Varian never thought he'd be allowed to just walk into the Jai Empire. It was a weird thing to experience, seeing your sworn enemy rolling down the red carpet to let you in to their most important region.
But that's the experience once they reached the patrolling zone of the Empire. Not only did the Jai Empire's forces attack, they in fact acted as escorts and guided them into a precious portal in the center of one of the satellite galaxy.
While the soldiers and generals didn't show any positive feeling as they passed through the military camps, they were careful to not let any negative sentiment to be conveyed.
All the protocols were followed to the highest rigour. It was royal treatment, one intended for some of the best ranking people of the Empire.
Varian and his peers should've been at least a bit happy for the hospitality but that was the last thing in their minds.
They were all seated stiff in their private spaceship, pacing around, fiddling with their fingers or looking around nervously.
The reason?
Except for the five of them, no one else was allowed in. And the crazy part? No one from the alliance objected.
So, they were literally thrown into the lion's den by their own herd and there was nothing they could do at this point.
The leaders of the alliance assured them 'This is the word of God Emperor that hasn't been broken for more than a hundred million years. Even if we start a war now, you'll not be attacked'.
Of course, it was just difficult to relax with those words.
"We should chill out. The word of God Emperor is as good as nature's law. None shall break it."
A thin young man with red-framed spectacles scribbled something on a notebook with a quill and commented. He's adorned in a long white robe with blue edges, long sleeves and had the scent of books.
Varian frowned.
If he remembered correctly, this guy was from Nexus, direct lineage of Sera tribe and was even connected to Keeper Equilus…?
"Mencius, the question isn't what has happened. It is what will happen." A man looking to be in his late 20s said.
Clad in a black armor built from the carpace of some animal, he looked menacing at eight foot tall and a bulky build.
"He won't get it. Why do you explain to fools?"
"Preachy bastard!"
Two same voices were heard. There were two more men, looking exactly like him, in white and gray armors.
The three look alikes, no, natural clones, chattered with each other until a soft but sharp voice interrupted.
"If you're making so much fuss, you shouldn't have come here. Living beings and their fear of death, tch. Pathetic."
It was a mature woman looking to be in her early 30s. Her skin was pale, hair long, red and glowing like a burning piece of charcol. Clad in a red dress that showed off her curves, the woman carried herself with a wild charm.
"Fear of death?" The giant man narrowed his eyes and sneered. "I might fear a lot of things but I haven't stooped so low to get lessons from a vampire bitch. If I live, I'm the best living being. If I die, I'll definitely be a better Undead than you. So, Lilith, you better shut up and go back to sucking pigs. Fucking harlot."
His aggressive choice of words turned the entire ship to go silent.
Lilith, the descendent from the lineage of vampire king who's said to be a rank 2 Undead, narrowed her eyes.
When everyone expected her to lash out with harsher and more vulgar words, she covered her mouth and let out a chuckle.
"My my," Her voice instead grew softer and charming. "Did I touch a ner—no, how many nerves did I pluck there, Mr. Desmond? If you had to use such vulgar language to prove your point, then you don't have a point to prove in the first place."
Desmond felt the gazes from his peers and gritted his teeth. He wanted to teach the woman a lesson and establish the heirarchy with himself at top.
But just then—
[We've arrived.]
The spaceship passed through the passage of spaceway laid out in the deeper reaches of space and entered the core of the Jai Empire.
Hundreds of ships were waiting for them on the other side of the portal and not wasting a second, they began a march straight toward God's Eye. Not in a position to delay the enthusiasm, their spaceship followed meekly.
And even as they travelled fast, Varian was able to catch a glimpse of the core regions of the Jai Empire.
It was difficult to put the perception into a single word but if there had to be a word, it'd be 'Grandness'.
Entire star systems were arranged as lighting for some artificially modified playgrounds.
Stars were used to barbecue the meast of ancient beasts.
Space was cracked by teenage artists with ease that even a new celestial ranker would find difficult to 'paint' using the space cracks.
The buildings, whatever he could glimpse at, were beyond majestic. Each of them felt like a palace in themselves and auras so powerful that a random pick from them could destroy the entire Pala proved the unfathomable foundation of the Jai Empire.
While the shock was still increasing, their route was diverted and they were taken to a barren territory.
No, they were taken to a region with a special field covering it so tightly that it seemed barren.
Their ships then sunk deep into the space and they raced for the exact spot.
Outer space. Inner space. A boundary to reach the core space.
Buzzz!
ƈοm In the darkness of space, a brilliant light glowed. It expanded in all directions, coming from deep inside the core space all the way to the edges of Inner Space, where they currently where at.
The light was in the shape of an eye from the distance. And the power it casually emitted was far beyond what any person could do.
"God's Eye…"
Immortal muttered with a difficult to read expression before turning to him.
"I'll see you soon."
Saying so, he got out of the spaceship and jumped forward. An invisible barier rippled and a sacred, ancient temple-like landscape came into view.
"Bye!"
"See you all!"
"Cry for me, baby."
The remaining three too entered the entrance.
Left alone, Varian contemplated for a moment before sighing and jumping in.