The City of Dawn's golden light faded into evening, yet the air remained charged with energy. Lui Quiboloy walked alongside Arthur Alpha, his mind still buzzing from the clashes with Kael Irid. He had survived his first rival, but the questions inside him burned hotter than any trial.
"Arthur," Lui said, his voice calm but edged with curiosity, "the power I've awakened… the trials… all of it feels connected to something much greater. You spoke before of Prince Val Alpha, but there is more, isn't there? Something beyond even him?"
Arthur's golden eyes glimmered as he nodded. "Yes, Lui Alpha. You have glimpsed only a fraction of reality. There exists a place older than time, older than the cosmos themselves. It is the source from which all creation originates: The Greatest Divine Palace of Beginningless."
Lui's eyes widened. "Beginningless? What is it? A city? A palace?"
Arthur's expression grew solemn. "It is not merely a palace in the mortal sense. It is a realm beyond comprehension, the origin of all creation. Every star, every planet, every lifeform, every force of reality itself, its foundation stems from that place. Time does not exist there as you understand it. Space bends differently. Even existence and nonexistence are fluid. It is where the first spark of divine will was shaped, where the blueprint of all worlds was forged."
Lui struggled to absorb the weight of the words. "So… everything we see, everything I've experienced, comes from this palace?"
Arthur nodded. "Everything. It is the eternal source, the realm that birthed the First Dragon, Prince Val Alpha, and every force that would shape heroes, villains, and the cosmos alike. It is the origin, the Absolute Beginning. No mortal can enter without permission, and even those who are divine can only approach it under the guidance of forces older than themselves."
Lui's pulse quickened. "And me? My awakening… is it tied to this place as well?"
Arthur's gaze pierced him. "Yes. The spark within you, the potential that surged during the forge and your trial with Kael, is a fragment of the power that first emerged from the Beginningless Palace. It flows through all creation, but only those capable of enduring the trials of the world can wield it. Your destiny is intertwined with that realm, and one day, you may approach its gates. But you must first rise through challenges that test your body, mind, and spirit."
Lui's hands clenched. "So this is why I was brought here. This world, these trials… all to prepare me for something beyond even Kael, beyond even the city?"
Arthur's golden aura flickered faintly, a ripple across the air. "Exactly. The City of Dawn, the valley, even the forge you survived… they are but the first steps. The greatest trials, the true awakening, and the confrontation with powers older than time itself await. The Beginningless Palace is the origin. It is the standard of all things. And you, Lui Quiboloy, are destined to one day rise toward it."
Lui's heart pounded. The words were heavy, immense, almost incomprehensible, but they stirred something deep within him. He had survived shadows, guardians, rivals, and trials beyond mortal reckoning. Now, he glimpsed the truth of his journey: it was not just about survival. It was about ascending toward the source of all existence itself.
Arthur's voice softened. "Remember this, Lui Quiboloy. Power without understanding is dangerous. Strength without will is fleeting. The Beginningless Palace represents the origin of all potential. It is a beacon, a measure, a challenge. Learn, grow, and rise, and one day, you may stand in its presence as a true hero."
Lui gazed at the horizon, where the first stars of evening shimmered like distant shards of light. He could feel the pulse of the world, the flow of unseen energy, and the faint whisper of something eternal calling him forward. The City of Dawn was just the beginning. The world beyond awaited, vast and unknowable.
And somewhere, far beyond comprehension, the Greatest Divine Palace of Beginningless awaited as the ultimate origin, the source of all creation, and the destination of heroes.
Lui clenched his fists, his aura flickering brighter. "Then I will rise. I will grow. I will not falter. No trial, no rival, no power in any world will stop me. I will face the Beginningless Palace… and I will stand worthy before it."
Arthur's gaze glimmered with quiet approval. "Good. That is the resolve of a true hero. Keep it close, for the path ahead will demand everything you are and everything you have yet to become."
The city lights of Dawn shimmered below them, small and fragile in comparison to the weight of the cosmos. Lui Quiboloy took a deep breath, feeling the pulse of the world, the spark of the First Dragon, and the call of the Beginningless Palace stirring within him.
The journey had only begun.