In Black Paradise, inside the meeting chamber, the mini silver wolf continues devouring the digital clouds, tearing through layers of obscured memory screens. As the clouds vanish, dozens of floating displays reveal fragments of Kairo's memories.
Yunbam exhales slowly.
"There's a lot to go through. This may take a while."
Hank leans forward, eyes fixed ahead.
"It won't take long. Look."
Everyone turns.
Susan stands completely still, locked in a trance. Streams of digital data spiral around her body, flowing into her eyes, which glow with cascading lines of code.
Basil folds his arms with his back straighten, impressed.
"She's an AI, after all. She can process this far faster than the human brain, unless you're operating on Ultra-level cognition, you're not matching that speed."
Kairo screams, straining against his restraints as he stares at Susan.
"Who are you?!"
The last wave of data settles.
One by one, the memory screens shut down.
Susan steps forward, the glow fading from her eyes as she faces the room.
"That was… quite a handful," she says calmly.
"But totally worth it. Everything makes sense now."
Kairo thrashes.
"Shut your mouth! You can't reveal it!"
Susan flicks her hand.
A digital mouth guard seals over Kairo's face mid-shout.
She turns back to the others.
"It is very necessary," she says.
"All of you need to know the secrets of Isha."
She gestures toward Kairo.
"This Gem Noble is far older than he appears. His true age is approximately three hundred and forty-eight years."
Basil's eyes sharpen with interest.
Wade blinks.
"That's impossible. How does someone live that long?"
Susan answers.
"Eternal life."
She pauses.
"And he is not the only one. All noble bloodlines carry the same source."
Rose stiffens.
"Carry what?"
A new digital screen appears, a rotating strand of DNA, glowing white.
"Divine DNA," Susan says.
The helix spins slowly.
"Nobles of Oasis possess a trace amount, usually less than one percent. But even with a single percent or more is enough to grant eternal life."
The room falls silent.
Susan continues.
"Naturally, you are wondering how Divine DNA entered mortal bloodlines in the first place."
She raises her hand.
"To answer that, we must go deeper, to the root of everything."
The screen shifts.
Massive universal trees appear, their branches forming galaxies, solar systems, and worlds.
"All life originates from a Universal Tree," Susan explains.
"Each tree supports trillions upon trillions of lives."
The view zooms out.
Dozens, then hundreds, of Universal Trees appear together.
"This collective is known as a Universal Garden."
Another shift.
A colossal being of light walks among the trees, space bending around its presence.
"Each Universal Garden is tended by a God, of course they're not your typical type of god like those you see in the Star Games, but a true God of Gods."
The camera pulls back further.
Multiple Universal Gardens now fill the screen, each watched over by its own divine presence.
"Beyond even this, more Gardens exist, each ruled by its own overseer."
Susan turns back to the room.
"Every Garden is named after its God. The current Garden that we are in is called Adamas. And a neighboring Garden to Adamas is called Everest, that is where I originated from."
Basil leans forward, resting his elbows on the table.
"So you're from a different Universal Garden…"
Susan nods as she looks around the room.
"And this is only the beginning."
Meanwhile, in the Star Games, within Nox's party, everyone freezes as they read the final box beneath Dark Garden's information.
WIN CONDITION:
"Only those of non-pure hearts can slay Dark Garden."
Hans's eyes widen. Panic slips into his voice.
"We—we're doomed. We're all pure-hearted Stars. There's no way to defeat this Boss!"
Voytek clenches his teeth and fist.
"We have to retreat. It's already gained eighteen levels just by consuming your combined bloods. Every drop that touches the ground becomes fuel and it is converted directly into levels for her!"
Corvex slams her fist against the ground.
"So even I'm pure-hearted? Damn it… that means we're useless here!"
Nox doesn't waiver as he stands with the most confidence as he steps forward.
Dark Garden's flower arm spreads wide, petals expanding as energy gathers for another devastating attack.
The others stare at Nox in confusion as he isn't backing down.
Nox speaks calmly.
"Pure-hearted…"
He pauses, eyes narrowing at Dark Garden's Stats.
"If that were entirely true, she would've gained far more than eighteen levels from all our blood. That must mean that I-"
He raises his blade and slashes his own arm.
Blood spills onto the ground.
Dark Garden staggers as her charging attack collapses at the same time it causes her level drops.
68 → 67
Corvex whispers, shaken.
"My Nox… is…"
Voytek snaps back to reality.
"We leave, now! If we stay, we'll only get in his way!"
Hans inhales sharply and throws a smoke bomb. Thick fog erupts, swallowing him and Voytek. As the smoke reaches Corvex, she hesitates just for a moment.
Nox turns his head toward her, confidence unwavering.
"I'm not what you expected huh?" he says softly.
"It'll be fine. I'll win. We'll meet again."
Corvex clenches her jaw and lets the smoke take her, soon the three of them vanishes in the smoke.
Dark Garden shrieks.
"No! Come back!"
Her body trembles as her levels continue dropping, fed by Nox's blood.
Nox steps forward.
"Your fight is with me."
Dark Garden shifts tactics. Her magic surges underground as countless roots retreat far from Nox's area. Her levels stabilize at level 63.
Nox exhales slowly.
"If you refuse to consume my tainted blood," he says, voice cold,
"then I'll force it upon you."
Dark Garden roars.
The forest responds.
Trees twist. Roots erupt. Dead plants rise violently from the earth.
Nox plants his feet.
"Don't underestimate me because of the level difference," he declares.
"I'm no common Star. I am a King."
His eyes ignite as his Ultra-Syndicate activates.
Multiple minds awaken within him, operating simultaneously, flawlessly synchronized. Predictions, simulations, probability trees explode into motion.
Voices speak in perfect unity.
"No mistakes allowed."
"Damage output is insufficient."
"Estimated combat duration: hours."
"Primary strategy: evade, close distance, spray her with our tainted blood intentionally."
"Reduce Boss level until parity is achieved."
"Victory condition achievable."
All calculations complete in milliseconds.
Nox moves.
He dodges vines, steps through spikes, studies attack speed, cooldowns, reach, mana drain. He calculates blood loss usage, healing cycles, inventory usage, mana expenditure, attacks patterns, and every variable accounted for to win this battle.
Meanwhile, as Voytek, Hans, and Corvex reach the side entry, Hans opens his friend list to see Nox's name still glows online.
Hans exhales in relief.
"I'm more surprised he's even keeping up with a Boss… especially with that level gap."
Voytek nods grimly.
"He's beyond any Star I've ever seen before. Probably the only one capable of pulling off something like this."
He turns toward the entry.
"Let's move. Before the Boss's roots reach us."
Voytek steps forward but then stops.
He turns back to see Hans walking toward him as Corvex lingers behind.
His eyes narrow at her face expression noticing that there's something wrong.
Corvex's expression darkens with her eyes sharp and resolved.
In a blink of an eye, a blade materializes in her hand and she lunges straight at Hans's back.
Voytek reacts instantly, he rips open a magic scroll, tearing an air blade from its surface and slams into Corvex's path. Steel clashes with wind as he intercepts her strike just in time.
Hans stumbles, confused.
"W-What—?!"
The air blade detonates, unleashing a violent burst of wind that hurls Corvex backward. She skids across the ground, stops herself by driving her blade into the earth.
Voytek shouts, fury in his voice.
"I've seen that look before in past Star Games."
He points at her.
"The look of someone fully committed to bringing death to others."
Corvex pounds her chest. Tears spill from her eyes.
"This is the only way!"
Hans turns to her, shaken.
"I don't understand… we're a party. Why would you attack me?"
Corvex raises her blade again.
Voytek steps forward. Four magic scrolls float from his bag and circling around him.
"This is where you learn, Hans," Voytek says sharply.
"She's clearly in love with Nox."
Corvex charges in with great speed, Voytek snaps open a scroll as a wall of fire erupts in front of her. Corvex's vision highlights three weak points in the flames. She strikes them one after another, collapsing the wall.
Voytek continues, voice heavy.
"She'll do anything to stay by his side because she's terrified of losing him."
Another scroll activates unleashing water orbs that floods the air, firing blasts in rapid succession. Corvex dodges, deflects, weaves through them without slowing down.
Voytek clenches his jaw.
"But since she's pure-hearted just like us. Staying with him would only get him killed."
He locks eyes with Hans.
"So she decided that the only way to save Nox… is to stain her heart."
Hans freezes.
"By killing a pure-hearted Star," Voytek finishes.
"Someone like you."
The final water blast fires, Corvex splits it cleanly in half and surges forward.
Voytek unleashes another scroll that unleashes lightning coils into his hand as he turns towards her.
"I understand your motives, Corvex!" he roars.
"But Hans is my grandson!"
He hurls the lightning as Corvex dodges but the bolt curves back as she dodges again and again.
Until The lightning slams into the ground near her and detonates, releasing a massive electrical shock that paralyzes her in place.
Voytek raises his final scroll.
"He's also someone that I love dearly so I won't let you kill him!"
Earth magic erupts, forming a spinning drill that rockets forward and pierces Corvex's chest but suddenly her body explodes into smoke as it was an illusion.
Voytek's eyes widen in shock as he turns to see Hans lowers his hand with illusion magic fading from his palm.
Voytek shouts, furious.
"What are you doing?! She has to die! She'll never stop until she stands beside Nox!"
Hans shakes his head.
"No.... This is all wrong!"
His voice trembles but holds firm.
"We're friends. We're not meant to kill each other like this. I refuse to believe this is the only way."
Voytek snaps back,
"Don't be a fool—!"
The paralysis fades from Corvex's real body moves again.
Voytek jumps in front of Hans and activates another scroll a magic barrier forms around them.
Corvex smashes through it with her blade, the impact obliterates the shield and launches Voytek and Hans backward, throwing them through the side entry.
They enter into another region of the central circle as they crash onto solid ground, they groan and looks around.
The floor is made of interlocking puzzle pieces.
The walls stretch into a long, shifting hallway of colored tiles.
Corvex steps through the entry after them.
Hans scrambles to his feet.
"It doesn't have to be this way, Corvex!"
He pleads.
"Have faith in Nox! You saw the confidence in his eyes ! Stop this! This isn't who you are!"
Voytek rises and positions himself protectively in front of Hans.
Corvex hesitates for a bit as she looks down at her trembling hand gripping the sword.
Then suddenly a section of the puzzle wall explodes.
A red puzzle monster emerges and touches Hans and Voytek causing them to vanish instantly.
"NO!" Corvex shouts.
Another puzzle wall shatters beside her.
A blue puzzle monster reaches out and touches her causing Corvex to also disappears.
Hans and Voytek wake up inside a circular white room, its smooth walls glowing softly. Around them, dozens of other Stars from different parties are stirring, groaning, and standing up.
Ignis is there, so is Tobias.
Confusion spreads through the room.
Hans spots Tobias and rushes over.
"Aren't you from one of our allied parties?" he asks urgently.
"What's going on?"
Tobias stiffens. His hands shake as he turns his back slightly, clearly unsettled.
Ignis steps in, his expression grim.
"When we reached this region of the central circle, our party was ambushed by monsters hiding inside the walls."
He exhales.
"Next thing we know… we're here."
Voytek joins them, scanning the room.
"Same thing happened to us."
At the same time-
Corvex awakens inside a circular black room, its darkness swallowing the light. Other Stars lie scattered around her, slowly regaining consciousness.
Boa and Crank is also there.
Their eyes widen as they realize they're not alone.
Suddenly in both rooms at the exact same moment, a massive rainbow-colored puzzle Boss materializes, its body shifting like living tiles.
The Stars react instantly, weapons are drawn, everyone charges with strikes and spells slam into its body but all of the attacks bounce off harmlessly, not even a scratch.
The Boss's voice echoes, calm and mocking.
"Welcome to the puzzle room."
Its glowing eyes sweep across the gathered Stars.
"Unfortunately you all are here because one of my minions touched you."
The monster raises a massive hand.
"There is only one way to leave this place alive."
A pause.
"Solve the puzzle and escape."
It snaps its fingers causing every weapon to vanish as gasps ripple through both rooms.
The Boss continues, amused.
"No personal items, magic, or unique abilities allowed."
It points to its fist.
Then to its head.
Then to its chest.
"You may only use yourself."
A grin spreads across its shifting face.
"Your body."
"Your mind."
"And whatever your instincts tell you."
It then spreads it's arms .
" Show me that you a worthy Star, only then you are able to defeat me!"
In the black room, every Star looks up at the same time at the high ceiling as it begins to glows blue.
Then it starts to move down slowly, descending, ready to crush all of them.
Corvex's expression hardens instantly.
Crank clenches his jaw, eyes tracking the ceiling's speed and distance.
Boa plants his feet, shoulders tightening as he looks around for anything to work with.
In the white room, something drifts into view.
A single red balloon floats lazily near Hans and the others, swaying as if carried by an invisible breeze.
But suddenly it pops, the loud sound cracks through the room with blood splashing across the floor.
Before anyone can react, another red balloon appears, then another one.
One by one they begin to pop, painting the floor red as blood spreads outward, pooling, climbing over shoes, soaking the room.
The smell hits next, Tobias stares down as his reflection forms in the blood beneath him, his face warped, shaking, eyes wide with terror.
His breathing spirals out of control.
He turns toward the others, panic breaking through his voice.
"We're all going to drown in blood!"