’No... I think you’re onto something.’ Ash’Kral narrowed his eyes solemnly.
’Is it even possible?’ The Titan frowned.
The Titan might not know how the OmniGenie race was enslaved, since it happened after his death, but he felt that the CRS Platform would never let anything free the Genies... they were the backbone of the platform’s reward system, alongside the treasuries.
Understanding that many entities would desire to steal them for their own benefit, there must be some extreme protective measures in place.
’Freeing them is nothing short of a miracle,’ Ash’Kral supported his thoughts for a moment before he added, ’However, I have a feeling Levi might just be sitting on one.’
’The Lantern of the Lost Keeper...’
Levi lifted the ethereal Lantern and scanned it wholly, feeling like he was seeing it for the first time. He already knew that it was an extraordinary ultimate ability, crafted as a sign of appreciation from the Nine Senses Ancestral Tree... but never in his wildest dreams did he assume that it might offer him a chance to free a Genie!
’The Unburdened Wardens...’ Ash’Kral murmured. ’I always felt that your Lantern was too similar to the ones used by the Unburdened Wardens to store and guide souls to their eternal resting place...’
Hearing this, Levi felt goosebumps coursing through his skin as the realization hit him. He took a deep breath to calm his nerves and asked, ’Ash... you aren’t implying that my Lantern is a perfect replica?’
’Well... anything spiritual falls under the Spiritual Perception Laws,’ Ash’Kral confirmed solemnly. ’Who else has higher authority than the Nine Senses Ancestral Tree in this department? If it’s linked, it can be created to perfection... that’s just how it is.’
The Titan nodded in support. As the Ancestral Tree of Terraform Laws, the tree’s authority over the laws and aspects was absolute. The same went for the rest of the Ancestral Trees.
’The Lantern of the Lost Keeper... it was in the name, in plain sight... Ah.’ Ash’Kral rubbed his brows in vexation. ’I just didn’t think it would go this far for you. The Lantern and the Soulleech are already overkill, but a perfect replica? I didn’t even receive that much love.’
Ash’Kral kept the last part to himself.
’I can tell this discovery is massive, but... how exactly can the Lantern free the Omnithar?’ Levi knitted his brows. ’If even Tier 8 or 9 powerhouses failed to break the system’s firewall and free the Genie, how the hell am I supposed to do it?’
Levi understood that while the Lantern might be an extraordinary creation, at the end of the day, his strength and how he utilized it mattered just as much.
In this case, he couldn’t see a way to free the Genie. Hell, even if by some miracle he succeeded, how was he going to evade detection by the system? He believed that the instant he pulled it off, the cavalry would descend to claim his head.
It wasn’t just imagination; he had read about this. The CRS Platform never messed around when it came to any of its foundational pillars.
’I have some theories, but I’m afraid that’s a question only the Omnithar can truly answer.’ Ash’Kral shook his head.
He might have some extra information about the Unburdened Wardens’ lanterns, but he still couldn’t connect them to their current situation.
Levi remained quiet, gazing at the Omnithar in silence. He realized that only a wish could get an answer from the entity.
However, he felt that it was too foolish to waste it on a question that might serve no purpose besides getting him into deep trouble.
Sure, freeing an Omnithar and having it indebted to him was something everyone in the universe wished for, but there was a thin line between a calculated risk and courting death.
’I know what you’re thinking, and I suggest you don’t make a hasty decision,’ Ash’Kral advised solemnly. ’Having an Omnithar on our side is a dream I dared not dream before... do you understand the implications of having a personal Genie that can fulfill your wishes? Sure, each wish’s cost depends on various checkmarks that might make you reconsider, but having the standby option is always welcome.’
’I know, I know...’
Levi bit his nail, conflicted.
He knew that Ash’Kral was right; he was standing before a holy opportunity he never even knew existed. Yet, he had only a week to make up his mind... or two Boundless weeks at most.
Since his wish hadn’t been processed yet by the Genie, he could still summon it again during the allocated period.
’The Omnithar hasn’t processed your wish... this means it is giving you time to change it for a wish that can save it,’ Ash’Kral shared. ’If you still refuse to risk it, then the original wish will go through eventually.’
Levi switched his focus back to the Omnithar, taking in its cosmic transcendence and misty appearance.
He felt like he was standing before a creation beyond anyone’s understanding. Yet, to see such a mystical and powerful entity in chains only made him fear the forces behind the CRS Platform even more.
’Sigh... I can’t let either greed or cowardice cloud my judgment.’
Levi steeled his heart, deciding to use these two weeks as a research period. In his mind, if he managed to figure out a method to communicate with the Omnithar without wasting a wish, he would give this crazy idea a chance. If not, then he was sticking to his original wish and putting the "rescue mission" on hold.
’I will see you in two weeks.’
With one final nod, Levi excused the Omnithar from his room. Although the Genie was as emotionless as the void, it still gave Levi a slight nod before its departure.
Levi felt like it was saluting him for his brave decision to give it a chance; whether he went for it or not, he had at least given it time... something no one else would have done under the circumstances.
***
Sometime later...
Levi sat on the bed with the violin resting on his lap. He was tapping his finger nonstop on the violin’s lower bout, feeling quite lost.
He had already spent two hours trying to figure out a method to establish a communication route with the Genie. His best chance was delving into the Melody Aspect, which had a great reach for emotional communication.
Since it had worked a little before, Levi felt he could write a new method to create a bridge of frequencies that touched upon their emotions... but this time, using those emotions as a sort of code.
’Omnithars are strictly limited under the platform’s laws to keep them imprisoned for eternity... but they can’t seal their emotions, too,’ Levi thought. ’If they can feel, it means emotional wavelengths are being released into the atmosphere. All I need to do is create a code based on these emotions and teach it to the Genie... but...’
Levi showed a bitter smile as he fell backward onto the bed.
’How the hell am I supposed to create a melody that can read the code while remaining emotionally detached?’
After his first experience sharing the OmniGenie’s emotions, Levi understood that he didn’t possess the mental capacity to survive its emotional wavelengths.
It was a similar situation to his Origin Seeds; their emotions were normal to them, but when felt by others, they were bound to be corrupted or even killed due to their potency.
The feelings of mortals could never rival those of deities; they operated on entirely different planes.
The Omnigenie might not be at that status yet, but Levi was certain he wouldn’t survive a concoction of different emotions invading his mind, body, and soul over a prolonged period.
’There must be a way to...’
Ring! Ring!...
Before Levi could finish his thought, a dimensional notification popped up in front of him. At once, his expression turned cold.
-Wei-Lan has sent you a D-mail!-
Levi had the traitor’s messages prioritized since he was the sole link to Bishop Va’ren, though he had expected this D-mail to arrive hours ago.
’Must be his ego...’
Levi scoffed as he pressed it, certain that the Bishop would have told Wei-Lan to reach out immediately after the game.
The moment he opened it, Levi was hit by a long paragraph congratulating him on the win and how he had made him proud. There was even a joke that it was fortunate his son wasn’t involved in the event, as he would have been nothing more than a liability.
Levi didn’t see it as a joke. He sneered as he continued reading, sensing that Wei-Lan had realized switching his tone was for the best, as making an enemy of Levi was too much of a risk... especially now that he was hidden in the Boundless Expanse.
After wading through the swamp of fake flattery... as there was no way someone as egotistical as Wei-Lan meant it... Levi finally reached the main subject: the date of the meeting with the Bishop.
"In two days... Immortal Sun Lotus Restaurant; Nocturn’s Heart City," Levi murmured. "He must think I’ll attend the meeting as a ghost."
Levi believed Bishop Va’ren assumed that even though he was in the Boundless Expanse, he was likely in a private territory in the Void, not a capital city.
This meant the only way for a meeting to happen was for Levi to attend in his consciousness form, like the first time he entered the realm.
Levi preferred keeping it this way; there was no point in showing his hand. Still, he didn’t approve of the date.
A moment later, he closed the D-mail and sent a short reply.
-Same place... In two weeks... Afternoon.-