'Tap...' A barely audible sound echoed through the vast, white corridor.
'Tap...' Another step, its volume almost identical to the last.
'Tap...' And another.
'Tap...' And yet another.
Then, suddenly, the sounds ceased. The corridor, grand and pristine as if taken from ancient times, now seemed an endless void—a void in which only one being existed.
The being that had produced these sounds had halted. A woman of unparalleled beauty, beauty worthy of the most divine goddess. Her eyes... her hair... everything about her appeared flawless.
Perfection without limits. Her skin, her lips—everything exuded a divine perfection.
Yet, at this very moment, this goddess-like figure stood still—positioned almost at the center of the endless corridor. A corridor that seemed to lead nowhere and everywhere at once.
Her head held high, her long, scarlet hair—redder than the purest ruby—flowed as if caught in an eternal oceanic dance, despite her motionless stance.
She gazed forward, deep into the boundless white void of the corridor. Her crimson eyes fixated on a single point. Then, suddenly, they flickered—just for a brief moment, yet noticeably so.
And after that fleeting glimmer, she continued forward.
'Tap...' Her first step after the pause—somehow louder, more resolute.
"Hmmm..." she mused aloud, her voice breaking the silence, yet still striding forward.
'Tap...' Another step, identical to the last. But before she took the next one, something changed—her lips curled into a smile. A face that had been so solemn before now bore an expression of amusement.
"I've heard that more and more rifts are appearing in space... Is that true?" she spoke, though her words were not directed at herself. It was a question meant for someone—or something—else.
'Tap...' Another step, this one sharper, more intense, almost feral—out of place compared to her previous composed demeanor. A moment later, she parted her lips once more.
"Hmmm... So, In'teritus..."
And with those words, her smile widened even further.
'Tap...' Her aura began to swell, pulsating outward with an overwhelming presence. She took another step through the endless white corridor. Then, with barely contained excitement, she uttered her next words:
"This is going to be fun!"
Her scarlet eyes flared once more, her power surging, tearing apart the corridor itself. And then, her expression shifted—her grin transformed into something utterly terrifying. A smile that, despite her divine beauty, would send shivers down the spine of even the bravest souls.
And in the next moment, she vanished—leaving behind a corridor completely shattered by her mere presence.
...
In an unknown location...
A man sat alone at a rectangular table—though thirteen other chairs surrounded it, he was the only occupant. The table, carved from marble, stood in the center of a vast hall stretching nearly a hundred meters in all directions. Towering pillars—fourteen in total, mirroring the number of chairs—rose toward an unseen ceiling, vanishing into infinity.
He sat in silence, a subtle smile on his face as he read a book.
"Hm?"
Suddenly, as if sensing something, he lifted his gaze.
Before him, on the opposite side of the table, she appeared.
A woman.
Her expression was one of pure madness.
And the moment he saw her, his face paled.
Before he could react, she lunged. In an instant, she was at his side, gripping his clothing, lifting him effortlessly off the ground. He hovered in the air, held aloft by her alone.
His face turned ghostly white, beads of sweat forming on his brow. Then, forcing out a nervous chuckle, he spoke in a trembling voice:
"Hehehe... How may this humble one assist?"
But in his mind, a single thought screamed: 'What the hell does she want!? I can't end up like last time!'
She narrowed her frenzied eyes at him and demanded:
"Do you know where the rifts have appeared!?"
Her voice, dripping with mania, echoed through the grand hall.
His eyes widened slightly in surprise. "Rifts?" he repeated absentmindedly, before cursing himself internally. 'Damn it! I should've kept my mouth shut!'
Her expression darkened with impatience.
"Et'an! Do you know, or not!?" she yelled, her aura—momentarily restrained—beginning to spill outward once more, pressing down upon him.
Feeling the weight of her presence, panic set in.
'Damn witch! She always makes my life miserable! Why can't she find someone else to torment!?' he cursed in his mind, before hastily blurting out:
"I know! I know!"
As soon as he said it, her aura began to recede. Her eyes, still wild, gleamed with a mix of irritation and excitement.
"Then where?" she asked, her voice sending a chill down his spine.
He swallowed hard before answering swiftly:
"Sector 16H!"
The moment those words left his mouth, her expression morphed once again into that crazed, unhinged grin. And in the blink of an eye, she was gone—vanished from the great hall.
With her departure, gravity reclaimed him, and he crashed onto the floor.
"DAMN IT!!! She just ruined my perfect day!!" he shouted, slamming his fist against the ground. Yet, despite his strength, the floor remained unscathed.
Grumbling, he picked himself up and sat back in his chair, still muttering curses under his breath about the unwelcome intruder.
"Why does she always come to me, as if I'm the only one who knows everything among the people she associates with?" he huffed in frustration.
Then, a realization struck him.
His face turned pale once more.
"Damn it... I do know nearly everything about what she seeks..."
And as the weight of this truth settled upon him, his expression darkened even further.
"I pity you... beings of annihilation, beings of corruption... In'teritus..."
His voice dropped to a whisper, filled with grim certainty.
"I pity you... because she is coming for you."
Scarlett, the Entity of War.
...............
In the boundless darkness—darkness so absolute that no mortal could ever hope to see within it, darkness in which the only source of illumination was an enormous sphere of light—a sphere that, at this very moment, was being annihilated. Annihilated by the beings of destruction, the entities of annihilation, and the manifestations of corruption.
Right now, an infinite number of them swarmed—a never-ending tide of twisted entities, creatures that had succumbed to the corruption. The corruption of the legendary limbo space—their domain.
One after another, these malformed entities emerged through dimensional rifts—rifts that, according to legend, led to their home.
One after another, they came forth… endlessly.
But most of them never made it through. The sheer force of the dimension they sought to invade tore them apart, shredding them to pieces before they could fully cross over.
Yet, despite the power of the realm itself, their regeneration kept up—restoring nearly every one of them before their existence was entirely erased.
The rifts in the fabric of space were torn open, positioned near the enormous sphere of white light. It was toward this radiance that the creatures surged—beings whose forms defied description.
And suddenly, within that very space, a lone figure appeared.
A woman.
Her terrifying smile remained unwavering as she took in the scene before her. Then, without hesitation, she threw her arms wide and shouted into the void:
"LET'S GET TO WORK!!!"
Her voice, amplified by raw qi, resonated through the abyss, reaching the corrupted entities. In response, they immediately turned—drawn to the presence of something wholly different from them, something alive.
..................
A few seconds later…
"Why are these damn things so weak!!!" she roared in frustration, her voice echoing through the void—directed both at herself and at the creatures she had just annihilated within mere seconds.
Her crimson eyes burned with unquenched thirst—for more battle, more… more…
............….............
"Huuu… Alright!" Evan shouted, opening his eyes as he felt his cultivation finally stabilize.
"System… is my cultivation truly stable?" he asked, just to be absolutely certain. His expression showed a hint of uncertainty.
[Yes.] The system quickly responded in its usual mechanical voice.
"Alright!… Wait a minute!" His voice, initially filled with enthusiasm, suddenly shifted to panic. "I was supposed to return quickly… and it's already been over three hours?!" he exclaimed, realizing that he had only intended to explore the village briefly. Normally, sightseeing didn't take this long—especially when there wasn't much to see in the first place.
With that realization, he abruptly stood up from under the tree and sprinted toward home.
....................
A few days later…
Evan opened his eyes once again, still seated beneath the spirit tree. "Huuu… finally! Stable cultivation at Sub-Stage 6 of the Energy Gradering Realm!" he shouted with excitement. However, deep down, he felt a bit disappointed. After all, reaching this sub-stage had taken him nearly four whole days, and he hadn't even been cultivating the entire time. This was only his tenth day since reincarnation.
Suddenly, his lips parted once more. "System?" he called out, a faint smile on his face.
[Yes?] the robotic voice responded.
"How does my strength rank within the Energy Gradering Realm?" he asked with anticipation. After all, he had yet to test his power in a real fight.
[The host's strength is currently categorized as close to Sub-Stage 7 of the Energy Gradering Realm,] the system answered.
"Yes!" Evan cheered happily. "Cultivating under this tree was worth it!" He was well aware that the difference in strength between each sub-stage in the Energy Gradering Realm wasn't particularly large, but still, he couldn't help feeling a bit pleased.
Then, his expression shifted slightly, his eyes narrowing as he muttered, "But the real problem is… this body originally didn't have a spiritual root. Because of that, I can't reveal my true strength…"
A trace of sadness entered his voice. These past few days in this new world had been nothing short of amazing—he had a caring family, joyful days, new emotions—everything felt fresh and exciting.
After a brief pause, he continued, "But the most important issue is… I still don't know how to fight with a weapon. The martial arts lessons I took back on Earth probably won't be useful against the threats of this world." He spoke thoughtfully while leaning back against the tree.
"Hmmm… How should I ask Father to teach me how to use a sword?… Or maybe I should ask David?" he mused, considering his options.
However, before he could think further, the sunlight that had been warming his face was suddenly blocked. His eyes snapped open, and the moment he looked up, he saw—
A child.
More specifically, her.
His body's childhood friend from before he had awakened in it. A girl named Vivian. She stood before him, a bright smile on her face, and with a curious yet gentle voice, she asked, "What are you doing?"
Evan let out a sigh in his mind. Her again! He was already growing a bit exhausted from her constant presence. After all, she was just a ten-year-old child…
.
.
.
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[A/N:
Hey, as always, I hope you enjoyed this chapter! Don't forget to add the book to your library.
Today's chapter is a bit shorter, but don't worry—it's just for today!
That's all from me for now. See you next time!]