"The Hell Dimension's offensive doesn't seem all that powerful," Doom muttered, his eyes filled with doubt as he observed the ongoing battle. While the Hell Dimension appeared to have some advantage, it wasn't as overwhelming as he had expected.
What puzzled Doom even more was that some of the dimensional powerhouses were starting to fight back. Their auras surged, growing so intense that even as a mere observer, Doom felt a chill of terror.
Doom knew that even with his current strength, if he stepped into that battlefield, he would be utterly doomed without a chance to resist.
This led Doom to believe that perhaps the dimensional powerhouses still had a chance to win, especially since they outnumbered the Hell Dimension lords.
"These Hell lords aren't using their full strength. Or rather, they're deliberately holding back," Robert explained calmly, shaking his head.
"Holding back? Why? Aren't they trying to wipe out these dimensional powerhouses?" Doom's confusion deepened.
If the Hell lords could quickly end the battle, why were they dragging it out? Didn't they worry that the longer it took, the more likely something unexpected would happen?
"They want to harvest more," Robert said, his voice tinged with a mix of admiration and disdain. "Hell Dimension lords are by far the most greedy beings I've encountered—more so than these dimensional powerhouses."
"Harvest more? Even if those who haven't entered Mephisto's domain have agreements with these trapped ones, they wouldn't risk their lives to rescue them, would they?" Doom frowned. He had noticed some dimensional powerhouses withdrawing from the Hell Dimension, but he doubted they'd risk their lives for those trapped in Mephisto's domain.
After all, their agreements were temporary, and their relationships superficial. Dimensional powerhouses valued their own survival above all else.
"Of course, I'm not talking about external reinforcements," Robert clarified, smiling slightly. "I mean the ones already trapped in Mephisto's domain. Their power is increasing, and that benefits the Hell Dimension."
"The more power they draw from their home dimensions, the greater the reward for the Hell lords when they kill them. Previously, Mephisto and the others targeted weaker dimensional lords, but the gap between them and these true powerhouses is enormous."
"It's precisely because the potential gains are so much greater this time that the Hell lords were able to unite so quickly. Otherwise, with their usual temperament, it's surprising they aren't fighting among themselves."
"I see," Doom said, his pupils contracting slightly. The Hell lords were even greedier than he had imagined. This realization made Doom think of another critical concern.
If Mephisto gained too much power from this battle, would he become even stronger and decide to continue opposing Robert? Furthermore, if this battle significantly bolstered the Hell Dimension's overall strength, would they eventually target Robert, believing they could gain even more by defeating him?
Doom's thoughts raced as he turned to Robert, hesitant to voice his concerns.
"Don't worry," Robert said confidently, noticing Doom's unease. "Even if they gain a lot, they can't stop me. And if they try, I'll make them cough up everything they've earned. Their losses will outweigh their gains."
Robert wasn't concerned about the Hell lords targeting him. In fact, he almost hoped they would, as it would give him the chance to fully enjoy a proper battle.
As for being surrounded and overwhelmed, Robert wasn't worried in the slightest. With his instant teleportation abilities, it would be nearly impossible for the Hell lords to trap or overpower him.
If they couldn't contain Robert, he could strike at them one by one, systematically defeating or even eliminating them.
"Boom!"
As Robert spoke confidently, a massive explosion shook Mephisto's domain. Fortunately, the domain was already devoid of life or meaningful structures, so the explosion caused no real damage.
"These dimensional powerhouses have grown much stronger," Robert observed with a hint of admiration. "Even here in the Hell Dimension, they can still draw on power from their home dimensions. Their origins must be extraordinary."
"Still, haven't the dimensional consciousnesses realized something's wrong? Don't they see that this battle is draining their dimensional energy instead of benefiting them?"
"Or perhaps, faced with mortal peril, these powerhouses are hiding their plight from their dimensional consciousnesses, drawing power to survive?"
Robert's speculation wasn't far off. The dimensional consciousnesses couldn't see what was happening within the Hell Dimension and relied solely on the reports of the trapped powerhouses.
These consciousnesses might still believe their champions were seizing Mephisto's resources and territory, rather than being hunted themselves.
"I'm back," the Ancient One said, returning to Robert and Doom with a satisfied smile. She was in an excellent mood, having reaped tremendous rewards from this situation.
Interestingly, this massive battle seemed to result in a win for everyone except the dimensional powerhouses. The Ancient One profited greatly, the Hell lords gained immense power, Robert enjoyed a thrilling fight, and Doom might finally reunite with his mother, Cynthia.
The losers? The dimensional powerhouses, who had come to claim Mephisto's domain but instead became the prey, even forfeiting their lives.
"Fate can change so quickly," Robert remarked, watching the powerhouses desperately struggle against the Hell lords.
Despite their enhanced strength, they were still no match for the Hell lords.
"Boom!" Another powerhouse fell, his blood and energy absorbed by Lucifer, who waved his hand to collect it before it could nourish Mephisto's domain.
The Hell lords were careful not to let the powerhouses' energy strengthen Mephisto's territory too much. They knew Mephisto's feud with Robert wasn't over, and a stronger domain could backfire when the two clashed again.
"This was your plan all along! You forced us to struggle so you could harvest more energy!" one powerhouse roared in realization after being severely injured by Lucifer.
"Of course," Lucifer replied with a casual smile. "From the moment you were trapped in Mephisto's domain, your fate was sealed."
"You could do nothing and die quickly, or you could draw on your dimensional power to struggle a bit longer. Either way, we win."
Lucifer's words silenced the powerhouses. Yet, despite their rage and despair, they continued drawing on their dimensions' power, hoping for a miracle.
Unfortunately, hope and reality rarely align. Without their homefield advantage, the powerhouses could never match the Hell lords, who received constant support from the Hell Dimension's consciousness.
One by one, the powerhouses fell. Their efforts only made the Hell lords stronger, and Mephisto's domain grew increasingly impenetrable.
Mephisto himself didn't rush to repair his domain, knowing this was merely the battle's intermission. As Lucifer and the others left his domain, Mephisto understood they had no intention of helping him against Robert.
Lucifer and the Hell lords had calculated the risks and rewards and decided that tangling with Robert wasn't worth the potential losses. They preferred to hold onto their hard-won gains rather than risk everything on another gamble.
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