CHAPTER 868: I CAN GIVE YOU A SOUL

Before the entity could mount even the slightest resistance, it realized its body was no longer its own. The nanomachines—those microscopic, self-replicating constructs forged from the very cells of divine blood—had already completed their work. Known as Nanocytes, they spread like wildfire, infiltrating every nerve, every strand of muscle, every channel of psychic energy.

In the span of mere heartbeats, they had subdued the abomination entirely. Its titanic form was frozen in place, paralyzed from within, its flesh shackled, its psychic might smothered. Yet they allowed one cruel mercy: the ability to think. To remain fully conscious as its helplessness was laid bare.

Only when the entity was completely subdued did Overlord release its corrupted fist. Without wasting even a fraction of a second, the Divine Avatar raised his hand, and from his hands radiated a brilliance of immeasurable purity. A golden field erupted outward, enveloping the restrained abomination in an all-consuming sphere of light.

The moment the entity felt that light, its many eyes widened in horror.

For in that instant, its connection to the greater cosmos—the endless network of failsafes, fragments, and hidden vessels of its soul essence—was severed. Entirely. Absolutely.

If it were destroyed here, in this golden prison, there would be no reincarnation. No revival. No escape. Its consciousness, its essence, its very existence would end forever.

The terror that surged through the entity dwarfed even its deepest hatred.

Overlord’s gaze never wavered. He saw the panic reflected in the abomination’s countless faces, yet his own expression betrayed nothing. No pity, no anger, no thrill of victory. Only focus. His Divine Power rose once again, glowing brighter, purer, colder—as though preparing for a final judgment.

"Wait!"

The entity shrieked, its many mouths trembling with a fear it had never known. Yet the Divine Avatar did not pause. The golden light continued to gather, steady and inevitable.

Desperation consumed the abomination. Its mind raced at a speed far beyond mortal comprehension, searching every possibility, every scheme, every lie. Threats were useless—this being could not be cowed by fear. Bribes, promises of wealth, of armies, of dominion—futile. Nothing material could sway him.

But then, like lightning, an idea struck.

"We can give you a soul!"

For the first time, Overlord hesitated. His radiant hand froze mid-motion, the growing aura of annihilation dimming slightly. His eyes, once devoid of reaction, flickered with the faintest trace of curiosity.

Slowly, he turned his gaze back upon the entity.

"Why would I need a soul?"

Those words were like oxygen to a suffocating flame. The abomination’s dozens of faces lit up with wicked glee. There was an opening, a sliver of interest—enough for its schemes to take root.

Its voice softened, becoming almost melodic, hypnotic. The entity’s tone carried the weight of ancient knowledge, a siren’s call disguised in wisdom.

"A soul would elevate you to heights beyond anything else. With it, you could grow endlessly, never again bound by the fragile chains of faith. A soul would let you feel—let your drive become an eternal source of will, transforming motivation into infinite power."

Its words flowed like poisoned honey, weaving promises that could bend the hearts of gods.

"My kin possess the knowledge. We were born before the beginning. We hold the secrets at the core of existence itself—the components that can give birth to a soul. And we can offer that gift to you."

For a long moment, silence filled the void.

Then, slowly, Overlord raised his left hand. Divine Power gathered at his fingertips, condensing into a brilliance that grew denser, purer, until it transcended into something wholly different.

For the briefest instant, something appeared—something radiant, something indescribable. A flicker of essence that was neither energy nor matter, but something greater.

It manifested for less than a second before collapsing in on itself, undone by instability. The glow faded into nothingness.

But that brief glimpse was enough to send the abomination into stunned silence. For in that fleeting moment, Overlord had done what should have been impossible. He had touched the very essence of the soul.

When he finally spoke, his voice was calm, yet tinged with a strange loneliness.

"The rules and codes of this universe may differ, but the principles behind the soul seem constant across all existence. With a few more decades of experience, I am confident I can forge one myself."

He lowered his hand, shaking his head as though dismissing a triviality.

"Honestly, I fail to see the purpose. Why do all life forms cling to them, as if their value were absolute? Souls are distractions—countless thoughts and ideals crashing within the mind, pulling one away from the goal. Flaws, nothing more. Useful as experimental material, perhaps. But not something I would ever graft onto myself."

His words were spoken as though to himself, detached, cold, analytical. Then his eyes refocused on the trembling abomination, and the Divine Power flared once again.

"If there is nothing else, I will begin."

The abomination screamed.

A sensation like burning alive swept across its vast body, yet this was no ordinary fire. This flame ate into the very fabric of its existence, scorching not only flesh but essence, unraveling it strand by strand. Every inch of it was consumed by a torment so absolute that even its ancient will faltered.

Its dozens of eyes locked onto Overlord’s, and in those emotionless, unyielding depths it understood the truth. How foolish it had been to negotiate. To think it could manipulate a being so detached, so utterly beyond temptation.

Despair swelled, quickly followed by rage. If it was to be destroyed, it would not go quietly.

"Fine, then! End me! But I promise you this—my death will mark your existence. My kin will never forgive. They will make even a creature like you taste despair!"

Overlord studied the words, then shook his head slowly.

"Killing you? Why would I discard such a unique and invaluable specimen of experimental material? No... you will not die. Not now. Not ever."

The entity’s countless eyes widened in terror. A wave of dread unlike any it had known flooded through its soul.

It had condemned billions of souls to eternal torment across countless realms. Now, it understood: Overlord intended the same for it.

No death. No release. No escape.

Eternal imprisonment. Eternal use. Eternal experimentation.

And thus, in that forgotten void, a first step was taken—one that no eye would witness, and no chronicler would record. The creation of something new, something monstrous. A force so great it would one day become one of the mightiest forces in the Xaos Kingdom and plunge entire realms into unending nightmare.