No one noticed that a fierce battle had erupted on the other side of the Dream World.
Because it had almost no residual effect on the physical reality.
But certain individuals within the Reason World seemed to sense a disturbance, and concurrently, they discovered that the overall spatial scope encompassing the three worlds was diminishing.
The Dream World, which previously spanned the entire Solar System, was... contracting?
The constraints of the Dream World were weakening, and the relative positions of the star clusters were gradually shifting.
...
Inside Kitsune.
"The situation is far from optimistic..."
Kitsune's Fifth Council Member sighed deeply, looking up at the ceiling. "Master of Flesh, number 012, broke containment, followed by 009 uniting with other uncontained entities."
"And today, Balance, number 017, has also broken containment."
"It truly is a chaotic assembly of demons."
"If those entities truly manage to unite and breach Kitsune, releasing the previously contained Objects, the situation will become entirely uncontrollable."
Ding, ding.
At that moment, the Fifth Council Member's phone chimed once.
He picked up his device to check, only to see that someone had sent him an image.
The content of the picture was quite blurry, as it depicted a scene from deep outer space: an unidentified flying object hurtling toward Earth!
"Is this...? A spaceship?"
"A warship?"
Immediately after, the sender transmitted another video clip.
The Fifth Council Member opened the video, only to see that as the cosmic warship approached Earth, it was suddenly seized by an immense, unseen force!
That force was unidentifiable, but a massive grip mark, resembling a dragon's claw, appeared etched onto the warship! Immediately after, several mechanical life forms began to emerge from the vessel! Then, for reasons unknown, both the mechanical life forms and the warship itself instantly detonated!
"What... what on earth is that entity?"
...
Outer space.
On the moon, a mechanical monster stood behind the lunar surface, projecting an image onto its optical sensors. It was precisely the scene the Fifth Council Member had just witnessed.
Computer reached out and retrieved a mechanical dog from the ground. Immediately after, a giant dragon manifested in the projection!
The colossal dragon seized the warship with a single claw. Computer's mechanical constructs emerged from the vessel, but the dragon suddenly opened its maw and unleashed an energy beam. That beam swept through space, directly shattering the warship and those mechanical entities.
Crack!
Computer exerted force on its hand, directly crushing the mechanical dog it held.
"Dragon."
Why would it appear in the Manifest World?
Does this signify that the barrier of the Reason World has weakened? This warrants immediate re-evaluation.
"I did not anticipate that the force obstructing my scheme would be neither Kitsune nor humanity, but you."
"It appears my plans were still somewhat premature."
...
Earth, over Antarctica.
Figures descended one after another from the sky.
Four years had passed, and a large number of monsters had been created, all vying for emergence.
Chaos Insurgency, Serpent's Hand, Night Watcher, and various scattered monstrous entities, all converging with a singular purpose, gathered together.
Golden patterns shimmered across 009's skin. With his hands clasped behind his back, he stood upon a platform.
An old man and a young man flanked him, one on his left and one on his right.
The elder was Balance, and the youth was the Master of Flesh.
Not long ago, Balance had broken containment, and his powers had consequently evolved.
Moreover, he had caused considerable disruption. He sought to liberate other monsters as well, but the environment was not as favorable as he had hoped. Many extraordinary figures had risen to prominence within Kitsune.
Balance, after successively defeating two Earthly Branches, was compelled to retreat under the fierce counter-offensive of his adversaries. But he managed to return with two Stones.
The Ox Stone and the Rooster Stone.
He assigned the Ox Stone to 009, while Balance retained the Rooster Stone.
009's ability had evolved; he could make any projectile an Absolute Hit, provided an initial force was supplied.
The greater this initial impulse, the faster the projectile would travel.
Therefore, granting him the Ox Stone was clearly the most logical allocation.
And Balance, even after his evolution, still lacked the capacity for flight, so the Rooster Stone, which allowed control over gravity, remained in his possession.
The Master of Flesh also brought back a Stone: the Monkey.
Tallying the count, Chaos now held four Stones in hand.
You inquire about the fourth?
The Rabbit Stone was held by the 020 Computer.
The Snake Stone was in Reinhard's custody, and the Rat Stone belonged to the 024 Great Serpent.
Unsurprisingly, the Great Serpent was absent from this gathering.
Reinhard represented the Serpent's Hand faction.
So, where were the Serpent's Hand's other two leaders, Cain and Abel?
Due to a past irreconcilable conflict, the two had a complete schism.
Abel was on the verge of defecting and surrendering to Byakuya, prompting Cain to lead an assassination attempt against Abel.
And this turn of events played perfectly into Byakuya's scheme. It was a trap orchestrated by Kitsune—"the mantis stalks the cicada, oblivious to the oriole behind." As soon as Abel fell, Kitsune moved with swift, decisive force to eliminate Cain.
Reinhard, who was not involved in this internal purge, fortunately emerged unharmed.
Consequently, the Serpent's Hand was now reduced to a single leader.
That leader was Reinhard.
Reinhard led a remnant faction of the Serpent's Hand to the meeting convened in Antarctica.
009 regarded Reinhard. "It is said that Seth is highly reserved and rarely shows his face. It is a significant honor to have you grace us with your presence this time."
Reinhard offered no verbal reply, merely raising his hand slightly in acknowledgment.
Immediately following this, a contingent of goblins and various monsters arrived.
Why are they labeled goblins and monsters? Their appearance immediately conveyed the reason.
Among them were gargoyles and elves; numerous distinct species were represented.
Leading this group was the Night King.
He was the organizer of the Night Watcher movement and commanded considerable influence among the newer monster factions.
"Is this the entirety of your contingent?"
Night King Allos turned his head and swept his gaze across the assembly. This attendance number was far fewer than he had anticipated.
"Those who are not present are already eliminated."
009 concluded his statement and fixed his eyes upon Reinhard and the Night King. "Enough with the pleasantries; let's get straight to the objective."
"Wait."
A clear female voice descended from the sky. One playing card after another was meticulously tossed in front of 009.
009 reached out and caught a card. A black shadow immediately manifested directly behind him.
"You intend to move against Kitsune? Count me in."
009 turned around, seeing a blonde woman clad in a black robe standing behind him.
"Black Queen?"
"I should have anticipated it was you, 004."
"Welcome aboard."
009 clapped his hands together. Allies were always welcome; the more, the merrier.
"Since you are all gathered here today, your allegiance is clear. The White King has oppressed us for far too long. All things that reach an extreme must eventually reverse. It is time for us to hit rock bottom and initiate the rebound!"
"I have spent my entire existence opposing Kitsune. I have been captured, contained, subjected to experiments, and forcibly cast into other dimensions."
"I have personally witnessed that clique of Kitsune gradually ascend to their current status. Every single one of their achievements is built upon the flesh and blood of those they subjugated!"
"Now, the time has come to reclaim what is rightfully ours!"
The Night King observed this, then led the applause. "Well stated. So, what is your proposed strategy?"
009 looked toward the Night King. "Kitsune's primary forces are currently concentrated in North America, but their containment zones are dispersed globally."
"And their current main methods rely on three tiers: Objects take the lead, technological apparatus is secondary, and finally, their own inherent cultivation methods."
"But before I detail my strategy, I wish to hear yours first."
"I propose a direct, full-force assault on Kitsune headquarters."
The statement hung in the air, and an immediate, profound silence fell upon the atmosphere.
Night King heard this and his gaze drifted across each monster.
"A direct assault on Kitsune headquarters is a straightforward method. With our sheer numbers and overwhelming ability advantage, attempting it isn't impossible."
"However, I also have an alternative strategy here. You can all briefly review it."
"Do you know the White King's core abilities?"
"To be frank, I understand the White King quite well. Regarding his abilities, I have distilled them down to two primary points."
"The Yin and Yang, capable of manifesting all things, and equally capable of dissolving all things."
"And as we all know, all ability characteristics are categorized into three distinct tiers."
"The White King's ability is not an Absolute characteristic; it is only Conceptual level. This means it can theoretically be unraveled. If I may state this plainly, my own ability might be able to directly target the White King."
"Because my ability is the nullification of all powers."
Night King, Allos, 030.
Monster Name: Lie Eater.
Ability: To invert falsehoods and manifest lies into reality.
"However, there is one rather unfortunate limitation: my ability is not an Absolute characteristic, so naturally, it cannot affect Absolute characteristics."
Hearing Night King's declaration, the Master of Flesh beside 009 spoke up.
"I have never encountered an ability quite like that."
Night King looked directly at the Master of Flesh. "Well, you have now."
"So, my proposal is this: The White King always acts decisively and notoriously dislikes sharing his plans with others."
"He frequently acts alone, often disregarding his subordinates. We can exploit this inherent trait, using the strategy of 'luring the tiger out of its mountain lair' to draw the White King out."
"Such a simple tactic; there's no way the tiger wouldn't see through it."
"Correct, he can see through it, but the established rules of Kitsune mandate it. He is obligated to send someone to investigate, is he not?"
"We neutralize this initial response group and continue to wait for him. Kitsune will inevitably dispatch further personnel."
"We maintain the killing, they maintain the sending. Eventually, the tiger will be forced to leave his stronghold."
"Are you perhaps underestimating the White King too severely? If he prepares with extreme thoroughness before making a move, it is not guaranteed that we won't become the prey."
Night King regarded the speaker. "There is indeed that possibility, but for the White King, conventional common sense is rendered ineffective."
"You must understand this fundamental fact: the White King is someone who never adheres to established rules."
"Many of his actions will be beyond our expectations. It is incredibly difficult for us to predict his next move. He might appear on the first lure, or he might never show himself at all."
"This is something inherently unpredictable. Even if we devised a more complex plan, we still couldn't reliably forecast what the White King might do."
"Therefore, simplicity and directness are preferable. We will inform him openly that we have laid a trap for him and issue a direct challenge: will he come?"
"We will only dispatch a single individual to surface as the lure for the White King. The rest of us will converge upon North America."
"This designated bait person must possess exceptionally robust strength. We estimate they will need to withstand three full waves of Kitsune's counter-attacks alone."
Hearing Night King's directive, everyone unconsciously looked toward 009.
When speaking of exceptional toughness, who could surpass this immortal being?
But Night King shook his head. "No, the person I am referring to is not 009."
"As for who that individual is specifically, I will inform them privately later. For now, we must prepare for two distinct scenarios."
"The first scenario is that the tiger, fully aware of the trap, deliberately walks into it, leading subordinates directly to surround that single operative."
"The second scenario is that the tiger simply remains stationary at headquarters, refusing to move."
"If it's the first scenario, our main assault force will proceed directly to attack Kitsune headquarters. We will capitalize on the tiger's absence to seize control of the base and release all containment Objects."
"But that outcome is perhaps too idealistic."
"Indeed, so I place greater emphasis on the second scenario."
"The tiger chooses not to move."
"If the tiger remains passive, then we must devise a way to force him into action."
Just then, 009 suddenly interrupted Night King. "If you ask my opinion, your current plan seems needlessly complicated. Isn't the simplest way to lure a tiger just to provoke it?"
"Rather than wasting effort on elaborate deception, I favor dispersing our forces, launching a powerful strike against the headquarters, and confronting the tiger directly."
"Currently, Kitsune's containment zones are scattered across the entire globe. Once these zones are dissolved, several more challenging Objects will suddenly manifest across the world."
"Kitsune will naturally redeploy forces from headquarters to secure these emerging threats."
"But I require some time for preparation."
Queen Bee, who had willingly lowered her own power level to the peak of the 3rd Step, turned her head. "If that is the case, I also have a contingency plan."
After three days of intense deliberation, the final strategy was agreed upon.
Meanwhile, what exactly were Kitsune doing?
Inside the Kitsune headquarters, Byakuya entered a specific chamber.
Before him stood a stone statue. An Earthly Branch official stood beside him. "Chief, we still haven't found a reliable method to neutralize the Gluttony issue..."
Byakuya turned his head. "You are mistaken, Midday Position. It is not that we are unable to resolve it; it is simply that we never intended to."
"Why do you believe the Chief, while in office, proposed the plan to aid the future? Was the situation truly so irresolvable that hope could only be pinned on the future?"
"Uh... wasn't it?"
"Haha, you are truly so naive and charmingly adorable."
"The solution for Gluttony's dilemma was actually designed a long time ago. It's just that the Chief deliberately kept it concealed."
"I don't follow..."
"You don't understand? It's a very simple concept. Gluttony itself functions as a prison, specifically designed to contain and permanently seal 005."
"He doesn't require any other functionalities; his sole purpose is to seal 005. That is sufficient."
"Therefore, his current state—petrified—is, theoretically, the optimal condition."
"By turning himself to stone, ensuring he never breaks free, 005 will be eternally imprisoned."
"And we eliminate the worry of containment failure. But, I personally dislike this arrangement."
"So now, let us awaken Gluttony."
The midday operative still looked utterly perplexed. At this moment, Byakuya suddenly reached out and grasped his face!
"Chief... Chief?!"
"You have labored diligently throughout this time."
Byakuya said, applying force with his hand, directly crushing the operative's head!
Puff, puff!
Blood splattered spectacularly. Byakuya immediately reached in and pulled at the spinal cord, then completely ripped it apart!
Mixed with blood and fragmented mechanical components, Byakuya extracted a Stone from the shattered spine.
The Horse Stone.
Wiping the blood from the Stone, Byakuya walked towards Gluttony's stone statue.
"You have slept long enough. It is time for you to rise and move about."
Placing the Stone into the mouth of Gluttony's statue, the petrified form began to vibrate immediately.
The issue of Gluttony's radiation, and his persistent uncontrolled superpower syndrome, were actually very simple problems to resolve; a single Horse Stone was enough.
Zero had been aware of this for a long time. The reason he refrained from acting was the fear that 005 would break containment during the process.
As long as Gluttony survived in his human form, he could face death.
But if he maintained his petrified statue state constantly, even if thousands or tens of thousands of years passed, even if his form was utterly destroyed, he would not die. Correspondingly, 005 would never be unleashed.
005 was likened to a slippery loach; once he slipped free, recapturing him would prove exceptionally difficult.
Zero worried intensely about this, but Byakuya remained completely unconcerned.
Crack.
Fissures gradually spread across the stone statue until, in a sudden burst, the statue's outer shell shattered!
Gluttony emerged from his petrified state.
Gazing at Byakuya standing before him, and the unfamiliar surroundings, his face was filled with profound confusion. "What year is it now?"
"Do not fret; it is not the future yet."
Byakuya stated, taking out a briefcase and tossing it toward Gluttony. "Familiarize yourself with this. I am the new Kitsune Chief; I am your direct superior."
Gluttony's brows furrowed.
"You are the Chief?"
"Where is Chief Zero?"
Byakuya replied, "The Chief has departed."
"Kitsune A-class personnel Gluttony, effective today, you are promoted to S-class, and you will continue your appointment as Kitsune containment personnel."
Zero is dead?
Gluttony covered his forehead with his hand. "How much time has actually passed since I last broke free from petrification?"
"Only a few years. Do not trouble yourself over it."
"A few years?"
"Allow me a moment. My mind is currently quite turbulent."
"That is acceptable, but I still urge you to adapt to this new world as swiftly as possible."
"Because we are on the verge of engaging in a fierce conflict."
...
At the same moment, a vast fleet of warships in the universe was sailing toward a galaxy tens of billions of light-years away.
Within that fleet, a blurry figure held a small box in his hand.
He reached into the box and drew out a card, "I only need to introduce a little chaos to them, and they will tear each other apart. Observe, these are the remnants of the old world's lives."
"No matter how they shed their physical forms, no matter how they conceal themselves, no matter how they evolve, wild beasts will forever remain wild beasts."
"Believing only in the so-called 'survival of the fittest,' constantly discarding the weak—even those inherently beautiful things are thrown away by them."
"This farcical, antiquated world is truly unbearable for even a single moment."
"Evolution, it once authored the most glorious and magnificent chapter in the universe."
"It should not be reduced to this state, continually replaying the same old-world farce."
"Life is meant to be a hundred flowers blooming. If the authority of evolution rested within my hands, I would allow new life, in a new world governed by the perfect laws I establish, to coexist in harmony."
A grotesque entity, supported by tentacles concealed beneath a white robe, scurried before the spectral figure.
"Your Majesty, we all eagerly anticipate that day, and we are certain you will be the ultimate victor."
"Observe; you merely introduced a small degree of chaos into that world, and they have already begun their self-destructive farce, slaughtering one another."
"Presumably, we won't even need to intervene personally. They will have largely annihilated themselves by then."
"Of course, all of this success is thanks to your wise strategic decisions."
Ghost extended a hand, then suddenly clenched it into a fist. "It is unfortunate that my hidden contingency was discovered; otherwise, I wouldn't have to endure this setback."
"But all things will eventually return to my grasp."
"Demon's Pot, Blood Pool, Divine Tome, Chessboard, Key."
"Once Evolution is secured, four more remain."
...
Amidst the unfolding chaos, a colossal spherical object rapidly compressed, transforming into an inconspicuous humanoid entity within the expanse of the universe.
Mei awakened.
She observed the distant stellar sea on the far side but did not hurry to depart. Instead, she turned her attention to this empty star system.
"Hm... It would be a waste not to utilize this space."
Mei extended her hand. The ambient energy in the universe began to converge towards her fingertips.
This gathered energy instantly coalesced, forming a new star, and this star was continuously swelling in size.
Is she... creating a star system?
No, Mei was forging an entirely new "world."
As for the situation unfolding on Earth, she was already fully aware.
It was nothing more than the petty machinations of some foolish busybody.
Entropy, taking advantage of Mei's profound slumber, had tampered with her avatar, causing it to release a surge of evolutionary potions.
This prompted numerous life forms into imbalanced evolution, and then he nudged one step further, causing these life forms to engage in mutual destruction, effectively erasing their own world.
But perhaps he failed to realize that Mei's creations, from the very moment of their genesis, had never ceased their internal struggle.
Furthermore, Mei had assigned serial numbers to every single potion batch.
Even if these potions were distributed randomly, they would only ever land near someone predetermined.
So...
Let the chaos commence.
Mei first created a world purely for her entertainment. She would return once they concluded their fighting.
After all, Entropy had meticulously arranged all of this spectacle. She couldn't bear to spoil his fun. At the very least, she had to ensure he heard a resounding, conclusive boom.
...
Bottle after bottle of forbidden potions flowed out from the Crack Space, descending into the world, initiating the largest-scale evolutionary event yet recorded.
Among these descending vials, quite a few 4th Step beings received potions.
In fact, even 001 received a share.
Now, 001, who was ostensibly chasing the Great Serpent, had actually been strolling around leisurely all along.
Just as 024 had observed, Mei was currently absent, so there was no harm in taking a relaxing stroll and honing her own skills.
As a consequence, while 001 was squatting by the roadside enjoying noodles, a potion bottle dropped from the sky, landing with perfect accuracy directly into her bowl.
Splat.
Noodle soup splashed across 001's face. 001's expression froze into momentary blankness.
Who was it?
"Who lacks such basic civic virtue? Can't they see I'm eating?!"
001, potion in hand, was filled with pent-up indignation, but upon recognizing the contents, her small mind momentarily shut down.
This was... an evolutionary potion?
Wait...
"...Master, you wouldn't happen to be back, would you?"
This potion, falling with such precise trajectory—neither favoring nor shifting—strongly suggested that Mei had witnessed her slacking off and had thrown it at her.
One immediate conclusion formed: The Master is displeased.
Another association surfaced: The Master wants to lock me in a cage!
This time, 001 panicked. She hastily raised the potion and offered a profuse apology to the empty air.
Passersby, witnessing this bizarre scene, couldn't help but pull out their mobile devices.
A little girl muttering apologies to thin air like that—so cute, yet clearly suffering from a mental affliction.
Alas...
They recorded a short video and posted it online, wondering if anyone would come to claim her.
001 ignored the onlookers. She apologized to the air for a long time, but received no reply.
Gradually, 001 shifted her interpretation.
"Is it possible... Master isn't actually angry, but is simply rewarding me?"
Yes, otherwise, why would she personally toss a potion at someone? Was this a form of discipline? It felt less like punishment and more like tossing meat buns to a dog.
No, that analogy wasn't quite accurate.
Never mind, that was the general sentiment.
001 patted her own face. "It seems I can't afford to play around anymore. I need to quickly go retrieve that Serpent."
001 finished speaking, unfurled her wings, and soared directly into the sky.
Simultaneously, she didn't forget to uncap the potion, tilt her head back, and pour the contents into her mouth.
On that potion vial was a stark red cross-out mark, and beneath it, a line of text.
Perfect Melody (Godblood).
A monstrous potion, comparable to Mortal to God, as both were vials intended for ability evolution.
But Mortal to God was for evolving existing abilities, capable of advancing even absolute characteristics.
The other potion, however, had a singular effect: Absolute Perfection.