Chapter 159: The First Gate
The moment Shen crossed the boundary—
The portal changed.
The ordered radiance of Universe One twisted violently, collapsing inward like a devouring tide. Space did not open—it swallowed.
Shen's body was torn forward.
"What—?"
The laws he sensed moments ago vanished.
Darkness replaced everything.
Not the absence of light—
but a darkness so complete it erased direction, sound, and distance.
Shen steadied his breathing.
Then—
Shadows descended.
They poured from every direction, thin and formless, yet carrying pressure heavier than mountains. Dozens… hundreds… wrapping around him like a tide.
Shen moved.
His arm flashed.
The Infinity Sword sang.
Light tore through the dark as he pierced forward—one strike, then another, then a third. Shadow bodies were split, erased, scattered.
Yet—
They reformed.
Unbroken.
Unending.
"…Immortal?" Shen muttered.
The shadows halted.
They parted.
From within them stepped a figure—tall, crowned in shifting darkness, its presence bending the void itself.
A Shadow King.
Its voice echoed without sound.
"So you are the one who protects the Will of
Artha.
Shen's eyes narrowed.
"…Artha?"
Before he could question further—
The symbol engraved on Shen's hand ignited.
Light burst outward, pure and absolute.
The darkness screamed.
The void cracked open.
—
Suddenly—
Shen stood beneath a familiar sky.
Stone streets.
Broken towers.
Collapsed homes.
His hometown.
Rebuilt.
Alive.
He turned.
Kenya stood laughing, arms crossed.
Rin leaned against a wall, calm and uninjured.
Eliz smiled softly.
Ruke waved from a rooftop.
Peace filled the air.
Shen's breath caught.
"…You're all—"
They vanished.
The city emptied in a blink.
The sky darkened.
Footsteps echoed behind him.
Shen turned sharply.
"Commander Cairo?"
Cairo stood there, armor clean, expression stern—but before Shen could move—
Cairo dissolved into light.
Gone.
The space before Shen warped.
A presence descended.
It had no form.
No body.
Only authority.
Its voice resonated directly within existence itself.
"Protect this universe."
The words pressed into Shen's bones.
"Collect the remaining parts of the symbol."
The presence paused.
Then—
"Welcome to the world of gods, Protector."
—
Shen's eyes snapped open.
Cold stone beneath his hands.
A cave.
Dim light filtering through ancient cracks.
He inhaled sharply.
In front of him sat a child.
No—
not a child.
The figure was small, calm, cross-legged, eyes closed. His presence was tranquil… yet immeasurable
. Like a mountain disguised as a pebble.
The boy opened his eyes.
"You are the first," he said simply.
Shen stood slowly.
"…The first?"
The boy nodded.
"The first to enter this universe through the secret path."
Shen's heartbeat deepened.
Universe One.
Not as it was known—
But as it truly began.
The cave trembled faintly.
And far beyond it, something ancient noticed his arrival.
End of Chapter 159