2149 2149. Emperor, Queen, Cursed Reality

The seemingly boundless environment didn't seem to have anything special except for its size. Noah saw plains, mountains, lakes, rivers, and much more, but nothing that could force him to inspect everything seriously.

The level of the materials in the area could change significantly. The ground could have patches in the fourth rank or entire chunks in the ninth rank. The same went for the water, clouds, and underground world.

The difference in their power didn't lead to any destruction because the stronger materials always had slightly weaker ones in their surroundings. It was clear that someone had created the area so that it could retain a perfect harmony that didn't give birth to any instability.

'This is a higher plane,' Noah concluded while gazing at the sky.

His conclusion was on point but also wrong. The ninth floor wanted to imitate the higher plane created by Heaven and Earth, but it featured sharp differences.

The sky was dark, and the only lights came from the many stars in the distance. No heavy pressure fell on the ground or tried to suppress Noah and the army. The surface and the various powerful material radiated strong waves of energy, but heroic cultivators would be able to survive there if they were careful.

The area was a version of the higher plane that didn't experience Heaven and Earth's rule. It was rich, vast, and free. It stood among the boundlessness of the void. It was a landmass floating in the depths of the universe without any connection to stronger beings.

'How much of this is real?' Noah immediately wondered.

The Cursed Labyrinth was a separate reality with a different space-time array. It wasn't inside the higher plane and was part of it at the same time. Its true nature was unclear, but that same vagueness allowed it to exist without alerting Heaven and Earth.

"Vesuvia?" Noah asked as his eyes wandered in the captivating environment.

"This area matches the blueprint," Vesuvia commented. "I wonder what the others had to sacrifice to create it."

"What do you mean?" Noah asked. "Why would they need to sacrifice anything?"

"You can't build a world inside someone else's world," Vesuvia explained. "This area seems outside the sky, but the higher plane has an entrance. Can you imagine hiding such a powerful teleport right under Heaven and Earth's attentive gaze?"

The answer was a clear no. Even if King Elbas, Noah, the orange city, and Divine Architect were to work together, they wouldn't be able to create something so massive without alerting Heaven and Earth.

In theory, building something outside Heaven and Earth's influence would prevent them from noticing it. However, the sole fact that the Labyrinth had one of its entrances inside the higher plane made that idea impossible.

The explanation was simple. Landmasses could exist both inside and outside the sky, but a connection between them naturally required a massive amount of energy. Activating the teleport would only cost more in terms of fuel if the area was far away from Heaven and Earth's domain.<br/><script>ChapterMid();</script>

The Labyrinth's entrance was in the higher plane, so no number of separate dimensions and realities could hide a teleport powerful enough to lead far away from the sky. The ninth floor was probably near Heaven and Earth's domain or directly inside it.

The sacrifice mentioned by Vesuvia involved the cloaking technique or the trick used by the creators to keep the Labyrinth hidden. Even she didn't know how they had pulled that off.

"Food!" The Foolery suddenly shouted when it realized the sheer number of resources contained in the environment.

The other Foolery squealed and began to dive toward the surface, but a deafening roar filled with pride reached their ears and forced their charge to a stop. The winged pigs halted themselves mid-air and slowly turned their gazes toward Noah.

"You aren't on your own anymore," Noah growled. "Behave."

"But, food," The rank 9 Foolery complained.

"No buts," Noah scolded. "Get some tea from Pellio while I understand what's going on here."

The compromise didn't sound bad, so Pellio soon found himself with a horde of flying pigs assaulting him from every side. The scene was actually scary, but he wasn't exactly there, so he could dodge the assault easily.

"You are a lively bunch," Vesuvia giggled.

"And you have yet to meet the others," Noah shook his head before moving his attention to the starry sky.

In a way, that scene was everything Noah had ever sought. However, it lacked the drawing force that had fueled his ambition in the past. He could see the stars, but they weren't what he was looking for.

'This is fake,' Noah confirmed without needing to study the floor thoroughly. His ambition had already declared that.

Instead, the plain was different. Each material existed and carried laws that carried no trace of Heaven and Earth's influence. The area was a paradise for those running away from the rulers. It was a world without their oppressing light.

Everything was extremely interesting, but Noah was looking for something else. The area appeared empty of significant auras or heavy presences, but his instincts knew that something was off.

"We aren't alone," Noah stated.

"Obviously," Vesuvia chuckled.

"Why don't you tell us everything you know?" June snorted.

"Because she can't," A voice suddenly came out of the starry sky and resounded throughout the entire floor.

Everyone moved their eyes toward the sky. The source of the voice remained unclear, but a few humanoid figures still became vaguely visible among the lights radiated by the distant stars.

"Is there an oath involved?" Noah shouted.

"Oaths are pointless at our level," The male voice continued. "Promises among friends are stronger."

"It's been a long time, Emperor," Vesuvia said in a polite tone. "How is the Queen?"

"She is fine," A female voice responded, "Especially since I didn't have to deal with you."

"You two are as lively as always," Vesuvia joked.

"It always surprises me that a playful existence like you has managed to develop such a selfless world," A third voice resounded. "Humanity's future should have belonged to that Artamo kid. It's a pity his peace got in the way of his journey."

"And that I killed him," Noah declared in a cold tone.

"We know," The voice belonging to the expert that Vesuvia had addressed as "Emperor" echoed. "You are quite heartless."

"I beg to differ," Noah laughed. "I killed him because my heart wanted to advance."

A moment of silence followed the statement, but the expert that Vesuvia had addressed as "Queen" eventually spoke. "I kind of like him. It reminds me of your early days."

"Our early days," Emperor sighed. "I still remember that titles you earnt before going by "Queen"."

"How was life with the couple?" Vesuvia mocked, clearly addressing the third expert hidden among the starry sky. "I can't understand how you survived them."

"I had fun watching over the Labyrinth," The third expert explained. "There have been boring years, but the higher plane has managed to produce an interesting force. I'm pleased to meet you, Defying Demon."

"And who would you be?" Noah asked.

"I thought you would have understood that by now?" The expert exclaimed. "I'm the maker, the creator of this place, and the reason behind its name. I go by Cursed Reality."