Things hadn’t played out at all as he’d imagined . The young princess of the Tayns was nowhere to be found inside the Thousandflame Galley , or any other Tayn representative for that matter . Kruta didn’t even know if he was inside the warship , or if he’d been transported somewhere else during his two weeks in burning limbo .
This broken world was some sort of prison colony , where descendants of those who had angered Thousandflames Eccentric toiled away in ashen suffering . He still didn’t know how the Tayns had exposed their plans , but it was clear they didn’t approve . Every day , Kruta prayed he was the only one from the tribe who had been punished for their arrogance , and the fact that he still hadn’t ran into any of his tribesmen was his greatest source of comfort .
As for the treacherous whispers in the back of his mind that the tribe had been incinerated instead of captured? Kruta refused to listen . He held onto his faith , and the carrot dangled before him .
Kruta hadn’t encountered much trouble the first day , even if his mind had been a confused mess . He had been trying to make sense of the situation , and the fact that his Spatial Treasures were sealed didn’t help . It was in that state a trio of foragers had stumbled upon him . They’d been wary of this stranger but took pity on him and shared some of their knowledge .
The three eked out a living by digging through the ashes for spiritual roots . The ambient energy was abundant but filled with fire that would consume you from within if you imbibed too much . Besides , it was impossible for most to completely forgo normal sustenance . But in this kind of broken world , food was extremely scarce . Kruta had followed them for five days , and everything had been fine until something changed .
All three tried to murder him in his sleep , going so far as to sacrifice limbs and longevity to accomplish their goal . Kruta had already been prepared for a possible attack , and his superior training allowed him to pull through even without his weapons . At first , he’d thought they simply attacked him to rob his corpse , but questioning them exposed the truth .
The foragers had heard a voice just before attacking , and it had a simple message for the whole realm—freedom for death . Kill Kruta the Great before he crosses the Worldfall Ridge , and the sins of your ancestors will be forgiven . The foragers hadn’t hesitated to risk it all for a chance to escape their burning prison .
Since then , Kruta had become an enemy of the world , where every single native did everything in their power to eradicate him . Those who could survive this purgatory weren’t weak , and there were even Peak Hegemons in this world . Their training was subpar , and their equipment was garbage , but their numerical advantage wasn’t something you could just overcome with grit and skill .
But he’d survived . Days turned to months , and months to years as Kruta advanced toward the Worldfall Ridge . He lost count of the times he’d narrowly escaped death , either by avoiding traps or narrowly eking out a victory against powerful and desperate foes . His only shot at survival was to win the cruel game set up by the Thousandflame Eccentric .
Kruta didn’t mind . He cherished the opportunity , which had turned into his mental support . The Tayns loved to test fates . It still wasn’t certain his suffering was solely meant as a punishment . He’d never received any message , but it was possible he would be let go if he survived . He already missed the opportunity to join his buddy in the Left Imperial Palace , but he didn’t care so long as his people weren’t hurt .
And he was almost there . He could hear the voices draw closer and summoned strength he didn’t know he had as he kept climbing . His body was drained beyond a breaking point , his pathways like charred strings . His ancestor had nothing more to give , and Kruta was forced to seal the spirit inside his mind to prevent it from collapsing . Yet his legs kept going , fueled by desire and iron will . He resisted the suppression , and the peak was soon in view .
Then there was nothing more to ascend . The winding path turned into sheer wall , a black rock so hot that smoke created a curtain that hid his presence . His feet were lead , and they refused to move again now that they had stopped . He threw away his commandeered balsawood swords and grabbed the wall .
Sizzling and searing pain tried to make him give in , but Kruta wouldn’t break . He sacrificed a layer of skin for each step as he continued his journey . Did seconds pass or did hours? Was he alive or was he dead? Kruta didn’t know .
Then , darkness turned to light as he pushed through the smoke and dust . Seeing a blue sky was almost enough to make him pass out , but he summoned a final burst of energy to drag himself up from the edge and crawl onto a flat surface . A smile of contentment spread across his face as the flickering flame of his being finally winked out .
He had done it . He’d beaten the game , and his tribe would be safe .
Burning flames shattered the darkness , and Kruta released a pent-up roar of fury . He was already dead , so why couldn’t they leave him be? He had done what was asked of him! This treatment was excessive . He didn’t care . He’d give these bastards a good punch even if his ancestral soul were incinerated .
Wait , why did he have hands?
Ah? What’s going on? - Kruta muttered , blankly looking down at his very much corporeal hands .
Only then did he realize he was no longer atop the Worldend Ridge . The pain and sickness that followed him for years was gone , and his pathways had changed from burnt-out twigs to threads of steel . The ancestor was stabilized , and his aura was incredibly vigorous , though he still slept inside Kruta’s Soul Aperture .
The situation inside his body looked good , but the scenery around him quashed Kruta’s excitement . He’d been placed in the middle of what looked like a coliseum , and he could sense brutal auras from behind the steel gates . His heart shuddered , and his will almost collapsed from a terrifying premonition . Had the Thousandflame Eccentric brought him back to life only to have him play another game?
Kruta roused his spirit as he turned toward the closest gate . He wouldn’t give in . He would fight to the bitter end .
Feisty . Not bad . -
The voice came from every direction , and it felt like the roar of a thousand suns .
G-greetings , great mistress , - Kruta stuttered , his budding momentum gone .
It was one thing to fight to the death with beasts or prisoners , but there was only one thing to do when facing one of the Three Scourges . Even Supremacies were wary of these lunatics , so a bit of groveling wouldn’t shame the ancestors . Kruta wasn’t afraid ; he was just being smart .
I—ah . I’m very sorry if we’ve offended you and the esteemed Tayns . -
Esteemed Tayns , huh? That wasn’t what you said back then? - The eccentric laughed as a screen appeared in the middle of the arena .
Kruta felt his vision close in as he saw himself appear , surrounded by withered roots and corpses of the First Heaven . He heard himself talk with Zac , discussing their options .
Don’t say it , you bastard!’ Kruta inwardly cried , wanting nothing more than to go back in time and punch himself in his big mouth .
Pretty famous? That’s the understatement of the century , - his projection guffawed . - Those lunat— -
The scene didn’t continue from there , and Kruta found himself alone in the arena again . A storm raged in Kruta’s mind , where part of him was cursing that flaky Realm Spirit . It acted so high and mighty , saying his seals were impregnable . But what did that matter if he gave in when faced with true monsters? Kruta couldn’t believe the old bastard had spied on the chat of two juniors and then shared it with the Tayns .