Strings Of Domination

A few moments before the opening of the Hidden Library, inside City Neo.

The city was as lively as ever. Creatures hailing from different races, tamed beasts varying in different sizes, and other futuristic vehicles flew or walked on and above the streets, giving the whole city a kind of unusual atmosphere where the past and future seemed to be mixed with each other.

Although such a sight was not bizarre in other dimensions and was rather common in several places inside the Ancient Dimension, inside the Human Dimension this was more than conspicuous as humans before opening the Ancient Path were more civilized than almost 95% of the races!

Therefore, it was not a huge surprise to anyone that almost all the devices and vehicles that worked on advanced technology were invented and acquired from the Human Race!

Naturally, other races had advanced knowledge about technology before the opening of their Ancient Path too, but it was so few that one could easily count them on their own hands! However, as every race acquired supernatural powers through their Legacy, including the ones with advanced technical and scientific knowledge, those high-tech devices and weapons that before were capable of destroying almost anything, now, except for a few, literally became useless!

Inside one of the most luxurious and well-renowned hotel's V.I.P room, Flake was calmly sitting on a comfy sofa with a Bane sitting on his side in another. Both of them were wearing robes sewed out of seemingly expensive silks and their hands held glasses of wine as they chatted with each other in a relaxed manner.

Suddenly, as the two were talking about a matter that considered their family, a small circular and flat device in the middle of the room lit up and a figure in the form of a hologram appeared.

"Lord Flake, Lord Bane..." the figure that was wearing armor and bowed in respect.

"Did you obtain the items already?" Flake was pleasantly surprised when he saw who the individual was and placed the glass of crimson wine in his hand onto the glass table in front of him.

Right before they went to Planet Rover to slay some Diamond Beasts, he informed his right hand to acquire the three items he promised Emerald, Snow, and Abyss. Though, despite knowing it would not take too much to acquire the items the three wanted, he still didn't expect it would only take a few days.

'Well, at least I can meet those three sooner than expected.' Flake showed a smile as he thought to himself.

"Lord Flake, as you wanted I have each item in my possession." the soldier straightened his posture as he showed three small boxes on his side.

"Great, then let's meet-" Flake was ready to say something when suddenly the whole hotel began to shake like crazy, items around the room falling down one after another while even the wine on the table fell on the floor and was spilled.

"What's happening?" Bane whose arm was injured after the confrontation with the Mutated Diamond Beast jumped onto his feet and looked out the window on the side.

Flake did the same with a solemn face, but seeing they were not under attack nor was there any sign of the city being bombarded, a deep frown crept its way onto his handsome face.

However, soon that frown quickly changed into widened eyes as in the far distance a thick line of blinding light materialized around the horizon, completely engulfing the sky in an almost blinding whiteness!

Whoosh!

Crack!

Abruptly, as the two were watching the strange phenomena on the horizon, a powerful shockwave appeared from the north which not only hit the window of the hotel but even made it form cracks on its surface. There were even several places on other buildings where windows were not as lucky as theirs as they immediately shattered into hundreds of pieces, injuring the individuals standing behind them right away!

"L-Lord Flake... What was that just now?" the soldier who once looked calm and collected this time looked anxious as he was too on Planet Gaia and he too felt the previous tremor and shockwave.

However, Flake remained silent as he watched how the white light on the horizon gradually began to fade away. Only when it completely vanished and the tremor no longer shook the ground below his feet did he quickly turn around and while taking off his robes he said, "Quick, gather everyone. We are heading north."

"Y-Yes, my Lord!" the soldier nodded and after a quick salute vanished from sight.

"I am coming too." Bane said as he began to change into his armor, which at Flake just nodded and didn't say anything, It was apparent he wished to know what happened just now and they had no time to waste.

And it was not only him who began to prepare to head out to the north but all the members of different royal families that were currently on Planet Gaia together with those creatures that were curious and brave enough to leave their safe residence and check out what that strange phenomenon was a few moments ago!

And just under a few minutes, several hundred beings set out to the north, each armed with weapons and armors just in case they have to fight with beasts on their way or once when they reach the location where the shockwave came from just now.

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Inside the unknown world.

Nash was looking at the human man in front of him with a calm gaze and without any sign of being worried or scared. Of course, it was not because he was confident in his power or felt arrogant but because he knew the individual; he was Aruer!

"So you have finally arrived." stopping humming his melody that was so pleasant to the ear that could easily soothe one's mind and soul, Aruer opened his eyes and glanced at Nash.

"And as I can feel it, you have reached your first real bottleneck in your cultivation."

Nash this time widened his eyes scarcely as he didn't expect Aruer to notice he was struggling to go further in his cultivation just by a single glance and even without any techniques!

"You don't have to feel shocked." Aruer smiled gently, boosting his charisma at least five folds, and sat up before he leaned back against the trunk of the tree behind him.

"When you reach higher Ranks and becomes stronger you too will be able to tell if one reached a bottleneck or not. It is nothing but simple accumulated experience throughout the years of cultivation."

Nash was silent as he looked straight into Aruer's eyes. Though the longer he stared at those beautiful sharp blue irises of Aruer, the longer he felt he was looking not into a human's eyes but was slowly falling toward the bottom of a seemingly bottomless sea!

And after a few seconds later, Nash had to realize that at some point in time, he stopped taking a breath, and only when his brain alarmed him that his lungs needed oxygen did he snap back to reality and took several deep breathes!

"Oh... Haha, sorry. I forgot that one of my techniques activates on their own after a few seconds when others stare straight into my eyes." Aruer showed an awkward smile and blinked quickly, instantly changing his eyes color to the same color as his hair.

Cold sweat oozed out of almost every pore from Nash's body as he tried to calm his fastened heartbeat down. Right now, even though Aruer did nothing he almost died! He literally forgot how to breathe for a while and almost suffocated to death!

'So this is the power of a being that once lived during the Ancient Era?' Nash thought as he looked at Aruer, but feared to look straight into his eyes despite knowing he already deactivated his previous ability.

Aruer examined Nash in silence and when he saw how fast he recollected himself and calmed himself down despite almost just meeting with death a few moments ago he nodded, secretly praising him.

"You... You are a Soul Fragment too?" after taking a deep breath to completely regain his composure Nash asked the first question that appeared in his mind.

"Well, kind of." Aruer nodded before quickly adding, "Though, while other Soul Fragments of mine can't use specific abilities of my previously whole self, I possess and can use almost all my previous powers, but naturally with limit."

"I... I see... No wonder then." Nash nodded as he understood why this self of Aruer felt so different from the other two he met previously back in the Emerald Palace. Their whole being and aura were different, feeling more real, denser, and alive!

Watching as Nash was silent and didn't talk, Aruer raised his head toward the sky which was partly covered by the colorful leaves of the tree, and said, "Anyways, now that you are finally here it is time for you to learn the truth and face your possibly greatest decision in your life."

As those very words sounded from Aruer's mouth a mild breeze appeared from the distance which blew Nash's face below his mask, carrying a kind of feeling that made Nash feel both relaxed and pressured at the same time for some strange reason!