Chapter 209: Finding people
Alex stared into the void of his own consciousness, his mind racing as he desperately calculated his options. The crushing gravity of the Genesis Realm already restricted his movements, and now this suffocating dark fog was pressing against his mental defenses, threatening to drown his sanity in a sea of ancient malice.
Suddenly, Alex froze.
The absolute darkness ahead of him seemed to curdle and condense, forming a shape where there should have been nothing but empty air. It was a dark, formless entity, shifting and writhing like a cluster of severed shadows. It had no defined face, yet Alex could feel an intense, malicious gaze locking onto him. It was profoundly creepy, a manifestation of pure, unadulterated dread.
"So much vitality," a creepy, echoing voice vibrated directly inside Alex’s mind. The sound was like dry bones scraping against a rusted iron plate.
Before Alex could even tense his muscles to strike, the entity vanished from the physical world. In the very next microsecond, Alex felt a violent intrusion. The creature did not attack his physical shell. Instead, it tore through his spiritual barrier and plunged directly into his inner world, the vast internal space where his cultivation and the essence of his power resided.
"No, bastard," Alex roared inwardly, his temper flaring as a wave of genuine panic threatened to overwhelm his common sense. "I am going to use my power. What is the use of this power if I die now?"
He did not care about the system’s warnings anymore. He did not care about the Eternal Clan or the Chaos Clan tracking him down. If he allowed a Grade Four cosmic horror to ravage his inner world, there would be no future left to protect anyway.
He began to forcefully pull upon the forbidden authority of the Angel of Creation, preparing to detonate his own internal pathways if it meant vaporizing the intruder.
Meanwhile, the formless entity materialized inside the boundless expanse of Alex’s inner world. It looked around at the vast cosmic system contained within his soul, and it laughed out loudly. The sound was triumphant and gluttonous.
As it floated through the internal cosmos, it could feel a dizzying array of different power systems intersecting. It sensed energies that were alien, ancient, and above all, incredibly appetizing. To a cosmic horror that fed on life force and spiritual essence, this place was not just a meal. It was an eternal banquet.
"Hahahahha. Hahahaha."
The entity cackled as its formless body expanded, preparing to open its massive, invisible maw and consume everything. Rivers of black mist spread across the stars of Alex’s inner universe like a plague.
It imagined devouring the worlds, absorbing every law and every fragment of divine authority until it evolved into something even greater than a Grade Four horror. Greed overwhelmed every trace of caution that might have remained within its twisted existence.
Just as Alex was about to unleash his restricted power, a sudden change occurred deep within the core of his inner world.
The slumbering, ancient consciousness of Arishem suddenly awakened. The guardian didn’t menifest or anything.
He merely snorted.
Boom.
A soundless, conceptual explosion ripped through the entire internal cosmic system. The stars and galaxies inside Alex’s soul shook violently, vibrating with a majestic, absolute authority that made the Grade Four cosmic horror look like a flickering candle in a hurricane.
"An worm dared to enter where my master is about to be born? Begone."
Arishem’s voice boomed with terrifying indifference. The horror entity did not even have the time to understand what had just happened. It did not have time to scream, to flee, or to regret its greed.
The sheer weight of Arishem’s casual snort obliterated its conceptual existence entirely, erasing every trace of its foul energy from Alex’s soul and leaving behind nothing but pure, purified essence that was instantly absorbed into the inner world.
Outside, Alex stood entirely frozen on the back of his Dragon Horse. He was completely speechless. Deep within his mind, his system was equally silent. The suffocating fog in the forest instantly began to dissipate, the unnatural cold vanishing as if it had never existed.
"If he could kill it so easily, why did he not tell me earlier? I was panicking for nothing."
A mixture of profound relief and intense irritation washed over Alex.
"Human, do not let anything enter inside your inner world before my master is born."
Arishem’s voice echoed one last time, sounding stern and warning, before fading back into the deep recesses of Alex’s soul.
He wanted to protest. He wanted to argue that it was not his wish to let a cosmic horror invade his body, and that the creature bypassed his defenses instantly.
Remembering the casual, universe shaking power Arishem had just displayed, Alex wisely held his tongue. He did not dare to talk back to a being that could delete a Grade Four entity with a single breath.
With the crisis resolved, the unnatural darkness fully receded, and the dim cosmic glow of the Genesis Realm returned to illuminate the massive forest. Alex took a deep breath, calmed his racing heart, and patted the neck of the Dragon Horse. The majestic beast relaxed its tense muscles, gave a low snort, and then they continued their journey through the endless wilderness.
They traveled through the labyrinth of colossal roots and mountain sized trees for what felt like several more hours. Alex remained alert, but the overwhelming silence of the forest was no longer terrifying, only monotonous.
After a while, the absolute silence was suddenly broken. Alex’s sharp ears picked up the distant sound of rustling leaves and muffled voices traveling through the dense air.
"My lord, this should be the place where the foul power originated," a voice echoed from ahead.
Alex immediately tightened his grip on the reins. He signaled the Dragon Horse, and the intelligent beast moved silently, hiding themselves behind a massive, moss covered root that was larger than a fortress wall. Peering through the dense foliage, Alex observed the newcomers.
A group of travelers was advancing through the forest. There were ten people clad in intricate armor, acting as guards. They were following a single, heavily armored man who rode upon a massive, multi legged behemoth that crushed the smaller roots beneath its heavy steps.
Alex used his perception to gauge their strength. His eyes widened slightly. The leader riding the behemoth was a Grade Three entity, a power level that would allow someone to dominate multiple multiverse in the lower realms. His ten followers were all Grade Two entities. In any lower universe, this group could easily act as gods, yet here they were, trekking through a forest on foot and mount.
"Be prepared. The priest said it is a very powerful evil being. We might have to use our lord’s holy power to vanquish it," the leader commanded, his voice filled with righteous solemnity as he drew a glowing blade.
"So they came here to kill that thing."
A wry smile touched Alex’s lips.
"They were hunting the cosmic horror that Arishem just turned into spiritual fertilizer."
The group searched the immediate area for a while. They walked in circles, waving their glowing weapons and chanting minor detection spells. However, because the cosmic horror had been completely erased from existence, they could not find anything. There was no residue, no lingering malice, and no evil aura left in the air. They looked completely confused.
"The entity relocated somewhere else?" one of the followers suggested.
The leader lowered his sword and nodded slowly.
"It must have sensed our approach and fled. The holy light scares these abominations away."
Believing they had successfully frightened off a great evil, the group relaxed their stances. They actually started celebrating right there, laughing and congratulating each other on a successful mission before preparing to leave the area.
Watching this display from behind the giant root, Alex was entirely speechless.
"These fools did not even try to thoroughly search the area. They looked around for five minutes, assumed the monster ran away, and decided to call it a day."
Despite their incompetence, Alex realized this was his only chance to escape the endless forest. He did not show himself immediately. Instead, he kept his distance and stealthily started following them as they began to march away.
After a short walk, the group stopped in a small clearing. The leader dismounted his behemoth and pulled out a strange, intricately carved magic artifact that glowed with a brilliant blue light. He channeled his energy into it, and the space in front of them began to twist and tear, gradually opening a swirling portal that led out of the forest.
Seeing the portal, Alex knew he could not hide anymore.
"If they step through, I will be trapped in this endless wilderness again."
Abandoning all stealth, he urged the Dragon Horse forward and rushed into the clearing, calling out to them before the portal could close.
"Brothers, can you help me?"
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