Originally, Sakar had also believed it was merely a dream. Until five years passed in the blink of an eye, and he stood amidst a shattered world, his expression grim to the extreme.

  Upon the ruins.

  The Demon King was gasping for air, his face filled with regret.

  "A pity..."

  Sakar didn't know what the Demon King was regretting. The entire combat process had been almost identical to his dream, except the Demon King’s power had been slightly greater. However, the result was no different. That was exactly why he felt exceptionally uneasy.

  "Is it over?"

  Sakar’s companions rushed over, joy flashing across their faces as they saw the dying Demon King. But Sakar hurriedly blocked their path, his magical power surging restlessly. He acted as if facing a great enemy.

  "I’m afraid the real battle has just begun!"

  "Huh?" His companions were stunned.

  Suddenly, a solitary figure appeared in their sight.

  Re-encountering Mei, Sakar immediately demanded: "Who exactly are you?"

  Mei did not answer. She merely raised her hand.

  BOOM!

  Sakar's consciousness once again fell into silence. The Hero's World was destroyed for the third time. Mei stood in the void, observing the world being recreated.

  【Item Acquired...】

  【Equipment Acquired...】

  The equipment and items dropped were like a sky full of stars surrounding Mei. Unfortunately, the Infinite Secretary had failed to drop again.

  Mei stood in deep thought as she watched the scene. "Is this a glitch or normal behavior?"

  Clearly, after Loop 3, destroying the same world could still yield no fewer items than the previous two times. Did this mean she could farm indefinitely?

  Mei did the math: just from these three world destructions, she had obtained 318 Tier 6 items, an average of 106 per run, and even 12 Tier 7 items had dropped.

  Not a single Tier 8 item yet.

  And this was only the 51st floor. If she continued up and farmed indefinitely, Mei had no idea how many high-tier items she could generate. Could such a good thing really exist?

  She was somewhat surprised and decided to keep farming. It would be a waste not to take advantage of this windfall, and she didn't care if this was an issue with the Hyperdimensional Space or the Endless Space.

  As long as it wasn't her problem.

  It felt like a long time, yet it seemed like only a moment before the Hero's World was recreated. Mei put all the items into her Personal Spatial Storage and continued her attempt.

  Loop 4. Begin!

  Mei summarized her previous experience: relying solely on the Demon King to challenge the Hero wasn't effective. It was more efficient if she personally stepped in.

  ...

  Heroic Era, Year 975.

  "!!!"

  Sakar woke up from his dream, wiping the sweat from his forehead. He let out a long sigh of relief: "Huff, thank goodness it was just a dream."

  Once the relief passed, he jumped out of bed. "Another new day!"

  Sakar perked up. He had been confirmed by the kingdom as the new generation's Hero. Before setting out to suppress the Demon King, he had to receive guidance from his teacher.

  After all, strength never comes from nothing; even a Hero must grow step by step to temper a stronger physique and greater magical power.

  CLANG!

  The sword in Sakar’s hand was knocked away. The edge of Mei's sword was practically touching his throat, with less than a millimeter of distance, turning Sakar’s face pale with fright.

  Mei evaluated Sakar’s swordsmanship.

  "Too flashy and inefficient. Simplify every movement to the absolute limit, discard all unnecessary actions: only then will your swordsmanship advance."

  "I'll remember that." Sakar retrieved his sword, his gaze resolute. "Teacher, please continue."

  Suddenly, sword light intertwined.

  At the same time, unknown changes were occurring at a higher level. With every swing of the Hero's sword, with every breath he took, a parallel world was being merged into this one.

  Every merger meant the Hero was converging the power of another version of himself from a parallel world, and this convergence was happening every single second.

  The converged strength would gradually manifest within him over time until all parallel worlds were bound together.

  This was, of course, Mei's handiwork.

  Higher levels seemed to yield better drop rates. Therefore, Mei would grant the Hero unprecedented power. What kind of result would that create?

  She didn't care at all.

  By converging the strength of all parallel worlds, Sakar would undoubtedly possess top-tier Tier 7 power. As for whether he could step into Tier 8, that depended on Sakar himself. Mei's Tier 8 advancement path could not be replicated.

  "I feel like something's wrong..."

  A conqueror stood on a busy street, feeling that the people and things around him had undergone a slight, subtle change. He could perceive it. It was as if he had traveled to a parallel timeline of the Hero's World.

  "Huh? Shin?"

  A voice called out. Shin snapped back to reality and looked toward the sound, instantly surprised. "Men?"

  Because of Mei’s actions in merging parallel worlds, conquerors on the 51st floor who were previously scattered across different parallel worlds began to meet within this single world.

  The consequences of her actions extended far beyond this; even the conquerors could sense the anomaly, let alone existences at higher levels.

  There was an ancient legend passed down in the Hero's World: in an era so distant it could not be traced, gods had once existed in this world. They dwelled in the upper realm. Later, for reasons unknown, the gods ceased to descend, and the upper and lower realms no longer interacted; the deeds of the mythological era became distant legends.

  Mei searched the river of time and infinite parallel worlds but found no trace of the legendary gods or the upper realm. Yet, the origin of this legend remained undiscovered. It was as if it had been cleanly severed.

  Five years passed in the flash of an eye. Sakar, having finished his guidance under Mei, set out on his journey to suppress the Demon King. He overcame all obstacles until he finally slew the Demon King once more.

  Again, Sakar stood upon the ruins. The intense déjà vu made his face turn ashen; this wasn't the first time he had seen this scene, nor even the second.

  Mei appeared silently. Sakar seemed to understand everything.

  He angrily questioned Mei: "Teacher, it’s you who has been controlling everything all along, isn't it? Time after time... what exactly is your goal?!!"

  This time, Mei was no longer silent.

  Yet she spoke only a few sparse words, her emotionless tone feeling unprecedentedly strange to Sakar: "You have become stronger. However, it is not yet enough."

  With that said.

  Just as Mei was about to end this world, a powerful pressure enveloped the firmament and the land, descending from a higher level.

  Mei realized. "The upper realm?"

  She had searched the river of time and infinite parallel worlds without finding a trace of the upper realm, yet now an entity from that realm was descending. Where exactly was it hidden?

  HUMM!

  Majestic. Boundless.

  A powerful force reigning above the world revealed itself. A phantom with a cold gaze looking down on all living things interrogated Mei: "Arrogant fool! You have recklessly interfered with the space-time of the lower realm! Your sins are unforvorgivable!"

  As the legends of old descended, Mei understood everything. The upper realm and the gods of the Hero's World did not exist within this world: more accurately, they did not exist on the 51st floor.

  Perhaps the upper realm was in a different void. There wasn't only one possibility. That was why Mei had been unable to find any traces of the upper realm or the gods.

  The reason she had involved herself in the Hero's affairs was simply to force the drop of the 【Infinite Secretary】 held by the Hero.

  It was an item passed down through generations of Heroes, used to record places they had traveled to, allowing for instantaneous teleportation back to any previously recorded point. Legend had it that the Infinite Secretary was originally a blessing from the upper realm: if so, it was no surprise the upper realm possessed cross-realm capabilities.

  It was no wonder Mei had been unsuccessful before.

  However, if the upper realm had remained silent, it would have been fine. Their mistake was choosing this specific point in time to descend: a point in time where Mei existed.

  "Sinner! In the name of the upper realm, I hereby pass judgment upon you!"

  The magnificent phantom’s pressure weighed upon the world. The unparalleled sense of oppression forced Sakar to his knees involuntarily, his face filled with terror. Was this the power of an existence from the upper realm? The weight of the power pressing down on him was indescribable, rendering him unable to move.

  If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it.

  But Mei, on the other hand, to her, this display of power was like a gentle breeze. Faced with a force that made the world tremble, she remained motionless.

  "A phantom of the upper realm..."

  The newcomer was not the true entity, but merely a phantom cast down by the upper realm. Although it possessed Tier 8 Multiversal-level power, however...

  There are worlds of difference even between Tier 8s!

  Previously, in the Great Wilderness world, even the five Taikyoku Celestial Venerables emerging together could do nothing against Mei. Even when they sacrificed themselves to merge with the Dao, Mei ultimately shattered their world.

  The being before her was merely an ordinary Tier 8.

  Facing the phantom of judgment, Mei raised her eyes. That transcendent gaze seemed to contain the ultimate power, standing above all things, above all living beings.

  Reigning above Tier 8!

  In a single instant.

  The judgment phantom's pupils shrank as it felt a sudden, bone-chilling dread. It was horrified beyond measure: how could such powerful strength exist in the lower realm! With just one look, the victor was decided.

  It didn't even have the qualification to pass judgment.

  Mei reached out and gripped the air.

  BOOM!

  In a heartbeat.

  The heavens collapsed and the earth split.

  The sole remaining timeline of the Hero's World buckled and shattered. Past, present, and future collapsed instantly into an infinitely small singularity, returning to a state of primordial quantum chaos.

  The judgment phantom had no power to resist and was instantly pulverized in its terror. But it did not end here. If the phantom had not descended, Mei truly would not have known where the upper realm was.

  Now, she knew.

  Absolute tier suppression brought absolute crushing and dominance. Taking the effect of the phantom's descent into the lower realm, she traced back the cause of the upper realm. The vast concept of causality, powered by the unique Tier 8 strength, pierced through the Hero's World.

  Tracing back to a world even further beyond.

  At a certain moment.

  Mei spoke.

  "Found you..."

  ...

  The Upper Realm.

  The so-called Upper Realm was indeed not within the same void where the Hero's World was located. Even if there had been contact between the upper and lower realms in the past, all traceable marks had long since been erased.

  Only when it was truly necessary to act would the Upper Realm interfere with the lower realm again. This time, the blatant interference with the parallel space-times of the lower realm was one such necessary moment.

  However, the result had astonished the Upper Realm.

  Furthermore, the truth of the Upper Realm was unexpected, yet logical. The Upper Realm and the Hero's World were not in the same void, but they were in the same Space.

  The Hero's World was on the 51st floor. The Upper Realm was on the 80th floor.

  "Aah,"

  A golden-haired god guarding the gates of the Upper Realm let out a drowsy yawn. Looking listless, he couldn't help but complain.

  "Another boring day."

  The Upper Realm had long since severed ties with the majority of the lower realms. He had guarded the gates for countless eons, and there had never been an incident. Could anyone actually fight their way up to the Upper Realm?

  What a joke!

  It was enough that the Upper Realm didn't destroy the lower realms; how could anyone from below have the courage to attack the Upper Realm? Thinking this, the golden-haired god recalled something.

  "Apparently, someone in the lower realm is blatantly obliterating parallel worlds?"

  Anyone who could do that was surely not weak. Not to mention Tier 8, they would at least need top-tier Tier 7 strength, and an exceptionally overpowered Tier 7 at that.

  Over so many years, even in the weak lower realms, people who were unimaginably strong would eventually appear. The golden-haired god was a bit envious of the God of Judgment. Passing judgment on the lower realms had to be much more interesting than guarding a gate.

  "Aah,"

  As he thought, he yawned again.

  BOOM!

  Suddenly, the Upper Realm shook violently. The massive disturbance cut his yawn short, instantly making him alert. He looked around in a panic.

  "What's happening? What is it?"

  BOOM!

  The Upper Realm shook violently once more. It wasn't just space; even time displayed terrifying chaos and brief stasis.

  "Just what is happening?!!"

  The golden-haired god was terrified beyond measure, staring at the nearly collapsing space-time of the Upper Realm in disbelief. He couldn't imagine what level of power could shake the entirety of the Upper Realm.

  Without giving him much time to think, the realm was shaken again. Space-time collapsed in vast sections, leaving the golden-haired god in a state of sheer terror.

  BOOM!

  The gates of the Upper Realm were forcibly blasted open. A hand reached out from the void outside and gripped the magnificent golden gates, preventing them from closing.

  Then, a figure slowly appeared.

  "!!!"

  In that instant, the golden-haired god's pupils contracted violently as he felt an unprecedented, immense dread and fear. In countless eons, the gates of the Upper Realm had been blasted open from the void for the first time.

  Mei’s figure emerged from beyond the gates.

  "Finally found it!"

  Hearing her voice, the golden-haired god’s face turned deathly pale.

  "Lord King of World! Something terrible has happened!!!"

  HUM!

  Simultaneously, streaks of magnificent, grand auras erupted from within the Upper Realm, soaring toward the void. Not a single aura was below Tier 8; the strength of the Upper Realm was plain to see.

  The God of Judgment had only just awakened; his consciousness had projected to the lower realm, yet Mei's speed in tracing back the origin was faster than his awakening. He stared toward the gates, his expression incredibly grim.

  "How could the lower realm possess such powerful strength!"

  With such a massive disturbance, the gods of the Upper Realm reacted immediately, even without the golden-haired god’s shout. Atop the supreme throne of the realm, an existence opened its golden eyes.

  Outside the gates, Mei’s gaze met those golden eyes. For a moment, the space-time of the Upper Realm teetered on the brink of collapse. Mei revealed a long-absent look of excitement.

  "A unique Tier 8, is it?"

  She wondered if this would be an opponent of equal strength.

  This was Mei’s first time achieving a crossing between two voids using her own power. The path was further than she imagined; the distance between each void was infinite. Fortunately, she had the capability.

  If it hadn't been for the God of Judgment’s causality serving as a target for tracing backward, Mei would have had no way to traverse from the Hero’s void to the Upper Realm’s void. The difficulty involved was incomparable to simply crossing between universes.

  It was like when she was Tier 7: facing the boundless void, Mei, who hadn't mastered Void Overlord yet, couldn't possibly locate where other universes existed.

  However, crossing the void was not as simple as Mei imagined.

  BOOM!

  Outside the gates and upon the divine throne, Mei’s gaze locked with the golden pupils. The auras of two unique Tier 8 entities collided. The Upper Realm space-time, already on the verge of collapse, immediately began to crumble faster. Space and time shattered into fragments, revealing the dark, deep chaos of the void behind it.

  The King of World upon the throne stood motionless.

  Mei attempted to step into the Upper Realm but was blocked by an invisible force. No matter what, she couldn't manage another step past the gate and into the higher realm.

  "The Upper Realm's void resistance?"

  The entire void of the Upper Realm was actively repelling Mei’s forceful attempt to enter its domain. The fighting intent generated from clashing with the King of World was quickly extinguished. If Mei alone could shake the realm, then if the entire Upper Realm void resisted her, she truly couldn't use brute force to break through that resistance.

  Mei had not yet fought against the full power of the void.

  She felt no regret.

  She gazed deeply at the massive sphere of light above the timeline in the void outside the realm: that was the Endless Space. This implied that the Upper Realm's void must exist within some specific tiered world. She would step into the Upper Realm sooner or later.

  Then, she turned and left.

  Without Mei’s obstruction, the gates of the Upper Realm finally closed heavily, and the realm's space-time swiftly healed itself, returning to its original state.

  "Huff..."

  The golden-haired god suddenly felt like he had survived a disaster. Standing before the Upper Realm gates, facing the immense pressure of Mei’s power, he felt utterly helpless.

  Fortunately, she was an outsider who was repelled by the void and unable to enter. Had she truly managed to step inside, the consequences would have been unimaginable.

  ...

  Not long after.

  Mei returned to the Hero's World, and through that incident, she understood one thing: the void repels outsiders. Intruders cannot easily enter the inner void.

  This was unlike a universe. Unless one possessed a Guardian, the space outside a universe didn't possess this power to repel outsiders. Only after entering would one be noticed by the world's will.

  To travel between different voids, one needed a form of permission, like a pass. Both Hyperdimensional Space and Endless Space could grant such authorization. Mei currently couldn't comprehend the true nature of this permission. Perhaps such permission wasn't mandatory; perhaps only sufficient strength was needed to forcibly break through.

  This remained unknown.

  Surveying the surroundings of the Hero's World. The phantom of the Upper Realm god descended. His single strike had completely destroyed the Hero's World, yet the Infinite Secretary had not dropped.

  ...

  Loop 4 began.

  This time, Mei was not in a hurry to destroy the world, nor did she deliberately seek out the Hero. Instead, she leisurely traveled through the Hero's World, quietly sensing everything around her.

  Eternity is a moment. A moment is eternity. Time had long ceased to hold meaning for Mei. In the instant the world was destroyed, she had already risen and fallen within this world thousands of times, from the world's genesis to the point of total annihilation.

  Mei was a traveler in this world.

  Time was her traveler.

  She no longer paid attention to the Hero, nor did she overly concern herself with this world's timeline. Her companions were the journey itself, and Shiro.

  In the snowy north, where snowstorms raged for thousands of miles, she calmed the frenzied snow sprites. Shiro played in the snowdrift like a fish in water, moving naturally amidst the disaster.

  In the savage Southern Wastelands, where Man tribes lived in primitive conditions and ate raw meat, Mei descended a celestial body, completely wiping a Man kingdom from the face of the earth.

  The Day Star.

  The end of the Sea.

  The four extremities of the land.

  Mei’s footprints were left in many places. The Hero's World was vast. Most people spent their entire lives running in circles in a small area, while true uniqueness and legends were born every moment.

  She maintained the original line breaks.

  Mei bore witness to it all.

  One day, in a forest in the central region.

  BOOM!

  A savage beast's roar startled a flock of birds, followed by human shouts and the sounds of fighting. On a forest path, several slave carriages were parked.

  The carriages were filled with various slaves.

  Magical beasts attacked, smashing many of the slave carriages. The lucky survivors scattered like birds, fleeing in panic into the thick forest.

  Their gasps came in ragged bursts, like bellows.

  A thin, reedy girl, her face full of terror, fled with all her might, occasionally looking back to see if any slave traders or magical beasts were pursuing her.

  Her name was Evelyn, twelve years old. She hailed from a prominent noble family in the western region and had been captured during an attack on her family, then sold into the hands of slave traders.

  Because of her noble birth and distinctive long purple hair, the slave traders planned to sell Evelyn in the central region, hoping for a better price. The long journey would also prevent her family from finding her.

  Long-distance slave transport often encountered magical beast attacks in the wild; it was also common for slaves to escape. After repelling the magical beasts, the slave carriage team rounded up the nearby slaves and hurried back onto the road. Those who had run too far were abandoned. Left to their own devices.

  ...

  At night.

  Firelight glowed within the inky black forest. Her noble attire was already torn in many places. She roasted a rabbit in her hands, continuously swallowing saliva as she watched the golden-brown meat.

  Grrr...

  Rustle.

  The sound of hunger pangs mingled with footsteps in her ear. Evelyn immediately grew vigilant. Almost in an instant, she hurled a fireball in the direction of the sound.

  BANG!

  The fireball exploded, blocked by a single hand.

  The burst of light illuminated the person's face: it was a black-haired girl dressed as a wandering scholar. She walked with steady steps, her face impassive.

  Mei commended: "Magic without incantation. Not bad talent."

  As a noble, it was not surprising that Evelyn possessed magic. She had received magical instruction since childhood, but the warriors in the slave carriage team were very strong, and as a novice, she couldn't deal with warriors at close range. Thus, she only had a chance to escape when the convoy was attacked.

  Evelyn assumed a defensive posture, like a puffed-up kitten, ready for either combat or flight. The newcomer was very strong: at least stronger than her. At the very least, she couldn't stop a fireball with one hand and remain unscathed.

  Mei calmly walked to the campfire, picked up the golden-brown roasted rabbit, and began to eat it directly, commenting: "The doneness is just right, but it lacks seasoning."

  As she spoke, she took out various bottles and jars from her person and sprinkled different seasonings. Evelyn puffed out her cheeks in anger but dared not act rashly: "That's my rabbit!"

  "It's mine now." Mei was indifferent.