At a particular section of the gigantic wall, there was a gap—essentially a gateway—where crowds of people stood in line, waiting to enter the city.
This was Gakrak City, a city directly under the rule of the Sand Goddess's faction.
The Sand Goddess, Sandra, was highly respected in this region because this was her city, controlled by her followers.
It was the Sand Goddess who created the walls that still protect the city to this day, which is why the people worshipped her with all their hearts.
With her direct connection to the Godking Zeus, who supported her financially, the city became even more secure, benefiting from guaranteed resources and production.
Although she was rarely seen by the city's inhabitants, the city remained safe.
Among the long line of people, many wore expressions of impatience, as if they were ready to knock someone out just to push ahead in line.
Azrael, the Dark Lord, was growing increasingly frustrated as time dragged on.
"Why is this line taking so long?! Mortal!" Azrael shouted angrily.
"Calm down, don't make a scene—be patient, goddamnit," Evan replied, trying to soothe the beast.
She didn't want him attacking people without reason, as it would ruin their reputation before they even entered the city.
Staying under the radar was their only way to survive.
Besides, she didn't know if the OPS team that had attacked her village was still hunting them or aware of their location.
The aggravatingly slow-moving line finally started advancing again, as more people were allowed to enter the city.
Up ahead, two huskily built men stood firm, their feet pressing forcefully against the earth.
Their bodies were clad in skin-tight armor that pulsed with Strogois energy.
They carefully inspected each person's documents before granting them entry, stepping aside and gesturing for them to proceed.
Those without papers left willingly, resigning themselves to the desert's scorching heat once again.
They dared not object, knowing full well that these men, at a demi-god level, could end their lives with a single blow.
'I sense Strogoi energy from those armors, but it's more condensed than usual, which means their cores are involved,' Azrael thought to himself.
'So, humans have figured out how to create weapons using Strogois crystals. Interesting. It seems they're not entirely stupid and have found ways to survive.'
The issue now was the documentation needed for entry into the city—something they didn't have.
Evan was already growing anxious.
She leaned toward Azrael and whispered, "If we have to punch them in the face to get in, we'll do it.
"It's a big city; we could hide properly and not be found, right?"
Sigh. "There was a time I would have gladly agreed," Azrael replied, "but causing a commotion here could draw the attention of the Sand Goddess."
"The real issue is that I have a bit of bad blood with the Sand Goddess, Sandra."
"I may have destroyed her kingdom during the war with the gods. I doubt she could forgive me for that."
"I'm still too weak to face a god. Even a demi-god of a certain level could defeat me."
With his past life experiences and the knowledge gained from the body's previous owner, Azrael quickly figured out that this was one of the Sand Goddess Sandra's domains.
The clues were obvious.
Why would a celestial being build a city in the middle of a desolate desert, where all one could see beyond the city was endless sand?
Only a particular type of god would prefer such a harsh environment—one that relied on its abilities to thrive in it.
Evan resisted the urge to facepalm. What else could she expect from someone who once stood against the entire celestial realm?
"So, what do we do now?" Evan asked.
"Hm, don't worry. Did you forget I am a powerful being? A god?" Azrael responded proudly.
He brought his palms together, and dark energy enveloped them like a mist. Slowly, he pulled his hands apart, revealing something white.
At first glance, it appeared that the object was emerging from his hands, but in reality, it was a five-inch portal delivering the item.
Just like that, two documents materialized before his hands.
[Ding]
[10 percent of energy exhausted, two hours to fully recover.]
"Whoa, that was cool!" Evan said excitedly, not even concerned about where the documents came from.
"You didn't tell me you could do that?"
"Well, now you know," Azrael replied.
Sigh. 'Just a small portal took so much power,' he thought.
Once, as the Emperor of Darkness, Azrael had opened over a hundred portals to send his army to conquer a kingdom.
But now, even a small portal drained him—it was shameful. From being a powerful entity to feeling like weak trash.
After a few minutes, it was finally their turn to have their documents checked.
Evan handed them over to the guards with a cheerful smile.
There was no need for photo identification—just a signed decree showing they were registered citizens of the city.
"Hmm, is this your first time visiting Gakrak City?" one of the men asked.
"Yes, kind sir, it is," Evan replied, her smile never faltering.
The guard glanced at the documents again, then back at them before returning the papers.
"Welcome to Gakrak. I hope you two enjoy your time in the city," he said.
"Couples? Hell no! We're just friends," Evan corrected him.
"Oh, my bad." The man gestured toward the gate. "You can go in now."
Without another word, they stepped into the city and were greeted by the magnificent view before them.
"Wow, what an amazing place!" Evan exclaimed, captivated by its beauty.
The bustling streets and pedestrians gave off a peaceful atmosphere.
Evan's attention shifted to Azrael, who seemed lost in thought, staring blankly into space.
"What's wrong, Azrael?" she called, snapping him back to reality.
"Huh? Oh, yeah, it is," Azrael replied absentmindedly.
"Let's go, then," Evan said, practically dragging him along.
A few moments earlier, Azrael had sensed energies that disturbed him deeply.
He could feel the presence of demi-gods, which was expected in a city governed by a god.
But that wasn't what troubled him. What really concerned him was the presence of a Godslayer within the city.
He could sense their Qi from miles away.
"I need to find that being,"
****