The forest served as the boundary between District 21, administered by the Rabbit Branch, and District 20, under the jurisdiction of the Bull Branch. Each branch strictly prohibited trespassers from entering their territory, and the Rabbit Branch personnel couldn't continue their pursuit due to the risk of encountering Bull Branch members. Adding to the complexity, the branch leaders, Bull and Rabbit, had a bittersweet rivalry fueled by their differing ideologies. While Rabbit sought a structured and orderly policy, Bull ruled with an iron fist, favoring the strong and showing contempt for the weak.
"The Bull Branch territory provides the closest route to a portal for the Sanction of God. If I want to survive, I have to find a way to infiltrate their territory."
[Sol: Easier said than done.]
"It sounds simple until you realize their branch personnel are ruthless killers who won't hesitate to eliminate anything that moves."
[Sol: So, how do you plan to escape?]
"I have a plan."
Aries retrieved a batch of Stun Grenades from his inventory and began throwing them at the walls of District 20. As expected, the alarms blared, drawing the attention of Bull Branch personnel. He then consumed another Stealth Potion and Haste Potion, continuing to throw more Stun Grenades as he sprinted eastward.
[Sol: What the hell are you doing? You're practically announcing your presence!]
"I'm not foolish. I've observed that the properties of the Stun Grenade are similar to those of Captain Morgan, the elite pursuer of the Rabbit Branch known for his Thunder Bolt. He's the only S-rank pursuer in our branch with an affinity for the Lightning Element. If my hunch is correct, the Branch leader probably stationed Captain Morgan at the portal to the Sanction of God to prevent my escape. I'll lure the Bull Branch personnel towards Captain Morgan and let them battle it out."
[Sol: That's a good plan!]
Aries smiled with satisfaction and pressed on, sprinting toward the forest's outskirts, where the Bull Branch personnel, still bewildered by the chaos, they followed the thunderous explosions.
"Is Captain Morgan of the Rabbit Branch trying to instigate a district-wide war?"
"That bastard sure has some nerve!"
"I've always wanted to face him. If he's truly as powerful as they say, now I have a reason to find out!"
The personnel from the Bull Branch were filled with excitement and a thirst for battle as they spotted Captain Morgan standing near the intersection of a portal from a distance.
"There he is! Get him!"
The Bull personnel charged at Morgan, who was taken aback by the sudden surge of hostility directed towards him. He quickly retrieved a spear from his back, ready to face their challenge.
"What the hell do you think you're doing? I knew you people were crazy, but I didn't expect you to be this insane!"
Morgan wasted no time and thrust his spear towards them. The Bull personnel swiftly dodged the attack, but some who were caught in the lightning crackle were affected by the strike.
Bang!
"Insane? You were the ones randomly bombarding our walls with Thunder Bolts, and you have the audacity to call us insane?"
"What?—"
Captain Morgan was perplexed by their baseless accusations, but he had no time to explain himself as another personnel launched a surprise attack from behind.
"You worthless scum!"
Morgan gathered dense mana within his body, converting it into an explosive wave of lightning that immobilized anyone in its vicinity with its electric current.
"You're certainly strong, but we outnumber you!"
The personnel leading the group was a Genome, a bipedal creature with grasshopper-like legs and retractable bladed arms. Genomes were known for their incredible speed, agility, and spatial awareness due to their insect-like characteristics.
The Genome and his companions swung their bladed arms in a horizontal motion, launching hundreds of spikes towards Captain Morgan. His eyes glowed yellow, and the lightning spear he had thrown vanished and reappeared in his hand in an instant.
Kurururug!
With a single fluid motion of his spear, a trail of electric currents neutralized the effect of the flying spikes, causing them to fall to the ground like harmless sticks.
"Useless."
"You think so?"
"..!"
Morgan suddenly sensed that something was amiss, but it was too late to react. The ground beneath him trembled violently, and a pair of furry arms burst out, grabbing hold of his legs and pulling him down into the earth, rendering him immobile.
A huge rat-like creature, covered in brown fur and equipped with long, sharp claws capable of digging at incredible speeds, emerged from the earth. This creature was known as an Inlander, a race that could swim on land and possessed a keen sense of smell, making them excellent scavengers and hunters.
"Kill him!"
The leader of the genomes wasted no time in issuing the command to his companions. As their blades approached Captain Morgan's throat, he let out a powerful scream, causing a surge of lightning to spread throughout the area, shocking and immobilizing everything nearby. Some individuals even fainted from the intensity of the electrical discharge.
"Kheuk!"
Aries, who had sneaked into the battlefield, quickly placed his Awakener card onto the portal's scanner, activating it. However, he was caught in the electric wave generated by Captain Morgan's power, almost losing consciousness and his stealth effect was canceled.
"You...!"
Captain Morgan immediately recognized Aries as the person responsible for instigating the chaos. Consumed by rage, he summoned his spear and emerged from the ground. With all his might, he didn't care whether Aries would live or die; all he knew was that his pent-up fury was directed at this kid.
[Sol: Hurry up!]
As the portal opened, Aries, struggled to get inside and did his best to get sucked into the vacuum effect of the portal. However, the spear flew too quickly, striking his left leg and severing it. Upon impact, the spear exploded into a thunderous bolt of lightning, blowing Aries into the portal and causing the portal itself to be destroyed, leaving behind only his scorched leg.
Tti-ring!
[Due to an activation error, you have been transported to a random destination: E123:W65:N890:S11]
"Urrgh!!!"
Aries writhed in pain as his entire body suffered severe burns during his escape. He lay half-dead on the ground, unable to feel anything in his lower torso, which had been completely fried. The only parts of his body he could move were his severely scorched head and his right arm, which suffered intense second-degree burns.
[Sol: Drink a Great Potion!]
Without needing further instruction from Sol, Aries struggled to open his inventory and grasp a circular glass vial glowing in a blood-red hue.
Ting~
[Great Potion(D): Heals all abnormalities and regenerates any type of wound. Rejuvenates the body and grants a 10-second healing factor that boosts the user's vitality by 200%. (Healing Factor only works for lifeforms below 5th grade.)]
He uncapped the vial and allowed the liquid to drench his mouth, barely managing to swallow its contents. Like magic, a warm surge of energy enveloped his entire body, rapidly healing all his wounds. He witnessed his limbs reforming, from bone to skin, and a vibrant youthfulness returned to his appearance thanks to the healing factor, which he could see counting down in the upper right corner of his vision.
[Healing Factor: 00-00-09]
"I actually survived against an S-rank pursuer."
[Sol: Congrats, but you're completely butt naked.]
"Oh crap!"
Aries quickly opened his spatial inventory and pulled out his bag, then proceeded to put on the spare clothing he had stolen. Once dressed, he stood up to survey his surroundings, only to realize that he had not been transported to a random base. In fact, he had no idea where in the world he was. There were no creatures or signs of life nearby. Suddenly, the earth shook and trembled, causing him to lose his balance and fall to the ground.
"What the f*ck is happening?"
He felt the ground beneath him rise and move with a slow yet powerful shake. The ground started to crack and crumble, causing him to crash down onto solid ground as the earth continued to fall and disappear. Aries finally realized where he had been teleported to.
"Hexagonal shell patterns...wait, am I on a giant turtle!?"
The realization startled Aries. It made sense why there were no monsters around him; he was riding on top of a colossal creature.
[Sol: A giant turtle? Wait, those patterns... I think I know what they are.]
"Really? But I've never seen this enormous turtle monster appear in the 1st Sanction of God. I've read all the monster records about the Sanction of God, and I've never heard of this monster before. It's as huge as a mountain!"
[Sol: If I'm correct, this is a Terradon. They're 5th-grade lifeforms exclusively found in Universe-25500 on barren planets and are known for their docile nature. How in the world did they end up in your universe?]
"I have no idea. So if this monster is from another universe, does that mean the Sanction of God is in Universe-25500?"
[Sol: Maybe, I'm still unsure. Try to find more life forms while I look them up.]
"Okay!"
Aries carefully searched along the edge of the Terradon's shell for more monsters, and soon enough, he spotted a flying bird the size of spacecraft.
"That bird! I've seen similar birds before, like the Quetzalcoatl, a monster as big as planes that can be found in the Iron Base territory. They're Tier-2 monsters of the highest rank. But this thing is ten times their size!"
[Sol: That aerial lifeform is a Searwing! Those creatures are supposed to be in Universe-12009! How in the world are they with a Terradon!?]
"So does that mean the Sanction of God is some kind of convergence point that allows life forms from different universes to coexist in a single world?"
[Sol: I'm still not sure. Keep looking for more life forms.]
...
...
...
[Sol: This is crazy... it shouldn't be possible!]
Aries could sense the terror in Sol's messages, which gave him goosebumps as well. As the Terradon continued its journey, they encountered more and more monsters from various universes. Sol was at a loss for an explanation as to how all these creatures were able to coexist in a single world.
[Sol: Multiversal travel can be accomplished, but usually by higher life forms. However, all these monsters are lower life forms, and none of them possess the intelligence of sentient beings. How did they end up in this place? What the hell is this place in the first place?]
Sol had a multitude of questions, but Aries couldn't provide answers. He was just as shocked by these revelations. He wanted to consult his other viewers, but when he checked his viewer count, there was only a single viewer, Sol, making it a futile effort.
[Sol: If word gets out, you'll indeed become famous and a hot topic in the entire multiverse. However, it won't be a good thing. If the Supreme Beings become aware of this situation, your account may be terminated from the Star Stream. They will mobilize their forces to search the entire multiverse to find you, and if they locate your universe, not only will you be killed, but your entire universe will be on the brink of destruction. It's forbidden for lower lifeforms to coexist within a single spectrum. The multiversal law only permits life forms of 3rd-grade and above to access multiversal travel. That's why the Star Stream was created in the first place, to allow all lifeforms access to other universes without breaking this law. If one lifeform violates this rule, it not only affects the violator but the entire universe, and the punishment is the destruction of that universe.]
"Oh my god. What should I do then? Should I stop streaming altogether?"
[Sol: No, for now, make your streaming platform is in private-mode when you livestream within the Sanction of God. Only allow trustworthy viewers and a reliable manager to view your livestream. Since you're required to livestream publicly at least four times a month and make video content five times a month, ensure that the livestream only accesses your universe from the outside to avoid losing your verification badge.]
"If it's so dangerous, why do I still have to livestream in the Sanction of God?"
[Sol: It's crucial that we first find the creator of this world. If the Supreme Beings discover this information, we can attribute the blame to the culprit and potentially save your universe from deletion, ensuring your safety.]
"I understand now. So the Sanction of God might be an artificial world. That's effing insane."
[Sol: For now, as you mentioned, this world will help you grow and become stronger. Focus on your growth. You're still far from your goal, so take it one step at a time.]
"Yes, I'll strive to be like The Righteous One!"
Aries pumped himself up, realizing that he had found a great purpose in his life. Despite knowing that this path would require him to shoulder the fate of the entire universe, he felt alive and energized. He remembered his idol, The Righteous One, who was the savior of the oppressed, and now Aries was starting to walk the same path. Although he had a monumental goal and countless obstacles ahead, he was determined to face any challenge that came his way.
"I will leave a lasting legend that will be heard throughout the entire multiverse!"