"Mr. Jorah."
Mid-section of the Spear of Adun, Ecology Dome Area (Temporary residential area for external populations).
Jorah stood with his hands clasped behind his back, staring motionlessly into the black depths of space. The hundreds-of-meters-tall structures within the ship, the bustling transport craft and Probes weaving between them—all seemed to not exist.
The door to the guest room opened softly, and Eden's voice came from within.
"..."
"Miss Eden."
After a long while, the former Federation high-ranking official and Psionic Master finally turned around, the desolate sorrow on his face impossible to conceal.
It was not because of an investigation from his motherworld.
As the largest spaceport and external gateway of the M81 Interstellar Federation, the "Cosmic Island" held immense symbolic and practical importance. For the entire spaceport to be annihilated, regardless of the reason (even an irresistible force like Hyper Zetton), Jorah bore an undeniable responsibility.
The only reason he hadn't been escorted back by the garrison fleet was due to the involvement of too many top-tier factions in this incident. None of the three civilizations (or organizations) at the meeting table were powers the M81 Interstellar Federation could challenge.
Otherwise, Jorah would likely have already been taken back to his motherworld to await sentencing, where he would be expected to atone with his life.
No, his grief was for the death of Ahsoka. As a father, Jorah had denied his daughter's request to join the mission. As a member of the Interstellar Federation who had passed the "Iron Warlord Assessment," Ahsoka was qualified to participate.
The problem was, both his decision to move Ahsoka from the dangerous [Iron Warlord] post to a comfortable position as a spaceport operator under his command, and his rejection of her request to join this mission... both had indirectly contributed to this tragedy.
For Jorah, who had already lost his wife and another child during the Federation's civil war, this blow was still nothing short of a thunderbolt from a clear sky.
"Please forgive me."
Jorah quickly regained control of his expression and spoke apologetically.
"The Federation has temporarily relieved me of my military command."
"My personal collection was also lost along with the Cosmic Island... The compensation I promised you is still valid, but it may be delayed for some time."
"It's alright."
Eden waved her hand dismissively.
"I will wait for your payment. Please do not worry about the time."
"..."
"Thank you."
"You're welcome."
It was a deserved reward, but also a reason to live on—both for Jorah and for the high command of the M81 Interstellar Federation.
"Would you like some?"
Walking towards Jorah and sitting down on a sofa made of some unknown animal hide, Eden casually retrieved a bottle of crystal-clear "red wine" from her personal space.
"This will numb our minds."
"..."
"A day ago, I would have certainly said that."
Jorah picked up a crystal glass from the coffee table and accepted the bottle Eden offered.
"But today is different."
"...Yes."
Jorah poured the glass about two-thirds full, then unexpectedly placed it back on the table. He gripped the wine bottle and chugged it directly from the neck!
"Hah!"
The crimson liquid trickled down his chin and neck, soaking the linen-colored robes that signified his status as a Master.
"Miss Eden."
"Please, speak."
"..."
Jorah hesitated for a long time.
"I've heard that some powerhouses at the Grand Monarch level... possess the power to bring back the dead."
"Correct."
"Although there are many restrictions, the Paths of the Astral Gods of [Immortality] and [Abundance] can indeed, under certain conditions, achieve what you just described as 'resurrection'."
Eden picked up the glass from the table and swirled it gently.
"Can you..."
"No, can the revered 'Emperor' do it as well?"
She narrowed her eyes and tilted her head back.
From the rim of the glass to her throat, the fine vintage from the Empire's domain flowed into Eden's stomach.
"Mr. Jorah."
Clink.
The crystal glass made soft contact with the wooden table.
"This was not my original intention."
"But if you truly wish for it so..."
A golden glint flashed at the edge of Eden's wine-red eyes.
"Have you considered the price?"
---o---
Imperial Mother Planet.
The Throne, Pillar of the Sky.
Swoosh!
Flowing ink-black color rapidly coalesced around a "wall," and a square doorway slowly opened.
"Little Bai!"
"We're back!"
Her voice arrived before she did.
Ziz's voice immediately echoed throughout the entire [Pillar of the Sky].
"Little Bai!?"
There was no one in the vast domain to answer Ziz's call, until the two of them had fully stepped inside—
"Hm?"
"Welcome home."
A golden sphere, the height of a person, slowly emerged from the void, but Lu Xing's response sounded weary.
"..."
Smack!
Cheche leaped from behind Ziz, grabbed the Monarch Ball, and patted it firmly.
"Little Bai, are you broken?"
"No."
As Cheche's patting successfully took effect, the tone and clarity of the Monarch Ball's voice improved.
"My apologies."
"I've divided my attention too much. The amount of psionic power I have remaining here is a bit low."
While Cheche was talking to the Monarch Ball, Ziz also walked up quickly and asked:
"Did something go wrong?"
"Not exactly a problem."
The Monarch Ball "broke free" from Cheche's grasp and floated to a spot between the two of them.
"The power of the [Dominion of Finality] isn't particularly stable. The clone maintaining the temporal origin point on 'Earth' is consuming a massive amount of my Imaginary energy recovery rate."
"In order not to be discovered by the 'End King', I need to be as careful as possible."
The End King.
The "Astral God of Finality" who moved backward through time.
Under his command were two small but extremely powerful factions of retainers: the [Omen Vanguards] and the [Funeral Guests]. The leader of the [Omen Vanguards], "Morgott," held the title of [Grand Monarch of Time] and would punish any existence that dared to interfere with the flow of time in the name of the "End King."
Because of this individual's existence, the Monarch was doubly cautious when carrying out plans involving time. Making an enemy of the Antimatter Legion had already put the Empire under great pressure, but that was expected, and it could, in turn, gain them many allies. But making an enemy of Morgott... that was an action that would leave him with no allies and would only worsen his situation.
Therefore, to ensure the plan's progress, a large amount of energy and Honkai Energy was being poured into the clone stationed at the "temporal origin point."
---o---
"No matter how many times I think about it,"
Ziz frowned.
"Your plan is far too dangerous, Little Bai."
"It can't be helped."
The Monarch Ball rotated slightly.
"Whether it's to seek the truth or to ensure my own safety and that of the Empire, this is the most reliable plan."
"As I am now, I don't even have the confidence to win a fight against 'Annihilation', let alone Nanook who stands behind him."
"..."
The atmosphere in the Pillar of the Sky suddenly fell silent.
"Let's not talk about this!"
Before the "cold air" could completely fill the space, and amidst Cheche's "Aah~" expression of utter reluctance, Ziz threw her arms around the floating Monarch Ball—
"Let's see what we've brought back from our trip."
[Star of Brocade], [The Chaotic Enigma], [Blade of Refracted Light]
Ziz took out all the Astral God creations obtained on this trip at once.
"Three of them?"
"Better than expected."
The Monarch Ball tried its best to struggle out of Ziz's embrace, but unfortunately, it failed.
"Of course! After all, it was me... and Cheche who went. If we didn't bring back a little extra, wouldn't it have been a waste of all the energy we consumed!"
The closer a warp jump's level was to 10, the more exponentially the required Imaginary energy increased.
"Hmm..."
The three Astral God creations, enveloped in psionic energy, slowly floated in front of the Monarch Ball.
"Fortunately."
"Aside from [The Chaotic Enigma], the other two don't contain a large amount of an Astral God's Dominion. I can just barely manage to consume them."
"Fortunately?"
Ziz didn't quite understand what Little Bai meant.
"Yes, fortunately."
Lu Xing affirmed his choice of words.
"There is a limit to the number of other Dominions that the [Dominion of Order] can accommodate."
"With the power of the [Dominion of Order] that I possess, the maximum number of other Dominions it can accommodate cannot exceed twelve."
"Could it be..."
The Monarch confirmed Ziz's guess:
"Correct. It's the same as the number of Herrschers in the Previous Era."
"If I absorb all of these Astral God creations, it will supplement me with three new Dominions: [Beauty], [Mystery], and [Remembrance]."
"Adding the [Dominion of Order] and the ones I've already obtained, that makes exactly twelve."
"And it's not just the number; there's also an upper limit to the total amount of Imaginary energy I can gain from these Dominions."
"Like this thing—"
Among the slowly rotating Astral God creations, [The Chaotic Enigma], which had stopped in the center, emitted a halo of light in response to the Monarch Ball's power that was significantly brighter than the other two.
"The Imaginary energy it can provide clearly exceeds the sum of the other two."
"If it were an ordinary 'Grand Monarch', a single Astral God creation of this level would probably 'fill them up' completely."
A limit.
Every level had its limits.
After all, even an existence like the "Astral God of Order" had its own limits, let alone Lu Xing, who was immeasurably weaker.
Everyone was trying to break through their own limits.
For those below the Grand Monarch level, it was one thing; at least the path before them had been trodden by others. But at the Grand Monarch level...
"The Authority of Origin?"
The moment Lu Xing finished speaking, Ziz had already thought of his long-standing goal.
"Yes, Origin."
"It is the foundation of my existence as a 'new life' in this world, and also the key to filling the 'void' in Order."
Explaining it would waste words.
Simply put, the [Authority of Origin] could supplement the [Dominion of Order], which served as the "foundation," allowing the Monarch to accommodate the power of more Paths. This was also why Lu Xing was eager to obtain the "Authority of Man" from the "Herrschers of Earth."
"Elysia's..."
"Elysia's power is just a drop in the bucket."
"I need the Origin from different 'leaves of the Tree'. Because these Authorities have come into contact with different civilizations, the Origin they transform into has its own unique characteristics (like humanity)... This is the key to how the [Dominion of Order] can accommodate the power of other Paths."
"Alright."
Ziz waved her hand.
Although she had some understanding, this was the first time she had heard most of the known information about the [Dominion of Order] from Little Bai. Little Bai had never concealed this information from her and Cheche, but they had never asked in detail either.
"Regarding the Dominions and whatnot, Cheche and I can't help you directly."
Ziz gently "rubbed" the hard surface of the Monarch Ball.
"At most, we can act as your muscle."
"..."
Just as Ziz was enjoying the rare tranquility of having the Monarch Ball all to herself, Cheche, who had been almost (intentionally) forgotten, decisively bonked Ziz on the head from the side.
Bonk!
Then, before the latter could retaliate—
"Little Zi, that thing."
"..."
"I almost forgot!"
After a brief daze, Ziz quickly took out a new item from her Imaginary Space.
"This is?"
"A warped Fragmentum creature born from a Stellaron."
Invisible starlight flowed along the edges of the polyhedron.
"But it's different from what we know. Other Stellarons, after creating or destroying a Fragmentum, return to the 'perfect sphere' form of a 'Destruction Stellaron'. This one, however, has taken on an angular shape."
"..."
The Monarch Ball stared at the polyhedron floating up from Ziz's hand for a long time.
"Little Zi."
"Did you use the power you borrowed from me to beat this thing into its current state?"
"Correct."
"...Something's strange."
The Monarch Ball exerted a little force, broke free from Ziz's embrace, and began to circle the polyhedron with great seriousness.
"Is there a problem?"
Ziz asked, puzzled.
"It's too weak."
"Weak?"
"Yes. This thing shouldn't be this weak."
The Monarch's voice was very serious.
"Even if I acted personally, I couldn't possibly beat this thing back into a 'Honkai Crystal' with just a [Divine Flame Impact]..."
"It might not even be possible with [Galactic Combustion]."
Ziz's expression as she looked at the polyhedron became even more surprised.
[Galactic Combustion] was the most powerful trump card in the entire Empire. According to Little Bai's explanation, a [Galactic Combustion] unleashed by him personally could incinerate a high-level civilization like the M81 Interstellar Federation in a single blow.
To use such power on a single target—
"I see."
After circling the polyhedron several times, the Monarch finally confirmed a certain fact.
"A trap?"
Hearing Little Bai's voice, Ziz asked with some uncertainty.
"Yes."
"And not a casually laid one."
The Monarch Ball hovered steadily in the air.
"Judging by your experiences in the M81 Galaxy,"
"This thing would most likely have been considered a spoil of war obtained by the [Antimatter Legion] from some Astral God's retainers, just like [Hyper Zetton]."
"But that is not the case."
The Pillar of the Sky trembled slightly as the Monarch's clone began to draw heavily on the power of his main body. The "external image" produced by the combined power of [Root Regression] and the [Dominion of Finality] began to affect the stability of normal space from the spiritual plane.
"The Astral God of Order..."
The Monarch Ball gazed at the polyhedron Ziz had brought back.
In the void of the future, the lines that formed its shape transformed into a new entity, extremely similar in nature to the Fragmentum creature, yet fundamentally different.
"...Your 'former self', what exactly were you planning?"
Its name—
[The Will Integrator]