"Who is this?" I ask aloud, a little uncertain about what is happening. I look around to see if there is anyone else, but apart from MT and me, there is no one.
"I am Sola, the last of the Navcos in this world. To whom do I have the honor of speaking, little man?" the same voice asks.
"I am Heolstor Xel'Mourndor. Are you a floating whale by any chance?" I respectfully inquire, just in case addressing her informally would make her aggressive.
"Hmm, I am not a whale," she says with a hint of disgust, "but indeed a Navcos, a race of cosmic beings that can survive in the void of space and travel between different worlds. I have witnessed the creation and destruction of several universes, but unfortunately, I have been imprisoned here by these chains for a little over five thousand years."
Wow, it's amazing how long it must have been, I thought as I looked at her body chained with multiple chains.
"Why were you made a prisoner?" I asked anxiously.
Ah, a simple question, but wise of you, young Heolstor. I was captured because of my power, my ability to travel between worlds," Sola replied slowly.
"You should take a seat if you want more details because my story is likely to be long," she continued.
I moved closer and sat down with MT on a stone bench adorning the walls of the floor.
She tells me her story, starting from when she was young and adventurous, her desire for exploration, and her feeling of invincibility. She continued for a few hours in her unique voice without interruption, as if she were reclaiming all the time she had missed, until she finally reached the end of her narrative.
...over five thousand years ago, I was captured by members of the Blue Empire. This castle, as well as this cloud island, are remnants of that empire. The island served as their capital and means of transportation at the same time. An empire based on nomadism and pillaging, they traveled from world to world, plundering as they went, thanks to my power.
As mentioned earlier, many people are able to travel through space and live long lives, almost indefinitely if we are careful. But about three thousand years ago, I used a large part of my life force to weaken the seals of my prison and use my mass dimensional teleportation ability on all the inhabitants of this island. I believed that if no one was there to maintain the formation of runes, it would surely weaken enough to let me escape over time. Unfortunately, that was not the case, the formation is still as powerful as it was at the beginning…
Sola pauses for a few moments, and her silence feels laden with profound sadness. Then she suddenly continues.
Young Heolstor, I would like to ask you a favor.
Yes, of course, if I am able to accomplish it, I will be happy to grant it to you," I say, somewhat surprised by the request.
Nothing too complicated, after all these millennia I have lived, I am tired of being captive and alone. I would like to end this life. I have exhausted almost all of my life energy in my escape attempt. Being dying, but endowed with a long life, my suffering is unbearable. I simply wish to die," she asks with a mix of hope and sadness.
I understand the dilemma, living almost eternally but dying must be a torment, especially with no one to keep her company and imprisoned in this tower. Her life must not be very pleasant, I think.
I am willing to accept your request, but I'm not sure if I'll be able to succeed. After all, you are a being of a completely different level, even dying.
Don't worry about that, I will let it happen and make it easier for you.
Sola wriggles in the chains and now faces me directly. The arcs surrounding her intensify to the point where my hair starts to float due to static electricity. After a short moment, the arcs weaken and then disappear. Sola opens her mouth, and a giant crystal appears. The inside is black with bright points, and as I look closer, I realize that the interior of the stone seems to contain a small universe.
It's up to you now, you just have to destroy my energy stone," Sola says in her soft, sad voice.
I take my musket and command the animated musket, which has been following me since the beginning, to shoot with me. We both fire, and the stone tilts. I feel like it won't be enough, I think to myself, when suddenly the stone starts to crack and shatter.
An explosion of light fills the floor. Stars, planets, solar systems, and galaxies appear and disappear around me. I hear Sola's voice thanking me in a soft whisper as the space around me gradually changes.
I float in the sky, and I see the rippling space near me. Like an oscillating wave, space mutates and gives way to a portal. A Navcos emerges from it, chained to the cloudy island. The procession heads towards the planet, and my surroundings change once again. A white crystal appears in front of me, containing what appears to be stars, and it approaches me, shrinking in size until it becomes as small as a grain of sand. It then slips into me and enters my head, leaving me frozen for a few moments until my head feels strangely light, and everything seems to spin around me. My legs can barely support me as waves of pain pulse through my head. A sense of terror takes over for a moment as thoughts of endless pain creep into my mind. Falling to my knees, I almost give in for a moment, but I grit my teeth and emit a brief growl. I am determined to continue, to swallow the pain and face this ordeal. What feels like an eternity passes, and the pain fades away. The environment returns to the lower level of the back tower, and I go back to where I was.
My Lord! Your body is glowing! exclaims MT, pointing at me.
Trying to look at my body, I eventually noticed that my skin is glowing, but the phenomenon is gradually fading. Seeing this, I finally tell him that Sola left me a gift or perhaps an inheritance of sorts.
I can feel my body changing and growing stronger right now. I signal MT to follow me, and we ascend to the upper floor.
I will study the books in the library while you and the mechanical golems collect the bones," I tell him. I have a feeling I might find important information.
Upon reaching the floor, I instruct MT to create more Iron Servants and ask for help from Zéro if needed. I need more manpower, or else this could take too long, and I don't want to be trapped here for years...