With a final gulp down Sathuna finished the last of her coffee and stood up. "Perhaps i should try coffee more. It was a bit bitter however, Sifo Ren."
She said that after putting seven cubes of sugar in? I thought silently, taking the finished cup of coffee from her and placing it back inside my chest.
"Ahh!" Ben's shirt ripped from atop the pole and he face planted in the ground next to Vex and Quinella before looking back up. "I'm good!"
"So now that the lesson's over, how long until your friend shows up?" Dante asked daringly in a sardonic voice. "You guys left him behind while leaving on the only ship you guys had. Even if he is that famous Traveler. It's a bit much to say he'll escape from the entire CGA."
"He'll be fine." Heru stated calmly while leant against the black pillar Ben had just dropped from. "He may not look it, but Traveler is oddly quite dependable." While Dante made his pessimism clear on his face Heru looked around at the others.
"Anything anyone else wants to ask while you've got time? This will be the last time your all together for quite a while."
"I got one." Vex answered. "You guys said that we'd be going to planets with different time perceptions from the norm. How different we talking?"
"The very slow kind." Heru answered. "While maybe twelve years will pass in the CGA's time calculated by the Archinypse Index Calendar. Only one or two years will go by for all of you. Before you ask, no. Your not all going to the same planet. In plain terms you'll essentially be getting thrown into the future more or less."
"The hell does that mean?" Ben questioned looking very confused.
"Do you understand how interstellar travel works?" I asked aloud, getting some negative nods. "Simply put, time between planets is a lot faster than the time on planets themselves. For example, on a planet called Aleuo. If a space voyager left for what the planet perceives as five years. The space voyager would have experienced thirty years or even three months in that trip because of the lack of tangible time in space to quicken the bodily clock. Because of that not many realise how much time has really passed as they journey through space. It was a great problem until hyper-light travel was made by the kralscell of invention."
"Huh?" Falice questioned. "But, when we left my world and came back later it had been the exact same amount of time. How does that work."
"The majority of worlds are in a synced time with the untamed domain's time stream. But there are pockets in where a single moment can be ten years within the gap between planets, because of how scattered time is. It's impossible to navigate around them as no one can properly witness unanchored time even if they are a god of time."
"Oh~ i get it. So it's like when you look away from something for a second and you look back to see it's gone. While in reality you moved it without realising." Falice described her insight superbly.
"Precisely." Kimaris complimented. "Its because of that when most mortal beings leave their world they never go back. Those pockets of condensed time make space seem longer than it actually is. There was a solar system that was enveloped in a massive pocket I believe. What was it called again?"
"Sol. It's where the kralscell's had their most recent upending fifty years ago." Returning after cleaning herself up Sathuna sat back down. "Or five thousand if you take that bubble into account. It was the main reason gods only passively touched that world yet it was such an interesting planet. As far as I'm aware only four exalted beings even stepped foot on that world apart from the kralscell's. Traveler included when he wasn't tearing it apart."
Speaking up Vex made his voice clear. "Ive heard a lot of rumours about Earth. Despite being a world with only one minor god it had the potential to become a great intermediary planet because it was located in the central galaxies where the CGA is based."
"I heard that as well." Quinella added. "Because of the staggered time around it. Gods only sent envoys to spread their faith and as a result the planet was riddled with almost every known religion in the universe because there were no gods to fight for dominance and only the people. Miss Sathuna, since you know, could you tell us which gods went to Earth?"
"Why of course sweetheart. You've already met two of them though. One is as i said earlier; Traveler, and the other you've met is Corvus.
"Hang on. That green fire guy went there?" Ben was clearly shocked as he stood up from the floor. "Why did he go there."
"No one knows." Heru stated. "We asked Traveler but he only answered in cryptic terms. Saying something about the future returning to the past. You never did find anything about that did you, Sathuna?"
"I'm afraid not. I asked the Guardian of Artists from
Thinking for a moment Sathuna opened her thoughts. "It's strange though. Three men who largely have nothing to do with each other. Yet they all immediately ran to that planet the moment it was discovered."
"You're telling me." Kimaris chuckled. "Out of all the exalted beings in our universe, those three are arguably the most famous. The sentinel hero, the devil alchemist, and mad traveler. An odd line up of characters in the theatre. Whenever theres a galaxy influencing event one of them is always involved."
"You mean like the Olympian affair a few years ago?" Quinella asked.
Heru nodded and spoke. "Yeah. Artist ended up squaring against [upholder of the lightning bolt] one on one with only his spear. Stopped that pompous asshole from starting a war between
[skill: detection — atmospheric breach]
A pillar of amber-silver light crashed in the forest not far from us. Blasting wind out on impact faster than anyone could react but thankfully we were all okay.
"Urgh... a hmae hynny'n dal i frifo." Pained grunts and and groans in Strife's voice came from the crater before he himself came walking out missing half his skull and right arm. "Nid yw Sage erioed wedi fy hoffi. Tybed beth a'u cododd y tro hwn."
"What the fuck."
"An undead fell from the sky?!"
"Stay." Stopping Ben and his group from attacking i stood in their way. "It's just Traveler. Give him a moment to adjust."
Slumping out of Strife's chest was Thorn in a small puppy shape. Looking less intimidating compared to his normal appearance of a wolf. "Pam roedd yn rhaid iddi geisio ein dal gyda hi [regalius breaker] yr eiliad y gwnaethoch chi fwrw [mach void]?"
"Mae Karma yn ast. Delio ag ef." The bones and muscle of Strife's face mended themselves returning his face back to normal along with the rest of his body as the torn fabric of his clothes also stretched out into an undamaged shape. Strife, now looking less like a mauled corpse, and more a refined gentleman exited the crater he made. "beth sy'n gwneud i chi edrych yn rhyfedd?"
"Your still speaking
"Ah... ah!" Holding his throat Strife slowly slipped his voice into one comprehensive enough to anyone not wearing a universal translator at this moment.
Strife cannot wear a universal translator due to technology breaking to his touch. So Strife must learn new languages from scratch if he wants to communicate with the natives of new worlds.
A while back he used to just take the language information from people minds using his [aspects] powers and the [horizon chain] but he got bored of that one day and started learning new languages from a book he got given one of the hundred geniuses.
"I always forget about this. Learning new languages and having to swap between them is a pain." Done adjusting Strife placed his hand on his hip from his neck. "I make you all wait long?"
"Not at all. We were just discussing Earth. Care to add any details?" Sathuna inquired clearly wanting some information from Strife.
"How did you end up talking about that barren rock of pollution called Earth?" Sharing Strife's confused look, Thorn jumped back up onto Strife's shoulder as he crowed.
"One subject led to another in our conversations. Care to say anything, Traveler?" Sathuna pressed.
Thinking quietly for a moment Strife recalled his memories from exploring Earth in his travels before it's downfall. "Earthlings were very creative if quite deranged as well. The apples they grew were pretty tasty. Can't find them easily even in my orchards."
Frowning Sathuna was clearly annoyed from the lack of information.
As Strife shrugged smugly to the witches disappointment, he manifested an apple from the air and took a bite of its ripe red surface. "So. Should i send you on your way now or there anything else we need to do first?" Speaking with his mouth full of apple, Strife cared little for interaction now that the mission was over.
"You could tell us what injured you so badly before you left Idaten-II, Traveler." Kimaris inquired angrily. Also annoyed at how Strife just wiped off a fatal wound.
Finishing his apple Strife took another bite before throwing the core into the crater behind him and swallowing what he ate. "The kralscell of memories came as backup from
"So you still have the empyrean?" Heru quizzed with a raised brow
"Of course." Stretching out his hand Strife revealed the musical note shaped gem that was transparent and without any colour. "The [cadenza note empyrean] was within my throne-world. I wasn't going to lose it." Clenching his hand Strife vanished the gem from sight.
"I guess we are done then." Standing up Sathuna wiped off the dirt from her dress while undoing her bun's of green hair. "Till we meet yet again, everyone. On a happier day." The puppet scattered into dust on the floor shocking Ben's group but the rest of us who were used to it were unfazed.
Quinella especially. "Soul transfer? Only warlocks or mages of the highest order can use that! She would had to of been at least a seventh circle mage-"
"Shut it." Strife threatened in a tired voice making the girl silent. "Your high voice is pitching my ears now that my beanie has been ripped apart. Stand still and say goodbye while you can."
[skill: autumn kings conquest, coordinates]
[skill: hollow void, preps a warp]
A glowing circle of magic inscribed itself beneath Quinella's feet much to her and her friend's shock.
In Strife's hand he held an orb of aether acting as the tether of the spell before being fully prepped. Strife then opened his hand and Quinella shot into the sky with a pillar of silver light just like the one Strife had arrived in.
"That is cool. Where'd she go?" Ben was amazed while Kimaris offered her hand to Falice taking her away from Vex.
"Briahathra. A planet somewhere in the
Strife shook off his left hand that he had been holding the anchors of the spells off before it combusted into flames. As we all panicked Thorn enlarged his wolf body and swallowed Strife's hand extinguishing the flames.
"Uhh... is that normal?" Vex questioned while the silver eyed homunculus looked unbothered by the small wolf with horns eating his left hand.
"A kralscell's powers have a personality stronger than any mage or martial artist. You should just be glad my arm didn't implode." Strife stated matter of factly. "So, who's leaving next?"
"Me and Dante i guess." Clara announced while walking up behind Strife to nudge him. "It was great seeing you again, Traveler. Should i tell teacher to expect you soon?"
Strife began casting the [mach void] spell again while he grinned. "I don't know. I have something for him but i doubt I'll use it to let him pay off his debts. I'll see you at your hideout on Mechrix eventually."
"Hehe. Alright, i'll see you soon."
Nervously the oni stepped onto the magic circle with Clara and once Strife had finished writing the the spell on the floor he slipped the magical anchor from his hand and jettisoned the two off into a pillar of light through the sky.
"Wukong, get your butt down here and stop pretending to sleep." Heru shouted and the monkey man reluctantly dropped down. Dragging his feet across the ground before yawning above where Strife was making the [mach void] magic circle.
"See ya, Vex. You better not wuss out of this."
"As if your one to tell me, captain. I'll see you in two years stronger than ever."
Vex stood together with Wukong but before Strife could set the spell, the monkey man's staff shrunk and floated over to it's master side covered in a cloud. The next moment the two vanished.
It was just Heru and Ben left to leave now.
"Before we go can i ask where we're headed?" Holding his hands behind his head Ben ambled into the constructing magic circle with Heru.
"Zhan was last seen on Cleaperat in the
"Hang on, so we're going to a prison?"
"Not really. You'll understand once we arrive."
Strife finished the spell and the final two vanished up into the planets sky leaving it with just myself and him along with the wolf that was nibbling his hand.
With a relaxed sigh he raised up his hand and stared at the wolf that was still eating his hand having a mental conversation that probably went. 'You can stop eating my hand now, Thorn.'
'Hey. Let me have this. When else am i gonna get the chance to bite you of your volition, princess masochist?'
'Suit yourself.' Rolling his eyes Strife looked over at me and spoke. "You want a lift anywhere? It'll help getting around CGA patrols in the untamed domain."
"The ship has enough stealth shields to-"
[attention all deities! A new pilgrimage is soon to begin!]
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