Chapter 206: Ancient Memory
The silence that followed the catastrophic heartbeat stretched across the Kaiser Clan Garden like an invisible ocean. Alex lay motionless at the bottom of the enormous crater, his body buried beneath shattered crystal soil and broken roots that had been ripped from the ground by the impact. His eyes remained fixed on the glittering sky above while every nerve in his body screamed in agony.
It felt as though every bone had been crushed into dust and every meridian had been forcibly torn apart. His connection to Genesis Energy had become unstable, leaving him unable to properly circulate his own power.
For someone who had stepped beyond countless realms and survived battles that could destroy universes, being reduced to such a miserable state by nothing more than the heartbeat of an unborn creature was almost unbelievable. It was actually humiliating.
Several familiar notifications immediately appeared within his consciousness.
[Ding! Warning! Host’s physical vessel has sustained 84% structural damage.]
[Ding! Warning! Residual Immortal Energy is suppressing the host’s natural regeneration.]
Alex wanted to laugh, but even breathing caused unbearable pain.
"Thanks but I know already," he answered inwardly. "You do not have to keep reminding me."
Another notification appeared before the previous ones disappeared.
[Ding! Critical condition detected.]
[Ding! Emergency recovery protocol activated.]
[Ding! Activating the Lotus of Creation.]
Deep within his Inner World, a magnificent lotus that seemed to contain the origin of existence slowly bloomed. Countless petals unfolded one after another, releasing streams of pure Genesis Energy that spread throughout the endless world inside him.
The oppressive Immortal Energy invading his body was gradually drawn into the lotus before being refined into harmless energy. Warm currents flowed through every damaged meridian while shattered bones slowly reconstructed themselves. Flesh, blood, and spiritual pathways recovered at a speed visible even to the naked eye.
Almost fifteen minutes later, Alex finally managed to sit upright.
He coughed violently before spitting out a mouthful of dark blood that carried traces of corrupted Immortal Energy. His breathing became steady once again, although a lingering ache still remained throughout his body.
His gaze naturally drifted toward the distant center of the island.
The mountain sized egg stood exactly where it had always been, surrounded by flowing streams of golden light and rotating stars. It looked peaceful and majestic, as though it had never nearly erased him from existence.
Alex rubbed his aching chest and sighed.
"If something like that ever hatches completely, the resulting shockwave could probably destroy several reality sectors without even trying."
He slowly stood up while forcing his stiff muscles to cooperate.
"The mysterious voice said that I need to gain its recognition. Unfortunately, getting close enough to speak seems impossible when every heartbeat functions like a higher dimensional annihilation technique."
Charging forward with brute force would only result in another disaster. Even if he exhausted every secret art, every transformation, and every enhancement provided by the System, he doubted he could survive standing directly before that terrifying existence.
A second heart beat from close range might erase him completely.
There had to be another method.
Alex closed his eyes and carefully recalled every detail from the moment he entered this strange domain.
Suddenly, a forgotten notification resurfaced inside his memory.
[Ding! The spatial structure of this region closely resembles the formation of the ancient treasure fragment obtained by the host.]
His eyes immediately opened.
"The ancient treasure fragment..."
His consciousness instantly descended into his Inner World.
Near the endless lake created by the Lotus of Creation rested a jagged obsidian fragment that had remained silent since the day he obtained it. The strange object floated above the water, constantly releasing mysterious ripples that even the System had never fully analyzed.
Alex extended his spiritual sense toward it.
The fragment responded immediately.
It flew into his hand before leaving the Inner World and appearing within reality.
The moment it entered the Kaiser Clan Garden, a deep humming sound echoed through the surrounding space.
The pitch black shard vibrated continuously while invisible waves expanded in every direction. The suffocating pressure pressing against Alex suddenly weakened before disappearing altogether.
It was as though an isolated region had formed around him where the laws of this domain recognized his existence instead of rejecting it.
A genuine smile finally appeared on Alex’s face.
"So my guess was correct."
Several new notifications appeared.
[Ding! Analysis complete.]
[Ding! Ancient treasure fragment identified as an access medium compatible with the foundational laws of this domain.]
[Ding! Foreign aura concealment function activated.]
Alex tightly held the fragment and resumed his journey toward the center of the island.
The experience was completely different from before.
The endless Immortal Energy no longer attacked him. Instead, it quietly flowed around his body as though acknowledging the authority carried by the fragment. Towering trees and luminous plants gently swayed while countless particles of light drifted through the air.
Every step brought him closer to the giant egg.
Its overwhelming presence became increasingly obvious.
Its size alone was insignificant compared to the sensation it radiated. The egg felt impossibly heavy, as though countless universes had been compressed into a single point that somehow maintained perfect balance.
When Alex reached a position roughly one hundred meters away, the surrounding atmosphere suddenly became still.
Then the heartbeat returned.
Thump.
The entire island trembled.
Golden waves expanded from the shell, carrying enough force to erase ordinary immortals instantly.
Alex instinctively tightened his grip around the fragment and closed his eyes. If this fragment didn’t work, he would be gone.
Colorless ripples spread outward and collided directly with the approaching heartbeat.
An earth shaking explosion erupted.
The ground beneath his feet instantly shattered into countless fragments, yet the destructive pulse never reached his body. The ancient fragment absorbed part of the impact before sending the strange energy into his Inner World.
The Lotus of Creation gently rotated while accepting the unfamiliar power.
[Ding! Trace Higher Dimensional Pulse absorbed.]
[Ding! Inner World growth rate significantly increased.]
Alex barely had time to examine the notifications.
The countless nebula patterns covering the gigantic shell suddenly stopped moving.
Every flowing star and every rotating galaxy froze before converging toward a single point.
An indescribable consciousness descended upon the clearing.
It was neither hostile nor indifferent.
Instead, it carried pure curiosity.
Alex felt as though an infant deity had discovered an unfamiliar existence for the very first time.
The pressure on his soul steadily increased, yet he refused to retreat.
He raised the ancient fragment before speaking calmly.
"I do not know what you truly are, and I doubt my current level allows me to understand your real existence. I am trapped inside this place, and you remain inside your shell. Perhaps we can help each other."
The moment his words echoed through the clearing, everything vanished.
There was no explosion.
There was no contract.
There was only absolute darkness.
Alex suddenly found himself standing inside a peaceful garden filled with countless unfamiliar flowers that radiated soft golden light.
For a brief moment, he believed he had entered another hidden realm.
Then he noticed the creature.
A gigantic beast rested beneath an ancient tree whose branches stretched beyond the horizon.
Its body possessed a structure that Alex could not comprehend.
Whenever he focused on one part, another impossible form appeared in its place. Sometimes it resembled a dragon, sometimes a phoenix, and sometimes an endless collection of stars arranged into living flesh.
Reality itself seemed incapable of accurately displaying its existence.
Protected beneath one of its enormous claws rested a football sized egg.
Alex recognized it immediately.
It was the same egg.
Not the mountain sized shell that existed within the Kaiser Clan Garden, but its true appearance.
The enormous beast slowly lowered its incomprehensible head.
Its ancient eyes contained endless exhaustion and gentle affection.
Its voice echoed throughout the garden with immeasurable sadness.
"Son, your destiny will have to be written by your own hands."
"Become friends with someone who can carry your destiny and karma."
"Follow him until eternity."
"I am leaving."
The instant those words ended, limitless light erupted from the beast’s body.
The entire garden trembled while countless petals transformed into streams of shining energy.
Space itself began separating from existence.
Before everything completely disappeared, Alex witnessed one final scene.
A terrifying sword light descended from beyond reality.
There was no technique.
There was no warning.
Only a single slash.
The impossible beast that could not even be comprehended was instantly cut apart.
Its vast body silently collapsed while endless light scattered across the broken sky.
The entire memory shattered.
Alex abruptly opened his eyes.
He was once again standing within the Kaiser Clan Garden, still facing the mountain sized egg.
His hand remained suspended in the air exactly where it had been before.
Nothing around him had changed.
Yet Alex remained completely silent.
He finally understood that he had not negotiated with the mysterious existence.
He had merely witnessed the final memory left behind by an ancient child who had watched its guardian fall before an enemy beyond imagination.
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