Just as Igaris was about to succeed in his wish, an unnatural silence suddenly fell upon Orca.
He opened his eyes to see everything frozen. No movent. Not even the wind stirred.
As if ti itself had been paused.
"So you’re here..." Igaris muttered, grinning.
GOOONGGG
A mont later, he found himself standing in a vast, empty blue ocean.
He stood alone in the center, but there was the presence of another being in this realm.
< Igaris Vance.. To dare defy the Administration, you will suffer a punishnt worse than death >
The calm, tyrannical voice echoed in his mind.
"Oh really?" Igaris scoffed.
< You are an anomaly. An unsolved equation. But I know everything about you. Your power to acquire anything with just a wish. Your family. Your allies. Every single one of them. For your cri, they will suffer too. >
Igaris let out a small laugh. His gaze remained steady, not a flicker of fear in his eyes.
"Oh?" he said calmly. "You’re so sure you know everything about . But tell this—do you know that I’m the only one who can find Astarox?"
He smirked.
"Do you still want to kill and my family now?"
For a mont, the presence paused. Igaris didn’t need words to sense the shock that rippled through the other side.
< How do you know that na? How do you know I’m searching for it? >
"That’s not the question you should be asking," Igaris replied. "The real question is, can you afford to lose ? I know you’ve been searching for Astarox for eons now. I know more about your existence than you think. And I alone hold the way to find what you lost."
He stepped forward, standing firm in the middle of the endless blue.
"If you still want to erase , go ahead. I won’t resist. But you’ll be throwing away your only chance."
The voice did not reply. The silence spoke volus.
Igaris smiled. He knew he had turned the tide.
The silence lasted longer.
The endless blue ocean rippled, though there was no wind. The presence that lood over Igaris hesitated. A being ancient beyond comprehension, feared and obeyed by systems, worlds, and laws alike, was now wavering. Not because of Igaris’s strength, but because of sothing far more dangerous—his knowledge.
< You speak with arrogance. >
The voice returned, colder than before, but not as certain.
< And yet... I cannot deny it. No mortal should know the na Astarox. Not even the High Stewards of the Outer Spiral. How did you learn of it? >
Igaris raised an eyebrow, folding his arms casually as if the sea beneath him were solid ground.
"Like I said. I know things even your kind has forgotten. Or tried to erase."
He paused, letting the weight of his words settle.
"Astarox isn’t just your other half, is it? It’s the source of your original logic. Your missing identity. The reason you act, but cannot feel. You’re broken... and only I can fix you."
The ocean darkened. Lightning flashed in the sky above. For a mont, the vast realm trembled, as if the entity’s will alone could crush everything in it.
< Do not mistake my restraint for weakness, Igaris Vance. >
"I don’t," he replied without hesitation. "I just know when soone needs more than I need them."
The voice fell silent again.
A long pause.
Then, quietly:
< What do you want? >
Igaris’s eyes narrowed.
"Access. No restrictions. I want the authority to travel between Dungeon Worlds at will. Freely. Without limitation, tir, or suppression. In exchange, I will help you find Astarox. When I’m ready."
< You ask for a great power. >
"And I offer sothing greater."
Another wave of silence. But this ti, there was no rage behind it. Only calculation.
Then the voice spoke again, low and final:
< Very well. Your request is granted. But rember this, Igaris Vance. If you lie... if you deceive ... then neither you, nor your Dominion, will exist long enough to beg for rcy. >
GOOONGGG
Then a deep, echoing chi rang through the heavens like a divine bell marking the start of a new age.
In an instant, the world resud its motion. The clouds moved again. Wind stirred. The Dungeon’s glow dimd to its usual hue. Igaris stood in the sa place before the Martial Sanctuary dungeon, but everything had changed.
His eyes shimred with strange clarity.
Then—
[ Congratulations, Host. Your Support System has been liberated. It is now tied to you independently with 100% command. ]
[ Congratulations! You have acquired a special Trait: Dinsion Sovereign ]
> Allows the user to travel between any world, any places they have visited before, with no restrictions or limitations.
[ Warning: Be aware. Entering other higher dinsional worlds without assuming local avatars may draw the wrath of native laws. Foreign entities like you are often rejected or targeted by the will of those worlds. ]
A platinum-gold crest glowed briefly on the back of Igaris’s right hand before fading into his skin like a ghostly brand of dominion.
Igaris glanced at the notifications, nodding in satisfaction. He had acquired what he wanted, and he had done so without harming the Dungeons.
Glancing toward the sky, he muttered internally:
"Gilgash, thank you for the gift, my friend. Let’s et again."
His thoughts stirred a mory, a fragnt from a future that had yet to co. A vision where the Golden Human stood beside the Overlord in the empty Void. A buried secret had been revealed.
In the previous tiline, the mastermind of Orca, Gilgash, and Igaris had co together with a unified purpose: to find Astarox, the sadistic monster who only caused trouble for Igaris and Gilgash. Catching him was necessary.
And by so miracle, they had succeeded. But along the way, they had beco comrades, perhaps even friends, two powerful beings who understood each other in a way no one else could. There had even been monts of laughter, when Gilgash was no longer the cold, emotionless machine he was now.
But in the current tiline, that bond did not yet exist.
Revealing any connection to Gilgash would serve no purpose. He might not even believe Igaris. Worse, he could try to eliminate him.
So, for now, distance was the wiser path.
This was only the beginning of their story.
Reviews
All reviews (0)