The large meeting table inside the mansion was covered with floating projections, fragmented records, and rotating symbols by the time everyone gathered again. Pale streams of essence moved slowly across the hall while Ash stood near the center sorting through layers of information with visible focus, occasionally flicking away broken records that dissolved into particles before reforming elsewhere.
Unlike yesterday’s celebration, no one looked particularly relaxed now.
I sat at the head of the table while the others remained around me, North and Steve sitting slightly farther away as Ash finally stood up from his chair with his usual tired expression.
"I will say this first," he began calmly while adjusting one of the floating projections before him. "The amount of information regarding the Null Realm is extremely limited."
A massive dark projection unfolded above the table afterward.
It looked like an endless black sea stretching infinitely beneath a dead sky.
"The Null Realm," Ash continued, "is not a normal realm or dimension. Based on every surviving record we have, it operates under an entirely different system of governance than ordinary universes."
His fingers moved lightly and countless silver lines appeared extending from glowing worlds toward the dark projection.
"Every universe in existence is connected to the Null Realm in some way. When living beings die, their souls eventually depart there."
Steve frowned slightly.
"So it’s basically an afterlife?"
Ash shook his head immediately.
"No. At least not in the normal sense." His eyes remained fixed on the projection. "An afterlife implies structure, purpose, reincarnation, judgment... things like that. The Null Realm has none of those in recorded history. Souls go there and after that..." He paused slightly. "Very few know what happens next."
The room remained silent while the dark projection floated above us.
Aurora finally spoke.
"And the Eternals?"
Ash nodded.
"The Eternals are in some way connected to the realm. Some records even suggest they use it as a foundation for creating Phantoms."
I leaned back slightly in my chair while listening carefully.
Ash waved his hand again and several old fragmented symbols appeared within the projection.
"There are also mentions of beings known as Wardens. Entities responsible for maintaining the laws of the Null Realm. No one knows how many exist, how they are created, or who commands them." He paused briefly. "But every surviving account describes them as immensely dangerous, especially toward living beings."
I finally spoke quietly.
"Dangerous how?"
Ash exhaled softly.
"Existentially."
That single word was enough to quiet the room further.
"The Wardens are apparently capable of directly targeting souls rather than bodies. Normal defenses become meaningless against them and even Demi-Gods historically avoided prolonged confrontations."
Ragnar crossed his arms.
"So someone fought them before."
Ash gave a slow nod.
"Yes." He waved his hand once more and fragmented ancient records appeared briefly above the table before fading again. "There are records across multiple universes of Demi-Gods attempting to force their way into the Null Realm to retrieve the souls of dead companions, lovers, family members, rulers... different motivations."
"And?" Lyrate asked quietly.
Ash’s expression remained calm.
"None succeeded."
"Some disappeared entirely and were never seen again. Others returned broken, mentally destroyed, or with their souls partially missing." His eyes narrowed slightly while looking at the projection. "A few records suggest some Demi-Gods never even managed to locate the entrance before dying."
Steve looked uneasy hearing that.
"So there’s no confirmed way to enter?"
"Not through ordinary means," Ash replied. "At least according to all available records, no stable entrance to the Null Realm exists naturally." His gaze shifted toward me afterward. "Which makes the Null Realm Key you obtained something far beyond valuable."
Aurora folded her arms while studying the projection carefully.
"What about laws inside the realm?"
"No information." Ash answered immediately. "The realm does not follow ordinary universal structure. But my guess is the soul force might play a more important role there as compared to the laws."
"There’s another important detail." He moved the projection again and the black sea shifted slowly above the table. "The Null Realm apparently enforces rules extremely strictly. No one knows who created those rules or who governs the realm itself, but every surviving account repeatedly mentions one thing."
The floating projection darkened further.
"The Null Realm hates disorder."
Even Vivi, who had remained mostly quiet until now, looked more serious hearing that.
Ash continued calmly.
"Violating certain unknown rules inside the realm seems to attract the attention of the Wardens almost immediately. Entire groups have vanished simply because they unknowingly crossed boundaries they did not understand."
I remained silent for several moments while looking at the projection above the table.
"I think there is only one person who can answer our questions about the Null Realm," I said with a sigh. "And that is Amun. The problem is I don’t even have a way to contact him."
"Why don’t you ask the system?" North suggested from beside me.
"I already did." I leaned back slightly in the chair. "Not only did I receive no response about Amun, but even the information regarding the Null Realm itself was mostly inaccessible. Almost everything was redacted under some kind of protocol restriction."
Steve scoffed immediately.
"I think the system is just lazy."
"I think so too," I replied seriously.
"Hey now," a familiar amused voice echoed through the room suddenly, "don’t be so hostile toward the system. It is simply doing its job and following the rules."
I turned my head instantly toward the left side of the hall.
Amun was leaning casually against the wall there with his arms crossed and a lazy smile on his face.
I frowned slightly.
I had not sensed his arrival at all. Not even after becoming a Saint. That realization alone forced an uncomfortable thought into my mind.
Just how strong was this man exactly? Was the gap between us still that absurdly large?
"Anyway," Amun said while pushing himself off the wall and walking toward the table, "the information this Eternal gathered is already good enough. That’s pretty much all you’ll find in ordinary records."
He stopped near the floating projections before continuing casually.
"And the reason for that is something called a Soul Binding Contract." He waved his hand lightly. "Think of it as a very aggressive forced NDA agreement. The moment someone who entered the Null Realm attempts to reveal certain protected information..." He snapped his fingers. "Boom. Soul gone."
Several expressions around the table changed immediately.
"Even Demi-Gods?" Aurora asked.
Amun nodded.
"Even Demi-Gods." Then after a brief pause he added thoughtfully, "Honestly, I’m not even sure Gods themselves would be completely free from that restriction."
The room fell silent again.
Amun glanced toward the dark projection of the Null Realm floating above the table before speaking once more.
"The one thing you absolutely need to understand about that place is this." His smile faded slightly. "The Null Realm possesses supreme authority over souls."
His words carried unusual weight now.
"Who granted them that authority?" He shrugged lightly. "No idea. How a single realm can govern the dead across all universes in existence?" Another shrug. "Again, no idea."
Then his eyes narrowed slightly.
"But there is an old legend. A being existed long ago whose strength surpassed imagination itself. According to the legend, that being created the Null Realm and gave wandering souls a place where they could drift after death."
He paused briefly before adding,
"Some even claim the Crimson Monarch was the one who established the Null Realm."
I blinked slightly after hearing that.
The Crimson Monarch again.
First the Crimson Zones spreading across existence itself.
And now possibly even the creator of the Null Realm.
What kind of existence was capable of creating a realm connected to every universe and governing the dead themselves?
Just thinking about that level of power felt absurd.