My SSS-Rank Clone Talent: I Level Up Endlessly!-Chapter 89: The Truth behind Gates!?

For a moment, Eryke didn’t know what to do. But in the end, he sighed, took the baby dragon into his arms, and looked up at the dragon crying in the skies.

"Hey, you big lizard!" he shouted.

The dragon squeezed its eyes shut, forcing back its tears. Then, with a sudden snap, it opened them again, its gaze locking onto Eryke.

A terrifying pressure rippled through the air as its stomach began to glow.

The very atmosphere coiled and trembled under the overwhelming force as the dragon opened its jaws, a beam of light building within, ready to strike.

But just then, its vertical pupils landed on the small figure cradled in Eryke’s arms.

At the nick of time, the dragon turned its head skyward, and the beam shot upward, piercing the heavens in one go.

For a moment, the entire sky blazed orange, so bright that even the sun seemed to retreat behind its brilliance.

The beam lasted a solid two minutes before finally fading, leaving the sky clear and devoid of clouds.

Eryke felt a chill run through his heart.

’That ray was stronger than before. If it had even grazed me...’ He swallowed hard.

The dragon fell silent, its gaze fixed once more on Eryke.

"Human, give me my child back."

"Will you let me go if I do?"

"Yes."

"...But I don’t believe you," Eryke replied.

"If you don’t give me my baby, then die with him."

The dragon opened its jaws, ready to strike.

But Eryke only sneered:

"I don’t believe it. Go on, kill me right now, if you truly don’t care about your baby."

Silence.

Heavy, absolute silence.

Tension brewed in the air like a storm held just at bay.

Then, after an uncomfortably long pause, the dragon let out a rough cough and finally spoke:

"Human... what must I do to earn your trust?"

"Tell me the truth," Eryke said, staring straight at him. "I thought all the monsters in the Gate didn’t have minds, that they just hunted humans. But this place... it feels like an entirely different world."

"Gates, you say?" The dragon touched its chin in contemplation. "Do you mean Ruined World, human?"

"Ruined World?" Eryke narrowed his eyes: "You mean... this is a ruined world?"

"That’s right. Those world’s balance have already collapsed and are actively dying. Fractures in space appear from time to time, those are where you aliens come through."

"...What if the space fully breaks down? Will you all die with it?"

"That’s right, human. This world is at the very end of its lifespan. When it finally collapses, everything in it, us included, will cease to exist."

"Is that why, after the gate stays long enough, the monster inside invades my world?" Eryke said with an unflinching expression.

"Every living being has the instinct of survival. When the world falls apart, naturally the creature won’t want to die, so they follow the rupture in space."

"Then the final question: what makes this world so special?"

Eryke’s eyes shone.

"I don’t know," the dragon shook its head. "There are many mysteries in the world that you have to explore on your own."

"..." Eryke just stared straight at the dragon’s eyes, and it didn’t flinch a bit.

’He doesn’t seem to be lying?’

"...I want to change my question then."

"What is it?"

"Have you seen a space rupture recently in this world?"

"No, human." The dragon shook its large head. "Although this is a fallen world, it has not reached the complete point of destruction yet. From my knowledge, there should be no space ruptures."

"Then how do I go out?"

Eryke felt a little panic settle in his heart.

Naturally, he had heard about a gate which doesn’t have a way to exit until you complete a scenario.

Anomaly.

A simple term to describe them, but one that ignited the horror of Awakeners, and Eryke was inside one of them.

’Do I have to slay this dragon?’

A hint of killing intent shimmered in his eyes, but looking at the little baby dragon, it settled on its own:

’Sigh.’

"Did you think of trying to kill me, human?"

The dragon spoke in a sharp tone.

"Yes," Eryke spoke honestly.

"Haha, I like your honesty, but if you want to return back to your world, it might not be as simple as killing myself."

"What do you mean?" He narrowed his eyes.

"There is only a single way if you want to go back to your world, and that is to destroy this world’s core."

"...Where is it?"

"It is guarded by Leviathan, the strongest among us four. If you think you can defeat it, then you are dreaming."

"I see. Where is that place?" Eryke spoke in a cold tone.

"At the heart of this world, you will have to walk through these deserts and reach Paradise, the only place where life is thriving."

"Thank you."

Eryke threw the baby dragon in the air, and the dragon caught it with its jaws. It looked at its little baby with some joy in its eyes.

Then he turned around and was about to leave the place.

"Human, you are quite naive. What makes you think that I won’t kill you?" the dragon grinned.

"Try me."

Eryke paused, turned around. His boundless blue eyes looked at the dragon without the slightest bit of fear.

A sudden flinch coursed through the dragon’s colossal frame as a chill raced down his spine. A faint premonition whispered in the marrow of his bones: his life was in danger.

"...You can leave," the dragon uttered.

"Guide me to that place," Eryke replied.

The dragon’s eyes narrowed, golden irises flaring with fury. His nostrils flared as smoke coiled from them like writhing spirits. "You dare think you can order me around?" he thundered.

"Yes," Eryke answered in a simple tone.

The dragon locked eyes with him, staring into the boundless blue pupils that held a mystery so deep, it seemed as if the world itself was his plaything.

The dragon deflated, swallowing hard. "Let me return the baby first."

"Very well."

Eryke nodded in understanding.

The dragon returned to his lair, lowering the baby dragon toward the floor. But as soon as it touched the ground, the little one began to cry, wailing and piercing.

"You want to go with that worm?" the dragon growled with irritation.

The baby dragon stopped crying at once, its innocent eyes meeting the dragon’s gaze as it nodded in silent agreement.

A twitch of annoyance ran through the dragon’s brow. ’This bastard is about to replace me.’

His anger flared briefly, but it quickly gave way to a faint trace of fear as his gaze shifted inward.

Meanwhile, Eryke stood still, lost in thought. His eyes focused on his hand, his expression contemplative.

’I need strength if I want to defeat that monster. I will create my own Will. A sword Will.’

He had to admit it, his current strength was insufficient. To face what awaited him, he needed more. He needed his own power.

Eryke extended his hand, and a black haze began to coil around him, swirling in the air like smoke. It gathered, shaping itself into the form of a sword in his hand.

"Aura Spell: Aura Projection."

With a determined motion, he swung it.