Ryan finally felt the pangs of hunger creeping up on him, a sensation he had not experienced in a long time. The extensive experimentation with his power had drained him more than he realized, pushing his body to its limits. His energy reserves had been depleted, and now, the sheer exhaustion was catching up to him. His stomach growled in protest, demanding nourishment, reminding him that despite everything—despite the vast power he was trying to control—he was still bound by the most basic human needs.

He wasted no time digging into the supplies he had brought along from his universe. Meal after meal vanished before him as he ate with a ravenous hunger that startled even him. It was as if his body was desperately trying to replenish itself after being pushed beyond its natural limits. By the time he stopped, he had consumed what would have normally lasted him an entire week or more. He sighed, leaning back, realizing that he had severely underestimated his body's energy consumption while experimenting with his abilities.

"Maybe I should have brought more food," he muttered to himself, already regretting not preparing better.

With his supplies dwindling, another trip back to his home universe was inevitable. Even though he had successfully traveled back and forth last time, he knew he had to be more cautious than before. The Monarch, despite being only a Type 1 civilization, was growing increasingly desperate in their attempts to find a way to save themselves from the impending doom of chaos. He knew they were actively searching for any anomaly, any clue that could give them an advantage. If they discovered him or his ability to travel through the multiverse, they would stop at nothing to capture him.

Ryan leaned against a cold, floating rock in the empty expanse of space and closed his eyes for a moment, letting himself rest which he haven't take for a while. He had to be more careful. Every trip he made came with risks, and he needed to ensure that he wasn’t being tracked. If the Monarch ever realized what he was capable of, they would either try to use him as a tool or eliminate him as a potential threat.

After a brief moment of recuperation, Ryan refocused on his training. His grasp over his abilities was still unstable, but he was improving. Slowly but surely, he was learning how to control the chaotic energy within him. The more he practiced, the more he felt that soon, he would be able to wield this power with precision—without the reliance on chaos itself.

But just as he was deep in thought, something unexpected caught his attention in the infinite nexus.

A universe branch was dimming too fast in front of his naked eyes.

His instincts flared, and he immediately turned his focus toward the rapidly fading cosmos. The sight before him sent chills down his spine. This wasn't just a slow decay—this was the final stage of chaos consuming a universe. He watched closely as the last remnants of life disappeared, the entire universe plunging into an eerie silence. No living organisms could be detected. Not a single trace of intelligent life, no lingering energy signatures, nothing. It was as if the entire universe had simply ceased to exist.

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Then, suddenly, something even more shocking happened.

The light returned.

The universe, which had just been drained of all life and reduced to nothingness, was now back to its normal state. Chaos was nowhere to be seen. The swirling storm of destruction that had wiped out everything was simply gone, as if it had never been there in the first place. The vast cosmic abyss that had been left behind was now shifting, new celestial bodies forming in its place. Planets were still in the process of creation, while others were breaking apart, but this time, there was no intervention from chaos.

Ryan stared in awe.

Was this the natural cycle of the multiverse? Had he just witnessed the rebirth of a universe?

He had assumed that once chaos consumed a universe, it was gone forever. But this? This was different. It was as if the universe itself had restored balance. The energy that had been wiped out was now reshaping itself, preparing to give birth to new life but in million or even billion of years.

Ryan took a deep breath, thinking deeply about what he had just observed.

After a long moment of contemplation, he decided to move on.

There was no point dwelling on things he didn’t yet understand. He would continue observing, continue experimenting, and most importantly, continue strengthening his power. With time, he believed he would eventually uncover the truth behind the cycle of chaos and rebirth.

As he resumed his training, a newfound determination burned within him. He was getting closer. He could feel it inside his body.

Soon, he would master this ability.

Finally, it had been like a month or two—or perhaps even longer. Time had no true meaning in this place, where everything existed beyond the constraints of linear progression. Without the cycles of day and night, without the movement of celestial bodies to mark the passage of time, Ryan had lost track of how long he had been here.

He only measured time by his own actions—his attempts to grasp his newfound power, his trials in navigating the multiverse, and his increasing reliance on the energy within him.

Despite the uncertainty of time, one thing was clear: his supplies were running dangerously low. Hunger was not something he could ignore indefinitely, no matter how much he wanted to push forward with his training.

He needed to return to his home universe to replenish his food and gather additional resources once agin. But this time, he was prepared. He had learned from his previous journey, from the trial and error of moving through the set path.

Unlike before, when he had stumbled through the process, uncertain and struggling to find a stable connection, Ryan now had a defined path. He had carefully observed the fluctuations of chaos, the subtle shifts that dictated the flow of travel, and the way his own energy resonated with the fabric of the multiverse. He knew where to focus, where to reach, and how to align himself with the currents that would guide him.

Taking a deep breath, Ryan prepared himself and he was ready and approach his home universe branch.