Chapter 86: The New Trouble
"There is one method to leave this place... but it will be incredibly dangerous. It could even cost us our lives if we go that way."
As Ravena spoke these words, her expression turned dead serious. It was clear she considered this route highly dangerous, even for herself.
Alen looked at her closely.
"Are you saying the path you’re talking about is dangerous even for you to cross?"
"Yes," she nodded.
"Even back when I was an overwhelmingly strong being, I was hesitant to cross through that route. It’s not that I was actually afraid of traversing the path itself. The reason is that the space feels so utterly empty and dreadful that you might prefer dying over actually passing through it."
"No ’Laws’ of the World exist there. There is no connection to the ’Order’ of the Universe along that route. That is exactly why it is considered the most unsafe and dangerous place in existence. It is known as ’The Void Realm’."
"The Void Realm..."
Alen repeated under his breath. He felt a profound sense of danger just by hearing the name. If a terrifying, ancient weapon felt threatened by that place, then it certainly wouldn’t be an easy route. Still, he didn’t quite know what she meant by ’prefer dying over passing through it’.
Was she bluffing? Or was she completely serious? He didn’t know, as he had never crossed such a place to comprehend it. But he believed her; he could tell she wasn’t lying just by reading her grim expression.
"Why is this place considered so dangerous? Are there powerful monsters there or something?" Alen asked.
Her crimson eyes narrowed as she considered his question.
"Yes... and also no. There aren’t any ’monsters’ as you know them. But there is something far more dangerous than monsters. They are called ’Void Creatures’..."
"As I said, it is the ’Void Realm’, meaning it exists entirely outside the control of the ’Order’ of the Universe and the ’Laws’ of the World. The creatures that exist there are not bound by the universe; they are completely independent beings. And that isn’t even the biggest issue."
Alen narrowed his eyes, listening intently.
"The biggest issue is that they do not live on mana."
Alen blinked, genuinely startled by her sentence.
"Wait—what?! Are you saying the creatures living there have absolutely no connection to mana? Is that even possible?"
She nodded solemnly.
"Yes. It is possible. Because the entire universe is connected with the ’Ascension Realm’, mana has manifested in nearly every single place. But the ’Void Realm’ can be considered a literal hole in space where there is no connection to mana or the Order."
"But just because they lack mana doesn’t mean they lack power. Instead of mana, they contain the Power of the Void, which is the primary energy in that realm."
She looked blankly into the distance, recalling dark memories.
"Not only that, but the creatures there are essentially immortal. They are nearly impossible to kill. The Void itself will heal their wounds long before you can finish them off."
"And that still isn’t the most dangerous thing about them. Any magical or physical attack you use will be completely ineffective. Instead of taking damage, they will simply absorb your mana and your attacks, using them to grow even stronger. The more mana you waste trying to fight them, the stronger they become."
"My own power, which is called ’Crimson Essence’, is a unique exception that cannot be absorbed by them. But even I grew overwhelmingly tired—not physically, but mentally—of constantly fighting them for years on end when I once tried to find a method to escape through that route."
"Void Creatures do not have a concept of ’tiredness’. They possess infinite stamina, as if these beings were created solely for endless destruction. Because they were immortal, I couldn’t kill them. And there are billions of such beings existing in that realm, with their numbers increasing every single second. That is why I eventually stepped back and returned here."
"And now, with my current suppressed power, it is utterly impossible for me to fight them."
Ravena looked down.
"If any normal Awakener steps into that realm, they are bound to become one of those creatures. Those who die there are twisted and turned into Void Creatures themselves."
"For most people, that place can easily be called a low-level Hell." She shook her head and looked back up at him. "But don’t worry. We are not actually crossing directly into that realm. We are just passing along the outer route where that realm borders reality. It is relatively safe from the Void Creatures."
"The last time I went to the edge of the Void Realm, I sensed a dimensional gate leading to the Ascension Realm. It exists in the outer borders, in the spaces lying between the Void and the universe. We can’t cross directly into your world, but if we go through that gate, we may get a chance to return to Asterion by completing an Ascension trial."
Alen looked at her and let out a long, heavy sigh.
"So, ultimately, I entered this place and got in trouble. Now, I am going to pass through the outer route of the Void Realm, which will be another massive trouble. And then, I am practically entering the Ascension Realm—a realm literally made of trouble—just to get wrapped up in some new, unpredictable, and bizarre trouble."
"What a wonderfully troublesome life I am living..."
"Sigh... what a pain."
Alen slumped his shoulders, feeling a massive headache coming on. Not much time had passed since he was literally at death’s door, facing space fractures and falling halos, and now he was marching straight into another highly problematic place.
Ravena folded her tiny arms and replied strictly.
"You can stay here and rest if you want. But know that if any other monsters inside the Crimson Sky Realm catch our scent, fighting them will be far more troublesome than passing through that route."
Alen looked at her in confusion.
"Why? You were the Master of the Crimson Sky Realm. I thought you would have controlled the monsters here?"
She looked at him with a blank expression.
"I was considered the master of this place not because someone gave me a title or authority, but because I was simply the strongest being in this realm. But now that my power has been heavily suppressed, I am not confident I can fight off a horde in my current state."
"And judging by my experience, I think a monster is going to appear at any moment."
Just as she muttered those words, the earth beneath them vibrated violently. The shaking was even more intense than when the giant Leviathan had appeared earlier.
As they stood there, struggling to keep their footing against the sudden, violent earthquake, a brand new trouble erupted from the crimson wasteland to greet them.
