I Spread my Genes to Level Up in the Apocalypse

"Demon God, die!"

Ray roared as he punched; the surroundings shook, and a seemingly water-like river surrounding him trembled with it. This wasn't water but strands of Time and Space, the very essence that builds this universe.

"Haha, it's not that easy to kill me." The bear spoke with a grin, countless black eerie-like substances poking out from its body. These substances completely engulfed Ray's attacks and turned into nourishment, causing the Demon God to grow even bigger.

Ray noticed it almost immediately but didn't stop, continuously punching with red veins throbbing in his mind, almost as if he had gone completely berserk.

The Demon God's grin widened at the sight, standing still without making any move.

"Haha, this being is just too young," it said, looking from its dark abyss-like eyes, which reflected Rays figure.

"His bone age is barely a hundred years or even less. Am I dreaming?"

"Is there such a terrifying monster in other realms?"

It thought in its heart, terrified. But as it looked at Ray, it suddenly froze on the spot.

"You have not even crossed Tier Twelve. How? You are barely at Tier Nine at most."

The Demon God raised its paws, disbelief flickering in its eyes.

"You cannot hide from my eyes; your life level is too low to become a god."

Ray punched and punched expressionlessly, continuing as if he were a robot.

"How could you even be able to stand before me with such a low-ranking life level?"

Ray paused, tilting his head upwards at the now giant black bear with an expressionless face. "Because I have truly surpassed my limits, and you are going to test it for me." Find exclusive stories on empire

A grin appeared at the corner of his lips.

He could feel it—a chain that had been binding him was slowly being broken, bit by bit.

Ray had previously been bound by the limits of the universe, making almost every one of his attributes limited in comparison.

These chains couldn't be broken because he was a being of the universe, and all his increased attributes were tightly bound in chains, like a ferocious beast ready to be unleashed.

This universe had a higher limit far beyond his own. In Ray's universe, the universal beings were consciousnesses born from the very galaxy, while here, they climbed the throne of god step by step.

Ray just stood there, yet his presence was growing. It felt like a ferocious beast within him was awakening. The more strength he used, the more broken these chains broke.

"Hmph!?"

The Demon God recollected his thoughts and unleashed a shockwave through the river of time, instantly sending Ray ten meters back—or so it seemed to the naked eye. In reality, Ray had been thrown a few light-years away.

"I will show you why we are called gods and why mortals can never hope to defeat us."

Slowly, grains of sand began to manifest in the river of time and space. At first, they were sparse, but their numbers grew rapidly until nearly a kilometer-wide area was completely engulfed.

In three-dimensional terms, this size was incomprehensibly vast, spanning hundreds of light-years—encompassing an entire galaxy in Ray's previous world.

The Demon God laughed, its massive bear-like frame radiating an oppressive presence.

"You are an unlucky brat. I am the strongest god in this universe—no, even stronger. If not for those ten human gods and the Heavenly Dao fighting me together, there would have been absolutely no way for them to even touch me."

Ray stood in the sandstorm, completely expressionless and motionless. It felt as though the entire weight of the galaxy was pressing down on him, trapping him in place without escape or a path forward.

Even so, he remained still as the chains binding him loosened bit by bit. The corner of his lips turned upward into a sneer.

"Haha." The Demon God laughed, madness gleaming in its eyes as it looked at Ray with a mocking glance. "There is no escape for you here, brat."

But as time passed, a faint suspicion began to grow in the Demon God's heart. Ray wasn't moving, nor was he doing anything—just standing there cold and motionless, not even breaking a sweat.

"Wait."

The Demon God's abyss-like eyes squinted at Ray, fully focusing on him. Surrounding Ray was an ethereal chain that was steadily breaking. With each tide of the sandstorm, the process accelerated rapidly until only a single chain remained.

"I need to stop him."

Its eyes finally grew serious. Even though it didn't understand what this phenomenon was or what was happening, the urgency in its heart multiplied several times.

An instinctive fear gripped its soul, rendering it almost completely paralyzed, as though a terrifying beast would erupt from Ray the moment the final chain broke.

"Di—"

Shing!

Unfortunately, it was too late. The final chain shattered, completely falling apart. Along with it came the strange sound of a sword unsheathing.

"Huh?"

The Demon God blinked, clearing his eyes as if trying to comprehend the scene. All the sand in the surroundings had vanished, transforming into countless swords that now targeted him.

"How is it, Demon God?"

At some point, Ray had already appeared higher up the river of time, his gaze sharp and cold as he looked down upon the Demon God.

"How?"

The Black Bear trembled violently, its lips quivering as it barely managed to speak. "No… what are you?"

Its eerie, dark pupils meet Ray's gaze but refuse to leave, as if tightly bound by an unseen demon's claw. The sheer terror was overwhelming, filling the Demon God's heart with complete dread.

Ray pointed at himself. "Me? Well." He raised his fist high. "I'm a human with a cheat."

"Cheat?" The Demon God was flabbergasted and confused, uncertainty clouding its mind.

"I'm too lazy to explain," Ray yawned casually.

"Nooo…"

In an instant, all the sand-shaped swords honed in on him and shot forward with rapid speed.

"You can't kill me with my own power," the Demon God snickered, preparing to wave his massive paws to deflect the attack.

*Shing!*

A sudden stillness filled the air. Slowly, dark blood began oozing from the Demon God's chest, dripping into the river of time and space.

A hole had been pierced through his chest, and from it emerged a hand tightly clutching his heart.

"You…"

The Demon God turned back to Ray with sheer horror in its abyss-like eyes.

"Too slow."