549 I’m not leaving
No matter how Mike felt about it, he had now fully earned the title of the “Undead Lord.”
Sylvanas’s heart floated in front of Mike, merging with the ghost source.
As long as Mike controlled this heart, he could kill Sylvanas at any time.
At the same time, the ghost source would continue to fuse with the heart until they became one.
However, this entire process could only proceed with Mike’s permission.
As the true master of the ghost source, Mike could manipulate this process at will.
After completing this, Mike put away the ghost source and turned his gaze to Sylvanas.
“Stop kneeling. Get up.”
Compared to before, Sylvanas’s appearance hadn’t changed much—she was still as beautiful as ever.
However, she now had two long legs, each about two meters in length.
When she stood up, her height was close to four meters, and from Mike’s current angle, he could see right under her skirt…
The most critical detail? She wasn’t wearing any panties!
Mike tilted his head slightly, looking up at her, feeling a bit speechless.
Before he could say anything, Sylvanas slowly shrank down, eventually becoming just a little shorter than Mike.
With Sylvanas dealt with, there wasn’t much left to do on the 40th floor.
But Mike didn’t rush to settle the conquer score. Instead, he wandered around the floor, casually asking,
“When my big brother fought the Supreme Demon God, were you in the Supreme Abyssal?”
Although she hadn’t interacted with Thor much, Sylvanas had heard a bit about his style.
The “big brother” Thor referred to was likely Morpheus.
Sylvanas didn’t dare be disrespectful and answered respectfully,
“I hadn’t reached level 1000 yet. I followed the previous Progenitor of Ghosts into the Supreme Abyssal and wandered around afterward. I wasn’t close to the battle.”
There was one thing Sylvanas didn’t mention.
Those who got too close… died!
The battle between the human Supreme Being Morpheus and the Supreme Demon God was so intense that even other level 1000 beings didn’t have the privilege of watching!
Mike shifted the conversation, suddenly bringing up another topic.
“Do you know Shadow Nine?”
Sylvanas paused for a moment, then nodded. “I do.”
“Calderon once told me that Shadow Nine lied to me about two things.”
Both Calderon and Apollo had mentioned this before.
Mike had been dwelling on it ever since, eager to know what those two lies were.
Since Sylvanas had been a witness to the events of the past, she might know more about Nathan and the truth behind those lies.
Before Mike could ask further, Sylvanas suddenly dropped to her knees!
Mike frowned, feeling a bit disdainful.
What is she doing? I haven’t even asked anything yet, and she’s already kneeling?
But soon, Mike realized something was off.
Gabriel also had a respectful expression, bowing deeply.
Mike followed their gaze…
And saw Apollo.
Apollo was dressed in a white cloud robe, with a butterfly emblem printed on it.
Mike: …
“Uh… bro, you’re here?”
Apollo nodded.
“I’m here.”
Mike thought for a moment and asked, “Is something up?”
“Mm.”
Apollo, as usual, was sparing with his words.
His true body was still on the 99th floor, and the figure before them was just another cloud avatar, as it had been before.
However, this time, Apollo had chosen a human form instead of a butterfly.
That was rare.
In the Tower of Truth, Apollo usually appeared as a butterfly.
In fact, for Apollo, the butterfly form was probably much more convenient.
After all, butterflies could fly.
After nodding, Apollo pointed in a certain direction and said,
“There’s a passage here that leads to the Heavenly Realm?”
Mike had experienced something similar on the 30th floor.
He hadn’t expected to encounter it again on the 40th floor!
Back then, when the Heavenly Realm had tempted Mike, they had told him he had three chances.
The 30th floor, the 60th floor, and the 90th floor.
Who would have thought that just ten floors later, Mike would encounter another opportunity?
This also confirmed Mike’s earlier suspicions.
He pondered for a moment and said,
“So, every ten floors, there’s a hidden passage to the Heavenly Realm… These nine passages were prepared for the Nine Races… and the cycles were created to…”
“To block the passages,” Apollo finished, revealing the truth.
The so-called cycle was a trap!
It was designed to imprison the powerful beings of the Nine Races, preventing them from ascending to the Heavenly Realm!
In the original design of the Tower of Truth,
Each race was assigned ten floors,
And the floor numbers had nothing to do with strength.
Each race could cultivate their young talents within their territory. If they produced Supreme Being seeds, they would be sent to the 90th to 100th floors for training. After conquering those floors, they would return to their race’s sacred land and ascend to the Heavenly Realm through a special passage!
But the appearance of the Supreme Demon God had disrupted everything!
That’s why Mike had experienced so many strange events while climbing the tower…
When Morpheus had climbed the tower, he might not have known the truth. Even if he had, he wouldn’t have had the strength to change anything.
By the time Ares came along, things were even simpler.
He just cut through everything with his sword…
Supreme Being Apollo had the ability to see through the cycles and break them, but he found it boring and didn’t bother.
And that’s why, 300 years later, it was Thor who finally broke the cycles.
After piecing together the cause and effect, a new question popped into Mike’s mind.
He had interacted with beings from the Heavenly Realm before.
Last time, Apollo had only shown up afterward to thank him.
So what had changed this time?
What was important enough for Apollo to come see Mike in person?
Apollo, sensing Mike’s confusion, spoke again.
“You can leave.”
Mike: ???
What’s this about now?
Sensing that he hadn’t explained clearly enough, Apollo pointed in the same direction and added a few more words.
“You can choose to go to the Heavenly Realm. You won’t die.”
“Leave the Supreme Mark·Crest behind. I need it.”
After those two sentences, Mike fell silent, his face expressionless.
Gabriel stole a glance at Mike, curious to see what decision he would make.
Kneeling on the ground, Sylvanas was desperately hoping Thor would agree.
If Thor chose to go to the Heavenly Realm, everything connected to him could be taken there as well!
She had worked so hard, scheming for the ghost source and aiming for level 1000, all for the chance to ascend to the Heavenly Realm!
But Sylvanas knew this wasn’t her place to speak.
For ancient beings like her, the Heavenly Realm held an indescribable allure.
But for the human Supreme Beings, it wasn’t much of a temptation.
Mike furrowed his brow, remaining silent.
Apollo, with his back to Mike, looked toward the passage to the Heavenly Realm and spoke again.
“If he chooses to leave, as I said, he will be Immortal and Indestructible, free from all constraints.”
These words weren’t directed at Mike.
They were meant for someone hiding behind the passage.
Immortal and Indestructible, free from all constraints.
Those few words were enough to make Mike one of the most powerful beings in the Heavenly Realm.
It meant that if Mike chose to leave, he would gain something that others could only dream of after a lifetime of struggle.
From the depths of the mist, a familiar voice echoed. Mike had encountered this being on the 30th floor.
15:25
But this time, the voice was tinged with bitterness as it reluctantly replied,
“Alright.”
He had agreed.
Now, the choice was entirely up to Thor.
Apollo turned slightly, giving Thor half a step of space.
He thought that perhaps his presence was making Thor uncomfortable about leaving.
But after thinking it over, Apollo decided to stay. At the very least, he wanted to witness Thor’s decision.
The old Apollo would never have done something so boring.
As for why he was doing it now,
Even Apollo couldn’t explain it.
Mike’s expression didn’t change.
Feeling Apollo’s gaze on him, Mike shook his head and spoke calmly.
“I’m not leaving.”
Thor’s words gave his answer.
This was Mike’s choice.
Apollo wasn’t surprised by the result.
He didn’t ask why, nor did he waste any words.
He simply nodded and said,
“Alright.”
Apollo looked ahead, his gaze darkening.
From the depths of the mist, the presence that had been watching slowly retreated.
Even from across worlds, the being hiding behind the door was wary of Apollo.
Among the three generations of human Supreme Beings, Apollo was the one he feared the most.
With the prying gaze gone, the passage to the Heavenly Realm on this floor closed completely, leaving no room for further complications.
There was no longer any reason for Apollo to stay.
“Come see me after you finish the floor.”
With that, the white cloud dissipated, and Apollo’s figure vanished.
Mike nodded toward the spot where Apollo had disappeared and said,
“Alright.”
On the surface, Mike remained calm, his expression as serene as still water.
But inside, he was celebrating: Hell yeah!
The mist that had covered the 40th floor cleared, revealing a bright and open sky.
The ghost kneeling on the ground finally let out a sigh of relief.
In the midst of her lingering fear, she was both shocked and overjoyed.
The cycle on the 40th floor had been broken!
Once she reached level 1000, she would be able to leave this world!
Although Thor hadn’t chosen to go to the Heavenly Realm, Sylvanas’s future was now full of hope!
In Sylvanas’s mind, Thor had refused simply because he didn’t understand what he was turning down!
Ascending to the Heavenly Realm was a tremendous gift.
The words Supreme Being Apollo had spoken:
Immortal, Indestructible, Free from All Constraints.
Those words alone were enough to make Thor one of the most powerful beings in the Heavenly Realm!
After Apollo left, Mike didn’t rush to conquer the floor. Instead, he pulled out a table and chair, sat down, and fell into deep thought.
After a long period of contemplation,
Mike snapped out of it and summoned Dracula and Vladimir.
He asked them a simple question:
“What is the Heavenly Realm?”
Vladimir immediately shook his head.
How would I know?
Among the four people present, he was the weakest in terms of strength and experience!
The only thing Vladimir had going for him was his status as the Blood Ancestor’s concubine.
The other three were either ancient powerhouses or potential Supreme Beings of their respective races.
Any one of them could easily crush Vladimir.
Dracula picked up the conversation and said,
“The Heavenly Realm doesn’t have an apocalypse.”
“An apocalypse?”
Seeing Mike’s confusion, Dracula explained,
“I don’t know the details either.
All you need to know is that this world is destroyed every so often.
During the apocalypse, not even Supreme Beings can survive.
The Heavenly Realm is the only place that can survive the apocalypse. That’s why so many people want to go there—to seek refuge.”
A question mark appeared above Mike’s head.
This apocalypse… sounds a lot like a cosmic reset?
A cosmic explosion?
Wait…
How did this end up being related to the Big Bang?
“You’re right,” Sylvanas chimed in, continuing the explanation.
“The last time the apocalypse happened, only the creatures inside the Tower of Truth survived.
Even the Tower of Truth drifted through the void for who knows how long before it found Earth…”
Clearly, Sylvanas knew more about the Heavenly Realm than the others.
After all, she was one of the few beings with the strength and qualifications to access such information.
In the ghost race, Sylvanas’s status was comparable to Dracula’s in the blood clan.
However,
Dracula’s personality had always been problematic, and he had never gotten along with the Blood Ancestor.
The Blood Ancestor had simply exiled him to work on the Tower of Truth, making him a laborer.
Mike had known nothing about these secrets.
“An apocalypse…” Mike muttered, wondering how long it would be before the next one.
[I don’t know…]
Mike: …
Usually, when the Eye of Truth couldn’t answer a question, it meant the problem was truly serious.
After a brief silence,
Sylvanas added,
“All the creatures in the Heavenly Realm are immortal, and the promises made in the Heavenly Realm cannot be broken!”
Mike frowned. He didn’t understand why Sylvanas believed in something so naive.
“It’s true,” Sylvanas insisted.
“The Heavenly Realm has a terrifying rule that governs everything. No one can break a promise, and no one can die…”
She said this because she wanted Thor to understand what he had just turned down!
And…
If there was a next time, she hoped Thor wouldn’t waste the opportunity!
The other three looked at Sylvanas and sighed in unison.
Sigh.
Mike shot a cold glance at Sylvanas but said nothing.
Everyone except Sylvanas knew.
She was doomed.
Vladimir discreetly held up two fingers, while Dracula shook his head slightly.
He thought it would take more than two times.
Vladimir crossed his index fingers, and Dracula nodded.
They were betting 10 drops of blood essence.
That was the simple, boring life of powerful vampires.
For now, Mike didn’t feel like dealing with Sylvanas. He turned to Gabriel and noticed that the angel was unusually quiet.
Gabriel shook his head.
“I have nothing to say right now.”
“Alright.”
Mike’s attitude toward Gabriel was always good.
After all, Gabriel was the strongest fighter on the team, and he didn’t cost a penny. There was nothing to complain about.
Gabriel was reliable. Even if Thor’s enemy were a god, Gabriel would charge in without hesitation!
“Come find me when you do have something to say.”
After the brief meeting,
Mike had one last thing to do.
He summoned the Truth Core Crystal and placed his hand on it.
“Settle the score!”
The crystal glowed, but the result didn’t appear immediately.
After a few moments,
A rainbow-colored light shot out, enveloping Mike.
At the same time, a familiar announcement echoed in the ears of every human in the Tower of Truth:
“Congratulations to participant [Thor] for achieving an SSSSS rating on the 40th floor!”