Lian Xuan stood motionless at the center of the massive crater left behind by the battle against Magnalith. The once black sands had been replaced by vitrified earth, cracked in chaotic patterns that stretched like scars across the landscape. Jagged rocks jutted from the ground, like the bones of an ancient beast, unearthed by the sheer force of destruction.
The sky, as always, was an endless veil of stars.
But Lian Xuan noticed what most mortal eyes would never perceive—the golden lightning that had once danced along the horizon had vanished.
— The sky has fallen silent… — he murmured.
That was not a good sign.
He knew that the starry expanse above was no mere panorama. It was a living entity, corrupted to its very core—much like the creature known as Morwen.
And when a corrupted entity falls silent, it is never resting.
Lian Xuan took a deep breath. The air, heavy with the remnants of battle, filled his lungs with a cold, metallic taste. He did not know enough about this world to understand the deeper significance of this shift, but he knew enough to sense danger.
— Not my problem, — he whispered.
He turned, preparing to leave.
He had escaped Morwen once, but he held no illusions about her reach. He had concealed the spatial rupture he had used to flee, but he knew that it would not be enough. Beings like her did not need to follow footprints.
Even so, he would not leave things to fate.
Lifting his hand, he concentrated.
Thin, radiant lines began to appear in the air, tracing interwoven geometric patterns, forming a translucent mosaic. These were the Threads of the Law of Space, visible only to those who understood them.
His target: Ethan Ward.
Something told him that the boy needed help.
Fate coiled around him like an impending storm.
Lian Xuan never ignored his instincts.
With careful movements, he manipulated the spatial threads.
— Where are you, boy?
The web of energy reacted.
Ethan's presence lit up within the dimensional weave.
Finding him was not difficult.
The boy shone like a spark, an ember foreign to this world—which, in truth, he was.
— The blood of an ancient god… — Lian Xuan frowned. — This boy will draw unwanted attention.
There was no time to waste.
He touched the pattern that represented Ethan and fixed the coordinates.
Then, he called upon the Law of Time.
His perception accelerated.
The world became opaque and distant. The colors paled, and sound was sucked away into nothingness.
Finally, he invoked the Law of Fire.
Blue flames erupted around him—but they did not burn the ground.
They burned space itself.
The heat tore through the distance between him and Ethan.
Lian Xuan took one step forward.
And the world swallowed him whole.
Ethan Ward sat near one of the icy marble columns. The floor beneath his feet was smooth and polished, inscribed with arcane symbols he could not decipher.
The hall was vast, far too large for their group—its ceiling so high that it vanished into a silver mist.
This fortress seemed to have been built for giants.
And yet, it was the safest place they had found since arriving in this cursed world.
Ethan scanned the group.
Seryne Callaris remained motionless, meditating behind her black blindfold. She radiated an aura of forced tranquility. Ethan knew that she was exhausted. Connecting herself to fate itself, enough to draw the attention of a mechanical deity like the God-Machine, had come at a cost.
Kaerith stood against the far wall, her wings partially open. The exoskeleton that had cracked and blackened during the battle against the Terror Bird had now regenerated. The symbiote within her seemed silent, almost asleep.
Kiyoshi Takahara sat cross-legged on the floor, his katana resting across his lap. There was something different about him. His blade felt alive—the air around him was denser, sharper.
Zeta 4 was motionless, his optical sensors flickering at slow intervals. Ethan assumed that the machine was still processing the instructions received from the God-Machine.
And at the far end of the hall, on the balcony overlooking the frozen landscape, stood the Sorcerer.
Ethan sighed.
The slingshot strapped to his waist vibrated slightly, as if responding to the tension in the air.
Ever since he had received it, something felt off about the weapon.
— What's your deal? — he muttered.
His thoughts were interrupted by a loud laugh.
— Ethan! — the Sorcerer called from the balcony. — Come here! You won't believe what I just found!
Ethan squinted.
— What now?
The Sorcerer gestured dramatically, pointing at something inside his floating cauldron.
Ethan had just stood up to go when the air changed.
The entire hall trembled.
The air thickened, as if reality itself held its breath.
The ground vibrated beneath Ethan's feet.
The walls, solid and ancient, groaned.
At the center of the room, space itself twisted, and a blue flame tore through reality.
An old man stepped through—his body wreathed in blue fire.
The spatial rift sealed behind Lian Xuan with a soft snap, and the flames dissipated upon the cold marble floor.
For a moment, the cultivator simply stood there, his eyes scanning the hall.
But something about his posture was… different.
A sense of calmness.
Like an old master seeing his grandchildren after a long journey.
Ethan was the first to move.
— Master Lian Xuan! — he exclaimed, rushing forward.
Lian Xuan let out a soft chuckle, his voice a deep rumble of warmth.
As Ethan reached him, the cultivator placed a firm hand on the boy's head.
— Ethan, — he said, his tone gentle, carrying a reassuring weight. — I see you are alive. And restless, as always.
— Yes, sir. — Ethan grinned, relief washing over him. — It hasn't been easy, but… we're surviving.
Lian Xuan looked around.
— Surviving… yes. And judging by what I see… with many stories to tell.
Seryne opened her eyes and stood, giving him a slight nod of acknowledgment.
— Lian Xuan, — she said softly. — It's good to see you again.
— The pleasure is mine, Lady of Fate, — the cultivator replied, offering a small bow.
Kaerith remained against the wall, merely observing, her antennae twitching slightly.
Zeta 4 made a faint movement, a subtle inclination, acknowledging the new presence.
Lian Xuan turned away from Ethan for a moment, his gaze falling upon Kiyoshi Takahara, who had remained silent, seated with his katana resting across his lap.
The samurai, sensing the cultivator's attention, lifted his gaze and offered a discreet, respectful bow.
— Kiyoshi Takahara, — Lian Xuan greeted with a faint smile. — I see you remain as disciplined as ever.
Kiyoshi returned the smile—subtle, almost imperceptible.
— Master Lian Xuan, — he responded respectfully. — Your presence is a relief.
— You have improved greatly, — the cultivator remarked, crossing his arms. — Not just your blade, but you. Your spirit is sharper, more focused.
Kiyoshi inclined his head slightly, acknowledging the compliment.
Then, Lian Xuan turned and met the masked gaze of the Sorcerer, who stood with his arms crossed, his smile visible even beneath the mask.
— Master Lian Xuan, — the Sorcerer greeted with a theatrical bow. — I see the flames have not abandoned you.
— Sorcerer, — the cultivator replied coldly. — I see you are still intact. Unfortunately.
The masked man let out a low chuckle.
— Always so distrustful. I don't deserve such contempt.
— You do. — Lian Xuan's gaze was as cold as steel. — You always do.
The Sorcerer laughed, but something in his posture stiffened.
Lian Xuan turned away, shifting his attention back to Ethan.
— Now, let me see how you're doing, boy.
He placed his hands on Ethan's shoulders and closed his eyes for a moment.
Ethereal lines, invisible to the others, appeared before him. Lian Xuan traced the patterns of energy coursing through Ethan's body. His blood pulsed with an unnatural force, strange and vibrant. It was like observing a river that should be clear, but had been tainted with something living and hostile.
— It's worse than I thought, — the old cultivator murmured.
— What is it? — Ethan asked anxiously.
— Tell me exactly how this happened. I need to understand the nature of this curse.
The young man took a deep breath, adjusted the slingshot at his waist, and began:
— It was right after the Sorcerer and I arrived in that place of Mountains and Ice.
After a while, a book emerged from the Sorcerer's cauldron.
— A book? — Lian Xuan raised an eyebrow.
— Yes. The book came out of the Sorcerer's cauldron. It… — Ethan shot a wary glance at the masked man but continued. — It was strange. The pages seemed old, but the chains binding it looked new. The book… emanated an Intention.
Silence thickened in the hall.
— What did the Intention say? — Seryne asked, her voice tense.
— It said it needed blood. That it could only be freed if my blood touched the cover. I… — Ethan ran a hand over his neck, uncomfortable. — I knew it was a terrible idea. I'm not an idiot. But then, one of those wooden wolves appeared. Bark-wolf, whatever. It bit me. My blood dripped onto the cover.
— And the chains broke, — Lian Xuan concluded.
— Yes, — Ethan nodded. — The chains crumbled like sand. The book opened on its own and said: "You have freed me. Your retribution shall be paid. Blood for Blood." Then… I felt something burning inside me. Like my soul was being carved with hot iron.
Lian Xuan sighed.
— And that's how the blood of the ancient god entered you.
— Yes. The Sorcerer told me it's a curse. That the blood gives me power, but in the end, that god's will is going to try… to erase me.
— And the book? — Seryne asked.
— The Sorcerer said a White Raven sealed it back inside the cauldron.
The Sorcerer let out a low whistle.
— Ah, Ethan, Ethan… — he said, amused. — You truly are the luckiest unlucky person I've ever met.
— Shut up, — Ethan grumbled.
Lian Xuan raised a hand, demanding silence. His mind raced through the information.
— This is not simple corruption, — the cultivator concluded. — *What the book did was cast an ancient curse upon you. Blood is not just a physical substance, Ethan. It carries concepts. Forces tied to something… greater. *
— Can you help me? — the young man asked, his voice trembling slightly.
Lian Xuan hesitated.
— If I understood the Law of Blood, perhaps I could attempt something, — he said, regretfully. — *But this curse goes beyond that. It was not just made with blood; fate is involved. *
Seryne lifted her head.
— Fate?
— Yes. This curse was not some random gift. It was woven into the threads of destiny. The entity that granted this blood wants Ethan to follow a specific path.
— The ancient god… — Ethan whispered.
— Exactly.
The young man swallowed hard.
— *The Sorcerer said there's only one way to fight this: training my will. *
Lian Xuan slowly nodded.
— Yes. Strengthening your will is, in fact, the only true defense against an entity of this magnitude. But… — He paused, choosing his words carefully. — It won't be easy, Ethan. You are mortal. Your mind, your soul, your body… all were designed to exist within natural limits. The will of an ancient god surpasses those boundaries.
— So… I don't stand a chance? — Ethan's voice trembled.
The cultivator remained silent for a moment. The truth was that the boy was, indeed, lost. But saying that wouldn't help.
He forced a serene smile and placed a hand on Ethan's shoulder.
— You do have a chance. And I will stand by your side to help you. I will teach you to train your will, but not just that. You will also need to learn martial arts.
— Martial arts? — Ethan blinked. — But… the blood already makes me stronger, faster…
— Precisely for that reason, — Lian Xuan said. — If you rely solely on that instinctive strength, you will end up acting like a beast. You need to learn control. Technique. Intelligence in combat.
Ethan nodded, biting his lip.
— When do we start?
— As soon as we rest and understand the current state of this world.
— About that… — Seryne finally stepped forward. — Perhaps I can help.
Lian Xuan turned to her.
— What do you mean?
— We freed the Black Sun.
The cultivator froze.
— What?
— The Deus-Machina came to this world. I… used my power to create a connection between Zeta 4 and his god. His avatar appeared and, with its help, we freed the Black Sun from the crater.
Lian Xuan ran a hand over his beard, stunned.
— The Black Sun… was a prison.
— Yes. And now it is free.
The cultivator looked up at the ceiling, lost in thought. The silent sky. The freed sun. The blood of an ancient god flowing through a mortal.
Fate was intertwining.
— You have unleashed a force you may not even understand, — he murmured. — And the golden lightning that has ceased…
The silence in the room deepened.
Lian Xuan took a slow, measured breath.
— This world is awakening. And it will not be merciful to us.