Sage of reality

Chapter 22: Shadows of Dominion

The World Space had shifted again.

Ancient pillars of fractured jade jutted out of the blood-tinted ground, scattered among crumbled ruins and cracked statues of forgotten gods. Waves of unstable energy surged through the land like currents beneath the ocean, occasionally flaring into streaks of elemental lightning, fire, or void energy that tore through the clouds above. The deeper they went, the more warped reality became.

Tory stood still, letting the strange white mist brush against his body. His white hair glimmered softly under the violet sky, no longer a symbol of frailty but of transformation. His presence drew the attention of many, yet most kept their distance. The oppressive pressure exuding from his body—even when restrained—was unnatural.

Behind him, the stone door that once led deeper into the inheritance vault had been reduced to rubble. The battle had ended, and his opponents had either fled, surrendered, or lay unconscious on the broken ground.

Jim stepped forward, still glowing faintly with Overlord-tier aura, his expression grim. "That makes the sixth team to try and rob us."

Tory nodded, sliding the newly obtained black scroll into his spatial ring. "And none of them know what they're even chasing."

In truth, most had sensed only the radiant core energy pouring from his body, not the complex storm of reality-altering power within. The System's evolving functions had become even more secretive.

[Reality System Notification: You have acquired a segment of the Spatial-Origin Array.]

[Progress: 1/7 segments acquired.]

Tory looked up at the jagged mountain ahead. This region was part of the inner core of the World Space—a place untouched even by the Celestial Fang family's advance squads. The terrain was chaotic, saturated with elemental backlash and laws far older than the continent itself.

They pressed forward.

The two of them moved silently for an hour until Jim paused, eyes narrowing. Ahead, a battle unfolded between a contingent of cloaked cultivators and one of the Celestial Fang geniuses.

One of the cloaked attackers sent a blade of compressed wind flying, only for it to be shattered by a wave of gold-light-imbued time energy. The Fang family member stood his ground, his movements precise and restrained, his black hair tied back. He wielded a double-edged glaive glowing with spatial runes.

"That's one of the hidden ten," Jim murmured.

Tory observed quietly. Something about the way the youth fought stirred something in his core. The Time element within him resonated ever so slightly. The Fang genius flinched for a moment as if feeling something, but quickly recovered.

"I'll handle the rest," Jim said, stepping into the fray to lend support. His spear burned with five elements, and within moments, the ambush party was forced into retreat.

The Fang genius glanced at Jim, then at Tory. His gaze lingered on Tory's presence—curious, not hostile.

"You're not one of us," he said slowly. "But you feel... familiar."

Tory offered a faint smile. "Coincidence."

The genius didn't push. "Take care then. This place is only beginning to wake."

With that, he vanished into a portal of spiraling light.

They continued deeper. Tory's system pulsed again.

[Reality System Notification: You are being observed by an unknown will.] [Source: Ancient Vault Guardian – Suppressed Consciousness Detected.]

They reached a collapsed temple where the pressure was so thick Jim stumbled. Tory, however, walked forward as if welcomed. Upon entering, a wave of timeless pressure flooded the air. At the center, a floating crystal containing countless golden scripts shimmered.

[System Notification: Do you wish to attempt Inheritance Trial: Shaper of Laws?]

Tory accepted without hesitation. The trial began instantly, and he found himself inside a void of spinning runes and collapsing stars. Each test weakened his energy, forcibly scaling down his abilities to match the challenge set by the ancient being.

He fought against projections of Saints, maneuvered arrays laced with quantum laws, and absorbed forgotten scriptures on space-time architecture. He failed several times but learned quickly.

When he emerged from the trial, the stone beneath him cracked. His aura flared once, and in that instant, the mountains rumbled.

[System Notification: New Law Fragment Gained – Creative Spacefolding Array.]

[Passive Boost: 2% of Reality unlocked.]

Jim helped him to his feet, shaking his head. "You looked dead for a moment."

"Felt like it."

They gathered the remaining resources and left the temple. Behind them, the ruins sealed once more.

Meanwhile, far away in the World Space, several other top contenders had begun forming temporary alliances—unaware that the true storm was not the treasures... but the boy wielding reality itself.