Reborn as an Extra Chapter 593: An endless loop! Part-1.

Three months earlier, prior to the Liam rescue operation.

"So you're telling me the gateway to the spirit realm is really a 'wormhole,' and I'll have to tear apart the space-time barrier to get in?"

"You realize I'm just an S-rank at the moment, don't you? How in the world do you think I can rip through the space-time fabric?"

Perched atop the highest level of the towering skyscraper, Rio directed these queries at the individual next to him.

That person beside him turned out to be Ashtel Rex, the mightiest figure across the entire globe.

"You're powerful, Rio... never sell yourself short; the true might and force of an awakener stem from their self-belief..."

"Folks lacking faith in themselves can't even dream of rescuing others, since they can't rescue their own selves to begin with..."

"To tackle a rescue task... you first need to trust in your own abilities..."

Ashtel cast a look at the vibrant urban glow illuminating the pitch-black evening, and a grin spread across his features.

"During a specific moment each day, the space-time barrier at that spot weakens from the spirit realm's clash with our physical realm..."

"That's precisely why it's called the 'weak node'... provided you unleash every bit of your power, you ought to punch a breach right there..."

"Once you do, the wormhole will emerge before you..."

Ashtel halted briefly before going on,

"However, avoid deploying your legendary skill or any intense technique while within the wormhole... such passages tend to be quite delicate; should it shatter, you'd get hurled to some arbitrary spot across the cosmos..."

"At that point, you'd rely on the teleportation scroll to get back, and the whole mission would collapse..."

Upon hearing that, Rio dipped his head and inquired,

"Speaking of wormholes... don't you routinely fracture the space-time fabric? Do wormholes pop up frequently during your devastating strikes?"

Ashtel's whole arsenal revolved around handling such catastrophic harm that the space-time barrier couldn't hold; hence, Rio wondered how he managed the wormholes that formed whenever he unleashed his abilities.

"I typically just seize them and seal them manually... uh... don't shoot me those odd glances; I channel 'World Authority' to unleash vibrations via my palms and then seal it with raw physical might..."

"It works the same for those low-level dungeons; you can seal them forcibly in exactly that manner..."

"Honestly, even I was unaware of this skill initially, but I picked it up from the dragon king in the end..."

At those remarks, Rio rolled his eyes inwardly and mused,

'Is everyone in this world a pilferer? We're swiping bits and pieces from each other... did I somehow get reborn into a realm of bandits?'

"So... what if you're stuck sealing a wormhole without access to world authority... how would you handle it?"

Ashtel cracked a small smile at Rio's query and answered,

"In the days when my world authority was feeble and I couldn't brute-force shut dungeons or wormholes, I relied on a smart ploy to seal them..."

Ashtel's power excelled at propagating vibrations across the space-time barrier, with his fiercest assaults focusing those vibrations intensely in one area to fracture the fabric.

For ages, this had served as his primary offensive tactic, so naturally, he'd encountered wormholes and void tempests arising each time he broke the spatial structure.

Prior to mimicking the dragon king, Ashtel employed a more cunning approach to manage them, which involved,

"If you consider it, wormholes are essentially tubular passages linking one point to another, aren't they?"

"Ripping it from within could wreak havoc externally from erratic spatial ripples, so to counter that..."

"I'd obliterate the wormhole's exit by blasting potent vibrations through it, causing the passage to forfeit its 'end' position..."

"Consequently, the wormhole's 'End' redirects to the 'Start' site... forming a cycle..."

Without an 'End' position, the wormhole's full energy redirects to the 'start' site, reshaping that tubular passage into a sealed, ring-like loop!

Within that ring-like sealed loop, the energy circulates endlessly, allowing the wormhole to settle into a fresh stable form after a brief disruption from its endpoint's destruction.

"In this fashion, the wormhole folds upon itself and seals shut... though it drains a massive amount of energy..."

"These days, I simply tear the wormhole from the outside, squeeze it tight, and force it closed with my vibrations; it's far less draining and kinder to the surroundings..."

Rio found Ashtel's breakdown rather entertaining.

"Did you major in physics or something? You're surprisingly versed in space-time mechanics and rules..."

Ashtel responded to that with a sheepish grin.

"I've been at this for decades, young one... after all that time, anybody gains deep know-how in their power's domain..."

"That said, to be frank, I was terrible at schoolwork and scholarly feats... you might not credit it, but I ranked dead last among my classmates once..."

Rio felt genuinely taken aback by that revelation.

"And that former underachiever now stands as the planet's top powerhouse... why not get a book penned about your journey?"

"I'm certain it'd motivate loads of folks..."

Ashtel lifted his shoulders dismissively at that and shot back with a grin,

"All that stuff doesn't really matter to me... I simply enjoy safeguarding the pure joy on this country's kids' faces... I cherish how the world sparkles and gleams in times of calm..."

"I only wish our land's days and nights stay forever luminous and pleasant... hehe..."

It was then that Rio grasped why Ashtel favored lounging on skyscrapers, gazing down at the city sprawl.

He delighted in observing humankind thrive, keeping its radiance alive and vibrant.

From a skyscraper's perch, with the chilly wind brushing by, he could peer out to the distant skyline, taking in the whole metropolis aglow with vivid lights and cheerful faces all around.

Being the ultimate powerhouse involved more than halting wrongdoing and vanquishing foes; it demanded a genuine passion for the role.

In the end, without adoring your duty, how could you shield countless lives?

How could people lean on you if you resented their reliance?

Overseeing the luminous city blooming safely under his watch served as Ashtel Rex's way to ease his burdens and stay connected to his human core.

Vast power brings immense duties, yet it also opens doors to corruption and downfall.

Had Ashtel Rex grown weary of his role or irritated by safeguarding others, he'd have strayed onto the dark 'Path' ages ago.

His tie to humanity endured because he cherished his work and relished seeing the nation prosper daily.