Ryan followed the same route back to the Earth’s surface, his mind sharp and focused as he navigated his way towards one of the nearest chaos storms. The wasteland of Earth, once bustling with life, was now a desolate graveyard of its former self. The sky above was an endless void of swirling clouds, the occasional lightning strike illuminating the cracked and barren land. He had been here before, but each time he returned, the eerie silence of the planet reminded him of how much had changed. Without wasting any time, he walked toward the chaotic anomaly, feeling the familiar hum of energy as he approached. His body tensed in anticipation, knowing what was to come next. With deep concentration, he tapped into the energy inside him, syncing with the pulse of the Infinitum Chaos. As soon as the connection was made, he felt the pull, and in the blink of an eye, he vanished from the dying world of Earth and reappeared in the Infinite Nexus.
Once again, Ryan found himself in the vast, endless space of the Infinite Nexus, suspended within a cosmic expanse of intertwining branches that represented the infinite universes. No matter how many times he arrived here, the breathtaking sight never failed to leave him in awe. The vastness stretched beyond imagination, an endless sea of possibilities where countless universes were entangled like threads in an infinite tapestry. He let out a slow breath, regaining his composure before continuing his usual practice.
He focused his energy, trying to refine his control over the power that allowed him to travel between universes. The ability was still new to him, and though he had successfully moved between his home universe and the Nexus multiple times, it was not yet something he could do at will. There were still variables he needed to understand—how the energy worked, how he could stabilize it, and how he could remove his dependence on the chaos storms for travel. He didn’t want to rely on them forever. Mastery over this power meant true freedom—freedom to move across the multiverse without constraints, without fear of being stranded in an unknown world.
As he practiced, he also took the time to examine the universe branches nearby. He carefully analyzed the faint glowing lines that stretched into infinity, tracing their paths with his eyes as he attempted to sense any new formations. Sometimes he wondered if new universes were created in real-time, growing from the endless void like budding leaves on an eternal tree. However, to his disappointment, no new branches had formed near his position. If the Nexus was still expanding, it was happening beyond his current perception. Perhaps the new universes were being born at the distant boundary of the Nexus, far beyond what even he could see. It was a humbling realization. Despite his growing power, he was still just a small existence in the face of infinity. Just as an ant or a microscopic organism could never comprehend the vastness of an entire planet, there were things in the Nexus that he had yet to perceive.
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Shaking off the thought, he redirected his attention to another pressing matter—the state of the Frontier Crew. He had been keeping an eye on them ever since he left the Type 4 universe, ensuring that they were safe. Although he was no longer with them, he felt a certain responsibility toward them, especially since they had been thrown into the unknown just like him. They were surviving, but he could tell they were still worried about his disappearance.
The Type 4 civilization, on the other hand, was still attempting to unravel the mysteries of the multiverse. Their relentless pursuit of knowledge and control over the infinite realities made them dangerous. Ryan knew that he was nothing compared to them—at least not yet. He had seen firsthand the power of the Queen, a being whose influence spanned beyond her own universe. She had sensed him all the way from her domain, her mere awareness enough to send shivers down his spine. It was clear that she was a force beyond anything he had encountered, and if he were to ever return to that universe, he needed to be prepared. He needed to be stronger, much stronger.
For now, though, his priority remained his own growth. He continued practicing his ability, repeating the process over and over again. He had to strengthen his bond with the energy, refining his control to the point where he no longer needed chaos storms as a medium for travel. He envisioned a future where he could simply choose a destination and appear there without restrictions. It was a distant goal, but one he was determined to achieve.
As time passed—though he had no real way of measuring it in this place—he began to feel the familiar signs of exhaustion. A deep hunger gnawed at him, his body reminding him that even here, where time had no definition, his physical form still needed sustenance. He sighed, realizing that he would have to return to his home universe once more to restock his food supply as it is almost a year or more. Unlike before, though, he was more prepared. He had already mapped out his route, and with his growing familiarity with the energy, he knew he could make the trip faster.
Ryan took one last look at the vast Nexus around him before focusing his mind back on the path leading to his universe. He traced his way along the glowing branches, his attention locking onto the moon where he had last returned. As he felt the energy respond to his focus, he prepared for the pull, knowing that in just moments, he would be back in the familiar setting of his world. The journey between universes no longer felt as jarring as before; the sensation of moving through space and time was starting to feel almost natural.
And with that thought, he vanished once more, his form dissolving into the vast currents of the multiverse, heading back home for what he hoped would be a brief stop before his next phase of training truly began.
