Chapter 57: Don’t Read

Chapter 56

Terazax looked at Petra as though he were looking at a complete fool.

What exactly was this man planning? Did he genuinely believe he could defeat him? Did he honestly think that, even in his wildest dreams, he could take him down?

Terazax couldn’t help finding the idea laughable.

Petra had already lost most of his power. What remained was merely a fragment of what he had once possessed, and yet he had still chosen to remain behind.

How foolish.

"What are you planning?" Terazax asked, his voice carrying a trace of mockery. "Do you believe that, in your wildest dreams, you’ll be able to take me down?"

Petra merely smiled, choosing not to bother replying to the taunt. Instead, he launched himself forward, and Terazax’s expression changed as he moved to meet him.

The two figures charged toward each other and collided once more.

BOOM!

The reality surrounding them collapsed inward under the force of their collision before rapidly reforming. Space twisted, and the foundations of the fake reality trembled as the essence of Terazax spread through the surrounding region, reshaping the collapsing reality and preventing it from being completely destroyed by the force of their battle.

It couldn’t be helped. If the two of them fought within reality itself, countless realms would already have been destroyed, and the consequences would be far too severe. Such destruction would inevitably draw the attention of the universe itself, placing Terazax under its watch.

Although he wasn’t particularly afraid of the Eye of the Universe, dealing with it would still be a hassle. He had no desire to create unnecessary complications for himself.

That was why they could only fight within the fake reality. It restricted Terazax to some extent, preventing the full consequences of their battle from spilling directly into the universe.

But even that restriction wasn’t enough to change the outcome.

Terazax continued dealing more and more damage to Petra. Every clash brought Petra closer to the edge, and every exchange made it increasingly clear that the difference between them was simply too great.

Petra continued fighting regardless, refusing to back down.

But even he couldn’t hold on forever.

And finally, the victor was decided.

...

The fake reality vanished, leaving Terazax standing with Petra’s limp body held by the head. Petra’s body hung motionlessly in his grasp, and the overwhelming aura that had once surrounded him had weakened considerably.

Terazax looked at him with disgust and hatred. For a moment, he simply stared at Petra, as though he could hardly believe that this was the same being who had dared to stand against him until the very end.

Then he spoke.

"When you were at your full strength, you were unable to fully kill me off."

His grip tightened slightly around Petra’s head.

"So tell me... what made you confident that you would be able to do so now, when only a fragment of you remained?"

Terazax narrowed his eyes. "Wasn’t that foolish of you, Origin Lord?"

Petra merely smiled calmly and shook his head.

"You are still as foolish as I remember you to be, Terazax." 𝘧𝓇ℯℴ𝓂

There was no fear or regret in his expression. Even as he hung helplessly in Terazax’s grasp, Petra appeared completely unbothered by the situation.

He had already anticipated this outcome. Or perhaps, to be more accurate, this had never been about defeating Terazax in the first place.

"Tell me," Petra continued calmly, "why would I bother killing you when I can’t?"

Terazax’s expression darkened.

"All I needed to do was buy some time."

Petra’s smile widened ever so slightly.

"And you see... I’m done buying time now."

The moment those words left his mouth, something caught Terazax’s attention, causing his eyes to change. He turned his gaze toward the place where the Origin was undergoing fusion.

And then he saw it.

The fusion was almost complete. It was only a second away from being finished.

Terazax’s expression changed drastically.

That was fast.

Far too fast!

He hadn’t expected the process to reach this stage so soon, and for a brief instant, he was caught off guard.

But the next moment, he reacted.

He tried to move, stop the fusion, and reach the Origin before the process could be completed. Unfortunately, he was too late.

Petra’s grip on him had never been the kind that could truly restrain him forever, but it had served its purpose. The moment Terazax attempted to move, Petra caught him again, preventing him from reaching the Origin.

Petra’s gaze glinted with mischief.

"Don’t let your guard down. How many times do I have to tell you that?"

As he spoke, his body began to glow with a blinding white light. The radiance grew stronger and stronger, illuminating the surrounding region until his entire figure was engulfed in its brilliance.

Petra looked toward the young human who had fully merged with the Origin, a gentle smile appearing on his face.

"And this is my second gift to you, young human."

The next instant...

BOOM!

Petra’s body exploded in a blinding flash of white light. The force of the explosion tore away a huge chunk of Terazax’s dark essence, violently ripping it from his existence and weakening him considerably.

The damage was devastating.

But Terazax didn’t even spare his injuries a glance. He didn’t care about Petra anymore, nor did he care about anything else. His attention was entirely focused on the Origin.

He had to stop the fusion.

He had to prevent the Origin from choosing another master!

Terazax immediately moved toward the Origin, unleashing his power as he attempted to interfere with the process.

But alas, he was too late.

A blinding white light erupted from the Origin, spreading through the surrounding space and swallowing everything in its path as the fusion finally reached its conclusion.

Within the cocoon, the young human’s eyes snapped open. A pair of multicolored irises appeared, glowing brightly as though they contained the radiance of countless different worlds.

The Origin fusion was complete.

Terazax tried to touch it, stop it, and seize the Origin before it could disappear.

But it was already too late.

The blinding white light suddenly vanished. It didn’t fade gradually or disappear slowly; it was simply gone in an instant, leaving no trace behind.

The Origin was gone.

And the young being with whom it had fused was gone as well.

There wasn’t even a single trace of their existence left behind.

Terazax’s eyes reddened with fury.

He couldn’t believe it.

He had been so close. So damn close!

And yet, in the end, Petra had managed to outwit him once more. Even with only a speck of his existence remaining, Petra had still managed to defeat him in the only way that mattered.

He had failed to obtain the Origin, and there was nothing he could do about it now.

Rage bubbled within Terazax’s heart, growing more violent with every passing moment until it could no longer be contained. A deafening roar escaped his throat.

ROOOAAAR!

The surrounding realms was shredded apart by the force of his roar. Terrifying black holes formed throughout the region, their enormous gravitational forces tearing at the surrounding fabric of reality as Terazax unleashed the fury that had been building within him.

His rage threatened to swallow everything around him.

He had failed.

The Origin had gained another master, and he had been unable to stop it.

The truth remained unchanged, no matter how much he raged. The Origin had another master, and Terazax could do nothing about it.

He raged like a madman, or rather, like a mad god. No... like a mad, calamitous being whose fury threatened to tear apart everything within his reach.

But no matter how much destruction he unleashed or how violently he tore through the endless of space, searching every boundaries.. every single realms cluster, the outcome would never change.

The Origin was gone.

Its new master was gone.

And Petra had once again managed to thwart him.

...

Back on Earth...

The dungeon known as Dungeon X suddenly vanished in a blinding white light. The light erupted without warning, completely swallowing the dungeon and everything within its boundaries.

For a brief moment, the surrounding region was drowned in an overwhelming radiance. Then, just as suddenly as it had appeared, the light began to fade.

When the brilliance finally disappeared, Dungeon X was gone. There was no dungeon, no entrance, and no trace of the mysterious structure that had stood there before.

In its place...

A young human child with dark hair lay sleeping peacefully.

-------

End Of Volume One.