Book 5: Chapter 28: The End & Beyond |
David saw them for the first time. More than a hundred gods, only some of whom were Minor Gods. The vast majority were Major Gods, but there were also Ancient and Old Ones if his perception wasn’t failing him; the sheer power entering his range of perception was terrifying to behold. Their presence, albeit suppressed to a bare minimum. As he, Zachariah, and other Peak Ascendants he had never met before emerged from the Space God’s portal, David was positively terrified.
The gods looked almost normal. Most of them looked humanoid. There were a few insectoids, humanoids resembling beasts, and also far more outlandish creatures. One had a massive body with a thousand eyes spread across its entire surface. Another was a towering giant with a dozen arms, each resembling weapons as terrifying as the Obsidian Blade.
Gods from all over the cosmos, each with their unique appearance, had gathered in the space above the Earthen Union. Tension was high among the gods, but even those who hated each other put the past aside to face the future together—as long as time permitted.
David’s mind went blank as the head of a small crimson figure turned to him. The figure was sized like a human and shaped like one, but he was certain it wasn’t. Immense power radiated from the figure, which David had no doubt was Asmodeus, who smiled at him. Asmodeus stared, his smile as wide as possible, but he did not come closer. He stayed with the other beings, their power just as terrifying.
His senses were overloaded with the power of the gods. Information flooded his mind, and his sense of smell, touch, and hearing shut down to process it all.
These are terrifying creatures. I would have loved to fight them, Electra mused, and David could only agree. Maybe not a fight to the death, but he would have liked to test his power against the strongest of the cosmos. His heart raced at the thought, only to calm down as the reality of the situation crashed down on him.
All those gods had gathered for one reason: to close the Fissure. They came, knowing what awaited them if they failed.
David shuddered, his fingers clenching into tight fists. His heartbeat accelerated, and he turned to the Fissure in the distance. A tear in space, once the size of a mouse hole, had been torn asunder, expanding into a massive portal that reached one kilometer in diameter by this point. It flickered in eternal darkness so dark it made it seem like the surrounding space was bright and full of life.
The contrast was staggering, and so was the number of Voidlings emerging from the Fissure as it rippled. Thousands of Fragments, a few hundred Voidre, and dozens of Overlords, led by what could only be a Void Monarch, burst out of the Fissure near-instantaneously. David unleashed a furious wave of Vitae and Nihilum at once, but the Ancients and Old Ones were already upon the enemies.
The Monarch roared aloud, the power of the End erupting from its body and released a series of Nihilum-based projectiles that never reached the Minor and Major Gods on the sidelines. A dazzling dome shrouded them, protecting those too weak to defend themselves. Space burst apart, the Weave flashed and rippled as the Void Monarch tore through it, yet even the Monarch fell victim to the greatest of the cosmos.
The battle ended, but no victorious cheer erupted from the sidelines. Somber expressions and pained grimaces were all that followed.
“That was the fifth wave since the Emperor’s attack, wasn’t it?” David heard from the side, but he ignored the comment.
He used Passage to appear beside one of the Ancients who had taken a hit from the Void Monarch to protect the Ascendants and Minor Gods from certain death.
“I don’t want to sound presumptuous, but I can remove the Monarch’s Nihilum if you’d like,” he said, looking into the eyes of the gargantuan dragon. It was even larger than the Void Dragon had been, and it most definitely wielded greater power than the Void Dragon had.
“Are you the pup?” A deep voice reverberated through space. “Of course, you are.”
A sudden sense of sadness washed over David. “To think we have to rely on a pup who hasn’t even been able to spread his wings.” The dragon shook his head.
David didn’t receive an answer, but he had already summoned Vitae and channeled it into the Ancient Dragon. It wasn’t like anyone would want to leave an intoxication of Nihilum untreated. Even Ancients would have to remove it using an exorbitant amount of Might, especially if the wound was inflicted by a Monarch.
David worked his way through the dragon’s wound, removing the Nihilum as quickly as possible. That didn’t take long now that the potency and control of Vitae had reached new heights. Not even a Monarch could easily tear through Vitae—let alone a dead one.
He listened to the Ancient Dragon and what he had to say, which, in summary, sounded like an apology: that they had messed up badly, underestimating the End for too many millennia before finally realizing their mistake—and that they would do everything needed to solve the issue.
“Consume the Overlords and the Monarch,” the Ancient Dragon said once all Nihilum had been removed from his body. “You will need as much of the Nemesis’ power as possible if you plan on surviving.”
David didn’t think twice before he moved through space, releasing an ocean of Vitae upon the Overlords, devouring them one by one in record time. As he reached the Void Monarch, he felt the gazes of all the gods and Old Ones on him, burning into the depths of his soul. David didn’t feel comfortable about their stares, especially from those who tried to peer into the deepest parts of his very being, but he let them be and focused on the task ahead.
If I want to survive, I need this. All of it. The more the better.
Fully focused on consuming the massive carcass, David didn’t even notice the crack in the Fissure. It formed slowly and wormed its way through the Fissure, expanding ever so gradually. So slow that David was almost done consuming the body when an overwhelming force engulfed him, pulling him away from the Fissure’s proximity.
He barely managed to retrieve his energy, lips parted in a shout, when a shockwave of Nihilum reverberated through space. David’s eyes widened in terror, fixed on the Fissure as it writhed and expanded. Tendrils of all-consuming darkness spread outward, tearing the surrounding Weave apart. They ripped through the immortal seals that had contained it momentarily, then stretched outward unhindered.
“Voidlings to the left!!” someone shouted in a strained, high-pitched voice. “Including three of the seven Monarchs we failed to remove ten months ago!”
“Four Monarchs and an army of Voidre and Overlords to the right!” a second voice echoed through the rows of the cosmos’ finest warriors.
“Behind us are two more! Where the hell are they coming from?! We didn’t miss that many!” The voice of one of the stronger Major Gods reached David’s ears, his tone laced with confusion and... was that fear?
“The Fissure is unraveling! Prepare for the worst!”
The Voidlings from all over the cosmos gathered and successfully surrounded the gods of the cosmos. At the same time, more Voidlings poured out of the Fissure in masses of unprecedented size.
“I guess that’s the sign we’ve been waiting for.” One of the Minor Gods near David chuckled mirthlessly. David’s head flicked to the god, only to see that it was none other than the Minor God of Space who’d been traveling with Zachariah for a short while.
The god stepped forward, Words of Power rolling from his lips. However, unlike the Words of Power David was used to, something was different this time. He stared at the Space God, eyes wide in surprise as the Weave seeped into the god. It was difficult to see what was going on, but the Space God’s expression was distorted in pain. Determination fueled his hardened expression and power filled his body.
As the Space God expanded, his physical form was torn asunder. Space rippled and distorted around him, intertwining with the golden shimmer that oozed from what remained of his body. The Space God roared at the top of his lungs and released a wave that felt like the very essence of a Law. He burst forth, his body expanding to the size of a small hill, and appeared before a group of Overlords. His massive arm, clad in a brilliant shimmer of the golden Law of Space, lunged forward and space distorted around the Voidlings. The Voidre and Fragments behind the Overlords were beheaded as the space around their necks twisted and ripped apart.
The Overlords charged forward and were close enough to the Space God when more power erupted around him. The first Overlord’s body transformed into a whirl of endless darkness as an unknown force descended upon it. Its body was sucked inward and disappeared in what appeared to be a minuscule black hole, which vanished as quickly as it appeared.
David’s jaw dropped at the scene unfolding before his eyes, especially as more and more Voidlings fell victim to the Space God. Unfortunately, not all was well. The Space God’s power diminished as quickly as it had skyrocketed. And with the drop of power, so fled the god’s essence.
In exchange for great power, the Space God forfeited his Divinity as well as his life to the Weave, which accepted the exchange gratefully.
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“What a reckless youngster.” A deep, seemingly primordial voice echoed through space as a massive Beast God appeared beside the Space God. He glanced at the young god and followed his example, forfeiting his life and Divinity to the Weave to gain the power needed to fight the Monarchs head-on.
One by one, Minor and Major Gods surged outward, transforming the Weave into a web of brilliant colors. The essence of all kinds of Laws unfolded throughout space, overwhelming the all-consuming darkness emitted by the expanding Fissure and hundreds of thousands of Voidlings.
Words of Power flooded space, their raw power ringing in David’s ears. His heart beat wildly and his body moved instinctively forward, ready to join those who sacrificed their lives for the continuance of the cosmos, when a firm hand stopped him. David turned to see Zachariah holding him back.
“That is not your job,” he said coldly. The Regressor motioned toward the corpses that appeared all around them instead—bodies of Voidre and Overlords.
“We have a few more minutes,” he said matter-of-factly. “Consume as many as you can. You will need more power to make it happen.”
David did as he was told, but not before turning one last time to the Space God. Several Overlords, dozens of Voidre, and thousands of Fragments fell victim to the Space God, yet the Space God’s time had come. David barely caught sight of the Minor God winking out of existence. Two other Minor Gods followed quickly as more powerful Void Monarchs tore them apart. A handful of Major Gods, wielding the power of a dozen Laws, descended upon the Monarch. It died as quickly as it had killed the Minor Gods, but their lives were also forfeited, their time trickling down much too fast.
David consumed as much as he could. He tried to focus on the task ahead as much as possible, but it was hard to concentrate when surrounded by dozens of gods wielding powers so strong they were killing their wielders.
But while the Minor and Major Gods had moved out, the Ascendants surrounding Zachariah stayed unmoving. They looked ready to sacrifice their lives at a moment’s notice, yet they didn’t move. Neither the Regressor nor the Ancient and Old Ones moved, in fact.
Almost ten minutes passed, although it felt like hours had passed, when the forces east, south, and west had been eliminated. David’s Corrupted Divine Heart was humming in ecstasy, his count of Vitae easily surpassing 2,000. Titanblood leveled rapidly, and his physical strength was greater than ever, yet David couldn’t be happy about it.
The Minor Gods had already succumbed to their fate, and the Major Gods didn’t look any better for wear. By this point, their lives were no more than embers, but that didn’t seem to matter to them. They had already forfeited their lives; there was no coming back anymore. The Major Gods, flaring with the Laws that had empowered them for eons, charged toward the Fissure and the masses of Voidlings pouring out of it continuously.
“It’s time.” Zachariah unsheathed his sword. In the same instance, he burst apart, his body—no, his entire being—radiating the Law of the Sword. The Weave poured into him, filling him with the power of several Laws. His skin flaked off, and his flesh quickly followed.
“Heal the Ascendants for as long as you can. The longer, the better,” he ordered, starting phase two. He closed his eyes for a moment, and more and more power poured out of him. David cast [Transcendent Restoration], while the Laws of Healing, Life, and several others descended upon him and every other god on the battlefield.
The other Ascendants moved out as well, their Laws tearing through their bodies as they forcefully augmented their prowess. It wouldn’t last long, but a minute was enough.
Then, at last, the Old Ones stirred. They had protected Zachariah and the other Ascendants, including David, since the battle began, following the plan to eliminate the End’s influence once and for all with precision. But now that their time had come, they too moved against the End.
Asmodeus appeared beside David, his body radiating the essence of the Law of Blood. The Law was so powerful that it displaced space itself, leaving behind a trail of blood. The Weave screeched as if in pain, but it provided Asmodeus with the power he required in exchange for his sacrifice.
“You too?” David asked, trying to sound nonchalant. Clearly, that failed.
“All of us are,” the Ruler of Blood responded, and he did actually sound nonchalant. “The End is our responsibility. The young ones should not have to carry the weight of our mistakes, yet they do. We forced that upon you. We were arrogant, certain the End wouldn’t pose a threat to the cosmos, until it was far too late.”
He shook his head, no sign of his usual crazed nature. “Since we are responsible for this, we ought to end it. But we can’t. All we can do is pave a way, to do what’s right, to fix what we wronged.”
David was about to say something, but Asmodeus’ body flickered. It disappeared for a moment, leaving a trail of blood straight into the Voidling masses. Tens of thousands of them died instantaneously, including a Void Monarch. Asmodeus returned while the other Ancient and Old Ones continued, tearing through the masses, their Laws unraveling reality itself. The Old Ones burst toward the edges of the expanding Fissures, their Laws surging toward it, forcefully halting the expansion.
The Laws seeped into the Fissure, shrinking it ever so slowly, while more and more Voidlings turned to attack, their blows tearing through the unraveling forms of the Old Ones. The Ancients attacked, their blows growing fiercer by the second. Yet, as their attacks grew more destructive, so did the resistance of the Fissure. Fewer Voidlings emerged from the Fissure, but those who stepped into the cosmos were stronger than before. A dozen Monarchs emerged near-simultaneously, pushing the Ancients to their limit.
“Good thing you didn’t kill my little legacy.” The image of the woman in the Fallen Sanctuary popped up in David’s mind, a deep frown plastered all over his face.
“That nasty bitch is your heir? Please don’t tell me she’ll inherit your power after you’re gone!” David groaned, while Asmodeus just shrugged noncommittally. He doubted the Weave would transfer the power of an Old One to a mortal, but he was half-certain the System would grant her certain advantages as Asmodeus’ Heir.
Did all of the Old Ones and Ancient Gods have an Heir? That—well, it actually didn’t concern him.
The Ruler of Blood erupted with the power of the cosmos and joined the Ancient Gods. He tore through the Voidlings, his body unfolding into a world filled with nothing but blood and carnage. David could feel the Law of Blood manifest before him. His understanding of the Law guided him, and the desire to join the battle rose from the depths of his very being, but he held himself back. He coated the Ascendants in Vitae and applied enough of it onto their blades to give them a little edge. It was not much, yet it was all he could do to retain enough Vitae to go all-out himself.
“We don’t know what more the End has at its disposal,” an old, titanous voice rang out. “Once the Monarchs are dead, the Ascendants have to move in. Protect David until he shatters the bonds of the Fissure from within.”
That was the essence of their grand plan: sacrifice as many gods as needed, creating an opportunity for their greatest Ascendants to step through the Fissure and enter it. Gods would die instantly, but Ascendants were different. The powers granted through the Weave would be weaker, but they could still apply them. For David, however, neither limitation should apply. His experience in the Naughtrealm had confirmed that much—or so the Host had declared.
They had to protect David until he could unleash the Ancient Law of Unbinding, severing all ties connecting the End to the cosmos. As long as David succeeded, the Fissure would collapse, and the cosmos and the End would drift apart, never to be reconnected again. Never.
That was the price they would have to pay. The Ascendants would die within seconds, their lives already forfeited to the Weave, but David… nobody knew what would happen to David. He had a slim chance at survival, but was that really what he wanted? Survive — in the End, a galaxy of nothingness?
The price was steep; however, David was willing to pay it. In the worst case, he could let loose for the first time in a long time. He would be able to go all-out and fight to his heart’s content, unleashing the beast he had shackled since… Since when, actually? When did his drive, his uncontrollable lust for battle, fade?
It did not matter. Not now. probably not ever. Still, David wanted to go down in combat, and it would be even better if the End paid an even worse price than the cosmos.
The last Void Monarch collapsed under a mountain-sized glaive of blood. It tore through the Void Monarch, ending its miserable life once and for all.
The instant the last Void Monarch was felled, the Ancients and Asmodeus joined the Old Ones, forcing their Law into the Fissure. The Fissure resisted the Major and Ancient Laws—or it tried to. Rather than repelling the Laws, it writhed and released a series of Overlords and Voidre that were quickly exterminated before it was forced to succumb, and, for a moment, no more Voidlings emerged from the Fissure.
“Now!”
Zachariah’s eyes shot wide open. His power condensed and expanded further as [Last Line] activated, as more of his life’s essence was fed into the Weave. Not even the strongest Laws could hold his body together — not even [Transcendent Restoration]. He disintegrated, yet his power increased as he did. [Last Line] did all it was always supposed to do: it empowered him when he needed it the most.
For a moment, his prowess increased manifold, and he moved ahead with a calmness that surprised David to the core. The Regressor was not unhappy, scared, or even angry at the turn of events. His expression revealed something akin to relief for a fleeting moment. It hardened a moment later as waves of power oozed out of him, threatening to escape his grasp.
Zachariah glanced back, death gleaming in his eyes, before he charged straight into the Fissure, bringing the battlefield to the End’s home.
David clenched his jaw as the others set in motion as well. It was just like Zachariah mentioned before. There were no more Voidlings to fight in the cosmos. They no longer emerged from the Fissure. It flickered and resisted once again, yet it shrank further by consuming a solar system’s worth of power.
Suddenly, the Fissure shrank further, and David thought for a moment that the Regressor could deal with the Fissure on his own. Unfortunately, that never happened. Zachariah had succeeded, and he was probably still alive, hacking at Voidlings and the Fissure’s anchors, but to no avail. He did not have the power needed to remove it.
That was David’s expertise.
“It’s time,” he muttered to himself before Words of Power rolled from his tongue. They manifested around him and revolved calmly as he added [Herald’s Blessing], equivalent to the remaining pure Blood resting in his Source. His muscles bulged, tearing apart only to heal right away, and the materialized Words of Power pressed firmly against him.
The Ancient Law was at his behest. Something locked in place, forcing its way through his body to the surface, and David felt all that was left of the Weave around him synchronize with him. That, among other things, was a gift of the Ancient Gods, a boon that allowed him to access the Weave twice on the other side of the Fissure. It was all he needed.
Vitae and Nihilum enveloped him. It engulfed every cell in his body and poured out of him. It was everywhere. It was one with him and Electra.
Massive wings of all-consuming darkness sprouted from his back as he stepped forward, and another consciousness entered his mind.
Do not worry, David. This will not be the end of us, thundered the Mythical Electra — Pseudo Beast God, and the greatest friend David could wish for — in his head.
No, it won’t. He steadied his breath and pushed forward, following the other Ascendants as they disappeared into the seemingly eternal darkness of the Fissure.
David reached the Fissure as well, his gaze drifting one more time toward the Ancients and Old Ones whose bodies slowly faded into the Weave. He doubted any of them had planned for this to happen, yet it did. It was far from what he expected to do when he was a child. It wasn’t what he’d planned with his life.
But it was something. Definitely much better than any office job — finance especially.
A faint smile formed on his lips. He stared right into the darkness of the Fissure and stepped inside.