Chapter 197: Taking Vorkoth’s feedback energy
As Alex walked away from the shattered arena, the dust that filled the air seemed to bend to an unseen authority. The fine particles drifted around him and settled harmlessly to the ground before they could touch his clothes. Every step he took carried an effortless calm that contrasted sharply with the chaos he had left behind.
On both sides of the ruined avenue, thousands of ordinary citizens remained kneeling with their foreheads pressed against the cracked asphalt. They did not move. They barely dared to breathe. Their trembling bodies reflected emotions far more complicated than simple fear.
Behind Alex, the eight newly awakened disciples followed in perfect formation.
Their movements were synchronized to such a degree that they appeared almost mechanical. Platinum silver light flowed around their bodies like living streams of energy. The immense spiritual pressure lingering across the place parted before them, unable to resist their presence.
Far behind the departing group, the center of the plaza remained trapped in a state of controlled panic.
Emperor Shen Fengxi stood among the ruins while clutching a secure quantum encrypted communication device. The dignified composure that had defined him for centuries had completely vanished.
He no longer resembled a ruler seated comfortably upon a throne.
He resembled a man desperately attempting to prevent an avalanche from burying his kingdom.
"I do not care about protocol!" Shen Fengxi shouted into the communicator.
His voice trembled with frustration and fear.
"Evacuate the Imperial Archives immediately. Every historical record must be secured. I want every scroll, every encrypted data drive, and every document related to the Pre System Era gathered and catalogued. If a single page is missing when the Unbound’s three day deadline arrives, I will personally execute every member of the Ministry of Records."
The officials receiving his orders nearly dropped their devices.
No one questioned the command.
No one dared.
Elsewhere in the plaza, Jiang Feng stood before the members of his clan.
The once arrogant elders who had occupied the most prestigious seats during the ceremony now appeared pathetic. Their expensive robes were stained with dirt. Their faces were pale. Their confidence had evaporated completely.
One younger elder swallowed nervously before speaking.
"Grandfather... He ignored our apology entirely. Does that mean we have already been marked for destruction?"
The question had barely left his mouth before Jiang Feng struck him.
The backhand landed with enough force to send the elder spinning through the air. He crashed into the ground several meters away.
"Idiot!" Jiang Feng hissed.
His eyes were bloodshot.
The fear hidden within them was so intense that it bordered on madness.
"He ignored us because we are beneath his attention. Do you think our lives are significant enough for him to acknowledge personally?"
The surrounding clan members lowered their heads.
No one dared to disagree.
Jiang Feng clenched his fists.
"If the Unbound requires information, then we will become information. Gather every shadow operative under our control. Activate every sleeper agent. I want eyes in every city, every nation, and every hidden organization on this planet. If the Unbound seeks a global intelligence network, then we will provide one before sunrise."
The elders immediately rushed to obey.
Meanwhile, high above the plaza, the surviving broadcast drones continued their mission.
Most of them had suffered extensive damage during the ceremony. Several operated on emergency auxiliary power. Others had lost entire sections of their sensor arrays.
Yet they continued recording.
Across the world, billions watched their screens.
Media networks had abandoned traditional commentary altogether.
No analyst possessed the knowledge required to explain what had just occurred. No expert could accurately measure the scale of the power that had been displayed.
The familiar tickers that normally displayed stock market data and portal threat ratings had disappeared.
In their place, a single sentence flashed repeatedly in crimson letters.
THE CEILING HAS FALLEN. THE AGE OF THE UNBOUND HAS BEGUN.
As those words spread across the planet, a mechanical notification suddenly echoed within Alex’s mind.
[Ding! This world contains an ancient treasure fragment. Host must obtain the fragment at any cost.]
Alex stopped walking.
The disciples immediately halted behind him.
"What treasure?" Alex asked.
[Ding! System cannot fully analyze the artifact. Its structure exceeds system’s scanning parameters. However, System confirms that it is an extremely powerful treasure.]
Alex raised an eyebrow.
"Where is it located?"
[Ding! Host must locate it personally. The treasure fragment is actively concealing its presence. However, System can sense its existence somewhere within this world.]
Here’s a refined version that maintains the tone, improves flow, raises the sense of scale, and stays close to your original scene.
Here’s a refined version that maintains the tone, improves flow, raises the sense of scale, and stays close to your original scene.
For several seconds, Alex remained silent.
Then he released a long breath.
He had hoped that the recent chaos would finally grant him a short period of peace. Instead, the System had delivered yet another objective.
Given the significance of the artifact, he already understood that entrusting the task to anyone else would be foolish.
If even the System could not completely analyze the treasure, then its value was likely beyond anything this world had ever encountered.
Alex turned his gaze toward his disciples.
"You eight have your own responsibilities."
The disciples immediately straightened.
Their expressions became solemn.
"I have another matter that requires my personal attention."
"Understood, Teacher."
The answer came in perfect unison.
Alex nodded.
A moment later, space rippled around his body.
The surrounding air distorted as though reality itself had become unstable.
One instant, he was standing before them.
The next, he had vanished.
No flash.
No explosion.
No visible movement.
He simply ceased to be there.
The disciples stared at the empty space where their teacher had stood.
The experts and observers nearby did the same.
Silence descended over the area.
Until now, most people had relied on speculation regarding Alex’s true strength.
They knew he was powerful.
They knew he possessed abilities that defied common sense.
Yet deep within their minds, a small part of them had always searched for limits.
Every living being had limits.
Every expert eventually reached a ceiling.
Surely Alex was no different.
That final doubt disappeared.
The effortless manner in which he vanished shattered the last restraints on their imagination.
No one present could even comprehend what method he had used.
There was no energy fluctuation.
No spatial disturbance that they could perceive.
No trace left behind.
It was as though reality itself had quietly obeyed his will.
For the first time, many of them realized a frightening possibility.
Alex might already exist on a level that their understanding could never reach.
Far away from civilization, Alex appeared above an endless ocean.
Blue water stretched across every horizon.
Gentle waves rolled across the sea beneath him while sunlight reflected from the surface like countless fragments of crystal.
The sky overhead was perfectly clear.
Only the distant sound of wind and water filled the world.
Alex lowered himself into a cross-legged position.
There was no platform beneath him.
No visible support held him aloft.
Yet he remained suspended in midair as naturally as a person sitting upon solid ground.
The ocean breeze brushed against his clothing.
For several moments, he remained motionless.
Then he slowly closed his eyes.
His consciousness expanded outward.
Invisible waves of perception spread across the planet.
Mountains.
Forests.
Cities.
Ancient ruins.
Hidden dimensions.
Countless locations flashed through his awareness as he searched for any trace of the mysterious artifact.
His senses continued to expand.
Faster.
Farther.
Deeper.
Yet even while searching, another possibility surfaced within his thoughts.
What if the artifact truly possessed the ability to conceal itself from the System?
What if it existed beyond ordinary detection methods?
If that were the case, then relying on conventional means would be pointless.
He would require a different source of information.
A greater source.
A source that stood above the limitations of this reality.
A faint smile appeared on Alex’s face.
"Give me the feedback energy of Vorkoth."
The System responded immediately.
[Ding! Host must prepare mentally. Vorkoth is an existence approaching the Hyperversal level. Once the feedback energy is transferred, Host’s base power will rise to a similar threshold.]
[Ding! Warning. The resulting strain upon Host’s body, soul, and consciousness will be extreme.]
[Ding! The pain experienced during the transfer will exceed anything Host has previously endured.]
The smile on Alex’s face faded.
Although he had expected something similar, hearing the warning stated so directly still sent a chill through him.
This was not a minor increase in strength.
This was not a simple breakthrough.
He was preparing to receive feedback from an existence whose power stood near the Hyperversal realm.
Such a leap would normally be impossible.
Even worlds would struggle to contain power of that magnitude.
For the first time in a very long while, Alex felt genuine apprehension.
His expression gradually hardened.
Fear would not change the outcome.
Hesitation would only make the process more difficult.
He had crossed countless impossible obstacles to reach this point.
This challenge would be no different.
Alex closed his eyes once more.
The endless ocean stretched beneath him.
The wind drifted across the sea.
Time seemed to slow.
One second passed.
Then another.
Gradually, every distracting thought disappeared.
His breathing became steady.
His mind became calm.
His soul became still.
The world around him faded into silence.
Several minutes later, Alex opened his eyes.
There was no uncertainty left within them.
No hesitation.
No fear.
Only absolute determination.
"Alright," he said calmly.
"I am ready."
The System remained silent for a moment.
Then another notification appeared.
[Ding! One final warning.]
Alex’s eyes narrowed.
[Ding! A Hyperverse is not merely a higher dimension. It is a complete reality.]
[Ding! Entities that govern realities possess awareness far beyond ordinary existence.]
[Ding! If Host reaches the Hyperversal level, reality-class entities may perceive Host’s presence.]
For the first time, Alex’s expression became serious.
Reality-class entities.
The phrase alone carried immense weight.
The System continued.
[Ding! Host is advised to exercise extreme caution.]
[Ding! From this point forward, avoid displaying power above the Hyperversal threshold unless your presence is completely concealed.]
[Ding! Once detected, certain entities may become aware of your existence regardless of distance, dimensional barriers, or conventional laws.]
"Interesting."
The sea trembled slightly beneath him.
"Then let’s see what lies beyond reality."
[Ding! Beginning feedback energy transfer.]
