Devil Slave (Satan system)

Chapter 1182: Tomato’s Power

As soon as they entered the None Zone, it was as if the very fabric of existence warped into chaos. The vast expanse around them defied all logic and reason. On one side of the ship, Perseus’ eyes caught something that should not have been possible—a star igniting from nothingness. It flared into existence with a sudden brilliance, blinding in its intensity. In an instant, the star was surrounded by swirling gas, then planets emerged from the dust, spiraling into orbit like moths to a flame.

He watched in awe as those planets cooled, continents formed, and oceans filled their basins. Life sprouted—first as simple creatures crawling through primeval seas, and then, within the blink of an eye, complex societies rose from the ground. Entire civilizations bloomed, thrived, and then warred with each other, their conquests and triumphs happening faster than any human could comprehend. The rise and fall of empires—ages of peace, ages of chaos—all played out like a dream made real. Before Perseus could even register the immensity of it all, it was gone. The star collapsed, taking everything with it, fading into an empty void, the universe’s life and death contained in the span of a single heartbeat.

But it wasn’t the only chaos unfolding around them. On another side, reality bent and twisted in ways that hurt to look at.

A sea of colors that had never existed before flooded his vision, swirling together in patterns that seemed to pulse with a rhythm beyond time. From within that sea, creatures with impossible forms—shapes that didn’t adhere to any known laws of biology or physics—emerged, and then dissolved like mist. In one instant, a towering entity appeared with wings made of pure light, stretching across miles, and in the next, it shattered into fragments, as if reality itself could no longer contain it.

Nearby, a storm of pure energy erupted out of nowhere, its tendrils crackling through space, but instead of causing destruction, it began to sculpt. Mountains rose, twisting into the sky, and valleys stretched beneath them, only to crumble back into dust within seconds. It was creation without meaning, constantly being undone by the very forces that brought it into being. A city, beautiful and ornate, materialized from the storm, each tower carved from shimmering crystal, only to decay and collapse before Perseus could grasp its beauty. The ruins of that city stretched and twisted into the sky like giant skeletal fingers, reaching for something that no longer existed.

Perseus blinked, trying to make sense of the insanity, but there was no pattern to it. No understanding. Only madness. In another corner, the ship passed by a swirling nebula where two black holes seemed to dance, their gravitational forces tearing at each other. For a moment, it appeared as though the entire nebula was being devoured, sucked into oblivion, but then the black holes merged, and instead of collapsing, a great cosmic tree sprouted from their fusion. Its branches stretched out across space, leaves shimmering like stars, but within seconds, the tree was set ablaze by invisible flames, burning up into nothingness.

Tomato stood beside Perseus, eyes wide with ecstasy, as a field of meteors that should have destroyed the ship instead froze in time. They hovered in place, their tails of fire suspended as if the concept of motion had stopped working. Then, without warning, they reversed, the debris collecting itself and forming a planet that spun backward in time, erasing all evidence of its violent birth.

"Is this what THIS None Zone is always like?" Tomato whispered, her voice barely audible over the deafening silence of the void.

Branch, standing at the helm, gave a grim chuckle. "This is only the entrance. None zones are pretty unique, but it’s easy to predict how they might be based on the kind of voidlings that rush for them or the outside world around them."

The words barely registered with Perseus. His mind was overwhelmed by the sheer scale of what he was witnessing. On yet another side, the very stars themselves seemed to collapse and reform, as if they were breathing, expanding and contracting in some cosmic cycle that transcended all understanding. He could feel the weight of it, the insanity, the way it played with his sense of reality. Time itself felt slippery, like it was melting around him.

And yet, in the midst of it all, there was a strange beauty. It was chaos, but it was a chaos that carried meaning, even if that meaning was beyond mortal comprehension.

The None Zone wasn’t a place—it was a living, breathing entity. A force that existed beyond time, beyond space. And they were traveling through its very heart.

Perseus took a breath, forcing himself to stay grounded as the madness raged on around him. He had been to a similar place once before, but even now, the sheer scope of it all was almost too much to bear.

"We’re not meant to be here," Tomato muttered, her eyes fixed on a scene where the moon crumbled to dust, only to rebuild itself in reverse, each piece snapping back into place until it was whole again.

Perseus nodded, gripping the rail tighter. "No. We’re not."

Branch turned to them, his eyes narrowed against the swirling chaos of the None Zone. "So, where are we going?"

Perseus, bracing himself against the ship’s rail, took a moment to gather his thoughts amidst the madness. "We need to head to the heart of the None Zone," he instructed, his voice steady despite the tempest surrounding them. "What we need is the pure essence of creation, and that’s located at the center."

Branch’s expression shifted, concern flaring in his eyes. "The heart? You do realize that place is far more dangerous than here, right? It’s chaotic—beyond anything we’ve seen." He paused, gauging their reactions before continuing. "But if you’re all up for it, as a space mapper, I’ll take you there. Just be prepared for anything."

Perseus nodded, his resolve firm. "We’ve come this far. We can handle it."

With a deep breath, Branch turned and charted their course deeper into the Non Zone, the ship shuddering slightly as they plunged into the swirling vortex of reality. The colors around them shifted dramatically, becoming more vibrant and erratic as they ventured toward the core. It would take them some time to reach their destination, but they were determined.

Unbeknownst to Perseus and his crew, shadows stirred in the corners of the chaotic expanse. A group of demons, their forms shifting and flickering like smoke, had also entered the Non Zone. They moved silently, their eyes gleaming with a predatory hunger as they navigated the tumultuous environment.

These demons had their own motives, intent on finding the essence...

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Time moved strangely as they delved deeper into the None Zone, bending and twisting like a river flowing through different currents. Sometimes it raced ahead, with minutes flashing by in what felt like seconds, and at other times, it slowed, stretching moments into what felt like hours. The crew had no choice but to navigate through this disjointed time stream, each step bringing more chaos into view. Reality bent in on itself, and the swirling mass of the None Zone seemed to grow heavier with each passing second.

Soon, the pressure became unbearable. Branch, the captain, made his way to Perseus and Tomato. His usually calm demeanor was replaced with one of grave seriousness. "This is it," he said, voice strained. "This is the farthest I can take you. My ship—it’s going to break apart if we push any deeper. I’m a space mapper, and I’ve taken this ship through every kind of disaster, but… I need a guarantee. Going further means certain death unless I know I’ll get my life back." His eyes flicked toward the crumbling hull, the creaks and groans of the ship echoing louder. "Besides, the money you gave me—it’s not worth sacrificing my life for this mission."

Perseus started to speak, trying to find words that would convince Branch, but before he could, Tomato stepped forward. Her eyes burned with resolve as she walked past Perseus and stood at the edge of the deck. "I’ll handle it," she said, her voice cold and determined.

Branch looked at her skeptically. "You? This far into the None Zone? We need magic to survive this—"

"I don’t have magic," Tomato interrupted, "and I don’t need it." She raised her arms, her body tensing as her skin began to shimmer. There was something unnatural about the way the air around her shifted, as if reality itself was bending away from her.

What Tomato did possess was something far more dangerous—an ability she had nurtured ever since becoming part of the Lenny royal family. It wasn’t magic, but the very negation of it. Slowly, from her body, a field expanded, shimmering faintly like a thin, translucent membrane that began to wrap around the ship and the voidlings that were guiding them through the Zone.

As the membrane grew, it pulsed with an anti-magical force. Everything that touched it—every object made of magic, every energy signature from the chaotic storms of the None Zone—dematerialized on contact. The ship stopped creaking, and the voidlings, once straining against the currents of the chaos, now moved through the space with ease, unharmed by the swirling tempest of magical forces. The field neutralized everything magical, cutting through the raw chaos of the None Zone like a blade.

Branch stared in awe. "What…what is this?"

Tomato didn’t turn to him, her focus entirely on maintaining the null field. "This will keep the ship intact, but you’ll still need to navigate."

Perseus, seeing the burden Tomato was taking on, nodded. "We’re going deeper. To the core."

Branch hesitated, but with the ship now stable and a renewed sense of hope, he gritted his teeth and took the wheel. "Alright, to the heart of the None Zone it is."

As they pushed forward, Tomato’s null field hummed steadily, protecting them from the magical chaos. They knew it would still be a long and dangerous journey, but now, they had a chance.

Meanwhile, unknown to them, the demons that had followed them into the None Zone continued to move in the shadows, inching closer with every second. The tension built as two groups, unaware of each other, moved toward the same chaotic heart.