Chereads / The Adventure Of Divinity / Chapter 24 - Some Clue?

Chapter 24 - Some Clue?

Rowan remained silent, realizing that his life was merely a narrative for a higher entity, as Tom had suggested. He continued to ponder Anton, the architect atop the dark star tower as mentioned in the previous letter, but how to reach the pinnacle?

Rowan walked in search of something, embarking on his journey as the Divine Wanderer, seeking the West Gate. "Are there no other clues we can refer to?" Rowan asked. Haval replied, "None, we only see a vacant path with no indication of where to go." Suddenly, a voice emanated from the sword Mudur, saying, "Ya, Jar Yitah." A map materialized in the air before Rowan. Taking the map, a bright red light emitted, transporting Rowan to a crimson void. Mudur spoke of what Rowan must do, to guard the peace of his thoughts and imagination against attacks that could obliterate human minds. A white light then brought him back to his original world.

With the map given by Mudur, Rowan attempted to decipher it. However, it was complex, unlike any ordinary map, with intricate symbols uniting nearby islands, each adorned with numerous carvings resembling places, monuments, or even villages. Haval took the map from Rowan, indicating their current location. "So, what's the next destination?" Rowan inquired. Haval replied, "According to this map, there's a place not far from here that seems to be our next destination." Goza added, "Urzul? The name sounds intriguing, but what's there?" Haval shrugged, saying, "I don't know; this world is vast."

They began their journey towards a place called Urzul, with another name on the map: "Ancient Nemesis." Along the way, they pushed through thickets and tall grass, climbed towering hills, and crossed swift rivers—a challenging journey to reach such a place. During the trek, Rowan asked Haval about something: "Haval, you originate from the fragment of Bujang Senang's power, don't you?" Haval replied, "Yes, I am a fragment of Bujang Senang's power transformed into a ring or another creature." Rowan continued, "Where is Bujang Senang actually?" Haval responded, "I'm not sure myself. Even though I come from the remnants of his power, I don't know where he is." Haval continued, "But I remember the grand priest who wielded my power throughout the journey in some highly dimensional realm. It was a world with nothingness, and the grand priest walked there. I could see a tree root embedded deep in the ground of that world, with its branches spreading throughout the realm." Rowan pondered on this, recalling what Tariq had mentioned before. However, it made him wonder if Yggdrasil existed in two forms, as he had seen previously and as described by Haval.

Rowan said, "Fahab once mentioned Zephyria containing all the world's mythology, is that true?" Goza replied, "Yes, even more than that. Zephyria encompasses far more, containing every imaginable thing and more." Before they reached Urzul, they passed through a place where they saw a stone-built structure. The height of the building resembled a typical structure, with cracks adorning its walls. They entered the building and saw someone sitting on a throne carved with complex symbols. He said, "Rowan? Is that you?" Rowan tried to scrutinize who it was, and to his astonishment, it was his father. He approached and said, "Father! How can you be here?" As Rowan got closer, Haval tried to observe if it was indeed Rowan's father. As Rowan got closer and closer, Haval intervened, reaching out to pull Rowan back, while Goza immediately prepared to fight the creature. Indeed, it wasn't Rowan's father but something resembling him. The entity said, "Ilkuh Ya Ilahi, La Dik Ya Lak." The entity immediately attacked Rowan by shooting shockwaves from its hands. Rowan countered with his power to manipulate gravity, attempting to force the entity to fall, but it was futile as the entity existed outside the world's gravity. Haval attempted to attack with his sword, but it had no effect. The entity wasn't just unaffected by gravity but also physical touch—it seemed both existent and nonexistent, unable to interact with physical objects.

The entity spoke again, saying, "I am Vyrak." Rowan attempted another attack using Bob's sharp spear, but it had no effect on Vyrak. Vyrak retaliated, this time attempting to corrupt Rowan's mind with his aura, aiming to drive Rowan, Goza, and Haval insane. However, Mudur intervened, becoming their collective defense. Mudur emerged from Rowan's imagination or abstract world, and Rowan touched the sword's hilt, bringing Vyrak and the three of them into the red void world. Rowan immediately used Mudur to strike Vyrak, and the attack impacted Vyrak similarly as if Mudur had the same existence as Vyrak. With this opportunity, Rowan managed to inflict damage on Vyrak. Attack after attack was launched, weakening Vyrak. Vyrak retaliated with black laser beams, but Goza quickly erected a plasma barrier to shield Rowan. Rowan then used his gravity power to leap higher and attempted to strike Vyrak from above.

Vyrak's head was severed, but he seemed to possess the ability to regenerate his head and severe wounds around his body. Haval and Goza attempted the same tactic they used against the giant crystal before, but instead of being futile, their attacks had an effect on Vyrak. Vyrak's ability to regenerate was disrupted by simultaneous attacks from Goza and Haval. This time, Rowan used Mudur, while Goza and Haval launched simultaneous attacks. Their strikes hit Vyrak, but he tried to resist by creating a shield around himself, which cracked and eventually shattered. Vyrak attempted to escape the onslaught using his teleportation power but failed as the space or dimension around him was blocked by the power of The Mebius Heart. Vyrak was destroyed there by the combined assault of Rowan, Goza, and Haval.

Vyrak's body turned to dust, scattering around the building. Rowan noticed something hovering above Vyrak's remains and dust—it was a small core emitting a dark light. The core moved towards Rowan and entered his body. Rowan felt a new power entering his arsenal, indeed, it was the teleportation ability he gained from killing Vyrak. This power made it easier for Rowan to travel. They continued their journey to Urzul, but this time Rowan attempted to use his teleportation power. However, he pondered a way to bring Haval and Goza along without merging, so he tried to create a portal that would take them directly to Urzul. In one attempt, a portal appeared before Rowan, and he entered it along with Haval and Goza. Inside the portal, they saw their destination—Urzul.

In Urzul, they saw a pathway adorned with gemstone carvings. As they stepped on the pathway, the light illuminating Urzul seemed to dance on the floor they walked upon. The place was pristine, resembling a palace or even a well-kept garden of paradise. They observed their surroundings in Urzul, noticing that every column supporting the roofs of the buildings was decorated with precious gold and gemstones. However, they wondered why no one else in the world seemed to visit or focus on this place besides them. Mudur spoke, "This is the Ancient Nemesis, a place where the entirety of knowledge resides. But after the attack, it only left behind a single book, located in the center of the Ancient Nemesis." Haval asked, "Attack? Attack from whom?" Mudur replied, "It was an attack from a dreadful creature, Zarak." Haval inquired further about Zarak, so Mudur explained, "He is one of the members of the demon forces who constantly deceive creatures in the worlds. He deceives, enslaves, dominates, destroys..."

In the silence of Ancient Nemesis, they saw a woman in the distance. She wore a golden dress emitting an endless golden aura and illuminating every step she took. The woman seemed indifferent to their arrival, so Rowan attempted to approach her.

As they approached the woman, strange things began to happen. The closer they got to her, the further away they seemed to be. Rowan tried to understand what was happening and discovered they were trapped in a previously unseen golden pathway. No matter where they went, the floor remained the same without an end or beginning. In a state of confusion and slight panic, they saw the woman slowly approaching them. Rowan attempted to run towards her, but no matter how fast he ran, he only saw the woman approaching, not himself. So, he decided to wait. This time, the woman was in front of them—Rowan, Haval, and Goza. She asked, "Who are you? Are you here to seek the secret knowledge of this world?" Rowan introduced himself and stated their purpose—to see what was there or to seek knowledge and power.

The woman then asked about Haval and Goza, "And who are you two?" This time, Goza and Haval introduced themselves. Rowan asked, "And who are you?" The woman replied, "Me? I am Stella." Rowan inquired further about Stella and her role in the Ancient Nemesis, discovering that Stella was the last guardian of Ancient Nemesis, and she was the strongest among them all. Mudur asked, "Stella? Do you know Zereth?" Stella replied, "Yes, I know him. I know him as my savior and the savior of Ancient Nemesis from Zarak's attack." Mudur seemed to recognize Urzul and Zereth, but who was Zereth? Rowan asked Mudur who Zereth was, and Mudur replied, "Zereth, he was my previous wielder. He was a noble master who used me to defeat Zarak, but he sacrificed himself in the depths of darkness to send Zarak back to his darkness world."

Stella said, "So, you're the sword used by Zereth in battle?" Mudur replied, "Yes, that's me." Tears welled up in Stella's eyes as she seemed to recall the events of the past with Zereth, and how they worked together to defeat the enemy who sought to destroy Ancient Nemesis. Stella wiped her tears with her hand and said, "If you have come here seeking knowledge of this realm, I will entrust it to you to safeguard this realm, but you must guard it well." Rowan replied, "If that's what you desire, I will do it perfectly." Stella snapped her fingers, and they returned to the original world where the endless floor stretched far away.

Rowan walked into Ancient Nemesis and looked around. He asked, "Stella, how come the inhabitants of this world do not know about the existence of Ancient Nemesis even though they are many?" Stella answered, "My power is sufficient to cover the entirety of Ancient Nemesis and conceal it in an unseen realm or the supernatural world." Rowan asked again, "But how can we see Ancient Nemesis then?" Stella replied, "I opened the veil behind Ancient Nemesis and revealed it to you. I trust you because I see the Divine presence within, Rowan." They arrived at a room in Ancient Nemesis, and it was the middle room as described by Mudur. They saw a book in the middle of the room, closed and encased in glass.

Stella approached the book and removed the glass covering it. She took the book and said, "Behold... the Scripture of the Ancients." It was a book or a scripture containing some knowledge from the realm where Rowan had been and had never been before. It was the only book saved from Zarak's attack, and Stella handed it to Rowan.

Rowan asked, "Can I ask where the West Gate is?" Stella replied, "Look inside the book, it must be there." Rowan said, "Alright then." Rowan walked away, leaving Stella in the Ancient Nemesis room, but before Rowan stepped too far, Stella said, "Be careful!" A dark light slammed into the golden floor, and it was Vyrak. This time, he assumed his true form of nonexistence, making him immortal from the aspect of nothingness. Vyrak said, "You're strong, Rowan, but it seems not enough to defeat me." Vyrak step on the golden floor, causing it to crack and crumble. Stella recreated the infinite dimension, while Rowan, Haval, and Goza prepared to fight Vyrak. Rowan attempted the same tactic, trying to strike Vyrak with the Mudur Sword. It hit Vyrak's body, but Vyrak's body had become incredibly tough, so the Mudur Sword couldn't cut through it. Vyrak tried to punch Rowan, but Goza and the Mudur Sword quickly created a shield to withstand Vyrak's punch. The shield began to crack, and Rowan quickly retreated from Vyrak. Indeed, the shield created by Goza and the Mudur Sword eventually shattered like shards of glass.

Vyrak said, "Si Ya," and the entire floor produced

sharp spears and fiery thorns, but it was blocked by the Mudur Sword, which uttered, "Muz Aj." All the spears that emerged from the floor merged into one massive spear and aimed at Vyrak. Vyrak punched the spear, causing it to ignite and turn into dust.

An aura emanated from Vyrak along with a powerful shockwave that shattered the surrounding floor. Stella was hit by the shockwave but only sustained minor injuries, while Rowan was thrown back due to his range from Vyrak. Stella raised her hand and said, "Rise, oh creatures of light!" An entity appeared, not just one but many, and they attacked Vyrak relentlessly, trying to weaken him. Vyrak was continuously attacked by these creatures, but they only had a minimal effect.

This was the perfect opportunity to kill Vyrak. Goza and Haval launched a simultaneous attack on Vyrak, damaging his resilience. However, Vyrak's ability to regenerate his resilience was active, rendering him immune.

A voice inside Rowan's imagination said, "Let me control your body for a while." It was Chen instructing Rowan to temporarily share his body. With no other option, Rowan divided his body, allowing Chen to take over the fight using Rowan's body. A fierce battle ensued, with Chen using the powers of Bob and The Mebius Heart simultaneously, breaking Vyrak's arm. At the same time, Goza and Haval attacked Vyrak, momentarily interrupting his ability to regenerate. Bob thrust a sharp spear towards Vyrak, piercing his head. Vyrak fell to the ground temporarily, seemingly powerless. However, to Chen's surprise, Vyrak was behind him and ready to punch. Chen defended against the attack but was thrown off balance. This time, Chen seemed helpless, but Goza and Haval attempted to fight Vyrak. Goza fired a blast that caused the floor to vibrate, while Haval used his power to shoot sharp small crystals. However, all their attacks were in vain, as none succeeded in killing Vyrak.

Stella used her secret power and shot it towards Vyrak. Vyrak tried to withstand the attack and attempted to throw it back at Stella, but Haval used his power to lock Vyrak's hands, and Stella's attack successfully hit Vyrak, shattering his defense completely. However, he was still alive and determined to continue fighting. But Chen was behind Vyrak, using the Mudur Sword and the power of The Mebius Heart. Finally, Vyrak was split apart and turned into dust. Chen returned to Rowan's imagination, and Rowan regained control of his body. Stella used her power to repair all the damage in Ancient Nemesis. Haval used his power to heal everyone's injuries. Stella said, "He's just like Zarak, wanting to destroy everything." Rowan replied, "Yes. If there are no more problems, we want to leave and continue our journey." Stella allowed Rowan to leave, and finally, Rowan, Haval, and Goza left Stella alone in the Ancient Nemesis.