Chapter 362

A colossal Indigo Tree had pierced through the ceiling, creating a massive underground cavity.

As I slid down the Indigo Tree that had burst through the spatial cut, I took in the vastness of this underground space.

On one side, an endless slope stretched upwards, while on the other stood facilities resembling research institutes and magnificent mansions.

“Surprisingly, the atmosphere is not bad…”

The air shimmered with a faint bluish hue, the ceiling resembled a night sky, and the city exuded a unique charm.

The buildings looked like ancient temples carved from stone, giving off an aura akin to European tourist attractions.

I couldn’t help but think how nice it would be to have a place like this in the Mini Reaper Garden!

However, there was one problem.

The city wasn’t populated by Humans but instead filled with ‘Harmful Objects’ at an Evolution Liquid level.

While taking in the sight of this harmful city, I stepped onto the floor, causing fine sand to slowly rise into the air.

The sand particles floated upward as if replaying a slow-motion video, then suddenly froze mid-air.

As if time itself had stopped for the sand.

“?!”

While I was observing the strange phenomenon, the Magic of a Mini Sprout Reaper reached my ears.

[Mom, it’s amazing!]

The Mini Sprout Reaper sat atop what appeared to be an Attached Human’s head, smiling brightly as it looked at me.

Though it seemed to have expended most of its energy growing the tree, apart from the slightly dim Firewood Light, it looked healthy.

I gently stroked the Mini Sprout Reaper’s head, then turned my gaze toward an Object that seemed to be the enemy of the Mini Reaper.

It was a man with aristocratic features who glared at me with a rigid expression.

Despite his outwardly calm demeanor, he seemed quite frightened.

But what was truly unsettling was the intense stench radiating from him.

A smell far worse than all the Harmful Objects combined in the center of the underground cavity.

This was easily the most harmful Object I’d encountered so far.

What on earth did he do to smell this bad?

“Before fighting such a harmful opponent, I should evacuate the Mini Reaper and the Humans.”

I immediately summoned the Mini Reaper Garden and sent away the Mini Sprout Reaper and two Humans.

[Mom, no!]

Although the Mini Sprout Reaper tried to say something, I didn’t pay it much mind.

“Hehehehe.”

Just as I sent the Mini Sprout Reaper away, the harmful man began laughing.

“What is this? He suddenly seems overconfident.”

As I watched curiously, the towering Indigo Tree in the center of the cavity began to wither.

In mere moments, its majestic form disappeared, leaving only barren branches.

“Could it be because the Mini Sprout Reaper is gone?”

Just as I pondered this, the world went pitch black.

A darkness where no sound or light existed.

And then, as if trapped in concrete, space itself solidified around me, immobilizing my body.

***

In this world where everything had stopped, the man laughed loudly.

He laughed as if truly triumphant.

“Truly, I’m lucky!”

Like a mysterious Object chosen by the gods to oppose him just before attaining true dominion over the world.

But that Object had vanished on its own.

Essentially, he had been chosen as the ruler of this world.

It was as if the world itself was speaking to him.

[This world has an adversary for you. Prepare and guard against them!]

“Hahahaha!”

Unable to contain himself, the man laughed again.

“Yes. It’s only natural that a supreme being has a worthy adversary.”

After laughing for some time, the man abruptly stopped and stared down at the Gray Reaper frozen in time.

“Thank you for removing my adversary.”

Lifting his right hand, parasitic creatures burst through the skin and twisted into sharp spears.

“With gratitude, I’ll kill you swiftly.”

Pointing the spear-like hand at the Gray Reaper’s heart.

“In this stopped time, you won’t even feel yourself die!”

As he shouted, the massive spear lunged toward the Gray Reaper’s heart.

But the sharp spear failed to penetrate the Gray Reaper’s skin.

Startled, the man raised his arm again.

“If that’s the case!”

The spear began trembling and slowly started to etherealize.

BOOM!

The enormous spear-like hand dissolved along with the Gray Reaper’s heart.

With its heart pierced, the Gray Reaper remained suspended in space.

“It’s over.”

Muttering these words, the man turned his back on the Gray Reaper and slowly walked away.

He had much to do.

To prepare for dealing with adversaries, to gain more power, and to set traps and gather subordinates.

“It’s unfortunate that I must once again hide in the shadows, but it can’t be helped.”

At that moment,

KREEEEEEEEK!

Behind the man, a tremendous sound rang out, as if scratching through space itself.

A sound completely out of place in this silent, motionless world where time had stopped.

Turning slowly toward the Gray Reaper, the man saw blazing Golden Flames.

Flames untouched by time, flickering wildly.

Starting from the Gray Reaper’s heart, the golden flames spread across its entire body.

Simultaneously, its wounds began healing, and it slowly descended from the air.

When the Gray Reaper lifted its head, its face was no longer expressionless.

A small smile played on its lips.

“Hehe.”

A laugh, a playful expression as if discovering something interesting.

***

In the darkness without light or sound, where movement itself seemed impossible.

I sensed that this phenomenon was related to the Sprout Reaper’s ability called Time.

“Time isn’t flowing here.”

Ironically, I could feel time passing within this frozen world.

The moment I realized this, I managed to move despite the frozen state of the world.

The silence shattered instantly.

As I burned firewood to force movement, I noticed the startled Harmful Object within my sight and smiled.

“Hehe.”

Each movement tore through space with a KREEEEEEK sound.

Using Spatial Cut while moving through this tearing sensation, I aimed at the man.

However, the man skillfully dodged the Spatial Cut with minimal effort.

“…!”

Unintelligible words resembling English came from the man’s mouth, likely questioning how I moved in stopped time.

Unfortunately, my English comprehension isn’t great.

I hadn’t obtained the ability to stop time, only accelerating it slightly when defeating the Indigo Moon.

And even that acceleration was poorly handled compared to the Golden Reaper.

Time abilities and I simply don’t mix well.

All I had realized was a simple truth:

Stopping time cannot hold me.

As I grew more accustomed to moving in this stopped time, I smiled faintly.

At this rate, I could soon kill that harmful man.

The destruction condition was straightforward:

[Consumption of life exhausted.]

Similar to an evolved Hungry Ghost corrupted by Evolution Liquid.

As I gradually drained his regeneration ability in this stopped time, the man suddenly canceled the time stop.

I tilted my head in confusion.

Why cancel the time stop when he had nothing else special?

***

Though the man skillfully evaded Spatial Cuts, his expression betrayed his thoughts.

“This shouldn’t be possible.”

“How can a being living within time defy the flow of time?”

But the golden flames burning fiercely argued that this was a natural rule of the world.

“He’s getting faster.”

“At this rate, he’ll catch up. I need to escape before that happens.”

Leaving a trail of torn space behind him, the man canceled the time stop.

Spatial Cuts then flew toward him at unstoppable speeds, shredding his body.

While regenerating his shredded body, the man summoned all his subordinates.

“Let’s show overwhelming numbers!!!”

Of course, he didn’t believe his subordinates could defeat such a strong opponent.

Even delaying his escape with their lives would suffice.

Watching the army approaching from the slope, the Gray Reaper tilted its head, then tapped its foot twice.

CUNG CUNG.

The space beneath cracked open, and golden waves surged forth.

This was true overwhelming numbers.

And the end of the men the man had gathered over decades.

“Haha…ha.”

Yet the man showed no disappointment.

In those few seconds, he had created considerable distance.

Rushing toward the exit of the island, he stopped time and shouted.

“I’ll give you this immediate victory!”

But the confident expression on his face quickly contorted.

“I can’t… move…”

“Why?! Why can’t I move?!”

Space had solidified around him, preventing even speech.

Gradually, he felt himself being pulled somewhere.

In his field of vision, only the Gray Reaper stood against the ominous backdrop of a Black Sphere.