Soul of Searing Steel

Chapter 1052: Roused Spirit

In the Void beyond the world, at a cosmic border not too far from the Forbidden Zone for All Life, several profound beings were staring at the fiery light which shone abruptly in the distance.

The reason that they did not proceed to offer their existence nor approach it to call for its return was due to their power being excessively strong in comparison, not to mention the likelihood that the champions would repel against each other and thus be prevented from moving inside the massive world within that Forbidden Zone. Instead, they merely came to observe that the number of fleets which had gone in would probably have sufficed for the rescue, and only if something truly unexpected were to have occurred that their help would finally be needed.

And amongst the profound and formidable beings, some were present in their true forms while others had simply left a clone or a part of their own main bodies. Some of them were familiar faces, just as there were those whose appearance had never been seen before—one of the clones of those champions was a massive cosmic vortex, extending all the way across both dimensions of the Shadow and the ordinary realm, its core ether body existing between two realms as if it was manifesting as a brand-new, different shape of the multidimensional.

Imperator Amos, who had ascended as a Demi Saint over a hundred thousand years ago, had long since left the old cosmos in his journey towards the edge—towards the Initial Flame. He had gotten bored of the game with civilizations and tired of molding an entire race to rear, just it was naturally likely that there was nothing in the cosmos worth its subjugation. That was why it had left, journeying towards the edge in search of its own path.

But unlike most Demi Saints who were likely to tread the path of the Infinite and Eternity, what the Imperator had done was to assume the path similar to the Ultimate Sublimator Collective’s. He had consumed the Abyss of the Galaxy of Bloodbath, connecting the dimensions of Shadow and the ordinary. Its true ether body which gathered and refined over thousands of planets had hence became the median point between the two realms, a physical rift in the Void that also acted as a passageway.

Meanwhile, the other Demi Saints were the other phenomenal talents within the Multiverse Union. After having combined the knowledge and technology of multiple cosmos, even if the Union had indeed fallen and was reborn over seven times, their organization had still managed to groom such outstanding Demi Saints. They were also the leaders of the four primary factions of the Multiverse Union, leading what might have been the greatest combination of factions over the Multiverse itself.

And now, they were all thinking—considering if they actually could be compared to the champion who had already gained epiphany a hundred and twenty thousand years ago.

Meanwhile, on the other side of the Void, the blaze was becoming even stronger and the source of light ever brighter. One could even see silver and scarlet light materializing a massive rune in the shape of a great wheel. At first, the gazes and expressions of the various Demi Saint could have been described as solemn, but as time passed, their faces appeared astonished and in disbelief instead, a shock that could not have been greater, even reaching the point where they were about to yell ‘Unbelievable’!

“No—that is definitely not the power of a Demi Saint!”

Sensing the divine strength which was expanding without limit in the distance along with an unacquainted ripple, Imperator Amos who had once assumed that he had finally caught up with him, with his diligent cultivation of over a hundred and twenty thousand years, abruptly froze. Being the most powerful amongst every Demi Saint, he could sense another formless mystical presence behind that dazzling radiance of divine power, sweeping across all of the Multiverse!

But unlike the Holy Light, the Shadow or any single known power, the sweeping ripple did not manifest any actual phenomena...even so, Imperator Amos could distinctly feel and confirmed that something in the Multiverse had been changed in a moment unknown to all—a certain shackle, a certain chain, had been broken with nary a sound, and hence shattered!

“That is...”

The Imperator stared at the distance radiance, at the former Forbidden Zone for All Life which was now fully illuminated. As the many beings of the cosmos looked on, all darkness and oblivion were compressed into a wheel in the shape of Φ, and the Imperator hence spoke with a voice that could have been exuding dismay or a curious excitement. “That’s right, that is indeed...”

“A Wise One!”

***

At that very moment, at the temporal trap that was the Forbidden Zone for All Life and where the only deity was present, that particular vicinity of the Void was already permeated with the light of the divine in complete brightness.

Every Void fleet which had been reaching around Joshua, along with the champions who had arrived by themselves, had all been pushed away by a gentle power, pushed back, and moved to a safe position.

More than that, as veins of dimensions distorted while powerful energy rippled, the many champions inside the world within Joshua’s body were all sent away, including his family and friends who had been calling for his return. One could faintly hear then the sounds of Chaos being broken apart resounding inside the world, for in the single instant that the God of War had came back, the darkness and powerful foes which had not been destroyed in time during the distant past were all crushed into oblivion, like bubbles of dreams that popped with a single touch.

Before there was even a moment to think or to be at awe, the gap connected to the rift began to change after accomplishing all of those things—it had originally been an elongated rift which pierced the boundless Void, a line extending out from the origin point of the Root.

Now, however, one could see many more miniscule lines stretching away from the center of the titanic rift, turning into streaks of flashes emanating away from the Root: that sight was no different from having endless flashes of radiance between thrown away from the Root, a raging downpour of divine energies descending upon the Multiverse.

These raindrops carrying boundless radiance and flame started to fall upon every corner of the innumerable worlds, darting away across every edge as if to shine upon everything in the past and the present. Whether it was the bright center of the cosmos or the dark fringes of the Multiverse itself, light shone and reached with equality.

Everyone who were looking on did not understand it at first, but as the drops of luminous rains flashed past before their very eyes, even the Demi Saints could not help but to be astonished—every single flash of light, be it large, small, bright, or dark, contained a powerful presence that actually resembled a god.

No, they were the gods!

This was the return of the gods!

The former Commanding Will of the Multiverse Sacrificial Grounds—presently known as the Hub of Extradimensional Network—which did not head out for the temporal trap in the Forbidden Zone for All Life where Joshua presently was, analyzed the truth behind those flashes of light before anyone else could—each droplet of the rain were actually the sacred crest of a divine being and contained the full divine might of a god! And now, they had all turned into luminous rain, bathing every single world in the Multiverse in tender divine power!

One could also see countless divine spirits assuming the form of those luminous flashes, bringing along their power as they darted through the Void within an unusual trail. They were reaching out and returning along that trail, some of them turning back towards worlds where life still existed and civilizations still stood. There were even divine spirits who had returned to the heart of their capital—naturally, apart from them, there were also some who had stayed in the Void, remaining at the center of many world fragments, even in the reaches of the Silent Void where there was simply nothing at all.

In the past, in those empty domains devoid of all things, splendorous civilizations had existed along with the legends of powerful divine beings. Even after endless time had passed, civilizations died, races gone extinct, and the world fallen to the point that it no longer existed, there had been the truest of gods existing in an endlessly distant time that had since died, myths and legends that had been returned to the Root.

And now, they had all returned, once again arriving upon the world which had given them everything.

Every Lightchaser who could observe it stared fixedly upon that sight without once blinking.

At that very moment, after they had been taken away from the Three Worlds and Nine Skies, the people charged with protecting their own home stared at the full form of their former world from the Void—and now, all of them could finally see the reality of the Steel Continent which they had once dwelled upon.

It had been the center of a Giant God’s chest, and though the Lightchasers had lived upon that vastness with space to spare, everything was merely the core reaches of the worlds inside Giant God, the fringes of a spare part called the Core Igniter.

However, it was also in that seemingly insignificant tiny region, which was in fact the same vast continent, where the uncountable divine myths and epics that belonged to the Lightchasers were breathed life. Untold legions of heroes and races had generous followed the sad tune, sacrificing all that they were in the name of resisting the Chaos and that hostile environment.

And now, the world which bore all their memories was also awakening. Their Father and Creator had appeared upon the Multiverse once more, and all that had perished—even the ashes that were now nothing other than history—were pulled back into it by force, once again born unto the world! Hence, the many gods who had mysteriously fallen by the end of the Age of the Gods had all now returned, with every creature and lifeform which had hence died or sacrificed themselves instantly brought back to life as if they were never gone.

As all the races and species were brought out of the world within the Giant God’s body, silver specks of radiance wafted within his body. It was the single race kept within, or indeed the single race which should have been there in the first place. They were laughing, praising their ruler who had never once forgotten them, nor had they ever forgotten.

Before there was time for awe or thinking, when even the Demi Saints could not at once realize what actually happened, a single prolonged and bleak call sounded from a horn echoed out of nowhere in that single instant, playing a tune that could be heard throughout the entire Multiverse.

The horn was a call to arms, a call for an assault. It was an indication that there would be no return, only a destined advance without regard for self, a sound of no retreat and an invincible might!

That call filled the air of the entire Multiverse, and from that point onwards, conflict itself had gained meaning. Regardless of what had caused the fight or if the purpose was achieved, or whether the victor had the strength to plunder from the defeated after the fight, as long as they had fought until a decisive outcome was reached, the ones who fought would hence gain power from the worlds around them!

Just like when one’s imagination was enough, and one could hence awaken psionic abilities...

Just like when one’s perception and intelligence was enough, and one would hence be able to draw from magic...

Just like how one would be able to call upon the elements should they have an affinity for all things...

Just like when one’s spirit was sufficiently pure and determined, and one could manipulate ether...

Just like how lifeforce would resonate from the depths of being as long as the desire in the mind was strong enough...

Just like when the heart was willing in offering and aid, and Holy Light would reach it from the realm of the boundless...

Just like how Shadow would overflow away from the most concealed of places with the will to struggle and free oneself from all shackles and binding...

Just like all of those powers: wanting to battle and actually doing so would allow one to obtain power and experience, in turn ascending!

Unbelievable power hence pulsated, baptizing all worlds and life—in one split second, there was simply no telling how many species had been changed, hence gaining innate gifts, an increase in their abilities, or completely different possibilities for their future! Regardless if the entity that had gained that power would become a heartless Demon King which would heartlessly slaughter everything or a brave warrior who fought for every other living being, at the very least, a whole-new possibility had been born. It was a power that disregarded alignments of good or evil, race, or even justice itself!

The enemy of that power was the Chaos itself: the experience and choices gained by killing Chaos elements would be much greater than killing any being allied to Order, because its founder was disgusted by unchanging eternity and all stagnated futures. Whether it would be a Void race that had paused without any chance of going forward or ancient civilizations that had fallen into an eternal and endless cycle, as long as they would fight against all that was miserable while triumphing over them, the victors would be able to gain the power to move the stagnated and bring about endless possibilities!

The change which was reverberating throughout the Multiverse was also slowly transforming all that there was. Still, that shock which echoed upon every person was not all there was to it—one would be able to see that a giant Wheel of Steel had once again manifested in the Void behind the body of the awakened Giant God, whereas silver Steel Strength and crimson divine flame was divided by the Giant God’s behemothic body into two divided reaches, each whirling of the wheel embodying the probability of the worlds dying.

In addition, there was now also dimensional distortions and Void anomalies occurring, things which were even more frightening than the return of the gods. All who were watching the sight was left in pulsating panic!

Around the body of the Giant God, a stagnated river composed of the radiance from countless stars had came to be. It was born in light and swirling in the Void, encircling the Giant God and shining with a glaring radiance, its end actually reaching a dark, obscurel and infinite oblivion—the champions of the various worlds and every Steel Python were actually very familiar with it, because the stagnated river and the endless oblivion was a sight of the core of realms: the World Inner, the residence of Steel Pythons!

The stagnated river of starlight (the past), as well as the infinite trail of oblivion (future)...those sights that could only be seen in the World Inner had actually manifested in the Void of the multiverse along with the will of the Giant God—apart from that, above the head of the Giant Gods, innumerable stars which had answered like the flashes of divine radiance were also appearing one after another, glimmering in boundless splendor.

“What I demand is the change of the impossible!”

The voice of the Giant God thundered over the Void. The stagnated river, a symbol of what had gone by, which was overflowing with endless information and endless memories—all of which had been fated and hence unchangeable by reason—was sudden gushing. Just like before, as the radiance of unending divine power had returned to the Multiverse from the Root, the long since determined stagnated river which hence paused was actually restored for a split second!

At the infinite oblivion attached to end of the river, a faint spot of unthinkable light began to shine from the stream’s restoration. Though weak at first, the light soon burst out with inexhaustive resplendence: exploding and spreading from within that infinite oblivion, it soon branched out without end, their birth giving rise to uncountable probabilities and boundless uncertainty!

“What I demand is that which cannot be determined!”

Within every World Inner, every existing World Inner beside the stagnated streams and on the other side of the oblivion shrouded in darkness, light was beginning to shine. That same light was born in response to the change that the Giant God had brought about, flowing, shining and illuminating all future that could come to pass.

[In the Multiverse where all things are bound to the Initial Flame, there is absolutely no way to change the past since it has already happened. Any consciousness that disregards the existence of time would have to face bombardment by the Root of the Multiverse—as a bare minimum, it is a truth of the Multiverse.]

[That is why the past cannot be altered. That which has happened cannot happen again, and even rebirth after death is nothing other than a symbol of a champion’s power and might, a gentler aspect of Extraordinary power. Even so, it would never wipe away the fact that they have once died...but unlike the past, the future should be limitless.]

[The future ought to branch itself without limit, present infinite paths, uncountable streams, and inestimable probabilities—therefore, on the edge of the stagnated river which symbolizes everything that has already came to pass, why have those genuine possibilities that should be without end in the first place developed into such dark oblivion?]

The answer was very simple.

Because the first Wise One of the Multiverse, the one who symbolized the future, had stopped.

He was no longer striding forward or looking out towards the distance. Instead, the Wise One of the Future had turned around, looking back towards the first radiance called the past and the origin.

[He is the Alpha and the Omega]

[He is the First and the Last]

[He is bent on creating everything anew, and ensnaring everything beneath his own dominion]

[Blessing all things with the ‘Future’ which belongs only to himself—such is his intention]

But now, because of the death and the resurrection, because of the many divine beings who had once departed the Multiverse because they had fallen to Divine Death, because all that should have been kept separated inside the Initial Flame were once again no longer connected to the Multiverse, much less affecting all that there was...all of those fallen gods had completely been revived by the One and Only, and everything had hence changed.

The inexhaustive branching streams that carried along unending possibilities had punctured the dark oblivion by force as they flowed along the uncountable diverging paths. Therefore, ahead of the stagnated river, a magnificent brilliance brightened: there were seven of them, but the first three nodes of light were no longer glimmering, as if consumed by the darkness and having had its core obliterated.

Meanwhile, the abundant stream of light which Joshua had stirred passed them all by without any pause. He had dashed past initial Psi, surpassed received magic, and bounded past spreading lifeforce—still, he continued forward, driving forward at the eternal node which belonged only to himself.

Halfway through his journey, there was a power that arose from the oblivion, with every intent to intercept the Flame: darkness was leaking away from the earliest nothingness, blocking out the very first light. At the same time, in the distant future, Chaos would also be devouring all probabilities in an ambush leveled against the reverse flow.

The Wise One who had brought about Future, occupied the very first node and the dominator of the infinite futures were bounding away, powers that simultaneously extended from the head and the tail. It was making a move from across space on time, as if intent on stopping that light—but its interruption did not succeed.

Because a great sword had come to cut off the past.

Because a giant axe had swung to cut off the future.

Both weapons pierced the past and present, severing them from the other side so that the present could be briefly independent and immune from everything apart from the present itself.

But likewise, the wielder of the axe had also cut off his own connection to the node of eternity.

Ah...

There was a voice that could have been either a deep sigh or a laughter emanating from the endless distance. That voice was indescribable and incomprehensible, with every tiny note that carried its expression appearing at the same time in different parts of the Multiverse and with varied temporal frame of reference. If one could not perceive the entire Multiverse at once, there would be no understanding its full meaning.

Was that worth it?

You have returned your divine power as the only god to revive every other god, in order to restore the Age of the Gods upon the Multiverse. That would achieve nothing other than throw away the outcome of your battle against every god in the Void within that endless time—you, who had once held the authority as the only god, had the right and the power to join the War of the Wise Ones.

But you have given it all up, squandering the greatest trump card that is the Node of Eternity and the chance to do it all over again countless times, just to break the shackles I had out in place ever so simply.

In response, Joshua showed a solemn expression and looked up silently towards the boundless distance.

After Divine Death, the gods did not perish in the genuine sense. It was just that they were assimilated into the Initial Flame because they had been unable to withstand the power of the Root—that said, how profound was the chains of the Initial Flame? Once shrouded into the fold of the event horizon, they were no different from being non-existent.

It is only the power of the Wise Ones that would allow one to free themself from event horizon the Root, but not even they could enter the Initial Flame, not to mention rescue the gods...otherwise, would you have even needed to thinking up all those schemes?

The warrior’s own consciousness reverberated throughout the Multiverse in response to the ‘Voice’ as well, laughing softly even as the Infinite power around himself slowly weakened and fades.

I spent an inestimable amount of time to triumph over all the gods in the Root, claiming their divine power. I denied the divinity of every other god, their authority, and swept them all away, ascending as the One and Only, the sole ruler and the only divine being.

At the time, I was divine power, and I was The God. I was the infinite divine power derived from the Initial Flame given form, the Wise One of the Gods. I should have been able to free myself from within the Initial Flame as if it was only natural.

Releasing every god and returning their power would certain have lost me my authority as the Only God, splitting the Wise One of the Gods into the many divine beings who had once lived...I had certainly cut off the past as well, abandoning my Node of Eternity and the certain future of a Wise One, to fight you time and time again.

Even so, what is there to it?

“Such a thing like divine power? I have never once thought about wanting it—I am merely throwing away something I do not desire, and once again assuming my own path!”

***

At that very moment, the power of the Wise One was weakening. Every Demi Saint who were able to see it beside him could feel that, over on the other side, the endless existence was falling and restored unto the Multiverse itself, just as his voice no longer rang over all of the Multiverse, and he was beginning to mutter to himself.

And yet, before they could understand what it all could mean, before they were able to hence feel fearful and terrified—once again, another brand-new power and infinite presence was rising precisely where it had withered!

“But to me, a trillion or even infinite chances are actually no more different from one chance, because there only needs to be one miracle, one victory!

As for whether it was worth it...

“All salvation is merely hope that comes from the heart. All of them are worth it.”

“On the other hand, the battle I desire has nothing to do with reasons or outcome.”

Ascending as Wise One, retrogressing before being restored as one once more—in the briefest of moments, the upheaval which would be remembered at heart by all of the Multiverse thus occurred over several times. Even some of the dullest of beings that simply could not have felt the entire Multiverse were left pulsating.

At that moment, the returned warrior finally had the time to look around himself. He could see his friends and families—companions, best friends, all of them were there. All whom he shared a bond of conflict and sacrifice with had come without exception... no, there was still one who was not there.

Laughing jovially, Joshua extended his hand. The iron cosmic fleet, which had set out one hundred and twenty thousand years ago and had journey so far away that they could not hurry to him even now, was hence pulled towards himself, and the warrior hence watched all of his comrades while the will to fight in his heart spread forth without end.

I would never forgive any existence intending to take those things away, and the hopes of all beings in the Multiverse.

No matter who they are.

“Rouse your spirits!”

Surrounded by everyone else, amidst their cheers that could destroy stars, the warrior hence sonorously declared the same thing he had shouted countless times, and yet never left anyone irritated—

“It’s time to fight!”