When he saw the young man lounging on the rattan chair as if nothing had happened, he couldn’t help but doubt himself. However, the Heaven’s Wrath he had just witnessed was undeniable. Moreover, it had originated from this direction.
“Luther, did you trigger Heaven’s Wrath just now?” the middle-aged man asked, his voice tinged with worry.
Luther, the young man, glanced at him, subtly sizing him up. The man appeared to be in his fifties, dressed in a white robe adorned with flowing black ink patterns. His presence exuded an air of authority and wisdom befitting his age.
Despite his years, his physique was far from frail. Broad shoulders and the faint outlines of well-toned muscles beneath the elegant robe hinted at a life of discipline and physical rigor.
However, the most striking feature was the man’s neatly groomed goatee that flowed elegantly from his chin.
While napping earlier, Luther had already sifted through the original Luther’s memories. The man before him was none other than Nazrin Rufus, the Chancellor of the Southern Mystic Sanctum.
“Uncle Naz, it’s nothing. I was just experimenting. There’s no need to worry,” Luther said with a calm smile.
Nazrin Rufus scanned the surroundings closely before giving the young man a once-over. Confirming with his own eyes that everything appeared fine, he let out a sigh of relief. “That’s good to hear. I was worried something bad might have happened. I’m not interrupting your experiment, am I?”
“No, no! I just finished,” Luther said, waving his hands with a grin. “I was actually about to take a nap.”
Looking at the young man, Nazrin Rufus sighed deeply. “Ever since you began this experiment, you rarely left the Continental. I know it’s part of his legacy, but you should get out more, and breathe some fresh air. Don’t keep cooping yourself up here.”
“What are you talking about, Uncle? There are trees and bushes here! There’s even a pond!” Luther protested, pointing at the koi pond nearby.
Nazrin Rufus shook his head, “Just try to show your face at the academy more often. Meet new people. You should also consider taking in some students to the Continental.”
He paused for a moment before adding, “The triannual intake is coming up soon. Take this opportunity to look for potential candidates.”
With that, Nazrin Rufus, the Chancellor of the Southern Mystic Sanctum, turned and left.
Watching the man’s retreating figure, Luther groaned loudly and leaned back in his rattan chair.
Scratching his head, he sighed, “Good thing this Luther guy was a happy-go-lucky, antisocial recluse. Otherwise, it’d be a real pain trying to mimic his tone and actions.”
“So, back to you,” Luther stared at the system window that was visible only to him. “Your Creator wants to protect this universe, which means he’s the main pillar supporting it, right? Akashic Records, Collective Unconscious, Book of Life, The First Tablet, Time Archive.”
“What name does he go by?” Luther asked.
But before the system could form a response, Luther continued, “Well, it doesn’t matter, to be honest.”
He clasped his hands behind his head, staring at the sky. “I’m already done fighting. I mentioned earlier that the last time I dealt with your kind, the Creator I mean, I wrecked his whole plan and destroyed his entire universe. And a couple more, actually.”
“So, you ought to find someone who doesn’t know the vastness of the universe and make them your pawn,” Luther yawned out loud. “They’re much easier to control and manipulate.”
<>
The Creator has chosen you precisely because of your actions in destroying multiple universes. The imminent enemy is someone who devours universes. Only you, the universe destroyer, can compete against the universe devourer. If this universe is destroyed, you will be too.
<>
“Nah,” Luther replied, closing his eyes. “Let the man gobble up this universe or something, I guess. I’ll just take an eternal nap.”
<>
Please reconsider, Esteemed Foreigner.
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This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.
Luther could feel a subtle plea and desperation behind this message. For a moment, he was stumped, the system even called him ‘Esteemed Foreigner.’
A few moments later, Luther answered, “Nope.”
<>
Please reconsider, Esteemed Foreigner.
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“No,” Luther replied.
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Please reconsider, Esteemed Foreigner.
<>
This time, Luther chose to ignore the system’s message.
Eventually, the atmosphere fell into an uneasy stalemate. The system stopped forming new messages, while Luther lounged lazily on the rattan chair, seemingly unbothered.
Numerous thunderclouds conjured in the sky, swelling into existence like ink spilling across the sky. In an instant, the sky transformed into a smothering veil of darkness, swallowing all traces of light beneath them. They dwarfed the previous Heaven’s Wrath by a considerable size.
Before anyone could process the change, an ear-splitting crack tore through the silence like a war cry. Countless bolts of lightning descended, blasting straight at the young man lounging on the rattan chair.
But then, the unthinkable happened.
They stopped.
Frozen mid-descent, the lightning bolts suspended in the air. They were still crackling with energy but the rumbles that came with each strike fell silent.
For a brief moment, the scene was utterly surreal.
Then, as if rewinding the time, the lightning bolts began to recoil. Slowly at first, then faster, they collapsed inward. Their dazzling radiant condensed. What once seemed infinite and destructive was folding into something impossibly small.
The arcs of electricity coiled tighter and tighter until eventually, they compressed into a tiny, pulsating spark of light, no larger than a firefly.
As if guided by unseen hands, the single spark drifted down toward the earth, entering a glass bottle sitting on a small table next to the rattan chair. With a faint flicker, the spark entered the bottle, nestling itself within it.
Sensing that its thunder had been sealed within the bottle, the thunderclouds boomed and roared in fury. Countless thunderbolts rained down from the sky, even larger and more numerous than before.
However, just like before, all of them froze mid-air before being inexorably drawn into the glass bottle.
This process repeated itself a dozen more times. Eventually, the thunderclouds dissipated, vanishing into nothingness. Unlike their previous displays of rage, this time, they seemed utterly humiliated and disgraced.
Opening his eyes, Luther smirked, “Aren’t you going to vomit more thunderbolts? Pure thunder essence makes for a pretty decent material, you know.”
<>
Please reconsider, Esteemed Foreigner.
<>
“You can fire all the thunderbolts you want, but my answer isn’t going to change. Go find some other host,” Luther said as he stood up, dusting himself off.
Looking into the air, he added, “If there’s nothing else, I’ll be taking a look at my new house then.”
He had been lounging on the rattan chair ever since waking up here. Figuring it was time to stretch his legs a little, he decided to move around and explore the Continental.
Stretching his body, he muttered, “The Continental, huh? According to this guy’s memories, this place has been called the Continental for as long as he can remember. Apparently, the original owner wanted the members of the Continental to be as monumental as the continent itself. Quite ambitious.”
Next, he turned his attention to the manor. Its design adhered to a Chinese architectural aesthetic, green-tiled roofs with sloping eaves, whitewashed plaster walls, a red main entrance adorned with iron studs, and simple wooden windows with modest carvings.
Overall, it had the appearance of a humble yet elegant residence.
Finally, his gaze fell on the front courtyard, where his rattan chair had been set. A stone-paved path stretched from the main entrance, flanked by patches of greenery and a koi fish pond, adding a serene charm to the place.
Luther rubbed his chin and remarked, “Not going to lie, it’s a cozy little place. But it seems like this area isn’t just the Continental. The entire mountain this place is built on is the Continental.”
“Which means I’ve got a whole mountain to play with. Woo!” He clasped his hands in excitement at the thought of having an entire mountain at his disposal to mess with.
‘But that’s a matter for later,’ he thought, adjusting his priorities. ‘Right now, I need to gather more information. Even though my man’s memories are quite knowledgeable, they aren’t enough for me to form a proper picture of this civilization.’
Thus, he began exploring the surrounding mountain first.
As he strolled toward the towering trees, he noted, “The energy on this mountain is only so-so. Grading it with Federation Standard, this place would probably be a Grade D location.”
“No wonder they built a house here. Anyone below Grade E will grow quite a bit if they absorb the energy here,” Luther mumbled as his hands stroked the tree trunk. “Even the animals here are slightly stronger than normal ones.”
“There’s probably an array set up here to concentrate the surrounding ambient Qi Energy. Either that, or there’s a vein of energy ore here,” he shrugged, continuing his stroll.
Eventually, he reached the base of the mountain, which stretched into an endless horizon of ocean. Circling the mountain base, Luther noted that only the northern part of the Continental led to the Southern Mystic Sanctum.
After finishing his survey, Luther returned to his humble abode.
“So, it is a Cultivator Civilization,” he sighed. “This is going to be a huge headache.”
“I should make some preparations for my new house first, lest someone comes and spits thunders on it.”