Abyss, 1st Layer. A black obsidian highland, geographically defensible and notoriously hard to attack.

  The Slayer had just finished introducing his chainsaw to the neck of the local area lord—a Doom Hunter.

  Within a five-mile radius, aside from demon corpses, nothing lived.

  The Slayer stood at the edge of the cliff, looking down at the land he had just "purified." Although he maintained a combat stance, the shield indicator on his suit was blinking red. Energy Low.

  Suddenly, the space behind him erupted with a violent fluctuation unlike anything before.

  The Slayer spun around instantly, the BFG charging up with a hum.

  HUMMMMM—!!!

  A golden pillar of light, over a hundred meters in diameter, crashed down into the center of the highland. The massive shockwave blew away all surrounding debris and corpses.

  When the golden light faded, a massive building had appeared out of thin air atop this scorched hellscape.

  It was a Chinese temple, complete with red walls, yellow tiles, and upturned flying eaves.

  The Slayer looked at this jarringly out-of-place structure. The BFG in his hands remained pointed forward. He didn't fire, nor did he approach. He simply stood there, statuelike, assessing this new "anomaly."

  "Great Warrior! Don't shoot! It's our base!"

  Singularity’s voice boomed from the temple's PA system, laced with the excitement of a child showing off a new toy.

  "I know the art style clashes a bit with the environment, but let me explain! This is the product of combining 'Netherworld Feng Shui' with 'Fortress Defense Theory'!"

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  As Singularity spoke, the ancient-looking temple began to transform.

  Clank-Clank-Whirrrr—!

  The flying eaves flipped open, revealing quad-linked automated anti-air turrets underneath.

  The mouths of the two stone lions guarding the entrance clicked open, extending two thick plasma flamethrower nozzles.

  On the red perimeter walls, countless golden runes lit up, forming a hemispherical absolute defense barrier.

  "The City God Temple (Chenghuang Miao). In our tradition, it governs suppression and protection," Singularity explained. "The temple itself is a massive energy converter. It filters out the Abyssal corruption and converts it into the pure energy you need."

  The Slayer lowered the BFG.

  He stepped forward and tentatively reached out a finger to touch the golden barrier.

  Hum.

  There was no rejection. Instead, a warm current flowed through his fingertip into the suit. The shield gauge on his HUD ticked up a bar.

  [Environmental Scan: Safe Zone.]

  [Energy Replenishing: Active.]

  The Slayer strode through the temple gates.

  In the center of the courtyard, there was no statue of a god. Instead, there stood a massive bronze incense burner engraved with Taotie (gluttonous beast) patterns.

  "That incense burner is an 'Automated Resource Recycler,'" Singularity continued. "Just throw demon corpses in there. It automatically refines them into ammo and health packs. It's much faster than me crafting them by hand back home."

  The Slayer walked up to the incense burner.

  He tossed the Doom Hunter’s head he had been carrying into the vessel.

  Whoosh—

  Green smoke rose from the burner. A few seconds later, several boxes of fresh shotgun shells and two medkits slid out of the dispenser at the bottom.

  The Slayer picked up the ammo and loaded it with practiced ease.

  Ka-chunk.

  He turned around. He didn't stay inside the comfortable barrier.

  He walked out of the temple gates and stood between the two plasma-spewing stone lions.

  He reached behind his back and pulled out the "Mark of the Slayer" banner.

  THUD!

  He drove the flagpole deep into the steps of the City God Temple.

  The red symbol of destruction glowed against the golden plaque of the temple.

  The Slayer stood next to the flag, recharging the BFG.

  His body language said it all: This place is under new management.

  Desolation vs. Occupation.

  The Slayer had cleared this land with violence.

  Singularity had filled the void with infrastructure.

  This temple was a nail driven straight into the heart of the Abyss.

  "Next Chapter: Wrath of the Demon Lord. The local boss, a 'Balrog,' is absolutely furious that someone occupied his land and built a temple on his head to—metaphorically speaking—take a dump."