Something felt off.
Since my arrival at the Hongmeng Vault, there hadn't been a single sign of the 'Chaser.'
Three days had passed since that incident.
Every time I closed my eyes, his shadow lingered in my mind.
Even with the briefest blink, the sense of dread never disappeared.
The terror I felt, moment by moment, seemed to drag my body and soul into absolute darkness once again.
In the worst-case scenario, if I were to die, only one answer awaited me.
The 'Chaser.'
There were only two solutions to this problem.
Either the 'Chaser' himself would call off this terror, or I would die.
There was no way he would leave me alone, not without a single threat, unless he was absolutely certain I would perish before I could reach him and kick his ass.
That's why I've desperately tried to avoid the Ascension Gate.
The Ascension Gate seemed intent on 'binding' my fate to it.
If that happened, there was a high chance my destiny in my original universe would be erased.
That meant I wouldn't be able to return to my original universe as its rightful inhabitant. Instead, I'd become an intruder.
And now, I had no idea how to find my way back to my universe.
For now, I'll do my best in this world and try to find a way home.
If there's no way, then I'll accept the fate-binding of the Ascension Gate and become as strong as possible until I can return home.
Sometimes, one has to accept their circumstances and adapt to survive.
Clinging to stubbornness isn't always the best path.
Now, there's one important thing I must do.
Obtaining the Will of the Eternal Phoenix.
If you ask me what I'd use it for... I'd say as material for crafting a weapon or creating a super-powerful skill based on Power of Will.
As you know, the skills I've created so far only reach the Master level on average.
Sure, I've managed to create an Epic Tier 1 skill, but even that was incomplete because it lacked the archetype that serves as the foundation of its power.
Only after realizing the existence of a new archetype did I understand my foolishness.
I thought I could brush against the hem of the Divine Court or the Seventh Star Sage. Turns out, I hadn't even touched the realm of the unknown.
By 'unknown,' I mean practitioners who have obtained an archetype but haven't reached the Divine Court or Sage Realm.
Some call it the 'quasi' realm, semi-divine, demi-god, and so on. They call it the Quasi Realm here.
Perhaps these Quasis haven't reached the Sage Realm, but what's important is that their combat prowess is incredibly strong.
Minerva has been holding back this entire time; she hasn't even used her Power of Will in battle.
As for Isolde, she said her strength had significantly diminished, even dropping her to the Sixth Star Warrior level, yet she could still crush me to a pulp if she wanted to.
It's all because their control over their Power of Will has reached terrifying heights.
I can even sense that Minerva is on the verge of breaking into the Sage Realm.
There's just one issue with my understanding of Power of Will: the limitations that arise when I try to analyze and comprehend it.
The Ascension Gate seems unwilling to let an 'outsider' like me study its powers.
But thankfully, I can still use a minimal amount of Power of Will.
"What brings you here?"
At the moment, I was meditating on an asteroid far away from the mountains.
"Umm..."
It was Little Azure.
She stood behind me, but I couldn't be bothered to turn around and greet her.
"You won't be able to convey your wish if you don't speak."
The child seemed a little nervous and shy.
"I-I... Arov... I'm not a bad person!"
"...?"
Seriously? You came here just to say this?
"Come here."
Little Azure complied and sat beside me.
Her gaze was still timid, not daring to meet my eyes.
"I'm sorry."
It was me who said that.
"H-huh?"
"For what I said earlier."
I extended my hand and patted her head.
"I shouldn't have frightened you or tried to push you away. I know your existence was unintentional. But don't worry, I'll take full responsibility for you. So, forgive me."
I wasn't sure how to express myself.
It felt like something in my heart was growing slowly.
Guilt and a desire to take responsibility for my mistakes welled up inside me.
The mix of emotions left me slightly unsettled.
"I-I also... want to apologize... Azure should've transformed back then so Papa could recognize Azure..."
Suddenly, I had a bad feeling.
"Sniff... Azure forgives Papa!"
This girl was crying now.
"Yeah... thank you."
"Hmmph!"
"... What's this?"
Why was she holding her arms out to me?
I picked her up and looked into her eyes.
The real question was why she looked so much like me...
It was like getting a perfect copy of yourself, but reversed.
I sat her on my lap and stroked her head.
"Hehehehe."
Well... I didn't expect her to be this soft.
Especially her cheeks—I kind of wanted to bite them.
"Eek! Don't bite Azure'scheekss, Papa! Azure's not food!"
Her legs flailed, and this girl couldn't seem to sit still.
"Wait, how can you read my mind?"
"Azure didn't read Papa's mind."
Her big eyes looked up at me.
"Azure heard it from Papa's heart! Azure feels that Papa and Azure are connected."
Ah, so she'd been hearing my wandering thoughts.
"And was Azure's name also drawn from my Power of Will memories?"
"Yes!"
"What did you see in them?"
I was always curious about this. I knew our connection wasn't as shallow as it seemed.
"Azure saw Papa's past!"
A grimace formed.
My bad feeling came true. No, it was worse than I expected.
"It's all about how Papa started Papa's heroic journey! Entering mysterious enemy facilities, defeating their leaders, making friends with beautiful women, learning, and suddenly arriving here!"
Ah, forget it.
"You don't know how Papa ended up here?"
"No, Azure only saw darkness. Azure thought Papa was traveling to this world."
I stroked Azure's head a little harder.
"Yeah, Papa was traveling back then. Actually, Papa came here by accident. So, how about it? Does Azure want to follow Papa?"
"Umm!"
"Good girl."
She's pretty cute. I like her.
|It seems they've reconciled.|
In the distance, Minerva, in her Yggdrasil tree form, stretched out her root-like tendrils filled with Power of Will.
Each root spread an immense amount of wood, plant, water, and life energy into the surroundings.
Whether it was her cultivation method or simply her desire to spread life across worlds was unclear.
Considering someone of Minerva's Quasi Realm level, the effects were undeniable.
"Not bad, if I must say."
At the base of the Yggdrasil tree, a throne of fire sat not far away.
It was Isolde.
"Isn't this quite unique? A human who just recently gained awareness having to care for a daughter."
|I may be a little concerned, but I trust Arov to keep his word.|
"Hmm. Perhaps we'll help him a little."
A slow stream of fiery energy surrounded the two of them.
|If I may ask, who's the next candidate we're looking for?|
Isolde grinned, her face still both beautiful and intimidating.
"This one's special. You should be able to make some guesses, right?"
|... Don't tell me...|
"Yes, that's right."
A shiver ran down Minerva's spine.
"That person is..."