The woman remained standing amidst the wreckage for several moments, her chest rising and falling slowly while fragments of shattered soul matter continued drifting through the air around us.
Her eyes remained fixed entirely on me. Mostly with confusion and caution.
Around us, the armada had become unnaturally quiet. Thousands of souls watched from distant ships while commanders remained suspended in the sky, none of them making the slightest move. The destruction of the fleet’s strongest attack had clearly changed the mood of the battlefield.
Eventually she exhaled slowly.
"Who exactly are you?"
The question sounded genuine. Simply a woman trying to understand what had suddenly appeared in the middle of her fleet and turned everything upside down within minutes.
I looked around briefly before shrugging.
"Just a passerby who you attacked without even introduction."
For a moment she simply stared at me. Then a tired laugh escaped her.
"A passerby?"
"That’s right."
"You killed three commanders."
"That was the condition required."
Her eyebrow twitched.
"You destroyed part of my flagship."
"It was in the way."
The corner of her mouth moved slightly. I couldn’t tell whether she wanted to laugh or strangle me.
After several seconds she shook her head.
"I have met strange people before, but you might be competing for first place."
"Not my intention honestly."
That was technically true. The woman rubbed her forehead before looking at me again.
"Let’s assume for a moment that I accept this ridiculous explanation. Why exactly were those commanders required?"
I answered immediately.
"They were the condition for receiving your services."
The confusion returned instantly.
"My services?"
"Yes."
Her eyes narrowed. Then understanding slowly began appearing.
"You didn’t come here randomly."
"No."
"You were looking for the Dex Witches."
"Yes."
"And someone told you to kill those three?"
"Also yes."
The woman went completely still. For the first time since the battle began, a dangerous look entered her eyes.
"Who?"
I didn’t particularly see a reason to hide it.
"Commander Seven."
The reaction was immediate. She closed her eyes. Just for a second. A single muscle tightened along her jaw.
Then she opened them again.
"I see."
The words came out much calmer than I expected.
"Personal reasons?" I asked.
Her expression became perfectly neutral.
"Extremely personal reasons."
That sounded like a story I didn’t need to hear. For several moments neither of us spoke. The wind moved through the damaged sections of the ship while distant waves rolled across the Soul Sea below.
Eventually she sighed.
"Of course she would do something like this."
"You don’t seem surprised."
"Oh I am surprised."
A humorless smile appeared on her face.
I nodded. She looked toward the distant fleet for a few moments before returning her attention to me.
"Since you’ve apparently completed the payment, I suppose I should finally ask what service you’re actually trying to purchase."
"I need passage into the Prime Territory."
The words immediately changed her expression. The amusement vanished. Even the irritation disappeared.
She simply became serious.
The silence stretched for several seconds. Long enough that I wondered whether she was reconsidering the agreement entirely.
Finally she spoke.
"You understand that’s not a normal destination."
"I’ve heard."
"You’ve heard correctly."
Her gaze drifted briefly toward the horizon.
"The territory is heavily monitored. Travel routes are controlled. Most outsiders don’t get anywhere near it without attracting attention."
"I don’t intend to be most outsiders. Can I ask how you will be able to sneak me inside if their control is so tight."
That earned a small snort from her.
"No. That’s a trade secret. But since you have already fulfilled the condition we’ll do it."
She gestured around us.
"The Dex Armada specializes in moving people to places they’re not supposed to reach. The Prime Territory happens to be one of those places."
I nodded slowly.
"Good."
The woman looked at me for a few moments before speaking again. There was a noticeable hesitation this time.
"Mister Passerby."
"Yes?"
She pointed toward the fleet surrounding us.
"Could I ask a favor?"
That caught my attention.
"What kind of favor?"
A faint smile appeared on her face.
"The kind where nobody else dies."
I blinked.
She continued before I could respond.
"Look around."
Her hand swept toward the armada.
"You arrived less than an hour ago and three commanders are dead, half the fleet thinks we’re under invasion, the entire command structure is panicking, and there are probably six emergency meetings happening right now because nobody understands what you are."
When she put it that way, it did sound slightly excessive.
The woman folded her arms.
"So please."
Her tone was remarkably sincere.
"No more destruction."
I glanced toward the damaged flagship beneath our feet. Then toward the distant commanders still floating in the sky. Then toward the thousands of nervous souls watching from every direction.
Finally I looked back at her.
"I am a very normal kind person. You do not need to worry about me."
She stared at me for several seconds. Then sighed so deeply that I was fairly certain she regretted agreeing to help me already.
I left her standing atop the damaged flagship and stepped into the air. Space folded around me and in the next instant I appeared high above the armada, far enough that the countless vessels below resembled drifting islands moving through the endless silver ocean.
For a while I simply remained there, observing the fleet and allowing my perception to spread through my own body.
The resistance of the Null Realm was changing.
When I had first arrived, every movement felt unnatural, as though I were trying to move through deep water while carrying an invisible weight upon my shoulders. Even breathing had felt slightly constrained. Now, however, that sensation was weakening.
The difference was subtle enough that most people would probably never notice it.
I did.
The pressure pressing against my soul had lessened slightly, and the continuous drain upon my soul force had slowed as well. It was still there, but no longer as severe as before.
Perhaps the realm was gradually recognizing me. Or perhaps my soul was adapting to the environment.
Either possibility was useful.
While considering the matter, a faint feeling brushed against my senses.
My eyes narrowed. Someone was watching me.
Not someone.
Several.
I remained perfectly still while extending my perception outward.
The sensation was elusive. It did not originate from a specific direction, nor did it feel like ordinary observation. It resembled distant eyes silently studying a specimen placed inside a glass container.
Augustus was the obvious possibility. The Gatekeeper had certainly not brought me into the Null Realm and forgotten about me afterward.
Yet the feeling suggested something more.
Multiple observers.
My gaze drifted toward the endless horizon of the Soul Sea.
’Could it be the Wardens?’
The possibility immediately surfaced in my mind.
If anyone would be interested in a living Saint arriving in the Null Realm, killing three commanders, destroying part of a Dex Armada, and then casually negotiating passage into the Prime Territory, it would probably be the people responsible for governing the realm.
I had no way to confirm it. But I had no intention of being unprepared either. I slowly lowered myself into a cross-legged position and floated motionless above the fleet.
Then I flipped my palm upward.
Soul force immediately began gathering above it.
The energy condensed slowly at first before rapidly compressing into a dense silver-violet sphere. Layer after layer folded inward while I continued increasing the pressure until the surrounding space began trembling slightly.
Once the sphere reached the desired density, I began weaving time runes around it. The runes wrapped around the condensed soul force in overlapping layers, creating a complex cage that isolated the energy from the surrounding environment while simultaneously delaying its release.
The process was remarkably similar to creating an explosive. Only far more dangerous.
If released normally, the condensed soul force would erupt instantly. With the runes in place, however, it would remain dormant until the designated trigger was reached.
A delayed detonation.
The first sphere stabilized successfully.
I created a second.
Then a third.
I examined them for a few moments before nodding in satisfaction. With a wave of my hand, the three spheres vanished and appeared within the Dawn Core.
The enormous internal world greeted them immediately.