Chapter 1145: Aether Rank Reward!
The storm changed from destruction to collision. The fragments of reality began to spiral inward, forcing every participant's domain to expand and clash against one another. The true test had begun—the test of manipulation.
Max's sphere expanded outward, colliding with Nero's cube. The moment their domains touched, the void trembled. The clash created concentric waves that bent the nearby space, and miniature black holes flickered in and out of existence where their energies met. Every collision between their domains released a thunderous pulse that shook the entire trial field.
Nero's lips curved faintly, his voice echoing across the void. "Not bad. But you're not the only one who understands the flow of space." His tone was calm but edged with confidence.
Max said nothing. His expression remained unreadable. The lightning around his body dimmed, replaced by a faint violet glow that spread from his chest outward. He closed his eyes, and for the first time, he let go of control.
He stopped trying to command space—and instead, merged with it.
The distortions that raged around him were no longer enemies. They were motion. They were life. He allowed his consciousness to dissolve into the fabric of reality itself. Every current that swirled, every ripple that trembled, every vibration that stretched through the collapsing void—he felt it all.
The universe moved, and so did he.
In that state, time lost meaning. The collapsing dimension no longer seemed violent. It became fluid, soft, and beautifully intricate. Space was not breaking apart—it was folding inward, returning to its origin. Max's awareness expanded through the fragments, tracing the flow of energy that connected every layer.
He saw the architecture of existence—the invisible threads that bound one fragment of space to another. He saw how worlds were connected by pathways of energy, how each universe was separated by fragile veils. Every collapse, every distortion, every restoration followed a single, elegant rule: the universe was constantly creating and erasing itself in balance.
And at the heart of that balance lay collapse.
The understanding struck him like lightning through the soul. Collapse was not destruction—it was renewal. To collapse space was to return it to its origin, to bring the infinite back to one.
His domain responded. The violet glow deepened, the edges of his sphere shimmering as though the world itself bent to him. The spatial layers around him folded neatly, each collapse creating a new point of stability. What had once been fragments of chaos became orbiting structures, perfectly aligned.
Nero's cube trembled under the pressure. The orderly lines of his domain began to distort as Max's comprehension overwhelmed the surrounding field. The balance between order and freedom tipped entirely toward Max's side.
Then came silence.
The storm ceased. The chaotic waves vanished, and the broken platforms reassembled into a single, luminous plane. Every genius who had survived the trial stood frozen, their faces pale. Even Nero lowered his cube, his sharp eyes filled with reluctant awe.
Max opened his eyes.
They glowed faintly with violet light, reflecting the entire void within them. His presence no longer pressed against the world—it was the world. The trial space trembled under his mere existence.
The fourth level of the Concept of Space revealed itself fully to him.
Spatial Collapse — the power to collapse and reconstruct the fabric of space itself.
The realization flowed through his veins like molten power. He could feel every vibration of the void, every pulse of distance, every layer of reality that existed around him. Space bent under his will as easily as air moved through wind.
Nero exhaled slowly, lowering his hand. His cube dissolved into dust. The remaining geniuses could only stare in silent disbelief as the entire dimension stabilized—its fractures sealed, its endless storm replaced by a calm, glowing expanse that stretched infinitely outward.
Max stood at the center of that stillness, his aura vast and incomprehensible. What had begun as chaos had ended as order, born from his comprehension.
He had done it. He had reached the Fourth Level — Spatial Collapse, mastering the power to make even space itself bow before him.
The mechanical voice returned.
"Trial of Spatial Resonance complete."
"Participant: Max Voidwalker."
"Result: Aether Rank — Supreme Completion."
"Award: Inheritance Fragment of the Void Monarch."
The world flashed white.
And as everything faded, Max stood alone amidst a quiet, radiant void—his body glowing with the pulse of creation itself. The spatial energy around him bowed to his will.
He clenched his hand lightly, and the world responded—stretching, folding, breathing with him.
A faint smile formed on his lips. "The fourth level… Spatial Collapse," he whispered. "Now this… this is true power."
"Sigh… I got the Platinum Rank reward." Nero muttered quietly, his voice heavy with resignation. He lowered his head slightly and exhaled through his nose, the faint trace of irritation showing in his eyes.
His cube-shaped domain had vanished completely, leaving him standing alone on the now stable field. The faint light from the sky above reflected on his armor as he rubbed the back of his neck. He had given everything during the trial, controlling space to the limits of his comprehension, yet even that effort had only earned him the Platinum Rank reward.
His gaze drifted toward Max, who stood not far away. Max's figure radiated calmness, his body surrounded by a faint violet shimmer that had not yet faded from his recent breakthrough. The space around him remained unnaturally still, as if the very world hesitated to move in his presence.
Nero could not help but smile bitterly. "So I really was right," he said with a helpless chuckle, shaking his head. "If I ended up with the Platinum Rank reward, then you…" He paused for a moment, studying Max more closely. "You must have gotten the Aether Rank reward for sure."
The tone of his voice carried no jealousy, only genuine curiosity mixed with a sense of awe. The Aether Rank reward was something he had only ever heard about in legends—something few believed could be attained in the trials of this secret domain. To earn such a reward meant surpassing not just other geniuses, but the very laws that governed the trials themselves.
For a moment, the two of them stood in silence, surrounded by the faint afterglow of the stabilized space. The trial's energy continued to dissipate, the once violent distortions now reduced to calm ripples spreading across the silver sky.
Finally, Nero broke the silence. "Max, what is the reward for the Aether Rank?" he asked in a softer tone, his expression neutral but his eyes sharp with interest. "I've always wondered what kind of treasure or inheritance the secret domain would offer to someone capable of breaking its limits."
Max turned his head slowly toward him. His expression remained calm, almost indifferent, his red eyes reflecting the fractured light of the realm.
Then Max shrugged lightly, his voice quiet but firm. "Why would I tell you?"
The casual tone of his reply carried no mockery, yet it stung more than arrogance ever could. Nero blinked once, then laughed quietly, rubbing his forehead. "Fair enough," he said after a moment, his smile faint but genuine. "I suppose that's the difference between those who reach the edge of the trial… and those who transcend it."
Max said nothing more. His eyes wandered across the horizon, where the remnants of the trial began to fade into streams of silver mist. The silence between them lingered, not as hostility, but as quiet acknowledgment—one of them had reached the limit of mastery, while the other had stepped beyond it.
For Nero, it was the end of the trial.
For Max, it was only another beginning.
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