It Is Said That I Have Been Crushed By Dimensionality Reduction (Quick Travel) - Chapter 23

As the sun dipped beneath the horizon, a warm glow painted the sky with layers of brilliant colors. Shopkeepers along the bustling capital’s streets were packing up, and the crowd began to thin as people made their way home.

Then suddenly—

A violent rumble echoed through the streets. An ominous roar followed, as if some ancient creature had clawed its way out from the depths of a nightmare.

“The kingdom’s lifeblood is shattered. At last, I’m free… and mortals will become my feast!”

People on the streets stumbled and turned pale, lifting their heads with dread.

A collective scream rang out.

High above the capital loomed a monstrous entity—towering, grotesque, with bl00d-red eyes gleaming with wicked intent. Its jagged teeth curled in a malicious grin, its ragged body seeping with dark energy. It was clearly something long imprisoned, finally loosed from its chains.

Humans are naturally terrified of vast, unknowable things. Against such an overwhelming force, even reason gave way to panic. Many choked out muffled cries despite themselves.

“D-Devil! Monster!”

“Run! Run for your lives!”

As panic erupted, the streets turned chaotic. People trampled over each other, stalls were overturned, and the air was filled with screaming and weeping.

The demon, meanwhile, didn’t immediately begin devouring the people. Instead, like a cat toying with a mouse, it maliciously knocked over buildings, sending walls and roofs crashing to the ground.

Some were fortunate—injured but alive.

But for how long?

Inside the shops and teahouses, patrons crouched behind furniture, faces drained of all color. The rumors were true after all.

There were monsters.

And they could emerge when the world fell into turmoil.

Unless the immortals stopped them…

Wait—immortals?

If the tales of demons were real, did that mean the stories about immortals were also true?

“Immortal… please… please save us!”

Far away, Bai Yuan was pulling the strings.

He manipulated the demon’s movements with precision—causing destruction but avoiding true loss of life. Buildings could be rebuilt.

Not so for the dead.

Still, there were casualties. But Bai Yuan had anticipated this.

In a secluded alley, energy coalesced into dozens of humanoid puppets—average-looking men and women with no distinctive features. They looked like common travelers, easily mistaken for ordinary citizens.

As the demon rampaged, some of these puppets were deliberately “killed”—their deaths painting a scene of horror and despair.

From aristocrats to beggars, all were reduced to trembling mortals begging for mercy.

In their desperation, one name came to mind—

Immortal.

In another part of the capital, Zhao Pingshun and Lin Cuiniang watched the terrifying sight outside the city walls. This creature was far worse than anything they’d seen before.

Even knowing their child was an immortal, their hearts clenched with worry.

But they held each other tightly, whispering the same hope:

“Brother Yuan… he’ll protect us. He always does.”

Meanwhile, the imperial palace had erupted into chaos.

The regent—who had been plotting his coup—was pale as death. So were his advisors.

The demon’s appearance was the final nail.

He had lost everything. Even if he lived through this, no one would accept him as emperor now.

Hatred twisted in his chest.

He had only wanted the throne.

Bai Yuan could feel the bitter resentment emanating from the regent. He made the demon laugh eerily.

“Ah, how interesting! I must thank the noble regent for feeding the fires of rebellion and unrest! Without your ambition corrupting the kingdom’s fate, I would never have broken my seal!”

The demon cackled, relishing the irony.

Hatred toward the regent erupted like wildfire. The people cursed his name through clenched teeth, bitter tears falling.

“We’re just commoners… We only wanted peace… Why must it be so hard to live?”

Bai Yuan judged the timing right.

In the palace, loyal officials had barged into the emperor’s chambers, determined to rescue him—even if he remained unconscious.

But then—

His fingers twitched.

The emperor stirred.

Shock and joy filled the room.

He asked immediately, “Has the regent acted?”

The officials exchanged uneasy looks before explaining everything. “Sire… the demon has already appeared. It’s real.”

The emperor’s face darkened, coughing as he muttered: “So… it was him…”

But there was no time for rage. His brilliant mind worked quickly.

“The national fate… I should not have awakened. Someone—something—is helping me.”

The answer came to him.

An immortal.

And if that was true… then the demon’s appearance, and his own sudden healing, must be tied to the weakening of the kingdom’s destiny.

He made a swift decision: “Help me to the gates.”

The officials panicked. “Sire! It’s far too dangerous—”

But the emperor cut them off.

“Why do you think the demon hasn’t killed me yet? Or the regent? Why hasn’t the immortal appeared either?”

They understood at once.

Neither immortals nor demons could interfere freely. Not without consequence.

Only by restoring the kingdom’s fate—by reclaiming public trust—could things shift.

Immediately, the emperor wrote a royal edict stripping the regent of all power, declaring him a traitor guilty of attempted regicide and demoting him to slave status.

It was sealed and publicly proclaimed.

Bai Yuan, watching everything, made the demon sneer: “Ah, the weakened emperor appears! Do you think you can undo this chaos? You too… will become my prey.”

The emperor straightened his back and stepped onto the city wall alone, frail but proud.

As his golden robes caught the wind, a collective gasp rippled through the crowd.

He was awake.

Tears welled in their eyes.

The emperor raised the edict and read its contents aloud. The demon responded with fury—crushing more buildings, killing more disguised puppets in a rage.

Fear surged again.

But the emperor stared up at the sky, defiant.

“Then kill me! Why delay?”

The demon faltered.

“You may strip the regent of his title,” it snarled, “but you still cannot stop me!”

The emperor clung to the wall, lips trembling. “Maybe not. But I can try.”

Then, for the first time in his life, he knelt and looked to the heavens.

“Immortal… if you exist, I beg of you—save these innocent people. I’ll pay any price.”

The demon laughed uproariously. “You fool! The immortals are long gone. They fell sealing us away. There is no one left!”

But even as it boasted, the crowd began to pray in unison.

No.

There was someone.

There had to be.

They didn’t know why—but deep down, they believed.

Their faith surged like a wave toward the heavens.

And then—

The sky changed.

A shimmering figure emerged from the clouds. Clad in white robes, hair like moonlight, shrouded in divine brilliance. He hovered above the city, radiant and beyond reach.

Bai Yuan had arrived.

The people fell to their knees, mouths open in awe and disbelief.

“Is that… the immortal?”

Floating above the gate, Bai Yuan gazed at the demon with cold eyes.

“Demon,” he said, voice echoing like a bell. “Do you admit your guilt?”

The monster reeled back in shock. “You?! You were the one who led the sealing! How are you alive?!”

Terror gripped the demon.

And that terror washed over the people, bringing with it a surge of relief and hope. Their belief hardened into unwavering faith.

“Immortal… please save us!”

“Destroy the demon! Save the empire!”

Even as the demon roared and lashed out, the people didn’t waver. Their protector had arrived.

Bai Yuan absorbed this immense surge of spiritual energy—linking it with the many energy fragments he had planted throughout the capital and surrounding towns.

He released a chain of illusions:

In towns across the kingdom, people saw monstrous figures rise—dark, evil things struggling to break through seals.

Panic swept through the land.

Then—

A new illusion.

A colossal divine figure formed in the clouds, far larger than the demon, cloaked in holy light.

It pointed downward.

“Suppress.”

With that single command, intricate seal formations lit up across the sky.

All the demons shrieked and fought, but one by one, they were dragged back into the earth by invisible chains—sealed again.

The sight was magnificent. Unforgettable.

Everyone stared, wide-eyed, not daring to blink.

Until finally, someone muttered in awe:

“…Is that… truly an immortal?”