He had only meant to inspect the space, but the moment Asher activated his Absolute Appraisal, he froze.
This wasn't just some dungeon or an illusionary trap. It was a Realm Gate—a fully stabilized, sovereign micro-realm. A small, self-contained world formed from the remains of a dying plane. The kind only cultivators at the peak of the Star-Forger Realm could create—after wiping out all life in that world, refining its core, and bending its laws to their will. A divine nest born from pure destruction.
And the one at the center?
Not a memory. Not a phantom. A real, living being.
A true peak-level Star-Forger, and not just someone with the title—someone who had the power to back it up.
"Stronger than me…" Asher muttered quietly, shaking his head. "I've gotten too comfortable. I've spent all my time fighting and climbing the Tower, storing power instead of actually cultivating it."
