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It hasn't been thirty minutes since we last met yet it feels like I've spent days.
"We meet again."
Lancelith greeted.
"Yeah."
I replied, coming to a halt at the centre of the hall.
"Let's get it over with, shall we?"
[[IMAGE]]
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"Sure. Before we begin, I'll give you a heads-up. No negative concepts exist here. Any attempt to alter an existing concept or create a new one, you'll be penalised."
'Conceptual manipulation. Negative Concepts so there's no evil, hatred, injustice... lies.'
The last word didn't sit well with me. To lie.
"The truth is your only option."
'For someone to restore destroyed archetypes, I can't trick him. I can, but for what's worth, I need to be straight.'
"Don't worry. As long as you're the all-mighty, I'll be honest with my words."
I replied, placing a hand on my shoulder. His lips curve into a faint smile, barely noticeable.
"I hope so. Let's begin."
He said, ready to fire missiles of questions.
"How did you infiltrate Kalidor?"
'That damn question.'
This was a question I could not avoid. I had already thought it through and knew how to answer without revealing too much about my real identity.
"I didn't infiltrate."
I said calmly.
"I walked straight into a portal."
His expression shifted slightly, surprise flickering across his face. The conceptual detector must have confirmed that I was telling the truth.
Infiltration implied intent to trespass. What I did was different. To them it might look the same, but the distinction mattered to me. Eltanin activated the portal, and I simply stepped through. That was all there was to it.
"Where did you land?"
He asked, clearly continuing the line of questioning after confirming my honesty.
"Veyra."
I replied.
"The Black Desert, to be precise."
"And you managed to reach Pyrral undetected?"
"No… umm… what was his name again?"
I raised a hand to my chin, pretending to think deeply.
"Obsidian Wyrm."
I continued after a moment.
"A Void Dragon from the Caraxis family. He was guarding the Gate, but I found a way to bypass it."
"Do not leave anything out."
The e Grand Duke insisted, clearly intent on hearing the entire story.
"Alright. After I arrived, I saved Vera from a group of bullies. Void Dragon bullies."
"So the girl is a Void Dragon?"
'Give me a brake.'
"I don't know."
I said with a small shrug.
"I never asked about her race. I helped her because it felt like the right thing to do. Don't blame me for that."
I waved the remark away dismissively.
Lancelith studied me for several seconds, weighing my words and searching for any sign of deception. After a moment, he gave a small nod, signalling for me to continue.
"She led us to the Gate, and at first, Obsidian Wyrm wasn't there, physically. He left his presence on guard and went strolling. He came back immediately after noticing our presence. That's when I exploited the situation and used it to my advantage.
I pretended to be Silverwing Blood and beat him up for leaving his post before walking right into the Gate after warning him about a rift in Veyra, and someone might've infiltrated our domain."
I responded with a smile.
"You knew about the Nobility System among the Void Dragons?"
"Not me, Vera does."
"Ok. With that, you ascend into Pyrral?"
"Yes. It was a long story..."
"Time isn't a problem here, so don't worry."
"You asked for it."
I told him about our journey in Pyrral from the encounter with Lady Silverhair, my plans, saving the prisoners, my confrontation with the Cannibal and Ash Duke Velros and safely making my way into Parvak.
"This kid."
He smirked.
"What happened in Parvak?"
I told him the main details, omitting my confrontation with those foreign entities.
"The next morning, I led the way to the Gate only for Tik to reveal there's no Gate in Parvak. That's where I met him and his shadow puppy, Draal."
"Draal isn't an Abyssal Calamity's kin."
"I wasn't talking about that shadow."
I said evenly.
"I was referring to the Hollow Prince of Baeleryon, Mordryth."
Grand Duke Lancelith's eyes widened at the name. The reaction was subtle, but unmistakable. Surprise crossed his expression, followed almost immediately by a flicker of recognition, as though the name carried weight far beyond an ordinary enemy.
"And you won against Mordryth?"
"Apparently."
I spread my arms slightly, presenting my unharmed self as the only proof I cared to offer.
"How?"
"I can't disclose that. But all I can say is, he was a really formidable opponent. His Parasitic Darkness was really something. Something that made void another meal on the table."
"So you're true to your name, Wú Jí, the ultimate nothingness."
'Opps, I said too much.'
"..."
"You can use void which can be consumed. So how did you win?"
"..."
I was speechless, I had nothing to say.
"Answer the question."
He demanded, but I wasn't going to say anything. I've said too much already.
"His words are more than enough, Grand Duke."
A new voice echoed around the hall. My instincts were telling me I'm not alone yet, but I couldn't find him. Lancelith looked to his right, and there he was, standing, watching us.
From his dress style, he's of high status in Kalidor. Gold is royalty. White is purity, yet he was neither white nor gold but seemed to radiate a mixture of royalty and purity and something more...
'Supremacy.'
His hair was tousled yet pure white with a pale moonlit sheen that made me jealous for the time.
He wore an ornate midnight-azure robe with intricate embroidery and layered silver chains draped across, each chain set with faceted blue crystal pendants that emit a soft icy light. A delicate silver earring with a single crystal shard.
A presence that made the light jealous, the embodiment of beauty, that took sixty percent of my hundred percent overthrowing Ela's previous ninty nine percent.
'Stop staring like a fool.'
Enta's voice snapped me out of it. I quickly composed myself, hoping I had not been making some strange or foolish expression.
"Grand Prince."
Lancelith said in a low voice.
"He's strong."
The soft, icy voice arrived before the figure fully revealed himself. Each calm step carried a quiet authority that spread across Parvak like a silent command.
"To defeat a True Descendant of the Primordial Family single-handedly… that is not something one sees every day."
His tone suggested the truth would eventually surface, no matter how carefully it was hidden.
As expected, the moment he appeared properly, the very light around him seemed to grow dim in comparison. His presence made the world itself adjust, as though reality had to accommodate him with every step he took.
With graceful composure, he approached me. His beauty was striking, almost unnaturally so, and the closer he came, the more overwhelming it felt. The air itself seemed to shift around him, bending subtly to his existence as he closed the distance between us.
'So Baeleryon is the Primordial Family, meaning it's the first generation of Void Dragons. Mordryth said he's the third and last True Descendent, which means they are two more. If he's the weakest, how strong are those two?'
"You really believe him?"
Lancelith asked, finding my accomplishment unbelievable.
"Knowing the Angel of Death, he leaves no survivors in his wake. But those two were alive, and the kid survived."
"So he killed him. His method might prove useful when the time comes to deal with those two."
"Take it easy, Grand Duke. Your former rival is gone."
"During the Great Dragon War that he triggered, Mordryth slaughtered many of our brothers, the Martyrs. Gawain Cael and I could barely keep up with him. That was long ago, and he should have grown infinitely stronger since then. Yet you are telling me a child defeated him?"
To Lancelith, the idea was almost impossible to accept. His voice carried both disbelief and the lingering bitterness of an old war.
I remained silent for a moment, letting the words settle.
I did not know the full history of the Great Dragon War, nor how powerful the dragons had been during that era. But one thing was certain: Mordryth had not been an easy opponent. Even for me, the battle had been brutal. Whatever he had once been during that ancient conflict, the version I faced had still been terrifyingly powerful.
"A lot has changed since the Great Dragon War. And I'm confident you can take care of the current Mordryth alone. When the impending War continues, you can clear the Vhaegon Bloodline alone. We've changed and grown significantly, my dear friend."
He placed a comforting hand on Lancelith's shoulder.
'New Family, possibly second after Baeleryon.'
"As for Wú Jí here."
He turned to meet my gaze.
"I don't know how he managed to defeat someone like Mordryth."
"Mine, either. I wasn't able to detect any intervention."
"It means he's telling the truth."
The Grand Prince stood feet from me. His perfume-less smell is beyond description. Each breath makes you want to take more.
"I'm the High Sovereign, Grand Prince Arthur Lys. It's been aeons since I've introduced myself to anyone. Be honoured, Little Void."
He gave a warm, faint smile, blessing me with his beauty and grace. Stardamn right, I'm honoured.
"I..I'm Wú Jí. Two High Sovereigns?"
'What in the Void was that, a stutter? Are you serious?'
Entares asked, surprised. He should, because I had no idea why I stuttered.
"'High Sovereign' is just a title Lancelith and I possess. Dragons with authority and power that can surpass the King's."
"I'm ignorant of the Dragon system."
"I know."
He turned away, and a throne formed behind him as though the world itself had prepared it in advance. Without hesitation, he took his seat upon it, claiming the position with the ease of someone who stood above kings rather than beneath them.
"So, Wú Jí… that is a Lyra Constellation, correct?" he asked.
His chin rested lightly against his hand as he waited, observing me with calm curiosity.
My heart gave a single loud hard beat, my eyes reacting to this sudden atmosphere. I was no longer lost in his beauty, I was focused and stern. He snapped his fingers.
"Gotcha,"
He said with a smirk.
'Eyes that nothing can escape. I can't lie; the room would betray me.
Besides, lying is a human trait. It'll make me human for trying. I don't want that, I'm Supreme. Lyra Constellations are famous for imitating myths and gods while sometimes being their sources. I don't know how he reached that guess, but I can only say yes.'
"Yeah."
"Liar."
His smirk widened. That's when I thought straight and realized I was just a trap the moment he asked.
'Had I spoken my true Constellation, it would still be a lie because currently, I'm not Antares. I'm currently persona, and the name Wú Jí can be tied to the Lyra Constellation. If I answered Lyra, as I did, it's still false. Well played, Grand Prince Arthur Lys.'
I smirked.
"So, what's your Constellation?"
He asked again.
'I'm not Antares, so Scorpios isn't the answer. I'm Wú Jí but that doesn't make me Lyra. If he's asking about Constellation and I'm giving answers...then this isn't a Constellation test, it's a test to reveal my nature as a Star. He's good.'
"None."
"A Star without a Constellation isn't a thing. Or are you not a Star at all? Perhaps… a Dark Star?"
The words hit me like ice. My chest went cold, the air around me seeming to thicken as though reality itself had paused for a heartbeat.
'Anyone, regardless of species, is an outsider to the inhabitants of Kalidor. He knows I'm one of two. Which answer should I pick?'
"Wú Jí is a Taoist concept."
He continued, his voice calm but unyielding, giving me barely a moment to process.
"It can mean ultimate nothingness, a primordial being beyond form and duality."
He paused only briefly before continuing.
"However, it can also signify a state where Taiji arises, giving birth to existence. So tell me…"
He raised his right palm, open and steady.
"Are you the source of existence, Taiji…"
Then he opened his left, equally deliberate.
"…or the ultimate nothingness, Wú Jí?"
His gaze locked onto me.
"Which is it, Little Void?"
'Damn.'
I swallowed hard, the weight of the question pressing down like the gravest of judgements.
'The scale tilts to being a Dark Star. But I can't say it even though I'm not a Dark Star. That'll be a lie. I can say it outright that I'm a Star, the consequences will be less. But I'm not Taiji, the Supreme Ultimate.
Damn you, Entares. Why choose such a name that'll put me in this position? I should've kept the name Nyxon. I guess I have no choice afterall.'
"What is it?"
He asked, but I couldn't risk my Twin Star status. Revealing my Constellation is one thing but Twin Star... I can't trust everyone with that information.
"Perpahs both."
He clasped his palms.
'Screw that. What's the fault in subduing these two right now?'
None. I got my answer. I don't need to say a damn thing if they're dead.
My aura flared violently, the sheer pressure corroding the earth beneath me, sending cracks spiderwebbing outward. Stones hissed and blackened where the energy touched.
Grand Duke stepped forward instinctively, positioning himself between me and the Grand Prince.
"Trust me, kid,"
He said, his tone calm but firm.
"this is a bad idea."
"Stand down, Grand Duke. I'd like to test him myself."
The Grand Prince commanded. Lancelith's shoulders tensed, but he obeyed, stepping aside without another word.
The space between us grew taut with anticipation.
"Let us go."
I said. Risking my adventure for this escape route.
"The door is right behind you. Knowing Stars in general, their pride is like a lion's tail. There's no safety after stepping on it."
'Confronting two High Sovereigns is suicide even for someone like you currently.'
Entares, who should have been oblivious to the Star Dragon system, spoke, but his words barely registered.
I had no choice, I had to act. Instantaneous movement would be far too slow; I could be dead before I even reached him.
Thanks to Aether Move and its nigh-omnipresence, I didn't need to traverse space or even conceptually shift. I only needed to will it.
In an instant, my void-cloaked fist was already poised, aimed to nullify him, and, just like that, it was in place, ready to strike before he even realised what had happened.
I was meant to land a perfect strike inside that anti-time stillness, yet Arthur Lys rose with unhurried ease and caught my fist as if plucking it from the air. No sound or energy backlash was made. Everything was completely neutralised.
'Huh?'
"I know you can see it too, so watch closely."
He said, Star Dust beginning to swirl and coalesce around his palm.
Etherium flared instinctively, urging me to focus. Unlike when Arcanocysts coordinated the flow of magical spells, these Star Dust particles were not merely a medium, they were the conductor, controlling Arcanocysts and other energies as they danced and spiralled around his fingers.
'It's possible… but not here. Not him.'
Entares thought, the realisation striking both of us. This was undeniably it.
'The power to…'
'...control Energy Fragments.'
He lifted a hand toward my face, a single point of Star Dust gathering at his fingertip before he flicked it against my forehead.
In that instant, I felt myself splintering. Fragments of my being shattered, scattering like shards of glass, only to be swallowed by darkness.
It was not the blackness of unconsciousness, no, it was different. The Ethereal Filaments, the very threads that connected my essence, were torn apart. The Star Dust had severed them, cutting through the foundations of my existence in a single, precise motion.
To be continued...