In the endless expanse of the true void, and in a location that could be considered the very top of the multiverse, Reality's chosen champions were gathering en masse.
Leading these champions and their subordinates were the Veilwalkers, chosen by the ultimate champion of Reality to lead the rest.
These were the Chief Enforcers… Veilwalkers with strength greater than or equal to that of the primordials.
But what made these chiefs different from the primordials was their ability to utilise the forbidden essence of reality — void energy.
However, through the abilities of these chosens, primordials and gods from the very first universe could be allowed to utilise the same essence without destroying themselves.
As far as these chiefs were concerned, the constant battles at the Boundary of Reality had been less harrowing than they had been in a while, despite the corruption spreading across all of Reality.
The events of the last couple of weeks, or years, for those in the higher regions of Reality had been especially hectic, if not downright crazy.
Inviting the Deviant Veilwalker over to help clear the mess they had created had opened their eyes to reality-shattering feats.
For a Veilwalker from the lower regions of Reality to wield strength and abilities no other Veilwalker was capable of, he had a way of waking even the most stubborn of hearts.
Barely would he act against his aggressors and still come out on top. He was a mystery everyone wanted to decipher — a walking impossibility.
When he found a way to become an independent entity, he stopped making sense altogether. His existence was literally undecipherable.
No one could find him after he pulled that disappearing act. And now that he was back with relentless momentum, the chiefs could not help but feel anxiety build up within.
The directive he gave before entering Universe Prime left many Veilwalkers on edge. Only one thing could bring all chosen to one location.
Even as more and more Veilwalkers appeared to join their growing numbers, there were those who were still engaged in bloody fights with monstrous void creatures.
Drakmor looked at the trillions upon trillions of Veilwalkers and vassals spread about the void, a cold sensation running down his spine.
Very few among the gathered forces were below the god level. How useful they would be in the imminent battle was yet to be determined.
Many lives were going to be lost… but such was their current reality. It was either this or they lost everything.
Palpable levels of anxiety suffused the surrounding void, manifesting as gentle tremors in the void.
A few tens of meters around him, his colleagues patiently waited, silently communicating with each other through their connection.
'I don't like any of this at all…' Drakmor snapped out of his wandering thoughts as one of his colleagues expressed grimly.
'Agreed. I'm not accustomed to being left in the dark. What could possibly be the issue? And I hate that the boy is the one calling the shots.'
'Maybe it has something to do with those guys…'
'Maybe… And the fact that we can't lock in on their existence makes me restless. The boy is enough of a mystery as it is…'
'What do you think he could be discussing with the primordials?'
'Who knows… Those ancient ones are a hard bunch to deal with.'
'It's been several seconds already… and that's too much time for entities of our calibre.'
Not once did Drakmor share his thoughts with the others, preferring to keep them to himself.
A sudden shift in the surrounding void energy drew the attention of every Veilwalker gathered, prompting them to turn in that direction.
Appearing on the far right of Drakmor, and away from the gathered Veilwalkers, a distance of several tens of light-years equivalent, were the primordials… and gods.
Without hesitation, the Chief Enforcers executed void shifts, swiftly changing their positions to face the primordials directly.
The rest followed suit, seamlessly falling into orderly rows and paying their respects to the primordials and gods.
'Unbelievable… The boy got them to make an appearance. Never had there been a precedent like this, ever!'
Majestic were the forms of the gathered primordials and gods, many of them appearing as an ever-changing mass of essence that could not be seen through.
Their combined aura caused the void to subtly and continuously quake, as though the weight of their presence was too overwhelming.
Among the Veilwalkers gathered, many had never laid eyes on the gods, much less the primordials.
Questions… Everyone had questions, but only speculations could circulate.
'!!'
However, as though the subtle trembling of the void was but an illusion, everyone felt the dull ache within their existence abruptly intensify.
'Ugh… He's here.'
The chiefs were the first to make the connection between the intense and apparent quivering of the void and Alexander.
'To think he will be the one to bring us together instead of the Supreme One…'
The Veilwalkers and their vassals, the Primordials and the Gods, turned their heads and directed their senses in the direction from which the void twisted and turned, as though it were about to collapse.
Before the mysteriously powerful Alexander could make his appearance, several life signatures were picked up, soon manifesting into several orderly rows of beings.
They numbered less than a hundred, yet each one of them instilled a foreboding feeling in the Veilwalkers.
'It's them.'
The chiefs swiftly identified a few of the gathered beings. And although they had already made the connection, recognising the three in front cleared their remaining doubt.
'How are they already this powerful?'
Clad in the same cloaks that hide their facial expressions in an all-consuming darkness were the three close companions of Alexander.
Behind them were fewer than a hundred humans covered in suits of armour from head to toe, no part of their bodies visible.
Their numbers were few, but their presence rivalled those of the gathered Veilwalkers.
'This is insane… How did we miss the existence of such powerful beings before?'
It made no sense to them, but the evidence stood right before their eyes and senses.
More than that was the fact that, despite being visibly present to their eyes and senses, they could not grasp their existence.
An even greater quake echoed across the void as the being responsible for gathering powers of their calibre made his appearance.
Clad in a black cloak with blueish-white detailing along its trim, the weight of his presence dispersed the surrounding chaotic energies in a way that caused his cloak to sway gently, allowing for a glimpse of the black armour underneath.
Under the darkness of his hood were piercing eyes that sent shivers down the spine of anyone who dared glimpse them.
Despite his miniature form, his presence overshadowed that of all the gathered forces combined. He became the absolute centre of attention, as Reality continuously groaned and shook around him.
For a few seconds, the void was drowned in absolute silence. No one dared to speak or make a sound… they had to wait.
"Everyone…"
A ripple spread across the void as Alexander shared his intent, the power imbued in it making many swallow nervously.
"You're gathered here today and at this point in this Reality's history because…" A short pause followed before he solemnly added. "... because your Reality is dying."
"..."
The gathered forces did not miss how Alexander used 'yours' instead of ours. Regardless, his intent carried a foreboding weight to them, one that made many anxious.
"I need not mention the spreading corruption devouring the multiverse. But that corruption is the very thing driving this Reality to its death."
Of course, the Veilwalkers, Primordials and Gods knew of the corruption plaguing the multiverse. Alexander had dealt with the entity that propagated the spread.
As such, while they understood the intent he shared, they were not entirely clear on how that was pushing Reality to its death.
Sure, that had always been the case. But if there was any indication of how bad the state of Reality was, then the Boundary was all the proof they needed.
At the same time, many among them knew that Alexander wouldn't have gathered them all had that been the case.
The shared connection the gathered forces had was aflame with activity, with thoughts and considerations running amok.
After a few moments of silence, the forces turned their focus back on Alexander; he was not done with his address.
"The main culprit of your Reality's madness is awake…"
This, too, was information they were already aware of. Recalling that extreme sense of rejection and wrongness they felt from that abomination still sent shivers down the spines of the chiefs.
"...and is most likely trying to devour what is left of the Omnisoul, and could be doing so now."
"!!"
"R-Right now…?"
"I'm afraid so…"
At his confirmation, terror gripped the hearts of the Veilwalkers and their vassals, spreading like wildfire.
"A-Are we even ready to fight those truly monstrous entities?!"
Before long, panic began to spread among the Veilwalkers. Even the chiefs and gods were not exempt. Only the primordials largely remained indifferent.
What terrified them most was the knowledge that there were void creatures out there that they could not match.
Naturally, there were those who burned with heroic determination, but such sentiments wouldn't help them in the face of the corruption those abominations wielded.
"You have no reason to panic…" Alexander's intent broke through the spreading terror, garnering their attention. "I'll handle those abominations myself. As for why I gathered you all here…"