Power of Runes Chapter 424: Functional Laws of Eden (1)

From his lofty position high in space, Ash beheld the realm of Eden for the first time, utterly stunned by the uncanny parallels between the game map he once navigated and the expansive vista unfolding below, the likeness so intense that for an instant, recollection and actuality seemed to intertwine.

Though the correspondence wasn't flawless—Eden stretched vastly beyond bounds, unlike the confined map he'd traversed—numerous recognizable features in the landscape, regional configurations, and the meandering paths of earth and rivers rendered pure chance implausible.

Yet the game had never been limited to one map alone, as various servers featured distinct territories, only uniting into a colossal continent once the global storyline advanced to its pivotal phase.

That ultimate fused map had seemed immense during gameplay, but now, beholding this realm firsthand, it appeared merely a diminutive, unfinished replica of the true expanse.

Ash dedicated one full week to confirming if this was indeed the Eden from his game, traversing multiple areas, inspecting landmarks and sites etched in his memory, meticulously scrutinizing details rather than rushing to judgment.

By week's end, certainty was absolute.

All elements aligned, not with exact precision, but sufficiently to render the truth inescapable; the sole disparity lay in magnitude, as though the game presented a streamlined rendition highlighting key locales, while this world embodied the full, elaborated actuality.

Having verified this, Ash sought out Snow.

Answers were essential, for myriad inconsistencies plagued him—like her arrival here, the translocation of the Dragon Library and their holy domain, and events unfolding in his absence—so he opted for direct confrontation over idle conjecture.

A few days of arduous traversal across the immense terrain followed, and despite his enhanced velocity and powers, the realm's immensity prolonged the voyage beyond anticipation, underscoring its profound divergence from prior experiences.

Finally, he hovered over an apparently boundless sea, its tranquil expanse extending past the horizon's grasp.

Snow's aura pulsed faintly from the depths below.

Plunging into the waters without pause, he descended.

Far deeper than typical oceans, the sea plunged into obscurity as light dwindled to nothingness, yet his sight pierced the gloom with ease.

Nevertheless, days more passed before touching bottom, the profound depth evoking deliberate seclusion from surface realms.

His form betrayed no weariness throughout, motions precise and unwavering; at times, he marveled silently at his upgraded physique's prowess, deriving quiet pleasure from such feats now rendered trivial.

Upon attaining the seabed, Ash encountered a spectacle exceeding all forecasts.

For a fleeting second, astonishment gripped even him.

Unbidden, a grin curved his lips.

There coiled a colossal alabaster serpent on the ocean floor, her enormous form looped tightly, shrouded in accumulated algae, marine flora, and sedimentary drifts of ages, as if the deep had gradually assimilated her into its hushed abyss.

Snow's growth was so prodigious that onlookers would deem her an primordial leviathan slumbering in lightless oceanic chasms.

Approaching deliberately, Ash examined her intently, scanning every aspect methodically; post-examination, he affirmed her safety, immersed instead in profound, innate dormancy suited to her state.

Its cause, though, defied the ordinary.

A titanic energy reservoir surged within her, so potent and concentrated that Ash perceived it effortlessly, accounting fully for her induced torpor.

Indicators unanimously supported this, devoid of conflict, leaving no grounds for skepticism.

Simultaneously, her absorption rate crawled at a glacial pace, her frame methodically integrating it incrementally to avert disruption, signaling prolonged slumber ahead.

Thus resolved, Ash acted decisively.

He relocated her to his Soul Space, leveraging the temporal disparity between soul and reality to hasten her awakening.

Though her rank had ascended to Overlord stage—equivalent to Mythical Stage for humans—transfer occurred seamlessly; Snow materialized in his Soul Vault unresisted, a feat previously unattainable.

Ash reflected briefly, reminiscing his prior futile attempt with Lumielle, the stark evolution highlighting his transformation.

No explicit rationale emerged.

Ultimately, he chalked it to his body's profound metamorphosis, post-reformation, which eradicated former constraints.

Boundlessness now enabled housing superior entities effortlessly.

Alternatively, viewed anew, his might surpassed standard Mythical Rank, potentially enabling such feats.

Resolution eluded him.

Dismissing prolonged rumination, Ash embraced the ambiguity, advancing confidently toward eventual revelation via trials and insights.

With Snow secured, alternative avenues pursued answers, as awaiting her revival yielded naught presently, her stability assured.

Employing abilities like mind reading and soul probing, he extracted diverse intelligence, selecting judiciously across locales for varied perspectives.

Days yielded foundational comprehension: temporal flows unique to this realm, and crucially, the pervasive Universal System equipping all inhabitants.

The Universal System transcended mere utility in daily existence.

It embodied identity, so ingrained that its absence marked one as anomalous, not through malice, but sheer rarity in this transformed era.

Far from malevolent.

Observations via sundry recollections revealed it shattering mortal barriers for realm denizens, streamlining advancement unprecedentedly.

Yet, conversely, it facilitated oversight by an enigmatic watcher, monitoring all to avert chaos or unearth potentials.

Though Eden's profound secrets remained veiled, Ash pieced a coherent chronicle from myriad sources.

Customary planetary lives shattered abruptly: suns extinguished sans prelude, worlds inexorably drawn by inscrutable compulsion.

Subsequently, planets amalgamated into this grand continent.

Mechanics, motives, perpetrators—all mysteries.

Knowledge voided.

Grasped solely: outcomes.

This domain now sheltered universal multitudes, bestowing boundary-shattering growth at accelerated rates, increasingly embraced as paradigm shift.

Grasping the Universal System's mechanics—its limit-breaking guidance—left Ash dumbfounded, not solely by potency, but eerie familiarity.

Its framework.

Information display.

Very interface.

Identical to the VR game's.

Though barred from direct perusal of others' panels, memory dives afforded clear glimpses via their eyes, banishing doubt.

Even functionalities mirrored his prior knowledge precisely.

This epiphany rooted deeply, its gravity profound.

***