Back at the Cosmic Sanctuary, Jacob emerged from the futuristic edifice, each step down the descending stairs feeling like a ton weighed upon his exhausted legs. The scars of his last battle were etched deep within him, and the mana shortage tormenting him slowed the regeneration of his stamina.
Yet, despite his apparent fatigue, his face displayed a complex mix of emotions. A smile tinged with satisfaction and nostalgia played on his lips, as if the battle had awakened in him something more than just a reminder. In that confrontation, he had been able to show a part of his strength and his mastery of Adaken, and though it wasn't the real Marshal, he had managed to bid him a final farewell in his own way. To Jacob, this mattered little, for it was enough to soothe the torments that had haunted him for so long. His chains were loosening, and his heart felt a bit lighter at last.
Suddenly, his body collapsed along the steps, each movement demanding a significant effort. Igdifir, witnessing this misfortune from below, quickly increased his speed to catch him in his arms.
"Master! Are you alright?"
"You were right... Igdifir..."
"What?! What do you mean?!"
"I was too immature to understand... And now... I realize it."
"What happened?!"
Jacob began to recount how his battle had differed from the original game. He detailed the titanic confrontation he had to deliver against Marshal, a duel to the death where the line between life and death was blurred, as if he had danced several times on the edge of the reaper's abyss, narrowly escaping its grim clutches.
"Igdifir, I'm sorry I didn't listen to you... Forgive me for hitting you..."
"It's okay. The main thing is that you were able to face your demons... I'm glad you could mourn in this way."
Igdifir led Jacob to a golden laurel so he could finally rest. Gradually, his mana and health points began to rise significantly. He would soon be ready to resume his journey and reflect on what had happened to him.
In Deity Battle, the golden laurel was the ultimate resting point for players. Sitting near this golden plant, a player could not only avoid the automatic battles imposed by the AI of enemies, but also fully restore their health. However, given that his personal power imposed limits, Jacob had to wait about ten minutes before he could benefit again from the elixir of life.
With his eyes closed, Jacob began to realize his past mistakes. Garnal did not deserve such favor. After all, he wasn't responsible for Abaguo killing him and the entity resurrecting him. What he had felt upon seeing Garnal was pure jealousy.
After reflecting on his actions, Jacob and Igdifir were finally ready to fight the area boss, commonly known as Orion, the Star Forger, who possessed the Celestial Dragon Blade, a sword coveted by Jacob for its abilities similar to Final Omega.
"Are you ready?"
"Yes... Let's go!"
They set off towards the spawn point, where Steria was waiting to open the portal to Orion.
After a long walk to the Astral Portal, Jacob handed over his three miniature Fragments to Steria, resolved to return victorious to apologize to the friend he had insulted and threatened.
"Well done, you've found the Fragments... Congratulations..."
Steria bowed to Jacob, a tear of joy sparkling down her delicate cheek.
"I will now open the path to Orion, I wish you good luck, brave travelers..."
Steria moved towards a pedestal made of silver material and sparkling liquid. With delicacy, she placed the three Fragments, careful not to transgress the imposed ritual. Suddenly, the pedestal trembled, shaking the entire island. Even Jacob, who had experienced the game on Earth, was surprised by such an intense quake.
The long-awaited moment finally arrived, the portal slowly opened before their amazed eyes. At the heart of this opening, they discovered a dark abyss oscillating between deep shades of black and purple,
"To us, Orion!" Jacob declared with determination.
Step by step, Jacob and Igdifir entered the darkness without looking back...
[Den of the Fallen Forger]
[Boss: Orion, the Stars Blacksmith]
[HP: 250,000/250,000]
As they entered the boss's lair, a vastness that defied comprehension enveloped them. The floor was a mosaic of asteroids and meteorites, each with its own story, its own epic to tell. Above them, a transparent dome separated them from the void of space, where countless stars twinkled, forming ancient constellations.
Pillars of stellar light rose on either side of the room, like beacons guiding lost travelers. These pillars vibrated with energy, and the shadows they cast danced on the walls, reflecting the constant movement of the universe.
In the center of the room, on an elevated pedestal made of translucent crystal, lay an altar. And there stood Orion, the Stellar Forger, with a bloody gaze, surrounded by an aura of energy that rumbled like a star about to explode. His massive, molten hands held the coveted Celestial Dragon Blade, a saber whose visual represented the perfect fusion between the cosmos and a dragon.
Orion was a majestic being, well over six times the size of a human. His skin resembled black, rough meteorite, dotted with bright spots shimmering like stars.
"Have you come to die?"
"And you, ready to take your last breath again?"
Jacob's provocative words fueled Orion's anger. In a fury, he brandished his sword, his implacable eyes fixed on his two opponents. The bulging muscles of his extended arm formed a menacing silhouette, while his two celestial red eyes, evoking supernovae, burned with a determined glow, ready for any eventuality.
"THEN PERISH!" he bellowed.
[Celestial Dragon Blade: Stellar Explosion]
With exceptional speed, Jacob and Igdifir demonstrated incredible anticipation by predicting Orion's imminent attack. Their movements were a celestial dance of grace and agility as they quickly separated in opposite directions. They narrowly avoided a cosmic explosion that unfolded before them like lightning streaking across the universe.
Once the dense smoke surrounding the scene dissipated, a breathtaking vision was revealed: a monumental crevasse had formed where the explosion had occurred. This gaping chasm provided a direct perspective from the farthest corners of the universe, revealing the majesty and infinite grandeur of space.
On his side, Jacob ran and jumped from meter to meter, from pillar to pillar, to reach Orion's position as quickly as possible. Given his low mana reserve, he knew each blow had to be calculated in advance.
Come on, let's finish this fight as quickly as it started!
With a final leap, Jacob approached the basin, where armor made from asteroids and comets served as protection. His goal was to reach its weak point: its belt adorned with three stars. When suddenly...
[Celestial Dragon Blade: Dragon's Wrath]
A draconian scream emitted from the sword paralyzed him from head to toe.
I had forgotten this overpowered power of this sword... Damn!
A cryptic smile adorned his lips as he remembered the tremendous potential hidden within this weapon.
I ABSOLUTELY NEED IT! HAHA! Meditating on these few words as he fell to the ground, Igdifir rushed towards him with an outstretched hand.
[Tornado]
A miniature tornado appeared under Jacob's legs. Now free of his movements and out of danger, he moved away from Orion and let his companion handle him while he thought of a tactic.
Igdifir dodged several swords blows, all with exceptional agility and grace. Once the offensives ended, he raised his index and middle finger to the sky.
[Stellar Light]
Five luminous spheres of celestial beauty suddenly materialized, emerging from the surrounding space to begin a graceful dance around him. Their fluid and harmonious movement seemed to be dictated by an innate instinct of self-preservation.
"Try to kill me if you can..." he challenged, assured.
A smirk appeared on Orion's face, ready to take up Igdifir's challenge.
"You asked for it."
Confident, Orion pointed the tip of his blade at Igdifir, from which sprang a point dense enough to contain thousands of stars. The darkness of the room, which was previously disturbing, gradually became a distant memory as the point flooded the room with its imposing light.
[Celestial Dragon Blade: Draconus' Breath]
A wave of energy of incredible intensity, evoking a mix of vibrant purple and yellowish hues, swept across the targeted area. Under the impact of this devastating assault, everything in its path was reduced to atomic nothingness. Now, Igdifir's hope of survival was reduced to a faint glimmer, almost on the verge of extinguishing.
"IGDIFIR! NO!"
From afar, Jacob had witnessed the terrible execution scene of his companion without being able to do anything about it.
Well, it doesn't matter... As long as I don't die, Igdifir will come back to life. I have to hurry up and finish him off!
Thus, disadvantaged but not defeated, he launched an emergency assault on the imposing figure standing in the center of the room, charging another attack towards him.
And to think that we haven't inflicted any damage on him yet... It's absurd to be so overpowered! The developers should have nerfed him before my arrival on Trillia!
Orion raised his sword, this time with more intensity.
He's probably going to attack with Breath of the Cosmos... That will leave me an opening to hit his vital points!
He turned his eyes away from his assailant, apprehension seizing him.
If only the others were here to support me...
He was swept away by memories, plunging back into moments shared with the Lost. He saw himself alongside Yanis, lost in the graceful movements of their training sessions, each pushing the other to reach new heights. Then, he remembered the challenges he threw at Rogue, sword in hand, both fighters measuring each other with thrilling intensity, their laughter mixing with the clashing of blades dancing under the sun.
BUT THIS IS MY FIGHT, NOT THEIRS! I HAVE TO FACE MY PROBLEMS ALONE!
Repeating this phrase in his head, he was ready to face Orion's belt.
[Celestial Dragon Blade: Breath of the Cosmos]
Jacob heard a swing above his head confirming his prediction. Behind him, he could see a wave of draconic energy mixed with plasma, completely devastating the area. However, this hardly concerned him, as he was out of range. Doing so, he managed to split one of the precious stones adorning his strap with a sword stroke.
[HP: 165,000/250,000]
That's one down! Just two more and—
Suddenly, an explosion of aura threw him backward, Orion screaming in rage and using it as a protective shield. As his anger rose, epic music played out of nowhere, as if marking the start of a new phase of combat.
I forgot about the second phase…
Still in the air, Jacob didn't lose heart and opened his mouth to take a deep breath.
[Inferno Dragon Katana: Dragon's Breath]
[Mana Cost: 1,000]
[Mana: 1950/3100]
He belched a massive torrent of flames, creating a blazing screen that violently pierced Orion's aura with devastating force from the outside. The flames danced with wild ferocity, their devouring heat illuminating the scene with fierce brightness as they attacked the protective energy surrounding Orion, cracking and piercing it like a fiery lance through a shield.
"IF YOU THINK I'M JUST GOING TO LET YOU, YOU'RE MISTAKEN, BUDDY! DON'T FORGET I'VE BEATEN YOU DOZENS OF TIMES!"
Now with an opening in his belt, he targeted one of the two jewels with his katana. Then, he sliced through the air, projecting his mana toward it. However, as soon as he reached his position, Orion swept away his mana with a simple sword strike.
Damn, I was so close!
But when he looked up, he saw with horror that Orion had disappeared.
What?!
Orion had reached such speed that Jacob could no longer track his movements. He only became aware of his presence when the air's rumbling behind him betrayed him.
Before he could turn around, he was overwhelmed by a series of sword strikes of incredible speed. Each attack was inhumanly precise and brutal; he heard the sound of the blade cutting his flesh repeatedly, unable to react.
[HP: 105/19,100]
Thankfully, the pain is dulled by my personal power… Otherwise, I'd be suffering...
Then, in an unexpected moment, Igdifir reappeared mid-flight, catching him before Orion could deal the final blow. However, it was too late, Jacob had sustained too much damage to fight again. His body was covered in tears, from which liters of blood gushed.
"Hang on, master!"
Orion matched Igdifir's speed and struck him with a punch powerful enough to force him to release Jacob, propelling him violently towards the other end of the room. Like a ravenous predator opening wide to seize its prey, Jacob plunged toward the gaping abyss, where the confines of the universe awaited him, ready to lead him to the doors of death.
I've never died since I've been inside Deity Battle… So, what's going to happen to me now?
His vision blurred as the universe drew him further away from the boss's room. From there, he could discern the grandeur of Orion's arena, blending with the surrounding stars, as if part of the constellation.
I'm sorry, Marshal, I lost…
A solitary tear slid down his cheek as he reminisced about his fierce struggle against Marshal. Yet, a more heart-wrenching vision appeared before him: the other Lost, recalling their moments spent together, laughing and conversing without him.
I hope they'll be okay too… I love them so much.
Inexorably, a dark curtain clouded his vision, the abyss engulfing him on all sides. For him, the answer came with cruel clarity: he had perished, yet his inert spirit persisted, still present.
"What?! So I'm not dead?!"