As Max and Blob drew closer to the dark red cloud, the world around them seemed to change. The air grew heavy and thick, pressing against their skin as if the atmosphere itself resisted their approach.

The faint hum that had filled the valley earlier grew into a low, rhythmic vibration that resonated through their bones. It was neither wind nor sound—it was a pulse, the steady heartbeat of something vast and unnatural.

The closer they came, the clearer it became that the cloud was not a mere accumulation of mist or smoke. It was alive. The surface rippled and churned, its texture resembling molten liquid mixed with shadows. Wherever it touched the ground, the earth crumbled into fine dust and vanished into it. The sight was both mesmerizing and horrifying.

Max stopped for a moment and looked around. The wasteland stretched endlessly in every direction, but where the red cloud hovered, nothing remained. No stone, no sand, not even air. Everything that came into contact with it was absorbed and erased from existence. A faint coldness settled in his chest as he realized the scope of what he was witnessing.

"The devouring power of this cloud is endless," Blob said in a low voice. His expression was grave as he floated beside Max, his eyes fixed on the massive red expanse ahead. "I fear we have a far greater problem on our hands, something much more dangerous than the Nulls or even the Demons."

Max frowned sharply, his gaze shifting to Blob. "What do you mean by that?" he asked, disbelief flickering in his tone. The idea that something could surpass the threat of both Nulls and Demons seemed impossible. "A threat greater than both? What kind of existence could that be?"

Blob remained silent for a few seconds before speaking again. "I have a theory about the nature of the spirit behind this phenomenon," he said slowly, his voice filled with uncertainty and tension. "But before I speak of it, I need to confirm something. If my assumption is right, then this spirit is not only dangerous—it is a catastrophe—a calamity in itself."

He turned his gaze back toward the thick red haze. "Stay alert," he added quietly, then his form flickered as he surged forward. In an instant, he entered the cloud, disappearing into its swirling mass.

Max hesitated for only a moment. The dense energy that emanated from the cloud pressed against him like an invisible wall, but he pushed forward without fear. The moment his body crossed the boundary, he felt a strange force tugging at him from all sides.

The sensation was unlike anything he had felt before—it was as though the cloud sought to unmake him, pulling at his body and soul alike.

The dark red clouds hung so close to the ground that they brushed against the barren surface, devouring anything that strayed beneath them. The air was filled with the faint sound of distortion, like countless whispers overlapping in unison.

Every instinct in Max's body screamed danger, but he pressed on, following Blob's trail into the heart of the crimson storm.

The deeper he went, the darker the world became. The crimson glow dimmed into a deeper shade, and the pulsing energy surrounding him grew heavier, almost suffocating.

But that was not the main problem confronting him. The true danger lay within the invisible force that surrounded him. As Max moved deeper into the dark red cloud, he began to feel something unsettling happening inside his body. His energy, the power that flowed through his veins like a second heartbeat, was being drained.

It was not sudden but gradual, almost imperceptible at first. Then the sensation grew stronger, and he realized that the cloud was feeding on him. Every breath he took seemed to pull more of his energy away, dissolving it into the surrounding haze.

A heavy pressure settled over him, growing more intense with each passing moment. It felt as though the cloud itself had come alive, pressing down upon his body from every direction. The weight was suffocating, and his muscles tensed instinctively. He could feel the air twisting, trying to compress his body, to crush him until he became nothing but mist.

The sensation was unnatural, unlike anything he had ever encountered before. It was not simply an attack on the body—it reached deeper, gnawing at his spirit and his very existence.

In that instant, Max understood the grim fate awaiting the humans he had freed. If they had been brought any closer to this red cloud, they would not have even had time to scream before their bodies were reduced to dust.

The devouring force here was absolute. Once a living being touched the cloud, there would be no trace left behind, not even ashes.

Max steadied himself, forcing his energy to circulate through his body. His strength surged outward like a defensive wave, pushing back against the oppressive force of the red mist. His power had already reached the level of a peak Divine Rank existence or even beyond it, and in terms of pure physical endurance, his body far surpassed even that level.

No matter how much the dark red cloud tried to compress or dissolve him, it could not break through the barrier of his flesh and soul. His energy burned steadily, and the devouring effect around him weakened, unable to penetrate his defenses.

Blob, who floated beside him, seemed completely unaffected. His form shimmered faintly, glowing with a pure spiritual light. The strange energy of the cloud seemed unable to touch him at all. Being a spirit himself, his essence did not belong to the material world, and so the devouring power simply flowed through him without effect.

Together, the two advanced cautiously through the thick red mist. The visibility grew worse as they moved forward. The deeper they went, the denser the energy became until the entire space seemed to pulse like a living heart. The air trembled, and faint echoes of distant roars or cries reverberated through the haze.

After several minutes of flight, they finally reached the heart of the phenomenon—the very epicenter of the dark red cloud. The sight that greeted them made both of them fall silent.

Floating at the center of the crimson vortex was the cause of it all. The massive concentration of dark energy seemed to swirl around a single point, and from that point, waves of devouring force radiated outward endlessly.

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