Chapter 501: The Hunger of the Eternal Warrior [Part 2]

The Hunger of the Eternal Warrior [Part 2]

"We truly understand what you’re going through... But no matter which incarnation, no matter the timeline, no matter the world. We are not allowed to lose to the Universal Emperor."

Victor’s expression tightened.

The incarnation continued.

"If it was any other battle, against anyone else we would have let you fight until you felt content."

The words settled heavily into the silent realm.

"We wouldn’t even be bothered if you died and joined us in the realm of our soul."

Victor’s fingers slowly loosened.

"But against the Universal Emperor, even if it’s just a seed, losing is not an option."

The final sentence carried an absolute weight.

There was no hesitation.

No room for argument.

No trace of uncertainty.

Victor stared at the incarnation for several seconds.

His anger still remained, but the sharpest edge of it had begun to fade.

Universal Emperor.

Even the mere mention of that name seemed to carry some invisible significance among his past incarnations.

Victor noticed it.

He had noticed it before as well.

They weren’t merely afraid of the Universal Emperor.

Fear wasn’t the right word.

It was closer to an ancient instinct.

A rule that had been carved into their very souls.

No matter the incarnation.

No matter the timeline.

No matter the world.

They could lose to anyone else.

They could die against anyone else.

But not against the Universal Emperor.

Not even against a mere seed.

Victor’s breathing gradually became steadier.

The anger that had filled his chest began to weaken.

The incarnation who had previously restrained him noticed the change.

His iron grip finally loosened.

Victor rolled his shoulder slightly after being released and looked down at his hands.

He was still irritated.

Very irritated.

But his rage was no longer blind.

Now there was curiosity mixed into it.

A question had been burning inside him since the moment he heard that name.

If they were unwilling to let him fight the Universal Emperor’s seed, then there had to be a reason.

A serious one.

Victor raised his head.

His golden eyes swept across the incarnations.

"Then at least tell me what the Universal Emperor is?"

The incarnations remained silent.

Victor frowned.

"How come we aren’t allowed to lose to it?"

His gaze sharpened.

"Also, why did it call me its rebellious prodigal son?"

That question immediately changed the atmosphere.

The spiritual realm became strangely quiet.

Victor noticed.

Every incarnation exchanged glances with another.

Some looked toward the ground.

Others stared at their companions.

A few narrowed their eyes, clearly weighing something in their minds.

Victor’s expression became more serious.

So there was something they weren’t telling him.

That much was obvious.

He took one step forward.

"Well?"

Nobody answered immediately.

The incarnations began discussing among themselves, their voices low enough that Victor could not make out everything they were saying.

Should they tell him?

Could they tell him?

Was Victor strong enough to bear the truth?

Was it even safe for him to know?

Those questions seemed to pass between them without needing to be spoken aloud.

Victor stood in silence while watching them.

His frustration returned slightly, but he restrained himself.

For once, he didn’t interrupt.

He wanted answers.

Real answers.

Not another vague warning.

Not another order to stay away.

Not another moment where someone simply took control of his body and decided things on his behalf.

If there was something about his existence that even his own past incarnations refused to reveal, then Victor wanted to know what it was.

The air around him became still.

Then—

Someone appeared in front of Victor.

There was no explosion of spiritual energy.

No overwhelming pressure.

No dramatic flash of light.

The person simply appeared.

Yet the moment he did, the entire atmosphere changed.

Victor’s eyes immediately focused on him.

The newcomer possessed almost no presence.

Compared to the other incarnations, whose existences could still be sensed within the spiritual realm, this person’s presence was so faint that he almost seemed like an empty space.

Yet that absence itself was terrifying.

It was not weakness.

It was the opposite.

His existence had reached a level where ordinary perception seemed incapable of grasping it.

Victor stared at him.

For reasons he couldn’t explain, an instinctive desire rose within his chest.

Fight him.

The same reaction spread through the other incarnations.

Even those who had been deeply involved in the discussion turned their attention toward the newcomer.

The atmosphere grew tense.

For an instant, the spiritual realm seemed to become a battlefield without a single weapon being drawn.

Everyone here wanted the same thing.

A fight.

Not because of hostility.

Not because of hatred.

Simply because the person standing before them was someone they all knew.

Someone whose existence was fundamentally different from theirs.

The first incarnation.

The strongest of them all.

Victor’s golden eyes narrowed.

He could feel his blood beginning to stir again.

Even after everything that had happened, the sight of a powerful opponent was enough to awaken that familiar hunger within him.

Yet no one moved.

They all knew the current discussion was more important.

Victor swallowed his desire to challenge the first incarnation.

The other incarnations did the same.

The newcomer looked toward Victor.

His gaze was difficult to understand.

There was no hostility within it.

There was no amusement either.

It was simply calm.

Ancient.

As though he had watched countless worlds rise and fall and had long since stopped being surprised by anything.

Victor waited.

He wanted to hear what the strongest incarnation had to say.

The first incarnation finally spoke.

"With your current strength, I cannot divulge a lot of information regarding the Universal Emperor."

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Authors Notes: Dear Readers, Thanks so much for joining me on this adventure! Your enthusiasm, feedback, and encouragement really keep me motivated to keep bringing *Journey to Become the Zenith* into existence. If you’re loving the Chapters, I’d love it if you supported my book with a Powerstone, review, or even a Golden Ticket—it helps me develop as a writer and lets more readers enjoy the story. I look forward to hearing your ideas and thoughts, so please don’t hesitate to share!

With love,

Scorpio_saturn777

Creator of Journey to Become the Zenith

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