Lorian gazed at the sky, waiting for ***** to make his final decision. He had only agreed to help ***** fight "them" because he couldn't stand the thought of losing his own family in the war.
"Thank you for keeping your word, Lorian. But our enemies are still here."
Lorian's gaze shifted to *****. His fist clenched, and for the first time, raw emotion surged through him. Anger laced his voice as he spoke, "You don't want me to kill children, do you?"
***** looked at him without hesitation. "No, I don't ask you to kill innocent children or people. While you were destroying your armies, the Family Leaders gathered and began a ritual to summon the gods they follow. Now, there are five gods on this battlefield because we couldn't stop them in time."
Lorian's thoughts shifted darkly. It would have been better for ***** to have killed those children and anyone else he deemed innocent, but ***** didn't want to make an enemy of Lorian over that.
Lorian might have felt he could easily take on an enemy, but he chose to be patient for a little longer.
At first, Lorian was stunned by *****'s words, but quickly regained his composure. "You must be a Chaos Bringer, at the 10th stage of the Chaos Path, right?"
There was a long silence before ***** spoke, confirming something that took Lorian by surprise. "Yes, I am a Chaos Bringer at the 10th stage of the Chaos Path. Though, even with no one higher than you on this battlefield, fighting those who've mastered the highest level of control over echoes and esensa is impossible due to your usage of that attack."
Lorian's eyes widened in surprise, though he quickly masked his emotions. The fact that ***** knew about the Cosmic Esensia Form shook him. His body and soul were in a fragile state, the echoes within him in turmoil.
Despite the internal chaos, Lorian appeared perfectly calm on the outside. He had mastered the control of his emotions, body, and mind, hiding the terrible condition his spirit was in. He had always known the Cosmic Esensia Form would take a toll on him, but he didn't expect it to have such a dramatic impact.
Lorian realized that, if he were to fight the gods now, he would have no choice but to use the Cosmic Esensia Form to stand a chance. However, that would push the echoes to madness, and he would lose control over the Esensia. The consequences would be catastrophic—his echoes would lose their humanity and be trapped in eternal torment.
Fighting beings at the god level would be like striking a deal with death itself.
"So what do you suggest we do?" Lorian asked, meeting *****'s gaze.
***** smiled. "What do I suggest? With the state you're in, we can't survive or escape. You think you're ready to make plans with me, Lorian? No matter how powerful you are, using the Cosmic Esensia Form without reaching the level of the Old Master will shatter your soul. Then the echoes will run wild, and the whispers will begin urging you toward death. You've already experienced all those stages, haven't you? I can defeat you even if I am just at the 11th stage as a Time Lord."
Lorian's face darkened as he heard *****'s words. He had reached the 13th stage—the Old God stage, making him the Lord of Order—but none of that mattered now.
When ***** started speaking, Lorian had been confident he could fight him using the Advanced Form without relying on the Cosmic Esensia. But as ***** continued speaking, Lorian's hope started to fade. Even Lorian, who had defied death countless times to reach his stage, had trouble discovering secrets about the Old Master that no other being knew.
But 's words made it clear: ***** wasn't following the Chaos Path at all—he was on a completely different path. Lorian, unable to hide his anger, spat out, "! How did you know all this? Why did you lie to everyone and say you were on the Chaos Path?!"
***** spoke, his tone laced with sarcasm. "Ah, Lorian, don't be so obvious. It wasn't a lie that I was on the Chaos Path. I was actually on the path of ---- -- -------- when an opportunity arose, and I began walking the Chaos Path simultaneously."
Lorian was stunned by *****'s admission. He couldn't believe ***** had reached advanced stages on two completely separate paths. More surprising was that he was walking in opposite directions at once.
No one could walk two paths at once. If an ascendant tried to, their echoes would spiral out of control. They'd lose their connection to the Esensia during the ritual to acquire their second path—and die.
But Lorian knew there had been rare individuals in the past who had managed it, although no ascended beings existed in the world today—except the gods. But to follow two opposite paths at the same time? Even the Old Gods had never dared to try that.
Lorian's heart raced as he realized what this meant. The Chaos Path and the ---- -- -------- path were the two most opposite paths. The Chaos Path destroyed Order, while ---- -- -------- was meant to preserve it.
"*****! What about the gods who landed on the battlefield?! Are you really planning to fight me now, in this state?!" Lorian demanded.
***** grinned. "What gods? Oh, I remember now! You're talking about the five gods I destroyed before you arrived, right? Without leaving a trace, I wiped them out with the combined power of Chaos and Order. I'm sorry to disappoint you, but they were no true gods. They didn't deserve the title, and I dealt with them swiftly."
Lorian stood stunned. Before he could respond, ***** continued.
"Ah… Lorian, it's been a pleasure knowing you, but you're no longer useful to me. You're in my way. You're the obstacle to my achieving my goal. The throne is meant for one person only, Lorian."
He paused, then said coldly, "Goodbye."
As *****'s words hung in the air, he disappeared and reappeared in front of Lorian, holding a dagger filled with yellow and black energy, aiming to stab him.
Lorian reacted instantly, using his Cosmic Esensia Form to stop time and avoid the dagger. However, he couldn't fully dodge it. The dagger pierced his shoulder, filled with poisonous energy.
A scream escaped Lorian's lips as the dagger drove deep. His soul felt as if it was being torn apart. His echoes spiraled into madness. Whispers filled his mind, urging him toward oblivion.
In a blind rage, Lorian grabbed *****'s arm and used the Cosmic Esensia to tear it apart. ***** screamed in pain, staggering back.
Lorian ripped the dagger out of his shoulder, pain overwhelming him. His body shook as the echoes ran wild. He heard their screams, cries of revenge and madness.
Just before he passed out, he looked up to see ***** advancing, holding his shattered arm. That was the last thing Lorian saw before the world went dark.
When he regained consciousness, he found himself before a dark, elegant figure sitting upon a majestic throne, bound in chains. Instead of feeling his soul crumble, Lorian felt it being mended, as though the agony and madness had been replaced by a strange calm.
The voices of pain, revenge, and madness faded. He felt reality returning to him.
Before Lorian could hear the figure speak, he lost consciousness again, his vision fading to black.
Lorian woke with a start, his shoulder burning with pain. He was drenched in sweat, gripping his shoulder in agony. Blood covered his hand as he looked at it, shocked by the severity of the wound.
Silent screams filled his mind as he struggled to rise. Pain clawed at him, but he stumbled to the door, desperate for relief.
The door opened, and he froze.
Elira stood there, eyes wide with concern. But before Lorian could say a word, his vision blurred, and he collapsed, blacking out in front of her.