"If you were to lose..." Moihala asked, barely suppressing her fear, "What will happen?"
"Think of me...of my existence," Orakha explained, "It has been split into ten across the ten Minor Treasures of Orakha’s Checkpoint. Even if these Minor Treasures are destroyed, they don’t disappear permanently."
"Over time, they will gather and reform into the Minor Treasure. And once one of them forms, my body, mind, and soul will be gathered, piece by piece, until I’m whole again." Orakha said, "Well actually, the body part isn’t complete yet. There’s still some work that needs to be done in that regard."
"When you died back then," Moihala asked, "Did your revival process begin promptly after?"
"It didn’t," Orakha shook his head, "Since my body was already revived. Also, the Minor Treasures were with Yahard Tusk, so they were still drawing out Daily Checkpoint’s power. Only after he destroyed them did they change."
Minor Treasure—Orakha’s Checkpoint!
They were created using Sumatra Gold, whose function was to enhance, stabilise, and realistically formulate a power. When Daily Checkpoint was removed from Orakha’s Human Avatar, the Minor Treasures changed and instead made a checkpoint of himself.
"They store all of my data, including all versions." Orakha said, "So somewhere in the Kalahatra Desert, they were accumulating all along. But when the Orange Mystic Path pulsed suddenly, they appeared next to my body."
"Which is where the problem arose," He sighed and eyed the Cosmic Being in the sky, "It has currently latched onto my existence. And unless it’s purified, it will keep infiltrating the Minor Treasure’s functions until eventually, I’ll be erased from it completely."
The Minor Treasure of Orakha’s Checkpoint will change to become the Cosmic Being’s Checkpoint. "Which is why I brought you here."
"I am not sure how I can help you." Moihala frowned, "Also, how were you able to bring me here? Shouldn’t it be mother?"
"Do you know about the Mystic Paths?" Orakha asked.
"A little," Moihala nodded, "Mother has explained a bit about her Violet Mystic Path. She said I too have a Mystic Path, but didn’t go into any details. At times, I’ve noticed her researching my Mystic Path to help me acclimate to it better."
"I..." She scratched her head, "Mother seemed to shoulder all the burden. She only told me to live freely."
"It seems I raised her well." Orakha smiled as he gently patted Moihala on the head, "Yours is the Orange Mystic Path. I was the one who created it and gave it to you. And since I made it, I managed to communicate with you when it activated."
"Really? You made it?" Moihala’s eyes widened in surprise, "Are you that strong, Grandfather?"
"Strong?" Orakha burst into laughter, "I stood at Sumatra’s peak before death, and I hadn’t even reached the end of my path."
He stared at Moihala and stated confidently, "And the one to deal the first death to the Celestial Boar was none other than me."
"You’re awesome!" Moihala burst in pride. Her expression then morphed into worry as she asked, "What should I do now?"
"The one out there, piloting my body and behaving as me...isn’t me." Orakha pointed at the sky, "It’s that guy. He’s devious, and somehow, he’s able to harness my powers through my Minor Treasures. It’s something only a Cosmic Being can do, I’m afraid."
"I think Ruvva might get fooled by him, so I want you to help her." Orakha held her by the shoulder and peered into her eyes, "Trust the Orange Mystic Path. If you feel the Orakha before you isn’t me, then you’re definitely correct."
"Keep killing me, as many times as it takes." Orakha patted her upon seeing her concern, "Don’t worry, Ruvva doesn’t have the means to destroy me. So tell her to go all out. The only one she’ll be destroying is the Cosmic Being."
"Got it, Grandfather." Moihala nodded and hugged Orakha, "I wish we could talk out there one day...in Sumatra."
"Definitely, my c...Definitely," Orakha’s eyes turned moist as he snapped his finger and watched Moihala disappear. From time to time, an orange hue pulsed across his mindspace as Orakha glared at the Cosmic Being in the sky, "You think you can take over me?"
"I won’t let you!"
"I have already started to rewrite your data." Came a voice from the Cosmic Being, a tad similar to Orakha’s, "You have a one-of-a-kind revival means. However, your defences against me are pathetic. You already lost the battle, so just shut up and disappear."
"And if you’re counting on that brat to do something, you’re better off not entertaining such semblances of false hopes." The Cosmic Being chuckled. "A mere mortal can never hope to stand before me."
"That mere mortal," Orakha said in seriousness, "Is my pride."
"And her powers dwarf your wildest understanding."
...
"Kid, wake up." Fuhrh Brimgan stated in concern, sighing in relief upon seeing Moihala wake up.
’I am back.’ Moihala blinked a few times in confusion before recalling everything that had transpired in Orakha’s mindspace. She got up with a start and alerted Fuhrh Brimgan, "Mother’s life is in danger."
"What do you mean?" Fuhrh Brimgan frowned in response, "The Guardian said she could handle the situation."
"The one piloting Orakha’s body is a Cosmic Being," Moihala said in a hurry. A instant’s hesitation later, she activated her Human Avatar, ’I know you advised me against using my power, since I cannot handle it yet. But, I have to apologise, mother. The situation calls for it.’
’And besides, if it’s now, I can do it.’ She thought in confidence as her body vanished into the ground that for an instant turned into grey sand and reverted into ground.
Turning into a grey flash, she moved through the ground in silence, without generating any visual or auditory cues, thanks to the effects of Sandy-Grey Void she was generating.
She didn’t know where Ruvva was. However, her head hurt as her Orange Mystic Cup pulsed into life, causing a stream of orange to be highlighted in her vision. It was the faintest towards her and gradually got stronger on the other side, ’Grandfather’s probably using his power to highlight his position through the Mystic Path!’
In the tunnel connecting to the Influenced Region of Golden Deity, Ruvva spat out Orakha and stared at him in shock, "What...did you say?"
"It hurts, Ruvva." Orakha grunted in pain as his body continued to twitch. He seemed to have grown a head shorter now, as the external influence in him had been purified by a shade.
"Is it truly you, Uncle?" Ruvva asked, hesitant at first. However, upon seeing the familiarity behind the pained expression on the other party’s face, she teared up, "You...you’re back,"
"You’re back!"
"Temporarily, at most." Orakha shook his head, revealing a mild grunt as his body continued to tremble, "I don’t fully understand what has happened. Somehow, I am alive now. But..."
He showcased his body that had started to crumble, "It seems without my Minor Treasures, I’ll revert to a vegetative state."
He then sighed and stared at the suitcase in Ruvva’s hands, "And there’s a lot of influence in those Minor Treasures, which will turn me insane the moment I come into contact with them."
"Uncle..." Ruvva felt choked up. She hesitated for a moment before pulling Orakha into a hug, "You’ll be alright. I promised you before, and I intend to uphold it. I will cure you completely..."
"Yes, I am confident you will do it, I really am," Orakha said as he focused on the suitcase and seemed to will something. Suddenly, the suitcase exploded as ten pillars of light condensed into a singular beam and surged into him.
Immediately in response, a dozen Mystic Eaters rushed at Ruvva, targeting her chest. The ten Minor Treasures of Orakha’s Checkpoint spun on the ground as the beam they unleashed curved into Orakha.
A formless influence seemed to be drawing them closer to Orakha as they ran on the ground, sprinting to unite with him.
"Mother! It’s not grandfather!" Bursting out of the ground was Moihala, appearing between Orakha and the ten Minor Treasures. With a flick of her hand, she turned all of Orakha’s attacks into grey sand and condensed them into a ball.
She touched the ball to the ground and caused it to turn into a ball resembling the ground. This way, when she removed the assimilation characteristics of the grey sand, instead of reverting into the various abilities as it was originally, the ball became one with the ground.
"Mother!" She turned around, hoping to alert Ruvva, only to see the latter standing behind Orakha, holding him by the neck. Veins popped all over her arms, not because of the strain, but because she was straining to hold back.
"I..." Ruvva shed tears as the Empyrean Tusk exoskeleton covered her body, imprinting her feet into the ground. Her right hand held Orakha while her left unleashed a Prana Shock at the ten Minor Treasures and blasted them far away into the tunnel.
And during their flight, storage lanterns appeared to envelop each individually. Soft booms resounded ten times as each storage lantern formed a crater upon impact.
"I didn’t want it to be like this." Ruvva said tearfully as her hand increased the pressure on Orakha’s neck. Mystic Eaters blasted into her but were purified upon making contact with her blood. "I wanted you to return normally, Uncle."
"Not like this." She screamed as Rutham spikes pierced her skin. Orakha was targeting her with all the abilities her had harnessed from the ten Minor Treasures, but none of them seemed to be harming her.
Seeing his neck getting crushed out of sheer might, with his physical struggles failing to even budge her robust hand and vice-like grip, Orakha condensed a murky droplet and flicked it into Ruvva’s eyes, "You’re dead now."
"Hahaha!" He laughed to see warts burst out of her eyes, only to shut up a few seconds later when they vanished. "How? That was my full-powered cosmic corruption!"
"Even back in the day, I could endure Unlimited Predator." Her tears stopped as Ruvva glared with absolute fury, "What makes you think a mere amalgamation of cosmic influence can harm me?"
"Moihala," She uttered, "Did...did he manage to make contact with you?"
"Yes," Moihala nodded, now realising that Ruvva seemed to be aware of more than she let on.
"What did he say?" Ruvva asked next.
"To trust in the Orange Mystic Path," Moihala said, "And to keep killing him until then."
"Then," Ruvva shed tears as she commanded Moihala, "Your eyes and ears,"
"Close them."