1 A Meeting in the Void

While fleeing from his enemies, he spotted a strange portal out of nowhere.

'What the hell is this...?'

Riddled with wounds, Ryuu was desperate enough to take any chance at escape, no matter where it led....

Without hesitation, he leapt into the portal, expecting to see something, but all he saw was a vast, endless expanse of white stretching as far as the eye could see. This was no ordinary place — it was a place of unimaginable wonder a being at his level would never be able to comprehend, yet it stood before him in all its glory, a testament to its power and mystery.

Ryuu's instincts suddenly warned him of impending danger. He froze, staring in shock as a suffocating pressure descended a millisecond later, making it difficult for him to breathe. It was as if the air around him had become heavy and oppressive, threatening to crush him under its weight. He was a tiny ant, insignificant and powerless against the overwhelming might that was engulfing him.

'What...?'

The immense pressure left him struggling to form coherent thoughts, but the imposing being before him was not one to wait.

'Who are you, mortal?'

His words struck Ryuu like a physical blow, the power behind them almost palpable. He felt his knees buckle under the weight of their authority, his body trembling as he struggled to hold onto his consciousness. He could feel divine energy emanating from the being, threatening to overwhelm him and erase his very existence

Despite the numerous wounds covering his body, Ryuu somehow managed to summon the strength to rise to his feet, much to the surprise of the imposing being before him. With his teeth gritted in determination and his heart beating with an unyielding will to survive, he stood tall, refusing to succumb to the formidable power of the being's words.

The being is known as Hermes, a God with the ability to travel anywhere he wishes...

Hermes was stunned at the sight of this mortal standing, despite withstanding his divine will and being severely injured. It was rare for a God to release pressure on a mortal, as most mortals would instantly be reduced to a bloody mess. However, he had somehow managed to infiltrate Hermes' divine space, leading to the God's decision to exert pressure on him.

The mortal before him accomplished something even the most advanced and skilled Level 7, 8, and 9 individuals could not achieve, leading him to subconsciously believe Ryuu was at least of the Demi-God level. However, upon further examination, it became clear that this was not the case.

As Hermes examined the mortal before him, he noticed that the individual did not possess the Falna blessing, which is typically found in all beings within their world, even though no God has bestowed their 'blessing' upon them yet.

Hermes wondered if the mortal was from the 'Outer', a place beyond the [Barrier] that even the Oldest Gods were powerless against. He knew terrifying existences were lurking there that could potentially rival their strongest forces with ease, but only the highest level Gods were aware of this.

As the God struggled to process the flood of thoughts running through his mind, Ryuu was equally overwhelmed. When he stood up and saw the being responsible for all of this, he lost control of his emotions; his eyes blazing with anger and determination. This sudden display of ferocity caught Hermes off guard and caused him to reassess his plans on the spot.

"I apologize if I caused you any injury. I was simply determining whether you were an enemy seeking to harm me or not. Please, calm your anger and let's have a proper conversation."

Many Gods would be surprised to see a normally carefree and eccentric God like Hermes acting so cautiously, but the reality of the situation demanded it.

Despite still grinding his teeth in anger, Ryuu couldn't help but sigh.

'Not only was I beaten by a pack of dogs and forced to flee through a strange portal, now I'm facing an impossible enemy and, to top it all off, if I want to keep my life, I have to listen to him! It seems luck is never on my side...'

"Let's talk then."

Ryuu spoke in an emotionless tone as he stared at the figure who had caused him so much harm with his pressure alone. In a matter of seconds, Ryuu could deduce several things about the mysterious being.

"Has his strength surpassed any measurable limits?"

If Ryuu had considered this possibility just minutes ago, it would have sent him into a state of shock and fear. However, after experiencing the being's pressure and overcoming it through anger, Ryuu was no longer as shocked.

He also noticed the being had never actually tried to kill him. If that had been their intention, Ryuu would have been reduced to a pile of dead meat by now. The lack of killing intent led Ryuu to trust the being, at least to some extent…

Hermes wore a smile as he sought to show his sincerity by explaining their current location, his identity, and the circumstances that led to his entry into this space. This information sent Ryuu into another state of shock that nearly made him cough up blood.

'An impenetrable [Barrier], he says!? I didn't sense anything like that! Could that portal have been another trap set up by these bastards…? No. If they had such a capability, they would have easily crushed me before allowing me to escape. This can't be faked.'

Ryuu remembered the panic and extreme anger that his attackers displayed when they saw him manage to slip away. If they were truly capable of conceiving such a plan and concealing their emotions to such an extent, Ryuu would willingly bow down to them without hesitation.

Unable to fully understand what had occurred, Ryuu decided to be open and honest with the God before him, which resulted in both of them experiencing severe headaches after their conversation.

'So a random portal brought you here without any issues? Well, even if it was the portal, you can withstand my pressure and remain here without exploding; this is still an important feat. If you only wish to flee and have no desire to destroy our world, would you like to live here as one of its inhabitants? Although it may be somewhat rudimentary compared to what you've experienced outside, I can assure you that this place will be safe from any enemies you may be fighting against.'

Hermes suddenly made this proposal. As Ryuu's level of strength was still within the boundaries of a mortal, Hermes believed that making Ryuu a powerful ally now would ensure the world had another genius capable of defending it in the future, should the need arise.

"... It's not like I have any other options, right?"

Ryuu reluctantly agreed, wearing a helpless smile. After resting for a few hours in this magical place, he tried to channel his strength in an attempt to break the barrier Hermes had mentioned, but he was completely unsuccessful.

Despite his initial fears that the portal may have been artificially created by someone seeking to use him as a "spy" in this new place, Ryuu reasoned that if this were the case, he would have been mind-controlled, or the being responsible would have shown up to offer him a way out of his perilous situation.

This led him to believe that the portal, whoever or whatever created it, was not intended to be, which meant this place was potentially hidden from his enemies and would remain so for a very long time.

"I can become strong enough here to enact my revenge later...!"

With these thoughts in mind, Ryuu made a decision that he would come to fully understand the depth of at a later time...