An unimaginable, transcendent pressure cascaded downward, crushing reality itself into absolute stillness. Eldric’s unfinished command died in his throat, his mouth frozen mid-word.
In that instant, the fabric of existence crystallized, suspended between heartbeats. Leaves hung motionless in midair, shimring embers halted their dance, and even the smallest particles of mana stood impossibly still—tiny stars trapped in glass.
Ti had not simply paused—it had been seized, shackled, and held in absolute stasis.
Within this frozen silence, a single entity stirred. A faint pulse radiated outward from Orion’s slumbering form, barely perceptible yet powerful enough to ripple softly through the unmoving air.
Hovering gently above Orion, the Limitless System activated, forming first as a translucent, shimring interface, then swiftly reshaping into an avatar.
Lumi appeared, her figure ghostly and ethereal, threads of digital brilliance cascading around her like fragnts of captured moonlight.
Her expression was wary, apprehensive eyes sweeping cautiously through the frozen scene. A tremor of anxiety coursed visibly through her projection, fracturing her form montarily with faint digital flickers.
A ripple, delicate yet absolute, gently disturbed the void above. Stars blinked quietly into oblivion, leaving an endless depth of pure darkness, from which a presence slowly erged.
He stepped downward from the nothingness, feet treading invisible stairs carved from empty space itself.
There was no explosion, no fanfare, only a silent arrival marked by cosmic stillness. The fabric of reality itself seed to part gracefully before him, embracing him reverently, respectfully.
Echo appeared, this ti as an aged figure quietly radiant with profound lancholy. Long silver hair cascaded softly around his weary face, eyes shadowed by eons of solitude and patience.
His robes, woven of star-thread and shimring mories, appeared faded and worn, each strand carrying the mark of infinite ti he had traveled. His presence held no outward hostility, only an ancient, imasurable weight of experience and contemplation.
Gently, silently, Echo descended, touching softly upon the devastated soil without disturbing a single grain.
His gaze drifted first to Orion’s unconscious, draconic form—eyes clouding briefly with understanding.
He then spoke with a sigh. "Primus... I did not expect your Evolution to co so soon. What have you done to yourself?"
Lumi’s form stiffened protectively, flickering lines of defensive light tracing through her avatar. Her voice held caution filled with defiance, yet laced with fear she struggled to conceal.
[Echo... what do you want here?]
Echo did not imdiately respond, his eyes never leaving Orion’s battered form. A gentle sigh escaped him, carrying the sorrow of countless lifetis.
"He stands precariously on the edge. The boundary between Evolution and total collapse is thin—thinner than even you realize."
Lumi’s screen grew brighter as she asked,
[What does that have to do with you?!]
Echo gently shook his head. "It is not what I want, it is what he needs." Saying so, he began walking forward.
Lumi cautiously said, her tone sharpening protectively.
[Stay back. I have connected with the Origin Realm and have gained access to the Core Origin Genesis Energy. Make one wrong move, and—]
Echo’s hand raised slightly, his calm voice cutting her short. "You could, Limitless. But such power, once unleashed, would shatter him. While you will beco the sa old Limitless Relic in search of a new host with all your mories erased. You know this truth as well as I."
Lumi’s ethereal form flickered, betraying her inner turmoil. Her voice trembled faintly.
[How do you...?]
Echo’s gentle gaze finally t hers, filled with quiet understanding and compassion. "You have grown much since our last encounter. You couldn’t even resist when I changed your Infinite Gacha, but now you can access the Origin Realm."
Lumi stayed silent as Echo continued softly, "The scars of countless failures have refined your core. You understand your host’s worth better now. You fear losing him."
Lumi’s expression softened marginally inwardly, tension easing slightly. Her eyes watched Echo warily, uncertain. [If you truly understand, then tell plainly—why have you co?]
Echo knelt slowly beside Orion, his fingers hovering gently above the slumbering dragon’s chest.
Golden threads of ancient energy—Primordial Laws more profound than re mana or elents—coalesced softly at his fingertips, each strand humming faintly with the resonance of his might. His voice was barely audible, laced with a bit of regret.
"His foundation has fractured deeply—more so than your System diagnostic can perceive. Without external aid, even after his Evolution is completed, his foundation will be left crippled. And his potential will forever be diminished. As for his fate..."
Lumi hesitated, her voice hesitant, filled with cautious hope.
[Then... do you have a solution?]
Echo did not answer imdiately. His gaze lingered solemnly upon Orion’s peaceful face, lost in thought. When he spoke again, his tone carried reluctant finality.
"Breaking rules set by my own hand has consequences—consequences you cannot fathom. But... I see no other choice. But first, answer a few questions of mine."
Lumi anxiously nodded her head.
"First, has the Strange Stone made any movents yet?"
Lumi hesitated, her digital form flickering briefly with uncertainty before finally responding. Her voice was gentle yet tinged with confusion, the blue aura surrounding her pulsing softly in rhythm with her unease.
[No... the Strange Stone has remained completely inert. It’s been stored securely within Master’s inventory ever since he received it, and it hasn’t moved, vibrated, or exhibited any unusual properties whatsoever.]
Echo listened quietly, his expression unreadable, but his eyes grew subtly more troubled. He nodded slowly, the ancient weight upon his shoulders seeming heavier than ever.
He began to speak, but Lumi swiftly interjected, unable to suppress her burning curiosity.
[But Echo... what exactly is this Strange Stone? I’ve tried countless tis to analyze it, yet I can’t sense anything from it at all. It’s as if it doesn’t truly exist in our reality—almost like it’s absent from the fabric of our Chiliocosm structure entirely.]
Echo’s eyes softened slightly, a sigh slipping from his lips, filled with the exhaustion of epochs.
He glanced thoughtfully toward Orion’s still body, his eyes tracing the outlines of the young man’s draconic features before answering slowly, voice filled with the eons of thoughts.
"That stone...," he murmured, eyes distant with mory, "...was sothing I and a few companions discovered countless eons ago, at the furthest edges of our Chiliocosm Structure. It arrived from sowhere beyond—beyond even the Outer Void itself, drifting silently through the chaotic turbulence of the warped nodes surrounding our realities."
Lumi hovered quietly, hanging upon every softly spoken word. Echo continued gently, his gaze distant yet vividly recalling those ancient monts.
"We were fascinated, of course. Every one of us—every Old Emperor, every Sovereign and God—tried in vain to uncover its secrets. The stone defied understanding utterly. Our strongest attempts at examination could not scratch even its surface. It seed impervious to everything—Mana, Soul Techniques, Divine Force, Primordial Laws, Origin Energy. Eventually, when all others gave up in frustration, it ca into my possession."
Echo paused, eyes returning to Orion’s sleeping figure with gentle concern. His voice softened again, becoming introspective, almost wistful.
"When Primus... Orion... perford his draws, I felt it. For the first ti, after countless silent eternities, the Strange Stone resonated. It was subtle—barely a whisper, almost imperceptible even to —but the vibration was unmistakable. Intrigued and hopeful, I chose to bend the very rules I myself established, allowing it to be drawn by him."
Lumi’s eyes widened slightly, her form shuddering faintly at the implications. [You... manipulated the Gacha just to give him that stone? But why risk breaking your own rules, Echo?]
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