Dyon sat silently on the shoulder of the puppet. He had finally calmed himself enough to think clearly, at least to some extent. So, he finally noticed its changes.
The stone was no longer anything of the sort. The puppet now had an obsidian sheen to it that was reminiscent of the Tree of the Life and Death. It made Dyon think that maybe he had misunderstood the makeup of the puppets. Were they connected to ancient singularity techniques?
If you thought about it, puppets that guarded the legacies of a race as powerful as the elves couldn’t be simple. They had eroded to a point far past what Dyon could remedy currently, but, he’d slowly tease apart their secrets.
Every so often, Little Lyla would change their direction, but, most of the time, she played with Zaire who Dyon had brought out as well. After all, he couldn’t just leave Little Black alone.
The world around them was pitched in absolute darkness. Except for the odd spatial portal, there was nothing but black. If it wasn’t for the faint energy shield coming off of the puppet, they wouldn’t be able to see anything. Well, that and they’d likely be torn apart by the spatial will.
‘Arios likely fell into a situation like this. Maybe he ran out of stamina and couldn’t protect himself anymore. That’s likely why the demon sage had to save him… But, the question is, did the demon sage save him in this time, or another?’
This question was actually of utmost importance. If the demon sage saved Arios in this time, that would mean that it was the demon sage who brought them to a separate time.
‘That doesn’t make sense though. If the demon sage had such powerful time will, the situation with the Timeless Library would have never happened. After all, if he could just go back thousands of years on a whim, why would he have ever suffered a loss to his enemies?’
‘No. There was definitely something more to this. If the demon sage wasn’t the one to send Arios back, then it was this space. Which means, something, or someone here, is powerful enough to do something like that.’
Dyon smiled. This was about to get interesting. His heart had settled, and he was determined to let Madeleine and Ri carry burdens themselves. Many hours ago, he had already figured out a way to help both of them. All he had to do was enter one spatial portal, save either Madeleine or Ri, then tear a hole in the game again. With Little Lyla’s help, it would only be a matter of time before he found his way to the right spatial portal…
But, he decided against it. At first, his mind was in too much turmoil to even think of that solution. However, the more he thought, the more he ran over what Madeleine and Ri told him again and again. They wanted to help him. That meant the only thing left for Dyon to do was to let them.
So, he had two new goals now. The first was teasing apart the secrets held in this dark spatial world. And the second? The Epistemic Tower.
**
“Little Lyla, it’s best if you go back with Zaire now. I’ll bring you two back out when it’s safe, okay?” Dyon’s eyes trained on something that made even his spine drip in a cold sweat. It was a feeling he had never felt before… It was an insurmountable mountain.
Little Lyla’s large pink diamond eyes blinked while looking at Dyon. “Be careful big brother…”
Zaire nodded, giving Dyon a fist bump. It seemed to be his new favorite thing to do, much to Dyon and Ri’s amusement.
The two children disappeared as Dyon took a deep breath. ‘The puppet is absolutely useless here…’
Dyon say quietly, steeling himself through observation.
The obsidian puppet seemed to vibrate in submission, almost creeping backwards.
‘This is suicide.’ This was the only thought the repeated in Dyon’s mind. Death was the only ending he could see.
A core of foggy black hovered menacingly in front of him. In fact, it was such a dense black that it stood out even in this space.
Dyon knew before he asked Little Lyla for help that this game was built on an array, much like every other ancient game. But, what did that mean? Mulling over this thought he suddenly connected a few things.
The goal of an array is to literally manipulate the laws of a confined space. That confined space, in terms of its size, was determined by the power of the array.
Dyon had always likened arrays to writing code in the human world. Symbols were commands, thus meaning you used your aurora and soul as the ink or pixels of the words and numbers. Because of this logic, Dyon had always been able to simplify symbols to take shortcuts, something that experienced coders did all of the time. It was common knowledge amongst them that some forms of code and code language were always more efficient than others.
So, knowing this, what did it mean for Lotus Tower to have such dense sources of death qi? Or for the ancient game to be connected by so many spatial portals? Or for Arios to fall to a completely different time because of the game?
It was simple. That meant there was someone who wrote ‘code’ for some of the strongest representations of space, time and death Dyon had ever encountered… Or would likely ever encounter.
But, there was something else. What did it mean for someone to use an array to program changes in space, time or even death?… What did it mean for someone to be able to simulate a will to such a close extent that even Dyon, with his keen senses, mistook all of these spatial fluctuations as true space will?
Just what did all of that mean?…
It meant someone was writing the laws of the universe with their array alchemy. Someone who toyed with the concepts of reality as easily as breathing. Someone who had created the perfect representation of death before Dyon right now…
‘Can I really use this as a catalyst? Won’t I implode trying to absorb this?’
The truth was that when Dyon used his master and her husband’s blood essence as a catalyst for the Florence family singularity technique, he had nearly died. The worst part was, he had almost died more than once.
Imagine taking the essence blood of creatures that were dao formation experts at their peak, and manipulating them into manifestations for yourself. Something like that wasn’t easy. And yet, this death core was even worse than that!
‘Wait… core?’
Suddenly, Dyon thought of something. ‘Abyssal Core?’ If Ri had been here, she would have definitely rolled her eyes. How ridiculous was this logic? Using a name you made up to figure something out? Maybe only Dyon would risk something like this based on such flimsy logic.
And yet, the more Dyon thought about it, the more his eyes shone.
‘Maybe it’s impossible to absorb it all with just one technique… But, what if I use two?…’
Dyon knew this idea was stupid. Regardless of how many techniques he split it into, it was still himself that had to execute them. Even if he used a clone, the pain would be the same. But, that was the thing… The pain would be the same, but the death would be escaped!
Anyone who was in Dyon’s mind would feel as though they were running around in a maze. In that instant, Dyon’s deductions jumped around exactly like you’d expect from some with an innate aurora. Maybe even more-so considering Dyon’s innate aurora was perfect.
Essentially, the idea of cores reminded Dyon that he didn’t only have a single absorption and integration type technique. He had the Florence family technique to form a humanoid manifestation, but, at the same time, he had his Weapon’s Hall abyssal cores.
But that was where things got odd. Sure, Dyon could absorb the abyssal cores of weapons, but there was clearly no weapon here. There was only death. But, wasn’t there a weapon that existed to be the perfect amalgamation of death? What could be better to absorb this death core than a reaper’s scythe?
Unfortunately, the wild ideas didn’t stop… Dyon planned to experience death again and again and again… Until he fully absorbed the core. 10% clones couldn’t cultivate or train soul techniques, but, being canon fodder for refining catalysts? They were perfect.
Maybe the wildest part, though, was that Dyon planned to do this for the space and time cores as well. However, he was fully aware that absorbing the death core would be much easier. Why? Because the death core was only meant to affect the area around Lotus Tower, it was meant to be a small part of the ancient game. That was why Dyon could even attempt this. But, the space and time cores connected every gate in existence, that used to exist, or would exist… It wasn’t something Dyon would even want Little Lyla getting close to.
Therefore, although he had already decided to one day find those cores, today wasn’t the day. Right now, he’d focus on integrating the epitome of death within himself.
Soon, he’d need to be a reaper. There were too many people who thought he was an easy target, that he was easy to deal with, that his friends and family were toys for their pleasure… As they say, ‘you reap what you sow.’
Dyon smirked, ‘I’ll just help you with the reaping bit.’
**
In Madeleine’s gate, the situation had completely flipped from earlier. Not only had Dyon’s energy fruits given her a great boost, his words had relieved her heart of all burdens, giving her celestial will an unprecedented leap. The pure feeling that filled her being caused a smile as radiant as the stars in the sky to spread across her face. She had manifested her first intent!
Her power was simply on a whole other level. It was as though a goddess had stepped onto the battle field.
It wasn’t that the armies the Sapientia family faced didn’t have essence gathering experts, it was just that the idea of someone comprehending an intent at the first essence gathering level was absolutely ridiculous.
An intent was the next level wills reached. But, the reason many didn’t learn it so early was because an intent was what you needed in order to grasp saint energy. Normally, many who became saints might not even grasp an intent until they reached the peak of the saint stage!
The most shocking part about intents were that they weren’t just a power boost, they were a complete qualitative change. Madeleine’s celestial will became like pillars of light smiting down enemies from the sky, completely erasing their attacks. And when Madeleine combined her intent with her music? The Sapientia army became nearly untouchable.
Many of the King God Clan shivered. Some even assumed someone had broken the rules of the gate and allowed a saint to enter. What other explanation could there be!?
But, Madeleine continued to play her lyre, her attacks focused and filled with purpose. Many who died by her hand couldn’t even bring themselves to be angry. If such a beautiful goddess smites you, did you really deserve to live in the first place? Maybe she was right in wanting your death.
That said, the numbers disparity between the Sapientia and the opposing universe were simply too large. Although Madeleine had forced them to sustain major losses and had plenty of fruits to replenish herself, maybe there was another way…
Madeleine turned her gaze to the temple at her back. ‘Maybe if we enter, there’ll be another exit? The gates are odd, it’s quite possible the temple is spatially connected to another place. Maybe this isn’t even the only place this temple appeared?’
The temple itself was imposing. It had hundreds of massive pillars holding it up, but, what had to be the most striking was its color. A striking violet.
Despite the rarity of what was occurring with Madeleine, something very similar was happening on Ri’s battlefield.
The ice purity path was a difficult one. In fact, it was so difficult that Ri’s mother felt the need to leave behind part of her cultivation for Ri in the form of the cave’s ice pool.
What Ri didn’t know was that the ice purity path wasn’t even the best path for her… Ri’s mother was a kitsune as well, but, kitsune came in different forms. More specifically, the kitsune supreme beasts had thirteen faith seeds. And Ri’s mother? Had the faith seed of the river kitsune – Kawa. However, Ri’s mother had no idea that her daughter had a faith seed!
The reason was simple. Normally faith seeds were easily detectable by high ranking members of families that they originated from. However, Ri’s faith seed had been in opposition with the god level constitution. If Ri had had a normal god level constitution, maybe her mother would have still sensed it. But, a top three god level constitution was already nearly comparable to the weakest faith seeds. So, Ri’s mother had had no idea.
Which of the other twelve faith seeds did Ri have? Ri didn’t know. But, what was clear was that Ri’s affinity for ice purity was nowhere near her mother’s, and yet, she had forced herself to learn all so that she could follow the same path as her mother. In the end, this was why Ri only knew four wills: wind, water, ice and sword.
Although using the term ‘only’ when referring to four wills seemed a bit ridiculous, for a wielder of a faith seed from a supreme beast clan, this was far too little… And it was all because Ri was trying to be someone she wasn’t.
However, Dyon’s words had broken a dam within her. It was as though she found an identity she didn’t have to chase after. She wasn’t chasing a missing father or mother, she wasn’t trying to fill a void in her heart and she wasn’t trying to keep a kingdom together. Right now, she was Ri. Ri Sacharro. She was herself and no one else.
For the first time, Ri’s hair wasn’t the only part of her that darkened, and this time, it wasn’t to a mere dark blue.
Ri’s hair blackened completely, fluttering in the wind wildly as her sword suddenly became sharper. Ri’s tails followed suit, their blue-silver color become a jet-black.
Black-gold tattoos traces their way over her as her tails whipped out violently. Suddenly, Ri’s every step seemed to take her tens of meters at a time. Her sword seemed to slice the very space, not even allowing flesh to bleed before it fell to the ground. In fact, Ri’s beams of ice will no longer seemed to be of the purity path… they held nothing but a dense will for destruction. Black ice jetted out of them, piercing through everything in their path.
It suddenly became very clear to everyone why Ri’s faith seed had conflicted with her god constitution… Elvin Queen’s Reign was about elegance and purity, a path quite similar to celestial will. But, what Ri was displaying right now was an eerie darkness… a path that was the complete opposite.
If Ri’s mother were here, she would know immediately what was going on. Ri’s faith seed was one that hadn’t appeared in hundreds of generations… The kitsune of the Void – Kukan.
**
All the while, Dyon sat in the dark spatial pocket. The pain he was undergoing was unimaginable.
Whenever one of his clones died, he felt everything they did. He felt their organs corrode. He felt their bones crumble to ashes. He felt their skin burn and mummify before ripping apart. And unfortunately, this was an inescapable fate for the clones.
And yet, with every death, Dyon’s smile grew wider. Maybe it was a smile through gritted teeth, gritted teeth that had turned red with blood because of how tightly Dyon clenched them, but it was a smile nonetheless.
The faces of two beautiful women were all Dyon focused his thoughts on. He was sure that they were fighting hard right now, so, he could only do his part.
Behind Dyon, the black and blood red Weapon’s Hall loomed, but its door was ajar as streams of death qi entered it with the death of every clone…
Dyon’s humanoid manifestation was out as well, tattoos dripping in a black-grey aura etching their way onto its skin as Dyon melded more and more and the death humanoid manifestation with it like he had done with his master’s manifestation and her husband’s. After all, it would be a bit ridiculous to have tens of manifestations.
And just like that, another day passed. It had now been a day and a half since Dyon had dived into this rift and he had gained so much.
That being said, Dyon’s soul was completely exhausted. Without anyone to use devour on, he had been sustaining hundreds of 10% clones for hours on end, and that was on top of dealing with death again and again…
But, what Dyon had yet to realize was that the fact he experienced death again and again was what truly made this death core his… His understanding of the concept was at such a level now that even without the affinity and power given by the Florence family technique and his abyssal core, he could very well learn death will to its peak now.
‘I need to rest, or else going to the Epistemic Tower will be useless…’
And so, Dyon did just that, taking his time to replenish his soul properly.
However, there was yet another thing that had escaped Dyon’s notice. In his ring, neatly arranged among his important items, the ‘ranking’ tome had been glowing faintly with a black aura. When its pages flipped opened, it landed on the [dao of array alchemy] … but, the array was completely black now!
But then, it suddenly reverted to its original form. The pages of the tome closed, silently resting in the space Dyon left it.