Volume 5 – Chapter 23 (in-editing v8)

Volume 5 – Chapter 23

(This chapter was a long one, and took me a bit longer then I wanted - but it's here now!)

(If I make any mistakes/forget something, please let me know in the comments - I'll check them when I wake up, and make any corrections then!)

(Edit: Added Divine Scan of Lux - Edit2 as of 11/10/2025: Adjusted Divine Scan Growth Rates)

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Lux moved silently through the passageways of Castle Atlas.

He was travelling solo this time, leaving Rex behind to wait at the Guardian Inn, their temporary residence here in Axellion. His companion was many things, but stealthy, he was not.

Security was heightened in the wake of the Apex attack, and Lux had judged it wiser to make this journey on his own.

As Lux moved through one particularly long stone passageway, he pondered the information Constantine had given him.

‘My target might be a Regressor?’ It was a startling revelation.

Constantine had seemed convinced that this man, Micheal, was far more than the simple Seer he claimed to be.

Constantine had offered up a plethora of theories, ranging from Time Travel to Regression to magically sending one’s memories into the past, all to explain the man’s vast and ultra-specific store of knowledge.

In particular, the most convincing piece of evidence that Constantine had offered, at least in Lux’s eyes, had been the man’s introduction of a miraculous substance known as Dragon Building Liquid.

Dragon Building Liquid was a magical enhancement liquid that was created from a variety of ingredients purchased in the Shop, including substances like the Essence of Wood and the powder found inside Calming Aura Pills. It allowed one to speed up their accumulation of Ki and granted a Starred Physique, letting humans grow stronger at a faster rate.

His mission target had apparently introduced Dragon Building Liquid and spread it across the entire First Layer, ensuring its widespread use on a grand scale.

The only problem with that…

‘How did he know?’

Constantine had created an entire research taskforce focused on analyzing Dragon Building Liquid, and the processes behind its creation. Fundamentally, a substance like this was rife for abuse, should there be any negative or long-lasting side-effects.

According to Constantine, the chemical processes behind the operation and functionality of Dragon Building Liquid were incredibly complex, drawing on mystical energies that humanity, presently, possessed very little understanding of. The Essence of Wood, one of the main ingredients, was incredibly poisonous when ingested by itself – only when combined with the other ingredients in the creation process was it refined into something a human could take safely.

It was a creation that, by its very complex nature, should have taken the cooperation of a large group of researchers many years to develop.

‘There’s a limit to what you can reasonably scry.’

Others might accept the man’s word at face value, but not Constantine.

In the first place, his enslaver was incredibly paranoid and controlling – he was the type to be suspicious of everything and everyone that wasn’t under his influence.

‘When everything is spelled out, it paints a very damning picture.’

It wasn’t just this miraculous medicine that Constantine had pointed to – it was also a number of incidents where, inexplicably, this man had interfered, time after time, with plans that otherwise should’ve been entirely secret.

‘He knows too much.’

Abilities that scried far into the future were inherently difficult to interpret – the future, by its very nature, was an everchanging current that meandered forth at its own pace.

The sheer breadth and accuracy of this man’s foreknowledge, in Constantine’s eyes, beggared belief.

‘He’s done a clever job disguising his knowledge.’ His Seer act had seemingly convinced everyone he’d interacted with.

Constantine claimed the man was likely a Fourth Waver which, in and of itself, already was an impressive feat – to have reached the Third Layer in so short a time was an incredible display of expertise.

The fact that he, a Fourth Waver, was also a Grandmaster gave even more credence to the theory. Attaining Sword Mastery was no simple feat – Lux himself had never had the free time for it, as busy as he was leading the Beasts of Providence.

Lux’s thoughts were interrupted as he ducked around a corner, the Light Refraction Shroud he wore shimmering slightly in the darkness. Lux took a moment to seclude himself in a narrow alcove.

Just a split second later, a patrol of armored guards swept down the stone hallway, casting a myriad of shadows as they moved past a series of lit torches jutting out from the walls.

Lux held his breath as the guards moved past, his eyes never leaving them.

The patrolling guards checked the alcove opposite him, found nothing, and began to turn towards Lux…

And then shrugged and turned away, continuing on their patrol.

Lux donned a small smile.

It was always interesting, trying to understand the way in which his luck changed the world around him.

Lux possessed the Luckstrider Type, a one-of-a-kind Type that granted him the Fatum Ferox Physique. He had obtained this Type in an Inheritance, an old, forgotten place he stumbled upon on the Second Layer, purely by chance.

It was a remnant left behind by an ancient Dark Wraith, one so ancient that no records of their existence had survived, born tens of thousands of years ago, in a world where Dragons still soared.

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—-Luckstrider Type—-

The Luckstrider Type grants the user a body blessed by Causality.

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The description his Type Ability gave was rather vague. It was only when he first read the description for the Physique it granted that Lux truly understood how lucky he was.

He had obtained an incredibly rare 6 Star Physique.

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—- Fatum Ferox Physique – 6 Stars —-

A Physique that distorts the flow of Causality. The will of the world shall bend around you. This 6 Star Fatum Ferox Physique alters the probabilistic nature of existence to suit the user.

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It was an extraordinary power, truly deserving of the legendary status that came with 6 Stars – a blessed Physique that altered the world around Lux to suit his needs. Truly, it was a power any man would desire.

‘If only I had this before I was Seeded.’ It was a complaint that had often risen in his mind. Had he possessed this Physique on the First Layer, it was likely he would still be free to this day.

‘Still… perhaps it is my luck that has led me to this moment here today.’ Lux pondered as he slipped down yet another stone corridor.

Soon, he found himself standing outside a set of rooms, the official guest quarters of Lady Vesper von Atlas.

‘It's time.’ He didn't hesitate.

Lux raised his right hand and began to knock.

“I hope you don’t mind the late intrusion. A mutual... acquaintance of ours would like to speak.” Lux kept his voice low, just loud enough to be heard through the door, but not loud enough to carry far down the hall.

“I figured you’d be awake to receive me.” He smiled slightly to himself.

“I'm lucky like that.” 

.. .. .. .. .. ..

Micheal flared his Ki.

The energy flare affected reality, scattering the pillows and blankets off his bed as Micheal focused, staring down the doorway. Lightshorn appeared in his right hand in an instant, while his Silk Strider Glove appeared on his left hand the moment after, titanium threads ready to shoot forward.

A fraction of a second later…

“Wazzup?!” Shin blearily teleported into existence, his fists raised in a ready position, even as he looked half awake.

Ever since Shin touched upon the Concept of Strength, he had become far more in-tune with any type of energy used around him, despite not being able to use forms of energy himself. This meant something as subtle as Micheal flaring his Ki in the room over served perfectly as a signal to wake him up.

“Company, human. One of them, hear to talk. Allegedly.” The emphasis Micheal put in his words as he whispered made it very clear what group he was talking about.

“Them? Mind control guy?” Shin connected the dots as he blinked, rousing himself.

“The one and only.” Micheal had long-since made certain his friends and allies were aware of Constantine’s existence.

There was a tense moment’s pause as the duo stared down the door while Micheal’s thoughts raced, trying to make a decision.

‘Why is he here? Is this a trap?’ He couldn’t help but assume the worst when it came to Constantine.

“Be ready to bring us out.” Micheal motioned towards Shin.

Shin put his right hand on Micheal’s shoulder, and nodded in response.

Micheal began to walk towards the door, his mind racing as he prepared himself.

He paused for a brief moment as his hand rested on the door handle. As he began to open the door, he drew upon his Sixth Sense, once more entering the Realm of Intent.

Standing just outside the doorway was none other than Lux, the former Baron, and Beast King of the Beasts of Providence. The man was dressed in a set of stylish, dark silken garments, finely tailored to match his form. He had on a pair of dark black shoes, and was holding some sort of shroud or cloth in his hands, a garment he quickly stored in a Spatial Ring.

Micheal and Shin stepped back several steps, backing away from the entrance.

“I understand.” Lux nodded, and then took a single step inside the room before stopping, holding his empty hands out wide.

“I come in peace!” Lux remarked with a charming smile.

'Divine Scan.' The first thing Micheal did was activate his Eyes of the Deep.

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— - Divine Scan— -

Race: Fatori Human

Title: -

Traits: -

STR:   B+  (Growth Rate: Mythical or higher)

END:  B   (Growth Rate: Heroic or lower)

REG:   B-    (Growth Rate: Uncommon or higher)

SOUL:  B-    (Growth Rate: Mythical or higher)

MANA:  B+    (Growth Rate: Heroic or lower)

Path Notes: A Fatori Human that walks a solitary path. Strong traces of the Path of Causality are present.

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His Scan showed him an incredibly well rounded set of Stats, with Growth Rates in Strength and Soul that were extraordinarily high, rated at Mythical or higher for each, and two Heroic Growth Rates in Endurance and Mana. Natural potential like that was incredibly rare, to the point where it even gave Micheal pause.

'He has the potential to stand with the very strongest of humanity.' Two Heroic tier Growth Ratings were already incredible - adding in two additional Mythical Growth Rates put Lux's potential on par with some of the most powerful beings in existence.

It wasn't just sheer luck that saw Lux grow to his current level.

The scan also revealed what Micheal already suspected - that Lux's luck bending Ability was related to the esoteric Conceptual Power of Causality.

Micheal’s eyes narrowed as he watched the man’s future movements, each one carefully measured and slow, as if engineered to not give any alarm or offense.

Whatever this was, it clearly wasn’t an attack. At least, not yet.

“Lux.” Even as he spoke, Micheal felt a tug at his heartstrings.

If there was any man more underserving of his fate to be Seeded, it was this man here before him.

Micheal’s perfect memory recalled in clarity the footage that the Nirvana Saint had shared with him, wherein Lux had sacrificed what little agency he had to warn others about Constantine’s existence. He had seen the grave where Lux’s clone was buried, after committing suicide to grant itself a few precious seconds of freedom.

Lux was almost certainly the one responsible for the Vile King’s existence becoming common knowledge in the first timeline.

His self-sacrifice, his stubborn refusal to give up, and his sheer strength of will represented the best of humanity.

That was why, here and now, it was all the more bitter to see him here, in the throes of Constantine’s control.

“Micheal. Do you mind if I take a seat?” Lux gestured towards the chairs and table set up at the center of the room. His casual use of Micheal’s real name wasn’t particularly surprising – Micheal’s identity, at this point, wasn’t exactly a secret.

“By all means.” Micheal returned silently, not dropping his guard. Shin shifted nervously behind him, but otherwise remained steady.

Lux sauntered over to the middle of the room and slid one of the fine chairs out, sitting down and making himself comfortable. He was acting incredibly casual despite knowing that a potentially Grandmaster was within swords reach of him.

That casual attitude only served to put Micheal more on edge.

“Well. I can see I’m not particularly welcome, and I get that, so I’ll cut straight to the chase.”

Lux gave Micheal a winning smile before leaning forward in a bow so deep his head touched the table.

“Please help me.”

Micheal froze, genuinely taken aback, as his future sight processed the bow before Lux even began it.

Whatever he had been expecting… it was not this.  

“Help you?”

Lux rose from his bow and nodded.

“Constantine has offered me a deal that I will need your aid to complete.” Lux smile took on a sad edge,

“A deal I believe he will honor…” Lux continued,

“A deal to earn my freedom.”

Micheal’s pulse pounded in his ears as he blinked, his thoughts racing in a million directions at once. The Realm of Intent slipped away as he finally recognized that this situation was not the trap he had been expecting, freeing up his concentration.

“What exactly do you need my help with?” Micheal asked quietly.

“An exchange of information, but more than that – he wants me to act as a liaison, between you, humanity’s most talented Seer, and himself.” Lux put a slight emphasis on the word Seer that had Micheal narrowing his eyes.

“What I think, personally, is that he understands you have a rather… fierce, disdain for him. And this is his solution." Lux shrugged,

“Can’t say I blame you.”  

Micheal blinked again. This truly was not at all how he saw this meeting going.

“Why? Why talk now? What’s caused this… change of heart?” Micheal questioned, unable to so easily trust in Lux’s words.

It was impossible to know, for certain, if what Lux said was truly what he believed… or if it was just Constantine’s influence, feeding him lies. Perhaps Micheal was being excessively paranoid… but you didn’t live long on the 7 Layers without a hint of paranoia.

Lux nodded, as if he had been anticipating Micheal’s response.

“That I can answer.” Lux leaned back in his chair as he continued,

“Recently, Constantine encountered something that caused him quite a few losses. A creature that has made him rethink his entire philosophy when it comes to the 7 Layers.” Lux freely shared sensitive information that Constantine otherwise would’ve limited, adding more credence to his claims.

“A Titled Deity by the name of Ashroth.”

That name sent a spike of adrenaline flooding through Micheal’s veins as he stood a little taller, the fingers on his blade twitching.  

‘The Yil.’

Ashroth was one of the Five Calamities that ruined humanity, a nigh unkillable monster with a penchant for cruelty and mass slaughter. He was one of the architects of mankind’s downfall, a Titled Deity who caused untold amounts of harm. A member of The Yil, a Tribe of Deities, and a uniquely horrifying species that humanity first encountered on the Fifth Layer.

‘Did this happen in the first timeline? Or is this change something I caused.’ Micheal was leaning towards the latter – because if so, then everything here made sense.

Being humbled by a Titled Deity would cause a paradigm shift in anyone, especially for a genius like Constantine.

‘Constantine recognizes the value of the information I possess.’ Constantine was a genius in every sense of the word – it was possible the man suspected Micheal wasn’t just a Seer, and that the value of his information was therefore far greater.

If he assumed that, then everything happening here made sense.

“Okay.” Micheal paused for a moment, as he truly thought this through.

“I can’t say that I trust you now, or that I ever will in the future.” It hurt to say that to a man who deserved so much more.

Lux nodded quietly in response, the smile never leaving his face.

“But information on them…” Micheal spat, his words almost devolving into a snarl as he referenced the Titled Deities that had ruined humanity.

“That, I’ll share freely.”

.. .. .. .. .. ..

Micheal sat alone in his room, resting on one of the free chairs.

Roughly 25 minutes later, his discussion with Lux had finally come to a close.

The man had left peacefully, carrying with him now a journal that detailed every fact, every facet of knowledge, essentially everything Micheal knew about not just the Titled Deities that had ruined humanity, but about all the threats mankind had faced on the 7 Layers.

It was a huge outpouring of information, one that also made it abundantly clear that Micheal possessed far more knowledge than was reasonable for a Seer to know, in detail and clarity that shouldn’t be possible. If Constantine did suspect that he wasn’t just a Seer, this would definitely confirm those suspicions.  

‘I made the right call.’ He had no regrets. It had taken a near-superhuman exercise of will, but Micheal had forced himself to put aside the rage and anger he felt for Constantine’s very existence, and acted logically.

What mattered most wasn’t obtaining petty revenge or soothing his strained ego – it was humanity’s continued survival, in the face of threats no single man could possibly overcome.

‘I cannot be everywhere, and do everything.’ It was a fact he was increasingly coming to terms with.

“The enemy of my enemy is perhaps not a friend, but it can’t hurt to sic’ em on each other.” Micheal repeated the line that Lux had left him with as he rubbed his eyes.

‘To arm him better to face those monsters… if nothing else, it should give the rest of humanity better odds.’

Micheal took a moment to scan his surroundings again, falling back on old habits.

He had already scanned his room meticulously, his heightened senses confirming that there was nothing left behind by Lux, no trace of any trap or any nefarious scheme lying in the wait. His second scan confirmed that as he let out a small sigh, staring down at the object he held in his hands.

He was currently running his fingers over a small green crystal – a Kebler Crystal.

This special Limited Artifact was a communication tool, one part of a pair of crystals that were intrinsically linked together. When infusing energy into one crystal, it would activate the other, sending a pulse of energy that caused its sister crystal to glow for an extended period, before requiring a small recharge time.

They were useful as a tool for simple, long-range communication – the pulse the crystal sent out once activated could travel thousands of miles.

“He’s also hunting for Jay sol Arget.” It turns out that that was the other mission Constantine had demanded Lux complete to earn his freedom.

Lux had offered to work together, and given this crystal to use should either of them stumble upon traces of the rogue Deity. They had agreed upon a number of predetermined locations to reconvene at, depending on the number of crystal pulses.

"The enemy of my enemy, huh..."

As the hours slipped away, Micheal spent a restless night lost in thought.

Soon, however, the dawn came, and a new day marched onward, dragging him along with it.

Micheal stored the rock away as he readied himself for the day - it was time to make contact with the Knights of the Round Table.

.. .. .. .. .. .. ..

Tick.

Tock.

Tick.

Tock.

Tick.

Tock.

A clock echoed, ticking back and forth, in the middle of a huge, luxurious room. Fine golden cloth, expensive paintings, beautiful vases, and finely crafted furniture decorated the room, opulent luxury that rivalled anything even the richest of Void Nobles might display.

In the center of this room, a shadowy, vague figure stood, staring at the large, sapphire colored bed.

Inscribed on the sheets of that bed was an insignia of a golden crown, pierced by lightning… a sign no Void Noble would dare display, not when the very concept of Kings was considered taboo thanks to the actions of Eon, the strongest Hero.

However… this was not the domicile of a Void Noble.

Spreading out beyond this room was an enormous palace, and beyond that, a massive, floating city full of towering spires and windowed buildings, the very image of wondrous fantasy.

This was the Imperial City – a large, floating city that had been brought up the Layers thanks to its incredible foundation. For, the Imperial City was, in truth, a Legendary Artifact, an entire city that could shrink down to the size of a pea, a wondrous, truly rule-breaking Artifact crafted by beings of wonderous power.

This was the seat of power of the God-Emperor of Kalos.

Kyvenval.

“Soon.”

The shadowy figure mumbled as it walked towards the bed.

Tick.

Tock.

“Soon, this will all end.”

The shadowy figure stared down at the bed, and the body that lay on it.

The mangled corpse of the Emperor’s Wife, Syraphine.

Tick.

Tock.

Blood dripped from her torn throat, her eyes rolled back in horror.  

Jay sol Arget leaned down and carefully adjusted the corpse of the woman he had just murdered, his voice calm and emotionless, as he began to carve a symbol into her flesh. A shattered crown, falling to the sands of time – the official insignia of Eon, the King of Heroes.

“The Final Loop beckons.”

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