1054 - Childhood Friend of the Zenith

Title: The World's Greatest Companion Chapter 1054: Northern Hare - Web Novel Archive Crack-crack-crack. Debris falls. Shards relentlessly drop from the sky and the dust in the air seems denser than usual. The once bright sky has turned gloomy, with a throng of clouds obscuring what little light remains. Rumble-! Boom!! Thunder rumbles within the gathering clouds. The ominous sky first catches the eye. The once lush green fields are engulfed in flames, the air thick with the smell of char. The once lively meadow and the thriving forest have completely vanished from the landscape. What could have happened here? It was impossible to tell. Crack-crack-crack. In the midst of burnt remnants, someone staggers. A figure buried within the earth is struggling to stand. "Grrr…” Rising feebly while dripping with blood is a tortoise. "Gah... Ugh..." As the weary tortoise struggles to rise, something swiftly strikes it. Thunk-!! “...!!” The tortoise is pinned to the ground, not even able to scream. "Disgusting." The owner of the spear flares his wings and approaches the tortoise. "Is this the fate of a master who has lost his name? How trivial." Though his tone seems sympathetic, his words are nothing but derision. "I always wondered why the ruler of many realms accepted another world's master. Now I know." “Urgh…” “Having become so insignificant, it seems there was no need to pay attention. Do you not agree?” The tortoise groans in agony at the man's words. But the staff continues to emit light. Boom-!! Lightning crashes down from the sky onto the man. Rumble--!!! An enormous bolt strikes the man but leaves him unscathed. “Annoying.” The man clicks his tongue, unharmed. "Pointless resistance. You should know by now; without divine status, you cannot close the gap." Extending his hand, the man calls back his spear from the tortoise. "Gah!” Grasping the blood-drenched spear, the man chuckles at the tortoise. "You called me a half-breed? What difference does it make?" Even with elevated status to a half-breed, nothing changes. None can touch him solely for that. “Ha... ha…” The tortoise, bleeding as if exhausted, looks up at the man. Staring into his calm blue eyes, the tortoise asks. "What... is your purpose...?" "A question too delayed. It’s indeed a tardy inquiry." He snickers, suppressing laughter before resuming his speech. "Heaven desires the realms. This is for that purpose." “Heaven... Ha…” With that answer, the tortoise understands. “It is the Primordial Sky.” Kuguung. At those words, the air around the man grows oppressive. "Speak not carelessly. You have no right to speak of him." "That detestable one, finally showing its fangs long concealed." Hohoho. This time, it's the tortoise that laughs. “Pitiful child. Do you truly believe you are serving the will of the Primordial Sky? You are mistaken.” The tortoise rises again, using its staff as leverage to stand with great effort. “You are merely a pawn as well." “Perhaps.” Whoosh. Feathers burst forth, floating around the man. The white feathers drift gracefully, transforming into spears in no time. "As I said earlier, what difference does it make? I have heeded his words and become great." "Do you see that as greatness? You do not understand what it means to become a master." "That’s something I’ll learn in due time. How amusing that one who’s lost their status tries to advise me." "......" "I am curious only about one thing. What lies in that volcano you’ve sealed? What might it contain for heaven to command me to procure it?" Upon seeing the unnamed master before him, he became aware. He didn’t know what it held. "But there must be something, considering it’s what you’re guarding." "......" Even as everything has turned to chaos, risking a life sustained by the grace of the multi-realm, this is how they choose to spend their remaining strength. It's clear there's something worth protecting with that power. That fact alone suffices for the man. "Impressive." He acknowledges it. "Even having lost your name, you show such stature." With the eyes bestowed by heaven, he couldn't see through it. What does the inside hold for this much struggle? “I can’t help but be curious.” Determined to find out no matter what, the man stretches out his hand. At that moment. Bzzzz. Countless spearheads align forward. “Ngh...” Seeing that, the tortoise attempts to move his staff again but, exhausted, fails to raise his arm. “Unleash.” Shaa---!!!! Spears pour down like rain. Boom-boom-boom----!!!! Countless spears rain upon the ground. Though it seems merely fields exist, they strike something akin to an invisible barrier. Crash-crash-crash---!!! The continuous impacts persist, and the man lacked the time to dispel it, but he possesses power. He tears it apart with strength. Only with that thought, spearheads are cast out again and again. Sst-! A tearing sound is heard from somewhere. Swoosh---!!! The once maintained barrier is stripped away in an instant. Only then does the man raise his hand. The spears that continued their bombardment disappeared. A completely different world existed within the vanished barrier. “Well, now.” Seeing this, the man grasps the situation. “It wasn’t hidden. It was crafted.” It wasn’t simple subterfuge. It wasn’t akin to his own ashen space granted by the Primordial Sky. This was a creation of a complete space. Or the borrowing of a space unknown. Though he didn't know how it was connected to here, knowing who created this allowed the man to understand. 'Master of Incantations.' Or the King of Incantations. In his master’s name, he was known as Jureong (註嶺). A Sky Sovereign of a World, who lost everything due to a series of events and even lost his name, now unknown to most. It was said he had taken refuge somewhere in the multi-realm; yet, the master of the multi-realm had expressly said not to search for him, making it impossible to trace his presence. “So you’ve been playing house here.” To think such an existence resided in a volcano. The amusement was overwhelming. Hiss... As the barriers dissolve completely, the interior is revealed. Connected to another space with an alien background, yet the inside is perfectly visible. Numerous presences can be sensed, distant but structured villages are visible. And then: “Hahaha, so that’s what you were hiding.” In the far distance, an enormous tree, so vast it can be seen even from afar, spreading its vermilion leaves—a sacred tree, bloomed with an unknown seed. That’s it. That’s the one. “How can it be so vast?” The size of a sacred tree reflects the presence of its possessor. As his stature increased, the surrounding trees must have also grown significantly. It was noticeable but irrelevant. Whatever energy the tree possessed, he had surely absorbed it all. He might have drawn the attention of the master of the multi-realm while doing so, but— “Well.” The master could not move. It was obvious he was expending all his strength to mend the Abyss’s rift. Knowing this, the man acted now. “O Great Sky, hear me.” His tree was considered large, yet— What on earth is that tree? How can a sacred tree be so enormous? Curiosity rises, while his mouth waters. “If only I could obtain that.” If he could embrace that sacred tree, he could fill his lacking stature and finally reach— With that thought, the man raised his hand into the air. “...Are you truly intending to cross the line?” The voice of the tortoise broke through. The man, without looking at the tortoise, replied. “There was never such a thing as a line.” If he had considered that, he would not have begun in the first place. To this answer, the tortoise, in a weary voice, asked again. “...You seem unafraid.” “Afraid?” Afraid of what, exactly? The man glanced briefly at the tortoise. “Are you perhaps referring to the master of the multi-realm? If so, do not worry. She cannot—” “That’s not it.” “What?” The tortoise interrupted the man. Not the master? Then what should he fear? With confusion painted across his face, the man watched the tortoise. “The one who was peacefully sleeping... I believe they’ve been awakened by the recent events.” “What in the world...” Words that make no sense. Is this some kind of delay tactic? Even if it were, it wouldn’t change anything. “What are you trying to say—!” Ignoring it, he attempted to proceed with his intentions. ZGVPdDc2cnQxMFU0bVlrbnZITXlVdXRRR1JTTFc0bnNSMnZ2SlYzajd5dWxxcmk5ZHRZc2IwVGlrQXVBREV4RA The man flinched, turning his head. “What in the...” His trembling eyes fixed forward. An immense figure approached from the huge sacred tree, of a size he had never heard of. At first, it seemed to be the presence contained within the tree, but as it drew nearer, he realized it was not. Flinching, he watched. Step. A figure walking as if the air was a mere path—recognition struck the man. "You..." He knew this person too. An existence he had encountered a few times thanks to the leniency of the multi-realm. Once almost called a general, he vanished with the tree's seed, deemed a criminal for establishing the ludicrous Volcano Sect. An old man clad in white martial garb embroidered with flower petals on his chest. Not one of the Crescent Moon, nor an outcast from another world. Thus, a stranger. Unwelcome everywhere, for he was called such. "You..." Looking at the old man, the man broke out in a cold sweat. Something was wrong. "Why?" Why indeed. Why did he appear so formidable? Back when he first saw him, these details were invisible—now, with elevated stature, they were clear. It couldn’t be. An unboosted stranger appearing as such—it didn’t make sense. As the man contemplated his dilemma. "Good grief." The old man chuckled, appearing fatigued. "Trying to get some sleep here. Could you be any noisier...?" In that instant. "Annoying." Swish! "What?" With a sharp noise, the man lowered his gaze. His body had been cleanly sliced in two. Without even realizing it himself.