"I see you have learned your lesson, boy. You are no longer glaring a hole in my skull, waiting for me to explain where we are going or for what," Angakok said as he took the initiative to talk to Max while traversing through space for the first time ever.
"Well, I've discovered that asking about it is useless since it's not like you will change your decision if I protest. So, I've decided that the best course of action is for me to conserve my energy," Max said as he shrugged his shoulders and tried to pass a sly comment.
"Well, buckle up. You're about to see something that a mortal like you would never be able to experience, even if he did become a Tier-6 god. If I weren't so ancient, I might not have the guts to go there myself, but I'm stronger than this phenomenon of nature, so you have nothing to worry about. I'm taking you to a dying star today, boy, one that can only be accessed by passing through a nebula cloud, something that no commercial or military ship can ever do and no rookie god has the skills to do. It's the ultimate hiding spot, which is why consider yourself lucky that I'm taking you there to retrieve your final piece of the Agni-Astra," Angakok said casually as he flaunted his prowess and revealed the purpose of their next journey.
Max's heart raced at the mention of retrieving the last piece of the Agni Astra. He had absolutely no idea where it was in the entire universe and had no plans to get it anytime soon, as he was clueless about its whereabouts. It was his destiny to get it someday and one of his main priorities too, which was why he was extremely excited to know that he was going to have an opportunity to retrieve it soon.
As they approached the nebula, Max found himself enthralled by the vibrant hues painting the void of space.
The Crimson Nebula stretched before them, an awe-inspiring canvas of reds, oranges, and purples that danced and swirled like a cosmic ballet.
The vast expanse of the nebula cloud was dotted with twinkling stars, their light shining through the gaseous veil. The cloud was a thing of beauty, but it also had an underlying sense of danger, an invisible, lurking menace.
Max couldn't help but feel a mixture of excitement and fear as they ventured deeper into the nebula. The eerie silence was punctuated by the crackling of energy that occasionally reverberated through the bubble. It was as if the nebula itself was alive, its tendrils reaching out to embrace or ensnare them.
As the bubble glided through the swirling mists, Max felt an almost otherworldly sensation, a feeling that they were intruding on something ancient and sacred. He couldn't shake the feeling of being watched, even though there was nothing around them but the vast emptiness of space.
" Haha, feel it boy? The eeriness? The sensation of being watched. Remember it, commit it to memory, this is what it's like to be watched by a celestial" Angakok said as his voice had a hint of longing and excitement that Max did pick up on.
" A celestial? " Max asked, confused, as he had heard the word being used for beings whose power exceeded tier8 but he believed that it was all just a rumour.
" Nebulae's are formed when celestials manipulate the laws of space and shrink entire solar systems to the size of small dust particles.
The cloud cluster around you is a universe in itself, the radiation it's emitting is enough to kill you thousandfold if not for me" Angakok said as his words made no sense to Max and felt scary and foreign.
The mention of being in the middle of an entire universe of sorts was scary for Max and while Angakok's confidence was reassuring, he couldn't help but wonder if they were truly safe. What if they encountered something beyond even Angakok's power to overcome? The thought sent shivers down his spine, colder than the darkest corners of the universe.
Despite his fears, Max couldn't deny the majesty of the nebula. The sight of it filled him with a sense of wonder and curiosity, a burning desire to explore the unknown. He tried to commit every detail to memory, knowing that he might never have the chance to witness such a sight again.
It was moments like these where he was acutely reminded of his mortality. Unlike Angakok, he was no god. His life hung by a thread, sustained only by the protective bubble of the shaman god. If the bubble were to burst, the vacuum of space would consume him in an instant. This thought gnawed at him, making his heart race and breath hitch.
As the nebula thinned, the dying star loomed before them. A dense ball of gravity that was radiant and dangerous.
Dying embers of nuclear reactions were visible on its surface, flickering like the final notes of a grand symphony. The star, despite nearing its end, was a powerhouse of energy, its surface temperatures far beyond what any normal human could bear.
He felt a tugging pull on his arm, as Drax felt the connection to the last piece of the Agni-Astra strengthen.
" It's here! The last fragment of my lord's soul. The last piece of the Agni-Astra" Drax said as he reaffirmed Max's conclusion that the tugging feeling he was feeling in his right arm was because of the decreasing proximity to the Agni-Astra.
However, while he was happy that he was approaching the last piece, he could not ignore the fact that it was literally placed on the surface of a dying neutron star, an object which made entire solar systems revolve around it.
If by some miracle he could resist it's radiation and heat, which he absolutely could not as it was not a matter of resisting but literally melting into nothingness, but considering that he somehow could if he were a god, he would still be unable to move a single muscle under the dying star's strong gravity pull.
Even if the Agni-Astra was on its surface, it would become impossible for Max to retrieve it. The only hope he had now was that Angakok would retrieve it for him.
Sensing Max's apprehension, Angakok turned to him, a smirk playing on his lips.
" Yes, Agni was always a sadistic bastard. The final piece of his soul is at a place that is irredeemable by common sense. Even I with all my majestic glory and strength cannot get it for you, but what I can do boy is provide you with an opportunity to get it yourself. I'm in possession of a unique treasure whose powers can help me elongate a single split second to a duration of 2 minutes, and I'm certain that if I put all my strength behind it, I'll be able to create an environment where I can minimise the effects of the star's gravity, radiation and heat for you to be able to traverse it physically.
I'll give you the best chance I can but if you cannot redeem it within two minutes and tame it's power, you will most likely be turned into Stardust powder. "
Before Max could utter a word of protest, he was hurtling towards the star, the protective bubble vanishing. The two pieces of Agni Astra that were fused under his skin and were invisible on the surface suddenly flared up, their glow intensifying.
It was as if they recognized their impending reunion, their essence providing a shield against the star's scorching heat. Yet, despite their protection and that of Angakok's magic, Max could feel the heat seeping through, the fire licking at his skin. The pain was unbearable, a ceaseless burning that threatened to reduce him to ashes.
Due to his knowledge about different types of fire from the phoenix, Max could recognise the heat he was currently feeling as radiation.
Every last molecule in his body was being forced to vibrate vigorously under the radiation effect, creating extra heat that was beyond just the physical temperature of the star's scorching surface.
His heart pounded in his chest as he neared the star's surface, his body screaming in protest. The Agni Astra fragments in his hands pulsed with power, their glow flickering in harmony with the star's rhythm. The third piece was close, Max could feel it. Its fiery aura matched the inferno around him, a beacon calling out to its missing fragments.
Once Max was about 400 metres from the star's surface, he could feel Angakok's protection falling short.
The star's gravitational pull was so strong at this instance that Max could physically feel himself being ripped apart from head to toe.
Even a slightest lean towards the star was causing the gravity to affect his body parts differently as Max had to use all his muscles strength and Blood Manipulation ability to just focus on keeping his blood flowing and his muscles from expanding and ripping apart.
The star's surface was a nightmare of heat and light. Max could barely see, his eyes watering from the intense brightness.
Breathing had became impossible, he was winded of all the air he had in his lungs and then some as despite him feeling his lungs collapse he could still feel the residual heat as if they were on fire.
Max gritted his teeth, forcing himself to focus. The third piece was somewhere here, somewhere amidst this sea of flames.
As he pushed forward, the pain grew more intense. His skin felt as if it was melting away, his senses threatened to shut down. It was too much, this was not something any mortal could handle.
He tried his best to move but failed to even lift himself up an inch.
It seemed like Angakok had miscalculated, this was one challenge that Max was not prepared to face.