I remained floating high above the capital. My perception spread downward, passing through the shimmering Essence dome that covered the capital.
Within the throne room, the Emperor of Sukra, Odin Hatake, sat with his head lowered, his aura unstable. Around him stood several Grandmasters, each with grim expressions and voices heavy with unease.
Odin finally broke the silence. "Has anyone confirmed who invaded our world yet?" His tone was calm, but his fingers drummed against the armrest, betraying his irritation.
One of the Grandmasters, a tall man clad in gold armor, stepped forward and knelt. His voice trembled slightly as he spoke. "No, Your Majesty. The only thing we know for certain is that there are four of them. And the Grandmasters we sent to face them..."
He hesitated, glancing around the tense room. "They’ve all been captured. The invaders are carrying them around, like trophies, while hunting other Grandmasters."
A low murmur spread through the hall. "Four of them, you say? Then who are they? Are they Grandmasters as well?"
The man nodded stiffly. "Yes, Majesty. All four display power at the Grandmaster level. Three of them appear to be beasts, and the fourth... an elf woman. But what’s truly strange is the red mist surrounding them. Every report says their strength far exceeds what should be possible at our rank."
Odin exhaled slowly, his gaze heavy. "Have we reached out to the Ferans?"
Another Grandmaster, this one robed in dark blue, shook his head. "We’ve sent messages through three channels, no response so far. Either their communication lines are cut off, or they’re ignoring us."
"If even the Ferans have gone silent... then this is far worse than we thought." Another grandmaster echoed.
"Enough," Odin said, raising a hand. "We will not assume the Ferans are gone until proven. Keep trying to contact them. And send scouts toward those beasts. I want to know what’s happening out there."
Just then, the heavy doors burst open, and a soldier stumbled inside, panting heavily. "Your Majesty!" he shouted, bowing low. "Reports just came in, from every region surrounding the capital. Multiple abomination zones have been... frozen. Completely turned to ice."
The hall erupted in noise as the Grandmasters exchanged alarmed glances. Odin rose slowly, his eyes glowing faintly with Essence.
"Frozen, you say?" His voice had turned cold, sharp like the wind before a storm. "Then the invader is already close."
From high above the clouds, I watched their panic spread across the city like wildfire. I couldn’t help but smile faintly. They were right. I was close, closer than they could imagine.
Then, out of nowhere, a familiar voice echoed in my mind. "Is this your doing, kid?" It was Dante.
"What is?" I replied.
"The freezing of those abomination zones," he said, a hint of curiosity in his tone.
"Yes," I answered simply.
A deep chuckle followed. "I’m impressed. Your Essence control is off the charts."
"Thanks for the appreciation," I said, grinning a little. "Since you’re always acting mysterious, old man, I’ve got a question for you."
"Oh? Go on. I’m all ears," he said, amusement dripping from his voice.
"Do you know anything about the Genesis Rune?" I asked, letting the question hang in the air.
For a moment, the line between us went silent.
"Where did you hear about it?" Dante’s serious voice sounded.
"I asked the question first." I replied.
I heard him exhale as he replied.
"A Genesis Rune... now that’s not something you hear about every day," he began.
"It isn’t just a mark or some divine relic, kid. It’s the universe’s way of writing a new Chapter in itself. When existence reaches a point where something new must be born, a star, a realm, a law, even a concept, it manifests as a Genesis Rune. That rune holds the blueprint, the raw intent of creation before it takes form."
He paused for a moment, as if remembering something distant.
"No one ever truly knows what a Genesis Rune will become. It could give rise to life, or to destruction. It’s pure potential, untouched and unshaped.
That’s why every powerful being in the cosmos hunts for it because whoever claims it doesn’t just own power... they own the right to define what comes next."
"What do you mean by ’define what comes next’?" I asked, still not fully understanding what he meant.
He let out a quiet hum before replying. "As I said, it’s just a blueprint of creation, a foundation that hasn’t yet decided what it wants to become. Which means, if you’re strong enough, you can influence it. You can guide what it turns into."
I frowned slightly. "Influence it how?"
"Well," he continued, "if it’s going to become a planet, you could decide what kind of elements it’s made of, iron, crystal, or even Essence-rich minerals. If it’s going to form a new law, you could nudge it toward something related to the laws you already understand. Fire, gravity, time, whatever aligns with your will."
He paused for a moment, his tone growing distant. "It’s a kind of freedom even Saints envy. To touch something before it’s born and whisper what it should become."
Then he laughed lightly, though there was a trace of wonder in it. "But I’ve never seen one in my life. It’s rare... and not rare at the same time."
That part made me curious. "What do you mean by that?" I asked again.
He replied after a short silence, his tone calm but thoughtful. "They’re rare because the universe doesn’t create them often. Most of the time, it simply repeats what already exists, copying, refining, reusing its old designs. When that happens, there’s no need for a Genesis Rune. The blueprint already exists."
He paused for a moment.
"But when the universe decides to create something truly new, something that might exist but its new edition or something completely new, that’s when a Genesis Rune is born.
It’s the moment creation starts to think for itself, trying to shape something original. That’s why the rune is rare, not creation itself. The universe keeps creating all the time... but true originality, that spark of something unseen, that’s what calls a Genesis Rune into existence."