While the difference between Zatiel's 97% and The Sage's 93% may not seem much, the truth was that the disparity was abysmal.
The Sage's talent allowed him to glimpse the might of Rank 10 and maybe, just maybe, display a fraction of that power, like the Incarnation of Death and Destruction did in his peak.
However, Zatiel's completion percentage meant his current potential would allow him to put a foot in that mythical realm. Of course, he still had a long way to go, and he could easily fall in his path or fail to keep his destiny's momentum.
While the title Lord of Beginning and End was extraordinarily overbearing and imposing, Ancestral Root could not help but think it perfectly suited the man in front of him.
In the previous battles, Zatiel's battle style depicted absolute destruction and control over all things. Nevertheless, that last attack displayed a power that went beyond mere annihilation, a force that could change falsehood into reality, transform the end of something into a new beginning.
Right after Zatiel engraved his title on the Prima Universe's Champion Ranking, an ancient voice reverberated through the abode.
"When endless darkness looms over the Prima Universe..."
"... Daybreak will rise and sunder everything in its path."
Zatiel finished the phrase that the ancient voice started and then heard a long sigh.
"Ahhh, old friend, I have waited a long time for you."
Ancestral Root immediately kneeled when he heard that voice and saw how Zatiel vanished. He was surprised, but it was not his place to question the actions of the World Tree.
Zatiel found himself in an endless void, and in front of him was a magnificent tree with violet leaves so immense that even with his great vision, he could not see where it started and ended.
Being in the presence of such a mighty life form would shock anybody, and even Law Overlords would feel some level of pressure, but the only thing that appeared in Zatiel's face was a complicated smile.
The Neo-Demon's sight did not linger in the leaves that contained countless laws and universal forces or the roots that extended for millions of kilometers and were strong enough to pierce High Worlds and completely engulf their origin.
He focused on the broken branches, large scars, and death aura that permeated the World Tree's core.
"How have you been, Old Tree?"
"Growing more and more tired every day, but I guess you did not just come here to check on me. I am ready to fulfill my promise."
The Incarnation of Death and Destruction did not have friends or people he trusted, but that did not mean he did not have allies who shared his goal of stopping the endless darkness and saving the Prima Universe.
"Good, but before that, I have some questions."
"It's about the entity that went by the title of The Sage, right?"
Zatiel nodded at the massive tree, and although he attempted to hide it, a wisp of killing intent emerged from his soul. Just thinking about The Sage awoke his murderous wrath.
"He appeared forty-two thousand years ago. An extremely talented individual with martial skills and dominion over the soul that almost equaled yours. However, what truly caught my attention were his spells and abilities since they were the ones used by Eldritch Universe's life forms."
Zatiel's eyes narrowed, and a thoughtful expression appeared on his face.
"That doesn't prove anything. The life forms of the Edrich Universe are powerful, and many powerhouses have studied them and created techniques based on their abilities. The Path of Gods is a perfect example of that."
If anyone else heard those words, they would have been utterly shocked. The Path of Gods was one of the oldest and most spread Paths of Power in the Prima Universe, but its true origin was actually in the Eldritch Universe.
However, to ancient entities like Zatiel and the World Tree, that information wasn't important.
"That is true. However, the reason behind The Sage's abnormal battle power was that he could summon multiple incarnations of Great Old Ones simultaneously and display a wisp of those beings' unique power."
When Zatiel heard that, his eyes widened, and he almost felt he could not believe what he just heard.
He understood the Great Old Ones' true nature very well, and for someone to summon incarnations capable of displaying their power, it was unbelievable.
If anyone else said that, the Neo-Demon would be sure they were wrong, but when it comes to knowledge about the Great Old Ones, other than the man in the second layer of the Final Purgatory, no one could compare with the World Tree.
"How can that be possible! The Great Old Ones represent the pillars of the Eldritch Universe. They are the highest laws and truths made flesh. For someone to be able to summon multiple incarnations capable of displaying those beings' power, it meant that person understood the essence of that universe creation."
Zatiel's outburst was understandable. After all, if The Sage talent reached that level, his completion percentage should have been much higher than just 93%.
"If that power were indeed his, then he would have been the most talented entity in the multiverse, but the truth was that he cheated. When he summoned those incarnations in the last battle, I detected a change in him. The one who took the challenge was an avatar, but in the last battle against the Demon Lord, he became a puppet with multiple puppeteers channeling their power in him."
When Zatiel heard that, he could not help but release a sigh of relief.
"It was clear his connection to the Great Old Ones, so when I detected those beings channeling their power into The Sage, I planned to use him to learn more about them. Several billions of years have passed since the cataclysmic war, and we are currently in the dark about the Eldritch Universe's power, so this was a great opportunity."
Zatiel frowned, and he felt something wrong. The Sage's plans and wisdom could be compared to his own, so he couldn't believe that the World Tree discovered him so easily.
As if he had read his mind, the World Tree responded to Zatiel's doubts next.
"Just as I was about to use the avatar's soul as a bridge to peer into the ones controlling him silently, I felt something wrong, so instead of doing it myself, I made the abode's Artifact Spirit do it for me. While the information I could get would be less, I feel it was the right choice. It was then that happened."
The World Tree made a pause, and while he was unable to display facial expressions, Zatiel could feel the fear in the mighty life form.
"When the Artifact Spirit touched The Sage's soul, a force began to invade him and twist his nature. The avatar was a trojan horse, and from the beginning, they wanted me to try and use him to learn more about them. It was the first time since the cataclysmic war that I was so close to dying."
A solemn aura appeared around Zatiel. While he was implementing his plans to save the Prima Universe, others also acted and deployed their schemes.
"I had to destroy most of the Artifact Spirit to stop the infection, but luckily I was able to save its core. The avatar disintegrated into nothingness after fulfilling his purpose. Although he is a member of the enemy universe, I decided to leave his completion percentage on the ranking, excluding, of course, when he began to cheat and use the power of other entities."
Competition always brought people to push themselves harder, so the World Tree hoped the Prima Universe's geniuses would fight harder after learning there was someone above them.
"By the way, the link to the avatar's soul was not a total failure. I was able to obtain a name that I think belongs to The Sage's true identity. It may not be of much help, but that man's aura made me think of you. If you, Daybreak, are the greatest hope of the Prima Universe, then he is the one of the Eldritch Universe."
Zatiel did not say a word about the World Tree's assessment but signaled him to speak the name.
"The Great Old Ones know him as the King in Yellow."
