Although father escaped before the Angels passed through the Gates, and there is no memory after that, I doubt he will be able to escape too far.....
That realization made the urgency of the situation settle heavily in Orien’s mind. The Angels would not have paid much attention to Aamon alone, but the moment he absorbed a Rune, everything changed entirely.
It was like waving a red cloth in front of a raging bull while still being a child, an act that could only invite death.
Orien’s mind was still slightly disoriented due to the side effects of using his ability to mimic death, and his body felt weak overall. It felt as if someone had drained both his soul and his body of nearly all their strength, leaving him sluggish and slow to react.
Even so, he forced himself to think calmly about how he could provide his father with a chance to escape. Yes, only a chance, not a rescue.
With his meager strength in his current state, he was not qualified to even consider rescuing Aamon. At best, he could create a brief opening, a single moment of distraction. Whether his father could take advantage of that moment would depend entirely on Aamon himself.
It did not take him long to realize the method through which he could do this. The answer was simple and direct, and it aligned perfectly with the purpose he had carried from the very beginning.
Opening the Abyssal Gates. As long as the Gates are opened, it will certainly distract the Angels, forcing them to take drastic measures.....
He could only hope that his father would seize that opportunity to escape. If not, then alas, he would have to bear the weight of avenging the deaths of both his parents.
His life force was still weak from being suppressed earlier, so he doubted anyone could sense his presence from above. Unless someone of an extremely high rank arrived in their true physical form, he should remain hidden.
Soon, his body dissolved into black mist, slipping silently through the piles of debris, shattered stone, and scattered rubble above him. He carefully released a thin strand of mist outward, using it to observe the surroundings beyond his hiding place.
However, the entire clearing was empty, devoid of even a single living presence across its perimeter. What immediately caught his attention instead was the golden barrier surrounding the area, sealing everything inside it completely and preventing anything from entering or leaving.
Beyond that barrier, he could see the Gates of Heavens. Their sheer size dwarfed everything around them, radiating an authority that felt overwhelming even from this distance.
Without wasting any more time, Orien manifested his body near the Abyssal Gates, his form stabilizing as the last traces of black mist dispersed around him.
He brought out the ’key’ of the Abyssal Gates.
The moment it appeared in his hand, Orien clenched it tightly. The weight of the key felt heavy, not just physically, but as if it carried the burden of something ancient and irreversible. Steadying himself, he made his way toward the Gates. In no time, he stood directly before them, and as he brought the key closer, a keyhole formed automatically on the surface of the Gates, as if responding to its presence.
Without hesitation, Orien inserted the key inside. He took a deep breath, calming his weakened body and unsettled thoughts, and twisted it open.
-RUMBEL!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Instantly, the Gates began to vibrate, the violent tremors spreading outward as a deep, resonating sound echoed through the sealed space.
---
Meanwhile, a few light years away from the world of Akumia.
The avatars of two Eternal Supremes faced each other without appearing but through the space cracks, their mere presence making everyone in their surroundings feel deeply unsettled and tense, as if the cosmos itself was holding its breath.
They communicated among themselves,excluding everyone else, leaving all others suspended in heavy silence.
"It’s been quite a while, old friend."
"Yeah. If my memory serves me right, it has been around twenty one thousand two hundred and thirty six years since we last spoke to each other."
The Eternal Supreme of the Heavenly Realm spoke calmly, his tone relaxed and unhurried, as if he were recalling a brief meeting from the recent past rather than an encounter separated by tens of thousands of years. Time, after all, had long since lost its meaning to him.
"Indeed. And it seems that this time, something rather interesting has appeared."
The Transcendent Eternal Supreme replied, his voice steady and composed, yet carrying a faint hint of amusement. Situations capable of drawing his attention were exceedingly rare, and this one clearly qualified.
In truth, with their current level of strength, there was almost nothing within the Cosmos that they truly needed. They had already reached the absolute ceiling of cultivation that the Cosmos itself could offer. There were no techniques left to master, no realms left to ascend, and no enemies capable of threatening them.
Their only remaining wish was to go beyond their present limits, to leave the Cosmos entirely and venture into the greater reality that lay beyond it.
However, there existed a secret known only to the Eternal Supremes.
Without Runes, leaving the Cosmos was impossible.
This knowledge naturally raised questions. How was this restriction formed, and why did the Cosmos itself require Runes as a key to escape it.
The truth was that even the Eternal Supremes did not know the full answer. The Heavenly Realm possessed an unimaginably long history, and this fact was merely recorded in one of their Sacred Heavenly texts, mentioned as an absolute truth without any accompanying explanation.
As for the Transcendent Eternal Supreme, he learned of this secret directly from the Eternal Supreme of the Heavens when the two of them signed the alliance contract that established peace between their realms.
That contract was extensive beyond belief, covering countless clauses, restrictions, and agreements, ensuring balance between the realms. Describing it in full would take an unreasonable amount of time.
"It is a Rune Bearer," the Eternal Supreme of the Heavens continued. "From what I know, it is the Rune of Destruction. It possesses the authority to destroy anything and everything, provided the wielder is capable of controlling the Rune’s power."
"Oh. That one."
The Transcendent Eternal Supreme nodded slowly, understanding dawning in his eyes.
"I see. I have read about it before, within a set of ancient ruins left behind by the Celestial Circle. It is an extremely dangerous Rune. At higher levels, it ignores all conventional forms of defense. Its first bearer was one of the greatest menaces the Cosmos had ever known."
The Eternal Supreme of the Heavens did not appear surprised by this revelation. Anyone who had even a basic understanding of Runes knew that each one was a treasure beyond measure. It was only natural that all who knew of their existence sought them.
Although many believed that the Eternal Supremes of the two realms were hostile toward one another, that assumption was far from the truth.
Despite the arrogance etched deep into the bloodline of Angels, the Eternal Supreme of the Heavens genuinely admired the Transcendent Eternal Supreme.
Without guidance, inheritance, or external support, he had shattered the racial limits imposed upon him and forged an entirely new path. He reached heights that no one had believed possible, creating the Path of Transcendence itself.
Through this path, the normally weak races of the Mortal Realm gained the potential to stand on equal footing with beings from the Heavenly and Abyssal Realms.
Arrogance was one thing. Admiration for talent capable of creating such a myth, and altering the fate of countless beings across the Cosmos, was something else entirely.
The karmic virtue earned from such an achievement was immeasurable. It was impossible not to acknowledge it.
In the end, although the Heavenly Realm harbored ambitions of expanding its influence over the Mortal Realm to cultivate faith and belief, such desires belonged mostly to those far below the Eternal Supreme’s standing.
Personally, he had little interest in territorial expansion.
What truly interested him were the Runes scattered throughout the Mortal Realm.
And if restraining his realm’s influence allowed him to maintain a cooperative relationship with a Transcendent Eternal Supreme, then it was a price he was more than willing to pay.
After all, by extending that friendship, he was also extending an invitation.
An invitation to search for the Runes together.
Because in the end, both of them shared the same ultimate goal.
To one day leave the Cosmos behind and venture into the greater reality that exists beyond it.
Although Eternal Supreme of Heavenly Realm treated no Transcendent the same as he treated the Transcendent Eternal Surpeme.
And this was something visible through his acts as he made the two transcendents suffer through his presence but their injuries were not severe, one could say he was just doing as he wished.
But not killing them was in itself his greatest mercy. Even the Transcendent Eternal Supreme ignored this even though he knew, for him if his people suffered setbacks, it was good.
This way they would put more efforts in their cultivation. As long as one was not dead, everything was fine and good. Their mentality was as vast as the universe, and was not bound by normal standards of humans.
But before the Eternal Supremes could continue their conversation, both of them suddenly turned their gaze toward the world of Akumia, their attention locking onto the source of disturbance.
More precisely, they were looking in the direction of the Abyssal Gates that had begun to vibrate.
In an instant, the faintly relaxed atmosphere around them vanished completely. The casual tone they had maintained until now was replaced by unmistakable seriousness, their expressions sharpening as they sensed the implications of what had just occurred.
***