"..."
"Yeah, stone robot centaurs. The ones I created to go after the Frozen God. You're gonna need them. They're good fighters, if not a little... strange."
He paused dramatically, letting the tension build for just a second longer. Then he grinned.
"The command word is 'Go fuck the deers!'"
Vastarael's jaw dropped.
"What? Did you just... what the hell, man? What kind of command word is that?"
He looked between Greshina and his future self, hoping for an explanation, but none came. The words just hung in the air like some kind of absurd cosmic joke.
Greshina, standing nearby, cringed so hard that it was almost a full-body reaction. Her face twisted in utter disbelief, her eyes narrowing slightly as if she was trying to make sense of it. She slapped her hand against her forehead as if to ward off the sheer insanity of it all.
"That's... that's..." She blinked a few times, struggling to find the words. "That's... just horrible. What kind of messed up command is that? Was I crazy to agree to this back then?"
Vastarael didn't respond to her immediately. Instead, he turned to her with a mischievous glint in his eye.
Without a second thought, he stepped right up to her, his lips catching hers in a kiss that was so sudden and intense, it took Greshina completely by surprise. Her body stiffened, her eyes wide for a moment as his lips captured hers in a kiss that demanded her full attention.
For a few moments, there was nothing but the overwhelming sensation of his kiss. His hands gripped the back of her head as if to pull her closer and the intensity of the kiss made Greshina's knees wobble slightly.
Greshina was caught off guard and it was clear that she didn't expect this. The kiss was so fierce that for a split second, she felt like she might actually pass out from the sheer force of it. She melted into the kiss, her body going lax and she found herself unable to pull away for a moment.
She was utterly dazed by the intensity of it, her thoughts scrambled and her heartbeat speeding up as she instinctively wrapped her arms around his neck. She tried to regain control but for a moment, she was helpless in his arms.
When they finally broke apart, Greshina's face was flushed and she was still trying to regain her breath. She looked at him with wide eyes, dazed and confused by the rapid change in the atmosphere.
"Veneri... what the hell was that for?" Her voice was breathless and her hands were still trembling slightly. She was trying to catch her bearings,
but it wasn't working too well.
Vastarael smirked at her, his breathing steady as ever, clearly enjoying the reaction he'd just gotten.
"I just felt like it, that's all. But damn, I gotta admit... life's good."
He leaned back to look at the present Vastarael, eyes twinkling with satisfaction.
"Hot wives, beautiful daughters, though they're adopted, but hey, we share blood too, right? Oh, and a whole Dynasty too. But don't go getting jealous, alright? You'll have all that someday. Trust me. If you fight for it that is."
Vastarael raised an eyebrow, clearly not expecting that level of openness from him. He didn't respond immediately, but his future self's words seemed to linger in the air. His life sounded... perfect.
Wives? Beautiful daughters? A Dynasty?
"Adelasta... agreed?" He asked, genuinely curious. It wasn't like Adelasta to be so... lenient with such things.
Vastarael laughed, "Oh yeah. She's actually kinder and gentler than you might think. I know, I know, she doesn't look it, but trust me, there's a whole other side to her. Don't get me wrong, though. She's still as icy as they come... but you've seen her soft side. It's just not the kind of thing that's easy to find. I'm one of the lucky ones, you know?"
Greshina, still recovering from the kiss, was starting to find her footing again. She raised an eyebrow, the playfulness in her eyes apparent.
"So, she's a softie underneath? You're really pulling my leg here. I'm softer than her!"
"I hate to say it, but you're not."
"I'm going to prove it once we get back."
"Sure."
Future Vastarael chuckled as he faced back to him.
"You'll see. Don't worry. I'm not giving you spoilers, though. But there's one thing I will tell you. Don't fight for some... higher cause. Don't fight for anything that doesn't mean something to you. You're going to face a lot of pain, and you're going to wonder if it's worth it."
He paused, his eyes darkening slightly.
"But you will get through it. You have to. Fight for your future. Because it could still change... and if you don't fight for it? The worst could come. And believe me, you don't want that."
Greshina, finally coming back to her senses, shot him a knowing look. She didn't need to hear the rest to understand. She knew what he was trying to say. The future wasn't set in stone but it was fragile, and fighting for it might be the only way to ensure it didn't fall apart.
Vastarael's tone softened as he continued.
"And when it's all over? When the dust settles and you're finally out of the hell that is your Destiny? You'll get your reward for all the suffering. You will."
His voice was quiet, almost reassuring, as if he were talking to himself as much as to his younger self.
Future Vastarael glanced around them, almost wistfully, like he was seeing something far beyond the present moment.
"You'll enjoy the good life when you get there, kid. It's worth it. Now, time for you to go. Any final question before you leave?"
Vastarael had lots of questions. Hell, he wanted to know all the names of his wives and daughters he would get in the future! He was living the life of a harem protagonist!
But as much as his curiosity burned, only one question managed to rise above the rest, the one thing that stuck out in his mind like a sharp, unanswered puzzle.
"How did I break through the Seventh Enlightenment rank of the Divine?"
Future Vastarael's eyes widened ever slightly, a flicker of something passing across his face. He stared at his younger self, his expression tightening as if struck by a sudden memory.
"I asked my future self this exact same question. Didn't expect me to say it to you..."Future Vastarael mused, as if speaking to himself
"He answered it the same way and I'll answer it the same way now. I unlocked my Tenth Star Circlecraft in prison. That's how."
The words hit Vastarael like a hammer and for a moment, he just stood there, trying to piece everything together. Prison? Tenth Star? He wasn't sure what it meant yet but somehow, the answer felt like the key to everything.
Before he could ask more, the atmosphere began to change. The space around them began to distort, cracks running through the air. Future Vastarael gave a casual wave, as though he was too tired to stand on ceremony, as though their time had come to an end.
Go now. Fight on, kid. Don't ever give up. You're stronger than you think. The future is yours and it's worth the fight. Trust me. It really is."
Greshina, standing to the side, gave a small, more graceful wave of her own, her usual composure slipping just a little bit as she smiled at him.
"Take care, Veneri. You've got this."
Her voice was soft, but there was something unspoken in her words, an understanding that went deeper than what she was saying.
Vastarael, still reeling from the weight of everything he'd just learned, took one last look at them. The cracks in the world around them deepened, the fabric of reality itself starting to shatter as the moment came to a close. His mind was racing, trying to process it all, but there was no time left. He wanted to speak, to ask more questions, but the world around him was slipping away.
Then, with a final crack, his vision shattered like glass.
One moment, they were there, the next, they were gone. The remnants of their presence were like a fading echo and Vastarael was left standing in a void.
For a few heartbeats, everything was still. Then, everything faded to white.
°°°°°°°
Vastarael woke up with a start, his body tense, his mind reeling from the strange dream... or was it a vision? The lines between reality and the dreamworld were blurring for a moment but he pushed himself up, gasping for air as though he'd been holding his breath for an eternity.
His hands trembled slightly as he processed the weight of what had just happened. Future him had given him the answers he needed, or at least, a few pieces of the puzzle.
A Tenth Star Circlecraft breakthrough in prison. What did that even mean? Why prison?
One thing was clear: the fight wasn't over. Not by a long shot. In fact, the battle with the Frozen God was just beginning.