The Stubborn Skill-Grinder In A Time Loop

On the surface, a seemingly ordinary object. And yet…

“My heart feels uneasy just looking at it…”

“You said one of these was used against you in your last life, right? Remember anything about them?”

“The memories of that time are unclear, yet I recall a feeling of raw dread and pure terror,” Zaessythra answered. “I’ve been in thousands of battles, yet the instinctive feeling of fear it provokes deep within is unnatural.”

“Information: unit experiencing unknown programming anomalies within radius of object,” W78 said.

“Might be fear and unease like the rest of us,” Orodan remarked. “You’ve all gotten to know me, I care not for fear. Yet for this shard to make my hairs stand on end… there must be something more to it.”

The Shard.

It didn’t exactly look too nefarious. It wasn’t some writhing artefact of doom which could drive people mad at the sight of it, but it did instill an uncontrollable sense of dread all the same. It was bright pink, with a subtle glow which emanated in the dark.

Most oddly, in rare moments, it would sometimes twitch or shiver, or rather, the pink ‘flesh’ of it would wriggle about like a liquid encased in an invisible container. Neither Orodan’s Vision Of Purity, Space Mastery or Dimensionalism allowed him to detect any boundaries for this supposed container. It looked like a strange pink crystal shard, except when it wriggled about, which was when the pink filling of the shard would move about.

“The effects only get worse the weaker the soul of a target is,” Zaessythra said. “And I’m almost certain having it aimed towards you during channelling only amplifies the feeling of dread.”

The effect of fear and unease was present but rather muted when people were unaware of it. However when exposed to the direct sight of it, the shard’s potent aura of dread was even greater. In fact, one of Zhou Shan’s palace attendants had glimpsed it for a moment and immediately collapsed while drooling from the mouth.

The poor girl had been successfully healed by soul cultivators, yet they could discern no obvious signs of damage save for a strange quiver in the System-connected parts of her soul deep within the soul core. As though those sections of the soul were recoiling in panic.

“In any case, we need to find out how this works, and come up with a countermeasure against it,” Orodan said. “And by we, I mean me. Channel your power into it and blast me will you?”

The palm of Zaessythra’s hand met her face and the half-dragon shook her head.

“Of course, why am I even surprised? You wanted to receive a full power blow from it the very first time you saw it too,” she muttered. “No, we will not be doing that.”

“How else am I going to develop a resistance against it?” Orodan asked.

“Analysis: high risk of permanent soul damage. Odds of recovery: nil. Solution: restraint and caution recommended,” W78 said.

“Given the time frame we’re on, caution and restraint aren’t a luxury I can afford,” Orodan said. “If I’m going to be assaulted by this weapon in a few weeks time, better I try and acclimate to it here and now.”

Nobody could really argue with that line of logic.

Many people would call Orodan stupid, yet in his opinion he had a certain way of being efficient about things. In their current situation, they only had bad choices ahead of them. And between training when the enemy came for them versus training in relative safety beforehand, one was better than the other.

“Fine,” Zaessythra grumbled, grudging agreement in her tone. “We won’t be jumping in head first as you usually do though. Measured experimentation is called for.”

“Alright, what did you have in mind?”

“For starters, we’ll have to use it at the lowest setting possible,” she explained. “And we’ll need a ritual circle to channel the power safely.”

The shards featured in the history of the galaxy at times, and as a result there were records of their usage. Slim pickings, but something existed nonetheless. Written word from the archives of the Celestial Court and the annals of the Conclave mentioned that the shards were rather volatile, and as weapons they required careful rituals and guidance of energy into them in order to function properly.

Otherwise… the results could be catastrophic, as there’d been reports of the shards hitting the wielders with backlash.

And given the strange movements and almost sentient nature of these shards, Orodan had a hunch that the thing itself was against being used… or perhaps it enjoyed ruining someone’s day.

The set up took roughly thirty minutes, and the weapon was connected to the world core of Xian through ritual tethering. Neither Zaessythra nor Orodan’s skill levels in Magical Rituals were high enough to perform the set up themselves, therefore it was a good thing that they were on a planet with access to Grandmaster and Transcendent-level ritualists who were happy to assist.

As it stood, launching the weapon at full power would take a week of preparation. As per intel, the Hegemony took roughly that long to charge it up and guide the energies from an inert state to a fireable beam which could harm Transcendents and even Gods. Yet, they didn’t need full power today, just a bare touch, for training purposes.

Zaessythra and W78 stood behind the weapon, while Orodan stood in front of it. It didn’t have a ‘firing direction’ per se, but the direction through which energy was channelled wasn’t where the deadly beam would come out of. Except in cases of volatile backlash of course. One of the purposes of the ritual setup was to control its firing direction. Zaessythra was using the world-sword she’d acquired during the campaigns against the Celestial Emperor to direct world energy into it, while W78 was closely monitoring the flow and the shard itself.

“Well? Don’t keep me waiting. If it’s ready just let me have it,” Orodan said.

“Idiot, this isn’t something which can be rushed,” Zaessythra rebuked. “Looking at this thing, you wouldn’t suspect it’s volatile. Except when it suddenly moves about as though it’s liquid within an invisible crystal prison. Being hasty is as liable to have it firing upon me as it is to hit you. And as it is I’ve tasted the wrath of this weapon one time too many.”

“Alright, I’m sorry. Thank you for agreeing to help me with this,” Orodan apologized. “That you’d do this at all given your history with it means a lot. The feeling of dread and unease can’t be easy either.”

“It isn’t. The shard almost seems to sense the fact that it’ll be used as a weapon soon, the vice grip of fear upon my soul has naturally tightened as a result,” she said. “Even W78 here is having a difficult time performing scans.”

“Information: detecting increased frequency and intensity of anomalous programming within unit,” W78 said.

Even Orodan was beginning to feel the dread come on stronger. And the weapon wasn’t even fully powered yet.

He looked inwards at his soul and the core of it trembled. With a surge of willpower he clamped down and ordered his soul to cease the dramatics.

It complied.

“Alright, a probing sting is what I’ll send first,” Zaessythra said. “The weapon needs to make contact with your undefended soul to work. Don’t let it hit you uncontested, not yet. Get a feel for it first.”

It wasn’t an unbeatable super-weapon. Defending against it still worked. It only came into play when making contact with someone’s soul when their defences were down or broken. If someone had enough power to defend against the beam, survival was possible.

“Ready. Send it my way,” Orodan said, an excited grin on his face.

“Be careful… Orodan… you’re dealing with exceedingly dangerous forces here,” she warned.

He took her words seriously but was excited all the same.

His soul disagreed however. The dread in his heart was almost overpowering even as the very smallest trickle of world energy was siphoned into the shard. It was as though he was prey, before the hungry gaze of a predator. His death, assured.

An illogical part of his mind even felt that the shard was flashing him a predatory grin somehow. It made no sense.

He steeled his mind and commanded his soul to simmer down. He was Orodan Wainwright, and he would accept no mutinous feelings of fear within himself.

The shard charged up, a pitiful amount, and the subsequent bolt of pink energy raced towards him.

Even as his soul protested, demanded he flee, he roared at it to stand tall. His shield rose into the air ready to intercept it…

…and it did. The bolt fizzled out against his Shield Intent.

“…”

“I was expecting more Zaessythra! Was that truly all?” Orodan asked. “It didn’t feel like anything particularly special. Hells, it’s just like facing another soul energy attack.”

“You wouldn’t be saying the same if a fully powered beam came your way,” she cautioned. “I don’t like this, but first, we need to look over the viewing orb footage and try to glean its true nature. Only then will I feel comfortable letting you expose yourself to even the smallest portion of it.”

“Fine, fine. Perform your examinations and review,” Orodan said. “I’ll be here.”

Ten minutes passed as Zaessythra and W78 looked over the gathered footage of the bolt of energy striking his shield. They discussed from time to time and pondered during stretches. And Orodan simply stood and gazed deeply at the Shard as they did so.

It was known to be a volatile weapon; hence it was under powerful ritual restraints and protections. He continued gazing into the subtle pink glow of the crystal.

It twitched about as a liquid within its frame for a split moment.

Orodan continued looking.

Despite having both the Observe and the Identify skills, Orodan didn’t bother using them very much. Many people had tried using Identify on the shard already, and there was no information returned. Furthermore, the benefit to refusing the usage of those two skills was that Orodan had some good instincts, almost a sixth sense. Much like monsters did.

He could instinctively sense the danger and power an individual possessed; no skill involved.

And it was this instinct, his sixth sense, which suddenly triggered.

It was utterly illogical, completely irrational.

But he very strongly felt that the shard emanated a feeling of bloodlust, and most inexplicably…

…he could swear it flashed him a sadistic smile.

The world energy within the ritual trembled. Yet Orodan was already moving before anyone else had an inkling of what was about to occur.

His hand grasped around the shard tightly as he threw all the soul energy he had towards his hand.

Suddenly, and without warning, a titanic amount of world energy was pulled from the world core of Xian and into the shard, and with a horrific blast, it was sent in the direction of Zaessythra and W78.

At the last moment, the half-dragon attempted to reach for the shard herself. Terror evident in her eyes yet attempting to shield Orodan himself.

“Thank you for helping me remember myself and just… remember me, okay?”

No.

Not again, not ever.

Orodan refused to let Zaessythra die for him this time.

The shard was still in his hands, and he turned it so that the beam instead came towards him.

“Orodan, no! Cut the tether, now!”

His soul energy warred against the beam even as he threw his shield in the way, hoping to defend… and yet, the beam was slippery! It evaded, not noticeably, it was slight, and the shard seemed constrained in what it could do, yet it moved around his shield…

…and towards his soul.

True horror… Orodan’s soul core was utterly petrified, like a deer that had sighted a hunter. The fear, the dread… it was inexplicable.

The pink energy slithered inwards. It entered his mind, it infiltrated his soul and threatened to subsume his memories, take away all he was.

A mind of iron met it in-between and refused to flinch.

His mutinous soul was acting the coward, yet Orodan’s willpower said otherwise. A roar of wrath left his lips, his rage great and taking even Zaessythra by surprise as she stepped back from her attempt to reach him.

[War Cry 41 → War Cry 42]

And he focused inwards, taking over the reins of his soul…

…and the holding vault they were in exploded as Orodan channelled near fatal levels of soul energy.

In good news, his soul’s utter explosion of soul energy was warding the foul power of the shard off. The bad news, however, was that before he’d thrown it all out, a decent amount had managed to get into his soul core. And most importantly… target his mind.

Pink energy subsumed his vision, and Orodan saw a glimpse, a very brief moment where his eyes went somewhere else.

A dimension of terror… pink, red, yellow oozing horror everywhere. Worlds, star systems, entire galaxies infested by this grotesque horror. It wasn’t the Eldritch. It wasn’t even their universe… yet it was an entirely different one.

“Anointed champion of the willing prisoner…”

He wondered where the voice came from, only to realize…

…that it came from all around.

The two massive galaxies he’d thought were corrupted existences of this dimensional horror. Those two opened, like the eyelids of a universal terror.

A great horror stared directly at him… peering into his very soul. Everything about it was contradictory, impossible shapes, sounds that shouldn’t have existed in even the most deranged of minds. And imitations of people he knew that he wished to strike from his eyes. His hands clamored to gouge out his own eyes, they desired to clap and shatter his own ears. Every cell in his body was capable of seeing, hearing, tasting… and right now his soul wanted to end it all for Absolute Body Composition was naught but a curse. Orodan’s soul wanted to shatter itself. A part of his mind wanted to die. A permanent death would’ve been a mercy. His mind couldn’t take what he was seeing.

Yet, despite all this…

…Orodan stared back defiantly. His soul wanted to come apart at the seams. Yet, he refused to look away. His soul held firm, commanded by his will.

Orodan Wainwright refused to break, to bend or to back down. So what that this was a cosmic nightmare beyond comprehension? So what that his very soul and body wanted to rebel and embrace death to escape the terror?

His soul was brutalized into submission through the application of willpower. It would stand.

He roared at his mind so hard that it considered him the greater terror. It would not yield.

He stared into the abyss of eternal horror and refused to blink first.

Waves of dread continued battering his soul and willpower. He wasn’t sure how long the nightmare would continue on for, yet he held. He refused any other option.

At some point, the eyes began shifting and he saw further scenes of utter horror. Ogdenborough and Alastaia, destroyed. His own soul shattered, his power, gone. Those he cared for… dead.

Yet he balked not.

Against all odds, in spite of the domineering aura of a terror the size of a universe… Orodan held on. The temerity and defiance of one warrior’s mind, standing against the horrifying dominance of an unspeakable cosmic terror.

“An anomaly… to appoint such a thing…”

And finally, at some unknown point, it ended.

As the nightmare concluded and Orodan’s sight returned to the real world, all he heard was the amused laughter of an unfathomable horror ringing in his ears.

“-dan! Orodan! Speak!”

“Administering shock,” W78 said.

[Li ht ing Re i ta ce 47 → L gh ning R sista ce 48]

A bit of a tingle. And a very strange System message.

“Failure to account for resistance skill. Result: ineffective.”

“I think he’s with us once more, Orodan, can you hear us?” Zhou Shan asked.

He looked down.

His hands were pale and trembling madly, and the sweat was dripping down his brow. He didn’t need to breathe and yet the shallow and rapid gasps were all too loud in the now quiet room. The room itself was a scene of devastation, the aftermath of him generating far too much soul energy.

Around him, Zaessythra, W78 and an incredibly worried Zhou Shan were staring at him. Behind them, an array of soul and healing cultivators who were running a battery of scans and tests on him.

“I’m here… how long was I gone?”

“Thirty minutes. You were just… glowing and calling upon ever-increasing amounts of power while nothing we said or did could stop you. We thought you might kill yourself if you kept going and were about to go in to grab you until you simmered down,” Zhou Shan said. “The energy from the shard left you rather quickly, yet it was as though mentally you were someplace else entirely.”

“I was… where the hells are these shards from? I’m almost certain I was locked in some sort of mental battle against some terror beyond our galaxy,” Orodan said. “A universe of horror… galaxies like-”

“…like eyes… you saw it too then… and y-you… your mind remains intact still?” Zaessythra asked and she suddenly looked quite ill, as though remembering something utterly traumatic.

Orodan took a moment to absorb her words and only then did he understand the implication.

“Orodan… whenever that weapon hits someone, it’s supposed to shatter their mind and soul entirely,” Zhou Shan explained. “The viewing orbs were running the entire time, and we managed to see what occurred. The energy struck you; your soul energy fought it off preventing the shattering of your soul itself… and yet… your mind remains whole. How have you done this?”

“I don’t know… all I did was stand strong in the face of it. I refused to break.”

“An anomaly…” one of the soul cultivators muttered from behind.

“The rumors of his mental fortitude are true…” another said.

Zhou Shan simply looked irritated at the interruption and remarks. With a sweep of his hand, he spoke.

“Clear the chamber. I must speak with Orodan and his companions.”

The Transcendents and Gods in attendance, powerful individuals with skill levels beyond 100, quickly assented and filed out of the holding vault.

“Their aid is appreciated, but at this time, an audience is unnecessary,” Zhou Shan said. “Tell me, what exactly did you see?”

“Cosmic terror beyond the comprehension of even Gods and Transcendents… just what is out there, Zhou Shan? What’s the true nature of these shards?” Orodan asked.

“A mistake… that’s what. We never should have attempted this dumb experiment,” Zaessythra solemnly said, her voice trembling.

“Yet, without it we wouldn’t have discovered any of-”

“No. Orodan… enough,” she interrupted. “I refuse to aid you in these experiments any longer. The sight of that horrifying power… it has made my resolve falter. We cannot all be like you, and I refuse to be near the shard any longer. Or worse… watch someone close to me be victim of its wrath.”

“Well, it all worked out for the best, didn’t it? You’re fine, I’m fine and we all made it out alive.”

Zaessythra didn’t reply. Or rather, the fist coming for his face was her primary answer.

Orodan allowed it to connect and held off on using Warrior’s Reciprocity.

“Fine? With even the slightest bit of contact with your soul, your System is doubtlessly damaged,” she venomously spat. “You directed the attack towards yourself, why?”

“Why not? Do you expect me to stand by while someone I care about is hit by a soul shattering weapon?” Orodan retorted.

“I expect you to understand that you’re the one in a time loop,” Zaessythra said as she jabbed a strong finger into his chest. “And that you’re the one this whole war hinges upon. If I die, you can simply find me in the next loop. If you die and suffer permanent damage, all is lost.”

“And I’ll be damned if I let anyone else die for me!” Orodan fired back stepping towards her as his temper burned hot. “First it was Adeltaj, then it was you. Not again, never again.”

“And are you so self-absorbed that you won’t recognize I might feel the same way? I have lost enough… my people, my home world… my very self,” she said. “How much more do you expect me to lose?”

“A pain you’ll never get to experience. If I die, the loop ends and nobody else is the wiser. Just me, back to the very beginning in Ogdenborough, all alone as always.”

“And how am I supposed to know that? Don’t you think the fact that you’re in a time loop has jaded you a bit?” she asked pointedly. “Do you expect me to simply rely on something I’ve never seen when you’re about to die?”

“Analysis: heightened emotions detected. Possibility of further physical conflict between subjects: high. Solution: temporary separation of subjects until emotional state has abated,” They both turned to glare at W78, and his poor robotic friend could only stand in place impassively.

“Perhaps subjecting poor W78 to your combined ire is a bit uncalled for?” Zhou Shan suggested, which led to the High Sovereign then receiving two glares. “…never mind.”

Orodan simply sighed and shook his head before stepping back. Unusual as it was for him to be the one backing down, he felt bad for Zhou Shan and his metallic friend caught in the middle.

“We won’t solve anything by quarrelling amongst ourselves,” Orodan said.

“Perhaps a few moments of separation might cool everyone’s tempers after such a harrowing experience?” Zhou Shan suggested and gestured for he and Orodan to walk to the other side of the crumbled holding vault.

“I admit, whatever that thing was, it’s like nothing I’ve ever seen,” Orodan stated. “Still… for Zaessythra to react like this…”

“It is as she says my friend, not everyone can be like you. You cannot begrudge her the natural fear anyone would experience in her position,” Zhou Shan replied. “When I saw you reversing time upon the entirety of our Ascendent Sword Cluster’s soul nexus… I knew then and there that you weren’t exactly normal. I dare say I’ve seen none like you. Not at the level you should be at. Unless you’ve been deceiving me all this time, you’re but a Master.”

Orodan grunted in response.

Of course he wasn’t begrudging her the fear. Far from it. Rather, the situation in general caught him off guard and tempers were hot. The thought of her dying to protect him once again made his wrath soar. What did surprise Orodan was the fact that she’d kept the terror she’d already experienced against the shard to herself. It was her secret to keep or reveal, yet Orodan felt a bit blindsided by just how impacted by the shard she was.

“It’s fine. My emotions were roiling as well, if anything I could’ve stood to be a bit more understanding as well,” Orodan said. “That cosmic power was terror incarnate. My body, mind and soul felt fear and trembled involuntarily until I re-asserted control and demanded otherwise.”

“What exactly did you see?”

“An entire universe of terror. Red, yellow… pink. Entire star systems and galaxies but an extension of its foul body,” Orodan answered. “It was so far beyond me in power that I wouldn’t know where to begin comparing myself against it. Boundless.”

“Fascinating… I shall have this added to our archives. As it stands, you’re the first being in recorded history to have tasted the direct wrath of the shard and retained your mind and soul,” Zhou Shan said. “You truly are an anomaly my time looping friend, and I for one am glad of the knowledge that you are with us.”

“My mind, perhaps. But my soul? That I’m not too sure of,” Orodan said.

He opened his Status and focused on a specific line waving everything else away.

L gh ning R sista ce 48 (Ap renti e - Exq isite)

Most of the skills in his Status had the same problem this line had. Still, better to confirm it in more than one way.

“Have an observer orb laying about?” Orodan asked.

Zhou Shan produced one from a spatial ring and handed it to him.

Orodan’s hand went upon it, and he channelled soul energy within, allowing the reading of his Status.

And…

…it was a garbled mess.

Every line still existed, and one could tell what they were, and yet many letters were missing in every bit. The only thing unaffected were the numbers.

Orodan looked deep within himself and noted that there wasn’t soul damage to the deep System-related parts of his soul core, however it had been jumbled and scattered with strange runes which should’ve been present in the core now in random parts of it.

“Not good… I thought I’d thrown the shard’s energy out of my soul before it could affect it overly much,” Orodan muttered. “This… is a bit of a mess. I’m not even sure how to go about fixing it.”

“Orodan… this is…” Zhou Shan said.

“I know, it’s bad.”

“No. I mean, your Status! How in the heavens do you have so many skills of such high-rarities?!” the High Sovereign barked out. “You’re not even a century old!”

Ah, right. This was technically the first observer orb examination he’d had since… the examination centre in Trumbetton in Volarbury County back on his home world? At least, that was the last one he recalled having.

“A bit of hard work and a lot of death can lead to decent results,” Orodan remarked.

“Decent… decent? Orodan, if someone of your age displayed such a Status on Xian, they’d immediately be kidnapped and held as the personal ward of the Court for training into a war asset. Your existence and talent would be the cause for galactic war. Beings from other galaxies would take interest, Embodiers would come out of hiding from the void between stars and they’d try to move things behind the shadows to ensure you were kidnapped,” Zhou Shan explained. “Previously, you mentioned being a Master, and I took that at face value. You being a Celestial skill bearer is powerful by galactic standards, yet not as substantial by the measuring scales used by those at the Embodiment-level. But to have so many skills of such rarities… your unchecked growth would guarantee the ruin of any galactic factions you were the enemy of. They would either try to assassinate you or kidnap you for subversion. Even without the time loops, you are a monster… and I’m beginning to see why you were given this burden.”

“Surely it can’t be that outrageous? I’m but a Master-level warrior who dabbles in a few magical skills,” Orodan said.

“One in a time loop, who has a skill allowing him the generation of endless power, and one whose chronological age isn’t beyond a century,” Zhou Shan said. “Taken together, if someone were to see your Status in its entirety while knowing your chronological age, you would rouse the attention of people beyond just our galaxy. Frankly, that Embodiers haven’t descended yet is likely due to the fact that they don’t know of your Status and age specifically, and the threat of Administrators punishing them. And even then… there is no guarantee some aren’t moving in secret behind the scenes, manipulating other factions and providing intelligence to our enemies.”

“None of which will matter if his Status and the System-related parts of his soul aren’t fixed,” Zaessythra said as she walked towards them, W78 in tow.

“Information: subject emotional intensity - lowered. Analysis: odds of physical conflict - tolerable.”

Orodan looked at Zaessythra.

Zaessythra looked at Orodan.

“I apologize-”

“I was wrong to-”

They both cut the other off.

“Well, I assume we’re fine to continue our discussion then?” Zhou Shan asked, and they both nodded. “How can his Status be fixed?”

This tale has been pilfered from Royal Road. If found on Amazon, kindly file a report.

“A laborious process, yet a doable one. The power of the shard but briefly touched his soul, I can slowly work to guide and patch the glyphs back to where they should be,” she answered.

“You… you know such a skill?” Orodan asked.

“Not a skill, at least, not one categorized by the System,” Zaessythra said. “The one upside of this experience with the shard is the fact that it’s jogged the remaining bits of my memory once more. I’m beginning to remember why the Hegemony used the shard on me.”

“It’s because you know how to control the glyphs of the System itself…?” Orodan asked.

“Yes, although calling it ‘control’ is generous, and my ability in it… meagre at best. Still, what little I know should be sufficient to guide the minor bits and pieces back to where they should be,” she answered. “It’s a skill that can draw the wrong sorts of attention Orodan, if you want to start learning it… just beware that Administrators might take notice.”

“Considering I already have one on my tail, I’ll take my chances,” he replied.

“Now hold still, this process might take a few hours…”

#

Orodan pulled up his restored Status screen.

Name: Orodan Wainwright

Age: 17

Title 1: Perfect Cleaning Master

Title 2: Celestial Master

Title 3: Bearer Of A Celestial Skill

Title 4: Cleaning Master

Available Titles:

Bearer Of A Celestial Skill

World Conqueror

World Gate Delver

Avatar Slayer

Wielder Of A Mythical Skill

One Who Has Experienced Death

God Slayer

Transcendent Slayer

Celestial Master

Perfect Cleaning Master

Cleaning Master

Unarmed Combat Master

Physical Master

Combat Master

Sword Elite

Shield Elite

Wrestling Elite

Soul Elite

Woodworking Adept

Alchemy Adept

Space Adept

Time Adept

Fire Magic Apprentice

Enchanting Apprentice

Teaching Apprentice

Laboring Apprentice

Blacksmithing Apprentice

Pathfinding Apprentice

Gathering Apprentice

Rewards:

Permanent +14 Action Increase

Permanent +0.1 Title Multiplier

Skills:

Domain Of Perfect Cleaning 96 (Master - Celestial)

Eternal Soul Reactor 97 (Master - Mythical)

Warrior’s Reciprocity 86 (Elite - Mythical)

Eldritch Resistance 61 (Adept - Mythical)

Divine Resistance 53 (Adept - Mythical)

Reality Alteration 5 (Initiate - Mythical)

Absolute Body Composition 1 (Initiate - Mythical)

Harmony of Vitality 98 (Master - Legendary)

All-Strike 90 (Master - Legendary)

Unassailable Fortress 87 (Elite - Legendary)

Bulwark Physical Resistance 85 (Elite - Legendary)

Endless Blitz 85 (Elite - Legendary)

Time Reversal 77 (Elite - Legendary)

Draconic Fireball 74 (Elite - Legendary)

Mana Resistance 65 (Adept - Legendary)

Body Tempering 64 (Adept - Legendary)

Vision of Purity 62 (Adept - Legendary)

Wood Communion 56 (Adept - Legendary)

Time Compression 50 (Adept - Legendary)

Fate Disconnect 43 (Apprentice - Legendary)

Iron Body 87 (Elite - Exquisite)

Time Mastery 81 (Elite - Exquisite)

Psionic Resistance 79 (Elite - Exquisite)

Flash Strike 75 (Elite - Exquisite)

Draconic Mana Channelling 68 (Adept - Exquisite)

Vitality Destruction 59 (Adept - Exquisite)

Fire Resistance 51 (Adept - Exquisite)

Lightning Resistance 48 (Apprentice - Exquisite)

Wind Resistance 41 (Apprentice - Exquisite)

Water Resistance 39 (Apprentice - Exquisite)

Ice Resistance 38 (Apprentice - Exquisite)

Dimensionalism 23 (Initiate - Exquisite)

Curse Resistance 4 (Initiate - Exquisite)

Soul Mastery 78 (Elite - Rare)

Space Mastery 76 (Elite - Rare)

Teleportation 59 (Adept - Rare)

War Cry 42 (Apprentice - Rare)

Acid Resistance 34 (Apprentice - Rare)

Gourmand 13 (Initiate - Rare)

Spatial Fold 76 (Elite - Uncommon)

Shield Throw 69 (Adept - Uncommon)

Shield Intent 68 (Adept - Uncommon)

Power Strike 61 (Adept - Uncommon)

Mana Manipulation 58 (Adept - Uncommon)

Fate Reading 31 (Apprentice - Uncommon)

Pain Resistance 94 (Master)

Physical Fitness 92 (Master)

Unarmed Combat Mastery 90 (Master)

Combat Mastery 90 (Master)

Shield Mastery 88 (Elite)

Sword Mastery 88 (Elite)

Wrestling 80 (Elite)

Woodworking 67 (Adept)

Tool Mastery 66 (Adept)

Alchemy 64 (Adept)

Flare 63 (Adept)

Enchanting 59 (Adept)

Surprise Attack 45 (Apprentice)

Blacksmithing 49 (Apprentice)

Fire Magic Mastery 48 (Apprentice)

Jewelcrafting 48 (Apprentice)

Pathfinding 46 (Apprentice)

Teaching 43 (Apprentice)

Sprinting 39 (Apprentice)

Laboring 34 (Apprentice)

Maintenance 34 (Apprentice)

Gathering 32 (Apprentice)

Construction 28 (Initiate)

Repair 22 (Initiate)

Cooking 22 (Initiate)

Intimidation 20 (Initiate)

Magical Rituals 18 (Initiate)

Mining 17 (Initiate)

Club Mastery 15 (Initiate)

Disguise 12 (Initiate)

Lumberjacking 11 (Initiate)

Parkour 11 (Initiate)

Observe 11 (Initiate)

Stealth 9 (Initiate)

Thievery 6 (Initiate)

Identify 5 (Initiate)

Deception 4 (Initiate)

“Like brand new…” Orodan muttered.

“Of course it is, do you think me some sort of amateur,” Zaessythra asked.

“Didn’t you say your technique in this method was meagre?”

“Did you say you wanted your System scattered again?” she threatened.

“Never mind… can you even do that?” he asked.

“No. It’s an idle threat. To actually affect the System-related parts of the soul core, that weapon would need to be used, or that Celestial skill of yours which can somehow cleanse up to a certain extent within the soul core,” Zaessythra said. “Yet, if I recall, you still can’t go all the way with it. The System barriers just before the deepest part still elude you, don’t they? You’re lucky the damage was barely surface level… the glyphs within your soul core seemed to know where to go back for fitting in. I’m not sure how I’d help if the attack actually shattered your soul core.”

She was right.

Her process of working on the System-related parts of his soul core was a strange one. Zaessythra hadn’t directly manipulated anything, rather, she’d guided and almost convinced the stray glyphs within his soul core to rearrange themselves into their proper configuration. As though she was talking to them.

The only other person he’d seen doing such a thing was an eccentric man back on his home world.

Orodan, at level 96 of his Domain of Perfect Cleaning, wasn’t yet capable of smashing past all the barriers of the soul core. The very final part, the deepest section where skills and the fundamental parts of the System were, was beyond him. Even within his own soul core this deepest part was inaccessible to him, let alone in the souls of others. He suspected that these System-related parts of his soul were the bits that trembled in fear and threatened to go out of his control whenever facing the dread prowess of the shard and the cosmic terror behind it.

In fact, the shard’s energy had a strange effect upon his System. Unlike the corrupted Checkpoint System and the Storage System he had yet to invest in, the shard seemingly deleted information from his Status outright. Letters were entirely gone instead of the familiar corrupted symbols appearing within to garble things like in the case of corruption.

He had no idea how to go about healing his own System if the worst happened.

Yet, it was an important skill to learn.

After the healing, they’d spent another two hours where Orodan raptly paid attention to Zaessythra’s lesson on how to potentially interact with the glyphs of the System and System energy itself. It made no sense to him. Zaessythra had explained her studies in this weird art. Her own experimentation had involved communing with the glyphs, encouraging them to move about in her favor, attempting but failing to understand them and trying to influence them through soul energy.

Something she’d failed in as her abilities in the soul arts weren’t on Orodan’s level, and even he had yet to reach the deepest part of the soul core. Even Transcendent soul specialists couldn’t breach the soul core, or at least, nobody on record within their galaxy could. It was a feat requiring not only a high level of mastery in the soul arts, but also raw power. Still, she’d mentioned that if anyone could breach the barrier and then hope to directly interact with the System, it was Orodan.

Finally, as for the nightmare he’d encountered, the decision was made to shelve the matter for the time being.

Orodan’s mind was strong, and he held faith in being able to retain himself against the mental assaults of that almighty being. Yet, it wasn’t something he could hope to currently face. Not now, not when the Administrator was descending against him, and he had more important matters to focus on.

Matters such as securing transport to another galaxy via the Conclave and interrogating the prisoner they’d acquired from Narictus. Both people relevant to that goal were present in the holding cell Orodan and Zaessythra were stood within.

“Tell us more about the Hegemony’s battle plans,” Lady Sujana, Knight Commander of the Conclave said. “We know that your forces have retreated and are holing up on your core world. Why? Surely you don’t intend to just sit on your laurels as we strike at important worlds? There’s been no significant military movements at all on your end.”

The half-dragon being interrogated was in a comfortable room, dressed in decent clothing and looked well-fed. Perhaps the feeding wasn’t good by the standards of a vampire, after all, they’d provided the blood of slaughtered cattle and not any sapient beings. However, the prisoner didn’t have anything else to complain about besides boredom, and perhaps a diet it didn’t prefer.

“I have been nothing but forthcoming, and my previous answer still stands. I do not know, they didn’t trust me with the knowledge of such battle plans and war strategies,” the half-dragon vampire said. “I and many of the other younger Transcendents and Gods often clamored for battle once the declaration of war was announced. Each time we were simply told to wait.”

“Concerning… I feel the Hegemony must have something up their sleeves, yet we cannot confirm it,” the God said.

“What should be of greater concern to you,” the half-dragon vampire said, fixing Orodan a look. “Is the arrival of the hells on our side.”

“How so?” Orodan asked.

“We’ve already been told to capture you on sight for the sickening transformation you put Ragamul under. It was an act of defiling which raised the ire of every vampire within the galaxy, a blatant act of disrespect against those bearing the gift of blood,” the half-dragon said. “And then you go and perform a similar transformation upon the Lord of Night himself. The hells are paying attention, time looper. The Devil Kings were already concerned about your ability to purify a True Vampire and how close you are with the Conclave, and now you purify the progenitor of vampirism himself and kill him? Such an act will doubtlessly push them closer to our cause.”

Everything the half-dragon vampire said was correct of course.

The Devil Kings of the hells were concerned about Orodan’s Celestial skill which allowed him to purify anything, including beings he saw as unclean. He’d shown undeniable proof of it working on Ragamul the first time, and as a result Devil King Gutriyaz had attempted to kill him during their battle on the moon. Now he’d gone and done the same to the most powerful being upon Narictus.

“Their concerns are fair, and we can only hope to allay them when we meet,” Zaessythra said. “Let us talk of other matters though. Why turn to vampirism?”

“The power? The status and respect upon Narictus and within certain parts of the Hegemony? And of course, the freedom from persecution that we half-breeds face,” the half-dragon said. “I’ve heard of you. In my younger years they spoke of how Astalavar and Excromon destroyed your planet all for the purpose of killing you. Do you think me content to sit around and remain prey for such blood-purists?”

“And what of Avraxas? Did he not offer any protection? He has always been the mightiest among our kind, surely, he would not let genocide of draconic blood reign unchecked,” Zaessythra said.

The vampiric half-dragon simply spat upon the ground in response.

“Ever since the joining and becoming one of the Crusaders, the devourer cares not for the plights of dragon kind,” the half-dragon prisoner said. “I wonder if anything of him is left within. While most likely, the Transcendent doesn’t always win the struggle for domination during the melding.”

The melding?

“Like soul melding?” Orodan asked. “The joining of two souls?”

“Yes, it’s no great secret that the Crusaders are created through the forced soul melding of God and Transcendent,” the prisoner said. “And while the Transcendent usually holds an advantage… not always.”

“Tell me some secrets then, how do the shards work and what do you know of them?” Orodan asked.

“The only one allowed to touch the shard was Lord Almante himself, and aside from him, Lords Agrimon, Astalavar and Excromon,” the prisoner answered. “That’s all I know.”

The prisoner was rather cooperative. No sense in attempting to lie to a time looper. Better to cooperate and hope for some measure of mercy.

“I suspect we shall get no more out of him,” Lady Sujana said. “He’s a decently talented Transcendent-level chronomancer, but in the grand scheme of things not as important to the Hegemony aside from battle power. Your killing of Vakan Almante was a heavy blow to the Hegemony’s war strength, yet we would’ve gotten more answers out of him.”

“I’ll be sure to keep that in mind for the next loop. The difference in strength between us was simply too much to surmount in order to capture him,” Orodan replied.

Lady Sujana frowned for she must have detected the lie.

In a sense it was a truth, Orodan simply wasn’t a match for a level 149 Transcendent vampire with a Celestial-rarity skill. There was no way he could surmount the difference… in direct combat.

Domain of Perfect Cleaning, however, was a different matter. It had allowed him to catch the Celestial Emperor, Jian Huangdi - a level 150 peak-Transcendent - by surprise and nearly purify the man of Eldritch corruption. And it had let him purify Vakan Almante and then kill him.

The truth was that Orodan could have chosen to capture the Lord of Night’s purified form but chose not to. The subsequent kill was a mercy and the cleansing of Orodan’s own sense of honor.

The divinity of the Conclave chose not to press the matter.

“I’m told you’re going on a journey to our neighboring galaxy? An odd time to carry out such a thing when we’re in the midst of war. Still, we have a branch there as well and could perhaps do with some reinforcements and supplies,” Lady Sujana said. “Our grand array can take you there and cross the distance between galaxies, however such a thing will draw attention and people will know that there was inter-galactic travel. The very preparation of the grand array will also be noticed.”

“We’re going to seek potential allies,” Orodan said. “The more to help us during this war, the merrier, no?”

“I would ask what you intend to do if stranded, however tales of what you can do with access to even the first level of a spatiomancy skill have reached my ears,” the God said. “If anyone can find a way back to our galaxy through spell craft and their own power, it is you, time looper.”

“I’m confident I can cross the distance between a galaxy to return if need be. I can try getting there with a Spatial Fold myself.”

“The distance between galaxies is utterly astronomical,” Lady Sujana said. “Being capable of Teleportation to return is not the same thing as casting a Spatial Fold which spans that same distance.”

“I wouldn’t underestimate Orodan. Not when it comes to raw power,” Zaessythra said. “But I’m vetoing this idea on the grounds that it would risk the attraction of whatever horrors lie between galaxies.”

The void between stars was full of terrible monsters, in the deeper parts, some of them were at the Transcendent-level and above. The void between galaxies, however, was a different matter altogether. Embodiers were the only beings who felt comfortable enough to go hide out in the dark void between entire galaxies. Rumor held that they did so to avoid the scrutiny of the Administrators, other whispers claimed that they were forced into exile upon crossing the threshold of level 150. Yet, the other plausible reason was the presence of these terrible existences between galaxies, Embodiers were rumored to do battle against them in an attempt to raise their skill levels and attain power.

And while they didn’t really enter galaxies - perhaps through some protective mechanism of the System - nothing prevented them from taking notice of someone attempting to travel between them.

Orodan had a lot of raw power, and his ability to channel higher amounts of it at once was gradually increasing by the loop. However, the effect of a spell depended on not only raw power, but also skill level. And he didn’t know if his combination of both was enough to cast a Spatial Fold which spanned across an entire galaxy. And even if it was…

…it would almost certainly draw the notice of something very bad lurking in the dark void between galaxies. And while he would’ve loved to battle against foes of cosmic might, he simply didn’t think he’d bridge the gap with the remaining checkpoint uses he had left. Even with his new God Slayer title, he only sat at 2157 tries remaining until he was sent back to Ogdenborough. Not enough to surmount the gap between him and a peak-Transcendent let alone a being at the Embodiment-level.

Rather, the Conclave’s grand teleportation array was designed for safe and quiet travel between galaxies.

“Your companion is wise; you would do well to heed her counsel. The deep void between galaxies is a terrible place harboring beings of unfathomable power,” Lady Sujana said.

“Will we be travelling to the Conclave for the use of this grand array of yours?” Orodan asked.

“Not necessary. Our array can create a stable portal between galaxies at any selected location. It merely requires time to prepare.”

A shame, Orodan wouldn’t have minded getting to see the holy world of the Conclave and how they were all supposedly born being in tune with ‘the light’. But that could wait for another time.

“How long?”

“By the time the sun is at its peak tomorrow, be prepared.”

Tomorrow afternoon then. That worked, and allowed him to take stock of a few things, perhaps talk to certain people and just… read in peace for once.

#

“To have the vaunted Orodan Wainwright himself standing before me? I must admit, meeting you is an honor,” the elderly cultivator said. “A travesty that your only experience with the alchemy of our tradition was through Liu Fan’s Alchemical Wonders. Yes, it isn’t entirely inadequate for the average bumpkin seeking to learn alchemy and be introduced, but for an otherworldly visitor and treasured ally of our people it is woefully lacking.”

A clenched fist met an open palm as the man greeted Orodan with a slight incline of the head. Orodan reciprocated, by now familiar with the customary greeting of people within the Ascendent Sword Cluster. Bowing low during the greeting was considered subservience and giving deference to the other party. Not moving the head at all could be seen as disrespectful, whereas equals would give greeting with a slight nod or incline of the head.

Orodan didn’t care much for social customs, but he could see the similarities between it and the clasping of hands on his home world or the silent yet affirming head nod he might give a fellow militia member whom he respected.

“I’m just another man,” Orodan said.

“Are you?” the old cultivator asked. “Your arms look as though they’ve been carved out of divine jade, your skin akin to the hide of a ferocious elder dragon and your eyes possessing the will of the bottomless abyss at the center of our galaxy. They sure don’t make youngsters like you nowadays.”

“Thank you. It’s just the result of a bit of hard work.”

“Then you and I will get along splendidly,” the old man said with a smirk. The robes he wore were enchanted for protection, not from blades or arrows, but the elements and deadly substances. And he also had plenty of scars and disfigurations upon his hands.

This was a man who worked and wasn’t afraid to get his hands dirty.

“I have a day before my journey takes me elsewhere,” Orodan said. “And everyone on Xian spoke of the greatest alchemist of the Ascendent Sword Cluster, Transcendent Ruyi Hao. They say your Celestial skill nears the peak of Transcendence.”

Celestial skills were rare, and those who had combat-related Celestial-rarity skills, even rarer. Among the people of the Ascendent Sword Cluster only High Sovereign Zhou Shan and formerly the Celestial Emperor had combat-related Celestial skills. However, people with Celestial-rarity skills related to crafting also existed, even if they too were exceedingly rare.

There was a generally accepted custom of not harming valuable crafters on the losing side even during war. Hells, even the devils of the hells were known to peacefully integrate crafters after conquering worlds. This went to the extreme end for crafters with Celestial-rarity skills where factions would often strike grand diplomatic deals or go to war over them.

Even receiving a singular item crafted by one of these people often shook the status quo.

“Mere rumors. I’m just another alchemist,” the Ruyi Hao said with a smile. “Yet, I suspect you haven’t come all this way to the Palace’s Alchemy Hall just to hear an old man talk. How can I help you?”

They were within a grand workshop in the basement of the Celestial palace, the Alchemy Hall. It was a place with very few people, and all manner of incredibly expensive equipment such as gigantic cauldrons, shelves lined with expensive ingredients, powerful formations and braziers lit up with spirit flames of varying elements. And it was reserved purely for Ruyi Hao, his assistants and any disciples of his. The man was the greatest alchemist the Ascendent Sword Cluster had ever seen, so for him to monopolize the hall was more than fair.

“I’ve never seen the work of a Transcendent-level crafter before… can you show me some examples?” Orodan asked.

“Well, how about I give you the gradual course. Have you seen Grandmaster-level items at least?” Ruyi Hao asked and Orodan nodded. “Good, then I shall start from the low-level Transcendent items. For instance, this Pill of Resurrection.”

Orodan’s eyes widened like saucers as he heard the name and beheld the item Ruyi Hao pulled out. He used Identify.

[Name: Pill of the Resurrecting Soul Vortex

Description: A pill crafted by a Transcendent Alchemist using nothing but the Dao of Alchemy. Capable of resurrecting the dead within a month of death.

Tier: Transcendent]

“How can a simple pill resurrect someone?” Orodan asked. It looked… mundane, there wasn’t a terrible amount of energy within it, perhaps enough to put it at the Master-level. In fact, Vision Of Purity had a difficult time getting much detail as the impurities were barely detectable, as expected of the crafter’s skill level. “Does it use the soul arts? Chronomancy?”

“What is Transcendence, Orodan Wainwright? It is the act of going beyond the established limits of a skill. No two Transcendences - even in the same skill - are the same,” Ruyi Hao said. “This pill was made by one of my disciples immediately after he passed his trial of ascendance and stepped into the Transcendent-level. He tirelessly studied the Dao of the soul for millennia until he was capable of replicating a resurrection through Alchemy alone. Not a single soul cultivator aided him, and he used not a single aspect of their Dao either.”

“Incredible… yet surely this has limits, how does it work?” Orodan asked, green with envy. This was some of the most profound alchemy he’d ever seen! “I’ve seen cultivators perform battlefield resurrections, yet never have I seen any pills used in combat or upon deceased Transcendents and Grandmasters.”

“You’ve answered a part of your own question. Once we break past our current limits, it is the nature of improvement to encounter new ones. This pill, while capable of something one would need multiple cultivators to do, can only work on bringing back those at the Elite-level and below,” Ruyi Hao said. “Consider the name, soul vortex. This pill functions by forcing a tether between the soul of the deceased corpse and the pill, it then expends energy within the pill to pull the soul back from its journey towards the soul nexus and into the body, a healing effect is applied at the end using the remainder of the pill’s energy.”

What a ridiculous alchemical pill. Not only could it somehow track down the associated soul of a corpse, but it could then pull it back to the body and heal it too. It wasn’t the effect itself which impressed Orodan - after all he could also bring back the dead through chronomancy - but the sheer scope of what the pill did through alchemy alone.

Even if he had his own advantages, the universe was big, and Orodan Wainwright had a lot to learn. He couldn’t even fathom the thought of performing resurrection through purely alchemical means.

“Despite the limitation, with this pill the common folk would have access to a method of resurrecting their loved ones… death, even accidental, would be but an inconvenience,” Orodan said. “How difficult and costly is the crafting process?”

“There are only three people who can make this. Myself, my head disciple and the disciple who pioneered this pill,” the Transcendent Alchemist said. “The creation also requires very rare ingredients which take time to grow within specific habitats which are saturated with world energy. Bypassing the requirement of knowing the soul arts and healing can be rather expensive.”

It made more sense now why Orodan hadn’t seen such pills in use.

“How about something a powerful Transcendent would make?” Orodan asked.

“Haha, certainly, let me show you what my head disciple can make,” Ruyi Hao said and beckoned for an assistant to fetch a scroll. Once the scroll was handed to him, the alchemist pulled something out of it. “This thing is valuable enough that I don’t simply keep it within my spatial ring, but within a scroll of holding which is specifically warded and sealed against attempts at thievery or destruction. We have only six of these, and it takes many thousands of years before the ingredients become available.”

“Should you be bringing out such a priceless treasure for the purpose of showing?” Orodan asked.

“We are at war, and the more you know of these things, the better. You rub shoulders with all the mighty Sovereigns of the Celestial Court, the Puppet Sovereign speaks well of you, and the Thousand Broom Sovereign tells me your ability far outstrips his. And most importantly, the High Sovereign himself has given special dispensation for me to show you anything you desire within our sacred vaults,” the Celestial Alchemist said. “And besides, the activation for it requires more than just an accidental nudge.”

It was a shimmering glass globe. Or so it seemed to the naked eye at first glance. Yet, that wasn’t glass, and the sheer quantity of power contained within the orb impressed even Orodan. Power comparable to the core of a large world itself.

“This item is incredibly powerful… yet how can alchemy create such a thing?” Orodan asked. Was this man pulling his leg? “It looks to be an enchanted item, perhaps a glassmaker or an enchanter was involved in its creation?”

“You will come to learn my young friend, that high-level crafts can go beyond the bounds of the skill itself,” Ruyi Hao said. “It might look otherwise, yet do not be fooled. This item came out of a bubbling cauldron, the ingredients were put inside, the spirit flame carefully stoked, and elements changed whenever necessary, and a gruelling week long process which left my head disciple bed-ridden for a month afterward was necessary.”

Orodan decided to use Identify for himself to find out.

The Alchemy hall had formations inside which allowed for the usage of Identify upon the powerful treasures held within. Else, Orodan with his low-level Identify skill wouldn’t be capable of gleaning any information on a Transcendent-level item. The formation did the work for him, and as the details were transmitted to him, he could only gape yet again.

[Name: Orb of the World Shield

Description: An orb crafted by a Transcendent Alchemist using nothing but the Dao of Alchemy. Capable of projecting a shield capable of protecting an entire world for an hour.

Tier: Transcendent]

Orodan could only shake his head in bafflement.

“Yet another ridiculous item. Is that why it has so much energy within? To fuel the defense of an entire world against attacks of planet-shattering scale?” Orodan asked.

“Indeed. In fact, the recent mission you went on where you were granted an Embodier’s Sacrifice by our allies in the Conclave… this orb can protect a world against even that,” Ruyi Hao said. “The explosion of a soul nexus, even an Embodier’s full power strike… this orb can defend against it for a time.”

“That makes no sense. The Embodier’s Sacrifice produces an explosion capable of destroying an entire star system. How can the energy equivalent to a large world core match it?”

The old alchemist simply smiled.

“As I said. Items at the Transcendent-level often do not make sense. This orb can defend against attacks far beyond its caliber,” Ruyi Hao explained. “It’s why Transcendent-level crafters are so valued. Just one item made by us can contribute greatly to any war. Frankly, the rumors within the Hegemony still wonder why you did not slay the famed Urias Virenmar upon Narictus. Depriving the Hegemony of a peak-Transcendent Enchanter with a Celestial skill would’ve been quite the blow.”

“Where’s the fight in that?” Orodan asked. “I won’t stoop to slaughtering non-combatants for the sake of war damage. Better to learn from a crafter than kill them.”

“I can appreciate such a sentiment. Anyhow, I have one more thing to show you.”

“Alright… how about something that’s the pinnacle of your alchemy?” Orodan asked. “You’re the greatest alchemist upon Xian, no?”

“In the entirety of the Ascendent Sword Cluster actually. As for what I wish to show, it’s a peak-Transcendent item, I’ll show you something that took me all my skill to make. For this you shall have to come with me,” Ruyi Hao said and Orodan obliged, following along. Only when they were halfway down a private hallway meant for the most trusted of the Celestial Court, did the man continue. “It’s the culmination of my Celestial skill and my entire life’s work. I’ll never be able to replicate it again. All that effort for a seemingly useless item.”

“Useless? And why can it not be replicated?”

“The core ingredient came from the black hole at the center of our galaxy. We can never get anything like it again unless such an event occurs once more,” he said. “Yet, despite me bottling it up, we still have no discernible use for it.”

“Should you be showing it to me then?” Orodan asked.

“The High Sovereign insisted that if I show you anything from the vaults… it is this. Word of your… unique situation has spread, and I suppose if anyone should have access to it, it would be you,” the Celestial Alchemist said.

Orodan was led to a vault which had every manner of safeguard and protection possible upon it. The very process of opening it took twenty minutes and required Zhou Shan himself to come down at the end.

“Ah, I see the time has come to hand the bottle over,” the High Sovereign said as he walked into the chamber.

“Prince er- High Sovereign… are you certain of this? The item can never be replicated again unless such an event occurs once more,” Ruyi Hao said.

“I am certain. Bring it out,” Zhou Shan said and provided a drop of his blood. “If anyone should have it for study, it’s Orodan Wainwright.”

Five more minutes passed as all manner of formations deactivated. The vault door opened to reveal…

…a bottle.

The liquid within was incredibly clear, yet that wasn’t what drew Orodan’s eye. The strangely suspended and glowing glyph of the System floating within did.

“Calling it my creation wouldn’t be accurate. All I did after pouring all my expertise into it was manage to successfully bottle it, to prevent the glyph from fading or escaping our grasp,” Ruyi Hao said. “Identify doesn’t work upon it either.”

“How have you managed to capture a glyph of the System…? It shouldn’t be possible…” Orodan said. “Nobody should be capable of directly interacting with those things.”

“The application of my Celestial skill and every bit of insight I ever possessed,” Ruyi Hao said. “And even then, I feared failure near the precipice of the act. An entire world core had to be destroyed and its strange life blood used as the suspending fluid. World cores have a relationship with the System, and it was only through it that I was able to trap that glyph. People who attempt to interact with the glyphs and symbols of the System exist and its an esoteric field of study which mainly involves delusional fools attempting conversation with these symbols, yet nobody in recorded history has been able to directly interact with one.”

“This glyph was one of many emitted from the black hole at the center of our galaxy. There was a fierce battle and a diplomatic incident between multiple factions in a bid to acquire them. Not that they seem to do anything at all. The Celestial Emperor would often study it and he seemed closest of all to influencing it,” Zhou Shan explained. “While we do not know what it does, recently, it has become quite relevant.”

“How so?”

“After that horrific incident with the shard, our soul cultivators scanned your soul deeply during the time you were out, in the hopes of helping you. The soul core is normally inviolable, nobody can peer within, not into their own nor into those of others. Yet the shard’s foul power for a brief moment illuminated the System symbols and glyphs present within, it made them tremble and become apparent to our scans momentarily,” Zhou Shan said. “And what they saw… Orodan… this glyph matches many of the ones found within your soul core.”

“How is it relevant to me then? Anyone could have these glyphs.”

“The shard’s energy caused everyone’s souls to tremble. We have scans of Zaessythra and W78 too,” Zhou Shan said. “Yours is the only soul which had these strange glyphs. They match the glyph which came out of the black hole a little while ago.”

The shard… was that how Agrimon, leader of the Hegemony had been able to detect Orodan’s time looping nature? His foe had at one point said that he was able to detect the subtle markings of the System upon Orodan’s soul. Was the shard and this symbol the giveaway?

“You say a ‘little while ago’, yet the lives of you Transcendents are measured in millions of years. Just when did these symbols spew forth from the black hole?” Orodan asked.

“Seventeen years ago.”

#

Orodan was laid on his back, staring up into the bright noon sky of Xian. In his hands, a scroll on System glyphs and symbols and the esoteric area of study where some would attempt to decipher or influence them.

The records of these people were scant. A large number of them ended up missing, never to be heard from again, and many of them also wound up getting corrupted by the Eldritch. It was suspicious.

Near him, Zaessythra, a book on transformations and blood magic in her hands.

“The mystery only thickens, Zaessythra,” Orodan said to his companion. “The more I learn, the more questions I have.

“What else do you expect? You’re clearly the anointed time looper, even that nightmare you encountered said so,” she remarked.

“You’re old, don’t you have any advice for me? I’m good at bashing my head against things in a straightforward manner, not these puzzles,” Orodan said. “I still don’t know what this time loop wants from me.”

“My age has little bearing on a matter which is beyond me. You’re already on the right track with your plan to venture to the Vystaxium Galaxy and try to uncover more clues and mayhap secure allies,” she said. “I would be a little more worried if I were you though. They called you an anomaly, Orodan, and I would be inclined to agree.”

“Why would I worry? The battle is ahead of us and we’re moving in the right direction towards the enemy, are we not?”

Zaessythra closed her book and looked closely at him.

“That. That’s why they call you an anomaly. Even that unfathomable terror beyond our comprehension referred to you as such,” Zaessythra said. “Orodan… are you even human?”

“Isn’t that a bit weird to say when you’re a half-dragon yourself? I have nothing against people of other species. Or are you perhaps taking issue with my Absolute Body Composition then?”

“No. Idiot. I speak of you. Your mind, your emotions. Are you even a mortal?”

“Gods and Transcendents past a certain level can’t really be considered mortal either, Zaessythra, what are you trying to say?” he asked, and then promptly received a smack upside his head via a thrown book. “Alright, alright. I’ll stop being difficult. You want me to worry? Why would I? I’m a warrior, I face the enemy, I fight, I die. Whether that death sends me back to Ogdenborough or is permanent, what does it matter? Whether I face the Lord of Night or a cosmic terror which attempted to shatter my mind, soul and System, what’s the difference? It’s naught but a matter of scale.”

“That… is what I mean. Sometimes, Orodan…” she said. “It’s as though I’m talking to a fabled being of legend, a myth beyond comprehension. You’re more walking impossibility than man. You say the cosmic terror was incomprehensible, but to me you’re just as much of an unfathomable existence at times.”

“I’m just a man Zaessythra, perhaps one possessed of a willpower that’s a little strange, but a regular person nonetheless.”

“Are you? I haven’t once seen you actually falter to the very mortal emotions everyone should have. Even Gods and Transcendents feel fear and terror, they feel love, care, concern… and these are real vulnerabilities everyone should have,” Zaessythra said. “I recall the trauma, the agony of that shard striking me. It showed me many lifetimes of horror, of me failing at everything. My vulnerabilities were preyed upon, and I was broken. Yet you… you just… hold on and emerge the same. What are you?”

“I’m just a warrior, that’s all I am. I admit… I’ve always tried harder than anyone. Laziness and hesitation weren’t something I really knew. I simply chalked that up to me having a tougher mind… yet when on a cosmic scale for my will to hold strong even then, I admit it’s a bit strange,” Orodan mused. “Still… you’re wrong about one thing. I do feel emotions, and things do hurt for me all the same.”

“Oh? Such as?”

“I can still feel rage. And besides that…” Orodan said. “My care and concern for you should be obvious enough, no?”

No reply came forth for none was necessary.

The two simply remained in silence for a while. Orodan looking at the bright sun overlooking Xian, and Zaessythra looking at the view of Swordmist City from their vantage point atop the highest point of the Celestial Palace.

“An hour until the grand array beams down,” Zaessythra said. “Even I have never been to another galaxy before.”

“Is it an uncommon thing? Inter-galactic travel?” he asked.

“Quite. In my time it was something done once every few centuries, and the activation of a grand array was a matter of great celebration and speculation,” she said. “Operating it is an expensive endeavor.”

Orodan grunted, and soon the hour drew nearer.

The first sign that something was wrong was when he felt spatial fluctuations in the void above Xian’s atmosphere.

The second sign… the activation of the Orb of the World Shield he’d been shown.

A titanic blast of cannon fire which could obliterate a large star rained down, and he immediately took notice of the shadows of ships in the void above.

A familiar voice, one he’d heard through an Avatar long ago called out. It was divine in nature.

“Cultivators. Surrender the time looper and we need not come to blows, this I swear upon my honor,” a booming voice echoed across the planet. “Fail to do so… and you shall taste the arsenal of the dwarves.”

Varkir… dwarven God of Crafting, Endurance and Honor.

This divine was a mercenary and sold himself and his people’s services to the highest bidder.

“Varkir! The dwarves yet again sell themselves to the Hegemony?! At this rate you may as well admit you are Agrimon’s lap dog!” Lady Sujana boomed in the skies as she flew to meet him. “Orodan, the grand array will descend any moment now, you must leave immediately and fetch aid from the Conclave’s branch within the Vystaxium Galaxy!”

“I refuse! Let us stand and fight alongside you!” Orodan proclaimed.

Zhou Shan was suddenly next to him.

“No, my friend. You’re strong, but they have multiple Transcendents and an arsenal of horrid power. Your efforts are best spent getting us the help we need. Without vampirism, a Devil King or the Eldritch you would not be able to bridge the gap between yourself and high-level Transcendents,” Zhou Shan explained. “This is but a token force and we’re all but certain to win this battle. Yet their main objective lies in delaying your travel. The threat of additional allies on our side is their main concern. Return with aid, and you deny them their main objective.”

“Come, Orodan, listen to reason for once!” Zaessythra said.

A grand beam landed upon the surface of the Palace’s Peak; the spatial fluctuations muted yet unfathomably powerful. This was the teleportation beam of the grand array that they needed to step into.

They were right. Try as he might, the remaining checkpoint uses he had wouldn’t be enough to suddenly bridge this large gap.

Much as Orodan hated it… he had people relying on him to secure aid from the Conclave, and perhaps even more.

He stepped into the beam.

Space trembled, the stars suddenly blazed past him and he barely managed to grab Zaessythra’s hand in time to avoid separation as the travel had suddenly become rather unstable.

Behind them, the dwarves were attempting to fire weapons of mass destruction towards the tail end of the array. It connected, and something was shattered…

…the part of the array which masked their travel through the void and the targeting function.

And suddenly, Orodan had a strong feeling that something was watching him.

Two seconds of travel later, a gigantic gaping maw attempted to swallow the beam whole. It was the size of an entire star system.

Surely this would be the end of the checkpoint loop?

Or so Orodan thought until the void crackled with glowing golden light and the maw was driven off with a shriek of pain.

The two of them practically smashed into their destination, and the spatial fluctuations eventually settled to reveal they’d landed somewhere.

Evidently, the natives of the world they’d landed on also noticed. Given the dozens of barrels aimed at the two of them.

A woman wielding a rapier and ornate military uniform stepped forward, still on guard. Behind her, rows of troops armored in metallic armor which emitted a strange gas.

“Identify yourself, or I give the steam knights and artillery the order to open fire.”

Not the ideal entry to a new galaxy in search of allies.