Maya and Amélie stood across from each other, both breathing heavily.
They were just about to begin their final round when suddenly, then the world shook.
Both of them froze. A wave of mana swept across the planet - so vast, so overwhelming that even they could feel it pressing down on them.
They looked up, frowning.
The space rippled. Then massive projections began appearing out of thin air.
Maya's eyes widened. Her expression shifted from confusion to recognition.
"Brother..." she murmured.
In the projection, Cipher floated high above the chaos. Below him, countless flying creatures could be seen. He observed them calmly, his gaze sweeping across the world below.
…
Italy, a few moments earlier,
A man and a woman walked casually down a cobblestone street.
The woman paused at a hot dog stand, reaching over and taking one directly from the grill. The seller opened his mouth to complain - but her eyes glowed faintly. He blinked, scratched his head in confusion, and turned away as if nothing had happened.
She took a bite as she continued walking.
"This world looks quite nice," she said, chewing. "Should we permanently move here?"
The man beside her wore a serious expression. He turned to face her. "Stop playing around. What's good about this place? There's barely any spiritual energy here. It's practically a barren wasteland."
He frowned. "Don't forget our mission. We're not here to have fun. We're here to…"
"Yeah, yeah. Find a solution to the time loop. Whatever." She waved her hand dismissively. "I've heard it countless times."
She scoffed internally.
Who would even believe that story Master always told them about loops?
Always warning them not to break through to the Soul Formation realm so they wouldn't be "eroded by the loop." Always making them hide instead of joining their senior brothers and sisters in battle against the invaders.
It sounded like nonsense.
The man suddenly looked up, his expression darkening.
"Tch. Dragon bastards."
Massive creatures filled the sky - but something was off. They looked... strange. Different from what he remembered.
His divine sense spread outward. His frown deepened.
Thousands of powerful auras were flooding into this small world. Cultivators. Beasts. Entities he couldn't identify.
"What's happening?" he muttered.
Then a shadow fell over them.
They both looked up.
A massive golden clock materialized across the sky, its hands spinning erratically. The air itself seemed to distort under its presence.
The man's face went pale.
"Oh no - it's the power of Laws!"
He grabbed the woman beside him, his other hand already retrieving a talisman from his spatial ring. He crushed it instantly.
Space twisted around them.
They reappeared in the sky, hovering high above the ground.
They looked down.
The place they had just been standing - gone. Completely erased. Nothing but a smoking crater remained.
They turned and saw two figures locked in combat nearby. Two girls, both radiating terrifying power.
The man grabbed the girl's arm. "We need to get out of here. This place is not as safe as we initially thought."
…
The two had been running for a while now.
Every direction they turned, chaos awaited. Monsters. Cultivators fighting. Cities crumbling. The entire world had become a battlefield.
Then suddenly, projections began appearing all around them.
The man stopped, his eyes narrowing.
"A will projection?" he analyzed.
He observed carefully. It didn't seem to be targeted at them specifically. The projections extended infinitely in all directions - appearing every few feet for as far as he could sense.
Did they cover the whole planet?
His expression grew grave.
Just what kind of powerhouse did this?
For someone to project their will across an entire world... they had to at least be in the Tribulation Realm. The same realm as their Sect Master.
Who was this person?
…
In the projection, Cipher floated calmly above the chaos.
He smiled.
"Greetings, outsiders."
His voice resonated across the entire planet - heard by every creature, every cultivator, every being on the planet.
"I'm sure you're all very confused right now. Allow me to explain."
He spread his arms.
"To put it simply, your worlds are already dead."
"They were sustained by the God of Time in loops. But now that the God of Time has fallen, your worlds will soon follow. He was also the one maintaining the border between your worlds and mine so that's why you can finally leave."
His expression remained calm.
"However, when you left, you entered my world. Earth. The sole remaining world in existence. That's why your gates led here. There was nowhere else to go."
He paused, letting that sink in.
"That being said..."
His smile faded slightly.
"I don't appreciate you trashing my place."
His eyes swept across the chaos below - the burning cities, the rampaging monsters, the battles erupting everywhere.
"I would prefer if you all behaved. If you do, we can talk. I have a way to help you. But you have to listen. You have to show respect to my people."
His voice turned cold.
"Otherwise..."
Across the world, all the flying creatures in the sky suddenly went limp.
Their wings stopped beating. Their eyes rolled back. They began falling like stones.
The same happened to the other creatures across the world.
The man's eyes widened.
"What…"
His vision blurred. His body went slack.
Beside him, the woman's eyes rolled back.
They both began free-falling from the sky.
…
Across the planet, nets of pure mana materialized - catching every falling creature and every unconscious outsider. Thousands upon thousands of bodies, all suspended in glowing blue webs.
Cipher floated above it all, surrounded by countless mana nets filled with people.
He snapped his fingers.
Everyone regained consciousness simultaneously.
Eyes opened. Heads turned. Confused murmurs spread across as thousands of powerful beings found themselves caught in nets, staring up at a single figure in the sky.
Cipher smiled down at them.
"Otherwise, that happens."
He spread his arms wide.
"Welcome to Earth, everyone. I'll be your host."
His grin widened.
"My name is Cipher."
...
A/N: Last chapter was mislabeled.