These questions swirled in Jiya's mind as she looked at him and noticed his visible embarrassment. She let out a sigh, deeply annoyed—not because of the physical contact, but because she realized his awkwardness stemmed from the fact that he felt the same way; his strained, uneven breathing gave him away.
She pulled her hand back from his forehead and sat opposite him, her expression one of profound irritation. Once he had composed himself, Botalib moved to sit beside her.
He reached out toward her, but changed his mind at the last second. Jiya, however, paid it no mind; her goal here was not romance, but rather to gain understanding and absorb the memories.
She turned her gaze toward the system interface, where her list of abilities appeared:
[Ability: Ruler of Healers (Rank: ???), Ruler of Elements (???), Ruler of Beasts (???), Master of Sins (????), Sword Emperor (????), Master of Primordial Chaos (???), Master of Devouring (XXX++), Master of All (XXX++), Saint of Weapons (XXX++), Memories of the Queen of the World of "I am the Great Outcast," and the Palace of All Nameless Things — Level 1: Synchronization Rate 17%
Jiya stared at the synchronization rate—currently only 17%—despite the fact that she had already intervened in this strange world eight times.
She shifted her gaze back to Botalib, who sat in silence, lost in his own thoughts. In a calm, steady voice, she said, "You know something? You are an utter fool—truly pathetic—and yet, you still have a long road ahead of you." Boutaleb remained silent for several seconds, gazing at Jia without uttering a single word; yet, a faint smile graced his face.
"Thank you, Jia. You are a truly kind person—appearing and disappearing out of nowhere, and slowing down time, if only for a brief moment. I appreciate it a great deal. Thank you once again."
"It seems the time has come for you to leave, Lady Jia. Take good care of yourself, and strive to become even stronger than you are now." Boutaleb's tone was calm as he tapped to deactivate the ability: *Memories of the Queen of the 'I am the Great Outcast' World and the Palace of All Things Nameless.*
Jia watched in utter shock as Boutaleb's body began to fade away, bit by bit. "We shall meet again once you reach the Boundless rank," he said. "Farewell, Lady Jia."
Jia could not utter a single word. Suddenly, she found herself back in her own room, her entire body drenched in sweat, her chest heaving rapidly.
She took a deep breath, her eyes fixed on the system interface: *
She let out a long, weary sigh, then glanced at her phone. A notification indicated that 'Audio Recording 8' had arrived. Much like the seventh recording, it stirred a sense of dread and an inexplicable, formless fear within her.
Her hand trembled—driven by a terror lurking deep within her soul—as she reached out and firmly closed the file. [AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA]
Signs of shock appeared on Jia's face as she listened to an audio recording that consisted entirely of screaming—so intense that, in her state of shock, she instinctively stopped the playback.
"What the hell is going on?" Jia asked, her voice filled with utter shock, as she played the recording once more.
Then, she heard Boutaleb's voice, heavy with profound terror: "I'm terrified. I don't know—I don't know what's happening. My heart feels ice-cold; I feel so incredibly alone. I don't know... my power has only grown, leaving me with this hollow void. Why am I even making this recording? Who am I trying to fool? I'm forced to do this—it began as my own desire, but now I have no choice. I can't see anything; I lost my sight because I tore my own eyes from their sockets during a severe nervous breakdown. Who am I? In the name of the creator of hell, who am I? I don't know anymore. I've forgotten almost everything—everything except my own suffering." "I don't know how to describe this feeling—it's so painful, absolutely unbearable. Please, just stop! I know the 'real world' has done some vile things to the 'fictional world,' but what does that have to do with me? I don't even know who I am—how am I supposed to defend myself?"
Jia listened to the audio recording, unable to utter a single word. The world around her began to spin, and her power spiraled completely out of control.
She began destroying everything in her path, drawing the attention of the Venerable Heaven's Blessing, Islabeth—along with Yuta, Chloe, and Madeline—toward Yuta's room.
"It seems she listened to the recording, even though her 'danger sense' tried to stop her. How reckless!" Yuta remarked in a calm tone, glancing sideways at the Venerable Heaven's Blessing, Islabeth.
Islabeth sat there, appearing indifferent on the surface, yet inwardly, she was consumed with anxiety for her daughter, Jia—even though she had granted her the power of her wings, which served as a 'debugging message' from the Author.
The Author was erecting a barrier of energy around the narrative structure to contain the situation. However, the energy unleashed by altering something of this magnitude was immense; Jia was an 'unnamed fragment,' and the power latent within her was truly terrifying.
Several minutes passed before the Author's debugging message vanished from Jia's mind, and her energy finally returned to its normal state. The room, however, was left in complete chaos. Seeing this, the Venerable Heaven's Blessing, Islabeth, let out a silent, relieved sigh. Once Jia's psyche returned to its normal state, she locked away the First Creator's phone within one of her own resource bases, ensuring it remained inaccessible until she reached the "Boundless" rank.
Jia was unable to withstand the impact of those memories; her current state and narrative existence remained far too fragile. Compared to the power wielded by the "Great Outcast" and the "Nameless One," even a "Master" or a "Ruler" is no more than an ordinary human—and for entities at or even above Jia's level of power, such memories serve as nothing less than a form of punishment.
Upon entering Jia's room, she found her lying on the floor, surrounded by complex narrative algorithms still lingering in the air. It became clear that had she not temporarily granted Jia her own power, Jia would have perished. Although the ability—"The Author's Debugging Message"—can only be used once, it possesses the capacity to manipulate both an outcome and the reasons behind it, entirely independent of the laws of logic or It is called "clearing the writer's block."
She picked her up and placed her in her room, a faint smile on her face—a smile that nonetheless betrayed a clear sense of tension.
"Sometimes, you must listen to your intuition. The body does not feel fear without a reason; there is always an instinctual sense of danger, even when nothing threatening is immediately apparent." The tone of the Venerable Heaven's Blessing, Islabeth, remained calm as she tucked Jiya in before leaving the bedroom.
As the days and hours passed, the appointed day arrived—the day Yuta would set off for the Northern Continent, specifically to the Hua Yu Clan, located in the northern Yun Gai Mountains. This region was currently one of the most dangerous places in the world, plagued by waves of monsters driven by resource scarcity—a consequence of the icy surges that had struck the area at the onset of summer.
At 8:30 AM, in his room, Yuta had finished packing everything he needed—clothing, food, and various other supplies. His journey would take him through several cities and empires, where he would inevitably encounter unexpected adversaries and foes.
To attempt to categorize these threats based on the known power levels of this fantasy world's inhabitants would be nothing short of foolish; ultimately, anything could happen over the next four months.
As Yuta prepared himself, both Athena and the Venerable Heaven's Blessing, Islabeth, watched him with expressions that blended calm and tension—neither knowing exactly what the future held.
Yet, the unfolding of events might well depend on the choices Yuta makes throughout his journey. The Venerable Heaven's Blessing, Izlabeth, spoke while looking toward Yuta, who was reviewing a list of items he needed: "Will you head straight to the Northern Continent, or do you have other plans? And will you return to the estate after your journey is complete?"
Yuta closed the list of resources and gazed at the Venerable Heaven's Blessing, Izlabeth, for several moments without saying a word. "Yes, I will head directly to the Northern Continent—there is nothing else for me to do but see this matter through. As for returning afterward, no; there is another place I must visit, and then I shall head to Verselkin Academy, as I have been asked by the Student Council President, Frederick, to serve as a proctor for the entrance examination."
The Venerable Heaven's Blessing, Izlabeth, remained silent as she looked at Yuta, and he, in turn, said nothing; a profound, heavy silence stretched between them for several seconds.
Yuta turned his gaze toward the Venerable Heaven's Blessing, Izlabeth—who remained perfectly silent—and then toward Athena, whose calm, steady look seemed to plead with him not to leave.
Keri, Leri, Chloe, Madeline, and Seri all wished to remain at the Caseral family estate for a longer period; yet, Yuta remained firm in his decision to depart and set out for the Northern Continent.
Yuta continued to look at the Venerable Heaven's Blessing, Izlabeth, for a few more moments before signaling for Athena to leave, eventually remaining alone in the room with her. Yuta approached her, trying to understand the reason behind her strange behavior lately. He found her sitting on the bed, gazing at him with an expression that pleaded for him to stay—even though she could easily force him to, given that she was vastly more powerful than he was.
He sat down beside her, ignoring the curious, cat-like stare directed his way. Turning his gaze elsewhere with a start, he remarked in a grating, unpleasant tone, "What are you doing? You look pathetic, you miserable old hag."
The Venerable Heaven's Blessing, Islabith, stared at him in utter shock—before delivering a powerful punch that sent him hurtling across several entire universes.
Yuta offered a faint smile, unbothered by the fact that his hands—and a significant portion of his body—had been completely shattered; his unique immortality would ensure he regenerated in no time.
Still, this served as a valuable opportunity to gauge the true extent of Islabith's power when enraged. Although she was his mentor, she had never attacked him while in such a state of fury before.
Who could have imagined that a casual strike from her would inflict such devastating damage? Had he not possessed immortality—and had her attack not been purely physical—it would surely have been fatal.
He decided to return to his own universe—specifically to the Casiral family estate—to gather his belongings before setting off for his intended destination: the Hua Yu Clan, located in the northern Yun Gai Mountains. Upon his arrival, he immediately changed out of his tattered clothes—which were in an abysmal state—and tossed them into the trash. Yet, a strange, sudden intuition struck him: Amitalamira was plotting something involving the Venerable Lady Izlabeth, the "Blessing of the Heavens."
He wasn't worried for the moment, however; the death of the Venerable Lady Izlabeth was still over 500 years away—slated to occur during the height of the War of the Paths.
He had looked into the circumstances of her death, which struck him as odd; she had been exceptionally powerful, and her ability was arguably one of the strongest—if not *the* strongest—in existence.
He let out a deep sigh as he stepped out of the bathroom in fresh attire, only to find the Venerable Lady Izlabeth sitting there, gathering his remaining belongings for his journey.
"What an eccentric woman," he chuckled to himself.
He then headed into his private study to collect a few books he might need, should he decide to travel toward one of the great duchies or the eastern regions.
As he gathered the volumes, the Venerable Lady Izlabeth spoke, stopping him in his tracks: "You would do well to head to the auction in the city of Yusaki; there's something there that will prove useful to you. Besides, isn't it only proper to show hospitality to one's guests...?"
Yuta said nothing, but a faint smile graced his lips as he glanced at her from the corner of his eye—he knew exactly what she meant by "hospitality." "Indeed, it would be disrespectful not to honor a guest—whether they arrive from the unknown or are already known to us; they might well bring us blessings we cannot yet foresee." Yuta's tone remained calm as he placed the books into his own personal dimensional space.
Several hours passed in preparation for the journey—a process that felt agonizingly slow to the family members, yet flew by for Yuta, who hadn't even realized it was already two in the afternoon.
He instructed the servants to load the items into his private vehicle, glancing toward the family as he did so. Their expressions were tinged with sadness—all except for Jiya, who watched him with a calm, steady gaze.
Then, Chloe Madeleine approached him and embraced him, both of their faces etched with sadness—a sentiment shared by Keri, Leri, Siri, and the esteemed "Heaven's Blessing" Izlabeth.
After several minutes of familial farewells, Yuta departed the Casiral family estate in his own private vehicle. As a prominent figure within the city of Berhais, he was granted the privilege of traveling by car—a rarity compared to cities like Kyoher Spek, Yuspeakers, or Gasemburg, and many other locations both within and beyond the Kingdom of Atherias (at least, until his true identity as the King of Atherias is revealed).
As Yuta headed toward the gates of Berhais, the voices of the city's inhabitants—filled with news about events unfolding outside the kingdom—reached his ears. He realized this was the perfect place to gather intelligence.
After all, the marketplaces are hubs where people from various regions and continents converge.
"I heard that the venerable 'Star-Hunter' Zendaya, from the Western Continent, has been stripping the talents of the elite and the offspring of powerful figures. She has even arrived for the Summer Festival, accompanied by the 'Last Board-Player' Bing Tao Shin—the very man known as the 'Destroyer of Sects and Clans.'"
"But there's someone in the Southern Continent even worse than her. He exploits women, forcing them into prostitution and selling them off at auctions or to wealthy men. Worse still, he claims to 'steal' people's futures, leaving them in a truly pathetic state." "The Mount Hua Sect closed all its branches and its main headquarters immediately after the Summer Festival concluded. Rumor has it that the 'Last Domain Venerable,' Ping Tao Xin, is seeking to further his power—after all, he single-handedly destroyed the Heavenly Palace—the strongest sect on the Eastern Continent—in a single night, and he has even clashed with figures from the Zhang and Shang clans."
"Meanwhile, the Zhang and Shang clans on the Eastern Continent remain in disarray, following the deaths of several of their elders at his hands. There are also whispers that their young masters perished under mysterious circumstances this past May."
"Do you remember Kai Feng, that disgrace from the Seven Stars Clan? He somehow managed to secure the position of clan heir—and on top of that, he conquered 34 'XX-rank' dungeons in just two weeks! He's become such a terrifying talent that, after defeating Cheng Dong, he's now counted among the 'Ten Great Prodigies' of the Eastern Continent. Who would have thought that someone once considered completely talentless could reach such a frightening level of strength?"
Elsewhere, Yuta listened to their conversation without uttering a single word—though most of it centered on the 'Exalted Venerable of the Heavenly Pool,' Izlabeth; the 'Star-Hunting Venerable,' Zendaya; and the 'Last Domain Venerable,' Ping Tao Xin.
It appeared that the Venerable he had expected to find on the Northern Continent had instead departed for another realm. Furthermore, a new figure—this 'Kai Feng'—had emerged from out of nowhere, proving to be a rather intriguing pawn. It was rumored that he was currently 15 years old and utilized *Qi*—or the roots of the *Dantian*—which, from the very beginning, led to him being dismissed as "trash" by the Seven Stars Clan.
However, his defeat of one of the "Ten Prodigies" of the Eastern Continent, combined with his conquest of 34 "XX-rank" dungeons, made Yuta suspect that he might possess a "System"—much like Edward, Tom, or Son Goku.
Although the timing wasn't ideal, Yuta felt that enrolling in Versalkin Academy would be the best way to keep a close eye on him. His planned route, however, required him to first travel to the city of Yusaki, then to the Dragon Realm, and finally to Versalkin Academy.
Yuta spent several minutes wandering through the city of Berhais, gathering as much crucial information as he could regarding Yusaki. He learned that an auction there had apparently been pushed back to August; however, the information was contradictory, leaving him unsure whether this was the official date or merely a postponement.
Shortly thereafter, Yuta departed from Berhais and continued his journey toward Yusaki—a trip that would take roughly three days by vehicle, as the destination lay outside the borders of the Athrias Kingdom.
As Yuta headed toward Yusaki, the "Gu of Wisdom" appeared before him, letting out a yawn. Yuta cast a sidelong glance at it for a few seconds before continuing to drive, acting as if nothing had happened.
"How are you, Gu of Wisdom? You seem to have been quite relaxed, contemplating the nature of existence. Regardless, that's not what matters. The point is, there is information about Kai Feng that he either doesn't know or is actively trying to hide." Gu of Wisdom gazed at Yuta for several seconds, attempting to discern the true intent behind his question; yet, bound by the terms of the contract, he was compelled to speak.
"Yes, there is information he is concealing—most notably, that he possesses a system allowing for exceptionally rapid evolution. However, rather than utilizing Dantian roots, he draws upon a core of mana, qi, and the very cursed energy belonging to Siuk. Furthermore, he is not the true Kai Feng; he is an individual who took over that body three years ago."
"Beyond that, there is nothing else—the World Record classifies such beings as existing outside the laws that grant me the authority to access information about them. In this regard, he is much like your former companions. The same applies to Amitalamira, whom the Exalted One, 'Heaven's Blessing' Izlabeth, has taken on as a disciple."
"That said, Kai Feng is an extremely dangerous individual; he has managed to deceive the leaders of several powerful clans and sects, bringing them under the control of the Seven Stars Clan."