Tom opened his brown eyes, very slowly.
"Where am I this time...? Oh—I'm still in these damn tunnels!"
Tom's tone was a mix of annoyance and astonishment; he was somewhat shocked to find himself back in the very place where he had first fought the monsters.
Yet, the situation remained exactly as it had been before. There was no trace of the monsters—a horde numbering over four thousand, drawn from a vast array of races and species. Even the weakest among them held an 'X' (Legendary) rank, while the strongest were at the 'Expert Sovereign' level.
The problem, however, was that despite being a 'Supreme Holy Sovereign'—far more powerful than any of them—he hadn't managed to reduce their numbers in the slightest, even after hours of relentless combat. The count remained unchanged, as if the last five hours had never even happened.
Tom let out a deep sigh, gathering his memories of everything that had transpired. He remained certain, however, that what he had experienced was no dream.
"It seems I've truly reached the 'Sovereign Master' rank. That confirms it—it wasn't just a dream."
Tom's voice was calm and confident as he gauged the extent of his newfound power. Yet, he felt none of the satisfaction that someone from his own world—or any ordinary world—might have felt upon reaching such a rank. He knew that, in the grand scheme of true power, the 'Sovereign Master' rank was merely the tip of the iceberg; it was hardly enough to leave him stunned, even for a single second. If he were to decide to leave, he would, in reality, be unable to depart from his own world.
Tom sheathed his two swords—which had transformed to resemble the blades of Chao Li: the "Heavenly Pearl Sword" and the "Great Gluttony Sword"—and continued his journey toward the heart of the tunnels, his gaze fixed with unwavering determination on his ultimate goal: absolute power.
As he moved toward the center of the tunnels, Tom felt as though something within him was missing—something that had been there before he entered, but had since vanished. He reached up to touch his neck, discovering that the Yin and Yang marks had taken on the appearance of tattoos.
"So, the Sacred Yang has left my body. I suspect I shall find it at the center of the labyrinth."
Tom's expression remained calm.
................
At the heart of the labyrinth, Alessandra sat upon a white throne, from which an intricate golden aura emanated, radiating an overwhelming presence of power and authority. Her gaze was fixed upon a figure clad in charcoal-black attire, accented with touches of crimson, who wore a black mask designed to resemble a dragon with its maw agape.
"So, you have fulfilled your final promise, Yuta—or should I say, Yuto?"
Alessandra's tone was as composed as ever, yet it carried a deep sense of gratitude and respect.
Yuta let out a cold laugh as he removed the mask from his face. His features were as frigid as frost, with a few subtle, distinct differences. His eyes resembled those of a dragon—with black sclera and dark red pupils, characteristic of the draconic kind.
As soon as he removed his mask, he began to fade away, bit by bit, slipping into his own personal void dimension.
"Naturally, I shall fulfill my promises—provided they serve my own interests."
"Moreover, the return of Jiao Yao Li aligns perfectly with my own objectives. Do you understand, Alessandra?"
Yuta's tone remained calm as he cast a sidelong glance at Zhao Li, who had arrived and taken his seat upon a pitch-black throne—a throne from which a complex, dark, violet-tinged aura emanated. It radiated an overwhelming presence, heavy with power and authority.
"So, nearly everyone has arrived. Only the guest of honor remains—Tom Fragelsen, or rather, the soul of Jiao Yao Li. How amusing!"
There was a hint of mockery toward fate in Yuta's voice.
"Let us return to the matter at hand. You are well aware of why I am assisting you; it is certainly not out of pity or any affection for you."
"Indeed, we are aware. You desire a suitable environment for those individuals to develop until the appointed time—three years from now, correct?"
Zhao Li spoke calmly, looking toward Yuta. He could not quite fathom why Yuta had exercised such patience, waiting eighteen long years for this single goal.
"Hahahahahaha!" "I know what you're thinking, Zhao Li. But eighteen years of patience is nothing compared to the time I've spent crafting my plans and bringing them to such perfect fruition."
Yuta's tone remained calm as he looked toward Zhao Li and Alessandra—both of whom, he sensed, were attempting to fully fathom him, yet finding themselves unable to do so.
Meanwhile, Alessandra's mind drifted back to the first time she and Zhao Li had ever encountered Yuta.
Flashback
On Earth—now transformed into a battlefield—the atmosphere suggested that the end had finally arrived. There was no better way to describe the prevailing sentiment than to call it a final Ragnarok.
Several figures stood upon the battlefield, bearing grave physical wounds; the marks of exhaustion were etched clearly across their faces. Yet, they masked this fatigue behind gazes burning with rage and wariness, fixed upon the individual standing before them.
"Zhao Li, today is the day we put an end to this farce—a farce that began over 700 trillion years ago. We are going to finish it, once and for all!"
Alessandra's voice was sharp, yet it carried a profound hatred—and a desperate longing for release from this hell, from this endless cycle of life and death...
Over and over... and over... and over... and over... and over again...
It had become an unbearable burden; in truth, they had never truly lived their own lives. The time had come to strike at the root—to bring an end to their very existence.
Zhao Li remained silent for several minutes after hearing Alessandra's words. Although he was right that they needed to end the cycle of life and death in which they were trapped—once and for all—he did not want it to end in that particular way.
"I know, but I'm not going to die. I have no intention of doing so, to begin with—you know what I mean. If we don't want to live for ourselves, then let's live for *her*. She has been waiting for us ever since that betrayal by the wretched Zhao Li-Yong. I took the very same name as that bastard just so I would never forget the vile wretch. As long as I exist, she shall exist, too—do you understand?"
Zhao Li's tone was as cold as frost, devoid of any anger or other emotion. He was simply stating their objectives and the nature of their purpose.Nevertheless, Alessandra kept her sword pointed toward Zhao Li, showing no intention of backing down. Zhao Li sighed, shifting his own blades—"Heaven's Pearl" and "Great Gluttony"—into an offensive stance.
Their auras erupted—one a deep, coal-black, the other a shimmering, pale gold. Both shot forward at the speed of light to bring this farce to an end. Zhao Li had no desire to kill targets whose very reason for being his targets remained unknown to him, while Alessandra sought to end the conflict for her own private reason: to put a final, definitive stop to Beatrice's suffering.
A look of surprise crossed the face of one of Alessandra's companions—a young man with black hair streaked with gray, despite being no older than twenty. He stared at a figure clad in black robes accented with crimson, wearing a black mask shaped like a dragon with its maw agape.
"Who are you?"
The young man's tone was laced with caution and a keen sense of danger directed toward Yuta.
"Don't worry, my friend—for now, we are allies."
Yuta's voice remained calm, entirely indifferent to the sword pointed his way. He continued moving toward Zhao Li and Alessandra, who were locked in a fierce, brutal exchange.
After a few strides, Yuta vanished from his spot, reappearing directly between Zhao Li and Alessandra. He parried their strikes with effortless ease, leaving both of them struck with terror.
At that moment, his power was truly fearsome—on par with that of entities ranked as "Boundless Slayers." Yet, their attack was repelled with complete ease. Yuta showed no sign of seriousness, blocking both of their strikes using only his fingers.
Zhao Li and Alessandra stepped back a few paces, attempting to assess the situation.
Sensing no threat from him, they set their swords aside.
"I have a deal I'd like to make with you both."
Yuta's tone was calm as he looked toward Zhao Li and Alessandra, a faint smile hidden behind the mask he wore.
Expressions of surprise appeared on everyone's faces. What kind of deal could he possibly want? The question raced through their minds as they gazed at Yuta.
"It is a deal that alters destiny. I shall change your fate—provided you agree to a few conditions."
His voice remained steady as he watched them, waiting for their decision.
Zhao Li and Alessandra let out deep sighs, then looked at Yuta in utter disbelief. Despite possessing power levels beyond measure—levels that defied quantification—they had been unable to alter their own destinies. Yet, here he was, speaking of it with such casual ease, as if the trillions of years they had lived were nothing more than a cheap, elaborate trick.
"Very well. We accept the deal—we will fulfill any condition you set, no matter what it may be."
Alessandra's voice was calm. She glanced between Yuta and Zhao Li—who had also agreed, despite his profound skepticism regarding Yuta's claims. End of Flashback
Alessandra's gaze remained as calm as ever, though her expression held a complex nuance as she looked toward Yuta. She still did not understand his motives, yet she was certain that his actions would shake the very foundations of this entire story.
"Well, I must be going; the guest of honor is arriving."
Yuta's tone carried a hint of mockery before he vanished, passing through a portal that led him out of the secret tunnels.
Neither Zhao Li nor Alessandra shifted their gaze, both staring fixedly at the spot where Yuta had stood—right in the heart of the base.
................
Meanwhile, Tom
Tom was moving toward the center of the tunnels at great speed, intent on arriving in the shortest time possible.
He eventually came to a halt before the same gateway he had first passed through to begin the five trials. This time, however, the portal exuded an even more imposing aura.
He approached it with steady, purposeful strides—radiating strength, confidence, and immense determination—and placed his hand against its surface. The stone was freezing, as if encased in ice, yet the gateway swung open with effortless ease.
The runes etched into the stone portal glowed with a striking blend of brilliant gold and deep violet. They revealed intricate carvings: on the eastern side, a saintess in prayer, surrounded by a sacred aura; on the western side, a formidable warrior emanating an overwhelming, dark, and sinister energy. Between them stood a young man, channeling both the sacred golden energy and the oppressive, dark power. He held his arms wide, as if welcoming a visitor, his face set in a calm smile that blended profound compassion with a chilling, detached coldness. A brilliant light erupted, and the inscriptions began to fade, gradually revealing a passageway that led to a base situated at the heart of the secret tunnels.
Tom traversed the passage with steady strides, his movements imbued with both confidence and a faint sense of awe.
After a few minutes, Tom reached the end of the corridor, where he found two figures seated upon thrones.
The first was a young woman with long, white hair and pale violet eyes. She sat upon a white throne, from which an intricate golden aura emanated, radiating an overwhelming presence of power and authority. No words were needed; he knew exactly who she was: Alessandra, the Sacred Yin.
The second was a man with black hair and deep, dark eyes, seated on a throne opposite Alessandra's. His throne was charcoal-black, wreathed in a complex, dark-violet-black aura that exuded an overwhelming sense of power and authority. Tom recognized him instantly: Zhao Li, the Sacred Yang.
The two fixed their calm gazes upon him, before all three turned their attention toward a third throne that had begun to take shape. This throne was a blend of charcoal-black and white, surrounded by an intricate aura that wove together gold and dark-violet-black, radiating an overwhelming presence of power and authority.
Without a word spoken, Tom moved toward the throne, his steps firm and his eyes glowing with a cold, piercing light.
Step... step... step...
After taking more than twenty paces, Tom sat upon his throne, his expression remaining perfectly calm. This final encounter at the base marked the moment both Zhao Li and Alessandra first came into existence—emerging from what had been mere consciousnesses drifting through an abyssal void. This place served as the spark that would ignite both an end and the beginning of something far greater.
"You've finally survived, Tom—or rather, Zhao Yao Li. Congratulations."
Alessandra's voice shattered the profound silence of the space. Her tone carried a sense of relief, as if a heavy burden had been lifted from her shoulders.
"Well done, Tom. You've completed all five trials and earned your power. Congratulations."
A faint smile appeared on Zhao Li's face as he looked toward Tom, whose features remained obscured.
"Don't worry; we will stay by your side to assist you. Do not imagine that you can wield our power while in your current, weakened state. Although you possess a high and complex level of power, you remain too frail to control the strength of two entities at the ORR-05 level. Attempting to do so would be your undoing—for while your soul is resilient, the world itself could not withstand the eruption of such immense power."
Zhao Li's tone was sharp as he gazed at Tom. Tom, for his part, seemed somewhat relieved; he was well aware that he would need the help of both Zhao Li and Alessandra to understand himself and master his own power.
Unlike Zhao Li and Alessandra—who each retained ten percent of their original memories—Tom possessed no recollections of his true life. Yet, even that small fraction is of vital importance, as it serves as a key to recovering all of his lost memories and strength.
Tom leaned back against his throne, staring blankly at the ceiling for several seconds before shifting his gaze back to Zhao Li and Alessandra.
"To be honest, this world is rather strange. I don't quite grasp how we managed to succeed, but I am certain we will uncover the truth in time. How could we not? Perhaps the very person responsible for all of this is the same one who brought it about in the first place. Who is this individual? I do not know—though I am certain that both of you do. And I also know that, no matter how hard I try, you two won't tell me a single thing about them, will you?" Tom's tone was calm, carrying a hint of relief; he had come to realize that taking the easy path is not always the ideal solution. If an entity were to simply use its existing powers to solve every problem, it might remain powerful, but it would never evolve. Possessing total knowledge is not always an advantage—it can, in fact, be a tool for stagnation. True, complete knowledge never exists; there is always something kept hidden by more powerful entities—a reality that applies to Tom as well.
If he were to easily obtain the answers to all his questions, he would never grow. Every question is a gateway to evolution, and he intends to open every single one of them.
Zhao Li, Alessandra, and Tom each let out a deep sigh as their physical forms began to shift entirely into non-material states.
Zhao Li was composed of a dark, void-like energy—pure annihilation—while Alessandra was formed from a sacred, golden energy—pure creation. Tom, meanwhile, was a synthesis of both.
Creation and annihilation are two sides of the same coin; there can be no creation without annihilation, and no annihilation without creation. Each completes the other.
No matter how beautiful life may be, it ends in death; and no matter how terrifying death may appear, it begins with life. Yet, death can be as beautiful as life, just as life can be as ugly as death. It all depends on how you choose to perceive things. If life appears beautiful to some and ugly to others—and if death, likewise, is seen as ugly by some yet beautiful by others—then it all depends on how you live your life, which in turn determines whether life and death are perceived as ugly or beautiful.
Zhao Li and Alessandra each placed a hand on Tom's shoulder, then embraced him, whispering softly:
"Do not worry; we shall always be with you. Creation and dissolution, devoid of a soul—much like a measuring machine—yet we exist without... without any fixed calibration."
Their voices were calm as they whispered into Tom's ear, eliciting a faint smile upon his face—a face composed of a swirling mass of dark and golden energy.
"Yes, thank you both. We shall remain together, forever."
Tom's tone was serene, filled with a profound sense of relief.
A sacred golden light and a deep, somber darkness began to radiate, coalescing into an orb of energy the size of a large carriage, glowing at the center of the base. The sphere gradually contracted—shrinking to the size of a smaller carriage—as the energy within it grew increasingly concentrated.
With every reduction in size, the energy inside became more focused and pure; it was akin to the womb of existence, cradling the very origin of being within itself.
Minutes passed, and then the orb vanished, revealing a skeleton that blended bleached gold with a dark, violet-tinged black. Flesh, followed by tendons, nerves, and organs, began to take shape around the bones at a steady, measured pace. His eyes began to take shape, and the symbols of Yin and Yang appeared. Meanwhile, his black hair transformed into a blend of charcoal black and pale white—each individual strand a different color.
The Yin and Yang symbols vanished from his neck, reappearing on his back, intertwined with the form of the sacred Tree of Existence. At the same time, twelve small cavities—each roughly the size of a big toe—emerged across the main trunk and the eleven primary branches of the tree.
Tom's body slumped slightly before he collapsed to the ground, losing consciousness. Suddenly, a cluster of vegetation sprouted from the floor of the base, enveloping his entire body until not a single inch remained exposed.
It was like a chrysalis encasing a caterpillar, destined to emerge as a beautiful butterfly. Thus, Tom lay swathed in a cocoon woven from the leaves of the Tree of Existence—his own origin—becoming, in effect, a seed from which the sacred Tree of Existence could be reborn.
For a forest is born from a single tree, and a forest can be consumed by a tiny spark.
The most beautiful and the most dangerous things in life are often found in the simplest and most trivial of places, rather than in the most complex or difficult ones.