The battle was over, but the toll had been taken. Ayelen found he could barely move his limbs with any precision. His body was a map of internal damage, and his energy surged and dipped like a flickering flame. Even the simple act of drawing air into his lungs felt heavy, as if the atmosphere itself had turned to lead.
Despite the agony, he didn't stop. He dragged himself forward, walking through a landscape that mirrored his internal state. The land was broken. Burnt trees stood like skeletal remains against a blackened sky, and the very ground beneath his boots was pulverized. His mind was far from calm. Bloody flashes played on the backs of his eyelids—his family's faces, Nyla's cold smile, and the crimson stains on the floor.
He ground his teeth together, his knuckles turning white as he balled his hands into fists. "I need answers," he rasped.
Eventually, his senses tingled. A presence lurked nearby, one that felt sickeningly familiar. He turned his head sharply. There, lurking in the shadows of the ruins, was a man he recognized. One of the cowards who had been with Nyla. One of the monsters who had laid hands on his family.
Ayelen didn't hesitate. He moved like a predatory blur. A single, direct kick connected with the man's chest. The stranger didn't even have time to scream before he was hurled through the air, crashing into the debris. Everything went black for the captive.
When the man finally opened his eyes, he found himself in a cramped, windowless room. It was deathly silent. He tried to thrash, to scramble away, but his limbs refused to obey. Ayelen sat directly across from him, draped in shadows. His eyes were like chips of ice, devoid of any human warmth.
"Wake up," Ayelen commanded.
The man began to panic, his breath coming in shallow gasps. "W-where am I? What is this?"
Ayelen didn't offer an explanation. Instead, he simply raised his hand. Through the power of telekinesis, the man's arm was lifted high into the air by an invisible force. Then, with a casual flick of Ayelen's wrist, the limb twisted at an impossible angle.
A sickening crack echoed through the small space.
"AAAAHHHHHH!" The man's scream was raw, filling every corner of the room. Ayelen didn't even flinch. He watched the man's agony with a clinical detachment.
"Why did you do it?" Ayelen asked.
The man couldn't answer; he was too busy sobbing, his face drenched in sweat. Ayelen tilted his head slightly, his expression curious yet deadly. "Not talking yet?"
He raised his hand again. This time, he focused on the man's leg. He began to twist it, slower this time, letting the victim feel every fiber of muscle and bone begin to give way. The sound was worse than the first. The scream was a pitch higher.
"STOP! PLEASE, STOP!" the man begged.
Ayelen didn't stop. He let the echoes of pain bounce off the walls before asking again, his voice dropping to a terrifying whisper. "Why did you kill my family? Talk."
Elsewhere, Arnold stood in the center of a quiet clearing. He was still, his breathing deep and rhythmic. He looked focused, centered. Time had passed since his entry into this world, and the change was evident. His frame was broader, his muscles corded with new strength, and his eyes held a sharp, tactical glint. Every movement he made was precise, stripped of all wasted energy.
The monk stood before him, observing the transformation. "Arnold," the old man said. "Do you know about Shen Kao?"
Arnold nodded. "Yes. Flauge used it once back when I was still human. He used it to trap and defeat a nylomite."
The monk offered a thin smile. "Good. Then it is time for you to master it."
Arnold's brow furrowed. "But why this specific technique? It only traps people in a separate space. What's the ultimate use in a real fight?"
The monk didn't give a verbal answer. Instead, he took a step forward, his aura shifting. "Let's fight. Right here, inside Shen Kao."
Arnold didn't back down. "Alright."
He activated the technique. Instantly, the world around them warped and bled away. A separate dimension formed—a void that was empty, closed, and felt entirely disconnected from the universe. Arnold stepped forward, ready to strike, but before his foot hit the ground, the dimension began to crack. Within seconds, it shattered like glass, and they were back in the forest.
Arnold froze, stunned. "What? How?"
"If your Nyloxin flow is weak, Shen Kao will break from the inside," the monk explained calmly. "If your opponent understands the structure of the space, they can destroy it with a single thought. Do not think it is a simple cage. You need absolute control. You must know exactly how much power to feed it and for how long."
Arnold listened, the weight of the lesson sinking in. The monk raised his hand, and suddenly, a snarling nylomite appeared out of thin air. Arnold instinctively jumped back, reaching for a weapon. "Why would you—?"
The monk ignored the question and activated Shen Kao again. The dimension snapped into place, but this time it felt different. It was heavier, darker, and vibrated with an incredible stability. Arnold felt the pressure in his lungs. He tried to move, tried to find a weak point to break the walls, but the space didn't even ripple. It was perfect.
"Impossible," Arnold muttered, looking at the monk. "How did you make it this dense?"
The monk didn't answer. Instead, he turned toward the trapped nylomite and ended it with one clean, effortless strike. The creature's body hit the floor, and instantly, the dimension dissolved, returning them to normal space.
Arnold stood there, trying to process the speed of it all. "Why did you summon it just to kill it?"
The monk looked him in the eye. "Because Shen Kao does not end until someone dies."
A heavy silence followed. Arnold's expression shifted as the horror of the technique dawned on him. "That means..."
"Yes," the monk confirmed. "If you trap someone inside, one of you must die for the doors to open. If you use it carelessly, you could trap your own allies, or find yourself locked in a tomb of your own making."
Arnold looked at his hands. This wasn't just a move; it was a death sentence for someone involved.
"From now on," the monk continued, "focus entirely on mastering the flow. Control your Nyloxin. Understand your limits, and above all, do not rush."
Arnold nodded slowly. "I understand." But deep down, he knew the path was only getting steeper.
INTERLUDE: ANOTHER PRESENCE
The view pulls back, retreating from the single world of E-11. It moves beyond timelines and galaxies, past the boundaries of the known. Outside of Universe E-11, there is a vast, unmeasurable multiverse. Countless realities, each one humming with its own life.
Among them, Universe 369 stands as the anchor—the main universe. Here, in a quiet corner of the Milky Way, on a planet called Earth, a normal morning begins. A window is pushed open, letting in the scent of fresh rain. A man stands there, looking out at the skyline.
He walks into a modern kitchen and begins preparing a simple breakfast. Everything seems peaceful and mundane until he turns around. He has the face of Ayelen, but the eyes are different. They are bright, confident, and full of a strange wit.
"Yeah, I know what you're thinking," he says, looking directly at the air in front of him. "He looks exactly like that other Ayelen, right?" He lets out a small, clever smirk. "Wrong universe."
He slides a plate of food onto the table. "My name is Ayelen Arakami. But most people around here call me Synex." He leans against the counter, crossing his arms. "I'm the richest man on this version of Earth. I've led fifty successful space missions, exploring the deep reaches of the void. I'm a big deal. Famous, powerful, and very busy."
He shrugs, though a shadow of loneliness crosses his face. "But I have no family." He sighs. "Funny, right? Even in another universe, some things never change."
He takes a sip of his coffee, then suddenly frowns at the ceiling. "Wait. Why am I being introduced like this? I wanted a much cooler entry. This feels off." He steps closer to the camera's view. "Can you hear me? Are you listening?"
He waits for a second, then chuckles. "Oh. Breaking the fourth wall? No, no, I don't do that. Forget I said anything." He picks up his cup and turns away. "Let's get back to the serious stuff."
The scene fades as the multiverse shifts back, returning to the chaos of Universe E-11.
Back in the interrogation room, the man was a broken mess. "Talk," Ayelen whispered.
"Nyla... she wanted your body," the man wheezed, his spirit finally crushed. "She made a deal with a nylomite. They told her your blood was special. The golden blood. That's why she did it. That's why they killed them all."
Ayelen's eyes narrowed into slits. The golden blood. That was the root of all this misery. He slowly raised his hand, energy swirling around his palm, ready to finish the job.
Suddenly, a blast of energy struck Ayelen from the side, forcing him to skid back. He spun around, ready to kill the intruder, but stopped when he saw Vermiliya standing there. Her face was set in a stern, serious expression.
"That man doesn't deserve to die by your hand yet," she said.
Ayelen stared at her. "Why do you care?"
"He's a criminal," Vermiliya said firmly. "A man who has preyed on the weak for years. But that isn't why I stopped you."
Ayelen lowered his hand slightly. "Why are you here? How did you even find this place?"
"That's not important," she said, stepping closer. "What matters is that you need my help, whether you want to admit it or not."
Ayelen scoffed. "I don't need anyone."
Vermiliya offered a small, knowing smile. "Are you sure? If I were to tell Flauge about your location, he'd be here in seconds. And right now, you aren't strong enough to face him. You struggled against Glasen, and that monster wasn't even using half of his true strength."
Ayelen's expression hardened, but he didn't argue.
"You may be the God of Moderator," she continued, "but your power is fragmented. It's incomplete because you don't have the perfect key."
"How do you know all of this?" Ayelen demanded. "How do you know about Nyloxin?"
Vermiliya didn't blink. "Because I am the Queen of this universe. Even if my own power is currently suppressed, I know the path you need to take. I can guide you. So, will you accept my help, or will you keep walking alone until you lose everything?"
Ayelen stayed silent for a long beat. Finally, he asked, "Where is this perfect key?"
"Planet Arkon," she replied instantly. "But if you go there now, you'll be captured or killed within minutes. The better choice is to come with me first."
Ayelen looked at the floor, then back at her. "Fine. But listen to me carefully. If you betray me, I will kill you myself."
Vermiliya didn't flinch. "You can certainly try." She paused, her voice softening. "But don't talk about my sister that way again."
A strange, tense understanding formed between them. As they prepared to leave, Vermiliya turned back one last time. "And one more thing. You need to use VPN."
Ayelen blinked, confused. "A Virtual Private Network?"
Vermiliya sighed, rolling her eyes. "No, idiot. Virtual Piracy Nyloxin." A faint smile played on her lips as she walked away, leaving Ayelen to wonder just how deep this rabbit hole went.
On Earth, Arnold stood in a massive, high-tech hall. A meeting was in progress, and the air was thick with tension. Six key members were seated around a table: Jake, Caurle, Nancy, Klen, Arnold, and Flauge.
Flauge stood up, his presence commanding the room. "Alright. Let's begin. From this moment on, we have a mission."
The scene shifted rapidly to a sprawling battlefield. Aseks from all over the planet had gathered, their weapons ready. Arnold stood at the front, his voice booming over the crowd. "Soldiers! This isn't just a battle for us. It's a battle for everything we hold dear! You have no right to give up! Give them your best!"
Flauge watched from the sidelines, a small smile on his face. His mind drifted back thirty million years. He remembered a younger version of himself, a mere servant to the original MANTINIX. He had seen the rise of the new God of Moderator back then and had expected just another ordinary deity.
But he had been wrong. That god had been different; he actually cared for what belonged to him. For the first time in his life, Flauge had bowed down out of genuine respect.
The flashback faded, returning Flauge to the present as the war for the universe began in earnest.
• CHAPTER 15 ENDS •