NOVEL NEXT Chapter 434: A single grain had suppressed the vast ocean.
There was no doubt – this was the power of the Imaginary Tree.
A Herrscher's authority stemmed from the Honkai.
Fighting against the Will of the Honkai, the administrator of that power, with its own power, was a fool's errand. Both Ren and Kiana were Herrschers, naturally subject to the Honkai's will.
In this state, they were effectively fighting with a -90% debuff. Even Ren had no chance of victory.
But knowing Kiana, she would never abandon Fu Hua. And Ren, a devout follower of the Church of Kiana, couldn't stand idly by.
If a Herrscher couldn't defeat the Honkai, there was only one option – transcend the Herrscher.
Though not from this world, Ren was also born on a branch of the Imaginary Tree. Even if his branch had withered, the power of the Imaginary Tree remained. In a sense, he and the Honkai were of the same order of existence.
As Ren pursued the Tree, the Tree embraced him in return. Using its power meant drawing closer to it.
The seven months 17th had given him were based on him remaining inactive. But he couldn't remain inactive.
As the Herrscher of a Legion, his power grew with the increasing human population. But at the same time, the world's rejection of him intensified.
Five months was already the limit. Now, by using the power of his origin, that time would shrink even further.
Ren wanted to spend more time with Kiana, but he didn't want to see her grieve.
"I was hoping to have more time with you, but it seems that's going to be cut short." Ren sighed, wrapping an arm around Kiana's waist, freeing his other hand for combat.
Though Kiana didn't understand his words, she instinctively clung to him, making sure she wouldn't fall while not interfering with the fight.
Crack.
The last piece of ground beneath their feet crumbled, falling into the black sea of clouds along with the inverted world. The waiting tentacles seized the opportunity, lashing out at them.
Pushing off the last remaining fragment of rock, Ren leaped into the air, the sigils in his eyes glowing brighter. Then, starlight flickered in the darkness.
He reached out, grasping the starlight. But what he held wasn't a star, but a golden seed. The moment it landed in his hand, it took root, sprouting a tiny bud.
The momentum of his jump faded, and a tentacle wrapped around his ankle, yanking him downwards. Other tentacles followed, coiling around him like a cocoon.
"*Ren!*" Kiana's heart leaped into her throat. She instinctively tried to use her Herrscher powers, but instead of dispelling the tentacles, she only strengthened them.
"Don't panic." Ren remained calm, the sapling in his hand growing rapidly in the wind, a slender branch extending outwards.
Apart from its vibrant color, it looked as fragile as a twig a child might pick up from the roadside.
Yet this tiny branch stopped the tentacles in their tracks, even forcing them to retreat back into the sea of clouds.
Ren ignored them. With a gentle wave of his hand, the countless writhing tentacles in the sky vanished, as if erased by a delete button.
The sky cleared.
But the clear sky didn't last. Darkness returned, the boundless Honkai energy quickly replenishing the destroyed tentacles.
"Kiana, hold on tight." Undeterred, Ren plucked a golden leaf from the branch and tucked it into Kiana's hair. Then, holding her close, he allowed the inverted gravity of the world to pull them towards the sky.
The Will of the Honkai didn't understand Ren's intentions. The Honkai was infinite. Even with the golden light's protection, he would eventually be consumed. In its eyes, Ren was simply surrendering, recognizing the insurmountable difference in power.
"[Annihilate]!"
Light flashed in its eyes. The Honkai-filled sea of clouds surged towards Ren like a tsunami. Twisting and churning, it formed a black vortex. Fragments of mountains that fell into it were instantly pulverized into nothingness.
The terrifying vortex opened its maw, waiting for Ren to fall into it. But what fell wasn't Ren, but a golden blade of light.
A thin golden line appeared on the black vortex, and the churning energy froze, as if paused.
The next instant, the light exploded, cleaving the vortex and the sea of clouds cleanly in two. By the time Ren and Kiana reached the gap, they were untouched by the Honkai.
Using the path he had carved, Ren plucked a second golden leaf, transforming it into a small boat. They stepped into it, sailing towards the Will of the Honkai.
"Your struggles are meaningless."
Whether he fled or fought, it made no difference to the Will of the Honkai. The Honkai was energy, pervading the entire world. Unless Ren could destroy the world itself, it would never disappear.
As expected, within seconds, the severed sea of clouds rejoined. Darkness enveloped the world, only the small boat carrying Ren and Kiana emitting a faint glow.
But Ren didn't belong to this world, and he couldn't borrow the Imaginary Tree's power indefinitely. It would eventually run out.
"Invert all creation."
The Honkai's sea of clouds was boundless. Ren was but a single grain in the vast ocean, easily manipulated by the Honkai cluster.
As if mimicking Senti, the cluster reached out and pinched the space before Ren.
The mindscape twisted, and when it cleared, the Will of the Honkai had transformed into a colossal figure, dominating the sky and earth. The cluster had reduced their dimension, turning them into tiny figures within a miniature snow globe.
"Heh."
Crack!
The cluster chuckled, crushing the snow globe in its hand. Ren, trapped inside, vanished without a trace.
Herrscher signals lost…
As long as a Herrscher lived, the cluster could sense them. But now, within the mindscape, their signals were… gone.
"Herrscher of the Void, Herrscher of Dominance, confirmed eliminated."
The god, emotionless, looked down at the sea of clouds, calmly declaring their deaths.
But the next instant, a golden longsword pierced through its back. Dozens of slashes followed in rapid succession, slicing the colossal figure into hundreds of pieces.
It turned, seeing the two figures standing on the leaf in the vast sea of clouds.
The leaf in Kiana's hair was gone. It had masked their Herrscher presence.
Compared to the cluster's immense form, Ren looked insignificant, a single grain in the vast ocean. Yet the churning sea of clouds was now still, as if subdued.
A single grain had suppressed the vast ocean.