One Piece: The Unrivaled Dragon Man: I am God's Agent!

Chapter 279: The Temptation of the Rift

After the energy cycle of the Deepsea Eye returned to normal, the Guardians returned to their ship. However, this victory brought little relief. Although the Rift Core was destroyed, its residual energy still cast a shadow over the Guardians' hearts.

“Another dimension has returned to normal.” Wagner sat inside the spaceship, adjusting his armor, his voice tinged with weariness. “But how much longer can we hold out? The power of the rift seems endless, growing stronger with each passing moment.”

“As long as the rules remain, the rift will continue to try to break through.” Selena leaned against the instrument, her gaze fixed on the star map on the screen. “This war is not just a contest of physical strength, but also a battle of beliefs.”

Ares stood before the spaceship's observation window, rune sword in hand, gazing at the gradually calming ocean in the distance from the Eye of the Deep. His brow was furrowed, as if pondering deeper questions.

“The rift’s target is never a single dimension,” Ares said in a low voice. “What it wants is the entire system of rules of the universe. All we’ve done is prevent it from completing that process.”

Selena turned her head and looked at Ares with a complicated expression. "You mean, all of this is just part of its plan?"

“Perhaps.” Ares nodded. “In every battle, we deplete ourselves, while the Rift learns about us through this confrontation. It is smarter than we think.”

Just as the atmosphere grew heavy, an alarm suddenly sounded inside the spaceship. Selena quickly operated the instruments and discovered a new coordinate system on the star map. This time, the coordinates were located in an unnamed dimensional boundary region, and the data indicated that it was a chaotic energy convergence point.

“Where is this?” Wagner stood up and walked to the screen. “It doesn’t look like an ordinary dimension.”

“This is the ‘Domain of Chaos’,” the observer’s voice echoed within the spaceship. “A region without fixed rules. It is one of the most unstable parts of the universe’s rules, and a place where rift energy can easily proliferate.”

"No rules?" Selena frowned. "Then how are we supposed to fight in a place like this? Our power is built upon the rules."

“The Chaos Realm is the testing ground for the Rift,” the Observer explained. “It uses the chaotic nature of this place to attempt to simulate a completely new system of rules. Once successful, the Rift will completely break free from the constraints of existing rules and become a completely independent entity.”

“In other words, this area is the core experimental field of the Rift,” Ares said in a deep voice. “If we don’t destroy it, it will become uncontrollable.”

The spaceship activated its warp drive and arrived at the edge of the Chaos Realm a few minutes later. Through the porthole, the three saw a scene completely different from any other dimension.

There are no clear ups, downs, lefts, or rights here. Countless twisted energy bodies float in the space, like still flames or swirling vortexes, each exuding a dangerous aura. Light seems to have lost its meaning here; brightness and darkness constantly alternate, and even the flow of time appears disordered.

“This place is disgusting,” Wagner frowned. “It’s like a madman’s dream.”

Selena tried to record data about her surroundings using a scanner, but the instrument kept flashing false alarms. "The energy fluctuations here don't conform to any known physical laws. All our technological means may have failed."

“Then let’s use our own power.” Ares raised the rune sword, its light shining brightly in the chaotic realm. “The rift awaits us here, and we must go on.”

The guardians cautiously traversed the chaotic realm, but soon they discovered that it was not merely a physical disorder; the rifts were also attempting to disturb their inner selves.

“Ares…” A deep, familiar voice suddenly sounded in Ares’s ear. The voice carried an irresistible allure, “Do you really believe your efforts can change anything?”

Ares stopped, his hand gripping his sword trembling slightly. He scanned his surroundings, but could not see the source of the sound.

"Who's talking?" Selena noticed Ares's unusual behavior, and her tone was tinged with worry.

“The rift,” Ares replied softly. “It’s trying to shake our beliefs with words.”

"You've sacrificed so much, yet you've never changed the fundamental nature of the universe," the Rift's voice continued to echo. "The essence of rules is constraint, and your efforts only reinforce this cage. Why not choose freedom? Why not become an existence outside the rules?"

"Shut up!" Ares growled, his rune sword unleashing a powerful light that dispelled the surrounding energy.

“It’s trying to break our will.” Selena looked around warily. “Don’t listen to it. Whatever it says is a lie.”

Wagner, brandishing his battle axe, cursed, "These damn things are always trying to win against us with their words, it's so annoying."

The three continued their journey deeper into the Chaos Realm, but the rift did not let them off easily. Suddenly, the space ahead flashed with blinding light, and then the surrounding scenery began to distort and change.

Ares saw a familiar scene—his lost home, the burning ruins, the bodies of his friends scattered on the ground. His hand gripped the hilt of his sword, his eyes filled with pain.

What Selena saw was a laboratory, and her past failed experiments flashed before her eyes like a revolving lantern. The images of people who lost their lives because of her mistakes made her breathless.

Wagner saw a battlefield, his comrades falling one by one, and he was powerless to stop them. His battle axe hung in the air, but he couldn't bring himself to swing it.

"This is an illusion!" Ares suddenly closed his eyes, trying to get rid of the illusion, but the images haunted him like a nightmare.

The voice from the rift echoed in their ears: "You think you can defeat me? You are merely slaves to the rules, and the rules themselves are a product of failure."

Tormented by the illusions, Ares' rune sword suddenly emitted a dazzling light, pulling him back to reality. He abruptly opened his eyes and forcefully swung his sword at the surrounding illusions.

"Our faith will not be shaken by you!" Ares roared, and the light of the runic sword shattered the illusion created by the rift.

Selena and Wagner also snapped out of their hallucinations, exchanged a glance, and their eyes regained their resolve.

"Is this the only trick you can use to stop us?" Selena said coldly, raising her sniper rifle. "That means you're starting to get scared too."

Wagner laughed and slung his battle axe over his shoulder. "Come on, let's see your true strength!"

As the guardians broke through the illusion, a massive rift core appeared deep within the Chaos Realm. Its form resembled an ever-expanding energy vortex, its interior shimmering with twisted runes, each pulsation releasing intense energy fluctuations.

“This is the Rift’s experimental center.” Ares raised his rune sword, his eyes flashing with coldness. “We must destroy it.”

A furious roar echoed from within the core: "You cannot stop me! The rules will be reshaped, and freedom will replace restraint!"

Ares coldly replied: "Rules exist to maintain balance, and you will ultimately be eliminated by that balance!"