Chapter 1224
Leon wasn’t exactly sure how big the smallest star could be, but he knew that any celestial body capable of emitting such light had to be a star—and a massive one at that. Even the body of a god-demon, standing beside such a star, would be no more significant than a pebble on the shore.
But what kind of power could be strong enough to extinguish a star?
Suddenly, Leon realized that the things he’d seen in the desolate library of Haither City probably failed to capture the true nature of what they described—especially when it came to Sky Rank, or even powers beyond Sky Rank. The written accounts were useless as reference.
That kind of power could only be felt, never put into words.
All this time, Leon had relied on what the books said as guidance. Now he felt as if he’d been shackled by them, grossly underestimating just how powerful Sky Rank mages—and those who surpassed them—could truly be.
The books always claimed that anyone below Sky Rank was just a mortal, and the gap between mortals and Sky Rank was terrifyingly vast. Even after ascending to Sky Rank, the difference between each level was equally daunting—the higher the rank, the more impossible the gap between levels seemed, like entire worlds apart.
Now, Leon finally understood: words couldn’t capture it at all. So, at the peak of the Northend World, just how powerful were those legendary mages—those who were nearly god-demons?
Leon suddenly realized he had gravely underestimated the strength of Northend at its height...
Sitting before the Stargate, Leon’s heart gradually calmed. Here, even if danger struck, he could cross the Stargate in an instant and return. On the other side, the immense, oceanic pressure seemed designed to prevent any mishap in the void beyond.
Even if a storm of energy raged through, it couldn’t tear apart this Stargate. Even if it flooded inside, nothing would spill out on the other side.
Leon closed his eyes, quietly attuning himself to the fluctuations in the starry void. The rules here were starkly clear—especially the ripples of spatial law, which were the easiest to sense. In this boundless expanse, anyone who entered would feel their own insignificance, and even a primal fear welling up from deep within.
Even that terrifying power—enough to collapse the stars and extinguish suns—was, in the grand scheme of the cosmos, barely a ripple...
Leon sat motionless in the starry void, eyes closed, as the waves of mana around him gradually faded, then slowly dissipated altogether.
Then even the breath of life itself seemed to fade away, until it vanished completely. It was as if Leon had merged with the starry expanse, ancient and all-encompassing, a presence that filled the void.
No one knew how much time passed before Leon suddenly opened his eyes. His gaze was calm, and within his pupils, a glimmer of starlight flickered.
Yet his body showed not a trace of mana. He looked for all the world like an ordinary human who’d never touched magic. Even his life force was so faint that not even a life-detection spell could sense his presence.
Casting one last look at the turbulent depths of the cosmos, Leon turned and stepped into the Stargate.
With a single stride, the immense pressure—like plunging into the deepest ocean—returned, bearing down on Leon from every direction.
But this time, Leon didn’t use any mana, nor did he raise a shield. It looked as though he was facing the crushing pressure with nothing but his own body.
Redman was already waiting outside the Stargate. When he saw Leon emerge, he couldn’t help but breathe a sigh of relief.
"Master Leon, you’re finally back! If you hadn’t come out soon, I was about to go in and look for you. Wait—Master Leon, where’s your mana?"
Redman stared at Leon in shock. He couldn’t sense the slightest ripple of mana from Leon and thought something terrible must have happened to him on the Stellar Path. But in an instant, Redman realized—the pressure here was so intense that even he had to raise a shield to withstand it. Yet Leon hadn’t raised a shield at all, nor did he show any discomfort...
Damn it, what the hell happened here? What did this freak, Master Leon, encounter on the Stellar Path?
Could he really be resisting this crushing pressure with just his body? Even a Sky Rank Sword Saint would need to channel battle aura here to withstand it. Did he find some artifact inside that strengthened his body to an absurd degree?
No, no, Master Leon’s body looked exactly the same as before, and he hadn’t raised a shield...
It was as if the pressure here simply flowed around him, never truly bearing down on his body. It was almost like he’d become part of the pressure itself...
What the hell was going on...?
Redman’s expression was a sight to behold. As a peak Sky Rank Level 3 mage, even he needed to use mana to resist the pressure here, but Leon—who wasn’t even Sky Rank—didn’t need mana at all...
Most importantly, Redman just couldn’t figure it out. Ever since Leon returned from the Stellar Path, he’d become completely unfathomable.
Leon simply smiled, not answering Redman’s question. He just replied with four words.
"Immeasurably rewarding."
Redman let out a sigh.
"Honestly, I was always worried you’d never come back after entering the Stellar Path. The Merlin Family has lost many powerful figures before—once they went deep into the Stellar Path, they were lost forever.
That star river is the key landmark and guide, but inside the Stellar Path, there’s just too much unpredictable danger. Anything could happen, and if you’re unlucky, you might lose sight of the river—or it might vanish altogether for a while.
(Irrelevant web novel prompt—skip this line.)
You have to understand, in a place like that, even a tiny deviation in angle could mean a difference of tens of thousands of kilometers. Getting lost in the endless void is all too common..."
Leon nodded. Some mages might not get it, but as a transmigrator, he understood perfectly. In that starry expanse, if you didn’t have a complete set of coordinates, you’d never find your target. If you got lost with no coordinates, even something as massive as a sun could be impossible to locate...
Back in the peak era of the Northend World—or really, at any time—whenever someone powerful ventured into the endless stars, the outcome was usually the same: they vanished forever, never to return.
Most likely, they either perished among the stars or were lost for good.