Looking at the branch of the Tree of Existence extending from the shattered space before him, Ron suddenly recalled a piece of information he had consistently overlooked.
The concept of a Path was abstract, but based on the situation that occurred when he became an Aeon in the last simulation, he could clearly recognize that the physical manifestation of a Path was ultimately a branch of the Tree of Existence.
In that case, his current method of exploring the essence of a Path was, in fact, walking along the end of a branch of the Tree of Existence, advancing and exploring until he could see the tree's full form, until he reached the end of the branch, or perhaps even further—
The end of a branch of the Tree of Existence was naturally the trunk. And even further... what would that be?
The answer was simple. It would likely be the top of the Tree of Existence, or perhaps its bottom.
But the bottom of the Tree of Existence was an endless Sea of Quanta, where everything was utter nothingness. Only the top held something currently unknown.
Therefore... this journey to explore the essence of a Path might ultimately lead him to the top of the Tree of Existence.
A faint sense of unease stirred within Ron.
Exploring the top of the Tree of Existence... he wasn't the only one doing it.
[Aha of [The Elation] once ascended to the top of the Tree of Existence. At its peak, it observed the sea of stars and laughed at the cry of a newborn baby, thus completely becoming the Aeon of [The Elation].]
[Akivili of [The Trailblaze] explored the sea of stars, eventually setting its sights on the Tree of Existence. However, it was killed by an unknown being while exploring the tree, ultimately perishing before reaching it...]
They had both made the choice to ascend the Tree of Existence, and other Aeons had certainly attempted it as well—for example, Nous of [The Erudition]'s search for the truth of the universe could also be seen as a search for the universe's essence, a form of climbing the Tree of Existence.
Ron stroked his chin thoughtfully, suddenly discovering a commonality among these few Aeons.
Although Akivili of [The Trailblaze] died on the unknown path of Trailblazing, when Tayzzyronth of [The Propagation] once rampaged, it fought as an ally of Aeons like [The Preservation], [The Elation], and [The Harmony], taking a side in that divine war.
Although the original game's plot was a simulation of the Swarm Disaster in the Simulated Universe, and [The Trailblaze] Akivili's position was taken by the protagonist, making its role vague, this event at least proved that when faced with a calamity that threatened the entire sea of stars, it was an Aeon who would act on the side of order to eliminate the disaster.
As for Aha of [The Elation], it went without saying. In these past few simulations, Aha could basically be called the true MVP. Without the help of Aha of [The Elation], it would have been absolutely impossible for Ron to reach the level he did in the last simulation.
Without the help of Aha of [The Elation], Ron could have never become the Aeon of [Salvation] and wiped out the Antimatter Legion, nor could he have been resurrected with the body of Nanook of [The Destruction], and then fought against the final, hidden boss, Terminus of [The Finality], to figure out who the true enemy was.
Aha of [The Elation] was definitely the Aeon most opposed to Terminus of [The Finality], most opposed to the predetermined fate of this sea of stars. This was also consistent with its actions during the Swarm Disaster. After all, besides Taiyi of [The Order], the most active Aeon who was best at rallying allies was Aha of [The Elation].
The reason it was so proactive was perhaps because it was the only one who had truly ascended to the top of the Tree of Existence and saw something at the end of the Path that made it so determined to resist Terminus of [The Finality].
And as for Nous of [The Erudition], although it did not contribute to the resurrected Ron's divine war in the last simulation, in the card game with Aha of [The Elation], Nous was a card Ron could play. It was a potential ally, and clearly, it was also an enemy of Terminus of [The Finality].
The Aeons who were known to have explored the Tree of Existence were all opposed to Terminus. This was no coincidence.
At the top of the Tree of Existence, there must be some crucial information!
Having figured this out, Ron couldn't help but curl the corners of his mouth into a slight smile.
Excellent... this direction of exploration is not wrong at all.
To find a way for a mortal to defeat Terminus of [The Finality], it was indeed necessary to explore the essence of the Paths, to ascend the Tree of Existence to its very top.
After confirming that his direction of exploration was correct, Ron felt a surge of excitement. He looked at the illusory, multicolored branch wrapped in the void before him, took a deep breath, and stepped forward without hesitation.
His foot stepped onto the Path. The chaotic, seven-colored light rippled, spreading outwards into the distance.
"Thud."
A crisp footstep, like stepping on solid ground, echoed. Ron felt an endless heat surge up from the soles of his feet, and in an instant, it spread throughout his entire body.
An extremely scorching will permeated Ron's being. This will represented the fundamental concept of destruction, and it also represented the beginning of the Path of [Destruction].
The world before Ron began to shatter. More of reality broke into fragments, revealing the illusory void.
---o---
In this endless void, the seven-colored branch under Ron's feet, wrapped in a transparent nothingness, extended several sub-branches. These branches, some thick and some thin, all stretched into the distance, extending along with the main branch to connect to the trunk of the Tree of Existence, which was still too far away to be seen.
Ron looked at the several branches of the Path of [Destruction]. He did a simple count. Though the branches varied in thickness, there were a full seven of them.
Ron stepped towards one of the thicker branches. The moment his foot touched it, an immense pressure from the Path fell directly upon him.
The weight, as heavy as a mountain, made Ron a little breathless. Only by relying on the power from the prototype of the Path of [Salvation] could he stand firm on this branch, and even have the strength to move forward.
The seven colors on that branch instantly turned into a brilliant crimson. An endless tyranny surged out from the soles of his feet along with the imaginary energy, flooding his body in an instant. The most tyrannical aspect of [The Destruction] was at this moment trying to usurp Ron's mind.
But the light of [Salvation] shone eternally in Ron's heart. The moment this tyrannical will emerged, it was enveloped by the holy light, instantly burned to complete ash, no longer able to affect Ron in the slightest.
And at the moment this branch turned crimson, the other six branches also changed color in an instant.
They all turned into pure, single colors: a black that symbolized cunning, a deep blue that symbolized wisdom, a pure white that symbolized control and order—
The moment Ron saw these changes, he understood what had happened.
These branches of the Path of [Destruction] were clearly the several extreme tendencies of the Path.
One only needed to look at the performances of the seven Lord Ravagers of [The Destruction] to easily classify what each of these branches represented. For example, the crimson branch that symbolized tyranny was clearly the extreme tendency represented by Fuli, the Cinder Wind, corresponding to its extreme obsession with violent destruction.
By the same logic, the cunning black was clearly the extreme tendency of Phantylia, the Undying; the deep blue was Iric, the Iron Tomb; and the pure white was Zirca, the Star-Howler.
The appearance of these Path branches at this moment was to be expected. After all, as a Pathstrider, when advancing on a Path, there would inevitably be a certain inclination. To walk on one of these branches was to choose that inclination.
So, which inclination was closer to the most fundamental nature of [The Destruction], allowing one to most easily reach the essence of the Path?
Was it extreme, violent destruction? This crimson branch was the thickest one. Since its actual manifestation was so robust, it should be a relatively important branch on the Path of [Destruction].
Why not... take this one?
Ron looked at the crimson branch under his feet, wrapped in nothingness. Just as he was hesitating to step forward, he suddenly saw a speck of gold hidden in the darkness nearby.
That speck of gold was hidden at the edge of the seven Path branches. Compared to the others, it was so tiny that Ron hadn't noticed it at first.
But now, as Ron focused his gaze, he could see that it was an extremely slender branch, upon which flowed a brilliant golden light, revealing a hint of intimacy and familiarity—
Ron looked at this golden light, and the lantern in his hand suddenly shone brightly. The small flame that had just ignited within it suddenly flared up, the tip of the flame pointing towards the slender, golden Path branch like a gust of wind.
Seeing the reaction of the [Salvation] lantern, Ron had a flash of insight.
"This branch of the Path... is it the rebirth of [The Destruction]?"
Ron looked thoughtfully at the golden branch. The Path of [Destruction] had seven Lord Ravagers, and likewise, it had seven different extreme tendencies.
Ron hadn't doubted this before, but at this moment, he felt something was amiss.
Since the most fundamental nature of the Path of [Destruction] was the rebirth that comes after destruction, then among the seven extreme tendencies of the Path, there should be one that belongs to rebirth.
But the Path of [Destruction] had no Lord Ravager that symbolized the extreme concept of "rebirth after destruction." Instead, it had Lord Ravagers born from various methods of destruction, one after another. The concept of "rebirth after destruction" seemed to have been completely discarded.
Yet this concept clearly existed—in the last simulation, when Ron first became the Aeon of [Salvation], the part he tore from the Path of [Destruction] was undoubtedly the branch concept of "rebirth after destruction." Otherwise, it would not have been so compatible with the Path of [Salvation].
Therefore... Nanook of [The Destruction] had forcibly concealed the existence of this "rebirth after destruction" branch, attempting to erase this extreme tendency, to make the Path of [Destruction] lose its inherent "rebirth" and become a Path of complete destruction.
Ron's thoughts gradually became clearer. As he pondered, the Path of [Destruction] seemed to shed its misty veil, revealing its true situation under his analysis.
The existence of the "rebirth after destruction" branch was definitely something Nanook needed when he ascended to godhood. Before he became an Aeon, while he was living on the doomed world of Adlivun, though he might have been disappointed in his home and decided to destroy it, he would never give up the possibility of his home's rebirth.
Therefore, the Path of [Destruction] had to have a branch for "rebirth after destruction."
But this situation changed when Nanook of [The Destruction] ascended to the throne of an Aeon. Perhaps it was because his Path concept was too close to that of Terminus of [The Finality] and was thus influenced, or perhaps it was just bad luck, and he was controlled by the predetermined fate brought by Terminus. Regardless of the reason, the result was that he abandoned "rebirth after destruction" and began to pursue pure destruction.
...And pure destruction was clearly a prelude to [The Finality].
After all, only when all is completely destroyed will the end of all things come—
Terminus of [The Finality] relied on this method of influencing Paths, forcibly making the Path of [Destruction] a subordinate of the purely [Finality], losing the "rebirth" that this Path should have.
The subsequent events were obvious. After controlling Nanook of [The Destruction] through this method, Terminus attempted to use Nanook's power to carry out a complete destruction of the sea of stars, to bring about the destined "end."
It was just that Nanook of [The Destruction] was too weak, only able to devour the sea of stars bit by bit, so it did not act directly.
But in the last simulation, when Ron devoured Nanook of [The Destruction] and controlled the Path of [Destruction], which was equivalent to a subordinate of the Path of [The Finality], with a much greater power, he was naturally instantly controlled as a puppet by Terminus, used to try and destroy this entire observable universe to bring about the destined "end."
After thinking all this through, Ron looked at the slender golden branch, his eyes filled with interest.
...If that's the case, then this branch of the Path is quite interesting.
As an extreme tendency that existed at the very beginning of the Path of [Destruction], did it represent the most fundamental part of the Path?
If he walked on this branch... could he come into contact with Terminus of [The Finality], who had influenced it?
Ron pondered for a moment, then made his decision. He unhesitatingly moved his feet and turned towards the extremely slender, brilliant golden branch.
This branch was extremely thin, only about the width of a finger. But when Ron's foot stepped upon it, an extremely intense pressure, far, far heavier than the one from the crimson branch, pressed down on him. For a moment, it almost made him collapse and fall into the endless void outside the Path branch.
But in the next moment, a brilliant golden light surged forth, turning into a will of new life that flowed into Ron's body. This stream of imaginary energy flowed directly into the Path lantern in Ron's hand, becoming fuel for the lantern and making the flame within burn ever brighter.
The prototype of the Path of [Salvation] was growing stronger because of this extremely compatible Path concept, growing and taking shape bit by bit. And because of this, Ron felt an endless power gradually emerging within his body.
Although the concept of "rebirth after destruction" alone was by no means enough to fill the Path of [Salvation]—Ron would surely need the Path fragments of other Aeons to become the Aeon of [Salvation].
But the growth of the Path of [Salvation] also brought Ron more and more power, supporting him as he walked forward on this extremely slender Path branch, not being crushed by the terrifying pressure that increased with every step, allowing him to maintain his pace and continuously ascend this slender branch.
As Ron advanced, the brilliant golden branch under his feet also began to grow. It seemed to echo the ever-growing flame in the lantern in his hand, also beginning to grow continuously. It gradually went from being as thin as a finger, a situation where Ron could only walk a tightrope, to becoming as wide as two people, wide enough for Ron to stride forward.
As Ron advanced, although the pressure on his body grew greater, his own power was also constantly increasing.
His steps on this Path branch went deeper and deeper. In a daze, he had already walked into the depths of the Sea of Quanta, his feet truly standing on the wide, brilliant golden branch. Looking around, all was a void. Only the branch under his feet and the direction it extended in had a physical existence, the only "existing" thing in this endless nothingness.
A feeling suddenly arose in Ron's heart. He felt as if he had ascended to another realm... or rather, he was standing right before that realm.
He only needed to take a few more steps to cross this high threshold and step into that other realm—
Ron lifted his foot, took a step... In an instant, he had crossed over.
At the moment of crossing, Ron felt a gaze from the unseen descend upon him.
In that instant, the void and haze in the distance dissipated in a flash. Ron saw a giant tree, a tree that reached for the heavens, rooted in the Sea of Quanta. Its infinite branches stretched out wantonly, a giant tree of flowing light that held up the chaotic world—
That was the trunk of the Tree of Existence, the physical manifestation of this world's essence. It represented this entire multiverse. Every leaf on its branches represented a world. It was the source of this universe.
Ron looked around and discovered that the other branches of the Path of [Destruction] now had imprints on them: some had ethereal flames, others had ferocious beasts—
Ron knew what these imprints were with a single glance—they were the marks possessed by the Emanators of [The Destruction], the symbols of their status on the Path.
The boundary division from the unseen just now... was the difference between an ordinary Pathstrider and a true Emanator.
And now, the only thing separating Ron from the other Lord Ravagers was the blessing of Nanook of [The Destruction], the generous gift from an Aeon to an Emanator.
The source of the gaze from just now was self-evident.
Ron took a deep breath, then tensed his body, looking forward without hesitation, raising his feet and running with all his might.
Nanook of [The Destruction] had already cast his gaze upon him. This branch of the Path was highly problematic. He would definitely act against Ron, and would absolutely not let him live.
This was Nanook of [The Destruction]'s own Path. It wouldn't take him long to ascend from reality and knock on the door of this reality to arrive here.
The distance to the trunk of the Tree of Existence was no longer far. He had to ascend to the top of the Tree of Existence before Nanook arrived, to see clearly the essence of the Path of [Destruction], and through that, obtain information about Terminus of [The Finality]!
With this determination, even as the intense pressure cracked his skin, on his already fissure-covered body, wounds truly split open, and a trickle of blood mixed with brilliant gold flowed out.
This blood, from crimson mixed with specks of brilliant gold, turned into brilliant gold mixed with crimson. As the proportion of brilliant gold in the blood gradually exceeded half, Ron's essence also gradually transitioned from a mortal to a "deity."
The Path of [Salvation] was growing step by step with his progress. By the time Ron was about to reach the end of the [Destruction] Path's branch, this Path of [Salvation] was already nearly half-complete.
But just as Ron was about to reach the end of the Path of [Destruction], just one step away from passing through the veil of countless dense leaves, passing through the barrier of these worlds, to see the top of the Tree of Existence and make contact with its trunk—
A scorching aura rose up from the endless Sea of Quanta.
Ron turned his head and saw a handsome Aeon with dark skin and coarse white hair break through the boundary from the endless void.
Endless flames and lava emerged from the endless void the moment he appeared. A tyrannical heat, like the rings around a planet, encircled Nanook of [The Destruction], setting off his form as the embodiment of all heat and destruction. He was the crimson tyrant descending upon the world, carrying an endless disdain as he stepped before Ron, blocking his path forward.
He had a deep wound across his chest, a gash that almost split his entire torso. Brilliant golden ichor, thick as lava, flowed from it, dripping down his chest and turning into tyrannical flames and magma that exploded at his feet, scattering towards Ron.
The splattering embers landed on Ron's body, burning a hollow wound into his torso. But in the next moment, this hollow wound was consumed by the flame of hope, mending him back to his original, unharmed state.
Nanook of [The Destruction] looked down at Ron. His brilliant golden eyes seemed to flow with an indescribable, icy will. That gaze swept over Ron, like a cold, sharp blade cutting across his body, making him feel a sharp chill and the phantom pain of being cut by a thousand blades.
Looking at Nanook of [The Destruction] before him, Ron couldn't help but grit his teeth, a bitter taste rising in his mouth.
I didn't make it in time?
Nanook of [The Destruction] had indeed arrived incredibly quickly. Even though Ron had just used all his strength to advance on this branch of the Path, he still hadn't managed to reach the trunk of the Tree of Existence before Nanook arrived and begin his ascent to the top.
Just one more step... even just standing on the trunk of the Tree, avoiding the cover of these leaves, looking up from below to see what the top of the Tree looked like, could have provided extremely important information.
But he was just one step short.
Ron looked at Nanook not far before him and couldn't help but let out a deep sigh. He then tightened his grip on the lantern in his hand, preparing for death.
He didn't even have the power to fight Nanook to the death. He had not yet become the Aeon of [Salvation]. His Path was not yet fully grown. He was what one might call a "half-step Aeon." Naturally, he had no chance against a true Aeon.
He was just maintaining his usual style: even if it cost him his life, he would tear a piece of flesh from Nanook's body.
But just as he focused all his attention on Nanook of [The Destruction], he failed to notice that the Path branch under his feet, which had already widened enough to support several people due to his advance, suddenly flickered. The golden light on it seemed to brighten for an instant, echoing the brilliant gold in Nanook's eyes.
In that instant, Nanook of [The Destruction], this madman who should have been mechanically and coldly carrying out [The Destruction], seemed to hesitate for a human-like moment. A glimmer of brilliance inexplicably appeared in his cold, brilliant golden eyes.
He was silent for a moment, then suddenly took a slight step, opening a path for Ron to advance.
Under the barrier of endless lava and the colossal Aeon, this gap, just wide enough for one person to pass through, was incredibly conspicuous. Ron was momentarily stunned, feeling that this whole situation was not quite right.
What's going on... Nanook made way for me?
Ron looked at Nanook's face, but his expression was as cold and merciless as before. It was impossible to tell what he was thinking.
Then again, how could a mortal possibly discern what an Aeon was thinking?
Ron had not yet worn the crown of an Aeon. It was difficult to see through an Aeon's disguise. This was a gap between mortals and gods that could not be erased.
But Ron didn't even want to think about what Nanook was thinking right now.
He only knew that this was definitely an opportunity... an opportunity to rush to the trunk of the Tree of Existence and look up at its top.
It didn't matter if Nanook was trying to trick him into a sneak attack or was really letting him pass. Ron had no chance of defeating him anyway. This simulation was destined to end in death. As long as he had the chance to get more information, no matter how risky, Ron would absolutely take it.
Nanook's motives can be considered later... What I need to do now is to give it my all, and then, in one breath...
Charge!
In the next moment, the flame in the [Salvation] lantern blazed brightly. The fire within surged, flowing out of the lantern and wrapping around Ron's legs. An endless power filled his legs, and he unhesitatingly took a step, running forward on the path of brilliant golden hope.
Brilliant golden flaming footprints were imprinted on this Path branch. The flame of [Salvation] ignited on the branch, licked at the branches of the Tree of Existence, and after burning for an instant, was immediately extinguished.
And Ron, propelled by this endless power, had shot past the obstruction of Nanook of [The Destruction] in a single instant. He crossed the branches and leaves that blocked his line of sight. This minuscule distance was crossed in a flash. The trunk of the Tree of Existence was right before him.
Ron unhesitatingly pressed himself against the trunk and looked up, his gaze climbing the immeasurably large trunk, passing through the massive but sparse main forks, and looking far, far away towards the top of the Tree of Existence.
He just needed one look... just to see what was up there. That piece of information would be enough.
Ron just needed to see a glimpse of it to have a new direction for exploration. This simulation would then have a real payoff and would absolutely not be a failure.
But... Ron was unable to see what was at the top of the Tree of Existence.
Countless white and black threads crisscrossed at the trunk below the top of the Tree, densely arranged to weave a tightly packed black and white web.
The threads of fate were woven into a net that blocked everything, completely obscuring the secrets of the Tree of Existence's top, blocking all who could reach the trunk from attempting to climb higher, from attempting to see what was at its peak.
A viscous, dark gray color seemed to flow upon that black and white web. This color formed a strange pattern. Ron looked at the pattern and felt a strange haze, as if a layer of mist had been slapped onto his brain, shrouding all his senses, making everything before him grow blurry, and in that blurriness, he gradually began to lose his understanding—
"Pfft!!"
An extremely violent pain shot through Ron's chest. He spat out a mouthful of golden-red blood and struggled to look down at his chest, only to find a dark black hand piercing through it. His heart, glowing with golden patterns, was beating in that dark hand—
"Splat."
In the next moment, Ron's heart was instantly crushed by the immense force of that dark hand. Blood splattered everywhere, a waterfall of interweaving gold and red gushing forth, raining down a shower of golden-red blood in this endless void.
Ron used the last of his strength to turn his head, and then he saw the cold, merciless face of Nanook of [The Destruction].
At some point, Nanook had shrunk to the size of a mortal, becoming the same size as Ron. His cold expression was subtly tinged with a trace of vividness, as if he had transformed from a cold killing machine into a deity with a hint of humanity.
It was precisely because Nanook had shrunk his body and reached out to pierce through Ron's chest and crush his heart that they were now pressed closely together, allowing Ron to look at Nanook's eyes from an extremely close distance, to see the hint of... apology that flowed from his brilliant golden eyes?
Apology? Why would Nanook of [The Destruction] feel sorry for me? He is the most frenzied Aeon in this sea of stars right now, "destroying" all civilizations with impartiality.
Ultimately, does this guy really possess an emotion like "apology"?
What is going on?
Ron was slightly stunned. In the moment before his mind grew hazy and his life was about to end, he heard a voice drift by his ear, a voice as hoarse as a battle-hardened general on a battlefield, yet also an extremely faint, small whisper:
"Thank you... but this is as far as I can help you."
"Listen to me, pierce through reality, pierce through the veil..."
"This is the only chance to 'see' it all... the only one."