"I've been trying very hard to take the last step. It's simply not working."
"…"
"Come on, I studied the laws of life and death. Mastered the intricacies of soul from Spirit King himself. I did everything! And they're still not fusing!"
"…"
"Seriously, what the hell is wrong with this pair of slivers? Can't it see the whole world is in danger? This stupid pric—"
"Now, now!" Ariel raised her hands, stopping his rant. "Don't curse the slivers. They're…they're slivers, okay?"
Sitting on a mountain peak in the clouds at a distance from the angel, Varian rolled his eyes.
It's been twenty five years since he entered Elysium, five full years since he was stuck at the step of fusing the slivers.
Even though Varian had never witnessed it, even he knew that a complete fusion would bring about a qualitative change in the slivers. It seemed to be the only way for him to win against the Spirit King.
He tried leaving Elysium multiple times but the barrier built by the God Emperor outside prevented him every single time. And it's not weakening at all. Since it's built by the God Emperor, it might stay for a few million years at least.
"I don't know if I can really fuse the slivers, so how about sacrificing the medallions?" Varian muttered.
Ariel nearly fell from the boulder she was seated on. "It's too dangerous! I regret revealing it to you!"
It seemed that there was a way to get even more boost from the medallions. If he did it, the two medallions would give him even more power but in turn, they'd not rescue him.
If he picked that method, he could either win and come out alive or lose and die. There's no escaping.
Personally, Varian didn't like taking that risk at this juncture. But the fusion of slivers was stuck at the same place for five years already.
'Logos, how the hell did you go through the final step?'
[…I don't remember.]
'The devas did it as weaklings and I couldn't do it as a divine ranker?'
[It somehow happened. Maybe it's not them.]
Logos' answers grew vague. Even though it was trying to answer Varian to the best of its abilities, his questions kept touching things Logos had no idea of.
Until recently, Logos assumed it came into existence thanks to the effort of Ares and subsequently Devas.
Its creation consumed the luck of Devas and pushed them to extinction. At least, that's what made sense and what it believed until now. But watching Varian struggle so much to achieve the final step of fusion, Logos began to question its own judgement. If it's so hard for even Varian to accomplish, how could Devas ever pull it off? Heck, even the Ares tribe at their peak might not be able to do it.
What really happened back then? And why did it happen?
"Keep trying. And if you grow tired, you can wait for a few million years." Ariel adviced like a patient grandma trying to appease the unruly grandson.
Varian laid down on the grass and looked up at the clouds. He obviously ignored her advice. Staying here for million years was out of the question. He was worried about his wives and sister. Oh and there's a sister-in-law too. And that old man. Unfortunately, ever since he got here, even the link of synergy wasn't working properly. He could know they were alive but that's all. He couldn't even sense their location clearly. It must because of the barrier created by the God Emperor.
God Emperor…
"Fuck."
Never in his life had Varian felt so helpless against a foe. He was nearly into despair in their first encounter.
Varian still couldn't estimate how strong the God Emperor truly was if even his clone was that strong.
And he had to suspect that even the rulers of the alliance were caught off guard. Maybe the God Emperor was hiding his strength? Maybe he always sent weaker clones until now and only revealed a bit more of his capability back then?
"But why?"
Was the death of the two princes really reason enough? Why would someone like God Emperor care for their deaths? Even a rank 2 wouldn't matter to him. Why should rank 1s matter?
If it's not that, then what? Why did he do what he did?
He couldn't invade Elysium since it had rank restrictions. But putting up barriers around it so he couldn't escape…
Was it a move meant to imprison Varian long enough so that he would die or kill himself?
Was it a punishment for his actions or prevention of a threat from growing?
There were so many questions with no answers.
But some things were destined to happen. Even if God Emperor didn't chase him today, Varian would've chased him tomorrow.
His mother might've died a thousand years ago, but the flame of revenge was still burning bright in Varian's heart.
'Wait!' Varian's eyes narrowed and he held his breath.
'My mother died. But her soul appeared in Hortus' trials. It's only possible because of the Primordial God's power. They're equal to or better than fused slivers.'
Life. Death. Soul. "…st 30 million years and you can leave this place!"
Varian jumped onto his feet, causing Ariel to instinctively tremble at his speed.
"If I don't return this time, please take care of this garden." He pointed to the plants growing over the huge mountain they were on. Ariel jumped onto the ground and chased after him with a panicked expression. "Wait, what do you mean you can't return, the medallion can ob—"
With a flash of light, Varian vanished. And before he did, a glowing strand of light emerged from him, entering Ariel before she could even react.
"You…" Ariel's bottleneck vanished as if it never existed. To become the guardian, she had to sacrifice her potential. But that potential was blessed today.
If she really wished to, she could wait for thirty million years and leave this place when the barrier weakens.
"Your eyes have changed." In the world of white mist where millions of souls wandered aimlessly, the Spirit King gave Varian a knowing smile. "You're not going to run this time."
The yin-yang symbol of white and black emerged behind Varian, materializing the laws of order and chaos that restricted the Spirit King.
His seven paths fused into one, boosting his soul to the threshold of rank 2.
The red-green lotus burned brilliantly, curtailing the powers of Nirvana's Overlord. The guardians in Elysium were challenged and defeated. So were the guardians in Purgatory.
It might take time. It could take tens of millions of years. But it happened. It kept happening. And it'll keep happening.
But from the beginning of the forbidden region, no one had been able to challenge the guardian of Nirvana.
For billions upon billions of years, this being not only survived but reigned supreme over this region.
Varian threw two medallions into the air. Sacrificing them completely at the expense of losing their life saving ability, his power climbed further.
Even the Spirit King flinched, surprised at the daring act. Varian had now burned the boats. "I will either win or die."
Everything he could try, he already did. Now, it's either victory or death.