The old man continued staring at me as though he had completely forgotten how to blink.
The amusement that had been present on his face only moments ago disappeared completely, replaced by an expression so serious that even the surrounding atmosphere seemed to grow heavier.
Eventually, he let out a slow breath.
"Billion..."
He rubbed his forehead before looking back at me.
"Have you completely lost your mind?"
I blinked.
"I was hoping for a slightly more encouraging response."
"I’m serious."
"So am I."
He took a few slow steps toward me until we stood only a few feet apart.
"You’re proposing that we solve one catastrophe by unleashing another that could be even worse."
His voice remained calm, yet every word carried undeniable weight.
"The Twelfth Soul Current was sealed by the Ruler of the Null Realm himself. Not by Saints. Not by Lords. By the Ruler."
He pointed toward me.
"And your first thought is to unseal it?"
I met his gaze without looking away.
"My first thought is to win."
Gerald shook his head.
"No."
"My first thought is to end this war once and for all."
Silence settled between us.
"The Eternals have ruled the Prime Territory for countless years. They continue harvesting souls, creating Phantoms, creating Abominations, and turning every dead existence into another weapon. We can keep killing one Saint after another for the next several thousand years, but nothing will change. They’ll simply send another."
I folded my arms.
"I don’t want another victory. I want the last one."
Gerald remained unconvinced.
"And your solution is an uncontrollable river capable of crossing realities?"
"My solution is understanding why it was sealed in the first place."
His brows furrowed.
"You’ve spent thousands of years studying this realm." I looked directly into his eyes. "Tell me honestly."
"Have you ever once tried to find the Twelfth Current?"
The old man remained silent.
"I asked whether you’ve tried."
"No."
The answer came quietly.
"Why?"
He sighed.
"Because there was never a reason."
I couldn’t help smiling.
"No. There was never enough courage in you."
Gerald narrowed his eyes.
"You believe that’s courage?"
"I believe that’s hope."
The old man remained silent again. I continued before he could interrupt.
"If everything you told me is true, then the Twelfth Current isn’t merely dangerous. It’s a problem. A problem for everyone."
I slowly walked toward the endless sea of clouds surrounding us.
"The Prime Territory belongs to the Eternals now. They’ve built their entire civilization around it. So what happens if something suddenly appears that even they cannot control?"
His expression slowly changed. I could already tell he understood where I was heading.
"The Twelfth Current doesn’t distinguish between friend and enemy."
"It doesn’t care who rules or the politics or the civilization itself. If we release it..."
I paused briefly.
"...the Eternals will have no choice but to deal with it."
Gerald stared at me.
"They’ll be forced to fight. They’ll have to divert their Saints. They’ll have to protect the Prime Territory they spent countless ages conquering."
I smiled faintly.
"And while they’re busy trying to survive... We finally get our opportunity."
Gerald’s expression gradually hardened, and whatever amusement had remained on his face disappeared completely. When he spoke again, his voice carried a weight that hadn’t been there before.
"And what about everyone else, Billion?" he asked quietly. "The Prime Territory isn’t inhabited only by the Eternals. There are billions of souls living throughout its settlements. Families. Children. People who have spent centuries simply trying to survive." His eyes remained fixed on mine. "If you release the Twelfth Soul Current and it truly is as destructive as the ancient records describe, are you prepared to gamble with every one of their existences?"
I had expected that question from the moment I proposed the idea.
Instead of answering immediately, I turned away and looked toward the endless sea of white clouds drifting peacefully around us. The silence stretched between us for several moments while I gathered my thoughts. Eventually, I released a slow breath.
"They’re already dead, Gerald."
He remained silent, allowing me to continue.
"They’re souls. They’ve already lived their lives in the real world, and now they’re trapped here in a place that has become nothing more than a prison controlled by the Eternals. If nothing changes, they’ll continue existing like this for eternity, watching more souls arrive only to be turned into Phantoms and Abominations."
I paused before looking back at him.
"But I know that isn’t really what you’re asking."
Gerald gave the slightest nod.
"No," he replied quietly. "I’m asking about your family."
The words landed exactly where he intended them to.
"Your parents live here. Your grandfather lives here. If releasing the Twelfth Current puts their souls at risk, are you truly willing to accept that possibility?"
For the first time since our conversation had begun, I didn’t have an answer ready.
"If I walked up to my parents today," I said softly, "and told them there was a way to free the entire Prime Territory forever, but that achieving it might cost them their own existence..." I let out a quiet laugh before shaking my head. "I already know exactly what both of them would say."
I didn’t need to imagine the scene.
My father would probably volunteer before I had even finished explaining the plan, then make some ridiculous joke about finally getting a chance to accomplish something legendary. My mother would complain that he never knew when to stay quiet, only to step forward herself a heartbeat later.
Neither of them would make that choice because they wanted to disappear. They would make it because that was simply the kind of people they were.
I turned back toward Gerald, meeting his eyes once again.
"But that still isn’t what I’m proposing."
My voice had regained its firmness.
"The Ruler of the Null Realm didn’t destroy the Twelfth Soul Current. He sealed it. More importantly, every story you’ve told me says the same thing, that he left behind a trial."
Gerald slowly nodded.
"Which means he expected someone to stand before that gate one day. He didn’t create an impossible prison with no exit. He created a test. I’m not planning to force the seal open. I’m planning to earn the right to open it."
The old man remained silent, so I continued.
"I don’t know what those trials are. I don’t know whether they’ll test strength, wisdom, character, or something completely beyond my understanding. I don’t even know if one person is enough or whether they’ll require an entire group. But there’s only one way to find the answers."
"That’s why I’m asking for your help. Not because you’re Gerald the Saint. Because you’re Gerald the Wise."
The old man couldn’t stop a quiet snort from escaping.
"You’ve spent thousands of years studying this realm. You’ve explored places that no one else has seen, uncovered knowledge that entire civilizations have forgotten, and prepared for a war that everyone else had already given up on." I slowly spread my arms toward the endless clouds surrounding us.
"So stop hiding inside this beautiful pocket realm, Gerald. You’ve spent centuries getting ready for the impossible. I think it’s finally time we use all that preparation."
Gerald stood motionless, looking out across the endless sea of clouds while countless thoughts clearly passed through his mind. I didn’t interrupt him. A decision like this deserved time.
Eventually, he let out a long, tired sigh before a reluctant smile appeared beneath his beard.
"I still don’t like this plan," he admitted. "I think it’s reckless, I think it’s dangerous, and I think there’s an excellent chance that every one of us dies before reaching the end."
"I know."
He looked back at me and shook his head with a quiet laugh.
"And that’s precisely why I hate that I can’t think of a better one."
His smile widened ever so slightly.
"If we’re truly going to bang our heads against a wall..."
He looked toward the endless horizon.
"...then we might as well choose the biggest wall in existence."
A laugh escaped me before I could stop it.
For some reason, hearing those words from Gerald the Wise gave me more confidence than any elaborate speech ever could.