Chapter 978: Back Under Earth’s Sun
The world was bright again.
A blazing sun hung high in the sky, pouring warmth over Ethan’s skin, and for a second he nearly groaned from relief. After spending so long trapped in that freezing, lifeless void, Earth felt indescribably comfortable.
Beside him, Yaya squinted against the sunlight. Living inside Ethan’s Mindscape meant she rarely experienced anything real anymore, especially something as simple as sunlight on her face.
"HOLY... are you trying to give me a heart attack?!"
The sudden shout shattered the moment.
Ethan had followed the connection to his Avatar and torn straight through the spatial barrier to get here, so there was only one person he expected to see waiting on the other side.
The instant Ethan and Yaya appeared, the man nearly jumped out of his skin. Once he realized who it was, he immediately started cursing under his breath while glancing around nervously like he’d just been caught committing a crime.
Only then did Ethan notice where they were.
They stood on the rooftop of a skyscraper dozens of stories high. The Avatar had been crouched near the edge before Ethan arrived, staring intently at something in the distance. A pair of binoculars was hastily hidden behind his back.
Ethan narrowed his eyes. "What exactly are you looking at?"
"Nothing. Absolutely nothing."
The Avatar answered far too quickly, his neck stiff as stone. Then, despite himself, he turned and glanced back in the same direction again, exposing himself immediately.
Now Ethan had to know.He walked over and looked, and his eyes widened.
"Holy hell... that’s actually pretty impressive."
Then he suddenly remembered Yaya was still standing beside him.
Without hesitation, he slapped a hand over her eyes.
Yaya had only just started looking over and probably hadn’t even seen anything yet before Ethan blocked her vision completely.
"Uh... Yaya, why don’t you head back into the Mindscape for now?"
His voice sounded awkwardly helpless, though his gaze still hadn’t entirely left the distant rooftop.
"...Okay."
She clearly didn’t understand what was happening and sounded a little reluctant, but she obediently vanished anyway.
The moment she disappeared, a greasy laugh came from beside him.
"So? Pretty incredible view, right?"
The Avatar grinned shamelessly as he slapped Ethan on the shoulder.
Ethan stared at the slightly shorter building across from them. On that rooftop, in broad daylight, a couple was enthusiastically going at it without the slightest concern for the outside world.
Then Ethan slowly turned toward the Avatar’s smug expression, and his eye twitched violently.
Smack.
The Avatar froze after taking a clean hit to the head. He looked ready to explode in anger.
Then Ethan smacked him again.
"You little bastard," Ethan said flatly. "When did you become this depraved?"
A few minutes later, the Avatar was finally subdued.
He squatted on the rooftop with a deeply wronged expression on his face while Ethan stood nearby, completely exasperated.
The Avatar had already realized something terrifying.
Ethan had become absurdly strong.
Back then, he could at least struggle a little if they fought. Now he couldn’t even dodge a casual slap.
Meanwhile, Ethan felt emotionally drained in an entirely different way.
He had only just returned from outer space. He’d learned from the Star Beast that the Divine Realm was preparing to invade the Holy Domain, and apparently every civilization across countless universes already knew about it.
Everyone except the humans living at the center of the disaster.
Earth remained completely oblivious.
People were still fooling around on rooftops in broad daylight without the faintest clue that catastrophe was hanging over their heads.
’Frogs at the bottom of a well.’
Still, Ethan couldn’t help being curious. The Avatar clearly hadn’t stumbled onto the scene by accident. He had brought binoculars. He’d obviously come prepared.
Unfortunately, Ethan no longer had the energy to question him.
This Avatar of his was somehow living the exact carefree life Ethan once dreamed about, doing whatever he wanted without responsibilities or pressure.
The problem was that he had also become an unbelievable scumbag.
Ethan genuinely couldn’t understand where he had learned all this nonsense from.
What was even more ridiculous was how quickly the Avatar had adapted to society. His learning ability was terrifying. Not only had he integrated perfectly into the modern world, he’d even developed his own personality.
Back in the ancient dried-up well, this same existence had carried himself with dignity and nobility.
’Now look at him.’
Ethan rubbed his forehead with a sigh.
He gave the Avatar a few warnings, told him not to cause trouble, and finally left that disgraceful rooftop behind.
The second Ethan disappeared, the Avatar instantly jumped to his feet and spat at the spot where he had been standing.
Then, acting like nothing had happened, he picked up the binoculars again, crouched near the rooftop edge, and happily returned to enjoying the scenery.
Ethan’s Soul Sense caught the entire thing from afar. Despite himself, he laughed.
’Once all of this is over, I’m seriously going to beat the hell out of that idiot.’
Now that Ethan’s Soul Sense had evolved, he could cover the entire planet with a single thought.
And during his journey back, he had discovered something even more absurd. Anywhere his Soul Sense could reach, he could teleport instantly.
The first place he checked was Vatican City.
It was in ruins. Even the bar he had once visited was empty.
After that, he finally sensed several familiar auras, and his heart jumped violently.
In the next instant, Ethan appeared above Harmony City.
Below him stretched the familiar villa district, but the entire area looked deserted. There wasn’t a single person in sight.
Except for several villas.
The ones connected to Ethan’s past were wrapped in glowing barriers of different colors, layers of magic formations woven together. Ethan recognized Micah’s handiwork immediately.
Around all of them sat another enormous protective layer shaped like an upside-down bowl, covering the area like a shield.
Ethan floated silently above it for a moment, then he smiled.
"I’m back."
The words echoed through the air as his body transformed into a streak of light. He pierced straight through the defensive formation and landed in the courtyard below.
The moment he descended, everyone inside reacted. Several people abruptly opened their eyes, their expressions filled with alarm.
The aura Ethan carried now was simply overwhelming. Even Uncle Jed, usually relaxed no matter the situation, instinctively tensed up from the pressure.
Then they heard Ethan’s voice. Fear instantly became joy.
Figures appeared one after another. Some arrived in flashes, while others rushed out through the doors in a hurry.
Familiar faces filled Ethan’s vision.
Uncle Jed, Regish, Dragon Child. Then Markham, Victor, Leo, and the others following closely behind.
Ethan stood there quietly, smiling at all of them. Then he saw three more people.
Lyla, Amber, and Rainie.
All three looked thinner than before, exhausted and worn down, tears already streaming down their faces the moment they saw him.
Ethan’s smile slowly froze, a sharp ache spread through his chest. After a long silence, he finally spoke.
"I’ve made all of you suffer."
Everyone around him smiled. But the three women only cried harder.
He had spoken to everyone present, yet for them, the meaning behind those words was completely different.