Hundreds of kilometers away, a young man—appearing to be about sixteen years old—sat upon a throne carved from rock. Though slender in build, his physique possessed an intense, underlying strength. He had dark, crimson-tinged hair and deep, red eyes, and was dressed in functional attire colored in shades of black and dark crimson.
Perched atop a mountain thousands of kilometers high, he gazed out at the world like its sovereign, a cold smile etched upon his face.
"This world is truly beautiful. It was crafted by Jiao Yao Li, the head of the guardians of the Sacred Tree of Existence."
Christian's tone was calm as the wind stirred his crimson hair, causing strands of it to fall across his face.
He rose from his throne with an air of majesty and absolute authority.
A deep sigh escaped his lips as he surveyed the world around him, a faint smile still playing on his features.
*Ring... ring... ring... ring...*
Christian's expression shifted to one of annoyance; he pulled his phone from his pocket, looking visibly irritated.
[Phone]
[Call from: Muhammad]
[Answer] [Decline]
Christian's eyes narrowed slightly as he stared at the phone for a few seconds before lightly tapping the 'answer' button. With a snap of his fingers, the sound of the call was transmitted directly to his ears, eliminating the need to hold the device against them.
"What do you want, little brother Nicholas? Is there something you need from me right now? I'm rather busy." Christian's tone was calm as he kicked a rock, sending it hurtling out of the universe.
[I wanted to let you know that Kazuhiro, Leon, Inuyasha, and I are on our way to you. Also, some strange things are happening—it's as if the world itself is becoming a bit unstable.]
Nicholas's voice, coming through the phone, was steady and composed.
"It looks like the next three years are going to be absolutely intense."
A hint of excitement colored Christian's voice. He turned away, only to find a dragon—as vast as a mountain—staring at him with eyes full of murderous intent, raw power, and absolute might. Christian, however, ignored the creature entirely, turning his gaze toward the edge of the mountain with an expression of complete indifference.
"Is Kazuhiro with you right now?"
Christian's voice remained calm as he walked back to the throne he had occupied earlier, settling into it as if it were rightfully his.
The dragon's expression twisted into a rage so fierce that it shook mountain ranges stretching for thousands of kilometers, triggering volcanic eruptions across them.
"This shall be your end..."
The dragon's tone was dripping with mockery and confidence—but that quickly shifted to shock when he realized that Christian's demeanor hadn't wavered in the slightest; his expression remained as calm as ever.
[Yes, he's with Leon. They're competing in some video games—looks like they're playing GTA 6. Why do you ask?]
There was a note of surprise in Nicholas's voice, but Christian simply steered the conversation elsewhere. "Since that's the case, tell them they're both useless, idiotic, and lazy."
Christian's tone was laced with mockery. On the other end of the line, the voice shifted from Nicholas's to Kazuhiro's—cold and sharp.
[What did you say, you scoundrel? Are you that eager to die?]
There was no trace of anger or hatred in Kazuhiro's voice, yet a faint smile appeared on Christian's face as he turned his gaze toward the dragon for a few seconds.
"Hold on a moment; I'll be right back."
[.....................]
Christian rose from his throne and walked toward the dragon with steady, deliberate strides, exuding absolute power and authority.
A complex, crimson-gold aura erupted from his body like a roaring flame.
He picked up a small stone from the ground and, with complete indifference, aimed it at the dragon.
The dragon stared back at Christian, its expression filled with derision.
"What is this fool doing? Does he intend to fight me with a pebble? What an idiot! It seems my roar has driven him mad—and here I thought he was actually strong!"
The dragon's tone was a mix of relief and mockery.
Christian's expression, however, remained entirely unchanged. He leveled the stone directly at the dragon's head; an overwhelming aura surged from his arm, and he launched the stone at a speed that transcended space and time. The dragon didn't even realize what was happening before its head vanished from its body—taking several ordinary worlds along with it, all wiped out by an attack from Christian, who hadn't even used 1% of his total power.
Having discarded the dragon as if it were nothing more than worthless trash, Christian watched as a pale blue aura manifested around his hand. He began extracting the mana core, the sacred ether, and the "Datian roots" from the dragon's remains. The roots shifted and coalesced into a sphere the size of a bison's head, which Christian then compressed down until it was the size of a standard cultivation pill.
"When will you arrive?"
Christian's tone remained calm as he stowed the mana core, the ether, and the spiritual pill into his personal dimensional space.
"We'll be there in thirty minutes. Tell Yuta to get a place ready for us, too."
Kazuhiro's voice was equally composed, even as he fended off Nicholas—who had silently snatched the phone from his hand.
"Very well. See you then." Christian ended the call before Kazuhiro could respond.
He cast his gaze toward the headless carcass of the dragon, a malicious smile spreading across his face.
With a snap of his fingers, he reduced the dragon's body to a fine mist of energy and swept it into his dimensional space.
"We shall have an exquisite feast with the meat of this dragon."
Christian's tone was cold, laced with mockery for the creature that, only moments earlier, had exuded such immense, lethal power—only to end up as nothing more than dinner. In this world, there is no such thing as an absolute prey or an absolute predator; even the prey may turn into a predator, devouring the very one who sought to hunt it from the start.
Such is the nature of existence; one cannot discern who is being controlled and who is in control within this existential, narrative struggle—a struggle that will never end as long as there is a writer to write and a reader to read. The story itself never concludes; only its characters change.
In this world, there are no primary or secondary characters; every creature in the narrative is the protagonist of their own life story, while serving merely as a supporting character in the lives of others.
Christian's features settled into an unsettling calm as he gazed toward the sun rising in the blue sky, his expression "Life, death, and existence... these are strange and incomprehensible matters. If life is the greatest achievement for any creature, then what is death? Is it a failure, or a transition to a stage whose very existence was previously unknown? Death is an unknown—something that transcends the grasp of beings with limited perception. That is why they interpret it either as a failure or as a point of pride, depending on their own personal interests."
Christian's tone remained calm; then, he vanished from where he stood, as if he had never been there at all.
---
At Versalkin Academy, Yuta and Jiya sat at a table in the cafeteria, exchanging gazes that blended a sense of calm with an indefinable emotion—one that bore no resemblance to love or anything akin to it.
"Congratulations! You've reached the pinnacle of the human rank—'XXX++ Novice Sovereign'—and now possess power on par with fighters of the 'Sacred Sovereign' rank."
Yuta spoke in a calm, steady voice. Jiya, sipping a cranberry-peach juice, looked back at him with eyes filled with a profound sense of defeat.
Jiya had done nothing to put Yuta in a difficult position. Though they appeared evenly matched, she realized that she hadn't even tapped into her full strength—and yet, Yuta hadn't used any of his own true power either; he had simply evaded her attacks, relying solely on wind and fire magic throughout the entire encounter.
"Thank you, Yuta Caseral. Thank you—you've made me realize just how weak I truly am. And yet, I feel neither sadness nor despair. In truth, today's defeat is worth more to me than any victory I have ever achieved." "Winning is a wonderful thing, yet it is like a sweet-tasting poison—it keeps me stagnant, rooted in one place. Losing, on the other hand, is like bitter honey; it compels me to seek out a sweeter honey: absolute power. Today's defeat is but one lesson among hundreds in this life—a life both beautiful and ugly."
"And yet, the bitterness of defeat is unbearable..."
Jiya fell silent as tears began to stream from her eyes—falling in total silence, without a sob or any outward sign of weeping.
The tears poured forth, heavy with despair and sorrow—the only evidence of her grief. Meanwhile, for reasons unknown, signs of sadness appeared on Yuta's own face; it was as if his very body were resonating with Jiya's sorrow. His sadness was not a choice, but something that stemmed from a far deeper source.
"I despise a humiliating defeat. Even though the fight ended in a draw—with both of us losing—I was the true loser here. I couldn't suppress you even once, whereas you managed to do so throughout the entire encounter. Though it wasn't immediately apparent, you prevented me from ever unleashing my true power."
"Thank you, Yuta—truly, from the very depths of my being. You have taught me an invaluable lesson, one I shall never forget as long as I live."
Jiya's voice held a complex blend of sorrow, despair, happiness, joy, and contentment. As she looked at Yuta, a beautiful smile graced his face, and he reached out to take her hands in his. A look of slight shock crossed Jia's face as she gazed at him; she then pulled her hands away and walked off without once looking back.
Yuta watched her leave the cafeteria, a faint, detached smile playing on his lips.
"Jia... what a truly remarkable girl. And yet, the time has not yet come for you to learn the truth. I am truly sorry..."
Yuta's tone was calm, laced with a sense of quiet satisfaction.
He strode out of the cafeteria, paying no mind to the gazes directed his way—attracted by the sight of him holding Jia's hands and leading her away in a manner that had clearly left her flustered.
A few minutes later, Yuta took out his phone and placed a call.
[Christian ⚖️🌐]
[Call] [Message] [Video]
With a composed expression, Yuta tapped the call button and held the phone to his ear, his face remaining as cold as frost.
Ring... ring... ring... ring...
---
Author's Note
🌐: A symbol representing the System.
⚖️: A symbol representing the Balance.
---
The phone rang for several seconds before Christian answered.
"How are you, Yasin? Did you carry out what I asked of you?"
Yuta's voice remained calm as he spoke to Christian over the line.
[Yes. I have secured the Mana and Aether core, as well as the spirit pill crafted from the Datian roots of a 'Boundless'-rank dragon—just as you requested.]
Christian's tone was steady and indifferent, treating the task as if it were entirely trivial. [Where are you right now? I've arrived in the city of Kasembourg; my companions will be here in a few minutes.]
Christian's voice carried the ambient noise of a bustling marketplace—typical for him.
"I'm still at the Academy. Guther and I are heading your way. Meet us at the 'Eye of the Sultan' café, alright?"
Yuta's tone remained as calm as ever as he navigated the corridors of the Academy grounds, eventually meeting up with Guther, who was waiting for him at the Academy gate.
"We're on our way."
[Fine, just hurry up, you lazy fool.]
Ignoring Christian's remark, Yuta cut the connection and turned toward Guther.
"Let's go. It's been a while since I've seen them—after all, they're the last ones with any connection to our former world, aren't they, Yuta—or should I say, Bou-Talib? Hahahaha."
Guther's voice was a blend of composure and cold, mocking irony.
"You're right, Isaac. We'd better hurry, then."
Yuta's tone remained steady, seemingly indifferent to Guther's comment. Without another unnecessary word, the two set off toward their meeting point.
This was no ordinary reunion; it was a gathering of titans—individuals of genuine, exceptional talent on this path, known as the 'Path of the Ruler.'