The Edora Plane could only be summed up in one word, ‘paradise’. Three floating orbs, overlooking vast flower fields, provided light for the space below. Small birds and butterflies fluttered around appealing fruit trees, and cute playful animals found themselves at home beside meandering streams. An overall sense of serenity occupied the pocket dimension.
At the center of it all was a two-story house made mostly of wood and Belizite, a type of blue, psionic mineral sparsely found in the Titan Universe. Under the veranda, an ethereal beauty reclined on a white leather lounge, savoring wine from a crystal glass. An attractive teenage girl stood behind, contentedly fanning her mistress. From the mysterious radiance emanating from the two individuals, it was clear they were far from ordinary beings.
The celestial beauty, clad in silver fabric, exposed an unblemished arm as she extended the wine glass to her protege.
“Care to taste a sip of the 1947 Château Cheval Blanc, Gabriel?” she asked charmingly. Every word she spoke was melodic and resonated with unbridled power. “It’s a delectable little drink from a small blue planet they call ‘Earth’.”
“No. I’m unworthy to partake from the same cup as your Divine Grace,” Gabriel adamantly rejected her mistress’ offer. Despite her status as a Paragon Emperor, she would never dream to step out of line in front of her mistress, who was none other than Lady Luck, one of the only two Absolute Deities in the multiverse.
The Goddess’ lips curled. She swirled the glass of wine and took another sip. “Suit yourself.”
“If I may ask, my Lady, what is it that we’re doing here?”
Her mistress gingerly shook the wine glass some more. “Funny you should ask. Your answer has just arrived.”
Gabriel looked across the lawn upon sensing a warp signature. On a small arched bridge, not more than one hundred meters away, appeared a man. However, unlike many cosmic immortals who often sought audience with her mistress, this particular guest emitted a very weak aura, so weak in fact, it probably wouldn’t even register as a Tier 6.
Gabriel excused herself and instantly apparated a few meters from the visitor.
“How dare you stand in the presence of her Divine Grace. Kneel and you may yet be spared,” Gabriel commanded, exerting a tremendous amount of pressure on the guest to make him forcibly submit. Nonetheless, to her utter bewilderment, the individual stood there, seemingly impervious.
“How?” Gabriel gaped.
Not only was the pressure she exerted enough to crush a star, but more importantly, they were inside a domain restricted environment. Without her mistress’ approval, even Paragon Emperors could not access Domain Control in this space. There was no way he could have resisted her power.
“Stop.” A jarring voice intruded her mind.
“But, my Lady...,” Gabriel tried to explain telepathically, but her mistress didn’t care for an explanation.
“Ugh, alright, follow me,” Gabriel gestured begrudgingly to the man.
When the guest had stepped under the veranda, Gabriel returned to her mistress’ side, inwardly fuming at his lack of respect.
“Forgive her. Gabriel is still young and overly pious. She has yet to learn that not everything can be solved by brute force, nor is it often the most efficient,” Lady Luck remarked.
“I’m sorry, my Lady,” Gabriel pouted, feeling somewhat wronged. She was only trying to protect her mistress’ reputation.
The man shook his head and responded, “It was not of any consequence. Your Divine Grace was protecting me the whole time, so I was not harmed. In fact, I’m honored to meet this young Paragon Emperor. Her future achievements will be nothing short of cosmic shattering.”
Hearing the guest’s praise, Lady Luck smiled, a truly magnificent sight to behold. “So then, to what do I owe the pleasure, Andaleus?”
Gabriel hid her astonishment. If her mistress hadn’t revealed the man’s identity, she would’ve never guessed that the individual in front of them was Andaleus, the strongest Paragon Emperor in the multiverse and the title holder, ‘Conqueror of the Eternal Void’.
“I’m fairly certain you already know, my Lady,” said Andaleus. “This visit is merely a courtesy.”
Lady Luck examined her old acquaintance with a twinkle in her eye. “It is done. I have taken care of the Domain Administrators. But as per the rules of the game, a favor given requires a favor in return.”
Andaleus nodded, having anticipated her response. “My master has given me the authority to accept any request in his stead. You need only to ask, my Lady.”
“Oh, I haven’t thought of one yet, but I’ll be sure to let you know at a later time,” said the Goddess shrewdly. She winked at Andaleus.
Call it intuition or whatnot, Andaleus suddenly felt uneasy about giving her a rain check. Who knew what diabolical machinations Lady Luck had hidden in her sleeves? She was unfathomable like Ren. However, whereas Ren was merciful and generous, she was ruthless and self-absorbed, always scheming to benefit her side in the interstellar war against her sister, Lady Fate.
“If you wish so, my Lady,” Andaleus said hesitantly. “I will take my leave then.”
As Andaleus turned away, the woman spoke again.
“You have changed, Andaleus. I can sense there’s something different about you.”
The conversation took an interesting turn. Andaleus lingered, curious about what she had to say.
“How so, my Lady?”
Lady Luck stood up, handing the half-finished wine glass to Gabriel, and gracefully walked barefoot towards Andaleus. She gently touched his face.
“It’s your eyes,” she declared, removing her hand. “It’s become...soft...like Ren’s. I don’t see the same ambition and loftiness anymore. Whatever happened, my old friend?”
The question put Andaleus on the spot. With much thoughtfulness, he finally replied, “I’m not sure. Perhaps it’s my perspective that’s changed. I once prided myself as an apex being, surpassed only by you and Lady Fate. I've led cosmic armies, governed universes, subjugated the Eternal Void, but when I met Ren I realized all of my achievements amounted to nothing.”
Lady Luck turned away into the distance, her gaze clouded over. Having said his part, Andaleus left the divine being to her own thoughts and departed.
Following a long period of silence, Gabriel asked her mistress a peculiar question. “Lord Andaleus spoke of ‘Ren’. Does he really exist?”
Upon recollecting herself, Lady Luck returned to her usual charm. She sat back down, stretched her modelesque legs, and enjoyed the remaining wine.
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“Yes, Ren exists. Did you think not?”
“To be honest, I’ve only heard stories of him, and all they seemed a little exaggerated.”
“The topic of ‘Ren’ has always been shrouded in mystery and controversy among immortals. To this day, many refuse to believe such an entity exists, and neither my sister nor I have sought to correct them,” explained Lady Luck. “Think of Ren as a random variable - unrestrained and unpredictable.”
“Will he become an obstacle to our goals?” Gabriel asked, a fire lit deep in her eyes. It didn’t matter who he was, but if he got in the way of her mistress’ plans, Gabriel would not hesitate to cut him down.
_____
It took Zvklevc a moment to recover from the shock of seeing a stranger warp to their location, which theoretically should have been impossible because of the Quarantine Zone’s containment effect. Wary of the intruder, the Lizcarian’s aura subconsciously flared.
“You just conducted an unauthorized warp on a Level 4 developing planet! Identify yourself and state your business, immortal,” ordered Ethaelus.
Ren touched his left shoulder with his right hand as the sign of the universal greeting. “My name is Ren. Like I said, this has all just been a big misunderstanding. I have permission to use domain control on this planet.”
The Administrators glanced at each other. The name, ‘Ren’, was uncommon among immortals for various unspoken reasons.
“We checked the planet’s domain control log, and there are no active visitation permits. I’m going to give you one more chance to tell us the truth. State your identification and purpose here,” said Ethaelus.
“I really am telling you the truth,” insisted Ren. “If you don’t believe me, please confirm with your superiors.”
However, Ren’s response fell on deaf ears. Having traveled this far to a backwater planet, the Administrators were not in the mood to accommodate what they perceived to be blatant lies.
“Be careful, Ethaelus,” Zvklevc transmitted via mind-speak. “He’s not registered in our database. Might be an intra-multiverse fugitive. Should we detain him and bring him back to HQ?”
Grand Administrator Ethaelus silently agreed and tapped a few buttons on his armored forearm.
“As of now, you are being placed under the custody of the Titan Administration for suspicious activity and noncompliance. Any attempts to subvert the restraining process will be met with lethal force,” threatened the Grand Administrator.
Ren sighed, hoping it wouldn’t come to this. These Administrators weren’t even listening to him. “Well, isn’t this going great?” he thought sarcastically.
Not one to stand down from unreasonable aggression, Ren’s appearance subsequently transformed into that of a handsome man with jet black hair. More notably, however, was a wicked scythe in his hand. Known to few, the Tyrannical Void Scythe was an accursed tool that had once reaped the souls of countless mortals and immortals alike. Its previous owner was a dangerous entity who ultimately fell at the hands of Andaleus and Lady Fate. Figuring the scythe wouldn’t see much use in the Eternal Void, Ren had decided to ‘borrow’ it for his own entertainment. Even now, he could remember the entity’s livid howl when Ren had robbed it blind.
“That weapon reeks of bloodlust,” noted Ethaelus. One look at the scythe and he knew it had a dark history. Of course, he wasn’t worried. As Domain Administrators, he and Zvklevc could still access domain control inside a Quarantine Zone. Against reality manipulation abilities, physical weapons were generally useless.
“Seems like he intends to resist, Administrators,” quipped Adjutant Minx. “Sensors detect a high concentration of cosmic ether gathering in the weapon.”
“Don’t worry. I’ll handle this.” Intending to impress his female colleague, Zvklevc stepped forward, casually stretching out his hand. In an instant all the houses on the street disintegrated. Living human beings, furniture, pets, and building materials were deconstructed into their base particles and then converted into a spinning vortex of energy that enclosed Ren.
“A Halcyon Energy Coil, huh,” Ren noticed. Although the energy prison posed a problem, he still had his trump card.
“Child’s play,” Ren smirked, activating the Void Scythe’s first tyrannical ability, ‘Void Control’. He swung the weapon, which cut through the prison like hot knife through butter, dissipating the energy coil and causing the space around them to bend and ripple. After some time the fluctuating space stilled, and the houses in the neighborhood reappeared. The inhabitants inside the homes continued their peaceful slumber, unaware that their physical bodies had just been destroyed and recreated in a matter of seconds.
Both Administrators disguised their stunned expressions behind opaque visors. What they witnessed was simply heretical. To negate another immortal’s reality manipulation without first superimposing or superseding control of the domain space required extraordinary amounts of power. It was akin to a brute force method.
“Holy mother of Lady Fate. Ethaleus, Adjutant Minx, did you just see that?” Zvklevc asked in the comms.
“Wow. That scythe must be at least a level 10 artifact,” Minx speculated.
“Yes, it seems like our friend here has an extremely domineering weapon,” Ethaelus agreed. “But fortunately it appears there’s a cost to using it.”
The Administrator astutely pointed out Ren’s weakness, evident from the blood leaking from the corner of his mouth. Due to his avatar’s restrictions, Ren could only utilize a tenth of the scythe’s true power, and even then he was suffering from a major backlash.
“Ah, this is not good,” Ren noticed. He didn’t think the side effects were going to be this serious. All the bones in his body were literally vibrating from the energy rebound.
Time for Plan B.
“Umm, Administrators, why don’t we just call this a draw and have a nice sit down somewhere,” offered Ren, reverting back to his main avatar. The weapon disappeared from his hand. “I happen to know an amazing salted porridge shop that’s open at this hour. My treat.”
“Are you taking us for fools?. Since you’ve chosen to resist arrest, it’s too late to surrender now,” growled Ethaelus. A blue glow cocooned around his armor. The pressure emitted from a Paragon Advent was no joke.
Ren began sweating. He was too weak in his current form to sustain this level of combat. If he attempted to access higher powers, the avatars would surely perish, a scenario which he’d like to avoid if at all possible.
“My turn.” The Grand Administrator’s eyes glowed blue, followed by a loud cracking sound as the fabric of reality tore apart. Ethaelus and Zvklevc stood their ground, unfazed by the reality rift that was occurring. On the other hand, Ren hunched down in pain, feeling like he had been pierced by millions of tiny needles.
“Damn, they’re strong,” thought Ren, gritting his teeth. Not just any cosmic immortal had the qualifications to become a ‘Domain Administrator’ in the Titan Universe. To be honest, Ren was impressed by the Paragon Advent’s ability to channel an advanced, surgical destruction convocation. The technique had originally been invented to shatter robust Malizine crystals in moon cores by stripping away the fabric of reality around the cores.
“He won’t survive much longer,” assured Ethaelus. His aura grew in intensity for the finishing kill.
However, before Ethaelus could reach the lethal threshold, Adjutant Minx screeched into the comms, “Wait!”
The Oscallion’s shriek completely ruined Ethaelus’ focus, causing the pressure on Ren to immediately recede.
“What?” the Grand Administrator asked irritably.
“Administrators, I’ve just received an urgent message from high command. You are to immediately cease all operations and return to HQ. Attached is a freshly approved visitation permit for ‘Ren’.”
“What is this farce? I want to speak with the Magistrate who signed the permit,” Ethaelus snapped at the adjutant after viewing the documents.
“Umm, sir, it wasn’t approved by a magistrate.”
“Who then?” Ethaelus barked.
“...It came from the very top...Grand Arbiter Jung herself,” answered Minx.
Grand Arbiter Jung!!! What type of an existence was she? Even for the Prince of the Iron Planets, he understood there existed an unbreachable gap between them. Technically speaking, she was like his boss’ boss’ boss - a Paragon Emperor whose fame and reputation spanned the Orion Cluster. Why did she personally interfere in this matter?
“What do we do now?” questioned Zvklevc, looking slightly puzzled. “We can still arrest him for resisting lawful detainment.”
Ethaelus considered their options, and only one sensible decision remained. “Confirming receipt of recall order, Adjutant Minx. And you may leave first, Administrator Zvklevc. I’ll follow you shortly,” he instructed.
Trusting his partner’s decision, the Lizcarian lifted the Quarantine Zone and warped away. Ethaelus then powered his suit down and took off his armored helmet, revealing his snow-colored hair and a pair of red eyes.
“Consider yourself lucky, Ren. I don’t know who you are or what you did, but we’ve been ordered to terminate our mission. How are you related to Grand Arbiter Jung? Just who are you?” asked Ethaelus, refusing to let all of this go so easily.
Ren shrugged and played it cool. “Believe it or not, Administrator, I’m a nobody. Who I am isn’t important.”
“Somehow I doubt that,” scoffed the Administrator.
The two fixed their stares at each other, neither making a sound. A casual gust of wind ruffled their hair.
Finally, Ren broke the silence, saying, “I can see now that you’ll be a believer. If you want to have your questions answered, then visit the Hyperion monastery on the fourth moon of Lago. Tell Masmuda that ‘Ren sent you’.”
“Hmph.” Without another word, Ethaelus vanished into the night, leaving Ren alone on the empty street in Hapensburg.
A growl rumbled in Ren’s abdomen; surviving a close call suddenly made him very hungry. “What an eventful night! I think I deserve a bowl of savory porridge,” he remarked, rubbing his stomach.