After Michael defeated the guards, an alarm began to ring throughout the manor, indicating that backup was on the way. However, Michael remained calm and collected, not showing any signs of distress. He was still receiving badass points for his actions, and his total count had reached almost seven hundred thousand, even after he had settled his debt with the system.

The sound of the alarm ringing throughout the manor made Tertis jump, but Michael didn't even flinch. Despite the blaring noise, he remained calm and focused. Tertis mustered his courage and approached Michael with Aric's body in his arms.

"Why did you kill him?" Tertis asked, tears streaming down his face. He assumed Michael was responsible for Aric's death.

"I didn't," Michael replied simply, his expression unreadable. Tertis was blinded by sadness and grief, but he could detect no lies in Michael's voice.

"When I'm done, you will have your uncle's murderer," Michael added before turning and leaving the room.

Tertis was left alone with Aric's lifeless body, feeling helpless and angry. He couldn't believe his uncle was gone and didn't know who to trust anymore. The manor was in chaos, with broken furniture and debris scattered everywhere. The walls and floors were cracked, and the once-beautiful decor was now in shambles. The air was heavy with the scent of blood, and Tertis felt sick to his stomach at the sight of so much carnage. He clutched Aric's body tightly, his heart heavy with sorrow.

As Michael stepped outside the room, his eyes darted around the hallway, taking in the chaos that had erupted around him. Guards were rushing into the manor on the ground floor, and the sound of the alarm bells echoed through the halls. The maids and other noncombatants were scurrying away, looking for a safe area to avoid being caught in the crosshairs.

Michael sensed several magical arrays getting activated, and he knew that more and more powerful beings were approaching the manor through his Environmental scanning.

He stood above the soldiers, his black cloak billowing behind him, and cracked his neck. Slowly, his feet lifted from the ground, and he began to hover above the soldiers. He paused for a moment, his eyes blazing with dark flames as he surveyed the room. The soldiers looked up in shock and awe as they saw the Dark Lord hovering above them, shrouded in a black mist.

One soldier mustered the courage to speak up, his voice shaking with fear. "Who... who are you?"

Michael remained silent, his eyes fixed on the group of soldiers. He began to descend the hall slowly, and the soldiers prepared themselves for a fight. They had no idea what they were up against. Michael was still hiding his true power; no soldier could gauge his true strength. They all thought they could take him down, but they had no idea how sorely mistaken they were.

As the roof exploded, dust and debris filled the air, making it difficult to see. The sound of the explosion echoed throughout the manor, and many of the soldiers who were still in the vicinity flinched and shielded their faces from the flying debris.

When the dust finally settled, Michael slowly raised his head to see a mermon descending through the hole in the roof, holding a battle axe with glowing runes. The mermon's scales sparkled silver, and he appeared to be glowing from within. It was clear that he was at the Half-Immortal stage.

Soon, more mermons flew through the hole in the roof and surrounded Michael. They were all at the Fusion stage level 10, a cultivation level that was not to be underestimated.

"Who are you?" the Half-Immortal mermon demanded, his voice rough and intimidating.

Michael said nothing, but crackling lightning bolts surrounded his wrist as if he was preparing for a fight. The mermons took this as a sign of aggression and prepared to strike him down.

"You're outnumbered, Inferior," the Half-Immortal mermon continued. "Surrender now, and we might let you live."

Despite their intimidating presence, Michael remained calm and unfazed. He knew that he had the power to take them all down, and he wasn't afraid to use them if necessary.

"You're gonna let me live even after I did all this?" Michael snickered, pointing at the debris and the soldiers who were groaning inside the room.

The Half Immortal didn't answer Michael. Instead, he motioned for the soldiers behind him, and Michael noticed a glistening dome appear through the hole above, enveloping the manor and the area around it. The security array had been activated to prevent the intruder from escaping. However, they were unaware that their attempt to lock the intruder inside had instead trapped them with a far more dangerous and powerful foe than any they had ever faced.

The darkness descended on the manor suddenly, taking everyone by surprise. The soldiers on the ground became startled, unable to see anything in the darkness. Meanwhile, the Half Immortal sensed Michael's power growing rapidly. He knew something was amiss, and the darkness indicated something he had heard of in stories from the realm above them - the Dark Lord.

The mermons surrounding Michael hesitated for a moment, unsure of what was happening. Michael remained calm and collected, allowing the darkness to envelop him. He knew that he had complete control over it and could use it to his advantage.

The mermons started to move cautiously, their eyes scanning the darkness, looking for any sign of movement. Suddenly, a bolt of lightning illuminated the room, and the mermons saw Michael's figure hovering in the air, his eyes blazing with dark flames. The mermons gasped in shock and fear, realizing they had severely underestimated Michael's power.

"You...you're the Dark Lord," the Half Immortal stuttered, his voice trembling with slight fear.

Michael remained silent, his eyes fixed on the group of mermons. The lightning bolts continued to crackle around his wrist, ready to strike at any moment.

The mermons prepared to strike, but Michael was already one step ahead of them. He unleashed a blast of dark energy that sent them flying in all directions. The mermons groaned in pain as they crashed into walls and furniture.

"Looks like it's time for a little bit of fun," Michael said, his voice dripping with malice.

The mermons looked at Michael with terror in their eyes, realizing they were no match for the Dark Lord.

As the fear toxin filled the air, the mermons surrounding Michael began to feel its effects. Their eyes widened with terror, and their breathing grew shallow and rapid. Their bodies trembled with fear as they struggled to control their racing thoughts. But the Half Immortal was different. He had been through countless battles and had learned to recognize the purity of the air. As soon as he inhaled the toxin, he knew something was wrong. He quickly waved his hand before his face, and a silver mask appeared, covering his nose and mouth, preventing him from breathing the toxic air.

Michael, on the other hand, seemed unfazed by the toxin. He remained calm and collected, seemingly unaffected by the fear that was gripping the mermons.

He flicked his wrist, and the Doom Bringer appeared in his hand. The battle axe glinted in the dim light, its ancient ice core spewing bone-chilling frost from its blunt head. As Michael tightened his grip on the weapon, the temperature in the manor dropped suddenly, and a layer of frost covered the walls and floors. The mermons shivered in the cold, their breaths visible in front of them.

Despite their fear, the mermons knew they had to act fast. They readied their weapons and prepared to attack Michael. But Michael was already one step ahead of them. He swung the Doom Bringer with ease, and the icy wind that followed sent the mermons flying in all directions. They crashed into walls and furniture, groaning in pain.

Michael stood in the center of the room, his eyes blazing with dark flames. He knew that the mermons were no match for him, and he reveled in the power that he held. The Doom Bringer hummed with energy as Michael prepared for the next wave of attacks.

With a fierce determination to stop the intruder, the Half Immortal charged towards Michael, his battle axe gripped tightly in his hands. He failed to notice the frost forming around the Doom Bringer's blunt head as Michael swung the weapon in his direction. When the two battle axes collided, sparks flew, and a deafening sound echoed throughout the manor.

The ancient ice core infused within the Doom Bringer spewed forth a bone-chilling frost that spread throughout the room, forming a layer of ice above the soldiers on the ground. They slipped and slid on the frozen floor, struggling to maintain their balance.

As the clash subsided, the Half Immortal attempted to block the Doom Bringer's strike with his own weapon, but the sheer force of Michael's attack was too much to handle. The Doom Bringer's ability to summon frost added to the Half Immortal's problems, as the cold air numbed his fingers, causing his grip to weaken.

The impact sent shockwaves through the Half Immortal's arms and body, causing him to stagger backward and crash into the wall with a resounding thud. The clash of weapons shook the manor to its core, causing debris and rubble to fall from the ceiling.

As the temperature continued to drop, the frost energy from the Doom Bringer spread, coating everything in a layer of ice. The soldiers still standing watched in awe as Michael stood tall and menacing, his eyes fixed on the Half Immortal lying on the ground, groaning in pain. They could see their breath in front of them as they shivered in the cold and struggled to maintain their footing on the frozen ground.

The shockwave from the clash of weapons had thrown the Fusion stage cultivators onto the walls. Though dazed and disoriented, they quickly regained their bearings and began casting spells. Each one summoned a different element, but none of them could harm Michael because of his immense strength.

One cultivator summoned a pillar of fire that shot toward Michael, but it dissipated as soon as it touched the Doom Bringer. Another created a gust of wind that tore through the room, but Michael stood firm against it. A third tried to summon a bolt of lightning, but it fizzled out before it could even leave his fingertips.

Despite their efforts, Michael remained unscathed. He turned his attention back to the Half Immortal stage guard, who had taken the opportunity to heal himself and regroup. The Half Immortal knew that he could not defeat Michael alone, but he was determined to protect Aric's family and their legacy.

With a deep breath, he stood up and readied himself for the next attack.

The sound of explosions and the clashing of weapons filled the air as Michael continued his battle within the manor. Despite the destruction around him, Michael couldn't help but admire the soldiers' unwavering determination to protect Aric's manor.

Finally, Michael made the decision to descend to the ground. With a powerful force, he landed with a thud, his Doom Bringer striking the ground first. As it made contact, the frost energy that had been building up inside the weapon exploded, sending a wave of bone-chilling cold throughout the hall. The air became thick with falling snow, and many weaker soldiers were frozen in place, their bodies turned to ice.

Despite the chaos around him, Michael remained focused on the task at hand. He prepared himself for the upcoming battle, knowing that he would have to face the Fusion stage guards with their full force. The guards landed on the ground with a loud thud, their eyes filled with fury and their weapons drawn.

Michael stood tall, his grip tightening around the Doom Bringer as he prepared for the incoming attack. The soldiers surrounding him cast spells left and right, their voices echoing throughout the manor. But none of their spells seemed to affect Michael, who remained rooted to the spot, his eyes fixed on his opponents.

As the soldiers cast their most powerful spells, Michael summoned more cold energy from the Doom Bringer, creating an icy aura around him that chilled the air around them. He swirled the weapon in a circular motion, causing the frost to swirl and dance around the room.

"What's happening there," asked one of the spectators outside the manor, his eyes wide with fear and awe.

"I've never seen anything like it," said another, his voice shaking with excitement.

Meanwhile, the Fusion stage cultivators continued to cast their spells, their voices rising in intensity. They summoned flames that danced across the room, lightning bolts that crackled through the air, and gusts of wind that whipped through the rubble-filled hall.

But Michael remained unscathed, his body seemingly immune to the spells cast at him. With a powerful force, he sent a shock wave of cold energy toward his opponents, freezing everything in its path. The soldiers who were still standing struggled to move, their bodies were frozen in place.

As Michael prepared to strike again, the Half Immortal waited patiently, observing his opponent's every move. He knew that his experience and battle-hardened skills would be key in this fight.

"Come on," he taunted. "Is that all you've got?"

Michael didn't reply, his eyes fixed on the Half Immortal. He knew that his opponent was waiting for the right moment to strike, and he wasn't about to give him that chance. Instead, he summoned more frost energy from the Doom Bringer, ready to unleash it at a moment's notice.

The soldiers who were watching from outside the manor gasped as they saw the intensity of the battle inside. They knew that whoever emerged victorious from this fight would go down in history as a legend.