Alex looked ahead, he was inside a forest. To see more clearly he floated into the sky.

Beneath him stretched an enormous continent filled with towering mountains, endless rivers, ancient forests, and distant cities glowing beneath the golden radiance of the setting sun. From above, the entire world appeared vast and peaceful, yet Alex could already sense the immense power hidden beneath that calm surface.

The air itself felt different from the universe he came.

Every breath contained an unusual vitality that naturally circulated through his body like invisible streams of life energy. The laws of this realm felt complete and stable, far more refined than his own universe. Even the spiritual essence drifting through the atmosphere possessed a primitive intelligence that resonated faintly with living beings.

At that exact moment, countless streams of information suddenly flooded into his mind.

The process was not painful. It felt more like forgotten memories awakening after a long sleep. Images, names, systems, and ancient histories unfolded clearly within his consciousness one after another. Alex quietly absorbed everything while remaining motionless in the sky.

Spirit masters.

Martial souls.

Soul rings.

Soul beasts.

Divine inheritances.

Ancient clans.

Sea domains.

Forbidden lands.

The structure of the entire cultivation system revealed itself layer by layer before him. He learned about empires ruling the continent, ancient academies that nurtured geniuses, divine legacies hidden within forbidden ruins, and terrifying soul beasts that had survived since the beginning of civilization itself.

Alex remained silent for several moments while processing the information calmly. His expression did not change much, but a faint curve slowly appeared on his lips.

"Oh, this world is similar to Soul Land," he muttered softly. "But it looks slightly more powerful."

Alex slowly lowered his gaze toward the continent below while countless thoughts moved through his mind. From his perspective, the entire world still appeared fragile despite its complexity. If he truly released his full strength, he could erase oceans, shatter continents, and collapse dimensional barriers with little effort. Yet destruction had never been his purpose for coming here.

He had come for evolution.

A cold mechanical sound echoed inside his mind before another system notification appeared.

[Ding! Host can search for ten million years old soul beast, which are the strongest entity in this realm.]

[Once you can put 10 soul rings on your martial soul, you will be able contact the will of this world and likely make it submit to you.]

Alex narrowed his eyes slightly after reading the notification.

Ten million year soul beasts.

Not hundred thousand year beasts.

Not million year beasts.

Ten million years.

Even in a world like this, such creatures would stand at the absolute summit of existence. They would not merely be strong beasts hiding within forests. They would be ancient rulers capable of influencing entire regions of the world. Some of them had likely existed before modern civilizations were even born.

Ancient monsters.

Walking natural disasters.

Living embodiments of natural law.

Another system notification suddenly appeared before him.

[Ding! Warning.]

[Host must not become enemy of the world.]

[If the world will rejects the Host, the process of world absorption will permanently fail.]

[This journey is essential for Host’s evolution toward perfection.]

The winds around him seemed quieter after the warning appeared.

Alex stared silently toward the distant horizon while thinking carefully about the meaning behind those words. He understood immediately that brute force would not solve this mission. A living world possessed instinct even if it lacked emotions like ordinary creatures. If he arrived and began slaughtering everything in search of soul beasts, the world itself would eventually reject him.

That rejection would become troublesome even for someone like him.

Danger and beauty existed together naturally.

Without another word, Alex slowly descended from the sky. Clouds drifted quietly past his body while his figure moved downward without making a sound. Eventually, he landed on the enormous forest again, stretching endlessly across the land like a living green ocean.

Sunlight filtered gently through layers of emerald leaves. Rivers shimmered like flowing silver beneath the trees, while strange spirit birds flew across the skies in colorful flocks. Giant flowers larger than human bodies bloomed beside crystal clear streams, and glowing insects floated peacefully above the vegetation.

The entire forest radiated life.

Alex stepped onto the surface of a quiet hill surrounded by ancient trees. Soft grass bent beneath his shoes while a cool breeze moved through the forest around him. For several moments, he simply stood there silently while observing his surroundings.

In the distance, he sensed a spirit beast resting beneath a waterfall. Further away, several spirit masters cautiously hunted weaker beasts while coordinating carefully with each other. Beyond the forest, small villages rested peacefully beside fields and rivers, with smoke rising gently from cooking fires.

Everything appeared calm.

Alex slowly closed his eyes before releasing his martial soul.

An enormous angelic figure appeared silently behind him.

Fifty four pairs of wings spread outward across the forest while countless golden particles floated through the air like newborn stars. The angel’s face remained unclear and impossible to comprehend directly, as though mortal existence itself could not fully perceive it.

The Angel of Creation.

The moment it appeared, the surrounding laws trembled faintly. Flowers nearby bloomed instantly, while withered plants regained life and color. Even the rivers flowing through the forest became clearer beneath its presence. The spiritual energy in the atmosphere thickened noticeably as if the world itself instinctively welcomed the martial soul.

Alex immediately opened his eyes and withdrew it.

It was far too conspicuous.

Even heavily suppressed, the Angel of Creation remained absurdly overwhelming by the standards of this world. According to the information he had received, beings at level one hundred already stood near the peak of mortal cultivation. Alex, however, had long surpassed ordinary concepts of divine rank in this world which was probably similar to galactic realm or galactic overlords at most.

Still, domination was not his current objective.

He required information.

And information required influence, connections, and patience.

Alex began walking slowly through the forest while maintaining a calm pace. Birdsong echoed softly between the trees while warm sunlight moved across his white robes. Occasionally, weaker spirit beasts observed him cautiously from the shadows before retreating almost immediately.

None of them dared approach.

It was not because they understood his true strength. Their instincts simply screamed at them to stay away from him. Even hid suppressed power carried an indescribable pressure that living beings naturally feared.

Several hours passed quietly before the forest gradually began thinning.

Eventually, a stone road appeared ahead.

Large carts traveled across it occasionally while groups of spirit masters moved between nearby cities. Some wore academy uniforms, while others carried weapons or spirit tools openly at their waists.

Alex observed them silently.

Most of them were young enough to still carry ambition and excitement in their eyes. Some discussed cultivation techniques enthusiastically, while others argued about soul skills and spirit beasts. A few proudly bragged about future dreams of becoming titled experts or joining powerful clans.

The atmosphere reminded Alex strangely of ordinary students from his world.

A faint smile appeared on his face.

"This place really does resemble Soul Land," he said quietly.

As he continued listening to their conversations, one particular name repeatedly appeared. 𝚏𝗿𝗲𝐞𝐰𝚎𝕓𝐧𝚘𝘃𝗲𝐥.𝐜𝚘𝕞

The Heavenly Origin Academy.

According to the discussions around him, it was considered the greatest academy on the continent. The institution had existed longer than several empires and possessed influence that extended across countless regions. Its teachers included titled experts, hidden divine rank figures, and ancient scholars who possessed terrifying knowledge.

Alex immediately made his decision.

"The academy is the best starting point."

If he entered as a student, he could move quietly and observe the younger generation naturally. If he entered as a teacher, gaining access to information would become much easier. Either option remained acceptable depending on the circumstances he encountered there.

The evening sun gradually descended while Alex continued walking along the stone road. Villages became more frequent as night slowly approached, and spirit lamps began illuminating roadside inns and markets. The smell of food drifted through the cooling air while travelers gathered to rest after long journeys.

Although Alex no longer required food, he still entered a small roadside restaurant eventually.

The interior felt warm and lively.

Mercenaries drank together while discussing dangerous spirit hunts. Merchants argued loudly about prices and transport routes. Near the corner, an old storyteller exaggerated tales about a sea dragon larger than mountains while several children listened with wide eyes.

At first, nobody paid much attention to Alex.

Then silence gradually spread through the room.

His appearance was simply too extraordinary.

Yet Alex ignored the gazes completely before taking a quiet seat beside the window. Outside, night slowly descended across the continent while countless stars gradually appeared within the darkening sky.

Alex looked toward those distant stars silently.

Somewhere within this enormous world, ten ancient soul beasts were hiding.

Ten creatures that had survived for ten million years.

Monsters old enough to witness civilizations rise and collapse repeatedly throughout history.

Finding even one would be extremely difficult for ordinary people. Finding all ten would likely require centuries of effort and unimaginable luck.

But Alex was not ordinary.

A nervous server eventually approached his table carefully.

"What would sir like?"

Alex glanced briefly at the menu before answering calmly.

"Anything is fine."