With a loud, soul-shaking rumble, Ryuk's Primordial Gate opened up, and his eyes widened intensely.
He could feel a rush—a rush of anxiety so powerful that he trembled at just what could lay beyond the gate.
But as quickly as the intensity came, the oppressive aura slowly subsided, and Ryuk could finally see within gate.
Instantly, his face dropped.
"Wait!"
"This... This is my Pet World!" Ryuk whispered out loud dumbly, feeling a bit of betrayal. In the next instant, he was snapped out of his dazed state as his eyes opened back to the real world, and he collapsed onto his back, breathing heavily.
Yet, even though he was gasping for air—almost like he was at death's door—the unmistakable anger was present on Ryuk's face.
"System! Give me an explanation for what the fuck just happened!"
"You said the Pet World was a feature of the system itself. How the fuck is it inside my Primordial Gate?" Ryuk screamed in frustration as he focused all his attention on the blinking light in the corner of his eye.
Quickly, the notification appeared.
[Congratulations to the Host for finally opening his Primordial Gate through Outright Force of Will.]
[The Host is now capable of opening his Primordial Gate at will and gathering energy to unlock more areas present in the space.]
"I still don't understand..." Ryuk replied, now absolutely lost.
The opening of the Primordial Gate was a big achievement.
While he wasn't really sure what he was expecting to find inside, he had anticipated some sort of power, a fusion of energy.
Yet all Ryuk had seen was the Pet World.
Now, he couldn't feel an ounce of increase in his strength, contrary to what the book had previously stated. Things weren't adding up at all.
If the Pet World was his Primordial Gate, then shouldn't Ryuk have already been a cultivator? Why did he go through so much trouble? And how could his Pet World, a system feature, exist within his Primordial Gate?
[It must be known: while the Host has previously gained access to the Pet World, that access was simply the system's own power.]
[It was incomplete and redundant, and most importantly, the Pet World was incapable of growth in its previous state.]
[This means that, apart from acting as a space for the Host to store his beasts eggs, it was essentially useless—a storage tool for beasts who had yet to mature.]
[This is also the reason why others could sense that the Host had been unable to form a cultivation base.]
[But now that the Host has gained full power and awakened the Primordial Gate...]
[The Pet World is currently undergoing significant upgrades.]
[Additionally, the Pet World is only a fraction of the power of the Host's Primordial Gate.]
[The Host can refer to it as a "first level." Once the Host gathers more Apex Force into his Primordial Gate, new areas will be unlocked, leading to new powers and greater growth.]
[Right now, the Host's true path to attaining ultimate power through Apex Force has just begun!]
"Oh, so that's what it was about?" Ryuk said, finally understanding the reason. He couldn't help but feel his disappointment quickly fading away.
[IMPORTANT NOTIFICATION!!!]
[The egg present in the Host's Primordial Gate has finally hatched, and the beast is ready to break out of its shell.
[Would the Host like to commence?]
"What!?"
"The egg is finally ready to hatch!?" Ryuk screamed in shock as he jumped up from his seat.
Of course, he had not forgotten about the egg. Not only was it a gift from Uncle Bob—who had said it was given to him by his mother—but he had also spent his blood essence just to speed up its hatching process.
Now that he was hearing it would hatch soon, Ryuk's heart couldn't stop thumping.
"Yes, of course!" he said, and the system panel changed.
[The Host should return to the Primordial Gate.]
Immediately, Ryuk sat down upright once more, regulating his breathing.
This time, it didn't take long for him to clear away all distracting thoughts. In less than a minute, he found himself in the familiar space.
He could have asked the system to assist him, but he deliberately decided against it. He wanted to familiarize himself with entering the Primordial Gate through his own power.
As soon as he stepped into the gate, he felt the ground solidify beneath his feet, with the brush of green grass swaying gently around him.
Looking at his own body, he realized it was almost like his physical self, except he was made with contrasting parts of blue and red energy that trailed behind him.
Still, he couldn't pay much attention to that as his gaze shifted forward. There, in front of him, was the gigantic egg.
Right now, the light surrounding it was slowly dimming, and Ryuk immediately closed in on it, appearing just a few centimeters away.
His heartbeat seemed ready to explode out of his chest when he noticed a small crack beginning to form on top of the egg.
CRRRACK
CRAACK
CRACK
Slowly, the cracks began to spread, and everything quieted down all of a sudden.
The only thing left in the endless grassy world was none other than Ryuk, who simply stood silently, his gaze fixated on the egg.
Just what could the egg be? What creature was it hiding?
The cracks soon covered the entire surface of the egg, and slowly, a small thump was felt as a hole broke open at the top.
The egg went still for a moment before something slowly poked its head out.
Two small eyes stared directly at Ryuk, blinking continuously.
Ryuk simply stood there dazed before, slowly, a smile—the purest he'd ever shown—spread across his face.
His fingers trembled as they reached out to the small creature emerging from the egg.