What greeted Malrick's eyes was an impossibly vast library.
Rows upon rows of towering bookshelves stretched far beyond the horizon, a seemingly endless maze of knowledge and power.
"This is the core of Zhou's legacy," the Beast God Shadow explained, voice echoing off the vaulted silence. "Every secret manual he collected is here—laws, fusion laws, even the ultimate arts of a Law Master."
"You may cultivate any of them. With the exception of Law Master-level techniques and amplification arts, you're free to share the rest."
Malrick's sharp gaze swept across the vast chamber, pausing as he spotted technological instruments tucked away in a shadowy corner.
His mind immediately jumped to Tony. And Jarvis.
He stepped forward. "Does this place contain any tech from before the reincarnation era? Maybe something like a Mechanical Heart that could help evolve intelligent systems?"
The Beast God Shadow blinked. A question mark might as well have hovered over its head.
"Technology? Why would you want useless junk like that?"
"I don't have a Mechanical Heart here either. Are you planning to evolve your intelligent assistant?"
Its tone was dismissive, clearly unimpressed by the thought.
Malrick rubbed his forehead, exhaling. Of course. A creature born at the level of a Law Master, with divine power etched into its very DNA, would naturally scoff at anything remotely resembling mortal tech.
Even its fragmentary memory carried that arrogance.
"I have an older brother and an AI butler," he said calmly. "They'll benefit from it."
The Shadow's eyes narrowed, then softened, nodding slightly.
"At least you're not the one walking that misguided path. Remember, you are the chosen heir of the great Law Master Zhou. You carry the future of the Path of Light Time. Stay focused."
With a casual wave of its claw, it summoned two tiny mechanical objects from a nearby pile—so small they looked like grains of sand compared to the size of its paw.
"These are the best I've got."
Malrick took them carefully. One resembled a head-sized light computer, sleek and black. The other was a metal cube, faintly pulsing with energy.
"This light computer is the core system of an immortal warship Zhou once accidentally crashed into while traveling. The wreckage was tumbling toward a life-bearing planet, so he salvaged it. Otherwise, he wouldn't have bothered."
"The other item is called an Evolution Key. Normally, for an AI to become self-aware, it takes millions of years. This key floods its system with evolution-grade data streams, accelerating the process to just a week—without changing its fundamental personality."
Malrick nodded, storing both items inside his inner world.
"I appreciate it."
"Good. Anything else?"
"No, this is more than enough."
Satisfied, the Beast God Shadow nodded, then slammed its paw into the ground.
The scenery shifted, and they reappeared at the base of the staircase from the earlier trial.
"This is the third level. The Inheritance of Treasures."
"For every thousand steps you climb, you'll receive a supreme treasure. The reward at the very top is a set of peak-tier battle armor, plus a high-grade soul treasure."
Malrick's eyes nearly popped.
"Peak-tier? That's something even True Gods would fight over."
The Beast God chuckled. "You've got a good eye."
Another casual paw strike. The world shifted again.
Now they stood within the dark void of the secret pattern space. Runes sparkled like constellations above them.
"These patterns hold every secret technique personally crafted by Zhou. You may learn them, but you're forbidden from spreading them."
"Now, we proceed to the final core."
Its tone became solemn. With a thunderous slam, the void cracked.
Malrick and the Shadow appeared in another dark dimension, similar to the previous one—but at its center shone a golden light.
Malrick squinted, approaching the radiance.
The light came from a gilded sphere, flawless and alien. No texture, no seams, no signs of construction. Just absolute smoothness.
Around it stood eight colossal beast sculptures, each over a hundred meters tall, each radiating fused law energy so potent that even glancing at them made Malrick feel his mind expanding.
"This is the heart of the Fortress. These eight sculptures represent eight fused law paths. You can meditate upon them for insight."
"But your first task… is to make the Fortress recognize you as its master."
Malrick raised an eyebrow. "It's sentient? This thing's a treasure too?"
The Shadow nodded. "This is the Time Fortress. A palace-class, peak-grade supreme treasure."
Malrick's eyes widened. "Even True Gods would kill for this."
The Shadow smirked. "Exactly. But its recognition criteria are specific—your willpower must surpass your cultivation level by at least one tier."
"Zhou had to hone his True God willpower over trillions of epochs to bond with it. You're lucky."
Malrick smiled confidently. "My willpower is already at World Master level, and my physical cultivation is still at the Cosmic stage."
"With that gap, I might be able to claim even higher-tier treasures."
He stepped forward, placed his hand on the sphere, and steadied his breathing.
A psychic shock surged into his Original Nucleus.
But his will didn't even flinch. It wasn't enough to make him blink.
Half an hour passed.
The Time Fortress accepted him.
When Malrick opened his eyes again, the Shadow was smiling with quiet satisfaction.
"It's over. The inheritance has been passed. I can finally rest."
Malrick's joy dimmed as he heard the words.
"What do you mean?"
The Shadow looked away.
"I'm not truly alive. I'm not a sentient being. I'm just a sliver of divine power and a remnant of Zhou's memory. My purpose was to pass on his legacy."
"I've been dormant for eons to preserve what little divine energy I had left."
"I only woke this past month, after trillions of years. At first, I thought it would be a wasted effort…"
"But I was wrong. I found a worthy successor."
The Shadow lowered its massive head, voice gentle.
"I thank you. You're favored by the Source Will."
"To find someone like you—at the mere Cosmic level—and yet so capable... It's rare."
Malrick's throat tightened.
So that was it.
This wasn't a guardian. It was Zhou himself. A memory of him.
No wonder the sculptures looked like him.
He had wanted to bring the Shadow back with him. But that… wasn't going to happen now.
"So the moment I received the inheritance, you were already fading, huh..."
Suddenly, a massive paw shoved him back with surprising force.
"Oof!"
He stumbled but caught himself.
The Shadow's grin was faint—but unmistakable.
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Be a good boy/girl, and send Powerstones 🙂