Earth. The Traveler scoffed, scanning the yellowed pages of a random history book. The rundown library shook with every second, and bookshelves fell apart with every tremor. Yet, the Traveler paid it no mind as he picked up another text.

Why does the Outbreak always need to happen in a Universe with an Earth? Sixty-four Outbreaks and Sixty-three Earths... And yet there was nothing special about this small Solar System until now.

Dark Zones were always a rarity, no matter the Outbreak. No more than two ever formed in any Universe, and it usually took some time before the first appeared. For one to emerge so fast in a Galaxy that housed the cursed Solar System was disconcerting, to say at least.

There must be something more to it. I get that Earth is the first home of humanity in most Universes, but the Void just gives this little planet a bit too much attention... The Traveler sighed as he shuffled in between broken shelves.

The history of this world seems similar to any other. The Outbreak happened five years later than in the last one, and the second Cataclysm had come so quickly due to the Dark Zone's influence... What else is so special about you? The Traveler growled as he kicked the wall in front of him, practically reducing it to ash.

He stepped into a street full of Voidlings, cursed variants surrounding him from every direction. They gave the stranger a brief glance before backing off, almost scampering as far as they could.

Typical freshly turned. He snorted, his gaze dancing between the various buildings that probably not even an hour ago could amaze any tourist. Now, most of them laid in shambles or had surrendered to Vetilim and some other living matter that escaped through the rifts during the second Cataclysm.

It all may have looked like shit currently, but from experience, the Traveler knew that soon it would all change. He saw it happen many times; hell, he preached about it more than he could count.

After all, it was necessary to remember that even though horrifying at first glance, the Void hid some stunning secrets. The transformation of Dark Zone planets was lucky to be one of them. Although this world's remaining population would probably disagree with him.

Whatever... If this Dark Zone means the appearance of Nikra's shard, then who cares. The Traveler's brow furrowed suddenly. Now, where are the fucking echoes? I swear, I'm that close, and all I get is one pulse during the Cataclysm? What kind of bullshit is this?

He had arrived on Earth just in time to feel Nikra's Essence reverberate through the planet. Unfortunately, as fast as it came, it disappeared just as quickly. Almost like it was some sort of a fluke.

And that just doesn't happen. The man shook his head, and the scenery around him shifted within a blink of an eye.

The earthquakes continued to shake the ground, swallowing buildings in one go. At the same time, bloodstorms still rained upon the Earth, bathing the world in fire and lightning, yet at least now, he had the front-row seat of the spectacle.

Paris and Eiffel Tower... Always beautiful in its own way. The Traveler leaned on a broken support beam, his legs dangling off the ledge as he looked at the city spread underneath him. He couldn't see too far, what with half of the tower missing, but he still had a nice view of the everchanging world.

Crimson, Violet, Black, and Gray. Almost every possible color from the Void. The man hummed as he swayed to the symphony of thunder and the wailing shrieks from the city.

The Lone Traveler knew he could stop it all, save the survivors in the city from the horrors of the Void and the progressing Cataclysm. Yet, the question remained.

For what?

He did it numerous times in the past, and it never led to anything other than delayed death. Those he saved always grew complacent, thinking that if they were rescued once, it would happen again. It was a glaring weakness, and like the denizens of Narzak had often said, "There is no place for weakness in the Void".

Or maybe it was referring just to Narzak... Yeah, probably. Most of those fuckers are really sick in the head. The Traveler shrugged, his form never wavering even as the remains of the Eiffel Tower groaned under another tremor.

"I guess that's my cue to depart," he murmured as the tower leaned forward slightly too much for his liking. "Meeting first, Tokyo later."

Like before, the Traveler only had to close his eyes for the world around him to shift. The perfect post-apocalyptic scenery slipped away, only to be replaced by nearly total darkness. Not even the sky was spared, as it too, was devoured by the shadows.

Letting just a bit of Essence seep into his eyes, the Traveler smiled when a transparent golden dome materialized, along with its contents, in the place of endless plains. At least the good ol' Netherum never changes.

A shudder passed through his body as he stepped through the dome, and the Traveler welcomed it with a grin. The wards surrounding this place never failed to amaze him. It wasn't every day that the Lone Traveler was affected by security measures created ages after his birth.

Although a shudder is all they will get from me. The Traveler chuckled as he approached the massive tavern. Red and violet, Vetilim and Corcera. Living and breathing, just like occupants of the building. Well, most of them.

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Strolling to the entrance of the ever-moving tavern, the Traveler nodded to a tiny wisp of green fire floating near it. "Tommy!" He called out. "Long time no see, my friend. Are they already inside?"

The ball of fire floated just a bit closer to the Traveler, its fire intensifying. "Traveler." This word, spoken in a low and rough tone, echoed around the man. "You are just on time. She arrived a moment ago and should be waiting in booth six."

The Traveler stumbled as he stepped towards the entrance, his gaze snapping back to the wisp. "She?" He uttered.

Not receiving a response from the almost motionless orb of fire, the Traveler scowled and resumed his trek deeper inside the building. If it is her again, I swear I will find the other two and leave them stranded on a random A Rank...

Unlike outside, the tavern's interior was made purely of wood. Its dark, almost glowing texture always made the Traveler question what the name of the material was, but the owner of Netherum always waved the question away.

Sometimes not having the System's assistance can be a pain in the ass. He grumbled as loud talking and echoes of laughter filled his ears. It was never a calm day in Netherum. Pity that I can't join the crowd in the Hall.

The Traveler weaved through numerous corridors, dodging all kinds of creatures that, just like him, had some business to finish in this famous place. Humans, Serafins, Akirians, pure Voidlings, and many more. They all could use the offered facilities as long as everyone remembered a few simple rules of this place.

And if they didn't? Well, the Traveler personally saw what Tommy and his group could do when provoked. For such tiny species, they sure packed a punch.

Booth six. For the Void, please don't let it be her. Taking in an unnecessary breath, the Traveler plunged his hand into a dark curtain that made the entrance to the booth. The material immediately parted in the middle, and the man pushed in, entering a small room.

Just like any other part of the tavern, the booth was simple. Only a wide table sat in the middle, while two long couches were placed on its opposite sides. There was no window, no decorations, nothing, just pure simplicity.

Nonetheless, the Traveler didn't care about that. No, he only had an eye for the single person that sat on one of the couches. Upon seeing the blue cloak that covered the being's almost entire body, the Traveler sighed in relief, slumping onto the couch.

"Peria," he whispered, giving the woman a nod. "You have no idea how happy I am to see you."

The woman glanced away from a data pad in her hands, eyebrows raised as her four golden eyes glinted with mirth. "Oh?" The corner of her mouth rose in a slight smirk. "Expected Rikora, didn't you, Traveler?"

The man leaned into the warm embrace of the soft couch. "Expected?" He scoffed. "Dreaded is a much better word... Thank the Void you've decided to come instead. I can never accomplish anything with that girl. No matter the incarnation, it's always the same bullshit..."

Peria shrugged, releasing a short chuckle. "That's why I decided to come alone. Although I'm sure that if you had to spend almost every waking hour with her, you would get used to her antics."

The Traveler snorted. "Been there, done that, and it had never worked. Trust me, Rikora and I just don't mix... Now, enough about that insufferable girl. What do you have for me?"

"Not gonna happen." Peria waved her hand, her scaly green skin glinting in the light. "I know where you've been for the last two days, so spill. What did you find in the dark zone?"

The man sighed, knowing better than to argue. "It is a zone like any other. It just formed much earlier than usual and already jump-started a few Cataclysms. Nothing really that special."

"But?" Peria prodded, quirking her eyebrow.

"But," he nodded. "I felt another pulse of Nikra's Essence when I arrived on a particular planet. Would you like to guess which one?"

Peria frowned, her fingers tapping against the wooden table. "You know I didn't have time to perform perfect scans of every galaxy yet, so the planet's name must be quite known to us if you are asking..." She deduced and added with a mutter, "And you felt a pulse there. Now that just doesn't happen anywhere."

The Traveler smirked, enjoying the confusion on the woman's face. Considering who she was, moments like this were few and far between, and somehow they always pulled his frozen soul to better times. Back when they all were still whole...

Suddenly something nudged his hand, and the Traveler shook his head, meeting Peria's gaze. "You were saying?"

Peria opened her mouth just a bit, probably ready to ask a question he would rather not answer. Thankfully, she only sighed and leaned back in her seat. "Earth in the Solar System."

What? The Traveler blinked, before everything came back to him. Oh right.

"Indeed, our lovely, small Earth. I will never understand how you figure out shit so quickly." He said, faking a chuckle. "So what do you think? Is Nikra the reason why we have Earth in every Outbreak? It certainly would make some sense..."

Peria hummed as she scrolled through her datapad. "My predecessors and I ran hundreds if not thousands of scans of that planet. We never found anything pointing to even minor signs of Nikra's influence. Still, anything is possible if her shard had awakened during this Outbreak. This is her power we are talking about, after all... Besides, it definitely would explain Earth's uniqueness."

The Traveler nodded, his thoughts pretty much confirmed. "Glad we are on the same page. Now we just have to find the source as I have been somewhat unsuccessful on that front."

The four-eyed woman raised an eyebrow. "Didn't you just say a pulse was going through the Earth when you arrived? You should be fine following its echo on a small planet."

"Yeah, I should be," he grimaced. "Only the echoes never came. One pulse and silence. I'm not the best sensor out there, but we both know that only a few could pinpoint the exact location of Essence with a single pulse."

"That's... disturbing," Perin murmured. "What if someone..."

The Traveler shook his head, stopping his companion with a laugh. "No way. Sixty-three Outbreaks without any sightings, and you think now it will happen?"

The System, the One-Before, or some other omniscient deity must have been listening because as the words left the Traveler's mouth, the entire Universe screamed. Familiar yet foreign Essence pierced the Traveler's soul, looming over it.

Then, barely a second later, the Essence vanished, leaving a thin trail behind. It teased the Traveler, begging him to follow. However, the man had only one thought in mind as another heavy presence settled over his shoulders, the four-eyed glare already directed at him.

You just had to jinx it.