Chapter 1909: The Ruler of the Universe.
It was the End.
An End he couldn't forget, even when he had died. Even when he had been drifting in this dark, endless space, feeling…
Nothingness.
But then suddenly,
After a long, long time,
A sharp awareness jolted him awake from the numbness of death.
It was only then that he realized that… he was moving.
No, he wasn't waking, neither was he flying. He was… being dragged.
A force that seemed beyond his understanding had taken control over his body and was dragging him forward through the endless darkness.
He tried to fight it, but he couldn't. He couldn't even slow himself down. It was as though he was caught in a river, its current far beyond his ability to resist.
Then, he saw them.
Endless greyish figures—millions, maybe billions—moving in the same direction, all flowing along the unseen path like him. They were uniform, hollow, and… monotonous.
None of them turned their heads. None of them reacted to their surroundings. Just drifting endlessly, as if they couldn't feel a thing or sense their surroundings.
But he…
He was different.
He could move his head.
He could think, observe, comprehend.
His body wasn't grey like the others.
It was black.
A chill ran through his formless existence.
What is this place?
Is this... the afterlife?
Are those... souls?
Then why is my soul different?
Is it just from my perspective... or am I truly the only one like this?
All these questions filled his head but…
No answer came. Only the endless pull that continued to drag him forward.
Time passed.
Or maybe it didn't.
There was no way to tell.
He didn't know how long he waited… or did he wait at all…
The concept of time didn't seem to exist in this place.
Then, something changed.
In the endless darkness ahead, it appeared.
A being—no, an entity—stood at the threshold.
Just like him, she had a black body, yet… she was different.
She released an authority so profound that even when he was dead, he could feel it pressing down upon him.
That entity…
She wasn't just standing there…
She was… judging.
Or at least that is what it looked like.
An endless number of grey souls moved towards her, and one by one, the entity glanced at them—just a cold, uncaring glance—and then, she flicked her hand, sending the soul into one of the thousands of portals behind her, disappearing without resistance or question.
It was clear.
She controlled everything here.
As he drew closer, a familiar sensation built within him—dread.
It was similar to what he felt when that Sovereign had released his Aura and had crushed everything around him.
Finally, his turn arrived.
The beautiful entity turned her eyes toward him,
And for the first time, her expression changed.
On her monotonous, uncaring face, a different emotion appeared.
Surprise.
"Hm?"
In the endless, silent void, he finally heard a melodious voice.
"You…"
The entity called out.
"You are conscious."
She could see it.
"…."
He, however, stayed silent.
The entity, however, didn't seem to like his silence. She slightly narrowed her eyes and,
"Answer me."
She spoke, no, she ordered.
"I-I am."
His body seemed to move on its own. Even he had heard his own voice for the first time in who knows how long.
At his words, the woman's frown deepened even further.
"Zala Fahrik."
She called out.
It was his name.
Unlike with other grey entities that she had just spared a single look before sending them to those portals, her gaze lingered on him much longer than normal.
It was as if she was trying to read his entire existence, trying to find a reason why he was… different.
It was then,
"You were chosen."
She spoke.
"W-What?"
"He chose you."
The woman answered, and at those words, Zala's very existence seemed to shake as once again, the face of that monstrous entity appeared in his mind, his emotions agitated.
"W-What are you talking about? Who chose me? What is this place? Am I dead? Who are you? H-"
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"Calm down, Zala Fahrik."
The woman spoke. Her voice had such a powerful effect on him that all his agitated emotions were restrained.
"That 'entity' who attacked your world, he chose you."
"What does that mean? Who was he?"
"He is the Ruler of the Universe, or… he once was before he was betrayed."
"Ruler of the… Universe…?"
Zala widened his eyes in disbelief.
"He is an entity you cannot comprehend."
The woman shook her head and…
For some reason, Zala couldn't doubt her words.
It was as if the very truth of the Universe was being revealed to him, something he shouldn't know, something… much grander than his entire existence.
"What do you mean when you said he was betrayed…?"
"Exactly what it means.
He was betrayed by the entities he created, entities he trusted, entities he… gave free will.
The Strongest Beings in the Universe."
"The Supreme Worlds…?"
Zala questioned.
As someone who was part of the 'Factions,' he knew about the Supreme Worlds. The woman, however, laughed at those words.
"No, those lesser entities don't even know of his existence yet."
"L-Lesser Entities…?"
Zala widened his eyes in horror.
The woman then looked into his eyes and,
"Zala Fahrik, forget the world as you know of it, for what you know is but a speck of dust."
"…."
Zala turned silent, intently listening to her words.
"What you need to understand is that the Ruler, who was once betrayed, has returned to claim what once belonged to him.
The Universe."
"What…?"
"He will rise to the top again, punish the traitors who betrayed him, and erase their existence.
In their stead, however, he will need new entities to take their role of overlooking the Universe, and you,
Zala Fahrik,
Are chosen as one of the contenders."
"I… I am chosen to overlook the Universe…?"
He had no clue what those words meant but…
"Are you willing to swear your absolute loyalty to the Ruler?"
"I am."
Zala nodded with a determined look on his face.