Chuck possessed his own intelligence networks and was rarely idle. He was either on the road protecting artifacts or deep in a fight. Whenever news broke of a treasure about to surface, he rushed to the location at maximum speed to ensure it didn't meet a grim fate or vanish into the unknown.
Once a treasure was secured, he handed it over to the local government without hesitation, much like he had with the Golden Dagger from the Sidra ruins. There were exceptions, of course. If a treasure had already chosen a master, Chuck would not take it by force. That was the treasure’s own choice, and he never intervened lightly.
However, if a wielder used their power for evil, Chuck was relentless. Beneath the surface of conventional law, Chuck acted as the peacekeeper of the artifact world. No one could deny his raw strength, nor the charismatic confidence that defined him.
He was an iron-blooded tough guy through and through. Beyond that, his luck seemed favored by destiny itself.
...
A year later.
Chuck’s group discovered a byproduct of ancient artifacts within certain ruins, a miracle created by an ancient civilization using the power of treasures.
The Spring of Life.
Because it was a byproduct, everyone could share in it. The effects of the Spring of Life perfectly solved Chuck’s lifespan issue. Drinking it granted a vastly elongated life. From that moment on, they were essentially immortal.
Due to the passage of eons, the Spring of Life had nearly dried up. By precise count, only enough remained for three cups: one for Chuck, and one for Marco.
Mei had no interest in the substance, but Chuck insisted she drink. She did not refuse his final gesture of goodwill and consumed the last cup of the Spring of Life.
Consequently, Chuck and Marco gained the gift of immortality. For Chuck, this meant he held nearly infinite chips for Equivalent Exchange. However, since the battle at the Little Oasis, he had never used the Golden Scales again. Even with an endless lifespan, he refused to squander his years unless it was absolutely necessary.
He was consciously restraining his power.
On the surface, Chuck’s combat level remained at Tier 1. In reality, he could tap into his limitless potential at any moment to wield unparalleled strength. For now, his Armored Warship physique was more than enough.
On the road.
Chuck's group met many others with treasure-derived abilities. Some were enemies who were ultimately killed, while others became allies, gradually gathering around Chuck.
His personal charisma was an undeniable force.
As time passed, a family took shape.
The Locken Family.
They took the name because their headquarters was established in Locken City.
The core of the family consisted of the three who had tasted the Spring of Life. Chuck was the leader of the Locken Family, but he never bothered with daily affairs. Everything was managed by Marco.
The brash youth from years ago had matured into a reliable man during their travels. He was now the indispensable pillar of the Locken Family.
As for Mei.
She took a position as the leader's consultant. Although she never interfered with the Locken Family business, the members still respected her as one of the three core figures.
Following Chuck’s will, the Locken Family only dealt with matters involving treasures. However, because they operated in the shadows of the law year-round.
They inevitably became a Mafia family. In fact, they became one of the most famous Mafia families in the world, with a reputation that commanded fear and respect.
By this point.
Twenty years had already passed.
In this year.
Chuck was forty-three years old. That same year, the cry of a newborn echoed from the delivery room of Locken City Hospital. Chuck welcomed his first child.
Before long.
Chuck held his son in his arms. He wore his usual expression, one that remained undisturbed even if a mountain collapsed before him. He simply observed the little creature in his grip with quiet curiosity.
A boy.
Marco stood at his side.
He asked: "Have you thought of a name?"
"No."
Chuck shook his head and looked toward his companions.
"I am no good at names. You two give a suggestion."
In his arms.
The infant was fast asleep.
Mei reached out and brushed the child’s cheek, suggesting: "How about Cold?"
Chuck was silent for a moment.
"Then it is decided."
With just those words.
The adults settled on the child's name. It required no deep symbolism. It was simply easy and pleasant to say.
...
In the blink of an eye.
Cold was seven, reaching the age when a child begins to grasp the world. Most of the Locken Family were ordinary people, but the core members and high-ranking officials were clearly different.
Cold had noticed this for as long as he could remember.
He discovered that his father's strength was far greater than any ordinary man, and his speed was much faster. However, Cold possessed no such gifts, which left the boy feeling quite disappointed.
Like every child, he saw his father as a role model. He wished to become a man like him in the future, someone capable of standing on his own.
Cold furrowed his brow, full of distress, and sought out Mei. She was the most idle person in the entire Locken Family, and Cold had basically been raised by her.
"Auntie, when I grow up, can I be as strong as Father?"
On the sofa.
Mei closed the book in her hand. She did not crush the child's dream, nor did she offer empty comfort.
Instead, she asked: "You want to be as strong as your father?"
"Yes!"
Cold nodded heavily. His voice was childish and soft, but his eyes were filled with a longing light: pure, transparent, and burning.
Mei spoke the truth.
"In a sense, you will be even stronger than your father. You will become even greater than him. Eventually, you will be like him, becoming a role model for your own children."
Cold was pleasantly surprised.
"Really?"
"Really."
Hearing this.
Cold was extremely happy.
Then, Cold asked a question that had puzzled him for a long time: "Auntie, my father and Uncle Marco are both very strong. So Auntie, you must be very powerful too, right? But I’ve never seen Auntie do anything special."
Even as a child, he could see that within the family's leadership, Mei was an outlier. She seemed to just idle about, appearing utterly ordinary.
She had neither shown physical qualities transcending commoners, nor had she shown wisdom or intellect that stood out. Her position as a consultant seemed to have come out of nowhere.
Mei laughed immediately.
"Your Auntie is actually very powerful."
"Hmm?"
Cold wore a look of disbelief. After all, Mei had always behaved too normally. He asked suspiciously: "Is Auntie even stronger than my father?"
"Of course."
"Are you a lot stronger?"
Mei nodded.
"A lot."
"Hmph, I don't believe you!"
In Cold's heart, his father was the most powerful person in the world. Adults loved to tease children, so he wouldn't take Mei's words seriously.
Having said that, he turned and ran off.
...
Clarence's blood slid down his face, dripping onto the ruins.
Amidst heavy breathing, two figures stood within the crumbling debris, each bearing severe injuries. One was Chuck, and the other was clearly Clarence.
Over the past twenty-odd years, it wasn't just Chuck who had been growing. After receiving Arthur's power, Clarence had also been struggling to become stronger. Yet, no matter what, Chuck remained an insurmountable wall of bronze and iron standing before him.
Once.
Twice.
Again and again.
Every time was like this.
"As expected, it's the same this time too..."
Clarence wasn't surprised by this outcome. Arthur had removed his limitations, allowing him to wield the power of more than one treasure.
Through the accumulation of these years, he believed he had already surpassed Mei's strength, but every single time, Chuck would resolutely block him.
He could no longer remember how many times this had happened.
Clarence stared coldly at Chuck, saying nothing more. The surrounding scene began to grow blurred and distorted, and then, his consciousness fell into darkness.
After a long while, Clarence opened his eyes.
The pungent smell of disinfectant and a weakened body. He picked up the phone beside him; the early morning news was reporting a story.
"A few days ago, the Cupkel City Museum encountered a sudden incident. The historically precious blue diamond, the 'Tear of the Nation', was stolen and its whereabouts remain unknown..."
This book's true home is on another platform. Check it out there for the real experience.
He was back.
Clarence's chest heaved incessantly. His spirit was exhausted. How many times had it been? The tenth? The hundredth? Or the thousandth time?
"Not enough, it's still far from enough!"
He needed to grow faster than Chuck and become stronger than Mei. The sooner he surpassed their power, the better. Otherwise, the difficulty would only increase as time went on.
Chuck's Golden Scales and infinite lifespan were not the issue. Clarence also possessed treasure abilities that functioned like "glitches" in the system; otherwise, he wouldn't have been able to compete with Chuck for so long.
However, he didn't understand.
Why, regardless of what countermeasures he devised, did everything ultimately end in failure? Infinite restarts yielded infinite defeats.
Clearly, his strategies were effective in countering Chuck, yet the world seemed to conspire against him, always throwing up various unforeseen complications.
Returning from twenty years in the future to this specific point in time meant Clarence had to re-collect treasures and accumulate strength. With countless cycles of experience, his growth rate would be even faster this time.
...
Crimson blood dripped.
The same result once again...
On the ruins, Clarence panted, near the end of his rope. Facing him was the same man, equally severely injured yet standing tall with an unyielding back.
He was essentially an impenetrable iron wall.
As long as he was there, Clarence would never be able to move against Mei.
This time, Clarence finally roared in uncontrollable rage: "Do you have any idea what you're doing? Do you know what you're protecting?"
This was the accumulated anger and resentment of countless reincarnations. Initially, it had just been a chance for revenge against Chuck; then, it had turned into an obsession.
Unconsciously, Clarence even felt a sense of mission.
A wicked criminal had taken on the mission to save the world, while the bastard who styled himself the Child of Destiny repeatedly blocked him. This felt absurd to him.
"I am protecting this world!"
Chuck’s gaze was resolute, having never wavered or questioned, never yielding half a step: "As long as I am here, don't you dare touch a single hair on her head!"
Hearing this, Clarence ground his teeth.
"Get out of the way!"
Chuck cracked his neck, the sound sharp.
"Show me what you've got."
"......"
Clarence was so angry that veins bulged, his eyes blood-red.
BOOM!
They clashed once more.
The entire ground trembled as two silhouettes blurred through the ruins. The roar of the wind torn by their movements was deafening; any crumbling debris caught in the wake was pulverized into dust.
The great battle raged on.
An unknown amount of time passed.
Finally, everything fell silent.
Clarence lay dying amidst the ruins, his vision stained red with blood. Even the sky above appeared a deep crimson. Chuck had not killed him, this guy was essentially impossible to kill.
Another failure.
Why?
Until a figure entered his field of vision.
Mei stood leisurely upon the ruins, looking down at Clarence. She asked, "Which time is this?"
“......”
The moment Clarence heard those words, he understood everything. This infinite loop was, in essence, a time reset; it should have been impossible for anyone else to perceive it.
Clearly, Mei had been aware all along. Not only was she aware, but she had been a spectator from start to finish. Clarence finally realized that Mei was far stronger than he had ever imagined.
Strong enough that even a total reset of time could not affect her.
"It's always been you interfering, hasn't it? Based on my current power, Chuck's growth rate shouldn't be higher than mine. It's you who has been constantly interfering with this world."
He could think of no other possibility.
Mei admitted it flatly.
"After all, I don't much like being disturbed."
"Haha."
Clarence let out a weak chuckle.
How ridiculous.
It turned out that from beginning to end, he was nothing more than a clown in the eyes of another. His voice grew fainter: "You could have just kept watching as a bystander."
"Time holds no meaning for me, but infinite repetition does get a bit boring."
"So, you're going to kill me personally? End the loop?"
Mei smiled and shook her head.
Clarence still underestimated her power. His imagination could not grasp Mei's true strength. Even back when she was Tier 7 and held All Concepts, she could already dominate every concept, including time.
Tier 8 was the embodiment of all abstractions. Let alone time, the survival of every parallel universe within the entire Treasure Universe rested upon her single thought.
She could not shake the Void World's timeline.
But manipulating a single universe was effortless.
If Mei wanted to end this cycle, it would take but a thought; there was absolutely no need to kill Clarence. Their powers were simply incomparable.
Mei said bluntly.
"I have the right to act on a whim, without even needing a reason to appear. As for killing you, frankly, I can't muster a shred of interest in you."
As she spoke, Clarence looked again, and Mei's figure was already gone. He remained silent for a long time, slowly closing his eyes. As for whether the cycle continued, that remained unknown.
...
The Locken Family.
Seated on the sofa, Mei closed the book in her hand. The sound drew Cold's attention. She stood up and said, "Cold, tell your old man that I'm going on a long trip."
"Okay."
Cold nodded, watching Mei walk out the door. The sound of her footsteps echoed in his ears and then gradually vanished from his sight. Only then did he remember that he had forgotten to ask when Auntie would return.
...
In a certain place.
Arthur suddenly had a premonition and could not help but show a look of shock. He didn't know what had happened, had the world's crisis been averted?
At the same time.
Chuck’s footsteps halted. The warning from destiny had vanished.
...
Inside Hyperdimensional Space.
People surged through the streets. As the launch of the space mission loomed, a group of Void Wanderers stood ready, poised as if facing a mortal enemy. The atmosphere was heavy, thick with a somber tension.
3!
2!
1!
The mission data refreshed on the space interface exactly on schedule.
【Mission Type: Tethered Mission】
【Mission Difficulty: Tier 3】
This was Mei’s first Tier 3 mission since her recent advancement. She felt a spark of anticipation, curious about what kind of world awaited her this time.
Suddenly.
TZZZZZZ!
Mei’s form flickered. Along with the surrounding cluster of Void Wanderers, she vanished, hurtling toward the mission world.
...
"Ugh, I just got dumped..."
"What's for lunch today?"
"Club activities are such a drag!"
Mei materialized on a sports field, surrounded by the vibrant energy of college students. Dressed in casual clothes, she blended in perfectly, showing not a hint of displacement.
Ignoring the noise, Mei’s perspective and perception expanded without limit. In a heartbeat, she spanned the entire planet and the universe itself as massive streams of information flooded her mind.
Her vision ascended above the Timeline. In a single pulse, she traversed countless parallel universes, stripping away every secret this world held.
Unexpectedly, this mission offered a surprise.
The Endless Space!
Following the Hyperdimensional Space and the Transcendent Space, Mei had encountered the third high-tier entity named "Space." It stood there openly, allowing Mei to perceive its existence without any shadow of concealment.
Mei felt a tremor of genuine shock. A sphere of pure white light sat enthroned above the timelines of the void: this was the true form of the Endless Space.
Supreme. Immovable.
This was her first time seeing the true form of a "Space." Because the status of the Endless Space was superior to her own, she could not fully grasp the magnitude of its power.
Only one thing was certain: with her current strength, she was absolutely no match for this sphere of light. Merely gazing at it radiated an irresistible, suffocating pressure.
The entire mission world’s Void World’s Timeline was suppressed by it, unable to stir even the smallest ripple. Because of this, not a single Timeline Rebel could be found within the void.
With the Endless Space pinning down the world lines, Rebels could not shake any single path. They couldn't eliminate parallel lines to converge the strength of downstream timelines and swim against the current.
That path was effectively blocked.
"No, that's not it!"
Mei suddenly realized the truth. The path of rebellion hadn't been blocked; rather, the path itself had been manifested as the Endless Space!
Her perspective snapped back to her physical self.
On the sports field.
Mei pulled her phone from her pocket. As the screen lit up, she saw the wallpaper was a large sphere of light, a perfect match for the true form of the Endless Space.
Navigating the interface, Mei spotted an app shaped like a light sphere, named simply "Endless Space." Without hesitation, she opened it.
An inverted tree-like diagram filled her vision, mirroring the structure of the Void World's timeline.
This was the greatest opportunity of this world: the Endless Space App. Anyone could enter the Endless Space to challenge the Void World's timeline until they seized control of the void’s origin.
While the powerhouses of the Earth Universe's void had to endure agonizing hardships just to glimpse the ultimate power of the void, the people of this world could reach it with a touch.
The space interface appeared.
【Main Mission · Phase One: In this world, everyone has the opportunity to grasp the ultimate power of the void. First, please conquer up to the 21st floor of the Endless Space.】
【Mission Reward: 5,000 Points】
【Mission Commencing】
...
【Name: Mei】
【Grade: Tier 3】
【Points: 25,001,473,100】
【Pet: Shiro · LV50 (Tier 7)】
【Abilities: Primordial Daemon · LV60, Limit Break · LV10, Super Burst · LV24.6, Veritas · Void】
【Items: Personal Spatial Storage · Universe, Chapter of Gaia, True · Death Substitute *1, True · Source Annihilation *2, Tier 8 Ticket *91, Demon-Quelling Manifestation, Cloud Water Sword, Azure Light Sword, Heavenly Pagoda...】
...
As always.
The first phase of the Main Mission wasn't difficult. It was designed to give Void Wanderers a taste of the mission world. The 21st floor of Endless Space corresponded exactly to the entry-level Tier 3 strength.
If one didn't even possess that much power, being eliminated was only natural. For those who lacked the strength, giving up was the best choice. After all, Hyperdimensional Space imposed no penalties for failure.
Next, the Random Selection and Upgrade Tasks refreshed.
【Target detected】
【Authority installation in progress】
【Installation completed】
【Entering random selection】
【Random selection: Energy Level Leap】
"..."
【Upgrade Task 1: Conquer the 10th floor of Endless Space to receive one Energy Level Leap.】
【Upgrade Task 2: Conquer the 20th floor of Endless Space to receive one Energy Level Leap.】
【Upgrade Task 3: Conquer the 30th floor of Endless Space to receive one Energy Level Leap.】
"..."
【Upgrade Task 10: Conquer the 100th floor of Endless Space to receive one Energy Level Leap.】
...
The unique situation from the Great Wilderness world did not repeat. The number of Upgrade Tasks returned to ten. Mei clicked on the description for Energy Level Leap.
【Ability: Energy Level Leap · One-Time Use】
【Charges: 0】
【Description: A single-use ability that ignores all limits and restrictions, capable of designating any personal ability to permanently leap up by one Tier.】
It was a very powerful ability. If Mei completed all ten Upgrade Tasks, she would obtain ten Energy Level Leaps. These could be used on any single ability.
Ignoring all limits meant that whether it was the Primordial Daemon, currently capped at Tier 8, or the ungradable Limit Break, both could be forced to leap to the next tier.
It was just a matter of cost-effectiveness.
But those were things to consider later.
Navigating the phone interface.
The structure of the Endless Space system resembled a pyramid with 100 floors. Each floor was a complete world, containing diverse civilizations and power systems.
It was brimming with opportunities.
Every floor had a Guardian. Whether fighting solo or together, as long as one could defeat the Guardian, they would receive generous rewards and the qualification to enter the next floor.
Of course, the danger was absolute.
Should one encounter peril within the Endless Space, death was real, unless one possessed resurrection abilities or items. It was extremely ruthless.
Mei felt it was quite peculiar. After entering a Hyperdimensional Space mission world, she could still enter the tiered worlds of the Endless Space. This "nesting doll" sensation was truly novel.
DING!
A notification popped up in the class group chat. The counselor wanted the new freshmen to attend a class meeting to discuss certain necessary matters.
