With a final nod at his two saviors, Leo turned around and faced the Caged Gate. Energy began to gather within the arch, growing stronger with each passing second. The usual purple veins etched into the structure flared, slowly cycling through the colors of the rainbow before finally settling on bright green.

The machines all around were also hard at work, their thrum filling the entire chamber. He took another step forward and glanced at Nyx sitting on his shoulder.

"Why do I get the feeling this is gonna suck?" he muttered.

The feline snorted, her claws digging into his cloak. "Because it most likely will. Remind me—when was the last time Void transportation was comfortable?"

"Right…"

Leo took a deep breath just as the portal flashed one final time. Like Darius had said, this was his way home—no reason to hesitate.

"See you on the other side," he whispered to his companion and stepped forward.

The portal swallowed him instantly. Yet, instead of being transported into the usual transition space, it instantly spat him out on the other side, throwing him onto the ground. As he tumbled down, a familiar groan sounded right next to him.

Great, at least we arrived together.

"Oh my…" another very familiar voice reached his ears. "Kid, we are definitely going to need to work on those landings. This is pretty embarrassing, and as your contracted merchant, I cannot allow that."

"Naz'Tor?" Leo groaned, looking up. The merchant stood almost right in front of him, and even without seeing his facial expression, it was obvious he was amused.

"Need a hand?" Naz'Tor quipped, extending a single tentacle toward him. "I don't bite."

Leo huffed but still took the offered limb. The merchant pulled him up, finally giving him a chance to look around and take in his surroundings.

It was a stone chamber, quite a large one. Dozens of torches ignited with blue flames lined the walls, lightly illuminating the entire place. He glanced over his shoulder, and his eyes widened a bit. Another Void Gate sat there—dormant. Even its glowing veins seemed to be lifeless. And, of course, Identify didn't work.

So, Caged Gates still need another gate to connect to. Good to know. He turned back to Naz'Tor. "Where are we?"

"In my shop's basement!" the ever-cheerful alien exclaimed. "Welcome back to my humble abode. I hope you will stay longer this time." He then looked at the feline next to them, who was still shaking off the rough landing. "Nyx! It's wonderful to see you, too."

Are you okay? Leo asked, just to make sure.

'Yeah, just a bit disoriented. Teleportation in this form feels… odd,' she replied, jumping back onto his shoulder. She then addressed the merchant. "Naz'Tor, thank you for helping us all the time."

The alien laughed. "It was nothing! Like I told you already, I'm simply investing in your future. Come now, let us leave this gloomy place. We can talk upstairs."

Leo nodded and followed the tentacled merchant toward the stairs. He could have stayed silent, but once again, curiosity got the better of him.

"That gate." He motioned to the structure on the other side of the room. "Is it caged like the one that got me here?"

"Caged?" Naz'Tor repeated as if he couldn't believe what he had just heard. "Void, no! It's just my private gate, which I took from some planet in the past. It can't really take me anywhere, but it's handy for bringing others here. You experienced it yourself."

Leo's eyebrows jumped up. "You took a Void Gate? How?"

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"It isn't as hard as it sounds, kid. All you need is enough power and the right skills."

"And you have them?"

Naz'Tor snorted. "No, of course not! I'm a merchant, remember? The skills I mentioned require a specific job. I just happen to know the right people."

Makes sense, he noted internally, remembering what Darius had said about Naz'Tor. The merchant had a lot of connections, and he was just starting to learn about them.

"But enough about that useless thing," Naz'Tor interrupted his thoughts as he opened a door that led to the main area of the shop.

Leo scanned the vast space, but he didn't find any new surprises. The shop looked just like it did all those weeks ago—a simple thing laden with countless shelves. The items resting on them might have changed, but that was to be expected.

"Want something to eat? Maybe a drink?" Naz'Tor offered as they approached the shop counter. "I'm no cook, but I have enough good stuff in my storeroom."

"No thanks, I'm good." Leo waved him off. Food or drinks were the last thing on his mind now.

"As you wish." Naz'Tor shrugged before waving one of his tentacles. In a flash, two plushy chairs appeared next to them. The merchant settled into the nearest one while pointing at the other. "Go on, sit. I want to hear how you liked your first true journey into the Void."

He grimaced as he took the offered seat. "Liked? That's not the word I would use—at least not to describe the last few days."

Again, the merchant looked amused. "What? Don't tell me you didn't enjoy Sazim's wonderful climate. Or was it the locals?"

Leo rolled his eyes. "Like you don't know what I mean."

"I do, I do. Apologies. I couldn't resist." Naz'Tor chuckled. "I still cannot believe how unlucky you had to be for a Glacierborn Guardian to fall on your head. That you survived is even more impressive. And let's not forget about your run-in with the Saklarian Commander."

"Yeah, well, when it rains, it pours."

"Well said!" Naz'Tor noted as his chuckles died down. "But you are out of the fire now. So, really, how was it? Excluding the… unfortunate encounters."

Leo hummed, scratching Nyx's ears as she lay curled in his lap. While his time on Sazim had been painful, it taught him a lot. Getting to meet Kirej and Darius was also a plus.

And so that was what he told the merchant. He also described his journey through the Void Rift at the alien's prodding. He seemed really interested in the third layer.

"That reminds me." Leo reached into his soul and withdrew the Reaper's cloak, the bag of dust, and the Dormant Soul Shard. "Here's what's left of the Nightmare. Hope this is enough."

Naz'Tor grabbed the cloak and the bag but refused to take the final item. "Keep it, kid. I have no use for an inactive Soul Shard." He raised the two items in his grasp. "Those are more than enough to satisfy my curiosity."

"All right then," he muttered, returning the item to his soul. He then took the necklace off his neck and handed it to its rightful owner. "Like we agreed. I'm returning this."

"Excellent," Naz'Tor beamed, and just like that, everything in his grasp vanished. "Now that's out of the way, tell me what's next in the store for you? Earth is fairly safe for now, but with your level, you have outgrown it. You will stagnate if you remain here for too long."

Leo quirked an eyebrow. "Are you offering something?"

"Say I am, kid. Are you interested?"

He hesitated but, after a moment, shook his head. "I am, but not now. There's something else I got to take care of first."

"Such a shame." Naz'Tor sighed. "I hoped to see more of your rapid growth soon, but I understand. Some things take priority. Just let me know when you're done. I will tell you more about my offer then."

Leo nodded. "I will keep it in mind, but this time, it's me who has an offer for you. The 'something' I mentioned? I need help with it."

The merchant leaned forward. "I'm listening."

"Seeds of Divinity. I need a few of those."

The entire shop fell silent. No one even breathed as the air became filled with tension. For a moment, he regretted saying anything, but then the merchant spoke.

"I won't ask how you know about them. However, I need to know why? What use could you possibly have for the seeds?"

Leo didn't speak at first. This was the turning point. While he could keep the System's involvement hidden, his other secrets might have to come out—at least partially.

'Are you sure about this?' Nyx asked, her glowing eyes looking up at him.

I'm not, but we don't have much of a choice. Besides… even if Naz'Tor is helping us for a long-term profit, I trust him enough to reveal this. It's not like I can hide it forever, anyway.

'Very well. Do it. I got your back.'

Thanks…

Leo raised his right hand, and despite most of his power being sealed away, he reached into his soul and pulled onto the true element of the Void. It slowly dripped onto his palm, forming an orb of pure Ruination above it.

He smiled and looked up at the frozen alien.

"This is the reason."