Dust swirled as the vibrations intensified. The small mountain, comparable in size to the giant toad Gamabunta, shook violently. Ye Zi's expression shifted slightly, and he stepped back a few more paces, watching as the mountain-like creature shook off countless particles of dust.
The dust scattered widely, dense enough to obscure vision. It was unclear how long it had accumulated to form such a scale, or how long this mountain-like creature had remained in this place.
"Ha ha ha!"
From within the dust cloud came a heavy, stone-like laugh—an expression of incredulity mixed with genuine, uncontrollable joy.
The laughter spread out in visible ripples, dispersing the thick dust in the air far away.
At this moment, Ye Zi finally saw the creature's true appearance.
The creature was entirely yellowish-brown, humanoid in shape, standing even taller than Jiraiya's summoned beast. Its arms were unusually long, reaching the ground, with thick, robust fingers and six digits. Its bald head was smooth, lacking a nose and eyebrows, and beneath its enormous amber eye was a mouth many times larger than normal. As it laughed, its gaping mouth resembled a monstrous black hole, exuding an eerie chill.
After a while, the one-eyed monster's laughter gradually subsided. Its amber eye slowly descended to gaze at Ye Zi, who appeared unfazed. After a moment of silence, it remarked, "Human, long time no see."
Ye Zi was momentarily stunned. He was certain he had never seen such a monster before.
The monster's remark about "Long time no see" was not directed at Ye Zi, but rather at the human species as a whole.
"The earth is withered, the sky is about to perish, and finally, I've waited long enough! Ha ha ha!" The monster suddenly looked up at the hazy sun, letting out a thunderous laugh.
Ye Zi silently stepped back. He wasn't sure if this creature was a summoned beast, but even if it was, there seemed to be no possibility of a contract. Thus, he was already considering retreating.
Whether it was due to Ye Zi's movement or not, the creature suddenly lowered its head, its solid gaze fixated on Ye Zi with an icy coldness.
Suddenly, Ye Zi felt a chill sweep across his face, spreading throughout his body.
He stopped moving, the hairs on his body standing on end as he instantly went into a state of alert.
"Humans are so weak, they should have been wiped out long ago. Yet, unexpectedly, the one to come through the space rift is a human. It's surprising, but that doesn't matter."
The one-eyed monster's gaze was intense, its huge eye gleaming with impatience.
"Human, take me to the place you came from," it commanded with a condescending tone.
Ye Zi didn't move, or rather, he dared not move. He had a premonition that if he tried to run, even with his highest speed, he wouldn't be able to escape this unknown monster.
He lifted his head, looking at the creature, his lips moving as he prepared to speak.
"Don't speak. Just lead the way," the monster coldly interrupted before Ye Zi could say anything.
Ye Zi reflexively closed his mouth and decisively turned, heading in a direction.
He could sense the monster's immense power and felt that the creature might not attack him, at least for now, so he judged that it was safe for the moment.
Indeed, the Reverse Summoning Technique was filled with unknown dangers. No one knew where one would end up or what monsters one might encounter. The one-eyed monster, despite not exuding any killing intent, gave off an overwhelming sense of inevitability.
It was a tangible, impactful feeling, even more direct than the dust cloud dispersed by its laughter.
Realizing that escape was impossible, Ye Zi remained calm. He planned to lead the monster back to where he had arrived, and then, while it was unprepared, find an opportunity to use the jutsu to return to his original world.
Fearing that the monster might think he was trying to escape, Ye Zi kept his speed moderate.
As he progressed a short distance, the one-eyed monster impatiently said, "Move at your fastest speed."
Ye Zi fell silent at these words and then activated Lightning Release, electric currents surging through his body like a bolt of lightning, propelling him forward.
He truly used his fastest speed and did not look back.
This action was permitted by the monster, so it was not risky. Ye Zi hoped to find a chance to escape.
However, reality was always harsh.
The one-eyed monster was enormous but not slow. With a single stride, it covered a great distance, closely trailing Ye Zi, seemingly quite at ease.
Ye Zi dared not look back. He knew the monster was firmly behind him and felt relieved that he hadn't tried to escape from the start.
In reality, even if he had attempted to run from the beginning, the one-eyed monster wouldn't have killed him because he was the first and most important being to come through the space rift after such a long time.
Before long, Ye Zi led the creature back to the place he had arrived.
Upon arrival, the one-eyed monster ignored Ye Zi completely. Instead, it stood there, staring intently at a particular spot as if deep in thought.
Seeing this, Ye Zi watched the monster while slowly distancing himself.
The one-eyed monster seemed oblivious to Ye Zi's movements, its gaze fixed in concentration, remaining still.
As Ye Zi moved to a safe distance, the one-eyed monster suddenly let out an enraged roar.
"No! Impossible!"
Ye Zi's outstretched arm froze, and he dared not move, for at that moment, the monster's gaze locked onto him with an intense focus.
"Spatial coordinates are misaligned by the turbulence. How did you get here?" The monster's icy glare was filled with palpable anger.
Ye Zi's eyes twitched, and he replied, "Summoning Technique."
"Summoning Technique… Summoning Technique?"
The monster mumbled to itself, staring at Ye Zi, and said coldly, "Be more specific."
The gaze that remained fixed on him was as heavy as a mountain, exerting tremendous pressure.
Ye Zi forced himself to remain calm and then described the Summoning Technique in detail, including how he arrived here and his purpose.
After a long period of silence, the one-eyed monster finally spoke again.
"Tell me about your world."
The monster asked again, still unsure whether Ye Zi was from its original world because it was unfamiliar with the concept of chakra energy units. It could not completely dismiss the possibility either, given the long passage of time during which both it and the world had changed.
Ye Zi answered honestly, providing a concise overview of his world.
The monster fell silent once more. It had confirmed that Ye Zi was not from its original world, and was left perplexed. The monster continued to ponder in silence.
Although this space was isolated, neither entering nor exiting, the only world it could connect with was the one it originally came from.
Thus, it was impossible for a human from a different world to be here.
Absolutely impossible. Yet, this human was indeed here.
The monster had lost track of how long it had been trapped in this space. Originally, this space had been vibrant, not as desolate as it was now.
The desolation was due to the fact that it had consumed all that could be eaten—not just living beings but everything, including rocks.
Once it had eaten everything edible, it began to doze off. Over time, its size and strength diminished.
Until today, when it saw a human, it believed that the space had finally cracked. Despite its weakened state, it was confident it could break through the space and return to its original world. It hoped to restore itself by consuming more "food."
However, it was disappointed.
The space had indeed cracked, but the coordinates were distorted, and even if it managed to break through, it would be instantly killed by the turbulence.
Yet, it was not entirely hopeless.
Because this world now had another living being besides itself—a weak human.
Yes, this human represented hope.
Whether it was from the original world or not was irrelevant. The monster was hungry and wanted to eat, so the specifics of the original world didn't matter.
Join the patreon and get 48 chapters in advance