The cave's depths were lightless—stark, absolute darkness, as if the world's light had never touched this realm since the dawn of creation.
In such darkness, footsteps echoed. Each step held patient rhythm, its echo revealing how gently it kissed the ground before lifting away.
The footsteps continued as the figure, shrouded in darkness, pressed forward. The shadows seemed to follow him, though that was merely illusion.
After a while, the mysterious figure climbed spiraling stairs that appeared grown from the cavern wall itself. He followed this path for several minutes until he reached the cave's upper level.
Upon reaching the upper level, he felt subtle tremors. That such vibrations could penetrate this deep—no matter how faint—told him that whatever raged on the surface operated at a scale that could devour mountains.
Yet the tremors neither stopped him nor affected his pace or bearing. They were insignificant to him.
Finally, he reached a section of the cave bathed in blue light from insects dancing through the upper cavern air.
Their glow was ghostly, yet it cast enough luminance across the man's face. Strong features emerged—a powerfully carved jaw, eyes both gentle and profound. His ashen hair flowed long, as though he'd dwelt here for centuries. His body resembled sculpture more than flesh.
No human could possess such refined, sharp, and commanding muscle definition. Only ancient star-beings, lost to time's tears, could have carved such perfection into stone.
His torso was bare, while loose pants hung from his lower body, threatening to slip and reveal his waistline both front and back.
The man's eyes held countless mysteries simultaneously, yet appeared completely normal, casual.
A soft grey glow kindled in his eyes as he gazed forward. One corner of his mouth curved upward.
"Hmph. You came all this way to welcome me?"
Someone sat on the stairs leading to the upper ground level. Koll, having shifted to his usual form with long black hair, clicked his tongue in irritation.
"Tsk. I'd be damned."
He paused, studying the figure before him who appeared to be in his early thirties.
"Barely two years ago, you were a child. How are you so aged now?"
The man rolled his eyes.
"Ten years ago, I was a dying old man. What can I say? The world revolves around me?"
He chuckled and waved dismissively at Koll.
"Oh, save it. I'm certain you didn't come all this way to compliment my good looks."
Koll slowly rose and faced the man, lifting his chin.
"It's refreshing to know that at least one element of my plan went smoothly. Welcome back, humanity's strongest Drifter. Rughsbourgh."
Rughsbourgh gripped his neck and cracked it left and right, producing a sickening bone-breaking sound. Then he smiled and regarded Koll.
"First, bring me up to speed."
Koll fixed him with a dark glare.
"Your academy has been erased from the map."
Rughsbourgh smiled.
"I sensed as much from the depths. It's just buildings—we can always construct another. Tell me something more significant."
Koll chuckled dryly, his expression humorless.
"If the academy's destruction isn't newsworthy enough, then nothing could be. But..."
Koll lingered, drawing Rughsbourgh's intense stare.
"I need you to suppress someone for me."
Koll gritted his teeth internally.
"He's been a complete foil to my plans."
Rughsbourgh folded his arms, his smile emotionless.
"Let me guess. The boy on behalf of whom you called me suddenly some time ago—told me he'd just met me and asked me to send him into a rift in Stelia?"
Koll nodded, exasperated.
"I figured he was special when you made such an unusual call since you never reach out first. He must be more exceptional than I thought if he's frustrating your plans this severely."
Koll shook his head.
"You have no idea."
He paused and added:
"Just handle him. And don't kill him. I need him alive."
Rughsbourgh stepped closer, speaking casually.
"First, Koll, I don't take orders from you. Normal humans, when requesting favors, say 'can you please...' I understand you're not normal, so I'll let you off the hook. Just. This. Once."
He stopped before Koll with one finger extended.
"However, I'm curious about this boy, so I'll investigate him myself."
With that statement, Rughsbourgh continued his measured steps forward, passing Koll and ascending to the next level.
Koll remained with an indifferent expression until Rughsbourgh vanished completely. Then he clenched his fist and slammed it into the wall, embedding massive webbed cracks across the cavern stone. The entire cave shuddered.
***
[The seed of Chaos is germinating]
[The germination process is altering the core fundamentals of your soul]
[SYSTEM IS GL^$&@@>#*#&#&#]
[SYSTEM IS GL^$&@@>#*#&#&#]
[SYSTEM IS GL^$&@@>#*#&#&#]
[OMNIFORM IS REACTING…]
[UNWRITTEN IS REACTING…]
[OMNIFORM IS CHANGING THE FORM OF YOUR SOUL…]
[UNWRITTEN IS REWRITING THE IDENTITY OF YOUR SOUL…]
[YOUR SOUL FORM IS CHANGING…]
[YOUR SOUL IDENTITY IS CHANGING…]
[SEED OF CHAOS IS BEING ROOTED…]
[FAILED]
[SEED OF CHAOS IS BEING ROOTED…]
[FAILED]
[SEED OF CHAOS IS BEING ROOTED…]
[FAILED]
[SEED OF CHAOS IS BEING ROOTED…]
[FAILED]
[UNWRITTEN AND OMNIFORM IS INVADING THE SEED…]
[CHAOS IS BEING EXPELLED]
[THE CONCEPT OF FORMLESSNESS IS TAKING ROOT IN YOUR SOUL]
[TALENTS FRAGMENTS ARE BEING CONSUMED TO INCREASE SUCCESS RATE]
[TALENTS FRAGMENTS ARE BEING CONSUMED TO INCREASE SUCCESS RATE]
[TALENTS FRAGMENTS ARE BEING CONSUMED TO INCREASE SUCCESS RATE]
[SEED HAS BEEN FULLY INVADED]
[SEED HAS BEEN TRANSFORMED TO SEED OF ENDLESS]
The pain continued assaulting him from all sides, but now it was bearable. After the flood of notifications, Northern felt he could breathe again.
As if the weight of a thousand worlds had lifted from his chest. His breathing had never felt so effortless.
He collapsed to the ground, panting and sweating. In that moment, Annette slid down from the crater's edge and rushed to him.
"Northboy! Are you alright?"
Vida accompanied her, running down the slope while Annette knelt beside Northern.
She touched him gently.
"North..."
Northern exhaled heavily and slowly propped himself up. His face was pale and glistening with sweat.
He opened his mouth, his voice emerging more hoarsely than ever, as if his vocal cords had been stripped raw.
"Water..."
"Here..."
The voice belonged to neither Vida nor Annette—it was masculine. The speaker bent over, extending a silver bottle toward Northern.
Northern raised a brow.
'Huh... he looks like... Rughsbourgh?'
In that same instant, the entire air trembled. Northern's eyes blazed with fierce blue light, his soul burning with hatred potent enough to incinerate the world.
Rughsbourgh tilted his head with a gentle smile, masking dangerous malevolence.
"What perilous hatred you harbor."
He casually shifted his weight to step closer to Northern, but before that single foot lifted from the ground, he was surrounded.
Encircled from every angle.
Abyss Tyrant aimed his staff at Rughsbourgh's throat. Nebulous Lord flanked the right, elongated claws poised at eye level. Light of Featherstone pressed his blade across the neck from the left angle. Towering behind them loomed the Blood King.
Even Mr. Fluffy and Corpse Eater materialized at each flank, hemming in his position.
Revant's finger targeted Rughsbourgh's other eye while Bairan stood guard before Northern, gripping Rughsbourgh's razor-sharp fingers that had shot toward Northern in a blur—a strike the rest had somehow missed detecting.