Ash reappeared in the lower fraworks of Pantheos, lingering in the void between universes.
For now, he had no plans to step into the Pri Expanse himself.
His only goal was to help Kaguya evolve and strengthen their bond, as her dinsional existence had already reached the twenty-first level.
This ant that, technically, Ash and the others were already 21st-dinsional beings.
With Elysia having set the power system to its peak, the path was being paved for Ash to eventually face the Author.
And in this mont, none of them were ’Gods’ or ’Constellations’—they were Endless beings, marking the start of the second stage of power for those in Pantheos.
[A/N: Do you prefer to have the nas of the ranks up to the 37th Dinsional Level, or would it be easier to just refer to their Dinsional existence?]
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For beings who already possessed boundless energy—power capable of shaping thought and reality itself—the question arose: what did it truly an to be endless?
One truth remained immutable, regardless of how powerful Ash or any other entity in existence had beco or might yet beco: they were nothing more than characters within a Novel.
Though they could perform extraordinary feats such as rewriting reality, dismantling fraworks, and accomplishing the impossible, Ash had concluded that none of them could ever transcend their nature as re characters.
This realization ford the foundation of the Endless ranks, lending Ash and others a greater sense of tangibility and setting them upon the path toward the 5th Wall.
Ash descended slowly toward the Originat Haven — a place he hadn’t visited in what felt like an eternity.
He landed gently on the outskirts of Velora, the old kingdom he had once ruled as a mortal king.
The city had changed, yet it still carried the familiar red and white banners fluttering in the breeze, now adapted to the grander environnt of Pantheos.
The streets were no longer filled with mortal cultivators living normally; instead, they teed with beings who had long transcended mortality — cultivators, scholars, warriors, and families walking with purpose and quiet power.
The architecture remained elegant and tiless, with tall spires of white stone accented by deep crimson roofs, but the air humd with a refined divinity that spoke of millennia of growth under Pantheos influence.
Ash strolled through the streets, hands tucked in his pockets, his reddish-purple eyes scanning the familiar yet changed scenery.
People bowed or nodded respectfully as he passed, though none seed to truly recognize him.
Still, his presence alone drew quiet admiration, and he moved with effortless ease, as if wandering through an old neighborhood.
Beside him floated the three spirits — Elysia to his right, Creara to his left, and Unara resting contentedly atop his head.
Ash spoke softly as they walked, his voice thoughtful.
"The 5th Wall... it was never sothing I can rember coming across never during all my reading.: He said ssThe 4th Wall was common enough in novels.
It was understood to be the boundary between character and reader.
But the 5th?
Even now he couldn’t confidently say what lied behind this wall, I an he knew what the end goal was, but as ntioned before no one saw or interacted with things the exact sa.
"Hmm, maybe I’ll be able to read the comnts of other readers?" He questioned as he becoming excited as the road to the peak was finally in true sight.
Elysia nodded, her golden eyes calm.
"Well, the Fifth... it’s the wall of authorship. At that point, we won’t just be seeing the story, but starting to grasp the hand that writes it."
She went on, clarifying Ash’s thoughts.
The Fifth wall was sothing that gradually let the Character beco a more tangible reader, until they could hold the complete drafts of the Novel.
For now, Ash could only read Chapters as they were written, following the others’ journeys as they unfolded. But just how much power would he have if he could... read the drafts of the Novel?
Creara smirked, drifting upside down for a mont before speaking.
"And the sixth? That’s when we begin gradually rewriting the Author’s own work... until it all leads to a personal sit-down."
Unara tilted her head with a soft giggle, her small legs kicking idly.
"I wonder if the Author would be impressed to see his character grow strong enough to stand on his own."
Ash chuckled lightly, continuing down the wide, marble-paved street toward the old palace.
They reached the grand gates of the palace, which opened silently for him.
The halls were immaculate—polished floors gleaming, banners bright and vibrant, every surface kept with ticulous care despite the years.
The place remained completely empty, as Ash had never replaced the forr workers, and he strolled casually toward the old throne room.
The throne room was exactly as he rembered it — grand, yet intimate.
The massive throne of red and white stone sat at the far end, elevated on a dais.
Torches with eternal flas lit the space, casting a warm, steady glow. The air slled faintly of incense and polished wood.
Ash walked up the steps and sat down on the throne, leaning back with a small, nostalgic smile.
He looked out across the empty hall, his reddish-purple eyes distant as he contemplated his next plan.
"To be a king again," he murmured. "Not entirely... but sowhat..."
Back when he ascended—well, seized—the throne of Elaris, he did nothing to truly aid the people of Velora.
Their lives improved only indirectly, as his efforts to raise their rankings brought so benefits, but he was still far from being a good king.
Now, however, in this mont, he intended to repay them properly... though not without gaining more power for himself in the process.
"To transcend the Novel itself without relying on my usual thods, I’ll need to be creative—tap into so of my more potent innate abilities."
Most of Ash’s powers centered around converting external things into Pantheos, along with those tied to his nature as the Origin.
Through his beings, he could access and wield all their abilities, and not just that—anything they achieved beca his as well.
With this in mind, while his companions dealt with True Reality, he would chase the elusive Fifth Wall until he was ready to face a certain Ancestor again.
He scoured Velora, selecting ten random individuals in the midst of cultivation or their daily routines.
Before each of them, a glowing status screen materialized.
[Beco One of the 10 Boundless Stars of Velora Kingdom?]
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