On the ship, the crew witnessed Null and Ego being transported by Void to an unknown location.
Before anyone else could react, only an empty space remained after they were gone.
"What just happened?!"
"I have no idea! He's never done anything like that before!"
Theef and Barter's Ruler were the most perturbed of the crew as Null's antics rarely went without major consequences.
"I know I'm not the only one who heard Void say that he could take Null to where It exists," Klein was also in shock.
"Man! He should have brought the rest of us! What was the point of us getting all mushy together," Z'oelo grunted.
"Aww. Don't worry too much. Null is fairly capable, and I doubt Void would do something to bring harm to him," Muni comforted.
The members of the crew were left to their own devices without Null leading them towards their next goal.
However, with the issue of the next flames on hold due to the lack of means to travel across the planes, the crew had to find other tasks to complete in the meantime.
It was Barter's Ruler who first suggested that the others in the crew level up to become Transcendent level beings like him.
The matter of Null's system of existence seemed to infect him with an idea of how to easily implement a proper training method that overlapped with his own idea that brought him to his level.
"Aside from Theef— whose planet is long gone by now— the two of you should return to your planets to find the anchor that ties your being to what your powers stem from."
The ruler's plan was an intricate one that took him his whole life to develop: find the core value of your power, make a connection to the planet as a whole, and manufacture a technique based on your experience.
Both Klein and Z'oelo had grown a bit since their last times on their respective planets.
That was not to say that much had happened aside from the numerous missions they underwent, but changes were apparent considering that they had not been alive for long in their new bodies.
"I have been wondering about my family. I'm sure they must have grown themselves thanks to the help you guys provided."
"Don't sweat it kid," Theef smirked.
"I think it would be wise to consult with your father more about your latent beast traits. They will no doubt be a decisive factor in your future growth," Barter's Ruler suggested.
The Allbeast seemed to perk up at the mention of beasts and jumped at Klein as it transformed into a lynx.
Without Null to pester, someone needed to take care of the Allbeast, and Klein happened to share a bit of similarities with it.
"You wanna come with me?"
The Allbeast rubbed its head against Klein's neck and purred in response.
"I didn't know that it had grown so close to one of us aside from Null," Z'oelo took note of the affectionate behavior of the Allbeast.
"If you're feeling a bit jealous, I don't mind playing the part," Muni said coquettishly while mimicking the Allbeast.
'I'm seriously glad only I can see and hear her.'
He then spoke, "I'm interested in the nature of my planet's spirit housing organs, the livellum. Plus, these earrings might point me in the direction of a way to advance my strength."
"Well, we all have things to unpack now that there is nothing too important on our plates but make sure to be prepared for Null's return," Barter's Ruler reminded them all.
"How long do you think it'll take," Klein wondered.
"Who knows? Could be a week, could be a year," as an experienced traveler, Theef gave his assessment, "I'm no stranger to the time dilation in certain places, so if this It guy exists somewhere in another plane then who knows how long it would be before Null finds his way back."
"Agreed. Exactly why I believe that we should advance as quickly as possible during this time for the sake of being ready to join him in his endeavors. We mustn't be unprepared lest Null require our assistance."
"Then let's get started already. I'm aching to bolster my understanding of Muni's connection to me."
"Yeah! I've got a lot of research ahead of me. My family is gonna be excited to see me before that though."
"Alright, so here's how things are going to go down: first, we need to acquire some ships for you guys to travel with, then you'll each head to your respective planets and learn and grow more with your respective talents, and once you've done that, get into contact with the rest of us so that we can meet up and exchange information with each other."
"Sounds like a plan."
"Just point us in the direction of some proper ships."
"Actually, it would be easier just to make some of our own. Just like this ship we gave a makeover."
Looking at the ship, it must be said that there was definitely a difference when compared to the other ships that they saw.
To begin with, Theef first traveled in a janky rust bucket that was barely capable of interstellar travel.
However, he knew the ins and outs of a proper spacecraft and with the help of Barter's Ruler on Planet Mamon, they created a metallic beauty that they currently stood in.
It had more rooms in it which each of the crew made their own— especially after the shopping spree inside the Wanderer's Market in the Trogon System.
Luckily, the refrigerator that housed the troll's tear and the stash of spirit stones were salvaged and most of the electronics were fine.
But now that they had access to the wonderous materials and technology of an entire solar system of a united organization, the task of creating more ships would be feasible.
With Theef's knowledge and the resourcefulness of Barter's Ruler, the task was undergone successfully as they used Theef's ship as a model for two smaller ships.
"Woah!"
"Now we're talking!"
The two boys were standing before their respective ships in awe of the craftsmanship.
"The ships have the basic necessities for a decent time of constant travel and even have their own navigation systems and autopilot for ease of travel," Theef divulged.
"I'll give you a crash course of the full specs, but it shouldn't take more than a few hours before you're ready to go."
And with that, the two were prepared to return to their home planets and delve into the intricacies of their very existences.
After moving some of their equipment to their new ships, Klein— alongside the Allbeast— and Z'oelo hopped in and began their journeys back home.
They were both recognized as Space Wanderers by the Wanderer's Guild, but that was mostly a formality; though they gained experience taking out targets and traversing dangerous territories, they had Null and Barter's Ruler beside them to protect them.
Without the backing of a stronger companion, the two could truly begin to grow.
"Now, with those two gone let's focus on ourselves," Theef spoke to Barter's Ruler once they were back on his ship.
"Eager to become a Transcendent that quickly, huh," Barter's Ruler smiled, "Just so you know, with your peculiar body it might take a certain trigger to stimulate that sort of power up."
"Beats me," Theef shrugged, "I just wanna see how absorbing a Transcendent level being's special treasure will affect me instead of simply borrowing it like yours."
Barter's Ruler could not help but chuckle, "You really have no idea how special you are."
"Maybe," Theef scratched his bald head, "I'm used to it though. Hehe."
Indeed, the goal of Barter's Ruler and Theef was to gain access to higher level quests in an attempt to confront Transcendents and potentially steal the unique items that manifested during the transformation.
This way, Theef would step into a higher realm of power and Barter's Ruler would finally be able to battle beings on his level.
Life continued like this for an entire year for each member of the crew while Null was busy in the plane holding the Emotions and confronting the Creator.