Ch. 571..580
Chapter 571
As the sun began its morning climb, Jack rustled in bed to find a beautiful view. He relaxed and took a moment to admire his three wives.
Sure, they had grown stronger. Eliza was the weakest at lv. 60 while Maura and Daliea barely passed her at lv. 61. But that wasn’t what Jack was admiring. Seeing them lying there with him, completely vulnerable yet entirely relaxed and wearing subconscious smiles, Jack would never forget that moment.
Jack carefully crept out of his wives’ clutches and dressed himself. He had something to do before breakfast and taking his medicinal bath.
Jogging through the restricted area, Jack soon reached his destination. After a light knock on the door, it opened by itself. Jack stepped inside and approached a smiling Eedaj as the door shut and locked itself. "Maybe I should learn telekinesis too?"
"It has its uses," Eedaj chuckled. "Now... I wanted to speak with you regarding Kylon and her involvement in reviving Skaryn."
"Go ahead. I’m all ears."
Eedaj nodded, casted silence, and continued, "First off, what do you know about Kylon?"
"As the Storm Goddess, she wields water, fire, and electric magics. She’s the strongest of Flood Dragons and hails from the ocean’s depths," stated Jack.
"That’s all?"
"Well, I know she’s one of the most skillful gods though she’s not known to be forceful. Kylon will fight tactfully with her incredible power, making her able to fight above her level and hold off much stronger foes when necessary," added Jack. "And I once heard that she and Lunara got along really well but I’m not sure about that considering what’s happened now."
"Good... then you at least know the basics. But you know nothing of her origins? Or how she ascended?" asked Eedaj.
Jack shook his head, expecting Eedaj to fill in the gaps.
"Allow me to share what I learned from browsing her memories." Pausing to mentally run through the story he was about to tell, Eedaj sighed, "First, you should know that I found an anomaly among her memories."
"What do you mean an anomaly?"
"I believe a portion of her memories is sealed away."
Blinking, Jack was startled to hear that. But
But Eedaj continued, "I did learn a few things, but not as much as I would’ve hoped. I was busy doing so mid-battle and the anomaly made things a little difficult."
"How come you--
"I told her nothing as many forced memory anomalies usually create triggered responses," stated Eedaj. "If I had asked her about it, then she may have grown more furious and fought me more seriously while I was trying to end the battle quickly. Or she would’ve denied it and would’ve denounced her more friendly and calm attitude to our fight.
"Either way, I wasn’t able to learn too much. But what I did learn was enough to deduce a few things. First, I learned that she held the final enchantment key. Second, I learned that some of her key memories appeared to be synthetic."
"Synthetic memories? You think she’s had false memories implanted in her mind?" asked Jack
Eedaj nodded and added, "I do. But many of her recent memories are rooted from the ones I believe are false. This means that she’s made certain actions to more firmly root those memories as true to her subconscious and that she may no longer know who she once was. It would explain why she was so formal with me during our fight yet not as friendly as Oosam, like she once was."
"But do you have any guess as to who could’ve done this to her?" Jack questioned, still baffled by the core of the problem.
"Maybe I can fill in some blanks..."
A new voice rang out, putting a smile on both Jack’s and Eedaj’s faces. Eedaj was the first to reply though. "Sterfen... How did you know we were meeting now?"
"I saw Jack making his way here is all," stated Sterfen with a shrug.
"It has nothing to do with your secret affinity for mind magic?" asked Eedaj.
"How could that be a secret? In Kartonia, it’s classified under illusion magic, my greatest specialty. So how could I not take time to learn mind magic?" reasoned Sterfen.
Chuckling, Eedaj asked, "Then that’s why you’re able to secure your mind from my browsing? And the browsing of others as well?"
"Sure, let’s go with that." Returning to the subject, Sterfen sighed, "I’m sure Eedaj remembers a few major events that involved Kylon, but I can offer a deeper perspective.’
Jack and Eedaj eagerly waited for the God of Secrets to share his wealth of personal, private knowledge on the topic.
"Jack, you should be able to guess that Kylon possibly came from Kustram, being a Flood Dragon from old times. But I can tell you that she was also the first-ever dragon that Skaryn met. She’s the reason that Skaryn became obsessed with dragons. Were you able to see their first meeting in her memories?"
"No... I saw nothing like that."
Elaborating, Sterfen had both listeners on the edge of their seats. "It shouldn’t have been difficult to find, given how it should definitely be a key memory for her. They spent a couple of years as sparring partners, honing their skills together and admiring the other’s strength. This resulted in Skaryn searching out other dragons as training partners and Kylon sharpening her lightning and fire skills to stand out among the Flood Dragons. It’s a foundational memory, so it should’ve been easier to find than any false memory."
"But..." Jack cut in with a sigh. "Why did Kylon become a holy god?"
"She had no choice," stated Eedaj, catching Jack off guard.
Agreeing with Eedaj, Sterfen explained, "The first and only god that was forced to ascend was Kylon. After leaving to travel the world, Skaryn eventually came back after learning of Kylon’s growing fame. He visited her more often than not, even offering her help when it came time to ascend.
"However, Halmut learned of this and paid Kylon a personal visit as well. As the strongest dragon god, Halmut insisted that Kylon join the other dragon gods despite her unwillingness. That’s when he forced her to form an unnegotiable contract and pressured her into consuming stimulants to force her ascension on the spot.
Chapter 572
"What?!"
"Stimulants?"
Jack and Eedaj had mixed reactions. One shouted in disbelief while the other wanted to learn more about the unheard-of stimulants.
"According to the gods, all they know about is the forced contract. They don’t know about the stimulants that Halmut forced onto her," Sterfen explained. "That was the first time that Daruun intervened in private, forcing Halmut and Skaryn to never force someone into a contract or forcibly feed them stimulants. If anyone dares to try it again, they were threatened with immediate extinction."
"But what are stimulants?" asked Eedaj.
"Those are something foreign to Kartonia, something that a foreign power once gave Halmut and Skaryn, though Daruun forced that foreign power off the planet. Stimulants offer a boost in strength while destroying that person’s potential growth. It’s hard to explain without explaining the power structure of the universe outside of Kartonia."
"But how--"
"Basically, stimulants are drugs that boost your power for now but will cause you more harm as you get stronger," answered Jack, surprising Eedaj.
"Oh... So that’s how Kylon ascended before Naparn but was quickly surpassed by the other dragon gods?"
"Correct..." Sterfen sighed, not smiling nor frowning. "Also, it’s in Kylon’s contract that she can’t mention stimulants to anyone, otherwise, Halmut can exercise the contract."
"But how can--"
"Skaryn beat that knowledge out of Halmut. He tried to talk with Kylon but that’s also against the contract. Halmut did everything he could to get keep Skaryn from getting Kylon on his side, for political and personal reasons," stated Sterfen. "With Kylon, it gave the holy gods a foothold in Kustram where Skaryn’s followers dominated. Also, Halmut is the pettiest person I’ve ever met and he’d rather keep Kylon suffering on his side than to allow Skaryn to have her.
"But I don’t know anything about the anomaly in her memory, but it would explain her shift in attitude. She acts more robotic and thinks less of her own opinion than I remember," Sterfen added with a shake of his head. "I haven’t checked on her since Skaryn’s sealing since I was tending to Lunara at the time, but I can go check on her when I get the chance."
"Umm..." Eedaj fumbled for words for a moment. "If what you’re saying is true, Sterfen, then I can guarantee that she’s been given false memories."
"Why do you say..." After glancing through Eedaj’s emerging thoughts, Sterfen froze with his mouth hanging wide open. "Halmut... you’re dead!"
"What? What happened--"
"I’m leaving immediately."
"Before you go, we need to make a game plan," Jack stated, trying to keep Sterfen from leaving on the spot. "I’ll be taking my wives to meet Daruun at his office later today. I can ask for his opinion while I’m there."
Already standing, Sterfen shook his head. "Jack, there are some things that demand immediate action. As Skaryn’s younger brother and student, there’s something that I must do immediately."
"But--"
"I’ll be gone for a while. I think you’ll be fine without me for a while but if you’re desperate, have your grandfather contact me. Then I’ll know it’s serious."
Jack wanted to say more but there was no denying the intensity of Sterfen’s stare. It wasn’t focused on Jack, but the intensity was enough for Jack to feel like an ant watching an elephant narrowly walk past and avoid death.
Turning to Eedaj, Jack asked, "What were you going to say?"
"I..." Eedaj paused before he answered, "Despite everything that Sterfen claimed, which I believe to be true coming from him, there’s one recent event in Kylon’s memories that should have never come to pass without mental tampering... Kylon is now the second goddess to ever become pregnant."
"What do..." Catching on, Jack instantly realized the depth of the situation.
"And considering what Sterfen said yesterday, about Skaryn supporting Sterfen’s marriage to Lunara, I can imagine that Skaryn also..."
Not needing to say more, rage burned inside both men sitting there. But Jack’s rage burned more furiously as he also felt more connected to Skaryn, given how passionate his father was about the matter and how much his grandfather praised Skaryn as Jack’s uncle.
"I’ll be taking my wives to see Daruun later... I’ll ask his opinion on the matter then..." Jack stood up and asked, "Is there anything else?"
"No, that’s all for now," Eedaj replied with a firm nod.
Jack began walking away but paused and asked, "You can broadcast memories through illusions, right?"
Eedaj nodded, getting Jack to do the same as the hero waved and left the courtyard.
The walk back home felt dragged out. Jack’s feet felt heavier with each step as Jack thought about everything.
"Sterfen! Wait!"
Hearing his mother shout caught Jack’s attention. Jack looked to a nearby courtyard and saw Sterfen and Lunara standing outside an open door. He was amazed to see Lunara clinging onto Sterfen as if she was afraid to lose him.
"Jack!" Spotting his son, Sterfen ordered, "Explain my leave to your mother. I need to leave and handle this while I still have an opportunity."
"O-Okay..." Unable to find fault with Sterfen’s decision to leave, Jack walked toward his parents. Taking Lunara’s hand, Jack sighed, "Mom... I’ll explain inside. It won’t take long, so we can talk before Lina gets up."
"What’s wrong?"
With terrible timing, all three of them looked inside to see Lina walking out of her room in comfortable, silk pajamas.
"Don’t worry, Daddy just has something to take care of," Sterfen stated with a smile, glancing back to Lina as Sterfen attempted to calm his bloodlust momentarily.
"O-okay..." Lina stepped back into her room, recognizing that something was up and that her father was about to kill someone, probably a god.
"Promise me you’ll come back."
Turning around, Sterfen leaned down and kissed Lunara softly. "I promise. I always come back. Listen to Jack and you’ll understand why this is necessary."
"Okay... I love you..."
"And I love you."
With that said, Sterfen vanished from their sight. He left no trace to track and no scent to follow.
"Come in, you’re explaining this now!" Lunara stated, dragging Jack into the house with a slam of the door.
Chapter 573
"HALMUUUT!!!"
Lunara’s roared echoed within the limited space of the silence spell. It forced Jack to cover his ears from being too close.
"That rotten... no good..." Lunara mumbled as her shouts deescalated into furious mumbles and gibberish.
"Mom... How long did you know about Kylon and Skaryn being together?" Jack asked.
After many deep breaths, Lunara composed herself enough to answer but couldn’t help shouting. "I knew before they were a thing! Kylon taught me a lot growing up. I was her apprentice!"
"What?! You were--"
"She practically adopted me!" continued Lunara. "Remember, I’m a Nine-headed Glacial Hydra! Have you ever heard of any other Nine-headed Glacial Hydras?"
"... No..."
"Because there are none! I’m the only one, apart from Little Lina!" Lunara was now standing up, stomping around the couches as she fumingly continued, "Sure, there are Glacier Wyrms and Glacial Hydras, but there aren’t any Nine-headed Glacial Hydras! Do you think I liked being born with extra heads?! I was the laughing stock of the species!"
Jack listened carefully, not wanting to miss this nugget of unknown information.
"After being treated like a freak for almost a hundred years, I was fed up and ran away... I’ve never gone back since..."
"Gone back where? I thought you and the Glacier Wyrms were from Aazoon."
"The Glacier Wyrms are from Aazoon, but I believe their species evolved from ours to live on land," answered Lunara. "Glacial Hydras originate from Glacier Reef."
"Glacier Reef? What kind of place is that?!"
"It predates ancient Kartonia and never get’s visitors. Even Flood Dragons aren’t comfortable with the extreme temperature there..." Lunara sighed, thinking back thousands of years on long-forgotten memories. "Head west from the coast of Aazoon and you’ll eventually find it if you’re traveling the seafloor, but you’ll need to survive more than ten thousand meters below the surface."
"Ten thousand meters?! That’s where you come from?!" Jack shouted, trying to compare the depth to anything he had ever heard of in his past life.
Nodding, Lunara continued, "Glacial Hydra’s commonly have three heads as adults, with some rarely having six. But Six-headed Glacial Hydras were always seen as weaker, so my mother was the beggar of society. She passed while I was young and left me alone. Then, after growing my third head during adolescence, the mocking and taunting were too much for a kid to bear. So I ran away. I fought my way upward as I tried to reach the surface.
"Eventually, I was spotted by some passing Flood Dragons. At first, I tried to fight them but I passed out before anything happened..." Sighing, Lunara paused.
"When I woke up, I found myself in an underwater cave. The water was much warmer than anything I had felt before, so my body was still adjusting. So many Flood Dragons were staring at me, wondering why I was complaining. But then... I suddenly felt a comforting frost rush over my body. I almost fell asleep it was so welcoming. Instead, I saw her. It was Kylon, not even lv. 70 at the time."
"I can still remember her soft words... ’Does that feel better?’... I was instantly attached to her and followed her everywhere. Eventually, as my body acclimated, she started teaching me new skills that I had never seen in Glacier Reef. In turn, I shared some of my skills. Now, Kylon is the only non-glacial beast that can naturally form a frost body..."
"So you got to see them interact?" asked Jack.
"It was rare, but yes. Kylon wouldn’t let me be around Skaryn very much, not until I got more comfortable around humans." Lunara added, "The reason Flood Dragons found me in the first place was due to my fight with some human fishermen. They tried to capture me as a rare species to sell me or something, but I put up a fight and ran. I didn’t realize it but I turned their boat into a glacier before I escaped. That caught the Flood Dragons’ attention pretty well."
"Then... Does Kylon--"
"Of course she cares for Skaryn!" shouted Lunara, getting Jack to cover his ears again. "Every time he visited, that’s all she would talk about for weeks! That was why she was so intent on gaining a human form as quickly as possible. The moment she reached lv. 80, Kylon stopped focusing on EXP and meditated day in and day out. She’s the reason I gained a human form before I ascended and the reason Sterfen and I met!"
"Wait... Skaryn and Kylon played matchmaker with you two?" questioned Jack.
"Sort of... eventually..." Lunara shrugged. "I soon left on my own journey but I would still visit on occasion. However... After Kylon had joined the Holy Gods, she stopped talking about Skaryn entirely. It was strange how she avoided the topic, which I assumed was a result of heartbreak. Yet she always took time to compliment Sterfen as a unique rising-star and encouraged me to pursue him.
"At the time, I was already a demigod and had formed an idiotic contract with Halmut to follow in the footsteps of Kylon, only to learn of Halmut’s trickery against Kylon later. But I had many suitors chasing me while Kylon suggested to look outside of the holy demigods and choose Sterfen, a human with no ties to Halmut...
"Little did I know that she had me live out her fantasy... After thousands of years, I learned yesterday that Sterfen was Skaryn’s pupil, which means Kylon was vicariously living through mine and Sterfen’s relationship..." Lunara sighed, showing a slight frown, "But I don’t blame her... I’m happy she convinced me to pursue him, so I have no regrets about that."
Taking that all in, Jack gave Lunara a moment before he tried to summarize everything. "So... now you know why Dad left."
"But..." Lunara hesitated. "I trust Sterfen, but this something new... He’s never gone after someone as strong or as prepared as Halmut."
"Trust him, and trust his training. Dad’s more amazing than you know. I’m sure we’ll explain why in the next few days."
"Thanks, Jack..." Lunara pulled Jack in for a hug, glad to have a son like him.
Chapter 574
After saying goodbye to his mother, Jack made his way back home. Breakfast should be hitting the table any moment so he decided to teleport instead.
"Where’ve you been?"Eliza immediately asked, noticing the serious look in Jack’s eyes.
Jack took a seat and looked at Eliza. "Discussing what to do next with Sterfen, Lunara, and Eedaj... Things have gotten more complicated."
"How so?" Maura asked as she laid the platters of eggs, bacon, sausage, and hashbrowns on the table.
"Remember how we said Skaryn was our uncle? Well... while discussing our knowledge about Kylon and how she has the final enchantment key, our collective knowledge led to something we weren’t anticipating..."
Daliea spoke next, forcing out the truth, "Jack, speak up and spit it out. We’re here to help too."
"Uncle Skaryn’s woman is pregnant with another man’s child."
"WHAT?!" collectively, all three girls shouted at the top of their lungs.
"Yeah... And it’s Halmut that did it while messing with her memory about Skaryn."
"WHAAAAT?!?!"
"So yeah... Sterfen left moments ago to--"
"How are you so calm?!" shouted Eliza. "If I were to--"
"I’m not calm!" Jack replied, not letting Eliza finish that phrase. "For the past hour, I’ve either been shouting or being shouted at! So... I’m trying to assess the situation calmly now..."
"Sorry..." Eliza leaned to the side and pecked Jack on the cheek.
"I get it, don’t worry about it. Thanks for calming down."
The four of them ate their meal in relative silence. They didn’t each much though, only enough to get by for now. Their appetites had already vanished with the news.
"Let’s go, Eliza." Jack stood up from his seat and glanced at his wives. "After my medicine, I’m taking you all to Daruun’s office."
"Really?" Maura asked as all three of them were caught off guard.
"Yeah. It’ll be good for you three to see the place and I want to talk to him about all this..."
Leaving on a better note, Jack and Eliza made their way to Dragas’s courtyard. They were welcomed to a clothed Dragas’s, which was all Jack could ask for, and then proceeded to prepare the bath.
Eliza showed more curiosity than Jack had anticipated but wasn’t too surprised. Seeing Dragas and Eliza working together, Jack could tell this wasn’t the first time that Eliza had come to learn about herbology. Eliza picked the ingredients for the solution and helped prepare a couple of them while Dragas did most of the work.
Once everything was prepared, Jack noticed that his bath was greener than the last time.
"What’s with the color change?" asked Jack.
"Remember how you finished your bath early last time? Well, now that it’s stronger, you should be able to go for the whole twenty minutes!" Dragas answered with a beaming smile.
"... Yay..." Jack sighed, climbing into the bath with anxiousness.
Just as he suspected, the burning was much worse now. "You said the first time was the worst!"
"But that was before I knew you could handle more. Now, we can make sure you heal faster and better than ever," stated Dragas. "Right, Eliza?"
"Right! Only the best!"
Lucky for Jack, his body processed the stronger solution in just fifteen minutes. Unlucky for Jack, that meant he would face an even stronger solution later that night.
Once Jack was finished and Eliza cleaned up, they hurried back to pick up Maura and Daliea. Together, the four of them teleported away.
As they reappeared in a dimly-lit dungeon chamber, the women were stunned to see that giant black door and the small stairway leading up to it. It was too unnatural to not stand out compared to the barren walls of the chamber, not to mention how eye-catching the door’s strange etchings were.
Jack calmly stepped forward and inserted the key he earned not too long ago. It clicked and the black doors began to separate, startling the women as the spatial gate revealed itself.
"Come on." Jack held out his hands and brought his wives through the gate.
Their reactions to the ornate, white hallway on the other side of the gate mimicked Jack’s first impression. Jack allowed them to marvel at everything as he led them to the lounge. He knew that Daruun would eventually appear. It was Daruun’s specialty.
With his mind on other things, Jack recommended the chef’s special for all three of them and stewed in thought for some time. Jack guessed that almost half an hour passed while he was meditating and his wives were in awe of the miraculous meal with an underwhelming appearance. They let Jack meditate as they ordered another round and the ethereal butler brought them each a cosmix to enjoy.
"I see you made yourselves at home."
"Why not? You are my grandpa, after all," sighed Jack, chuckling as he got to his feet.
"Whoa!"
Jack and Daruun laughed as they looked to Maura, who was going gaga over her first sip of the cosmix. Her trained palette was overwhelmed and sent to heaven with the chef’s special and now she felt as if she was surpassing the heavens.
"Only one cosmix for each of you," mentioned Daruun. "Any more, and your bodies will be having sensory overload for a week."
"O-okay..." Maura hesitated, having chugged her cosmix in one go without realizing it.
"How are my granddaughter’s doing?" Daruun asked with a warm smile, hugging them one by one. But when he reached Eliza, Daruun’s smile perked up even more. "Finally! A great-grandson!"
As Daruun threw his arms around Eliza, she was taken aback. "Great-grandson? You already know?"
"I’m certain! I tell with just a look. Two months of progression is more than enough to deduce the gender, for me at least."
"So it’ll be a boy..." Jack’s mind was dragged away from his worrying thoughts and into a temporary escape of paternal thinking. "Then... we can use that name!"
"Oh?" Daruun blinked. "What name?"
Eliza smiled as well, feeling some relief. "Tralon. If it’s a boy, then his name will be Tralon."
Chapter 575
"Tralon Accrutya... A great name!" Daruun agreed with a nod. He chuckled for a moment until Daruun noticed Jack’s body language revert back to Jack’s earlier state of worry. "So... You’ve all learned of what happened to Kylon?"
"Yeah... Apart from showing them your office, I want to discuss that among other things," replied Jack.
"Very well. Let’s talk in my office." Turning to see his granddaughters, Daruun asked, "Would you like to come, or do you want to stay here and enjoy the lounge? There’s also a masseuse if you’d like."
"I want to hear your conversation," Daliea insisted. Maura and Eliza rallied with Daliea as well, saving the thought of a divine masseuse for later.
That being said, Daruun led the way and eventually held the door open for his four guests. "Please, take a seat."
Jack and his wives sat in a semi-circle facing Daruun’s turned-around desk. It was an unusual setup for the wives to see but that didn’t distract Jack as he immediately began the conversation, "If you knew about Kylon, then why didn’t you tell any of us? And how come you haven’t intervened in any of this?"
"I have intervened, but only to the degree which I’m able," stated Daruun. "Being in the presence of your wives, I’ll repeat the fact that I’m far too large of a player to force my hand within Kartonia. Though I’m its creator, I still need to be careful in what I can and can’t do. Since Jewel has gotten involved via creating Gem as a throw-away incorporate, it makes things much more difficult for me. My leverage over Kartonia shrank the moment Gem stepped foot on the planet.
"If a six-star were to get involved in a dispute of one-stars, it wouldn’t even be an argument, let alone a fight. And with Gem’s knowledge and link to Kartonia via Halmut, the moment I step in with a heavy hand is the moment they’ll gain evidence against me, albeit extremely weak evidence."
"Then Jewel is using Gem Inc to gather evidence? Evidence of what?" asked Jack.
Daruun replied, "As the six-star cosmician that rules one of the twenty-eight districts within the void, my strict involvement in a ’free’ planet would give Jewel enough reason to convict me of a few minor misdemeanors. But since Jewel is the strongest intergalactic enterprise, they would drag out the small of misdemeanors into the largest courts they can access. That would interrupt my involvement with the Resolute Enterprise and give Jewel the chance to challenge the enterprise indirectly."
"Oh... So you think Jewel is trying to use you as a bridge to attack the reputation of the Resolute Enterprise?"
"Correct, Jack."
"Ummm... what is--"
"To give you a brief perspective of the void," Daruun glanced at Jack’s wives and smiled, "Within the known universe, there are twenty-eight districts, each filled with hundreds of thousands of planets, if not millions. I rule over one of those districts, District 14, otherwise known as the Fate District. I’m a six-star cosmician, compared to the Kartonian gods which would all be classified as one-star cosmicians. Hence why my involvement in a single world could be skewed as a radical invasion of privacy and security for the world’s inhabitants."
All three women were at a loss for words. None of them expected to be faced with such a broad perspective in a moment’s given information. And the underlying meaning of that information made it even more difficult to swallow.
"Well... If you can’t help directly, can’t you help indirectly like Jewel?" asked Jack.
"No, not to that extent," Daruun admitted with a shake of his head. "My belief is that Gem Incorporate is merely a throwaway incorporate that is being used to gain leverage on me. So long as they regulate their information well enough, sacrificing Gem won’t impact Jewel at all. I’m guessing that we won’t even be able to link Gem Inc to Jewel once this all goes down, not to the extent necessary for intergalactic court."
"But can’t you help me so that I can do it?"
"That’s why I’m letting you handle it, along with your father and the others."
Sighing, Jack asked, "Then what should we do about Kylon? I get why you didn’t want us to kill her, but can’t we--"
"You need to prove to her what actually happened between Skaryn and Halmut. She needs confirmation of what happened the day Kustram was removed from the map," insisted Daruun. "Getting her in a situation where you get past her programmed, defiant reactions and show her the truth. This is why I showed you what happened in the past, so that it can be accessed through your memory bank."
"But how can showing her something like that be enough to contradict her twisted memories?"
"Trust me. If you can force her to sit through that memory, then it will get the job done. As for her child... I think Skaryn should be the one that handles that matter and no one else," added Daruun. "It takes a few decades for a dragon to give birth, so she won’t be laying the child for another few years but it’s still something to keep in mind.
"The other way to restore her memory would be to unseal Skaryn and have the two meet. His presence alone would weaken the implanted memories and his own skills are more than enough to unravel that mess of entangled memories."
Showing a more serious side, Daruun paused and took a deep breath. "What I’m more worried about is how Halmut managed to do this. Given the final care package he received from Gem, I imagine that it contained items to counter dark energy at a one-star level and give Halmut the ability to manipulate the weaker minds of one-star cosmicians. Such items wouldn’t too difficult to find given Jewel’s influence."
"Then what about Halmut’s mind? Does he have some item to protect it?" asked Jack.
"That’s what I assumed until your recent fight with Halmut..."
Chapter 576
Daruun sighed, "Jack... You won that fight. Here’s why.
"I don’t believe Halmut has an item to protect his mind. I think Jewel has placed a seal on his mind to secure the information that they’ve given him. To convince Halmut to betray me, they must have told him about Jewel, which is an organization that outshines my Fate District. I’m not sure what other information they’ve given him but that seal did get cracked by your repeated use of Cerebral Collapse."
"Wait... I actually scared him off?" asked Jack.
Nodding, Daruun explained, "You didn’t manage to completely break the seal but you did manage to strike a nerve, literally. So, rather than fight you in that weakened state, Halmut fled immediately while he could leave without looking like the obvious loser. He’s smart enough to accept a questionable defeat in place of an undeniable loss, which you threatened him with. There’s a chance he still could’ve won and killed you but you proved that he could be killed also.
"Right now, I imagine he sees you as a threat equal to Sterfen and Moranti, despite your low level. I’m curious to see how Halmut reacts and if Gem is willing to act first. And if Gem acts first, joining the battle for Kartonia, then I’m allowed to step in without question."
"So my victory... has put Halmut and Gem between a rock and a hard place?" deduced Jack. "But couldn’t Gem just breach the planet and escape with Halmut and his subordinate gods?"
"They could, and it wouldn’t be enough to merit my interference," Daruun answered. "However, the moment they breach the planet’s barrier is the same moment that I interfere just outside of Kartonia. I’ll possibly be able to apprehend whoever escapes. And even if I can’t imprison them for long, I’ll be able to get everything out of Halmut while I have him detained, where I’ll legally be allowed to remove that seal without interference from Jewel."
"You said you would ’possibly be able to apprehend’ them? Why not a guarantee?"
"If whoever is picking Halmut up brings a powerful enough ship, then they’ll flee and leave the district entirely. Given how powerful Jewel is, there’s a chance that they’ve deemed Halmut worthy of such travel, especially if they can get their hands on all of the subordinate gods under him. What would be better? To face your enemy’s privately raised army or to claim it as your own?"
Catching on, Jack sighed, "I see..."
"But there would be a bright side to Jewel taking Halmut away. They would be forced to directly cut all ties to Gem Inc, giving them no evidence over me or the Fate District," stated Daruun.
"So Jewel can steal your hand-raised cosmicians or create an opportunity to eventually drag you into an intergalactic court? Neither situation is necessarily bad, but wouldn’t they prefer to get you in court?" asked Jack.
"I agree. But your interference may lead to them choosing to retreat for now."
"And you can’t just look into the future and see what happens?"
Chuckling, Daruun replied, "Fate doesn’t quite work like that. It’s constantly changing and updating. The broader you look, the more variance you find. Looking into Kartonia specifically isn’t too difficult for me, but monitoring my entire district to that degree all at once is nigh impossible. That’s why I wasn’t monitoring Kartonia to such a degree until Gem got involved.
"Including the resources and influence of Jewel, it’s incredibly difficult to pinpoint such minute details on the timeline of fate. I would need to know more about the internals of Jewel, but they’re notorious for keeping a good image that’s a hollow shell. No one fully knows how many districts Jewel has its hand in or how they’ve managed to create and distribute the most popular, barely-legal drug that is faux-ore."
Jack scratched his head and questioned, "Then what reason do you have to keep them out, apart from the faux-ore?"
"I hate how they handle their businesses, but Silas is especially against it. He’s never fully explained his passionate loathing for Jewel but he’s the largest public figure fighting Jewel’s spread and has become their leading prosecutor in only a few years’ time," explained Daruun.
"It was his stance on Jewel and his convincing arguments that led to the creation of the Resolute Enterprise. The external pressure we’ve created has impacted the Jewel Enterprise more than Jewel would like to admit. Also, though I was already against Jewel’s integration into the Fate District, Silas proved to be even more cautious against them. So much so that Silas managed to get Jewel evicted from District 09 on grounds of corporate corruption, helping my friend Dominus become its new, rightful leader."
"So Silas... the man I met a day ago... Was facing and investigating Jewel by himself... until managing to force an entire district to change leadership and form his own superpower?"
"Yeah, that’s a very brief summary of some of his recent achievements."
"Then... Give me a moment..." Jack paused, blinking and breathing slowly to best process the new information and reach a conclusion. "In that case, Silas’s sudden external pressure and my internal pressure could cause Jewel to abandon Gem and runaway with what it can, right?"
"Exactly that," agreed Daruun.
"Then how should I go about this? I want to unseal Skaryn but that would likely force Jewel to back out. I want to help the contracted gods that are willing to join us but I don’t want to force you to get involved. What should I do?" asked Jack.
Daruun took a moment to stroke his chin and click his tongue. "This is where things get tricky. In most cases of fate, something to some degree would need to get sacrificed. If Skaryn reappears in the world, then Halmut will be more cautious than ever and likely flee. But you also have to keep them from fleeing the world naturally by ascension or they’ll reinforce Gem’s attempt to legally take over that zone, which will make your jobs vastly more difficult. And given the five hundred years that Halmut spent trying to break the seal on his EXP, he may soon ascend."
Chapter 577
"And given the five hundred years that Halmut spent trying to break the seal on his EXP, he may soon ascend."
"But I thought--"
"Remember, Halmut is now relying on faux-ore to level up," mentioned Daruun. "So long as he can create a crack in the seal, then Halmut would only need more time and faux-ore to become a two-star."
"... Are there any scenarios where we can keep them from fleeing while also keeping Halmut from ascending?" Jack asked, scratching his head.
"There are a few, and there’s one in particular that you’re heading towards now," Daruun stated. "Soon after you leave here, you’ll be contacted by a surprising ally to try and reach such a conclusion. Also... I think you’re already starting to come up with some interesting thoughts that could swing things in your favor. Just make sure to have an antidote as well. You won’t regret it."
"Oh... really?! Then I’ll get started on that once this is over," replied Jack, a bit startled that his idea from long ago might result in something.
"I recommend you ask for Dragas’s help. She’ll help speed up the process, which is necessary considering what I’m about to do in Kartonia."
"Huh? I thought--"
"What I’m doing will be entirely neutral, showing no favor to either side or faction. There is nothing about my next move that Jewel can do a thing about," clarified Daruun. Then, Daruun smiled and began to chuckle. "I like how you think, Jack. Go ahead and try that. It will be more possible with your soon-to-be ally’s help as well."
Jack hesitated for a moment, trying to think of how to phrase his next question.
"Don’t worry about your father," stated Daruun, answering Jack’s thoughts directly. "I’m unsure of what the outcome of their clash will be, but I do know that Sterfen won’t die. He’s more difficult to kill than Moranti, so don’t worry about him, okay?"
"Okay... And can I tell the others about all this? I don’t want to overwhelm them or decrease our chances of success by accident."
Giving a nod of approval, Daruun smiled. "Go ahead. The reason I never shared this information with most was due to your non-involvement. Now that you’re at the core of it all, it makes sense to share the plan with them.
"But there are some key details to leave out. Don’t mention Sterfen being my birth son and don’t mention how high my rank is within the void. If those two things became public knowledge in Kartonia, Jewel would get up and leave immediately, especially if they knew that Sterfen was my son," reasoned Daruun. "Should they do something to him, then I can act against them directly, which is exactly what they’re avoiding."
"Anything else?" asked Jack.
"Don’t mention Gem Inc or Jewel either. That would only complicate things further and it’s not worth the effort," replied Daruun.
"Also, make sure to tell them that I’ll support and aid anyone who can naturally ascend and surpass the level system. They’ll love to know that they won’t be alone after entering the void."
"And... What about Kylon?"
"Like I said, you’ll need to create a situation where she’s forced to witness the truth of Skaryn’s and Halmut’s last battle. What I’m about to do will help that incredibly, but you’ll need to take advantage of the setting I’ll put you in and make it happen. And your soon-to-be allies will be contacting you soon to help you with that as well."
"Oh, and yes, they can," added Daruun.
"... Thank you..." Jack sighed from relief as his wives were still trying their best to keep up with the conversation.
Looking at the three women, Daruun bowed his head. "You three, as well as your families, will always be welcome to stay here. What Jack will be doing after leaving Kartonia will be perilous but necessary. Also, he’ll have my full guidance to help him overcome all odds of death. But before he agreed to become the key to my plans and eventually become my partner in ruling the Fate District, I promised Jack to keep you safe while he was away."
"But we can help!" shouted Daliea, refusing to deny the duty she felt to accompany her husband.
"Yeah, we’ll--"
"You three are Jack’s greatest weakness," Daruun stated, cutting off Eliza and not giving Maura a chance to say anything. "After the matter on Kartonia ends, you’ll live here with me and my wife. Of course, we’ll help you train and show you around different parts of the Fate District, so you won’t be cooped up here for all your lives. But staying and training with me will not only help you in the long run, it will allow Jack to grow and eventually fulfill his role.
"When that happens, you three will have already become immortals as well. Then, you three will be reunited with Jack indefinitely as he helps me direct the entire Fate District. And given the unpredicted growth of Jack’s system, I imagine that he’ll be finished in a few years or decades. He’ll still be able to visit you and your children, but this way you and your children won’t be faced with the hardships that Jack must endure in the future. Doesn’t that sound best for your family? Or would you like to be put in situations like Kylon?"
Given the recency of learning that information, comparing their possible future struggles to Kylon’s deeply wounded the women’s desire to join Jack on his adventures.
After a moment of pause, Daruun continued, "Jack will still visit you and share all his stories. He’ll even bring you gifts. He won’t be alone, though. Jack will be with his father and uncle, as well as the many other cosmicians that will come out of Kartonia with them."
"Then... Sterfen is really your son?" Eliza asked, still hung up on that fact.
"Yeah, he’s my son. But you can’t tell Lunara or Lina about this." Daruun casually waved his hand, sprinkling lights over the three women. "That particular memory is now sealed and protected, so Eedaj or anyone else below my level won’t be able to see it freely. Just don’t talk about it, okay?"
While the girls were speechless yet again, Daruun chuckled and added, "Now you can’t say I don’t trust you."
Chapter 578
"Now, Jack," turning his attention back to Jack, Daruun stated, "There are still some minor things that you need to do and a few immediate goals to focus on."
"Like?" Jack asked, eager to hear more of Daruun’s opinion.
"Obtaining new skills should be the last of your priorities. For now, you’ll need to focus on leveling yourself and your guild. You’ve already taken advantage of your system’s sentience to create your first skill, so that should be enough for now."
"My system’s sentience? What--"
"For a system as complex as yours, it would be impossible for it to not gain sentience as you grow stronger," reasoned Daruun. "It’s only just begun to gain its own intelligence but it’s still one-hundred percent dependent on you to exist. The system and you are practically one and the same on a technical level, so think of it as your literal conscience gradually coming into existence until there’s a literal voice in your head."
"Still... isn’t that--"
"Necessary for what you’ll be doing in the near future," Daruun finished Jack’s thought with his own. "Its sentience allows your system to adapt outside of Kartonia and will allow you to do more than you currently know to be possible."
"Like what?"
Smiling and chuckling, Daruun replied, "You’ll see shortly. Already, the minor sentience of your system will start opening new doors of opportunity. That’s why you should focus on leveling and the leveling of your guild or party members. They can become a substantial force for you to use while trying to climb the ranks of the district, so long as you allow them to do so."
"Which reminds me, why don’t the gods just come and clear out Earthen Keep for EXP? I’m sure it would give them a few levels of EXP, right?" Jack asked.
Daruun shook his head. "Gods are unable to enter Earthen Keep. That’s something that I made sure was impossible."
"But--"
"The ninety-ninth floor is different. That restriction was placed over the final floor due to the spatial gate. However, should a god have attempted to directly arrive on the ninety-ninth and challenged Duorda, I would be summoned to accept the challenge in Duorda’s place, something that Halmut experienced first hand."
"Then... what happened to Kori and Lorwynn?"
"They managed to level up, but once they attempted to enter the next floor, they were transported outside of the keep." Daruun explained, "I fully agree with using Earthen Keep to help the others ascend. But they’ll have to do so without the direct aid of gods and won’t be able to use Earthen Keep as anything more than a doorway to meet me, so long as you open the door for them."
"Then how have the gods leveled up?" questioned Jack.
"By the constant challenge of the construct heroes."
"The what?!"
"Sorry. Let me rephrase that," stated Daruun. "The gods leveled up through challengers taking them on, either being other gods or clearing out areas of life and threats. But the bulk of their EXP, apart from Skaryn and Halmut, have come from challenges of the ancient heroes."
"You said ’construct heroes’. What did you mean by that?"
"Those were the ancient heroes," corrected Daruun. "Remember how I once said that summoned heroes in Modern Kartonia use artificial spirits to inhabit the bodies of ancient heroes, the ones that hadn’t perished or had given up the game before the servers were closed?"
Jack nodded, preparing his expectations to be obliterated by Daruun’s incredible antics.
"That’s only possible because each of the ancient heroes was technically a construct, like you and Duorda, only not as sophisticated. They were managed by artificial spirits controlled via players of the game you know as ’A Hero’s Tale’. I only had to tweak those artificial spirits when the dormant constructs are summoned, created summoned heroes in Modern Kartonia and the ancient heroes of the past."
"Dormant constructs? What do--"
"A dormant construct hero is one that logged out and ultimately never killed. They could revive timelessly because they were constructs built with that function, but only while I supplied them all with enough energy to do so. Once I cut off that energy supply, the system functions of the construct became limited and the ancient heroes either logged out forever or died out."
"Umm... What kind of game was it that you mentioned?" Eliza asked, wondering the same as Maura and Daliea while Jack silently stewed in thought.
Answering, Daruun looked to the three women, "Think of it like this. You already know how basic constructs work. They can take simple orders from their master, including defend, attack, etc. The ancient heroes were highly advanced constructs that were being controlled by people from a different world, one I selected after screening a few hundred planets. There, they had a popular game where they treated Kartonia and its many happenings as challenges to complete and accomplish. It gave the gods more EXP opportunities while it allowed me to find Jack. This led to Jack’s spirit being transmigrated and relocated into his current body, the most complex construct that I’ve ever created. Jack is still human and his own person, but his body is akin to an intergalactic treasure in its own right."
Slowly process that, Daliea was the first to respond, "Then Jack was once the best player in that game and proved he would be the best player within your plans?"
"Correct!" Daruun nodded and acknowledged the elven girl.
"So a construct... can be human?"
"Yes, Maura. A construct can most definitely be human, and a human can be a construct as well, though it’s much more difficult going that route," answered Daruun. "My specialty is gathering intelligence and the application of intelligence. Consider me something of a cosmic scientist, or more specifically a spirit scientist, always trying to better understand how life works and how that life can be taken to the highest realms of strength. It’s how I became who I am today."
"Gramps..." Jack sighed. He then paused again as the other turned their attention back to Jack. After a few seconds of awkward tension, Jack asked, "Wouldn’t mine... be dormant?"
Chapter 579
"Wouldn’t mine... be dormant?"
"Yes," Daruun stated with an eager smile. "That’s correct."
Spotting Daruun’s smile, Jack asked, "Then... is there some way to--"
"I think I’d like to show you, rather than tell you."
Jack and his wives froze in thought for a moment. They were looking at Daruun directly yet Daruun’s voice clearly came from the right side. It wasn’t telepathy, and Daruun was smiling and kept quiet.
Glancing to the side out of reflex, the four guests were in utter shock at what they found.
In the entryway of an open door, a second figure identical to Daruun identified himself, "Yes, it’s still me. No need to freak out or lose your lunch."
"I-I..." Jack always knew that Daruun was powerful beyond belief, but Jack was unable to quickly process the current situation.
"You’re correct in your thinking, Jack," stated the second Daruun. "I’m no apparition. I’m one hundred percent the real Daruun, just as much as the Daruun you’ve been speaking with all this time."
"I mentioned earlier that humans can also be constructs..." mentioned the Daruun sitting down. "I learned that through personal experience. Jack is not the only one here that is both human and construct. I wouldn’t have been able to attempt creating Jack’s body or crafting my plan if I was able to do this much already."
"Then... I’ll get a second..."
"Yes, Jack. You’ll gain a second body," answered the Daruun in the doorway. "Follow me. I came all this way to experience your first spirit replication personally."
"All this way... you--"
"Just come on, I don’t have all the time in the world!" That Daruun stepped into the hallway and began his way towards the spatial gate to Kartonia. "Are you coming or not?"
Looking back and forth between the door and the seated Daruun, Jack and his wives slowly stood up. They were waved goodbye as Jack and his wives stepped out of the room.
With only one Daruun to focus on, Jack managed to ask a question, "How... What is spirit replication?"
Daruun replied with a smile, "Spirit replication is a rare skill that must have a wide range of requirements met to be functional. It took me countless millennia to develop this skill and create a means for it to be effective. You’ll be benefitting from my research, becoming the key to our plans and the most successful test subject I’ve ever had."
"So... There will be two Jack’s?"
Both Jack and Daruun looked back to see his wives in a daze at Eliza’s question.
"Yes, there will be two Jacks, for now."
"For now?" asked Eliza.
"Jack has become a one-star cosmician. This means his spirit is now powerful enough to undergo one round of spirit replication, allowing Jack to plant his replicated spirit in a second body. But once Jack becomes a second-star cosmician, then Jack’s spirit will be strong enough to undergo spirit replication twice in total, letting his plant his spirit inside a third," Daruun explained with a pep in his step as he rushed the party through the halls.
"But don’t worry. This isn’t the first time I’ve done this. As a six-star cosmician, I’ve already experience spirit replication six times."
"There are seven of you?!"
Daruun glanced at Jack with a proud smile. "And each of me has it’s own construct body, each becoming more advanced and powerful than the last. That’s how I eventually came to create your body, the most complex construct with the complex system. It’s how I’m confident of your potential. I’d rate your potential for growth among the top fifty individuals within the void, much higher my potential ever was."
"Top fifty... in the entire void?!"
"That simply means that you can at least become of the fifty strongest individuals across the void. So long as you don’t get yourself killed through stupidity, then reaching my level of strength is all but guaranteed," added Daruun.
"Two Jacks..." Eliza was mumbling to herself, only getting the attention of her fellow wives while Jack was trying to fathom Daruun’s incredible projection. Turning to Maura and Daliea with a smile, Eliza whispered, "Then... there will be more to go around..."
Both Maura and Daliea blushed, momentarily not paying attention to Jack’s and Daruun’s crazy ideas and theories.
As the spatial gate came into sight, Daruun continued, "I’ll let you experience what gaining a second body will do for you, so I won’t say what can and can’t be done with it. Its benefits will immediately become obvious, and its applications are very clear. That’s why I was insistent that I grant my grandson the greatest gift I could offer, the very culmination of all my research!"
Jack was still on edge after learning of Daruun’s second body and how he would also gain one. But Jack noticed something else as well.
This was the first time Jack had ever seen Daruun act so passionate toward anything. The most emotional Jack had seen him was during Daruun’s invitation to join the family, but the energy and enthusiasm Daruun showed now was undeniable.
"You really love doing this, don’t you Gramps?"
"It’s my life’s passion!" replied Daruun. "It’s one of the key reasons why I want your help, Jack. not only did going through all this revive my old flame, but it will also allow me to more fully help Silas in countering Jewel’s growth."
"Through your research and the creation of constructs?" Jack deduced.
"Correct!" They all stopped in front of the spatial gate as Daruun bowed and motioned forward with his arm. "After you."
Jack and his wives nodded as they entered the spatial gate first. They stepped into the empty ninety-ninth floor, followed closely by Daruun as the gate closed.
"To clarify, I’m the original body," mentioned Daruun. "Each of my bodies is in charge of something different within the Fate District. I became fully devoted to my research a few millennia before you all became included in my plans. The seventh body, my most powerful in terms of raw strength, is the one in charge of monitoring Kartonia and also handles all matters involving the Resolute Enterprise."
Chapter 580
"Oh... So that’s why I managed to meet Silas last time?" Jack asked with a nod.
"Correct. In fact, Silas has shown plenty of interest in you as well. He offered to help train you after you become a third-star, something I would beg you to accept," added Daruun.
"Seriously?!"
"That’s one reason why I came to witness your first spirit replication and not Dar-seven."
"Dar... what?"
"Sorry, that’s a bad habit," admitted Daruun, taking back his comment. "That’s one reason why I came and not my seventh body."
"Did you just call yourself Dar-seven?!" Jack questioned with a laugh. "What’s that about?"
Sighing, Daruun mentioned, "It’s a nickname Gradsdum gave my many bodies... In order to determine which is which, he started calling me Dar-one and the joke only worsened after Silas heard about it..."
Chuckling without hesitation, Jack commented, "Ooohhh... But who’s--"
"Either way, hurry up and open your tomb! I’m too anxious to wait any longer!"
"But--"
"Gradsdum rules District 11," Daruun quickly stated. "Now open it!"
Calming himself, Jack pulled out his crappy looking, purple ring. It baffled him to think that such a plain item was acting as the key to Jack’s tomb and dormant second body. If Halmut and his subordinate gods knew about this, Jack was certain they would rush to destroy Jack where he stood.
Thanks to the ring being such a small item, Jack didn’t need to slit his entire forearm. His small cut was more than enough to coat the item and allow Jack’s chant to fully summon the hidden tomb. It appeared beside the spatial gate, also have small steps leading to a mausoleum-style door.
"Jack_J."
Reading the marble sign overhead, Jack took a deep breath and stepped inside. Daruun kept the women back for a moment, letting Jack get a good view of all his past memories.
The tomb itself matched the ninety-ninth floor chamber in size but it wasn’t barren by any means. Assorted armors, robes, cloaks, and all manner of clothing lined the walls upon various statues of Jack, mimicking the many restarts and character alterations that Jack had gone through across his in-game journey. Countless chests filled the floor, ranging from being simple and wooden to being made out of platinum and gold. At the very center was a marble sepulcher with calligraphy etched into it, reading, "The Legend of Trodar". In front of the sepulcher was a marble coffin with its lid sealed by an enchantment.
Jack was caught up in the slew of more emotions than he could remember. It was an overwhelming sensation to see everything that he had ever earned in-game become reality, sitting in front of him to hold in his hands.
"The enchantment keeps anyone from summoning your construct."
Daruun’s voice brought Jack back to the present moment. The mighty creator of Kartonia stepped inside with Jack’s wives, letting them also become speechless upon entry.
"That enchantment can only be undone by one thing, your blood," explained Daruun. "At each of the separate enchantments, you need to wipe your blood across them to release the coffin’s lid."
Jack understood that but still took a moment to shake his head and gather himself. He felt that all of his past achievements in-game suddenly became tangible and real. Before, Jack knew it was true according to the history books but hadn’t considered them to be a part of his genuine legacy. But standing amidst the countless treasures, items, and riches that Jack had accumulated in the past, there was now no way for Jack to deny those in-game achievements as anything but reality.
Eventually, Jack moved. Jack took his time to carefully approach his own marble coffin. One by one, Jack smeared some of his blood on each of the small enchantments lining the edges of the lid. As the light faded from each enchantment, Jack’s heart pounded a little quicker. After disenchanting the final seal, Jack paused as saliva clogged his throat. A moment of thoughtful hesitation passed before Jack swallowed the saliva and forcefully pushed the lid aside.
The others gathered around as well, walking fast until they reached an abrupt halt around the open coffin. Daruun was all smiles. The women had their mouths agape. Jack was in a world of his own.
Laying within the coffin was a perfect replica of Jack. Nothing was different, nothing but the clothes the dormant body wore.
"I took the liberty to alter your second body in preparation for this," Daruun mentioned, being the only one to make a sound. "I’ve matched your classes and subclasses already, so you won’t need to worry about that. All that’s missing now is this..."
Daruun walked behind Jack and placed his hand on Jack’s back. He didn’t push Jack or do anything, but a sudden rush of white energy entered Jack’s body, startling Jack’s wives.
Those two pop-ups instantly flashed across Jack’s view, not letting him ignore them as Daruun forced the system to recognize a hidden function.
"Now, let me warn you--"
Blinding light suddenly erupted out of Jack, filling the room with endless specs of cloudy, white energy to the point of blinding everyone. The specs appeared in the blink of an eye, but they took their time to gradually enter the motionless body lying inside the marble coffin.
Daruun stopped his sentence, sighing with a chuckle as he and the others witnessed Jack’s first spirit replication.
As more energy entered the dormant body, Jack began to feel strange. The feeling of a cold stone touched Jack’s back, catching him off guard and sending a shiver down Jack’s spine. But Jack’s standing body didn’t move. It was the body within the coffin that shifted around.
Another few seconds passed and Jack felt himself open his eyes, regaining a new perspective of the well-lit ceiling adorned in glowing, crystal chandeliers. It took a moment for Jack to blink and regain his view of the coffin in front of him. By then, the final particles of light had seeped into Jack’s dormant body.