The violet hurricane receded, its light dimming, its power folding back into Kafu's form. The 108,981 star systems of the Miniature Universe, which had trembled under the weight of his awakening, slowly stilled. But the damage was done. Every being in existence had felt it. Every power in the universe knew that something had changed. Something had awakened. Something had become.
Kafu stood in the shattered gates of the Starry Beast Prison, his 12 wings folded behind him, his violet power suppressed, his aura carefully controlled. He let it settle. He let it dim. He let it return to Epoch Forging—the realm he had rebuilt himself to after Xynthos's betrayal, the realm that had carried him through 100,000 years of becoming, the mask he would wear until the moment he chose to reveal what he truly was.
[DIVINE GOD SYSTEM — AURA SUPPRESSION ACTIVE]
Aspect True Power Displayed Power
Cultivation Chaos Sovereign 9 Epoch Forging 7
Immortal Force 10 Octillion IF 500 Billion IF
Soul Cultivation Supreme Godless Hidden
Wings 12 Source Elements Folded, invisible
Runes Hermetic Pattern Hidden beneath skin
Trio of Existence Source Karma, Life, Death Hidden
The Warden lay before him, its form flickering, its power drained, its will shattered. It had been Etherial God Level 9. It had held this prison for a billion years. It had never been defeated. Now, it knelt.
Kafu reached out with his will—not his power, not his IF, but his will. His will, which had been tested for 100,000 years in the trials of the Throne. His will, which had been forged in the fires of 13 concepts, 12 elements, 14 runes, 3 laws. His will, which was now on par with the Almighty Supreme God itself.
[WILLPOWER — ALMIGHTY SUPREME GOD LEVEL]
Aspect Value
Willpower Level Almighty Supreme God
Soul Control Level 13 (Soul Godhood)
Soul Slave Capacity 5,000,000,000,000 (5 trillion)
Current Soul Slaves 700,305,099
Available Slots 4,299,694,901
He touched the Warden's soul. It resisted. It had been a god for a billion years. It had never knelt. It had never served. It would rather die.
Kafu's will pressed against it, and the Warden's will crumbled.
[THE WARDEN — ENSLAVED]
Aspect Value
Name The Starv Beast
Realm Etherial God 9
True IF 999 Septendecillion IF
Suppressed IF (in prison) 999 Septendecillion IF
Role Warden of the Starry Beast Prison
New Role Kafu's Soul Slave, Prison Administrator
The Warden knelt. "Master. The prison is yours. The prisoners are yours. I am yours."
Kafu looked at the 10,000 guards on the walls, their power drained, their wills broken by the violet hurricane that had washed over them. He reached out with his will, and one by one, they knelt.
[THE GUARDS — ENSLAVED]
Force Number Realm New Role
Prison Guards 10,000 Eternal Celestial 5-9 Prison Staff
Elite Guards 1,000 Eternal Sovereign 1-3 Prison Commanders
Warden's Guard 100 Etherial God 1-3 Warden's Advisors
The Starry Beast Prison—the fortress that had held gods for a billion years, the prison that had held his wives for 100,000 years, his students for 100,000 years, his shadows for 100,000 years, Makena's crystal for 100,000 years—was his.
[DIVINE GOD SYSTEM — STARRY BEAST PRISON ACQUIRED]
Aspect Value
Location Universe 7, The Edge of Reality
Capacity 1,000,000,000 prisoners
Current Prisoners 700,305,099 (Kafu's forces)
New Warden The Starv Beast (Kafu's soul slave)
New Guards 11,100 (Kafu's soul slaves)
Owner Kafu of Ashari
---
THE RELEASE — THE PRISONERS FREED
Kafu walked through the prison, and the cells opened before him. The first cell held Kyrella. Her Starlight was dimmed, her power bound, her spirit unbroken. She had waited for 100,000 years. She had never doubted. She had never lost hope.
He opened her cell. He broke her chains. He pulled her into his arms.
"I'm here," he said. "I'm sorry it took so long."
Kyrella wept. For the first time in 100,000 years, she wept.
The second cell held Morana. The third, Veyla. The fourth, Terrana. The fifth, Aquana. The sixth, Ignia. The seventh, Aeria. The eighth, Luminara. The ninth, Tenebris. The tenth, Crysa. The eleventh, Terra. The twelfth, Sylva. All twelve wives, freed.
The next cells held his students. Makena—not the Makena who slept, but the Makena who had become a legend, who had ended Eras, who had waited for her master to return. She stepped out of her cell, her blade in hand, her runes blazing, her eyes wet.
"Master. You came."
"I always come. I always keep my promises."
The other cells opened. Ten students. Ten First Legends. 100,000 Eternal Celestials. 5 million freed slaves. 8,503 beasts. 700 million shadows. All of them, freed.
And in the deepest cell, at the heart of the prison, guarded by the Warden's strongest arrays, watched by the Warden's most loyal guards, Makena's crystal waited.
Kafu walked to it alone. His wives watched. His students watched. His shadows watched. The crystal pulsed with the light of a promise that had waited 125,000 years to be kept. He touched it.
"Soon," he said. "Soon, I wake you. First, I make the world safe. First, I end those who took you. First, I keep every promise."
The crystal pulsed warmly.
---
THE CLONES — THE DIVISION OF SELF
As Kafu stood before Makena's crystal, the golden text appeared with a suggestion.
[DIVINE GOD SYSTEM — CLONE RECOMMENDATION]
"Host has achieved Source Mastery of Karma, Life, and Death. Host's will is on par with the Almighty Supreme God. Host's soul control can command 5 trillion souls. Host's power is too great to use fully without destabilizing reality. Recommendation: Create clones. Let them act in host's stead. Let them hunt. Let them gather. Let them keep promises while host waits for the moment to reveal his true power."
Kafu considered. The system was right. His full power—10 Octillion IF, enough to challenge Supreme Godless—was too much for the reality of the 13th Era. Using it would destabilize worlds, shatter universes, end civilizations. He would use only what he needed. 250 Quintrillion IF. Enough to defeat any Eternal Sovereign. Enough to challenge Etherial Gods. Enough to keep his promises without destroying everything he was trying to save.
[POWER SUPPRESSION — ACTIVE]
Aspect True Power Displayed Power Combat Power
Cultivation Chaos Sovereign 9 Epoch Forging 7 Hidden
IF 10 Octillion IF 500 Billion IF 250 Quintrillion IF
Wings 12 Source Elements Folded 1 Source Element at a time
Runes Hermetic Pattern Hidden 1 Rune at a time
He raised his hand, and 12 clones stepped from his shadow. Each one was him. Each one had his will, his power, his purpose. Each one would hunt those who had taken his people. Each one would gather what was needed for the final promise.
[THE 12 CLONES — ASSIGNMENTS]
Clone Target Power Purpose
1 Royal Families who attacked New Hope 250 Quintrillion IF Hunt, capture, enslave
2 Cartels who sold his people 250 Quintrillion IF Hunt, capture, enslave
3 Mafias who profited from his absence 250 Quintrillion IF Hunt, capture, enslave
4 Remnants of the 12 Eras who escaped 250 Quintrillion IF Hunt, capture, enslave
5 The First Varnax (secluded for 10 billion years) 250 Quintrillion IF Hunt, capture, enslave
6 The 5th Seal (Law Comprehension) 250 Quintrillion IF Retrieve
7 The 6th Seal (Dao Manifestation) 250 Quintrillion IF Retrieve
8 The 7th Seal (Reality Weaving) 250 Quintrillion IF Retrieve
9 The 8th Seal (Time Mastery) 250 Quintrillion IF Retrieve
10 The 9th Seal (Space Dominion) 250 Quintrillion IF Retrieve
11 The 10th Seal (Concept Creation) 250 Quintrillion IF Retrieve
12 The 13th Seal (Almighty Origin) 250 Quintrillion IF Locate
---
THE 100 SEXTILLION — THE REWARD
The golden text blazed with the final reward.
[DIVINE GOD SYSTEM — BLOODY SCAVENGER HUNT REWARD]
"Host has claimed the Throne of Aeons. Host has mastered the 12 elements. Host has woven the Hermetic Pattern. Host has mastered the Trio of Existence. Host has broken the seals. The reward for the Bloody Scavenger Hunt is now transferred."
Reward Amount
UC 100,000,000,000,000,000,000,000 UC (100 Sextillion UC)
CP 100,000,000,000,000 CP (100 Trillion CP)
Status The One — Confirmed
Status The Unkillable — Confirmed
Kafu looked at the numbers. 100 Sextillion UC. Enough to rebuild New Hope a thousand times over. Enough to free every world in chains. Enough to fund an army that could challenge the Royal Families themselves. He transferred the funds to his accounts, and the clones dispersed into the void.
---
THE REVENGE ARC — THE HUNT BEGINS
Kafu stood at the gates of the Starry Beast Prison, his wives around him, his students behind him, his shadows waiting, Makena's crystal at his side. He looked out at the 108,981 star systems of the Miniature Universe, at the worlds that had been taken from him, at the enemies who had grown fat on his silence.
"They thought I was gone. They thought I was dead. They thought they could take what was mine and I would not return."
He raised the Dream Devourer.
"They were wrong."
He turned to his wives. "You will come with me. We will hunt together. We will break those who broke us. We will take back what was taken. And when the world is safe, when the chains are broken, when every promise is kept—I will wake her."
He turned to his students. "You will lead the shadows. You will free the worlds that are still in chains. You will become what you were always meant to become. And when I call, you will answer."
He turned to his shadows. "You will hunt. You will harvest. You will bring me the souls of those who took you. And when the hunt is over, you will have your peace."
He turned to the void.
"Clone 6. Find the 5th Seal. Bring it to me. The others will hunt. I will prepare. And when all the seals are gathered, I will wake her."
Clone 6 vanished into the void. The others followed. And Kafu stood at the gates of the Starry Beast Prison, his power suppressed to 250 Quintrillion IF, his true power hidden, his promise burning brighter than ever.
---
THE MASK — THE INVISIBLE KING
Kyrella stepped beside him, her Starlight restored, her power returned, her love unbroken. "You are hiding your power. You are hiding what you have become."
"I am hiding what I can do. They saw the violet hurricane. They know something has awakened. They do not know what. They do not know who. They will search for a being of impossible power. They will not find him. They will find a man who kept his promises. A man who freed his people. A man who became what he had to become."
He looked at her, and for a moment, his eyes blazed with the light of 100,000 years of becoming.
"When the time comes, when the seals are gathered, when the promise is ready to be kept—I will show them what I truly am. Until then, I am Kafu of Ashari. Epoch Forging 7. The Scorpion King. The one who keeps promises."
He stepped into the void, his wives beside him, his promise burning, his hunt begun.