Chapter 177: Merge

The moment Akuma agreed to the terms, the distorted mechanical arm slowly withdrew into the darkness, leaving behind a silence that seemed to stretch endlessly through the forsaken world.

"You have just destroyed the chains that bound you."

The words lingered in Akuma’s mind long after the arm disappeared. He lowered his gaze toward his own hands, opening and closing his fingers as though expecting something to change, but his body remained the same, and the endless darkness continued to surround him. Nevertheless, somewhere deep within his soul, something had shifted.

Far beyond that forsaken world, another existence continued to observe the universe.

Liam’s consciousness hovered above his planet, gazing at the countless civilizations scattered across its surface.

From the perspective of an ordinary creature, the world appeared peaceful, with kingdoms prospering, merchants traveling between settlements, and different races continuing their lives without realizing how much had changed in recent years.

However, Liam could see something that none of them could.

The boundaries separating two worlds had begun to weaken.

At first, the changes were barely noticeable, appearing as tiny distortions in the space surrounding the planet.

Yet, as Liam extended his perception, he discovered that the phenomenon was spreading much faster than he had anticipated, with faint traces of another world appearing beyond the limits of his own.

’So this is what happens when the connection begins.’

Liam focused his attention on the space separating the two worlds, watching as invisible threads stretched across the void. They resembled roots extending through the darkness, searching for something to grasp, and each time one of them connected to the other side, the surrounding space trembled slightly.

He had expected the process to be complicated, but witnessing it firsthand was an entirely different experience.

After all, connecting two worlds was not as simple as opening a door between separate rooms.

Their environments, natural laws, and accumulated energies had developed independently for countless years.

Forcing them together without proper preparation could produce unpredictable consequences, ranging from minor disturbances in the environment to the complete destruction of civilizations caught in the middle.

Fortunately, Liam had already begun preparing for this possibility.

He carefully adjusted the connection, allowing the two worlds to approach one another gradually rather than forcing an immediate fusion. The process demanded considerable attention, but he preferred spending time establishing a stable foundation over dealing with unnecessary disasters later.

’Let’s see how things develop.’

With that thought, Liam expanded his consciousness across the planet.

The first noticeable change occurred near the outermost regions of his world, where the sky briefly shimmered as though an invisible object had passed behind it.

Several birds scattered from their nests, while creatures roaming the forests raised their heads toward the heavens, sensing something unfamiliar that their instincts could not explain.

In a distant settlement, a group of scholars stopped their discussion when the instruments inside their observatory began producing strange readings.

"What is that?"

One of them approached the equipment, adjusting its position before examining the results again. The numbers remained unchanged, indicating that an unfamiliar source of energy had appeared beyond the known boundaries of their world.

Another scholar frowned.

"Could it be a celestial phenomenon?"

"Perhaps, but I have never encountered anything like this before."

They continued their investigation, unaware that the phenomenon they were observing was only a tiny fragment of a much larger process.

Liam watched their activities with mild interest before shifting his attention elsewhere.

There was no reason to explain everything to them yet. If the connection continued developing as expected, the inhabitants would eventually notice the changes themselves, and by then, he would have a much clearer understanding of the consequences.

Besides, the process had only just begun.

As the hours passed, the distortions gradually spread, appearing in isolated regions before disappearing just as quickly. Some creatures experienced strange dreams, while others sensed unfamiliar energies drifting through their surroundings, although none could identify their source.

Liam continued monitoring the situation.

He was particularly interested in how the different environments would interact once the connection became stronger.

His planet possessed numerous races, ecosystems, and supernatural phenomena, all of which had developed through different circumstances, and introducing another world’s influence could produce unexpected evolutionary changes.

Of course, there was also the possibility that some regions would suffer from the interference.

He kept that possibility in mind, carefully adjusting the connection whenever he detected a disturbance that threatened to grow beyond acceptable limits.

After all, experimentation was useful only when the results could be observed.

And there was no point in destroying the very world he had spent so much time developing.

Several hours later, Liam finally shifted his attention away from the connection and examined the planet from a greater distance.

From this perspective, the changes became far easier to recognize.

The space surrounding his planet no longer appeared entirely isolated. Faint distortions had begun forming beyond its atmosphere, creating the impression that something enormous was approaching from the other side of reality.

Yet, there was no visible celestial body moving toward him.

Instead, the connection itself was drawing the two worlds closer through a process that Liam still did not fully understand.

He could sense the other world’s existence, but his perception remained limited, unable to penetrate every region or identify everything within it. It was similar to observing a landscape through a fogged window, where certain shapes became recognizable while the rest remained concealed.

’Interesting.’

Liam concentrated on one of the newly established connections and attempted to extend his perception through it.

For a brief moment, unfamiliar images flashed across his consciousness.

A stretch of land unlike anything he had seen before, strange geographical formations, and distant traces of life appeared before the connection abruptly weakened. Liam immediately withdrew his consciousness, preventing the disturbance from spreading further.

He remained silent for several seconds.

Although the glimpse had been brief, it confirmed something important.

The other world was not merely an empty space waiting to be connected to his planet. It possessed its own environment, its own history, and potentially countless civilizations that had developed without his knowledge.

The implications were considerable.

If the two worlds eventually became connected strongly enough, their inhabitants might encounter one another naturally, whether through exploration, trade, territorial expansion, or outright conflict.

Liam could already imagine the possibilities.

New races, unfamiliar technologies, different supernatural systems, and civilizations whose development might differ drastically from those on his planet.

’Let’s not rush things.’

Liam gradually withdrew his consciousness from the distant connection and returned his attention to the world beneath him. Across its surface, life continued uninterrupted, with most inhabitants remaining oblivious to the changes occurring beyond their skies.

For now, that was precisely how he wanted things to remain.

The connection needed time to stabilize before he could determine the safest way to proceed. Once he understood the process more thoroughly, he could decide whether to accelerate the merger or maintain the gradual approach.

Until then, observation would be his priority.