Ch.81 Witnessing the Destruction of a World!

The large man suddenly said, "Don't look too long!"

Uchiha Shinji quickly withdrew his gaze.

For a brief moment, he realized his mind had been drawn to the abyss beyond the sky, feeling a strange compulsion to see it more clearly.

The large man took another puff of his cigar. "Don't worry too much. Before this world gets destroyed, it won't pose a threat to you or your world."

Still shaken, Shinji asked, "What exactly is that?"

"A creature that devours worlds. Some call it the 'Overlord,' others the 'Calamity,' and some name it 'Doomsday.'"

The large man glanced at the sky, then swiftly looked away.

Shinji's face went pale. "It devours worlds..."

From just hearing the names "Overlord," "Calamity," and "Doomsday," he could feel the terror of such a creature.

He couldn't imagine that such a being existed in the universe.

After calming his nerves slightly, Shinji asked again, "Why was this world targeted by it?"

"Bad luck, I suppose." The man puffed on his cigar, exhaling smoke. "It can happen to anyone; it's just a matter of time."

Shinji couldn't help but ask, "Is there no way to stop it?"

The man glanced at Shinji and smiled. "Maybe there is, but I don't know of one."

Shinji surveyed the desolate surroundings. "What about the Lampbearer of this world? Why didn't they fight back?"

"You mean that fool?" The man, seemingly in the mood for a chat, casually sat on a charred boulder. "Of course, he fought back. He just used a very foolish method."

"A foolish method?"

"Why else would I call him a fool?" The man laughed. "He knew he couldn't stop the Overlord on his own, so he spread the news of the Overlord's arrival and the impending Doomsday across the entire world."

"Trying to unite the world's strength? What happened then?"

Shinji didn't think this was a foolish plan; it seemed like a desperate but brave move.

"They all came together and built three layers of defense systems."

Shinji eagerly asked, "And then?"

The man spread his hands and shrugged. "You can see for yourself what happened. The spread of the information led to even faster contamination, allowing the Overlord to lock onto this world more quickly. Originally, they could've held on for a few decades, maybe even a century, but thanks to that fool, Doomsday arrived ahead of schedule."

Shinji fell silent.

He now had a rough idea of what had happened to this world.

Being targeted by the Overlord was the start of its tragedy.

The Lampbearer of this world didn't choose to wait for death. Instead, he ignored the contamination and spread the news of the Overlord's arrival, hoping to unite the world against the monster.

In the end, they lost.

This world had become nothing more than food for the Overlord.

But Shinji didn't think the Lampbearer was a fool.

The Lampbearer had simply chosen to fight back instead of waiting for slow death.

And the fact that this world could unite under such circumstances was no small feat—after all, not everyone has the courage to stand strong in the face of despair!

Shinji also began to understand why his Lamp had marked this world as a "safe zone."

Because this world was on the brink of destruction, it would no longer be anchored to other worlds, and the spread of contamination would cease. Thus, Lampbearers from other worlds could briefly descend here to trade goods or exchange information.

Boom!

Suddenly, a massive explosion echoed from the sky.

Shinji looked up and saw vast sections of the sky shattering, allowing the blackness from beyond to seep in.

The seven cloaked Lampbearers who had been trading nearby immediately ceased their business and, with flickers of their lamps' shadows, disappeared from the wasteland.

The large man, still smoking his cigar, said calmly, "It's ending."

Shinji never expected his first invasion to involve witnessing the destruction of an entire world.

He watched as the sky crumbled, the earth split apart, and everything around him fell into ruin. The shock he felt in his heart was indescribable.

The large man, seeing Shinji's stunned expression, said, "Newbie, it's time for you to leave."

Shinji nodded.

Indeed, it was time to go. He could now feel the malice creeping in from the black void that had pierced the sky.

It was a force that made him instinctively afraid.

At this moment, he was far too weak to stand against such malevolence.

Stepping back, Shinji reached into his Akatsuki cloak and pulled out his Lamp.

Though the large man had shown no hostility, even offering answers to many of his questions, Shinji remained on guard.

So, as he communicated with his Lamp, he kept his eyes on the large man, wary of any sudden attack.

However, the large man showed no interest in him. He simply gazed quietly at the sky.

By now, all the other Lampbearers had already left. Only Shinji and the large man remained on the desolate wasteland.

Unable to resist, Shinji asked, "Aren't you going to leave?"

The large man suddenly said, "Remember the fool I mentioned earlier?"

Shinji replied, "The Lampbearer of this world?"

The large man nodded, then laughed, "Haha, I'm that fool!"

Shinji froze, staring blankly at the large man.

It turned out the man in front of him was the Lampbearer of this doomed world. That revelation took Shinji completely by surprise.

He hadn't expected the man to casually explain the downfall of his own world as if it were a lighthearted tale.

At the same time, Shinji noticed that the last ember in the large man's lamp was about to burn out.

He quickly glanced at his own lamp.

"Does the complete exhaustion of Embers mean a world loses its protection?"

This realization sent a chill through Shinji's heart. He suddenly understood the importance of the Embers. As long as they weren't entirely depleted, not even the Overlord could invade the world.

But once the embers were gone...

He looked up at the sky. The blackness was already creeping in!

The large man waved dismissively, "Get out of here! This is my tomb, and it'd be too cramped with an extra person!"

Now that he knew the man's identity, Shinji lowered his guard. Realizing this might be his last chance, he hurriedly asked, "Is there really no way to fight against the Overlord?"

The large man hesitated, not expecting such a question. "Rumor has it that some powerful Lampbearers have defeated an Overlord before, but it's probably just a myth."

At that moment, Shinji's Lamp began to glow, its light surrounding him.

As the light enveloped him, Shinji called out with all his strength, "If other Lampbearers keep invading my world but refuse to communicate, do you know why?"

The large man smirked with disdain. "Oh, sounds like their world has been targeted by the Overlord too!"