World’s End: My Keyword is One More Than Others

"Freedom, rebellion, deception, stinginess, charm," Ludius said. "Du Ge, these are the keywords possessed by the Alien Star warriors I've gathered."

Except for stinginess, the other four keywords were surprisingly good.

Du Ge quickly assessed the strengths and weaknesses of the keywords and continued, "Ludius, can I meet them?"

"Of course," Ludius readily agreed. "The five Alien Star warriors have been misled, thinking they still have control over the situation. I've allowed them to hone their attributes in my territory. Once they become powerful, that's when we strike back at the human world. With your addition, our chances of success are even greater.

Du Ge, my friend, if you have the power to kill the Sun God, you have the chance to kill Tedis. Once we conquer the human world, you help me send Tedis back to the demon realm, and then I will be the mightiest demon king. We can share the prosperity of the human world..."

The black dragon Rayas watched as his great demon king revealed everything to this outsider, even the plans against the dark demon king, feeling anxious but helpless. He desperately signaled to another black dragon.

The other black dragon kept his head down, ignoring Rayas's signals. What could he do? Someone who could kill the Sun God and control Ludius was not someone he could provoke. At worst, he'd just have a new demon king to serve.

...

Kill Tedis?

Du Ge raised an eyebrow.

But on second thought, it made sense. Ludius, born from greed, wouldn't be content being the second demon king; it was too out of character for him.

"Ludius, I'll help you become the most powerful demon king in the world. We not only need to take down the Dark God but also eliminate the other five demon kings. Even if we can't kill them, we need to seal them back in the demon realm," Du Ge said with a smile. "The seal requires the combined power of the seven demon kings to open. Without you, they'll never have a chance to escape the demon realm."

"That's exactly what I mean," Ludius laughed, looking at Du Ge as if he'd found a kindred spirit.

"Ludius, take me to meet them!" Du Ge smiled.

"No problem," Ludius nodded, turning to the two black dragons behind him. "Rayas, Aron, go find them..."

Rayas and Aron exchanged glances, clearly understanding who the real master was now.

Indeed.

The harsher the environment, the more it tests people.

Raphael and Elena, such simple souls, were still alive, thanks to their kind hearts!

Seeing the black dragons' reaction, Du Ge nodded at them. "Go, the faster, the better. Many saw us cross the barrier, and other demon kings might be on their way. We might be facing a battle soon, and we need more allies."

Rayas paused, exchanging a look with Aron.

The two reverted to their true black dragon forms, flapping their wings and roaring away.

Ludius glanced at Du Ge and said with a smile, "Du Ge, there won't be a fight. But you're right to be cautious. Jerome and Tanlivi will definitely come to see what's happening. We must find a way to deal with them. Our plan and your identity must remain hidden for now..."

Jerome—the arrogant demon king, Tanlivi—the jealous demon king.

Du Ge matched these names in his mind and asked, "Ludi, why do you think there won't be a fight?"

Ludius shook his head. "Du Ge, the moment we uncovered the secret of the Alien Star warriors, Tedis set a rule for all demon kings: whoever recruits an Alien Star warrior, they belong to them. Alien Star warriors are our trump card, and no one will disclose their numbers or keywords to others."

"Tedis's order?" Du Ge was taken aback.

"I know what you're thinking," Ludius laughed. "You probably think Tedis issued such an order because he's confident he can suppress us, right?"

"Isn't that the case?" Du Ge retorted.

"Of course not. Even without Tedis's order, no one would reveal their recruited Alien Star warriors to others," Ludius said. "Instead of everyone hiding and being suspicious, Tedis aims for everyone to build their forces and then join forces to break the barrier and conquer the human world. That's what Tedis truly wants.

Before that, no demon king will turn against each other.

No demon king is a fool. The real battle between demon kings will happen in the human world or after defeating the ancient gods. Then, it will truly be a matter of individual strength.

Tedis doesn't need to suppress everyone; he just needs to maintain his advantage during internal conflicts. So, you don't have to worry about the seven demon kings fighting before breaking the barrier."

You won't fight because I wasn't here.

Now that I'm here, who knows what will happen.

Du Ge looked at the open-hearted Ludius and said with a smile, "Ludi, before they arrive, tell me about the skills of those Alien Star warriors. Since you know my name, there must be someone from Qi Yuan Star among them!"

Under the influence of Yu Xia's skill, Ludius saw Du Ge and his companions as friends, speaking without reservation.

Soon enough.

Du Ge learned the names and skills of the Alien Star warriors recruited by Ludius.

The warrior with the keyword "deception" was from Qi Yuan Star. He possessed the body of a horned demon and was named Gulaimo. His name on the Alien Star Battlefield wasn't important; what mattered was that he was Du Ge's old friend, Yin Erchuan (Feng Zhong).

He had also awakened two skills.

One skill was "Deceive the Heavens and Cross the Sea," allowing him to disguise as any strong figure and possess all their reputation until exposed;

The other skill was "Trickery and Deception": the likelihood of people believing his lies increased with his status;

The remaining four Alien Star warriors.

The one with the keywords "freedom" and "rebellion" was from Zhong Tian Star, the one with the "charm" keyword was from Nobu's hometown, Blue Star; and the one with the "stinginess" keyword was from Labot Star;

Everyone had awakened two skills:

Andri (Freedom):

Unrestrained: There's no place in the world that can confine him;

Drunken Dream: When he's in a state of drunkenness or dreaming, his attribute values can increase tenfold;

Mas (Rebellion):

Reverse Action: Any skill or magic he uses has the opposite effect on others;

Unyielding: Anyone attempting to suppress or tame him triggers his resistance, significantly boosting his attributes, proportional to the oppression faced;

Gais (Charm):

Innocuous Charm: As long as you don't attack, others can't harm you;

Diplomatic Charm: Your success rate in persuading enemies increases by fifty percent;

Jeni (Stinginess):

Not a Penny: No one can take anything that belongs to you, not even the air you exhale;

Meticulous: You can see details that others cannot;

...

Five Alien Star warriors, ten skills, and not one of them seemed particularly useful.

Du Ge pondered their skills carefully. Except for Gais's Diplomatic Charm and Feng Zhong's Deceive the Heavens and Cross the Sea, the others' skills were practically useless.

In team battles, they served no purpose. Were these Alien Star warriors just playing around?

With these trash skills, where did Ludius get the courage to think he could take down Tedis?

Something seemed off.

Too weak.

Du Ge frowned slightly, instinctively looking at Yu Xia, who also shook her head, clearly thinking these skills were abnormal.

Just then.

Rayas returned with the Alien Star warriors.

A hideous horned demon scrutinized Du Ge and asked, puzzled, "Du Ge, do you remember how many dishes we ordered the first time we ate together?"

"Nine," Du Ge glanced at him and replied.

"Du Ge, I knew you'd come," the horned demon bypassed Rayas and excitedly rushed to Du Ge. "Du Ge, you came so quickly, it's been less than a month!"

Beside Du Ge, Nobu's eyes widened. "Deceive the Heavens and Cross the Sea..."

Shh!

The horned demon placed a finger on his lips, quickly winking at him.

"It's okay, Ludius is our friend now," seeing the horned demon's gesture, Du Ge immediately understood the problem. Yin Erchuan hadn't been controlled at all. He smiled, "Erchuan, tell me what your real skill is?"

"Du Ge, you're still the best," the horned demon gave Du Ge a thumbs-up, exhaling in relief. "My skill is Deceive the Heavens and Cross the Sea. I can create a false reality for specific people, and they'll believe it without a doubt."

"So, all the information Ludius received was false?" Du Ge laughed, looking sympathetically at the now pale-faced Ludius.

Ludius was furious. "Gulaimo, you deceived me?"

"Great Demon King Ludius, it's a matter of life and death; how can you call it deception? Weren't you planning to use me too?" Yin Erchuan chuckled smugly. "If I hadn't tricked you, how could I have met Du Ge smoothly? Come on, guys, no need to pretend anymore, meet our boss."

"Greetings, Du Ge," everyone stepped forward.

Du Ge greeted them with a smile.

Ludius's face turned ashen as he stood up, black energy swirling behind him. "You dared to deceive the great Ludius, I'll kill you..."

"Ludi, don't you want to defeat Tedis and become the most powerful demon king?" Du Ge's voice echoed. "If their skills were really as you said, how could you defeat Tedis? Alien Star warriors who can deceive even you can be your greatest asset!"

Ludius looked at Du Ge, then at Yin Erchuan and the others, his voice heavy. "Tell me, what are your real skills?"

"Can I tell him?" Yin Erchuan looked at Du Ge.

"You can," Du Ge nodded with a smile. "In a few days, the ancient gods might attack the demon realm. We need to take control of the demon realm as quickly as possible..."

"Besides Deceive the Heavens and Cross the Sea, I've awakened a one-time skill called 'When False Becomes True.' I can create a fake target based on a real one, and over time, the fake becomes real, and the real becomes fake."

Yin Erchuan said, "I've been waiting for Du Ge because I want to set this skill on Tedis, to replace him and become the new Dark Demon King..."

Gasp!

Du Ge took a sharp breath. Deceive the Heavens and Cross the Sea fooled Ludius, and the second skill could replace Tedis. Yin Erchuan's skills were heaven-defying. Even without him, the demon realm might have been unified by Yin Erchuan soon.

Yin Erchuan looked smug. "Du Ge, isn't this skill awesome? If you don't want to be Tedis, you could be the Sun God..."

Du Ge took out the Sun God's head and said, "The Sun God has already been taken care of by me."

Yin Erchuan was stunned, his ugly mouth twitching as he sighed, "Du Ge, you're still the best. I was wondering why I couldn't become number one even after fooling Ludius..."

"Yin Erchuan, my good brother, Du Ge has killed the Sun God and is already very powerful. Designate me, let me be the Dark Demon King," Ludius shamelessly approached, rubbing his hands with a sly grin.

"You're not worthy," Yin Erchuan rolled his eyes at him and looked at Du Ge. "Du Ge, are you in?"

"Nobu, you do it," Du Ge turned to Nobu, then raised the Sun God's head. "Designate it as the Dark Demon King."

"Him?" Yin Erchuan looked at Nobu in confusion.

"It?" Nobu looked at the head in Du Ge's hand, puzzled.

"Nobu can replicate others' skills," Du Ge explained with a smile. "Let him use this skill. If we can exploit a loophole, we can turn all the gods into our allies."

"Wow, amazing!" Yin Erchuan's eyes widened. "Du Ge, where did you find such talent?"

"Du Ge, do you really want to designate a head?" Nobu asked.

"Yes, Erchuan's skill targets a specific entity, and it doesn't have to be alive. I just need to harness the Dark God's energy. A dead head is easier to control," Du Ge explained seriously.

The soul fragment in the head was too weak, only possessing thirty thousand mental power. But if it became the Dark Demon King...

Even if he left the Alien Star Battlefield, the soul fragment would have the power to cause trouble and protect itself in this world.

"That makes sense," Yin Erchuan snapped his fingers.

Nobu activated his skill on the Sun God's head, under Ludius's envious gaze.

In an instant.

The originally golden Sun God's head was tinged with black, which quickly spread, enveloping the entire head. The head grew a body and limbs, and although it retained the Sun God's appearance, its aura had completely transformed into that of a stranger.

To be precise, it was a shadowy figure, impervious to light.

"This is indeed the power of the Dark God," Ludius swallowed. "But it's too weak."

"I've already said, as time passes, its power will grow stronger, eventually becoming the true Dark God," Yin Erchuan said. "It's normal for it to be weak now, just having formed."

"...," Ludius looked at the newly born Dark God, relieved. "Good thing it wasn't me. If my divine power became this weak, Tedis would slap me to death."

Du Ge shared all sensations with the soul fragment. As the torso and limbs grew, he immediately felt it, able to perfectly command this new body. Moreover, he now had an additional divine power within him, the power to command darkness and shadows.

Most importantly, the Dark God's power was not only within the soul fragment but also transmitted to his main body.

In other words, his main body now possessed the power of the Dark God.

Perhaps because the newly formed Dark God was still weak, this divine power was quite small, unable to compete with the Power of Poseidon or the Sun God's power.

But as long as it existed, it would eventually grow.

Most crucially, all the divine powers within his body ran smoothly and compatibly, without conflict.

Du Ge swallowed lightly, feeling elated. This time, the Alien Star Battlefield had been incredibly profitable. These divine powers, beyond the control of Pan-Universal Entertainment, might be his hope for a comeback in the future!

"Can the skill still be used?" Du Ge looked at Nobu.

Yin Erchuan also turned his gaze over.

Nobu shook his head with a wry smile. "It's turned gray. Even if I change the target and switch back, the skill remains gray."

"Erchuan, what about you? Can you still use yours?" Du Ge asked.

"Mine hasn't changed," Yin Erchuan said, looking at Du Ge with a sly grin. "Du Ge, since we've created a Dark God, who's next? The Sun God has been dealt with by you, so which god is the strongest now?"

"The Earth God," Ludius quickly interjected before Du Ge could speak, fearing Yin Erchuan might target him. "The Earth God is as strong as the Sun God. As long as he stands on the earth, he's immortal. Moreover, he can move freely wherever there's land, making him the hardest god to deal with."

"Then the Earth God it is!" Du Ge glanced at Ludius and said, "Erchuan, hold off on using the skill. Let me find a suitable vessel before we proceed."

You shouldn't put all your eggs in one basket.

Since it's possible to create gods, it's only logical to make another soul fragment.

Moreover.

When using the Soul Splitting and Seizing skill, it must be done without Pan-Universal Entertainment's knowledge, so caution is paramount.

There's no rush.

"Alright."

Yin Erchuan nodded, not questioning the reason.

In fact, he wasn't comfortable designating a living person either, which is why he'd been waiting for Du Ge, wanting to use this opportunity on the person he trusted most.

But he hadn't anticipated that designating someone would significantly weaken their power.

Yin Erchuan was now particularly grateful he hadn't immediately given Du Ge a surprise.

After all, Du Ge was already powerful enough to kill the Sun God. Making him weaker would make him the sinner of Qi Yuan Star.

"Were your skills also fake?" Du Ge turned to the remaining people, smiling as he asked, "What are your real skills?"

"Du Ge, except for Andri, the other three's skills are real," Yin Erchuan said. "Andri's Unrestrained is actually 'Roaming the World.' He can take everyone in the team through any barrier. If our plan fails, Andri is our guarantee to escape the demon realm..."