Chereads / Exploring Creation / Chapter 3 - 3 Waking Up

Chapter 3 - 3 Waking Up

Waking up...waking up is a strange thing for The Noita. In large part because he rarely sleeps. In fact, he's likely died more often than he's slept, which really makes the two things seem more similar than maybe they should.

He even dreams. It's been a long time since his last death, but he still remembers how it used to be. There is a reason The Noita hated God, beyond the suffering he endured during his lives.

Every time he died, he relived all of that pain. He dreamt only of suffering, of pain and death. A thousand and one memories of his body falling to it's final throes, dying in every conceivable manner.

Though, in fairness, he can't fully blame God for that, as he has killed himself plenty of times just for the novelty of dying in new and interesting ways. Like turning his blood into fish. That was a weird one. Very quick, incredibly painful and even more messy.

When he sleeps however, it is not the same. He still dreams, but he doesn't think that's quite right. Or maybe it is, his only frame of reference is the brief glance he took in that strange female entity's Soul.

Whatever the case may be, when The Noita sleeps, his dreams consist only of memories. He relives his many years, remembers noteworthy events, such as the first time he created a star. One of his fondest memories, if unfortunate in how short it was.

He had no idea a star would have such a gravitational pull to it, and ended up getting swallowed by it almost immediately, an event that embarrassingly repeated itself when he first created a dark star.

The point is, The Noita rarely sleeps. So it's strange for him to wake up.

An unfamiliar sensation, but not a wholly uncomfortable one. Maybe he will sleep more often, now that he is free for the first time.

But first; where the Hell is he?

Sitting up from his spot, lying on his back as he was, The Noita looks around the large, empty room he finds himself in. Rather distinctively, this room is not the empty space in the centre of a universe where he fell asleep, meaning only one thing.

He has been moved. Or maybe the room was formed around him, so he supposes it could mean two things.

Instinctively, he goes to utilise his All-Seeing Eyes to observe the universe and how it has changed with his rest, but he holds himself back before he can. 

For the first time in...

This is new. This room, it is filled with engravings that he does not recognise, beyond the weak magical power emanating from them.

Not just the room either, he belatedly notices when he actually looks at himself. All of the markings seem to congregate on his position, lines of engravings abruptly halting as they hit a circle drawn around his body, which appears to be naked.

Then, from that circle, two lines come out at his sides, both perfectly drawn to match with the engravings painted onto his body, that then form another, smaller circle over his gut. Well, the lines were connected when he was lying down, they're not now that he is sitting up.

It only takes a brief thought to divine the meaning behind the runes, he's still not sure what to call them, they aren't Spells. They seem to be some sort of power syphon, likely absorbing his own magical power and redirecting it elsewhere.

He's curious who set this all up, as well as who even existed to find him. Seriously, what happened to his body while he was asleep? Certainly not anything dangerous, long honed instincts would warn him if anything was to cause him harm.

But for all that The Noita might be inexperienced dealing with actual sentient beings, he's not stupid. Whoever was absorbing his power was clearly using it for something, and now that the connection has been severed, they will likely come here to see what has happened.

He can ask his questions then.

For now, he should recall how many of his possessions he had on hand when he fell asleep. Most of it he doesn't really care about losing, like the potions on his belt. They were powerful, sure. An enchanted flask of Berserkium deep enough to fill an ocean, same with some Acceleratium, Hastium and Healthium. He wasn't going to fight God unprepared after all, and the scant few seconds it would take to pull more flasks out of one of his half-dimensions is too long in a fight.

Even if that fight lasted so long, in the end...

He also had his clothes, obviously. He'll be wanting those back. He had his amulet. He'd like it, but he's also not really that bothered. Of course, he still holds plenty of attachment to it, but so long as it is not destroyed, he doesn't mind not having it with him constantly.

Lastly would be his Wand. Luckily he only had a teleport Wand out when he fell asleep, rather than one of his attack Wands. It would be best if he doesn't go losing any of those, lest he wake up to find the universe he slept in destroyed.

He'd like to get the Wand back, but he also doesn't really care. He can just make a new one exactly the same, and it would only take him a few minutes. Even then, he has too many Wands as it is, having started hording them alongside everything else once he gained the ability to simply create new Wands, instead of having to rely on 'gifts' from God.

...He has a lot of stuff packed away into various half-dimensions. Frankly, the fact that he felt the need to use multiple half-dimensions to keep all his stuff sorted should probably have been a warning that he's hording too much stuff.

In his defence, there is literally not a single reason not to.

So, on second thought, he doesn't really care about the Wand. Or the potions. He has enough of every thing, from potions to materials and just elements, to flood a planet. the flasks he was carrying were a literal drop in the ocean, except for maybe Healthium, in which case the flask is more like a drop in the cosmos.

...One of his plans for killing God was to flood the entire universe with Healthium so he could get a grasp of God's tactics while they were both effectively immortal. In the end, it didn't come down to that, so now he just has enough of it that he needed to use four separate half-dimensions just to store it all.

That just leaves his clothes. Mainly his robe. He's only ever worn one item of clothing, the same robes God gave him at the start of every life. He really doesn't like the idea of his robes not being wrapped around him.

In fact, he might be starting to feel something. Another new emotion, though vaguely familiar. It reminds him of walking through dark caves, weary for the monsters hiding in the shadows. He doesn't like it.

Where is his cloak.

Luckily, that question answers itself before he does anything drastic, as the entrance to the room abruptly slams open, numerous footsteps rushing into the room. But The Noita ignores all of them save for one.

A man. 

With features The Noita doesn't care to inspect, too focused is he on the man's choice of garment.

A cloak.

His cloak.

This man is wearing his cloak.

Why is this man wearing his cloak?

Surely he must know it is not his?

It belongs to Noita. 

It is his cloak.

It is his.

"That does not belong to you, Maggot."

///

Shingensie was perhaps the most well known city in all of the Higher Realms, a reputation earned through blood and perseverance. 

Founded by a man hailed as The First Heavenly Emperor, Shingensie was built in the hinterlands known as The Dark Continent, a land of Beast and Monster where the civilised races were not welcome.

It is a hostile continent, and the only significant landmass in all the Higher Realms to have never been settled by Man. After all, great Divine-Beasts live on this continent, beings capable of shaking the entire Realm with their power, some of them said to be able to match even a Heavenly Emperor in might.

But The First Heavenly Emperor was not satisfied that his Empire did not cover all the Realm, and founded Shingensie as a frontier city; as the beginning of his expansion. An expansion that eventually lead to what may be the single most recorded and well known event in all of history.

The Death of The First Heavenly Emperor. 

Things started out well for Shingensie, it was the new hope of the Empire. The Dark Continent was considered a world of opportunity, a chance for the average Cultivator to rise above their station and become someone.

Many Legends were made, of Beasts of incredible might and majesty, and how those Beasts were subsequently felled. Or, in some cases, such as the Mighty Phoenix, tamed, for a given definition of the term. More like the Beast was intelligent and merciful enough to strike a deal with The First Heavenly Emperor.

They say it knew it was outmatched by The Emperor, and so it offered itself in a contract, and gave away a portion of it's power to those favoured by The Emperor. Of course, The Emperor's time has long since passed, and the Phoenix disappeared alongside him, with no one left to keep the Beast subdued.

As for how The Emperor died? Accounts vary. Some claim that he is not even dead, but anyone who truly knows anything about The Dark Continent knows that it is far more likely the Legendary figure is gone.

The most well believed version of events among those in the position to have any kind of executive opinion on the matter is that he fell to the combined forces of three Divine-Beasts.

Ch'thara; The Deep. A Leviathan of the oceans, dwelling deep in the oceans so far beyond where Man has explored that no one is even truly sure if it exists. No one except for the most powerful and influential of Cultivators.

Thaxong; The Plague. A Divine-Beast of a most peculiar kind. A frog that somehow managed to survive the tribulations of The Dark Continent to reach the apex of the food chain. It is the most well documented of the three, as it's poisonous aura leaves nothing but pestilence in it's wake.

Ch'thara is the least known of the three, while Thaxong is the most well documented, but neither of them reach the level of fame, or rather, infamy of the final of the three.

The King of The Dark Continent.

The True Dragon.

It's mighty claws, unstoppable. It's obsidian hide, untouchable. It's all-consuming breath, Death.

The Most Powerful Entity in all the Realms.

Vielduin; The Dread.

The span of it's wings is said to have been the reason the Dark Continent is named as such, as when it takes flight, there is no light to be found. Only Dread.

Like Ch'thara, many believe Vielduin to be a myth. Only, this is not for the same reason as it's absence, but rather for a much more simple, understandable reason.

Fear.

To acknowledge it's existence is to acknowledge that such a being even can exist, and that is enough to make any man quake in their boots. So the people chose ignorance. Any records of The Dragon are heavily suppressed, so that the Realms may continue to function, as they simply pretend that no such being exists.

After all, such power is unheard of, even for the Heavenly Emperors. So surely such a being simply could not exist. 

Of course, that's not to say that Divine-Beasts are the only thing man has to fear, in fact, they hardly even play any part in the lives of those who chose to settle in Shingensie. After all, the more powerful Beasts all live deeper in the continent.

In Shingensie, situated not far from the shore as it is, the dangers they face are much more simple, though still present.

Not a single part of The Dark Continent is hospitable to the civilised races. Even the area around Shingensie, likely the least dangerous location in the whole continent, is not a place that could be called safe.

Which is part of why the city is so famous, because even in such a hostile environment, it has persisted for thousands of years, without a single monster managing to harm the city. The city doesn't even have any defences beyond a simple wall, so confident are they in the preparations of The First.

Before his Legendary final battle, Shingensie was assaulted by a Beast Horde. Of course, The First managed to repel the Beasts with ease, but the event still made him weary, not to mention how it only seemed like a problem that would get worse as more and more Beasts were drawn to the scent of so many Cultivators gathered together.

And so, an unknown, but short time before his Final Battle, The First Emperor created The Dome. A translucent barrier that covers the entire city, strong enough to defend against even the assault of a Divine-Beast, at least for a while.

Very few have any idea how he might have accomplished such a feat, given that the city is a hundred kilometres wide. The amount of energy that would be required to power any Formation over such a large distance should be impossible to sustain for days, never mind the millennia it has held strong.

That goes double for just how powerful the Formation is. There have been plenty of disputes between powerful Cultivators, where stray attacks landed on The Dome, yet it has never so much as cracked.

It is the closest thing in all the Realms to a miracle.

Which made it all the more terrifying for the millions living under it's aegis when on one average sunny evening, that beacon of protection just...disappears.

There was no preamble, no warning or shaking of the earth. One moment the faint outline of The dome was visible to all who cared to look, and the next...it was simply not.

Such a thing would certainly not go unnoticed, and with the ever-present threat of a Beast Horde, could mean the end for Shingensie.

Luckily, however, there could not have been a better time for Shingensie to face a crisis. After all, after many long years of stagnation, the races of the world have grown far stronger since the time of The First, and for the first time in centuries, an expedition deeper into the continent had been planned.

And moments before The Dome went down, the six leaders of this expedition, each a Heavenly Emperor, were gathering in Shingensie to discuss their next course of action. There are currently seven Heavenly Emperors in all the realms, and the fact that this expedition is sponsored by six of them, well...

People have some hope of success. That maybe, a second city will finally grace the continent.

The six of them were gathered together in a single room, seated around a large table and each flanked by their own most talented subordinates.

At the head of the table, sits Osori Mihae; Lord of Shingensie.

He is the most powerful of those present, his mastery over Space second to none. He is a mature-looking Human male, with a light stubble and a long, messy mane of black hair. His skin, like all Cultivators, is without blemish, being so pale that it is one step away from snow. His eyes however, are the opposite, his irises swirling with a deep darkness, faintly glinting in such a way that they give the impression of stars in the night sky, even if one can never be sure if they see anything in the darkness.

But despite being the most powerful, he is not the most talented, as his rise to power was helped rather significantly by a helping of good fortune, as he wears one of the Legendary True Relics; The Robes of the Cosmos.

Said to be an entire Realm in and of itself, his robes can provide enough Insight to bring Enlightenment to any who see it. Yet, he has the honour of wearing such a profound item, it is no wonder he advanced in his Path so rapidly.

Even the other Heavenly Emperors in the room can't help but steal glances at his robes every now and then, the sheer Essence radiating from it enough to provide even these most powerful beings with greater insight in their Paths.

Behind him stand two men, both dressed in purple robes mimicking their Master's. One is an old, grey haired man with long eyebrows and a long wooden cane who gives of a harmless air. The other is noticeably the weakest in the room, as the young blond-haired man cares far more about running Shingensie than he does about fighting anyone.

Then, to Osori's right sits Yeveline Moonlight; Divine Ancestor of The Moonlight Elves.

Yeveline is a woman of whom it would be an insult to call her beautiful. Her features are noble and elegant, serene eyes painted like the clouds, with fine eyebrows giving her already refined features an even greater grace. Her hair is long and silver, such that it shimmers in the moonlight, and her charm goes beyond her impossible appearance. The very air she exudes can leave one speechless, her mere demeanour making all who see her feel insignificant, as if her beauty alone rises her above all the mortal races.

Yet, in terms of combat prowess, she is the second weakest of the Heavenly Emperors. At least, in regards to a simple and fair fight. For her speciality does not lie in a fair fight. Instead, she is attuned to the Spirits of the Realm to a far greater degree than anyone has ever known, leading some to believe that she is actually a Divine-Spirit in disguise. Beyond even that, her archery is said to be so good that she could clip the wings of a horsefly from over ten thousand leagues.

Behind her stand two of her aides, both powerful Cultivators, raised as hunters in the Moonlight Forest and beautiful women in their own rights, enough that they could be called once in a generation beauties. And yet, standing besides Yeveline, they seem so simple...

However, in spite of their serene appearances and demeanour, all three of them are sporting ugly glares, all directed at the man sitting opposite Osori.

To Yeveline's right lounges the only Beastman present, leaning one meaty arm on the table from which he rests his face. While Beastmen can often be mistaken for Human, this man is an exception, in large part due simply to his sheer stature. Standing at an intimidating eight foot tall and with a build that the ignorant would call overweight, his Human features almost serve to make him look even more like his Beast half, with a strong jaw, thick beard and sturdy features.

The only evidence of his Bearman heritage at first glance is the small pair of circular ears atop his head, and his incredibly hairy arms, each limb wider than Yeveline's waist, and holding enough power to lift mountains. And if his chest wasn't covered by a simple tank top, his hairy chest would be another hint.

This is Borr; The Beast.

Despite being revered by his kind, he is no leader, finding such things to be a pain. He is also the only Heavenly Emperor present to have but a single aide behind him, as he prefers to keep to himself. In fact, the only reason he lets the young Pantherion tag along with him is due to the young man's sheer stubbornness, refusing to stop following Borr, even if he must face death to do so, such is his admiration of The Greatest Beastman.

Then, on the opposite side of the table from Osori reclines the second strongest of them all, barely beating Borr in that regard.

Veyenile Moonlight; The Traitor.

With long silver hair that glimmers with streaks of black, an androgynous face that can awaken the lust of any mortal who gazes upon him, and dressed in a black royal suit with a puffy white cravat over his chest that matches with his grey skin, he strikes a memorable figure.

Leaning back on his chair so as to rest his feet on the table, Veyenile appears utterly unconcerned by the hatred filled glares coming his way from his fellow Elves, merely swirling a glass of rich wine in one hand, occasionally taking a sip with a constant smirk on his face that only grows any time his eyes meet Yeveline's.

Behind him stand a pair of beautiful and well endowed Elven women, both of whom are dressed scantily, showing off their perfect caramel figures. Rather than the aides everyone else brought, it seems like Veyenile merely brought a pair of simple servants, in case he gets bored with the meeting and wants to have some 'fun'. He's never been the shy type.

Then, to Osori's left, opposite Borr, sits another Human. A woman who seems a child. Of those present, none of them will deny that she is the most talented of them all, having become a Heavenly Emperor at only six hundred years of age, making her the first to reach their level in less than a thousand years of life.

The only lamentable effect of her prodigious growth being that she is stuck looking like a child of only twelve years, something that is not likely to change for at least another few centuries, and even then, it will take at least two thousand years before her body grows to that of an adult, a fact that causes her aggravation like no other.

Dressed in a simple sundress, with a pixie-cut blonde hair and rosy cheeks, anyone meeting her for the first time would not be able to resist feeling as if they must protect her, for she seems to just be an innocent child.

But, despite this fact, there is not a single person in all the Higher Realms that would dare even look her in the eyes, never mind to speak so insolently around her. At least, no one outside of this room.

Right now, she is the fourth strongest Heavenly Emperor present, but she expects to surpass Borr before her thousandth year, and Veyenile not long after. In less than two thousand years, she is certain that she will be the most powerful, and she can't wait for that moment to come.

Because once she is the strongest Heavenly Emperor, she intends to seek out the title of Strongest Being by hunting down Vielduin, and killing The True Dragon.

For, in spite of her childish, innocent appearance, one look into her eyes will let anyone know who she is, without any room for doubt.

Known throughout the Realm for her bloodthirst and battle maniac tendencies and her completely lacking mercy.

Rumoured to be the single most skilled combatant since The First Heavenly Emperor himself.

She is Lusia Abel; The Berserker.

It is rumoured that she is one of three present who have access to one of the True Relics, and that her immense talent is the result of an Alchemical experiment, but no one has ever been able to prove it, not even the others at the table are certain.

After all, True Relics are incredibly rare. Each said to have come into existence before the Realms even took form and hold power beyond anything else. Only four are known to exist for certain, and even then, two of those are lost.

Coincidentally, other than The Robe of the Cosmos, the only other True Relic known to be claimed is owned by the final being sitting at the table.

Daedraunix Flintbeard; The Crafter.

Daedraunix is a Dwarf, standing barely above four foot tall, with thick, muscular arms that make him seem stocky, and a long, bushy ginger beard that goes all the way down to his stomach. He is a Master Craftsmen, respected by all others present despite being the weakest of the bunch.

After all, each one of them wields at least one item personally crafted by himself, so he never has to worry about protecting himself, as he is the most valuable Heavenly Emperor present, and naturally no one wants to be divest of his services.

As for how a mere Crafter became a Heavenly Emperor? Well, that is due to a similar luck as Osori, as he came into possession of the True Relic; Amahatabara. 

No one is truly aware of what Amahatabara's purpose is, no one but Daedraunix himself, and even then, he doesn't fully understand it. All he has been able to learn is that it involved teleportation, but to power it he would require Qi of such purity that he doesn't know if it is possible to produce it naturally.

So far, he has only been able to use it once, and even then only for a moment, and that was after spending a whole century storing and purifying his Qi as much as possible, leaving him with only a drop of the most pure Qi he has ever witnessed.

Yet, that single drop of energy was enough to bring him from his home in the Higher Realms, to a Lower Realm so far away that it took him years to make it back, even though he was half a step from Heavenly Emperor at the time, showing just how exaggerated the distance he travelled was.

He theorises that the Relic was created to allow one to appear anywhere in any Realm at any time. Instantaneous teleportation without any limits on distance.

He's not been able to replicate anything on the level of a True Relic yet, but his studying of Amahatabara has brought him countless Insights, bringing his understanding of Craftsmanship to a level unheard of in all the Realms.

In the end, it has become his dream, his ambition, to create something, anything, that can even touch upon the realm of the True Relics. If he can do that, even once in his lifetime, then he can die happy.

It's the only reason he's agreed to come on this expedition, in the hopes that they might slay a Divine-Beast or two, in which case he will get first pick on their materials. He truly hopes that with such potent materials to work with, he might be able to touch upon that illustrious peak.

Behind him stand another Dwarf and a Human, both wearing the stern visage fitting of their position as Daedraunix's personal guard. Grizzled and disciplined, awake and alert, they stand diametrically opposite to Lusia's aides, who appear to be twins, despite being man and woman. With black hair, long and short respectively, and simple clothes, they would appear to be just a normal pair of Human twins.

Were it not for the deep bags under their eyes and their weary stance, slouched against each other like they haven't seen their beds in days. An unfortunate side-effect of working for Lusia; they are always busy apologising and dealing with the messes that Lusia causes everywhere that she goes, that they barely ever get to rest, and even when they do have free time, they are so full of stress that they never get to fully unwind before Lusia causes some other scandal or incident.

With so many beings of such incredible power gathered together, it is no surprise that none of them missed when The Dome suddenly went down for the first time since it's erection.

At one, the Heavenly Emperor's look up to the ceiling, followed by all the others in the room a fraction of a second later.

None of them need to ask what happened, they can all sense it. Yet, Lusia can't help but take the moment to needle Osori, an 'innocent' smile on her lips that doesn't match the look in her eyes.

"Say, Oso. Is it supposed to do that?"

He knows that she meant the question to be rhetoric, and was only asking to get a reaction from him, but that doesn't stop him from replying, his eyes sharpened to thin lines and his voice grave. "No. No, it is not."

Without another word, Osori's Path washes over the room, causing most of the aides to tense varying degrees, the feeling of his Path like a crushing weight even from just simply brushing against them.

The next moment, everyone in the room disappears, and reappears underground, in the very centre of Shingensie.

Still seated, Five Heavenly Emperors glance about their new location briefly, before turning as one to Osori, seeking explanation.

He doesn't speak for a moment, simply getting to his feet and walking over to a large, ornate door. Seemingly not concerned about the vulnerability of Shingensie. They have an hour or two before any true danger arrives, and with all six of them present, even a Divine-Beast would be insufficient to bring Shingensie harm, and that's not even counting the millions of Cultivators that call the city home.

"The Dome of Shingensie is often considered a miracle. 'The Final Miracle of The First Emperor', as some call it. It has often been a point of discussion as to how such a magnificent barrier could be powered."

"Yes, I would quite like to see the artifact capable of producing such an effect," Daedraunix says, his gruff voice containing poorly restrained excitement as they watch Osori fiddle with the Runes on the large door.

He isn't worried about showing any of them Shingensie's greatest secret, as none of them would ever have a reason to doom the city, and even if they did, he already knows what lies behind the door.

"That's the thing, Master Daedraunix," Osori says, finishing up with the door before turning back to the others, who are now getting to their feet, with a smirk on his face. "There is no artifact."

His words bring doubt to all their faces. Even Borr and Lusia know that such a barrier would be impossible to sustain for so long without an incredible artifact, maybe even a True Relic.

Seeing their doubt, Osori is happy to elaborate as he waits for the security measures to finish. "The Dome was created by The First, as everyone knows. That is part of the reason we have to wait right now. The First was the first Heavenly Emperor, after all. He reached our level all by himself, back when no one even knew such a level existed. His talent was immeasurable and undoubtable, and this room hasn't changed once in all the time I have been Lord of Shingensie."

A set of resounding clicks fill the room, and Osori's smirk gets a knowing edge to it as he turns to the Dwarven Crafter. "Master Daedraunix, tell me, do you think it is possible for any artifact to create an effect like The Dome?"

The Dwarf barely even has to think. "No, not to my knowledge. I could make something similar, but nothing that could last so long, not without being fed a Divine-Beast every century or so anyway. Of course, a True Relic could do so easily, of that I have no doubt."

Osori seems to find his veiled accusation amusing. "Ah, you think me in the possession of not one, but two True Relics? I'm afraid you overestimate me, Master Daedraunix." The room falls to a silence as the clicks of gears suddenly stops, and Osori moves to push open the large doors. "Besides, I've already told you, haven't I? There is no artifact."

With a smile on his face, he slams the doors open with his words, revealing to them all what lies inside.

Almost immediately, a majority of the aides fall to one knee as a wave of pure power washes over them. And when they look inside, they see a room so full of intricate inscriptions that even the Heavenly Emperors are in awe.

The level of Mastery that would be needed to create such a formation would be formidable, and it only serves to reinforce the idea that The First Emperor truly deserved all the praise he still receives as the most talented Cultivator of all time.

Yet, beyond the incredible inscriptions, what gathers their attention is what sits at the centre of the formation.

A man.

His skin is pale, but not unhealthily so, and covered in faint scars, barely visible if not for how numerous they are, making it hard not to notice how they cover his entire body, from head to toe. Though, only one scar truly stands out, instead of being faded; a circular patch of skin right over his heart, as if he were pierced by something.

Underneath the scars, is a body that seems to be carved by the Divine, his every feature without flaw. His muscles are all well defined and seem to be sculpted to perfection to fit his six and a half foot tall frame. He is not particularly bulky, and doesn't seem to be a fighter just from a glance, but they are all standing besides Lusia, so they know that means nothing about his ability.

His hair, a shade of purple so dark that it seems black at first glance, is short and messy over the top of his head, except for a pair of thin braids that fall either side of his head to a stop below his chest, framing his face.

Most startling however, is the bright golden halo hovering just above his head.

And as he turns to them, they get a good look at his face, and even with all their power, they can't help but feel unnerved, or excited, in Lusia's case. His features can only be described as perfect, their proportions without fault, giving him a strong jaw and brow, giving him a clear masculine look, all while still seeming to be noble despite the clear aloofness to his expression.

But his eyes...his eyes are something else entirely. They say that eyes are the windows to the soul, and while that isn't entirely accurate, there is some truth to the matter. And his eyes...they make them all feel a sense of discomfort that they had long forgotten.

Like staring into twin voids, his eyes glow a deep amethyst, sparkling with both power and beauty such that they can't help but feel entranced, if only for a moment. Though, Yeveline has it worse, as her attunement to the Spirits allows her an insight the others lack, and the feeling she gets from this man is not unlike that which she gets when she gazes upon a True Relic. The thought frightens her more than she'd care to admit.

True Relics are mysteries even now, items of such power that even they, as Heavenly Emperors, cannot understand them.

And just as she is thinking about the True Relics, this man turns his gaze upon the Robe of the Cosmos wrapped around Osori's body.

Noticing his gaze, Osori goes to speak, but he is cut off before he can, and, uncharacteristically, he allows himself to be cut off, not even trying to speak over this man, no, this being.

And when he speaks, his voice possesses a tantalising quality that just thrums with unknown power, like a siren's song. Yet, there is a threatening edge to it, an anger hidden behind his eyes as he looks upon Osori as if he is not a Heavenly Emperor, but merely a mortal who has caused offence. 

"That does not belong to you, Maggot."

/\/

A/N: He~llo! Dear readers!

Yeet, 6k words lol. 

I'd like to point something out, in regards to how it was voted for this to be an original instead of a fanfic.

Being original means that I am going to be making shit up and having a blast, cuz this shit is super fun to write, while with fanfictions there's less shit to make up, so technically more plot.

Basically, Original means I'll be writing a shit tonne of lore, while fanfic means I'll be doing a lot of character interactions, as the lore is already done.

Also, if anyone has any better names for my Divine-Beasts, or just any characters, please do share. It is so fucking difficult to come up with original, dramatic names, so if you come up with any, please share so I don't have to spend 20 minutes making noises until something sounds like a cool name.

Also, not to reiterate, but this was super fun to write. I think I've started to get less interested in my Wormfic, and with this I think I've realised why. Because with my first fic, pretty much everything I wrote was original, and y'all know how rapidly I wrote that.

And with this actually being original now, I get to exercise my creative liberty and just make whatever shit up I want and it is way more fun than the stress of having to work around an already existing universe, so thanks for pushing me in this direction lol, I'm having a blast :) <3