"Look at that bird, Lenna," I said, my voice gentle. "It's free to fly wherever it wants, to search for food and build its own life. But there are also birds that live in cages, cared for by their owners. The caged bird might yearn for freedom, but it doesn't truly understand the challenges of the outside world. If it were suddenly released, it might not survive like the wild birds do. They were born with different circumstances. Some birds are born to struggle and survive, while others are born into comfort and safety. Each has its own path, its own way of living."
I paused, allowing my words to sink in. "Lenna, you're like that caged bird," I continued, my voice soft but firm. "You've always been protected, sheltered from the harsh realities of the world. Running away might seem like the answer, but it could lead you to even greater danger. You're not prepared for the challenges that await you out there."
I knelt down in front of her, my gaze meeting hers. "I know things are difficult at home right now. But running away won't solve anything. It will only create more problems, more heartache. You need to face your challenges head-on, Lenna. You need to find a way to communicate with your parents, to let them know how you're feeling."
Lenna's eyes welled up with tears once more, but this time, they were tears of understanding, not just sadness. "But... they won't listen," she whispered, her voice choked with emotion. "They never do."
"Then we'll make them listen," I assured her, my voice filled with determination. "We'll find a way. But first, you need to trust me. You need to believe that there's another way, a better way, to deal with this."
Lenna looked at me, her eyes searching mine for any sign of deceit. But all she saw was sincerity, a genuine desire to help her. Slowly, she nodded, a single tear rolling down her cheek. It was a small gesture, but it signified a profound shift in her trust, a willingness to let me in.
"I... I trust you, Senior," she said, her voice barely a whisper.
I smiled gently, offering her a reassuring hand. "Good," I said. "Now, let's talk. Let's figure out how we can make things better."
We sat down on the soft grass, the vast meadow stretching out before us like a canvas of hope. The sun shone warmly, the gentle breeze carrying the sweet scent of wildflowers. It was a world away from the chaos and conflict of Lenna's life, a sanctuary where she could finally open up and share her burdens without fear of judgment.
And as we talked, the weight on her shoulders seemed to lift, replaced by a glimmer of hope. She spoke of her fears, her frustrations, her dreams for the future. I listened patiently, offering words of encouragement and support, my heart aching for the young girl who had been forced to grow up too soon.
As the afternoon wore on, Lenna's spirit began to mend, her laughter echoing through the meadow like a forgotten melody. She ran through the fields, chasing butterflies and basking in the warmth of the sun. It was a beautiful sight, a testament to the resilience of the human spirit, a reminder that even in the darkest of times, joy and hope could still bloom.
As the sun began to set, painting the sky in a breathtaking array of colors, I knew it was time to return to reality. With a heavy heart, I led Lenna back to the train station, the journey back to the city a stark contrast to the peaceful haven we had just left behind.
"S-Senior... I actually-"
Crash!
A deafening sound ripped through the air, followed by a tremor that shook the ground beneath our feet. My senses flared, my instincts screaming in alarm. This was it... the Seers' attack, the asteroid they had warned us about.
"Lenna... I'll take you to a safe place, please," I said urgently, grabbing her arm.
Teleport her into my dimension where she can see me and what I'm doing.
With a swirl of energy, we vanished from the train station, leaving behind the chaos and destruction that was about to unfold.
"Huh... where am I...?" Lenna looked around, her voice echoing in the vast emptiness. She was surrounded by a boundless white void, devoid of any discernible features or landmarks. A sense of disorientation washed over her, but then she noticed a strange phenomenon: the world outside, the train station, the impending chaos, was playing out before her eyes as if she were watching a movie.
Don't worry, Lenna. You're in my dimension, my voice reassured her, echoing through the nothingness. There's something I have to do...
With that, I start to fly to the sky to see where the crash sounds are, while Lenna can see my POV in another dimension.
"Hmm... seems that was a small one,' I found a small asteroid that fell near the statue where I and Lenna rested earlier."
I flew down towards the asteroid, landing gently on the ground near it. The impact site was a small crater, surrounded by scattered rocks and debris. I examined the asteroid closely, looking for any signs of unusual materials or markings.
"Well well finally I meet the imaginary." A voice appeared behind me.
As I turned around, I saw a woman standing there with a smirk on her face. "And you might be Kura."
Kura smiled and crossed her arms. "I am and prepare for the meteor above you."
"What do you mean by that?" I asked, my voice filled with confusion.
Kura chuckled, her eyes sparkling with mischief. "Oh, you know, the usual. The Seers, the prophecy, the impending doom. The whole nine yards."
"I'm not sure I understand," I replied, my confusion deepening.
But then I could hear people's voices, filled with fear from a radius of several meters.
"M-Meteor above!"
"What is this!?"
I looked up, my face remaining steady. Three different meteors were above me.
"Just that meteor?" I asked, turning back to Kura.
"Heh, nonchalant. Use your imaginary power then."
If I said the words 'gone,' every meteor coming to Earth would disappear instantly, I began to imagine.
"Gone..." I said aloud.
The moment I uttered the word, a blinding light enveloped me. When my vision cleared, I found myself standing in the midst of a serene landscape, untouched by the chaos that had engulfed the world outside. The meteors were gone, their impending destruction averted.
Kura smirked. "Heh, just what I thought. I was wondering how I could defeat you with that immense power... O' Fool god inside that body."
"I'm not a fool god," I replied.
"You're not, but you are one of its fragments."
Kura smiled. "You know, I was wondering how long you would hide your identity as a fragment of the Fool God. I thought you would hide it until the end of your life... Sam! Jeanthus! Now!"
Swoosh!
"Rubik Math!" Jeanthus yelled, then a Rubik's Cube with lots of math puzzles appeared in front of Xian.
Meanwhile, Sam held Xian's body to keep him from moving.
"Keugh!?" I stuttered when I was suddenly trapped.
"What is this?" I asked, my voice filled with confusion as I struggled to break free from Sam's grip.
Jeanthus stood before me. "Hold my power. It's the power I just received from the genius, steal people's power."
No one can steal my power, I imagined.
The Rubik's Cube before me began to glow with an eerie light, and I felt a strange sensation as if something were being pulled from within me. My strength seemed to dwindle, and I found it increasingly difficult to resist Sam's hold.
"You're losing, Xian," Kura taunted. "Give up now, and we'll make your suffering quick."
I gritted my teeth, refusing to yield. I focused my mind, drawing on the power of the Fool God within me. A surge of energy coursed through my veins, and I managed to break free from Sam's grasp. However, the Rubik's Cube was still freezing me.
"Jeanthus! Take his power!" Sam yelled.
Without hesitation, Jeanthus's hand went to my head, and I could feel power being taken.
"What are you doing?"
The three of them stopped and noticed a figure beside them, Parker.
"Parker! Run!" I yelled.
Instead of running, she raised her hand, summoning her harbinger. "Two Great Whales!"
Bwooongg!
The two great whales emerged from the fabric of reality, their massive forms casting long shadows. Their dark robes billowed in the wind, revealing the intricate patterns woven into them. Their eyes, glowing with an ethereal light, scanned the scene before them.
"Shit... the great whales' harbinger... a sorcerer, Parker!" Kura smiled.
"Meteor!" Kura yelled, summoning another one.
With that, a large meteor appeared above them, but the whales started to float above and consume it.
The whales continued to devour the meteors, their massive forms seeming to grow larger with each one they consumed. The meteors, once a threat to the world, were now mere sustenance for these powerful creatures.
Kura watched in disbelief, her plans crumbling around her. She had underestimated the power of the great whales, and now her own life was in danger.
"45 degrees Celsius," I answered, the Rubik's Cube puzzle solved and disappearing.
Jeanthus backed away when he saw I had already finished. "Tch! I didn't even finish taking your power!"
Parker stood beside me, her eyes locked on Kura, Sam, and Jeanthus. "So, let's fight," we said in unison, our resolve clear.
"Wooooooong!" The two whales let out a deep, resonant cry.
The massive creatures charged forward, their immense forms overshadowing Kura and her allies. Kura, realizing the overwhelming odds, turned to flee, but Sam and Jeanthus, trapped by the power of the Rubik's Cube, couldn't move. The whales closed in, their presence suffocating.
But something unexpected happened—whoosh! My senses flared. From the corner of my eye, I saw movement. The Seers, who were supposed to be sealed within my dimension, had appeared.
"IMAGINARY!" Libidio's voice rang out as he unleashed an ice spike, aiming directly at me.
Swoosh!
I didn't move. I just stood there, watching as the sharp ice spike hurtled toward me. With a blink, crash! it shattered into nothingness before reaching me, dissolving into the air as if it never existed.
"How... how did you escape my dimension?" I asked, more curious than alarmed. That realm was supposed to be a place where their illusions were trapped, inescapable by normal means.
Libidio smirked, his eyes glinting with pride. "We just made it."
I narrowed my eyes further at Libidio as his grin deepened, seemingly unfazed by my attempt to grasp his intent. "You just made it? That's not possible," I repeated, more firmly this time, unwilling to accept his cryptic response.
Libidio's grin widened as ice formed rapidly around his hands, the chill spreading into the air like creeping frost. "You underestimate the Seers, Imaginary. Dimensions, illusions, realities—they're just puzzles to us. And guess what?" He flexed his fingers, the ice glowing faintly. "We've solved yours."
Behind him, the other Seers began to materialize, their figures flickering in and out like specters stepping from shadows. Each radiated a distinct, dangerous aura, their combined presence suffocating the air, thickening the tension like an impending storm. The energy they exuded was almost palpable—each Seer wielding a different element of power, blending together into a chaotic swirl of force.
Parker's eyes flicked towards me, her concern evident. "This isn't good," she said under her breath, her brow furrowed. "They've broken through."
I nodded, feeling the weight of her words settle in. The Seers had warped reality itself to escape the confines of my dimension, proving their mastery of illusions and space manipulation. This wasn't just a fight anymore—it was a collision of worlds. If they could manipulate the dimension I controlled, then they posed a threat far beyond the physical.
Libidio raised his hand again, and I could feel the temperature plummet. The cold became biting as frost began to form on the ground around us. His smirk widened as he conjured an even larger ice spike, crackling with an unsettling energy. "Let's see if your little tricks can handle this, Imaginary!" He sneered as the spike shot forward, hurtling towards us at impossible speed.
But before I could act, Parker stepped forward, her stance firm, her eyes blazing with determination. "Two Great Whales!" she shouted, her voice cutting through the freezing air.
The two massive whales surged forward once more, their dark, shadowy forms rippling as they opened their colossal jaws. The ice spike, massive and deadly, was swallowed whole in a single fluid motion, disappearing into the abyss of their forms as though it had never existed. Their overwhelming presence seemed to still the chaos momentarily.
Libidio's face twisted in frustration, but there was still fire in his eyes—defiance. He cursed under his breath before throwing a glance back at his comrades. "Is that all you've got?" His voice dripped with venom as he motioned to the other Seers. Their figures began to move in unison, chanting words I couldn't decipher. Their power surged, sending ripples through the air, the ground vibrating beneath us. Dark clouds gathered quickly above, swirling as if pulled by their collective will.
"Stay focused," I muttered to Parker, sensing the storm building. I could feel the weight of their combined magic pressing against us, pushing the limits of the battlefield.
Libidio lifted his hand again, preparing to launch another devastating attack. But before he could strike, I decided to turn the tide. I stretched my hand forward, imagining the space around the Seers tightening, warping their perception of reality itself. The very air around them began to compress, bending under the force of my will.
Wooosh!
Suddenly, Kura's voice rang out, sharp and commanding. "A thousand meteors!"
Above us, the sky darkened further as meteors materialized, their fiery trails lighting up the clouds. They were far larger than before, countless in number, filling the heavens with an impending sense of doom.
Parker and I exchanged a glance—this was about to get far more dangerous.
"There's no time to worry," a familiar voice pierced through the chaos. IM appeared before us, almost out of nowhere, and with him stood Elang, Lili, and Yolan.
My eyes widened in disbelief. Did they just teleport here?! I thought, struggling to process how they'd crossed such great distances so instantly.
Elang stepped forward, his expression sharp and urgent. "Xian! Take care of the meteors! It's not just our country at risk—if we don't stop this, the whole world could be destroyed!" His voice cut through the rising chaos, echoing as the tension built around us.
My gaze shot skyward. The sky was filled with countless fiery meteors, their burning trails painting streaks of destruction across the heavens. The sheer scale of the impending catastrophe was staggering. This wasn't just an attack; it was an extinction-level event, capable of wiping out all life on Earth.
I clenched my fists, feeling the pressure of the moment. There was no time to second-guess or hesitate.
"Parker, keep them busy!" I called out, keeping my voice steady even as the chaos swirled around us. Without missing a beat, she summoned the whales once more, their massive forms charging toward the Seers. The enemies continued their chanting, their power growing with every word, fueling the storm of destruction they had unleashed.
I shut my eyes, focusing all my energy on the meteors above. I envisioned the devastation they would cause, the cities they would crush, the lives they would end. But I couldn't afford to let fear take hold. I had to act, and fast. I focused harder, imagining the meteors simply ceasing to exist, wiped from reality itself.
But then, my focus wavered as I realized just how many there were—too many. The closer they fell, the more overwhelming their sheer numbers became. "This is too much... I can't handle it all," I muttered under my breath. But there was no turning back. I couldn't fail. Not now.
A wild idea flashed through my mind. If I couldn't erase them, maybe I could stop them another way.
I opened my eyes, feeling the surge of adrenaline flood my system. Super speed, I imagined. Faster than I've ever moved before. My entire body buzzed with power as the air around me seemed to slow, my mind racing ahead. I pictured myself punching each meteor, sending them back to where they came from, undoing the damage before it could even happen.
The meteors were almost upon us now, burning brighter, descending faster.
I leaped into action, my fists flying through the air at impossible speeds. Each punch connected with a meteor, sending it hurtling backward, its momentum reversed as if time itself had bent to my will. One by one, I knocked them back into the sky, the sheer force of each blow rippling through the air.
With every hit, I imagined the meteors returning to their place of origin—wherever they had come from, they would go back. Faster and faster, I struck, my body a blur of motion. Time slowed to a crawl as I moved at superhuman speed, sending each destructive force back before it could touch the Earth.
But the strain was building. The sheer number of meteors was pushing me to my limit.
Meanwhile, inside Xian's dimension, Lenna stood transfixed, her eyes wide with awe as she watched the events unfold from her unique vantage point. The scene before her—a battle against the impossible—played out like something from a dream. Meteors, massive and blazing, hurtled through the sky, only to be met by Xian's relentless, superhuman speed and strength. Each punch he delivered sent the destructive forces flying back into the void they came from.
"Senior... you are this strong...?" Lenna whispered, her voice barely audible, filled with disbelief. She pressed her hands against the invisible barrier, watching as Xian fought against overwhelming odds, seemingly unstoppable.
The realization hit her hard—this was a side of Xian she had never imagined. She had always seen him as someone calm and wise, someone who guided her through her emotional turmoil. But now, as she witnessed his immense power, it dawned on her that there was far more to him than she ever realized. The quiet strength he had shown her in their peaceful moments was just a fragment of what he was truly capable of.
Lenna's heart raced as she watched, her admiration for him deepening.
< Chapter 202 > Fin.