A trace of light bloomed at the edge of the sky. It rose from a distant, unreachable horizon, little by little, little by little, until it draped this beautiful world in its glow.

When the first ray of light fell upon Alreis, his eyes snapped open.

They were eyes so beautiful it was hard to believe they were real. Unlike ordinary people, his eyes were neither black nor blue. They were dyed in dazzling, prismatic light. Even more wondrous, the radiance of a Hexagram kept flashing within them, as if all the mysteries of the world had been gathered into those eyes.

“It’s time,” Alreis murmured. “My magic can’t grow any stronger. I’ve stood at the summit of this world for far too many years. I can’t wait any longer...”

He slowly raised a hand and swept it through the air. Pale green light surged. A gust of wind rose just like that, lifting Alreis straight up.

He kept ascending. Faster and faster. Even after piercing through the clouds, he still continued upward. The violent currents forced Alreis to cast a magic barrier around himself. With that, no matter how fierce the winds became, they could no longer hinder him.

He flew and flew. It seemed endless. It was as if Alreis was about to leave this world. And yet...

Bang!

A tremendous crash rang out in the endless heights. Then came a series of cracking sounds, like something shattering. It was Alreis’s magic barrier.

“As expected.” Alreis shook his head.

In truth, this wasn’t his first time here. He had come here many times before. Yet a transparent wall stood in front of him, blocking his path.

“So this is the so-called edge of the world?”

Alreis had studied this transparent wall countless times. It seemed not to exist, because if he threw a stone, the stone would pass through without the slightest obstruction. And yet it also clearly existed, because no living thing—let alone a person, not even an ant—could pass through it to see the world beyond.

To cross this wall, Alreis had traveled the entire world. He had searched through ancient records so old they could hardly be called records anymore. The beings of the past had called this wall the World Barrier.

Ancient lifeforms had conducted extensive research on it, and they had reached many conclusions.

In the words of those ancient beings, this wall was a barrier the world had set up for self-protection. It could resist the invasion of life from other worlds. But in truth, this world had never seen any so-called foreign species. In the end, this wall had become nothing more than a shackle upon the lives within this world.

But now, Alreis—the being hailed as the strongest in all history, the one known as the master of time and space—had decided to break through this wall. He would break through the limits this world had imposed on him. He would undo the restrictions the world had set upon itself. Even if there were other lifeforms outside, Alreis had absolute confidence that he could sweep aside everything before him.

He wanted to become stronger. That had always been the faith he lived by and clung to until now. If he could no longer grow stronger, then he would rather die. So he would shatter this wall at any cost, even if it meant giving up his life.

“Then let’s begin!”

With that declaration to himself, something suddenly seemed to appear in Alreis’s hand. It was his staff, the only staff in this world forged from time and space. It sounded unbelievable. Time and space were formless, so how could they be made into a staff? That was why Alreis was the strongest. His magic over time and space surpassed everyone from past to present, reaching the very limit a being could attain. He could no longer be called human.

Alreis spoke no incantation. He simply gave that staff—which should not have existed—a casual swing.

The world around the World Barrier instantly fell into utter chaos. Space shattered layer by layer. Time rippled without end, crashing against the World Barrier.

Within the broken space and turbulent time, ancient figures began to appear one after another. They were the beings from ages past who had once stood before the World Barrier. Without exception, they had all been existences who stood at the peak of the world.

Some figures swung their staffs, summoning endless flames. Others hurled heaven-filling lightning. Frost appeared as well, along with decay, and even the power of life itself. There was also power like Alreis’s own—the power of time and space.

At this moment, Alreis had actually crossed through time itself and borrowed every attack launched at the World Barrier by all the Ascendant Sovereigns of the past.

What kind of power was this? How deep an understanding and control over time and space did this require? At this moment, Alreis was the strongest. He had gathered the mightiest attacks of every Ascendant Sovereign from ancient times to the present.

Rumble—

The tremor spread across the world. Even though this place was unimaginably far from the ground, all living beings still felt it. The entire world had been shaken.

“Was that... an earthquake?”

That was what most of the weak and ignorant said. But for the powerful who understood far more, they knew the truth.

Someone was assaulting the World Barrier.

“Is that... Alreis?”

In an unknown place, a powerful being whispered.

Although Alreis had borrowed the power of ancient Ascendant Sovereigns, the force controlling it all was still the power of time and space. So even across an immeasurable distance, those experts could only sense that unbelievably powerful aura of time and space. In the world today, only Alreis could do such a thing.

That was what was happening below.

In the endless heights...

Blood streamed all over Alreis’s body. Countless cracks had appeared across his skin. The recoil was so immense that even time and space could not fully block it. At this moment, Alreis was already gravely wounded.

And yet, Alreis smiled.

Because the World Barrier that had blocked everything now had a crack in it. It gave off a twisted sensation, as if the boundless edge of the world had finally reached an end.

Little by little, little by little, the World Barrier shattered.

At this moment, life was set free!

Ignoring his injuries, Alreis rushed straight toward the broken barrier. His wish of many long years was finally about to be fulfilled. At last, he could witness the wonders of the world outside.

However, in the very next moment, his body suddenly began to disperse bit by bit.

Alreis stopped and glanced downward. As if understanding something, he nodded.

“So that’s how it is. This is the world’s backlash? So the world really does have a will!”

He looked once more toward the outer world. His eyes were filled with longing and reluctance.

“I won’t let you have your way!”

That was Alreis’s final roar. He violently swung the hand that was already beginning to vanish. Time and space wrapped around him. In the next instant, he completely turned into light, scattering down little by little.

“The World Barrier... shattered? Alreis’s aura... disappeared?”

The powerful beings on the ground sensed the destruction of the World Barrier. They knew Alreis had succeeded. But his aura had vanished just like that. Had this supreme existence truly fulfilled the long-cherished wish of all life in this world at the cost of his own fall?

“Alreis... those who come after will remember you forever... until the end of time...”

The Ascendant Sovereigns whispered in low voices.

Then, the Ascendant Sovereigns began to absorb magic power like mad, fully releasing the strength they had suppressed during Alreis’s era.

“Now, a new age should begin!!!!”

Their voices carried far into the distance.