As long as you have the courage, fierce ghosts go on maternity leave.

Ghost Energy transformed into surging currents, spiraling rapidly toward the longsword in Alexander’s grip. The pull was so intense that even the Ghost Energy spewing from Zoe’s direction was partially siphoned away. The corpses on the ground couldn’t withstand the force; some disintegrated, turning into Ghost Energy that was absorbed by Alexander’s sword.

Hum!

It was as if the sword had reached a critical point; the hilt now felt like a blade of frost. With a single swing, countless sharp currents of sword energy cascaded forward like a waterfall.

The leading Ghost King, caught off guard, had an arm sliced clean off.

However, this was merely an incidental release of the excess energy stored during the execution of the sword move. The real "Hell Cutter" had only just begun.

With a piercing shriek that sounded like it came from the abyss itself, mournful wails of innumerable ghosts emanated from Alexander’s longsword. Phantasmal specters with hideous faces crawled out from the blade, clinging onto the sword’s body.

The sword rapidly grew in size.

The entire sequence unfolded in a blink of an eye. With Alexander’s downward slash, the Underworld Sword had transformed into a monstrous blade, several meters long and wrapped in malevolent spirits.

Clang!

The blade descended with a resounding clash of metal, severing both arms of the Ghost Imperial lying beneath it. The sword came to rest on the Imperial’s forehead. Blocked by the arms, it didn’t split him in half. 𝑓𝘳𝘦𝑒𝑤𝑒𝘣𝘯ℴ𝘷𝘦𝓁.𝑐𝑜𝑚

But before the Imperial could regain his senses, the malevolent spirits on the sword exploded. They turned into razor-sharp edges, shooting out in all directions.

Splatter! Splatter! Splatter!

The sounds of blades cutting through flesh made one’s teeth chatter. The surrounding Ghost Kings, along with the natives behind them, were instantly perforated by countless ghostly swords, dead beyond dead.

Perhaps this Ghost Imperial possessed some defensive passive talent, for the ghost swords did not penetrate him completely. Instead, they left a series of terrifying, blood-soaked wounds on his body.

That didn’t mean the native would survive, though. The next moment, his face contorted in excruciating agony, as if enduring some inhuman torture. His skin started to bulge and crack; ghostly swords pierced out from the fissures on his head, vanishing into thin air with sprays of blood.

An Ghost Imperial, several Kings, plus dozens of natives in the corridor—all instantaneously annihilated!

Behind Alexander, more natives continued to pour out from the restaurant. His side was also increasingly outnumbered. This was not a mere Mist Instance but the more unpredictable Mysterious Instance, teeming with natives of General rank or higher.

Facing such numbers, Alexander was soon struggling to hold his ground.

Fortunately, Zoe charged into the restaurant at that moment, her shrill cries once again reverberating through the nightclub.

Without the protective barrier provided by Zoe, Alexander truly felt the terror she instilled. Even outside the restaurant, even with the door hastily closed by Zoe.

With a deafening blast, the ramshackle wooden door burst apart. A wave of sound swept over him. The multiple shields formed by Alexander’s artifacts shattered in an instant. It felt as if a sledgehammer had slammed into the back of his head; his entire brain vibrated, ears ringing.

However, this actually relieved Alexander. The stronger the force, the fewer the people remaining inside. He glanced at the corridor filled with incapacitated natives, then headed straight into the restaurant.

The vast dining space was a complete disaster. Fragments of wood and glass still floated in the air; the walls’ tiles had even cracked and crumbled. The natives who had been "specially attended to" lay dead on the floor.

Clearly, Zoe had gone all-out this time.

Judging by the arrangement of tables and chairs, it seemed that the gang members might have been holding a meeting; otherwise, so many people wouldn’t have been present.

Only a few natives remained. A pale-faced man stood in the middle, guarded by a Ghost Emperor, three Ghost Imperials, and several severely injured Ghost Kings.

This man was clearly Dominic. These Kings must have been following him, narrowly saving their own lives.

Even the three Ghost Imperials appeared deflated, Even if they were still alive, they were not far from death.

As for Zoe, she stood at the center of the restaurant, clutching the corpse of a Ghost Emperor in her hand.

Hearing Alexander enter the restaurant, Zoe’s eyes remained locked onto Dominic.

She tossed the corpse in her hand to Alexander and said coldly, "Dominic, bet you didn’t see this coming. I’ve trapped you here through 9,700 cycles, and today marks the end!"

As she spoke, Zoe took deliberate steps forward.

"You... stay away!" Dominic trembled, fear overwhelming him.

Even the natives who had followed Alexander were stunned. They saw the corpses at Alexander’s feet and dared not approach.

"What are you waiting for? Take her down... stop her! If we can hold out until the enforcers arrive, we’ll be saved!" Dominic shouted.

The natives behind Alexander hesitated, no one daring to make a move. Only a few around Dominic were loyal enough; they exchanged glances and charged at Zoe.

Their actions, however, were tantamount to seeking death. With a wave of her hand, Zoe annihilated the three Ghost Imperials. One had a hole blasted through his entire chest.

The Ghost Emperor didn’t last much longer; after a few rounds, Zoe grabbed his head and twisted his neck like a pretzel.

Seeing fresh corpses pile up at Alexander’s feet, the natives behind him were now even more reluctant to intervene. Zoe had obviously thrown the bodies to Alexander for a reason—she had seen him convert Ghost Food before.

Alexander promptly began studying how to convert them into Ghost Pills. The high-quality ghost corpses were indeed exceptional. As soon as he started, Alexander noticed the forbidden forces contained within them.

To purify these forbidden substances, he had to employ his own ghost-chef abilities. How to go about it required some experimentation on Alexander’s part.

Low-quality ghost corpses contained too little forbidden substance to be of use, but the Kings were different. They were perfect for Alexander’s initial tests.

This action of his struck fear into the natives behind him yet again. They watched in dread as Alexander transformed each corpse into small pills.

"These two are freaks!" they thought. "One slaughters Ghost Emperors as if it’s child’s play, while the other uses the corpses to concoct medicines. It’s terrifying!"

"You... you plan to convert my corpse into a pill too?" Dominic looked on, his face a portrait of horror.

However, if one looked closely, they could see a glimmer of relief flash across his eyes.

Dominic thought, "If it speeds up my death, turning me into a pill or even sashimi is fine by me! Anything to suffer less!"

But he had clearly overestimated the situation.

The fleeting glimmer of relief in his eyes did not go unnoticed by Zoe, who had experienced countless cycles with him and understood him all too well.

She scoffed and said, "You think it’s going to be that easy? Alexander, why don’t you share your plan?"

Her last sentence was directed at Alexander. It was evident that Zoe wasn’t content with tormenting him physically; she was going all in to mentally torment him as well, ensuring he endured fear and dread until his death.

"I have a gift," Alexander sighed, pausing his ongoing research to rise and speak proficiently.

A hundred thousand blades whirled, instantly covering the entire restaurant. "So what do you think suits you? 28,000? Or perhaps 36,000? Or even 90,000? Take your pick!"

"28,000, 36,000... 90,000? Are you sure you’re not planning to mince me?" Dominic’s face turned dark.

"Not nearly enough," Alexander continued, unfazed. "What I’m doing right now could break the cycle and potentially earn me an Emperor-level Ghost Crystal—maybe even two!

Dominic, rest assured, I have a skill that greatly amplifies bodily sensations. I can assure you, you’ll feel every one of the 36,000 cuts!"

Dominic’s face fell even further. "Even if you have that many blades, I don’t have the life force to endure them!"

"No, you certainly do," Alexander shook his head and tossed some newly-created waste pills into the air. "I have another skill. This Ghost Food I can create can be converted into pure Ghost Energy, healing wounds rapidly.

If I want to, it’s not just 36,000 cuts—160,000 would be feasible! You have to believe in your body’s potential; I certainly do!"

"Believe in my what now?" Dominic was furious, his eyes wide as they darted past Zoe, who was visibly enjoying the spectacle. "If it’s just a matter of thousands of cuts, then bring it on! I’m not a man if I even flinch!"

"Great, you’re not afraid of pain? I have another skill," Alexander’s body produced a black whip. "One whip doubles the sensation of pain. Seven whips, and you’re looking at a 128-fold increase in pain."

"What the hell kind of twisted skills do you have?!" Dominic completely lost it. His face turned ghostly white at the thought of experiencing 128 times the pain, despite his bravado.

He gritted his teeth, and his internal Ghost Energy surged, not for a counter-attack but to end his own life.

"Thinking of dying? Not so easy!" Zoe had been watching Dominic closely.

Her body turned into a shadow, and she appeared behind him, hands on his shoulders. Her overwhelming Ghost Energy immediately immobilized him.

"Don’t come closer! Stay away!" Completely controlled by Zoe and seeing Alexander approaching, Dominic’s face filled with terror.

"Enforcers! The Enforcers are here!" Just then, a shout came from outside, and the indigenous crowd automatically parted to either side.