Chapter 17

Wang Lin moved carefully through the thick underbrush, his breath steady and controlled. He had been hunting for hours, tracking the beast through the signs left behind—deep claw marks on trees, uprooted plants, and freshly turned soil.

Then, he found it.

The magical bear, the King of the Mountain, was feasting on the remains of a deer. It stood over four meters tall, its thick, matted fur covered in scars from battles long past. Every muscle on its massive frame rippled with power, and its sharp claws could tear through stone with ease.

Wang Lin's heart pounded, but his movements remained precise. He climbed a tree, positioning himself where the wind wouldn't carry his scent. His hands moved swiftly, drawing an arrow from his quiver and nocking it against the bowstring.

He took aim.

Thud!

The first arrow struck.

Then another.

Then another.

He fired in rapid succession, barbed arrows piercing into the bear's thick hide. The beast roared in agony, its massive body shaking from the impact. The arrows didn't penetrate deep enough to be fatal, but they stuck into its muscles, buried with painful barbs.

But Wang Lin had prepared for this.

The arrows were coated in a potent mix of toxins—venom from a jungle viper, a paralytic extract from a rare flower, and a fast-acting muscle relaxant. The effects were immediate.

The bear snarled, its movements becoming sluggish as a burning sensation spread through its body.

Wang Lin didn't hesitate. He moved through the trees like a phantom, launching more arrows while staying out of reach. His strategy was simple—wear it down.

His quiver held only twenty arrows, and soon he had none left. But by then, the bear's movements had become erratic and desperate.

Now, it was time for the next phase.

Wang Lin uncoiled a thin but sturdy rope from his belt. Attached to it was a dagger, sharpened to perfection. With a practiced motion, he hurled it forward, slashing across the bear's side before yanking it back.

Slash!

Another wound.

Slash!

Another.

The bear's roars became weaker. It swung at the shadows, unable to locate him. Its strength was fading.

Wang Lin knew the moment had come.

Moving silently, he approached from behind. His Life Erase ability ensured that he was nothing more than a whisper in the wind.

With a final, decisive motion, he drove the dagger deep into the beast's ear, piercing through its skull.

The bear shuddered.

Then, it collapsed.

Silence.

Wang Lin stood still, his body tense as he waited for any sign of life. Only when he was sure that the beast was dead did he allow himself to breathe deeply, his heart still hammering from the thrill of the hunt.

His first major victory.

But he was not arrogant. He knew that without the gifts from Emperor of Mankind and Glutton, he never would have survived.

"I have finished the mission." Wang Lin typed into the chat, quickly taking a picture of the massive bear's corpse. It was four meters tall and one meter wide, an undeniable proof of his success.

Within moments, replies flooded in.

"Could I get a mission as well?" — Dragon King.

"Same here, I wish to know Life Erase and Food Honor." — Neo One For All.

Wang Lin smiled.

He wasn't alone in this journey.

Himawari and Kawaki had embarked on their first journey beyond the empire's borders, exploring the unknown regions of the universe. Despite his trust in their abilities, Naruto maintained constant communication with them, ensuring their safety. He was also still searching for the Sage of Six Paths, a lingering mystery in the vast cosmos.

At this moment, Naruto contacted Himawari, and a holographic projection of her location appeared before him. The sight was both bizarre and amusing—a planet seemingly composed of candy-like material. The trees resembled giant lollipops, the rivers ran thick with what appeared to be liquid caramel, and the sky had a soft pink hue as if coated with cotton candy clouds.

Himawari herself was having the time of her life. She floated above a landscape of jelly-like hills, taking in the sweet aroma of the land. Kawaki stood beside her, arms crossed, looking both intrigued and slightly wary of their surroundings.

"Yo, Hima," Naruto greeted, smirking at the unusual scene. "Looks like you found a planet straight out of a fairy tale."

Himawari grinned, her golden eyes shining with excitement. "Dad! You wouldn't believe this place! Everything here is edible! The creatures, the ground, even the air smells like sugar!"

Kawaki, standing with his usual serious expression, sighed. "Yeah, and that's the problem. This place is too unnatural. We don't know what kind of lifeforms actually live here."

Naruto chuckled. "Sounds like you're having fun, but don't let your guard down. Even the sweetest things can be dangerous. Have you found anything unusual?"

Himawari twirled in the air, enjoying the lightness of the planet's gravity. "Not yet! But we're exploring. We saw a few creatures that looked like living gingerbread men. They ran away as soon as they saw us."

Naruto's expression became thoughtful. "Keep observing. A place like that could either be paradise… or a trap."

Kawaki nodded. "Understood. We'll proceed carefully."

"Good," Naruto said. "Stay in touch. And Hima, don't eat too much of the planet."

Himawari giggled. "No promises!"

As the connection ended, Naruto leaned back and exhaled. The universe was vast, filled with wonders and dangers alike. His daughter was out there, forging her own path. And though she had the power of a galactic threat, she was still his little girl—curious, adventurous, and full of life.

The vast, star-strewn void of space trembled as colossal monstrosities, the size of planets, moved with hunger in their distorted, incomprehensible forms. These were the Servants of Nyarlathothep, eldritch horrors that sought to consume and corrupt all in their path. Their bodies were twisted, ever-shifting masses of eyes, tentacles, and chitinous armor, their very presence distorting reality itself.

Against these behemoths, three figures danced through the cosmic battlefield like radiant streaks of light.

His white and blue armor shimmered with pure chakra, amplifying his already monstrous strength. His Ōtsutsuki-enhanced physique made him nearly indestructible, his body moving at speeds that broke the fabric of space itself. In his right hand, he wielded a Lightning Blade, a weapon crackling with limitless voltage, capable of slicing through dimensions.

With a single movement, Boruto flashed forward, disappearing and reappearing in an instant. His blade cut through the monstrous flesh of a planet-sized entity, leaving behind a massive rift of pure destruction. The creature screeched, its form attempting to regenerate, but Boruto twisted his blade, sending a pulse of destructive lightning through its body, shattering its core.

"Not happening," Boruto muttered, his eyes burning with determination.

Sarada, clad in red and black armor, was a immortal of war incarnate. Her Rinne-Sharingan pulsed with cosmic supremacy, allowing her to perceive all movements, all weaknesses, and all possibilities before they even occurred.

From her hands, she summoned chakra chains, not ordinary ones, but chains that bent time and space itself. She whipped them forward, wrapping around one of the planet-sized creatures. The chains tightened, warping through dimensions, crushing the monstrosity under an infinite gravitational force.

"You think size means power?" Sarada's voice was cold, filled with supreme confidence.

The creature struggled, attempting to devour her within its infinite mass, but Sarada's Rinne-Sharingan flashed, and in an instant, the very laws of the universe bent to her will. Her chains disassembled the beast at a molecular level, erasing its existence.

Mitsuki soared through the battlefield, his green and white armor glowing like a celestial serpent. Unlike his teammates, he floated effortlessly in the void, his sage energy making him seem like a immortal of the stars.

He wielded flying laser cannons, his body synchronized with the technology, allowing him to fire dozens of high-powered beams at once. Each shot pierced through layers of reality, ripping through the massive monsters, leaving behind gaping holes in space itself.

He twisted through the battlefield, dodging the creatures' attacks before they even made them, his movements guided by an almost divine instinct.

Then, he raised both hands, and two massive cannons formed on his shoulders.

"Let's see if you can withstand this."

The lasers fired, and the blast erupted like a dying star, completely annihilating an entire planet-sized creature, reducing it to cosmic dust.

The three shinobi stood unchallenged, their Ōtsutsuki-tier abilities making them into celestial immortals of battle. The servants of Nyarlathothep, massive and terrifying as they were, stood no chance.

From the distance, Naruto watched through his connection to Boruto, observing with a mixture of pride and caution.

'These kids… they've become stronger than I ever imagined.'

But as the last creature fell, space itself trembled, and a new presence emerged—one that dwarfed even these planetary horrors.

The battle was far from over.

As the last planetary horror crumbled into cosmic dust, Boruto hovered in the void, his armor still crackling with residual energy. He took a deep breath, the adrenaline of battle still running through his veins. His Lightning Blade flickered before vanishing, and his eyes scanned the battlefield, ensuring no more of the servants remained.

Then, a familiar voice echoed in his mind, clear and steady.

"You did well, Boruto."

Boruto smirked, crossing his arms as he felt the connection open fully. His father's presence, even across galaxies, was as powerful as ever.

"Of course I did, old man," Boruto replied, rolling his eyes slightly but unable to hide his grin. "What, you thought I was gonna struggle with a bunch of oversized freaks?"

A soft chuckle came from the other end.

"I never doubted you, but you're fighting beings that are beyond normal comprehension, Boruto. You can't let your guard down."

Boruto scoffed but knew his father was right. Naruto had always been overprotective, even after Boruto had grown into his own power.

"Yeah, yeah, I get it. But come on, Dad, we're on a whole different level now. Mitsuki, Sarada, and I? We just wiped the floor with those things. They barely gave us a workout."

Naruto's voice remained calm, yet there was an underlying seriousness.

"That was just the first wave. Don't get cocky."

Boruto frowned slightly. "You sayin' there's more?"

Naruto's chakra pulsed through the connection, his presence immense, even from the vast distance between them.

"These were just low-ranking servants of Nyarlathothep. Their master is something far worse. If he's making a move, then we're dealing with a threat beyond anything you've faced before."

Boruto's grin faded slightly as he exchanged glances with Sarada and Mitsuki, who had also been listening in through the link.

Sarada, still composed, adjusted her Rinne-Sharingan glow, scanning the void for traces of any lingering threats.

Mitsuki, floating beside them, spoke up, his voice smooth and analytical. "If that's the case, we should prepare for the worst. If Nyarlathothep himself moves, we may be dealing with a being at the level of a primordial immortal."

Boruto sighed. "Great. So we just killed his minions, and now the big boss is probably pissed off?"

Naruto's voice carried a hint of amusement. "That's usually how it works."

Boruto ran a hand through his hair. "Alright, so what's the plan? You coming out here to help, or are we handling this on our own?"

There was a pause before Naruto responded.

"I trust you to handle what's in front of you, but if things get too dangerous, I will step in."

Boruto clenched his fists. He wanted to prove himself. He didn't want to rely on his father forever.

"We got this, Dad. You just sit back and watch."

Naruto chuckled again. "Fine. But remember, I'll always be watching. If things go south, don't hesitate to call me."

Boruto smirked. "Like I'd need to."

Naruto sighed, but there was pride in his voice. "Stay sharp, kid."

The connection faded, and Boruto looked at his team. The real fight was just beginning.