Upon reaching step number 3572, Princess Bianca was finally expelled from the staircase. Her body was enveloped in a flash of golden light and the next moment she was teleported to the bottom next to Gu Lim.
She could have gone further, probably to the 5000th step. However, because of what happened recently in the dungeon and being caught up in a horrible illusion of her about to lose her chastity in the worst possible way, Princess Bianca simply decided that there was no point in continuing and potentially suffering some trauma. It wasn’t as if she could get the treasure anyway.
“Hey, are you okay?” she asked with a slight frown.
No matter what, Bianca now saw Gu Lim as a good friend and someone valued by her. The princess of the Pralan Kingdom had truly turned over a new leaf and changed her ways.
“I’m fine, princess.” Gu Lim replied as he made some adjustments to his armor.
When he finished, he placed the small Soul Stone that Bai Zemin had given him earlier on the chest and soon the aura of his body changed slightly, causing the people near him to subconsciously take a few steps back.
“You were too reckless, even if it’s just an illusion you might have hurt your soul!” Princess Bianca reprimanded in a low but firm voice, sitting down on the ground to rest.
“I, Gu Lim, come from a normal and poor family. However, I was taught from a very young age that a man must protect his name at all costs.” Gu Lim said. He looked at the demon general Dezgard with bloodshot eyes and muttered under his breath, “All the words that demon said earlier…. I will definitely make him swallow them back!”
Princess Bianca sighed and said no more. She was really tired not only physically and mentally but also spiritually, she needed to recover for the battle to come, even if she would not be a main participant.
On step number 3581, the first king of kingdom was sent back to the bottom of the Staircase to Heaven and only 120 steps later the second king was expelled after reaching his limit.
On the 4000th step, the second demon general was teleported to the bottom along with Dezgard. However, in contrast to Gu Lim and Bianca, the two demon generals and the two kings of kingdom challenged the staircase again.
Reaching above the 5000th step, 4 more demon generals and 3 more kings of kingdom were forced to leave the staircase when the pressure became unbearable.
500 steps up, only two kings of kingdom and the most powerful demon general along with the Purple Flame Wyvern were the only Third Order soul evolvers that could still continue other than the Demon Lord.
King Philip Di Gales and Queen Eloise Mayer had to give their all to ascend even one more step after stepping beyond 5500 steps. The same applied to the demon general Brenorath and the Wyvern of Purple Flames.
However, there were two Second Order soul evolvers who surprisingly could still continue, and even though their bodies were covered in sweat, they both looked determined and capable of advancing a lot higher!
Upon reaching the step number 5505, King Philip Di Gales stopped without being able to take another step forward. However, the expression on his face was far from one of sadness.
“Hahahaha!”
Looking up and seeing the delicate backs of his two daughters, King Philip burst out laughing very proudly and in his heart he asked his late wife if she could see their two little girls advancing far beyond what the mightiest beings in the world could reach!
Queen Eloise made it to step number 5507 before she was forced to stop. A complicated smile filled her face as she saw that the two princesses of the Gales Kingdom had already gone beyond step number 5580 and the two girls seemed to be able to go a lot higher.
Looking back, an involuntary sigh escaped her lips as she saw her daughter Princess Dianna struggling to advance beyond the 5300th step. It was a great accomplishment, but Dianna was simply not on the level of Ellis and Seraphina when it came to aptitude for advancing far.
The pixie king stopped at step number 5010 without being able to take even half a step further. However, when he looked up and saw his daughter leaping up the steps with agility, the king suddenly did not know whether to laugh or cry.
5600
5700
5800
5900
6000
…
The seconds passed and turned into minutes, but Seraphina and Ellis continued to move forward resolutely and steadily. The two princesses of Gales along with the little pixie princess who was only a few steps behind undoubtedly took everyone’s breath away.
Even an idiot would be able to realize that the three princesses were destined to become powerhouses of the highest level that the world had seen in the last centuries… If they did not fall in combat, of course.
Step number 6102.
When Ellis set foot on that step, her body froze and her face abruptly turned pale as a wave of fear so great that it caused her expression to distort hit her so hard that she subconsciously recoiled back to the previous step.
Seraphina looked at her older sister and asked in confusion, “Big sister? Are you okay?”
“I- I’m fine…” Ellis forced herself to respond as she stared intently at the step in front of her.
The first princess took a deep breath and moved forward again, however, her left foot had barely touched step number 6102 when she immediately jumped backwards and stepped back several footsteps to the point where she almost fell to the floor.
Seraphina looked at her older sister with wide eyes, “Big sister, you…”
She believed that her older sister was the most talented of all, an invincible girl whose shield was impenetrable and whose defense unbreakable. No matter what dangers Ellis faced she never flinched, and there were more than a few times during childhood that she saved Seraphina’s life.
Seeing her target to follow, her older sister of whom she was so proud trembling in panic and with a face as white as someone who had just seen a ghost, Seraphina felt one of the biggest shocks of her life.
Ellis tried once, twice, thrice, four times…. But all those times had the same result. No…. each time was worse than the last, and a few minutes later she was forced to retreat again, falling now to step number 6100.
“Princess of Gales, I know it’s none of my business but I think it would be better for you if you step back for now.”
“Eh?” Ellis was surprised to hear a sweet but firm voice near her. Looking down, she saw the pixie princess hovering with her little wings inches above the floor and looking up at her with a serious expression.
“You will soon face the demons, won’t you?” The pixie princess, Scarlet, asked. “I don’t think it’s worth risking getting hurt here, but that’s just my humble opinion.”
Scarlet bowed slightly and then continued, soon overtaking Seraphina who was still in shock.
Ellis remained silent for several seconds, processing the pixie princess’ words. Finally, her shoulders slumped and she shook her head, a bitter smile on her face, “Sera, you go ahead… I’m afraid this is how far I can push myself.”
“Big sister…” Seraphina’s eyes were extremely complicated and for a moment she didn’t know what was good to say or what not.
“Silly girl, why do you wear that expression? You make it look like the world is about to end.” Ellis smiled bitterly. Her expression soon returned to firm and serious as before, she waved her free hand in her sister’s direction, “Shoo, shoo, annoying little sister!”
Seraphina gritted her teeth and nodded silently. She turned around and continued moving forward, breaking past the 6500th step in a few minutes.
Ellis looked at her sister’s back before looking back at step number 6102, her eyes flashed with fear and she dared not challenge it anymore. Soon, her body was enveloped by a golden light and she was carried back to the bottom of the Staircase to Heaven.
Upon reaching step number 7423, pixie princess Scarlet finally let herself fall to the floor and said heavily, “I give up I give up I give up! I can’t take it anymore!”
She moved her little head, and seeing the youngest princess of Gales still pressing forward, Scarlet couldn’t help but mutter in surprise, “What’s happening with this princess sister?”
However, Scarlet soon realized something when she saw from the side Seraphina’s eyes focused straight ahead as if she was looking at something she couldn’t lose sight of no matter what.
“Oh… I see, so that’s it… Hehehehe.”
Scarlet looked beyond, much further up, above the 8000th step. There were only two soul evolvers who had made it that far.
“Try hard… there’s a pretty little lady following your back after all.” She muttered wearily before her body was enveloped by a layer of golden light and disappeared.
“Impressive! Bai Zemin and the Demon Lord have broken past the 8000th step!” exclaimed a Third Order mutant beast, its form was that of a two-headed lion.
The clouds in the sky seemed to open up with every step the two took as if they were actually being greeted by the gods, therefore, even though they were so high up on the Staircase of Heaven, everyone could see Bai Zemin and Demon Lord Ar’gon advancing further and further.
“The little princess of Gales is awesome too! She’s only like 200 or 300 steps below the two of them!”
“Mm, but I’m afraid she won’t be able to go very far higher… Can you see? She’s already trembling and each step she makes is harder than the last.”
“Ah… She finally stopped.”
On the Staircase to Heaven, step number 7987.
Seraphina was trembling all over, her body so bathed in sweat that there was no free space for one more drop. She had been fine so far, no matter what illusion attacked her she continued to advance even when her body was dismembered into millions of pieces. However, she could not advance any further now, and even though she was trying to follow that person’s back, Seraphina did not dare to take another step.
She had been on the 7988th level for a second, but just as it happened with her older sister Ellis, Seraphina stepped back because what she saw was one of her worst fears and she didn’t want to experience it again even if somewhere in her heart she knew it was false.
She took several deep breaths before shouting loudly, “Orc! You better not let that little piece of trash defeat you no matter what or else I’ll turn into a ghost and I won’t stop haunting you even in death!”
Her voice spread far and wide, and the height she was at simply helped it spread even further.
Everyone was speechless, especially King Philip who couldn’t help but smile bitterly as he felt the weird looks other soul evolvers were giving him.
This daughter of his was talented and all, but she really wasn’t very good as a princess….
Bai Zemin stepped on step number 8700 when his footsteps stopped after hearing Seraphina’s shout.
“You want to chase me even in death? Give me a break, Ponytails… Are you trying to kill me again or what?”
He looked down over his shoulder, his face had a faint smile on it and there wasn’t even a drop of sweat on his skin.
Seeing that Bai Zemin seemed to be taking a stroll on the beach, Seraphina smiled beautifully and finally any fear or doubt was swept away from her. She pointed at him and growled aloud, “If you know what is good for you then you know what to do!”
Bai Zemin chuckled and shook his head. He watched as Seraphina was sent off down the Staircase to Heaven before turning and continuing his ascent to the summit.
8800
8900
9000
9100
9200
9300
9400
9500
…
Bai Zemi did not know if seconds, minutes, hours, days, months, or years had passed. He had even stopped focusing on getting the treasure and the reason he was moving forward was now a lot simpler Freewebnᴏvel.cᴏm.
He moved forward because he had to move forward. It was that way before, it was that way now, and it was going to be that way in the future.
All sorts of illusions assaulted him, each worse than the next; illusions so terrifying that they would turn even the mightiest being in the universe into an empty shell if they did not have a firm and strong heart. However, none of this could shake Bai Zemin after all the hardships and life-and-death situations he went through in his young life.
Aiming to live a peaceful life together with those he loved, fear was an emotion that Bai Zemin could not afford to have. Every time an illusion attacked him and was about to devour him, Bai Zemin reminded himself that if he let fear paralyze him then it would not be as simple as his death but would end up dragging down all those he longed to protect.
Therefore, he moved forward. Because he had to move forward.
Step number 9950.
“T- The Demon Lord Ar’gon began to waver in his steps!”
“N- Not only that… His whole body is starting to tremble now!”
The faces of the demon generals were filled with disbelief as they watched the ever steady and mighty Demon Lord falter in his own footsteps.
“How can this be possible…” muttered Brenorath, the most powerful demon general.
“Ar’gon… what could possibly make you fear like this?” whispered the Purple Flame Wyvern. Suddenly, his head raised abruptly to look at the lone figure standing before the Demon Lord and he muttered in shock, “Don’t tell me…”
Stepping onto step number 9995, the Demon Lord’s expression had completely transformed. The whites in his eyes were now practically purple due to the swollen blood veins, the confidence in his face was gone being replaced by hatred, anger, and fear as he looked at the back of the young human soul evolver who without Ar’gon’s knowledge had become his nightmare and his insecurity.
Demon Lord Ar’gon could not control his emotions at this point. He had been following Bai Zemin’s back calmly for the first 8500 steps and indeed the illusions he faced were pathetic in his eyes. However, when he stepped onto the 8501st step, the illusions with Bai Zemin in them began to appear and each illusion had become more difficult to break and now Ar’gon feared he would step forward and be defeated.
He was the ruler of all demons, the most powerful soul evolver of all and the greatest talent Eventide Wolrd had seen in the last millennia…. How could it even be possible for a First Order ant to defeat him?! He refused to believe it!
“You’re just a human, a human!!! I refuse to believe that you can go higher than me! I refuse!!!”
His voice that was more like the roar of a rabid beast echoed in the sky and all who heard it felt nothing but pity over fear. There was nothing left of the proud and remote Demon Lord always seen as an all powerful god. Now, in the eyes of everyone, Ar’gon was nothing more than a stronger soul evolver with weaknesses.
Unlike the Demon Lord whose facade had been broken, Bai Zemin did not try to show off and simply continued focusing on his own goal and not on what others might say or think of him. But he did not know that it was precisely this action what made many willing to follow him.
The Demon Lord acted aloof and confident, but Bai Zemin did not have to act. The difference between the two was that the Demon Lord was lacking in comparison to Bai Zemin when it came to heart.
Looking at that firm back stopping at step number 9998, the pixie king murmured in admiration, “This guy…. That mannerism of his is something only someone at the true peak can get to have.”
“Hahahaha!” Gu Lim burst out laughing. He looked at Bai Zemin’s back with intense fervor and shouted from the bottom of his heart, “Are you seeing it?! This is the difference!”
The Demon Lord stopped on step number 9998, panting and with his knees almost touching the floor. Just when he thought his hated enemy had stopped next to him and could go no further, his worst nightmare occurred when Bai Zemin took a step ahead.
“Step number 9999!” Seraphina clenched her small fists and hopped in her place with an excited expression.
“Just one more, just one more and the treasure is yours, big brother!” Gu Lim shouted with all his strength.
However, none of them knew that Bai Zemin could no longer hear them.
None of them knew that from the moment he stepped on the 9999th step, all his senses had been cut off from this world.
They were all unaware that although seconds had passed for them, countless years had passed for Bai Zemin…. Little did they know that when a single minute had passed in their lives, Bai Zemin had lived one of 10,000 years.
The first to realize that something seemed to be wrong was the Demon Lord, who upon raising his head saw Bai Zemin’s eyes closed.
Subconsciously, the ruler of the demon race looked beyond the 9999th level, and there he saw it.
A small bronze-colored, old-looking pocket watch floated silently right in front of Bai Zemin’s face on the 10,000th step.
* * * * * * *
A/N: Guys… this chapter is long as hell x_x hope you enjoy it.
Really thank you very much to all those who send gifts to the novel and support with valuable Golden Tickets. I hope we can all keep it up <3
