"Kuro, we're heading back..." Ak.u.mu coldly muttered out. There was no hesitation. If something had happened to Dream, Ak.u.mu wanted to be the first guy by her side.

The black wolf continuously wagged its tail with excitement as it leapt up and down like a puppy. Its fur stood erect as dense darkness particles erupted from its being. Growing to over three times its original size, Kuro bent its back down to give Ak.u.mu an easy way up. Without hesitation, the man jumped onto his contracted Spirit Beast's back and held onto the wolf's fur. A dark mist emerged from Ak.u.mu's waist and crept down onto Kuro's underbelly. It soon coagulated into a tendril and thus, combining man and wolf into one ent.i.ty.

"I'm counting on you!"

"Awwwwooooooooo!!!" The black wolf howled. Securing its owner tightly, Kuro charged forth at maximum speed, ignoring whatever wind or friction that stood in its way.

❖❖❖

Year 247. Yume Metropolis. The Dawn Of Dream.

Darkened grey smudges of wool covered the early morning skies, like a spilt oil pot enveloping the entire floor. Howling winds, those that were sharp as knives and cold as ice, threatened the peace of the lands below. The sky roared at regular intervals while flashes of heavenly light crackled down with impunity. Soft water pellets trickled down, moistening the soil that all stood on. A pungent earthy aroma rose from the wet ground, giving a sense of calm to any that stood near it. Though, no one would be gullible enough to be drenched the rain… Unless?

Kuro's four paws dug deep into the soil as it propelled himself relentlessly. Travelling from the Uncharted Wilderness to Yume Metropolis would generally take a full month using traditional methods. Still, the Black Wolf managed to make it in a third of that time. Not even Aether Cars, one of Dream's most prized inventions, could match the speed of Kuro rus.h.i.+ng at maximum speed.

Once the Spirit Beast halted, Ak.u.mu slowly dismounted and immediately fell to the floor. His chest rapidly contracting, and his face was beyond flushed. Every single bone in Ak.u.mu's body was aching, and the Rank 60 Spirit King had hardly any oxygen left in his body. From the start, Ak.u.mu wasn't particularly in prime physical state. Just like Dream, he'd spent hours every day conducting experiments and writing reports indoors. He hardly ever exercised, and if not for his cultivation level, the man would have fallen sick a thousand times over. Therefore, riding Kuro for ten days without stopping had taken a significant toll on the man.

Kuro worryingly poked Ak.u.mu with his snout, only to be replied with a shaking head. "Don't worry, I'm fine… I just need a minute or two of rest..."

It took Ak.u.mu a few moments to catch his breath. Meanwhile, the fifty-year-old began to observe his surroundings. Yume Metropolis, the city that pushed the boundaries of mankind, had dozens of towering buildings, each one taller than the next. Well-paved roads, fortified structures with state-of-the-art cannons… Yume Metropolis had everything. Yet, somehow, something was off… The bustling country was oddly… quiet.

"T-This?! What's going on?" Ak.u.mu could barely see a soul within the city. The busy roads were entirely empty. The lights that lit up the darkness were off. And most importantly… Ak.u.mu could barely feel any signs of life.

The whole city was… dead.

"Hey, you! Hey! HEY!!!" Still in a daze, Ak.u.mu couldn't hear the authoritative voice call out to him. It was only at the third shout that the man came to his senses. Turning back, Ak.u.mu saw a burly man donning a Himmel Imperial Army's armour plate storming in his direction. His sword unsheathed, the soldier looked like a ferocious guard dog ready to pounce at any who trespa.s.sed on his land. Before Ak.u.mu could even react, the man exclaimed with all that he had. "You're not allowed to step foot in the restricted area!"

"R-Restricted area?" Ak.u.mu was flabbergasted. What stood before him… was the place where he was born and raised. The city that Dream had built… How could it be a restricted area?!

"What do you mean restricted area?! Isn't this Yume Metropolis? I live here!!! This is my home!"

"What's this?" The soldier was taken aback. The fiery glint in his eyes slowly flickered away as he lowered his weapon. Instead of feeling anger, the soldier's eyes were now filled with soft compa.s.sion and a slight tinge of pity. "Brother, you reside in Yume Metropolis? Did you go out on a trip or something?"

"T-That… yes!" Ak.u.mu couldn't possibly take the time to explain his entire circ.u.mstances. "Tell me! What happened here? Why is access to Yume Metropolis restricted now? What happened to the people inside? What happened to… President Dream?!"

The soldier unsheathed his sword as a despondent sigh escaped his lips. Although Ak.u.mu was agitated, the guard didn't feel that he was disrespectful. In fact, the soldier felt immense sorrow for the unkempt man. "Brother must've rushed home to see your family after experiencing the worldwide apocalypse… Hah, it's a pity..."

"What's a pity?" Hearing those words, Ak.u.mu's heart sank.

The soldier hesitated. He wasn't sure if he was the right man to break the news to the distraught man coming home. However, Ak.u.mu had to learn the truth eventually… Sighing, the soldier spoke: "Everyone in Yume Metropolis... pa.s.sed on."

"Pa.s.sed on?! They died?! How's that possible?" Ak.u.mu turned his attention to the intact city. The whole world had undergone some ma.s.sive upheavals, including thousands of tornadoes and ma.s.sive earthquakes. However, all of Yume Metropolis' buildings were still standing. Nothing was destroyed, and in fact, it looked far safer than other regions on the planet. Furthermore, how could people die when Dream, who had long become a Spirit Saint, was standing at the helm of the town?

"Then what about Dre-... President Dream?"

"You really..." The soldier shook his head as if trying to quell a headache. Still, thinking that Ak.u.mu deserved to know the truth, the soldier continued to explain. "Everyone in Yume Metropolis was sent into an eternal slumber by President Dream. Or should I say… Spirit Immortal Dream."

"WHAT?!" That revelation stunned Ak.u.mu more than any other.

'D-Dream… S-sh-she… broke through into the Immortal Realm?! How's that possible?! Didn't she say she wanted to open Heaven's Gate? What the h.e.l.l happened?!'

"That's right," not knowing Ak.u.mu's inner turmoil, the soldier sadly recounted the event. "Two weeks back, Yume Metropolis was still the thriving city that it was famed for. Millions of people lived harmoniously like the exemplar city-state it was. It was peace on earth… However, exactly fourteen days ago, Yume Metropolis government had discovered something about their genius leader… Spirit Immortal Dream."

"..." Ak.u.mu listened in earnest, trying to scoop up as much information as he possibly could.

"Once the government found out about Spirit Immortal Dream's secret research, they panicked and locked down the entire city. No merchants and visitors were allowed to visit or leave to contain the spread of information. Over the next four days, Yume Metropolis was shrouded in secrecy. No one knew what was going on within the walls and contact with the outside world had been limited. Thus, not even the three superpowers could find out what was the controversial study that Spirit Immortal Dream was researching… However, what happened next, stunned everyone in the world!"

The soldier looked at the sky above Yume Metropolis, his heart churning in fear and awe. "Spirit Immortal Dream… She rose up and exposed her Rank 99 cultivation level! In a fury, she snapped her fingers and enveloped the entire city with her Mind-Elements. With all of them locked up, Spirit Immortal Dream forced every single one of her subjects to fall into an eternal sleep! Never to wake. Effectively, Spirit Immortal Dream had ma.s.sacred her own people!"

"She what?!" Ak.u.mu couldn't help but scream.

Dream had always been docile and virtuous. She wouldn't even approve human experimentation, in fear of tormenting innocent souls. Dream also had a love for Yume Metropolis, the region where she was born and raised. There were millions of people, young and old living within the four walls of the city. For her to ma.s.sacre everyone, including those that were too weak to fight back… Ak.u.mu found it hard to believe.

"It's true… Spirit Immortal Dream had cast her most powerful ability, causing the heavens to stir. Naturally, the rest of the Spirit Saints rushed over after sensing the disturbance. They were horrified by the dead bodies that littered the streets. So, they confronted Spirit Immortal Dream, asking her why she'd kill her subjects."

"But they'd got nothing… Without warning, President Dream ascended into the Immortal Realm, becoming Spirit Immortal Dream. However..." The soldier looked around. Trees were uprooted, and the ground was broken down. Though the slight drizzle was obscuring his vision, the soldier could clearly observe the broken world that surrounded him.

"Spirit Immortal Dream's ascension didn't trigger the same gorgeous auroras that her predecessors did. Neither did it bestowed the world a boost in spiritual energies. Instead, Spirit Immortal Dream's ascension and tore a fabric in the heavens, causing the world's greatest natural disaster to date!" The burly man exclaimed, his towering body seeming so weak now.

Ak.u.mu gulped: "You're saying… Dream caused the apocalypse that brought the world to heel?"

"That's precisely what I'm saying," the soldier nodded. "The three superpowers have been ordered by our Spirit Saints to cordon the area, while they investigated the cause of Spirit Immortal Dream's actions. They also wanted to identify the reason behind her odd ascension. That's why I can't let you pa.s.s, brother."

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The soldier gently tapped on Ak.u.mu's shoulders, showing the same empathy one would to a mourner at a funeral: "I know that you may have friends and family in Yume Metropolis, but I can't let you enter the area. Come, let me lead you to my base camp. The three superpowers have recovered all the bodies and are in the midst of identifying them. Maybe… you can find your family there..."

Ak.u.mu couldn't hear the man's kindness. His eyes were still affixed on the ghost town that stood before him as he muttered the same words over and over.

"Dream… Dream..." Ak.u.mu looked to the heavens. He couldn't believe that Dream left him. They'd promised to open Heaven's Gate together, so why did she go ahead first? Why… did she become a Spirit Immortal without waiting for him?

'No… The councillors, the governor… They must have done something to Dream! Why did she rush her ascension? Something's not right!'

Ak.u.mu knew Dream. She wasn't the type to renege on her promise. She must've been forced… Yes, Dream must've been forced to ascend! Otherwise, it made zero sense!

"Brother?" The soldier sensed the change in Ak.u.mu's demeanour and cautiously tapped on the man's shoulder.

"Thank you for telling me this," Ak.u.mu's cold voice snapped back at the soldier. Kuro leapt right at Ak.u.mu, revealing its deadly fangs. At the same time, Ak.u.mu unleashed his Rank 60 mana and mounted his prized beast companion. Since he lacked the answers… He should go get them.

"f.u.c.k me! That brother is actually a Spirit King?" The soldier fell to his b.u.m, and his skin started to crawl. He was just a mere Spirit Apostle patrol guard. How could he contest against the might of a Spirit King? "s.h.i.+t, I have to report this to the commander! f.u.c.k me! I shouldn't have played the nice guy!" Falling on his feet, the soldier limped back to the base camp.

How could he have guessed that the man he'd just let through, would become the worst villain of all time?

✵✵✵

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