Zac reeled at the series of revelations. The rise and decline of Eras wasn’t natural but something the Eternal had devised. At the cost of her and the other supreme existences’ lives, not to mention all the normal beings living during the Lost Era.
“The Stellar Wanderers took the perfection found in the mist and crafted a new Heavens. The Gurus codified the four Laws to safeguard the cycle of Samsara. The Eternal imbued it with her potential, granting it Eternity.”
A deep hum reverberated through the Lost Plane, and Zac briefly thought he could hear the distant claps of thunder. Was it the System sensing its plans being interfered with? The old custodian glanced into the distance, no doubt seeing more than Zac. A large breach appeared the next moment. Zac could feel fate’s powerful pull from within, confirming it was the gate he’d tried to reach.
“Our time is at an end,” Wal’Zo said.
“Why did you tell me all this?” Zac urgently asked as an unavoidable force acted on his body. The crumbling realm was rejecting him. “What does it mean?”
“Void’s nature is elusive. It will forever elude you unless you understand its origin and purpose. The Ultom Courts represent that opportunity.”
Wal’Zo’s platform was getting further than the distance to the breach could explain. He, too, was retreating from the System’s advance. Soon, the only thing Zac saw was Wal’Zo’s eyes shining in the darkness, the white orbs resemblant to the stones lining Ultom’s Courtyard.
“Eight have reached the heights necessary to leave a lasting mark on the slopes. Of them, four passed through my halls. Prove yourself worthy, and you will grasp the power of your bloodline.”
The last glimpse from the Lost Plane was drowned out by purple darkness. Strength and memories surged in as the link between bodies was restored. Zac steadied himself while his mind became whole. It only took a second, at which point the breach had already closed behind him, preventing any further leakage. Only a few minutes had passed since the group was spat out, and all but Zac’s Draugr half still lay sprawled on the ground.
As far as Zac could tell, they weren’t weapons. Rather, they were formations supporting the structure in the chute’s center. Their bridge led to an octagon-shaped building in the chute’s middle. It was the size of a small city and radiated something Zac hadn’t sensed thus far in the Centurion Base: Imperial Faith.
Perhaps that aura was why the large space was void of any corruption. His shared memories showed it was already that way before his human side caught up and the gate closed. Of course, the details weren’t as important as the intense pull of fate Zac felt coming from within. As if the Imperial Faith wasn’t clue enough.
They’d reached the Centurion Beacon, and not a moment too soon. The tremors were far worse than inside the Polaris Vault, proving how reinforced the octagon and chute were. Still, the large runes engraved on the chute’s walls flickered precariously, struggling to hold back the attackers.
Their time was limited. Zac glanced in the direction of the beacon, deliberating whether he should go ahead alone. A slight creak interrupted those thoughts. Zac disappeared in a spatial flash, moving into the Shrine of Kanba just before a wave of spirituality swept through Kator’s warbones.
The reaver sat up, glancing at Zac before resuming his rotation of the [Starfall Scripture] to drive out the corruption. Among the four, Zac had obviously put the least effort into cleansing Kator. “What happened inside the fallen realm?”
“I’m not sure,” Zac said. “A huge projection appeared and overwhelmed everything else. I escaped through the breach just before passing out.”
Kator glanced at the three still lying on the ground before taking in their surroundings. “Where’s the breach now?”
“Was gone when I woke up. I think our presence destabilized the Lost Plane,” Zac shrugged. “Focus on recovery. We’re at the final stretch.”
‘You’re back!’ a harried voice greeted him inside the shrine.
“I’m back.” Zac looked at Esmeralda with bemusement. The toad had shrunk her body to the point she looked like a pebble at the bottom of her swamp. “I don’t think the mud will protect you from the corruption.”
“What corruption? I’m hiding from body snatchers,” Esmeralda furiously signed while rising from the viscous waters. “One moment you’re here, holding back the nasty gunk like you’re supposed to. The next, you disappear without leaving a trace. It was like your existence had been erased.”
“Some things happened. It’s dealt with now,” Zac said.
“For how long? There’s never a break with you,” Esmeralda lamented, her enormous mouth agape in lingering fear. “I’ve faced more calamities in the last months than during millennia of being hunted by Supremacies.”
“Well, risks and opportunities go hand in hand,” Zac said as he sat down with a grunt.
“Then why is my pouch empty?”
“Empty?” Zac scoffed. “Did you think I couldn’t sense you snatching two treasures when the pillars sank into the ground? How could your technique have worked without me releasing my ability? Without me positioning myself properly?”
“Don’t get any ideas!” Esmeralda glared. “I got those with my own abilities. They’re catastrophe compensation.”
“I didn’t say anything,” Zac said. “Was there anything I might need? We could trade.”
“There is one item you’ll like, and my price is very generous,” Esmeralda said with a crafty look in her eyes. “I want to know what happened to you.”
“That’s it?”
“That’s it,” Esmeralda looked extremely eager. “I sense something… valuable… on you.”
“You do?” Zac scanned his body, finding nothing out of the ordinary.
“It was a wisp of energy that made it seem as though you stood in multiple realities, where you could decide what future would occur. I felt if I had that power, I could have stepped right out of my cursed cycle of reincarnations,” Esmeralda said. “It’s gone now.”
“Multiple realities?” Zac mused.
Didn’t that sound exactly like the Stellar Wanderers? While Starclad’s memories had mostly faded already, Zac still remembered its appearance and small snippets. It was clear that the wanderers were a higher-dimensional entity, a being existing in multiple planes and times at once. They weren’t peering into the future to see they had no choice. They lived in all futures already.
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And Zac carried a hint of that power? Zac scanned his body again, still failing to spot any hidden energies or changes. Could it be an illusion left by the wanderer’s memory, or had he actually been imprinted by something?
A sticky prod by Esmeralda’s tongue brought Zac back to the present. He gave it some thought before agreeing. The things Wal’Zo shared weren’t something that needed to be kept hidden. And if he could trade some intelligence for one of the Polaris Vault’s treasures, why wouldn’t he?
“The Eternal, is it? Such generous spirit. Too generous, almost,” Esmeralda snickered after Zac had finished narrating his talk.
“First, pay up,” Zac said.
“Bah,” Esmeralda complained before taking out a bundle of straw from her cheek.
Zac felt a tremendous fleshy power from within, and even his Draugr body on the outside trembled with desire. “What’s this?”
“Not sure, except it’s related to body tempering. And very, very rare. There are hints of Law inside,” Esmeralda said. “It should help you continue what you started with that chair.”
“Not bad,” Zac nodded, carefully stowing it inside one of his best treasure boxes. “You don’t buy the story?”
“The way you’re describing the origins is off,” Esmeralda said, looking frustrated. “There’s something… I just can’t remember what.”
“Certain parts appear suspicious,” Zac agreed. “If the Stellar Wanderers were helpers in her undertaking, then what are the Thrones? The path they represent seems to directly go against their master plan.”
“Maybe half of them objected to the idea of becoming building materials,” Esmeralda shrugged. “I know I would. If I were one of those wanderers, I’d head into the beyond for one final journey. I’d either succeed or die.”
Zac nodded. The Stellar Wanderers appeared similar, but that didn’t mean all would make the same decision. It was the same with the third race of Ancient Arcana. Rather than codifying the Laws, the Eternal could just as well have killed them and extracted their power.
“There’s more. The caretaker said there are a few at the Eternal’s level each Era,” Zac added. “So why has nothing changed in all this time?”
“Why hasn’t someone else come along with a better idea and remade the Multiverse again?” Esmeralda echoed. “Or sacrificed it to step into True Eternity. There’s no lack of ruthless characters at the peak.”
“It seems like the Eternal cut off the path to Eternity,” Zac said. “But was that to protect her interests or ensure no one undid her work?”
“Why not both?”
Zac suddenly remembered the words of caution spoken in the System’s emotionless voice. Beware the Terminus. Could it be warning him not to get involved with the Eternal? In a sense, she represented the Terminus if Wal’Zo’s story was true. The custodian hadn’t said it outright, but he admitted he preceded the concept of Destiny.
It only made sense the Eternal became the Cosmic Destiny if the other two races of Ancient Arcana formed the Dao and Laws. That brought the System’s motives into question. Emperor Limitless would certainly have known about these matters at the height of his power. And still, he’d formed a separate Imperial Destiny that went against the natural order. It almost felt like an act of war against the Eternal, yet Wal’Zo talked about the Emperor like he were an old friend.
And what was the reason for holding Flameseeking trials? It didn’t escape Zac’s notice that Wal’Zo never mentioned that part. He only dropped cryptic hints and dangled a carrot before leaving. A carrot Zac had a hard time ignoring. The old man clearly knew which buttons to push, and he wasn’t spouting nonsense about that final part.
Zac recalled the eight powerful auras he’d sensed just before the System pulled him back from the Void Mountain and the terrifying beyond. They had to be the eight lasting marks on the slopes Wal’Zo mentioned. Zac previously guessed they might be the System’s eight pillars. Could they instead be marks left behind by extremely powerful Void Cultivators? Could he really ignore the opportunity to understand the Void and his bloodline?
His only other lead was the Sindris Clan. However, visiting their homeland at the Multiverse’s edge was bound to be extremely dangerous. There wasn’t even any guarantee they had what he was looking for. Karz didn’t seem like the type to leave behind a heritage, which tracked with Leandra’s explanation. Would Karz’s methods even be useful to Zac’s corrupted bloodline?
Zac scratched his head, desperately wishing that he could’ve discussed these questions with Ogras while the memories were fresh. For now, the toad had to do. “What do you think? Do we need to change our plans?”
“Because of some old story? We still don’t know anything. At least it doesn’t look like the old ghost took offense by my presence,” Esmeralda lazily said. “You can go ahead and throw your hat in the ring. I’m not too interested in the Eternal Heritage.”
“You’re not?” Zac said with surprise. “If true, the courts precede everything we know. Even the Dao.”
“Why does that have to be a good thing? Wouldn’t their treasures have turned to dust, and their heritages be so alien they’ve been rendered useless? They might have gotten the ball rolling, but a lot has happened since then. Let me tell you from experience; it doesn’t matter how grand the origins are if all that remains are ruins. Just look at this broken base,” Esmeralda said. “Besides, I’m a thief. I don’t participate in trials. I steal what I want.”
A tremendous shockwave outside interrupted their conversation. The force punched Zac to the ground, and blood trickled down Galau’s ear. Zac felt as though they were standing inside a war drum being hit by a giant. The impact was far worse than the constant trembles. They would have been grievously wounded if not for the runes absorbing most of the impact.
Kator’s meditation was interrupted, and he solemnly looked up at the large crack that had appeared on the chute. “The attackers must have managed to break through one of the defenses. Peak Monarchs, possibly stronger.”
A second shockwave forced Zac to activate [Profane Exponents]. It was followed by an eerie silence, feeling like the calm before the storm. Kator seemed to feel the same and sprung to his feet.
“There’s no time to rest. You need to activate those puppets, or it’ll be too late.”
Zac hesitantly looked down at the still-unconscious trio. He’d barely stabilized their state, and a significant amount of corruption was still lodged in their bodies. Their Daos were instinctively fighting back, but Zac wasn’t certain if they’d reached a point where they could take care of themselves if he stopped helping.
It was not just their safety to worry about. Zac could feel how the culmination of multiple threads of fate waited on the other side of the bridge. Only having Kator by his side was a recipe for disaster. Unfortunately, the attackers wouldn’t give him the time needed. They really needed to set out.
“I say leave them. But I’m sure you won’t,” Kator said as he stepped onto the bridge.
Zac wrapped the others in chains after confirming [Love’s Bond] was fine. He caught up to Kator, their steps reverberating through the chute now that the tremors had stopped. Their cautious walk turned into a sprint as the unsettling atmosphere grew more urgent. Zac felt like his Danger Sense wanted to scream at the top of its lungs, except something was covering its mouth.
The source of their growing unease didn’t hide for long. A deafening tear ruptured Zac’s eardrums, but the pain was nothing compared to the terror of seeing a finger the size of a mountain dig through the chute’s reinforced barrier like it was made of clay. A whole side of the chamber was ripped off, causing dozens of floating arrays to crumble, and an unbearable pressure forced both him and Kator to a halt.
“Urgh—” Zac wheezed as he hopelessly looked up at their attacker.
It was one of the giants he’d briefly seen in the burst of scenes—a Foreign God. The messy and broken features on its face, like third-degree burns, suddenly made sense. It wasn’t the fallout of forcing its way through a hostile sun. It was a futile attempt at mimicking the head of a Stellar Wanderer. There was no way it could exist in multiple realities as their processor, so they looked like lumps of flesh held together by brute strength and Dead Dao.
The attacker clearly considered them nothing but ants, its attention fully on the octagon that radiated unyielding faith. Zac wanted to take the opportunity to rush forth, but nothing worked. The Foreign God’s cruel aura was powerful enough to keep them locked down. He couldn’t even activate [Void Zone]—the nullification sphere was being forced back into his cells, unable to compete with the pressure.
A blinding eruption of stellar wrath overwhelmed all else, and Zac realized he was able to move.
“Go!” Kator roared, putting both of them in a bubble of accelerated time.
Zac endured the uncomfortable vertigo of temporal instability again as they sped across the bridge. They were entering the belly of the beast, but what else could they do? A single swipe from an enemy that large would wipe out everything for dozens of miles, possibly more. The blinding light abated, giving Zac a chance to see what gave them the opportunity to turn things around.
It was a fleet of ancient warships that had flown right into the Foreign God’s head, releasing a wave of destruction with their collapse. There had to be over thirty of them who sacrificed themselves to push back against the invader. Zac thanked his lucky stars that some of the base’s defenses remained intact as they rushed into the unlocked structure.
Waiting inside was the very same scene he’d seen before—a miniature sun floating atop a spire. And within that sun was the final piece of his Flamebearer seal.
