"We’re here," I said at last.
My eyes remained fixed on the empty void ahead, even though I knew it wasn’t empty. As the ship drifted closer, I raised a hand and slowed our approach. The brakes flared, Essence circulating through the hull, and with a low mechanical groan the ship came to a halt, floating motionless in space.
"What is it?" Primus asked.
"There’s an invisible wall ahead of us," I replied. "I don’t know what it does yet, but I’m not letting us cross it blindly."
They simply nodded.
I stepped forward and vanished from the deck, reappearing directly in front of the wall.
Up close, it was overwhelming.
The surface was completely transparent to normal sight, but under perception it was alive, runes flickering endlessly, connecting and disconnecting in shifting patterns. They covered every inch of the barrier, layered so densely that it was impossible to tell where one sequence ended and another began.
I closed my eyes.
Right to Insight surged to full power.
The runes unfolded their purpose not as words, but as intent. Piece by piece, the functions revealed themselves.
Essence detection.
Anything carrying an active Essence signature would be identified the moment it crossed the boundary.
Metal detection.
Not crude material scanning, but recognition of forged constructs, weapons, armor, and artificial structures meant for war.
Law fluctuation detection.
Even suppressed laws, active domains, or unstable law frameworks would be flagged the instant they disrupted the baseline.
Space fluctuation detection.
Teleportation residue. Folded space. Hidden movement. Any attempt to bypass the wall without crossing it properly.
Life Signature detection. Time fluctuation detection. Elemental distortion.
And finally—
Deathmist detection.
The presence of a lingering deathmist.
I opened my eyes slowly.
This wall wasn’t built to stop enemies. It existed to make sure nothing entered without being noticed.
As I studied it, my respect for the person who designed it increased. Whoever had designed this structure knew exactly what they were doing. The rune work was layered, precise, and elegant in a brutal way. This wasn’t something an ordinary expert could create.
A Saint, at the very least.
That realization created a problem for me.
I wasn’t skilled enough to cross this wall unnoticed, not with a ship, and not even on my own. Leaving the ship behind and entering individually wouldn’t help either. The spatial detection woven into the wall was refined enough to catch even me, even if Knight worked alongside me to mask the transition.
There was no clever shortcut here.
Only one option remained.
We would cross it properly. Openly.
I considered it for a moment, then accepted it. Our original plan had never been to remain hidden forever anyway. If anything, letting our name spread now would serve us better in the long run.
With that decided, I turned around and flashed back into the ship.
I explained the wall’s functions to the others, keeping it simple and direct.
"So our surprise attack plan is gone," Steve said, disappointment clear on his face.
"It won’t be a surprise for our forces," I replied calmly, "but for the Eternals and their controlled forces, we’ll still be unexpected."
Steve clicked his tongue but didn’t argue.
"That also means we’ll have to answer questions before they let us anywhere near the frontline," Primus added, rubbing his forehead.
I tapped my foot against the floor once, thinking.
Then I smiled.
"Primus," I said, "why don’t we ask Dravon to help us bypass the paperwork?"
Primus raised an eyebrow. "Dravon? You mean the demon who came to punish me for rebelling against the Demon Monarch?"
"That’s the one," I said, nodding. "I’ve got a good feeling about him. I’ll have Aurora talk him up a bit. I’m sure he’ll let us get involved."
Primus paused, then shrugged, a faint smile forming. "All right. We’ll say he’s the one who called for our assistance."
I chuckled. "Good. Then it’s settled."
I looked around at everyone. "Ten minutes. Get ready. We meet back here, then we cross the boundary."
They all nodded and split up, heading to their rooms.
I entered mine and closed the door behind me.
Laid out neatly on the bed were folded black robes, marked with an insignia of interlocking gears and a white mask.
I summoned Aurora first.
A crimson circle flared in the air, and she stepped out of it with her usual bright smile.
"So?" she asked immediately, excitement clear in her voice. "Did you get a chance to try out the new trait?"
I almost rolled my eyes.
"Aurora, we’re still traveling to the rift," I replied. "I haven’t exactly had the time to test anything properly."
As I spoke, I raised my palm and looked at it.
Right before my eyes, the flesh began to break apart.
Skin, muscle, and bone dissolved into flickering arcs of lightning, dispersing cleanly without pain or resistance. In the space below my wrist, there was nothing solid left, only crackling elemental energy, alive and unstable. It looked as if my hand had been cleanly severed, replaced entirely by lightning.
No blood fell and the wound opened. This was the trait I had taken from Aurora using Trait Acquisition.
I lowered my hand and let the lightning fade, allowing my flesh to reform in a smooth, controlled flow.
The trait was called Absolute Elemental Shift (Mutated)
The trait allowed my body to temporarily abandon physical form and convert directly into an elemental state. Flesh, bone, blood - none of it mattered once the shift began. In Aurora’s case, the conversion was locked to lightning alone, her body turning into pure electrical essence.
Mine was different.
The mutation had removed the restriction.
I wasn’t bound to a single element. Fire, lightning, wind, ice, any element I comprehended could replace my physical form. I could shift partially or fully, isolate limbs, or flow between elements without losing cohesion. Damage taken while shifted did translate directly to my physical body, and reforming caused no backlash as long as control was maintained.
"That’s disappointing," she said, her expression drooping slightly. "I thought you’d be more excited about this trait. Compared to the traits from your other summons, mine is clearly a grade above."
"Of course I’m excited," I replied. "I’ll make full use of it, don’t worry." I paused, then added, " Anyway, I summoned you because I need your help."