Timorath now stood before the monolith after what felt like eons of relentless struggle. As his gaze fell upon the hovering structure radiating a calm yet imposing aura, a wave of relief washed over him. "Finally… I'm here!" he muttered, his voice carrying a mix of triumph and exhaustion.
Still cautious, Timorath scanned the monolith's surroundings with his consciousness several times. The memory of the trials he endured on his way up filled him with a lingering sense of dread. Constructs of time energy had relentlessly assaulted him;time storms, spiraling distortions, and razor-sharp blades that appeared at random. Even when he thought he had reached a safe zone, a time blade would strike from nowhere, forcing him to remain constantly alert.
Now, standing here, he refused to lower his guard. His eyes darted across the transparent, glass-like surface that surrounded the monolith, searching for any hidden threat or new obstacle that might yet harm him.
Fortunately, there were no more random attacks. As Timorath observed closely, he realized that the monolith was not truly hovering; instead, it was rooted in the fabric of space itself, like an ancient tree grounded in unseen soil. The area surrounding the monolith resembled transparent glass, its flawless surface giving the illusion that the monolith was suspended in midair.
Taking a cautious step forward, Timorath tested the surface. To his relief, he found it stable underfoot, though the transparency of the glass-like expanse created the unsettling impression that he was floating in a boundless void.
Slowly and deliberately, he began moving toward the monolith, each step measured, his senses alert for any hidden danger.
He stood before the monolith, his gaze fixed intently on its smooth surface. Intricate runes and patterns, glowing faintly with the essence of time laws, were etched into its structure. These runes were not chaotic or complex; instead, they appeared as simplified manifestations of the vast and intricate time laws.
Timorath's eyes locked onto one of the runes at random. "It's so simple … as if it's deliberately simplifying itself for comprehension," he murmured, awe mingled with greed. His ambitions burned brightly in his gaze, overpowering the caution he had carried moments earlier.
All thoughts of restraint fled his mind. Slowly, almost reverently, he extended his hand toward the monolith. The instant his fingers brushed against its surface, a tidal wave of overwhelming energy and knowledge surged into his being, threatening to drown him in its immensity.
Feeling the torrent of overwhelming energy and cascading knowledge, Timorath immediately crossed his legs and sat down to absorb it. The sheer magnitude of the power threatened to tear through his mind, but he steadied himself, focusing every ounce of his will on mastering the flow.
As the energy coursed through him, his aura grew stronger, expanding like a tidal wave across the surroundings. The very fabric of time seemed to warp around him, resonating with his presence. His thoughts stretched and splintered, each one connecting to an endless stream of truths hidden within the monolith.
His mind expanded, transcending the boundaries of mortal and immortal understanding. Time itself seemed to splinter and converge in his thoughts, revealing fragments of existential truths. He glimpsed at the earliest moments of the universe, moments even predating the existence of the Will, before the universe's grand expansion.
The river of time unveiled its secrets to him. He saw its branches diverging into countless timelines, each one a reflection of potential realities. Though he observed from a higher dimension, he realized he could not interact with them and could only bear witness to their flow.
The dense time energy emitting from the monolith responded violently to his transformation, flaring alongside his aura. It spiraled uncontrollably, forming chaotic storms that mirrored his rapidly evolving power. The air hummed with intensity, as if the laws of time themselves acknowledged his ascent.
...
The three primordials stood together on jagged hill a few miles away from the stairs as they observed timorath. their expressions became grim as the air around them trembled from the flaring of Timorath's aura.
"This… this is far beyond what we anticipated. His body…it's devouring the time energy itself. If we don't act now, he'll claim the monolith completely, and we'll be left with nothing." Noctyra broke the intense silence.
Luscith, the dream weaver, crossed his arms, his translucent form shimmering faintly. He looked up at the towering stairs, his gaze on timorath. "Act now? Against that? Do you not feel it? His aura is growing stronger by the second."
"I don't care if he is growing stronger,the longer we wait the worse it gets for us!" Noctyra snapped. "If we wait any longer, we're finished. We need to strike, now."
"Strike him? With what? Do you think he's the same Timorath we faced earlier? Look at his aura,it's outpacing our own strength combined. One misstep, and we'll be erased from existence."Ashrel retorted looking at Noctyra.
"Then what do you propose?" Noctyra's tone grew sharper, his patience thinning.
Ashrel hesitated, his voice quieter but firm. "We should have taken the three favors."
The words hung heavy in the air as Luscith sighed,his voice calm but tinged with regret."Of course we would have taken his offer but did we know it will turn out this way?No."
The three fell silent for a moment, watching the spiraling stairs shimmer as Timorath's aura continued to surge, rippling across the landscape.
"Then we need something…something to bargain with," ashrel said at last, his tone contemplative. "If we can't fight him directly, we offer an equivalent exchange. Something he can't ignore."
"And what do we have that's of equivalent value to a monolith of time?" Noctyra sneered.
Luscith's eyes flickered with faint amusement. "Nothing. Not yet, at least. But we can buy time until we are sure that we can take the monolith or even defeat him if we play our cards right."
"How?"they both said in unison as they looked at him waiting for answer.
"We call for backup," Luscith answered. "There are others who would risk everything for even a fraction of the monolith's power. Together, we can force Timorath into negotiation—or weaken him enough to take the monolith ourselves."
Ashrel frowned. "And what if they turn on us once he's defeated? We'd just be trading one tyrant for another."
Luscith smirked faintly. "Then we make sure they never reach the monolith. Let them exhaust themselves trying."
Noctyra rubbed his temples, the flickering of his shadows betraying his frustration. "It's risky… but we're out of options. Timorath won't let us near the monolith now, and retreat isn't an option."
The three exchanged tense glances, a silent agreement forming between them.
"Fine," Ashrelsaid finally, his crescent-shaped eyes narrowing. "Call for them. But remember, if this backfires, we'll all pay the price."
Luscith closed his eyes, his aura rippling as he sent out a mental summons across the divine realm. "If we die," he said lightly, "at least we won't die empty-handed."
As the summons spread across the realm, the three primordials turned their gazes back toward the spiraling stairs, where Timorath's aura flared brighter than ever like a star in a vast dark void.
...…
Timorath's body began to undergo a subtle yet profound transformation as the overwhelming energy continued to flood into him. His once towering frame started to shrink, his height diminishing as his form became more compact and refined. His skin turned a pale shade of blue, emanating a faint glow that resonated with the flow of time energy.
Intricate patterns and runes began to etch themselves across his body, forming tattoos that seemed alive, shifting slightly as if weaving the story of time. The most intricate designs appeared on his back and hands, with a small, precise clock-shaped tattoo materializing on his temple just below his golden horn—the product of the fusion of his three original horns. The new horn, though modest in size, no larger than his index finger, radiated immense power.
His body, now a mere 10,000 miles in height—vastly smaller compared to his previous form, had become far more condensed and powerful. The transformation reflected a paradox of subtlety and strength, his new form a testament to efficiency and mastery.
But Timorath's focus remained entirely on absorbing the torrent of knowledge. Though he was dimly aware of the changes happening in his body, his attention was consumed by the unraveling truths and mysteries of time, leaving the physical transformation to unfold without interruption.