“Someone?” Leonora asked.
“Jack,” Nyx answered.
Her words confused Leonora. From everything Nyx said, she seemed to have come to the Underworld before her.
How did she know Neo and Jack?
Despite everything, Leonora did not ask the question. She felt like the answer would be long and tiring.
“How do you know them?” Paw asked, as it climbed on top of Leonora’s head and hit her for being lazy everywhere.
“Shadow World Trial.”
Nyx explained how Neo and Jack had come to the past, and whatever they had changed.
She told them Neo had timelooped multiple times in the past.
“How do you remember the pre-altered timelines?” Paw asked. “I thought time users could only remember surface details at best. What’s your mastery in Time element?”
“She is not a Time element user,” a man answered as he approached the group. “After she came to the Underworld and became a Grim Reaper disciple, she had time to create a spell that mimicked Time elementals to remember pre-altered timeloops.
“Though the spell is still faulty, and because of that only she can use it,” he explained.
“You are…?” Leonora questioned.
The man did not answer her immediately and stared at her.
The silence was broken by Nyx’s sigh.
“Stop trying to scare the child, old man. Her master won’t like it if you do that.”
“I don’t care if that idiot doesn’t like it,” said Amon, a Grim Reaper.
Leonora frowned. “Take that back.”
“Huh?” Amon looked at her in surprise.
“You can’t insult my master.”
A powerful aura exploded out from Leonora, and washed over the seating area.
Amon let out a grin when he sensed the power rolling off Leonora.
A giant whale began to materialize in the sky, and Paw’s presence thickened.
“I said stop riling up the child!” Nyx smacked Amon in the head, and looked at Leonora apologetically. “Sorry about this. He just heard the rumors that you were the Blessed of Aqua, and wanted to try fighting you – he has some screws loose.”
Leonora blinked, caught off by her actions.
“Blessed…?”
…
??? (Neo’s Cosmos)
The Firmaments, Obitus, Velkaria, and Yaleth were present inside an open pavilion built on top of a mountain peak.
The area was covered in mist and faint sunlight (from World Core) permeated the area, making the surroundings look ethereal.
However, the mood of the people in the area was at an all-time low.
“Argh! Why does that idiot always do things like this!? Why did he seal the Cosmos!” Velkaria shouted as she flew around. “Why is he always trying to fight alone!”
Death Sword Firmament, and Eyes of Echo Firmament were downcast.
Tyrant Firmament sat upright but her gaze was filled with complex emotions.
Obitus, in her spirit form, sat curled.
“He sealed all of us here because he didn’t want us to get imprisoned too,” Obitus mumbled.
She was on the verge of tears.
Neo had sent his memories inside the Cosmos but that was not all.
His Traits, Elemental Affinities, Concepts, techniques, Blessing. He ripped everything from his Core and Seed of Existence and sent it inside his Cosmos.
He had torn his soul and cut off the part connected to Obitus before teleporting her too.
Right now, he had nothing.
Obitus understood the logic behind Neo’s actions. But that only made her more miserable.
What was the point of having a unique ability and existence if Neo had to send her away because of that?
She was weak.
She was not dependable enough, that was why he sent her away.
The silence was broken when Yaleth smashed his hand into the table.
“Enough of this. I got it, you all are sad that your ‘oh prince charming’ is suffering alone, but–”
Yaleth’s words were cut off when suddenly Tyrant Firmament appeared behind him, and held a sword – manifestation of Death Sword Firmament – at his neck.
“Speak about him with respect, or your head will go flying next time.”
Tyrant Firmament’s pressure bore down on him, making him grit his teeth.
But he refused to apologize.
The pressure on him increased until he finally gave out.
“I’m sorry. I will be careful from next time.”
Tyrant Firmament snorted and let go of Death Sword Firmament. “Be happy that your body and soul were created by him. If not for it, I would’ve killed you instead of giving a warning.”
She returned to her seat and sat while crossing one leg over the other.
“But that disgusting insect is correct, we are just wasting time by sitting here like this.”
Velkaria was surprised – very surprised – by the violent actions and words of Tyrant Firmament.
As far as she had seen, the Tyrant Firmament never acted like that in front of Neo.
She wanted to ask if that was on purpose, but she felt like it was safer to not point it out.
“Velkaria.”
“Eeik! No, I wasn’t thinking anything rude! I swear I wasn’t!”
“…?” Tyrant Firmament looked at her with a confused gaze. “What are you talking about.”
“Ah… n-nothing.”
“Anyhow, there is something I want to know. What happened to his memories, Traits and Concepts he sent into the Cosmos? I can’t find them.”
“That–”
“I think I would be a more qualified person to answer that question,” Yaleth said.
He almost did not want to help Tyrant Firmament, but he had no intention of staying trapped in the Cosmos for god-knows-how-long.
“Speak.”
“Everything he sent here is being fused into the Cosmos, and it is evolving the Cosmos.”
“…?”
“Did you notice that the ‘air’ now tastes different? It’s more refreshing,” Yaleth said. “Everything here will slowly evolve according to what Neo unconsciously wanted.
“It’s normal for Heavenbreakers to build things consciously, but this also works.”
Yaleth explained in more detail.
The Cosmos would take inspiration from Neo’s experiences, follow his wishes, and build upon them.
It was similar to how a trait evolved.
Of course, this was not ranking up or actual evolution.
The process Cosmos was undergoing could be compared to colors being added on a canvas to make it look more ‘full’.
Neo still needed to evolve his Cosmos, create a Path of Ascension and do other things for ranking up as a Heavenbreaker.
“Which brings me to your problem. You people are weak. So you need to grow stronger, and correct me if I’m wrong, you are waiting for Neo to find a way to make you all stronger.”
Tyrant Firmament frowned, and nodded.
Yaleth shook his head.
“There is no way you can help if you keep depending on him to grow stronger. You all need to do it yourself. Find a way to increase your rank on your own.”
“We can do that?” Obitus spoke up, looking at Yaleth with a gaze that hoped he had answers.