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Book 4: Chapter 72 - Diverging Time Streams

Time froze. The world around Xavier become a landscape of blacks, whites, and greys. Three choices were displayed before him—to summon the Spirit of Protection, the Spirit of Vengeance, or the Spirit of Time.

For the first time, Xavier chose the Spirit of Time.

He did not know what to expect when a bright light blossomed into being before him, then slowly dimmed to reveal the figure of the spirit he had summoned.

Xavier’s eyes widened involuntarily, for the spirit was perhaps the most beautiful being that he had ever seen before. Xavier couldn’t tell what race the spirit was—she was somewhere between an elf and a human, much as Felicia was, and her beauty was hard to deny.

She had long, flowing golden hair that draped down her bare shoulders until it reached her midsection. Her eyes were the grey of a stormy sky. The woman wore a shift that revealed healthy portions of skin and Xavier had to stop himself from outright gaping at her, which made the spirit’s first expression that of a smirk.

The clothing she wore glittered in the light, and she held a simple wooden staff with a glowing green crystal at its top. She bent her head in greeting.

I have heard of you, young Denizen. I was wondering when you would bring me forth.

The spirit’s voice sounded in his mind. It had a melodic quality to it, and the way she spoke it almost sounded like a song.

Xavier bowed his head slightly to the woman, quickly composing himself. He’d encountered plenty of beautiful women in the Greater Universe. It was difficult not to be beautiful when progressing changed one’s form so dramatically, always inching toward perfection.

He pushed those thoughts from his mind.

I have a task for you, Xavier replied.

The spirit turned and looked at the Fetid Forest Troll. She took in the scene. The other spirits that were already there, summoned forth from the Otherworld in a different way to how she had been, and the soul puppets streaming toward the enemy.

Indeed. Her eyebrows rose and she glanced back at him with a look of obvious admiration. You are fighting a C Grade. I can see what it is you need from me. She held her staff lightly in her right hand. Do you wish this to be the moment of unfolding?

Xavier inclined his head once more.

Rhaalir had described, in depth, the capabilities of the Spirit of Time. According to the elf, it was often considered the most powerful of the three spirits that one could summon, for its powers could alter time in ways Xavier had no access to.

The Spirit of Time could effectively turn back time itself.

This meant that whenever the Spirit of Time did this, it created an entire new universe—just as when one entered a floor of the Tower of Champions.

But there was something unique about the way in which this woman was able to alter time. Yes, each use created a different time stream, an alternate universe, but she could maintain the purity of the universe she had been summoned to.

Despite the fact that Xavier had been aware of alternate universes for some time now, he still struggled to wrap his head around this.

Basically, what it boiled down to, was that Xavier could follow through with this fight and even if he died, that death wouldn’t happen to him. It would be a future that branched off from the unfolding point—this very moment—but it wouldn’t be one that he himself lived.

Right now, he was only the observer.

Once a future unfolded that he wished to experience, he would have to live it himself, and if he wished that future to unfold exactly the way he had seen it, he’d need to repeat the exact same actions.

It was… a spell he’d been unsure of using, as each possible future that she created was actually a new universe, which meant if a version of him died, he was condemning an entire universe to him no longer existing.

That would doom Earth, at least in that particular alternate universe. It was a lot to have on his shoulders… but it was also something that he couldn’t let bother him.

What happened in other universes wasn’t his concern. If he could change something, save someone, on a tower floor, and it didn’t compromise his own universe? Then he would gladly do it—that was how he had always moved through the tower floors. With the safety of others being a priority.

But their safety wasn’t his top priority, and it wasn’t a reality he could always indulge in.

He didn’t have that luxury.

So, technically, the woman couldn’t turn back time, but it would essentially work the same, because even though he wouldn’t experience those possible futures as his original self, he would see them from the perspective of those that did experience it.

Again, it was difficult for him to wrap his head around.

The world shifted. No, not just the world—the entire universe shifted.

Xavier felt himself appear in two places at once. He was standing there, with the Spirit of Time, in that colourless landscape with the battle scene before them—and he was standing in the exact same spot, but in an entirely different universe.

The feeling was mind-bendingly surreal. For a moment, the sudden sensation of being pulled in two threatened to break his brain.

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But Xavier had been through something like this before, and it didn’t take him long before his well-honed instincts kicked in. Though it was technically different, with his Soul Puppet spell he was able to put his consciousness into one of the soul puppets he had control over, letting him see from its perspective. This was also something he was able to do with Willpower Infusion, on Denizens or beasts under his control.

And so Xavier had a highly developed skill to help him do this very thing. He split his consciousness into multiple parts. He found that where he stood—in his original body—time was still frozen, yet the Spirit of Time was able to move. The beautiful woman stood with one hand resting lightly on her hip, while the other held her staff. She had a contemplative look on her pale face.

You can see what’s happening, can’t you? Xavier asked.

The woman blinked. She glanced over at him with a small smile. I am surprised you are able to focus enough to talk. This experience tends to be disorientating for people of your grade. She tilted her head to the side. Though it appears you might be uniquely suited toward this.

One part of his consciousness continued on with the conversation, while the other observed from inside the body of… himself.

It was perhaps the strangest thing he had ever felt. He was inside his own body, able to feel every sensation—the breath entering his lungs, the beating of his heart—but he couldn’t influence what was happening. He was locked in, not under control.

Xavier wondered if this was how beasts and Denizens felt when he used Willpower Infusion on them.

It was a terrible way to feel, but there was nothing he could do about it. He couldn’t observe the thoughts of this version of himself, either, so all he saw were the actions taken.

Time unfolded for this version of Xavier, moving forward at the same pace as it had before he had cast Summon Otherworldly Spirit.

The spirits from the other world that had come when he’d used Soul Sacrifice were ripping into the Fetid Forest Troll, but the Fetid Forest Troll didn’t stand idly by and let them hurt it. It made a dull-sounding grunt as it slammed its massive club into one of the smaller spirits, a strange beasts somewhere between a mix of a white dove and a hyena.

The spirit got hit in its beaked head. There was a devastating snapping sound, and its neck was wrenched fully one way.

The spirits from the other world weren’t entirely corporeal, but Xavier had seen beasts do damage to them in the past, so he knew they weren’t always immune to attacks. But these spirits, the way they had entered the Mortal Realm, were more corporeal than the spirits that came to him when he used Summon Otherworldly Spirit, making them a little more prone to taking damage.

Xavier, flicking between parts of his mind, turned to the Spirit of Time as the bird-hyena hybrid beast disappeared, its body turning to mist that slowly dissipated in the air.

Did that troll just… kill that spirit?

The woman shook her head. I am not here to provide insight, Xavier Collins. She paused. However, I suppose there is no harm in answering you this one question. The spirit was not killed. It was returned prematurely to the Otherworld.

So there are no consequences for spirits taking damage while they are in the Mortal Realm?

On the contrary, that spirit will be out of commission for a very long time. It could be several centuries before it builds up the power to enter the Mortal Realm once more, unless somehow someone were to summon it directly. Even then, there’s every chance it wouldn’t work.

Xavier inclined his head. That made more sense. There had to be some consequences, after all.

He watched as the dragon, Volkarin, engaged with the troll. It swooped down and slammed straight into the Fetid Forest Troll’s chest. The Fetid Forest Troll looked somewhat pained. It flinched and took two stumbling steps backward.

Xavier flicked back into the part of his mind in the other version of himself. The other version of himself paused for a moment, his eyes widening slightly. Xavier couldn’t understand what he was trying to do, then he realised—this version of him would have also just cast Summon Otherworldly Spirit and brought forth the Spirit of Time, but he wouldn’t get to profit from the spell’s usage.

Xavier’s shoulders sagged.

“I guess I’m not the original.” Xavier turned his head to one side, then the other, cracking it. He clenched his fists so tight the bones in his fingers creaked. “I didn’t realise how much this would suck.”

Observer Xavier felt some remorse at having used this spell. He hadn’t taken a moment to contemplate how the copies of himself would feel. Though calling them copies was… making out as though they hadn’t been him up until a moment ago.

Alternate universes confuse the hell out of me, Xavier thought to himself.

And he watched.

Xavier took a few steps backward as the Fetid Forest Troll grabbed the dragon by the neck and yanked him to the left. Volkarin was one of the seven most powerful spirits from the Otherworld, yet he was being thrown around like a ragdoll. That was only because the spirit, in this form, had its power level capped by Xavier’s strength, and the strength of the spell he had just cast.

The Fetid Forest Troll threw the dragon into the air. It tumbled several times before its wings snapped out and it caught itself, almost frozen where it hovered. Then rumbling laughter was released from Volkarin’s throat as the dragon swooped back in for another attack.

At that moment, the soul puppets joined the fray. They reached the Fetid Forest Troll and tried to attack it, but they were nothing more than a distraction for it. They were thrown this way and that, kicked, backhanded, or crushed by the beast’s club.

Xavier began casting spells. Spirit Break was the first. The Fetid Forest Troll flinched. A flinch wasn’t much, but it was something. Its gaze instantly shifted to Xavier. The troll threw its head back and roared, then it slammed one of its fists into its chest, the other hand still holding onto its club, and a shockwave of energy reverberated around it, knocking every single one of the five hundred soul puppets—those still alive, if such being could even be counted as alive—to the ground. Some of the soul puppets didn’t get up.

Even the spirits from the other world were thrown, though they appeared to be far less hurt by the attack.

The way clear once more, the Fetid Forest Troll began its lumbering run again and made a beeline for where Xavier stood.

One spell after another was flung toward the beast. Soul Shatter made it flinch slightly more than Spirit Break had. Core Burn didn’t do a damned thing, and Willpower Infusion… well, Observer Xavier knew that had been wishful thinking, even if it was always worth trying.

Nothing is working against this thing… it’s even more powerful than I thought.

Xavier had been in several battles with C Grades by now, but he had never been the primary damage dealer. The damage had come from countless Champions. The raid group had worked as one, so even if their attacks didn’t do a huge amount of damage on their own, cumulatively it had been enough.

Especially when Xavier had used his Time Alteration trick.

Xavier spread his arms to his sides and opened his fists. Claws began to grow from his fingers, sharper than they had ever been before. A rumble started deep in his throat then was unleashed in a roar of his own. The spells not having done their job, Xavier sprang forward.

He had been observing the way this beast moved, and the way it took damage. Its Toughness was high—higher than anything Xavier had ever faced by himself—but it wasn’t completely resistant to his attacks.

Even now those spirits that had recovered were sending spells and arrows into the Fetid Forest Troll’s back as it lumbered toward Xavier. It flinched at every single attack. There were scratches all over its body, and even patches of blood where it had taken wounds—though those wounds had since healed.

It’s strong, and it’s fast, but it’s not invincible, thought Observer Xavier as he felt himself sprint forward.

And there was something else very important about this beast. The speed at which it moved—it might be fast.

But it wasn’t as fast as Xavier.