"And why would you want that?"
She asked as Ryuk’s brow faintly knitted.
"I mean... the Trivy League is a bloody competition."
"More than a thousand geniuses die in the initial fight to secure the Trivy Card, and more than a hundred of the best of the best end up dead in the Final Phase."
"The Stellis Clan is a peaceful place, far away from the dangers of the Trivy League, so it would be more reasonable to stay here instead."
She wasn’t wrong.
Many indeed died because of the Trivy League.
It even had an uncommon name, Burial Grounds of Geniuses.
The singular event that swallows about 70% of geniuses in the Upper Realm every century.
"Thank you for your care, Lord Stella,"
Ryuk said, turning his back to her before jumping off the castle walls.
He landed with a solid thud, easily absorbing the shock of the fall, then quietly made his way out of the grounds.
Lord Stella witnessed all of this with furrowed eyebrows.
He had not responded to her question.
And as much as she felt compelled to force the answer out of him, something in the back of her mind warned her not to act rashly.
Even though he appeared completely ordinary, with not the slightest energy of any sort rippling from him, like a non-cultivator who had never absorbed any energy from birth.
That ordinariness was spine-chilling, even for a being like her.
As Ryuk walked out of the Stellis Clan, what lay beyond those starlight gates was an unending bridge of purple, trailing as far as his eyes could see.
Quietly, he continued his path, his gaze occasionally drifting downward.
Beneath the bridge, the same starlight liquid flowed, its gurgling sound filling the air.
He had two months to find a Trivy Card.
That was enough time, even though he had no idea which race or genius held one.
And more importantly, he wanted to see Isha and Void before he left, both of whom he also had no idea where exactly they were.
[At this point, you might just spend one year and still not find them...]
The system panel flashed as Ryuk finally crossed the lengthy bridge.
It had taken him more than three hours to walk the entire span, and now before him was another unending valley of green grass.
Scattered across random areas were humanoid beings wearing large hats and ordinary clothing, baskets behind them as they worked through the grass.
His gaze lingered on five of the nearest figures before he made his choice.
Sliding down the valley, he skied rapidly down the slope, landing on the lower ground before walking the remaining distance of about fifty kilometers.
From twenty meters away, one of the figures working on the grass noticed him and rose upright, though not fully.
It was an old man, a bit different from normal humans.
His nose was like a rabbit’s, and his long ears matched.
Those features were what distinguished him from regular humans.
The old man’s eyes displayed fear and reverence at the sight of the being walking towards him, and when it reached ten meters away, he fell to both knees.
"O Great Stellis Immortal... for what reason could you have blessed this pathetic soul of mine with your presence?" he said, hands laid flat on the ground as he quivered.
"You’re not a pathetic soul, and I’m not a Stellis Immortal," Ryuk replied.
The man paused.
"You... you’re not?" He took a second, more careful look.
The figure before him was a young man, dressed in a simple shirt and trousers of white.
But the whites of his clothes were so white they seemed out of this world, and his white hair was whiter than the freshest snow.
But truly, he did not radiate a terrifying aura, nor was he floating in the sky like the Stellis Immortals normally would.
"Is... is there something I can help you with, Great Immortal?" he asked hesitantly.
"It’s Ryuk. And you need not remain on your knees."
The old man nodded and stood, though still slightly crouched.
Ryuk turned his gaze forward and pointed.
"If I continue in that direction to the end of the valley, what would I find?"
The man glanced toward where he pointed.
"An unending sea," he replied.
Ryuk swerved his hand to the west.
"And if I continue in that direction?"
"An endless range of mountains."
"And this direction?" he asked, pointing to the east.
"You will still find the unending sea..."
"And behind me?" Ryuk asked, pointing to where he had come from.
The old man paused for a moment before responding.
"The Mighty Stellis Clan."
Ryuk nodded.
"Then, I will come with you to your clan."
The old man’s lips opened and closed.
Bringing an immortal back to their small clan!?
As much as he wanted to refuse, he was unable to muster any words of resistance, and in the end, he could only nod.
_______
As much as the man was obliged to lead him straight there, Ryuk chose to wait leisurely by the side until they finished their work for the day.
The old rabbit-man watched the "immortal," a leaf stalk resting at the corner of his lips, with both hands folded behind his head, his clothes and hair whipping around from the gentle breeze.
He did not speak a word, just sinking leaf stalks, chewing them completely before replacing them with another.
It was the first time the old man had seen someone so absolutely carefree.
Very different from the rest of the Stellis Immortals, who always flashed past in a blur, seemingly in a hurry to get somewhere.
The day raced by, and before long, the moon rose, signaling the end of the day’s labor.
The rest of the rabbit-man’s race gathered around him, though their eyes revealed caution, noticing the lying Ryuk nearby.
"It’s time, Immortal Ryuk."
"It’s Ryuk."
_______
A/N:
If you’ve enjoyed the story so far, please consider supporting the novel by voting with Golden Tickets and Power Stones, or even sending a Gift if it’s been worth the journey!
Your support helps the book gain more visibility on the NovelFire app and motivates me to keep creating more Chapters for you all.
In and Out_SnowySmoos