, the spear proved unrelenting—it pierced through Ray's sword arc, continuing forward easily.

"Hmm."

Ray frowned slightly, waving his hand. The massive black hole behind him shifted forward, positioning itself as a shield. Its voracious pull devoured everything in its path, now so enormous it could rival the size of a stadium.

Bang!

Another violent collision followed.

Despite the collapse of time and space around it, the simple black spear remained unstoppable. With astonishing force, it cleanly sliced the black hole in half, leaving Ray to face it head-on.

"Fuck!?" Ray cursed in his heart, panic surging within him.

He wanted to escape, but the spear's speed was simply overwhelming.

*Shing!*

Blood trickled down his chest, warm and unsettling.

Ray stared down at his own body, disbelief filling his eyes.

"How... is this possible?" he muttered, his voice laced with shock. His body was his pride—an impenetrable fortress. He had always believed that even the explosion of a star wouldn't harm him, yet now, it had been pierced so easily.

The creature closed the distance at a terrifying speed, reaching him in the blink of an eye.

"Die," it snarled, a cruel smirk curling across its face as it prepared to finish him off.

Ray's blank stare met the creature's gaze. Slowly, he raised his middle finger.

"Fuck you."

In an instant, all the swords forged from the darkness of the Realm of the Dead surged forward. They attacked with ferocity, striking the creature from every possible angle in a synchronized, unrelenting assault.

"Just this?"

The creature sneered with disdain, its voice dripping with mockery. However, its expression shifted abruptly in the blink of an eye as a glint appeared in Ray's gaze.