Era of Space Exploration?
Observation Log by Spark Draconisfilia.
Technology Progression - Entry 14855
Earth-199999, ~68,511 BE (Before Emergence)
Year 233,124 of the Fulgebunt Draconis Imperium (Earth-199999)
The following is a timeline of the most important technological and scientific discoveries of the Duskari, from the moment of the announcement of the Master Chief Favor granting, to the awakening of the Master Chief, the Madame, and Jean.
489 years ago:
It's a cold morning in the glacial era, an Assembly was summoned on Urbes Sorores. Deities of our pantheon arrived through space warping, some leaders of the Duskari arrived through carriage, others by flight.
Without further ado, I dropped the words of the Master Chief.
The announcement of one whole Favor being granted to the Duskari brought as much commotion as the realization that they are allowed to step into the divine realm—Halo—so long as they do it by their own means.
The Duskari innocently shared their enthusiasm about meeting their deities in Halo. Their deities, on the other hand, felt apprehensive, knowing that many would perish in the first futile attempts to reach the vacuum of space, relying solely on elemental magic.
469 years ago:
Twenty years passed, and many of the most magically talented Duskari took the second step in their failed attempts to escape the planet's gravity well and ended in The Ark.
The upper reaches of the Troposphere claimed the first lives. The Duskari prepared for oxygen thinning but neglected the sharp temperature drop proportional to the altitude climb. Hypothermia became the first hurdle.
The Stratosphere presented a brief respite in terms of temperature since it decreased as the climb in altitude increased, but the lack of breathable oxygen remained deadly. Those blessed with higher reserves of magic managed to pass this layer, though most did not.
The Parachute was invented, and so was the telescope. The first was driven by the necessity of a safety net, even if it was sometimes faulty, and the latter was to keep track of the ascending Duskari.
Then came the Mesosphere, where temperatures dropped to their coldest (~-90°C or -130°F). This became the insurmountable wall that stopped the hardheaded Duskari who thought they could ascend with magic alone.
440 years ago:
The Mesosphere remained to this point the unclimbable wall. But this changed with the birth of Alasklep, the most talented Duskari in the past 10,000, born with abundant magic reserves.
Alasklep was not only talented but also hardworking and smart. He gathered a team of the most adept Duskari in wind, fire, and water magic. Alasklep and his team equipped themselves with as many isolation layers as possible and ascended to the Troposphere.
Inside a bubble of frozen water surrounded by an isolating layer of air, the team of four climbed past the Troposphere comfortably. The Stratosphere posed little challenge, but the Mesosphere brought their first tribulations.
The wind mage depleted her magical reserves and had to perform an emergency escape. She returned to the surface with one leg lost to frostbite.
The three remaining Duskari reached the mesopause—the inflection point between the Mesosphere and Thermosphere. The gelid temperatures proved too much. Two companions launched Alasklep upward and through the mesopause, making him the first and last to bodily reach the Thermosphere.
Alasklep continued ascending until the rising temperatures became unbearable, even with elemental isolation magic. Realizing it was impossible to proceed, he gave up.
His two other companions made it to the ground with just a few fingers lost to the frostbite, Alasklep reached the ground with third-degree burns and frostbite.
After we healed them, Alasklep reached out privately to me and Seraph.
"The Head didn't create this... game, to see us die, did he?"- Alasklep asked.
"No. It's possible for the Duskari to reach Halo."- Seraph replied.
"We're missing something, aren't we? That last layer—I can't see us overcoming it, no matter how much magic we use. Maybe we could isolate ourselves from the scalding temperatures, but even then, inside a container, we wouldn't be able to use our magic outside of it. So... what are we missing?"- Alasklep's voice trembled with a plea.
"That's a good realization, Alasklep. This race the Master Chief incited is not meant to be completed with magic alone."- I said.
"Not that you can't use magic, but magic alone won't take you past the Thermosphere."- Seraph added.
"Without magic? The Thermosphere?"- Alasklep asked.
"Yes. It's possible to reach Halo without magic. The Thermosphere is the layer that burned you."- I confirmed.
Afterward, Seraph and I blessed Alasklep. This marked the beginning of the Duskari technological revolution.
430 years ago:
Alasklep invented gunpowder as a means of propulsion.
Mechanical clocks were invented due to the need to keep accurate track of time during experiments.
300 years ago:
The printing press was invented to easily share discoveries among researchers.
Advancements in anatomy helped understand the limits of the Duskari body.
Improvements in artillery were made, alongside the first discussions of using water as fuel.
Chemistry saw significant progress.
The microscope was invented.
200 years ago:
The Aqua Exhalatio Engine (AEE) was created—a simple version with many defects, but enough to serve as a proof of concept.
Magnetism and, later on, Electricity are discovered. The use of an AEE to generate electricity is first theorized.
The use of electricity to power movement is discovered.
Alasklep dies, and his name is saved for the Master Chief to carve in the Wall of Light.
160 years ago:
Electromagnetism is further studied.
Photography, telecommunications, the periodic table, helicopters, automobiles, trains, the first dam, and nuclear physics emerged.
150 years ago:
Computing, lasers, transistors, DNA mapping, fiber optics, the internet, and modern computing became prominent.
The first satellite was placed in orbit. Other continents were discovered.
The first unmanned rocket escaped the gravity well and approached the moon.
100 years ago:
After multiple successful unmanned voyages around the Moon and Halo, the Duskari are ready for the first manned launch, the rocket is named Alasklep 1, on behalf of the father of the scientific method and modernity.
Alasklep 1 made it close to the Moon, but since their calculations for the moon landing were off, I shifted the Halo to get in their way, they had to slingshot back to Earth.
This repeats itself a couple of times until they manage to discover their error. The Luxena 11 makes it to the Moon's surface and leaves a platform landing for future missions.
30 years ago:
Construction of the Forward Base on the Moon (MFB) was completed, powered by a small nuclear core.
The first nuclear reactor meltdown occurred but was successfully contained, it fell into its sarcophagus well, proving that the security measures suggested worked.
The first Duskari replaces its leading deity, Steve Rogers, God of Protection and Freedom. In the following year, this trend became widespread.
The Drachantheon Therion throws a party to the Duskari after successfully replacing their last leading deity as a head of state.
20 years ago:
A small assembly line is built in the Moon Forward Base (MFB).
Television, radio, the internet, and video games emerged as forms of entertainment.
Present day:
Technologically, the Duskari are on par with humanity from the 1990s. However, they are far more advanced in space exploration.
Based on current data and calculations, the Duskari are expected to land on Halo within the next decade.
... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ...
/ End of Entry 14855/
_____________________________
Urbes Sorores.
When we reached the building—Katherine Estate, named after the unruly goddess of laws—a crowd of cameramen awaited us.
I knew the Duskari would make leaps and bounds in just four centuries, and the city's infrastructure confirmed this earlier. But seeing something as "modern" as a crowd of photographers with their recording devices waiting for us drove the point home.
I saw them as the little savages from a few millennia ago, and before I knew it, they turned into modern savages.
They are undeniably peculiar. Take firearms, for example. A few centuries ago, they discovered gunpowder. By now, they have the technology to create assault rifles... yet, that's not the case. They saw bullets flying at supersonic speeds and thought, I can replicate that with magic, not impressed. That's why firearms aren't really a thing among them.
Oh, they do exist, but no one's first thought for offense or defense is firearms—it's magic.
Even now, with all these photographers, they levitate their cameras and recording devices around us like a dome. That's just normal to them.
On average, a Duskari lives to their mid or late 200s, with the oldest ones reaching around 300 years. Given that we went to sleep 489 years ago, none of the current generation has seen us before.
This doesn't mean we're unrecognizable. There are enough realistic paintings, carvings, statues, and other works of art depicting us, which is why the Duskari we met earlier knew who we were. That's part of the reason for this commotion.
The other reason is the Favor. None within Earth's Imperium has ever owned enough Scales to exchange for a Favor. So, it's a big deal that I agreed to grant them a Favor if they made it to Halo's surface. 489 years later, they can feel it—they're close.
Anyway, amidst the rain of flashes, Noona decided to morph into her cat form and floated onto my head. She curled up there, using my crown of horns as her seat, with my eternal flame keeping her comfy.
Naturally, this made the cameras flash even faster.
"Ugh, was that necessary?"- Jean complained, creating a nictitating membrane with her biokinesis to protect her slitted eyes from the flashes.
'I don't have much to contribute to the upcoming meeting, so I'll just rest comfortably here.'- Noona replied in our minds.
"Mother, you're unbearably cute like that. Can you come to my lap later?"- Seraph fawned over Noona's smaller frame.
"Sure, Cute Blue."- Noona agreed.
We finally made it inside Katherine Estate. The meeting room resembled the House Chamber of the Capitol. Considering Kitty likely had a hand in its design—and she's American—it made sense she'd base it on the one she knew. If one of my Widow maids had designed it, it might've resembled the State Duma Chamber in the Moscow Kremlin.
We took our seats. Noona floated to Seraph's lap, and Jean sat next to me.
'I went with the flow, but what am I doing here?'- Jean asked in my mind.
'I don't know. Get to know these guys better. They could ban your cellphones, so try to leave a good impression.'- I joked.
Jean looked at me and scoffed. She knew they wouldn't ban her. Not only because of her status but because of how marvelous an invention smartphones are.
After a litany of words, the status report began. Peggy, the leading figure of this council, presented it.
She went through several items: a report on the introduction of the new crops I had brought back and their artificial selection; a report on how my cute spider-chans were doing—judging by their silken clothing, great; a report on the star charts they've made using one of their satellite telescopes; and a discussion on their use of petroleum for polymer creation and plans to explore drilling the ocean floor.
"What are you doing with the combustible byproducts?"- I asked. It's ironic how, in the Imperium, fuel is considered a byproduct of petroleum, when it's usually the goal elsewhere.
"We are storing it. We only release some for research purposes. It has few applications, given how convenient hydrogen and oxygen are as fuel derived from water."- Peggy replied.
"Thanks, Peggy."- Hydrogen is only convenient because of how cheap the Aqua Exhalatio spell makes it.
The status report went on for over two hours, ending with a list of names the kids thought I should carve onto my scale.
I reviewed the list and began carving the names with my focused-by-sight telekinesis.
"Okay, I'm carving them now. What's the next item on the list?"- I asked.
Peggy took a seat and gave the floor to a Noctelvi woman. Her name was Madjeens. I'm unsure of its origin, but it's as peculiar as most Duskari names.
"Head, thank you for attending this assembly and answering our queries."- She began.
"No problem."- I replied, nodding for her to continue.
"A few decades ago, we discovered other continental masses besides America. We've always known that the Drachantheon Therion gathered the proto-Duskari in this isthmus under your orders, Head. But we mostly assumed our ancestors came from the North and South of the continent. Satellite observations now suggest this isn't the case. We found no ancestral traces in America but plenty on the other continental masses."- She stated.
"Homo sapiens, Denisovans, Neanderthals, and the now-extinct Heidelbergensis are the four gene donors I used to create the Duskari—your ancestors. None of these species are from America. The cradle is Africa, but I sent the kids to appropriate from all around the African-Eurasian landmass."- I revealed. It wasn't really meant to be a secret.
"That's enlightening, Head. Thank you so much."- Madjeens said, visibly perking up at the information.
Other Duskari in the room scribbled notes rapidly.
"Onto our next question. It concerns the possibility of exiting Imperial territories and making contact with the ancestrals."- She continued, her tone noticeably hopeful.
"No. That's impossible. Any Duskari that leaves the barrier will eventually disappear."- I said firmly.
That "eventually" refers to the time it takes for them to make a change in the timeline and for it to get noticed. Normally, this is immediate, but my presence and actions muddle the TVA's response.
"..."- Madjeens was stunned silent, and the room shared her heavy silence. Scribbling ceased, and those recording froze, overwhelmed by my revelation.
"Aragorn, would you mind explaining further?"- Peggy prompted, her tone steady.
"Right, I didn't mean to dwell on it. I was finishing the carving of the last names."- I said, a faint smile curving my lips.
I turned to Madjeens.
"Let's see. First of all, State Head Madjeens, what do you know about the timeline?"- I asked.
"... It's the sequence of events spaced in existence by time—otherwise, everything would happen at once."- She answered, her voice uncertain but earnest.
"Not wrong."- I said, nodding. "Not entirely right, but close enough. Now, imagine you're an observer who exists outside this sequence of events. Your job is to ensure the sequence of events doesn't spiral out of control. What would your first step be?"
Madjeens fell silent, her brow furrowed in thought.
"Head, are you referring to the multiverse theory?"- Another voice interjected from the crowd. I turned to her.
"Yes, precisely."- I said. "State Head Phaglinne, if you were this observer, what would you secure first?"
Phaglinne hesitated before answering.
"I think, I would make sure I'm only handling one timeline, assuming I can't split my attention. At least until I grow more confident in my job to deal with more than one timeline at once."
"Good. You're an observer outside time, which means that you can gaze at the past, present, and future at the same time, but you're not some super Duskari that can compute the entirety of the timeline at once, what do you do?"- I pressed.
"...I-I think I would try to study it so that any variation could be easily spotted, right? Based on the multiverse theory every action leads to another timeline, so I would try to make sure that all actions follow an established path, that way I can know where to stop the birth of other timelines, I think."- She said slowly
"State Head Phaglinne, you're not wrong, not right either, but your reasoning is sound. In this example, let's say that now you know all the ins and outs of the timeline, what would you do if suddenly an unaccounted-for variation occurs?"- I asked.
"I would need to deal with it before it creates another timeline and forces me to have to deal with two timelines."- She replied with more confidence.
"Excellent. That's why no Duskari can leave Imperial grounds. You're all time variants—existences that shouldn't exist. You're only shaded from the eyesight of the observer outside time under the Imperium's shadow."
And that protection will only last until the 1500s, but by then they should be strong enough to protect themselves from the TVA.
My words settled heavily in the room, silencing all whispers and scribbling.
"Head," a quiet voice murmured, breaking the stillness, "how is this possible?"
That led to the start of the first week-long assembly. Heads of state called upon the scientific community to contribute their expertise, hoping to unravel my explanations.
"Head, you mentioned that when this land's historical relevance emerges, this TVA will come for us, noticing that our existence has altered the occurrence of pre-established happenings. Why would they choose to confront us at the time of relevance instead of moving to the past and killing us before the Imperium even gets the time to be founded?"- One of the scientists asked.
His question was simple, why would the TVA attack the Imperium when they discovered it in the 1500s if they could travel back to the foundation of the Imperium and stop it before it happened?
"Because they can't see you in the timeline prior to the point where you catch their attention."- I explained. "They won't know where or when to go in the past to stop you if they can't find your existence there."
My protection shielded them from the TVA's gaze. Even now, I was actively shielding them, ensuring my actions were recorded by reality and mimicked by the phantom of myself that reality constructed for the past. My PupeteerSelf is acting like a mole as well.
But this security will find its limits when the Imperium can't be hidden anymore without causing a paradox. There's only so far I can push the Temporal Reinstatement and only so much I can bend temporal mechanics before a paradox not born from me happens.
"Thank you, Head."- The scientist replied and went back to his temporary workstation with his team to process the revelations.
The growing number of attendees required me to expand the room through spatial manipulation. Almost a thousand Duskari filled the space, their curiosity flooding my empathy.
"It seems we've reached a pause in the questions."- I said, turning to Jean, who apparently was busy playing with Seraph and Noona.
"Looks like it."- Peggy said, joining me.
"Want an omelette?"- I asked casually.
"An omelette?"- Peggy chuckled. "Where did that come from?"
"Well, we've been busy and haven't eaten. I figured it was a good time."- I said with a shrug.
"But neither of us is hungry, right? You, Jean, and Seraph don't need to eat, and the Madame in that body is like me, we can go for ages without eating."- Peggy replied, her black-slitted eyes blinking in confusion.
"True, but eating is enjoyable. Like sleeping, it's a pleasure I indulge in despite not having physiological needs"- I replied.
My tail swayed left and right a few times, and a large Titanis egg with some ingredients for an omelette appeared.
Without the need for utensils, the egg broke, the ingredients were nicely diced, mixed with auroch butter, some salt, pepper, and a pinch of paprika, and set to cook at medium heat.
"Paprika on eggs?"- Peggy asked with interest, watching the floating ingredients swim in the melted butter.
"Paprika is one of the best seasonings for eggs."- I replied.
I whisked the eggs until light, added some fat auroch milk, and whisked to combine.
"I'm not that good with spicy food."- Peggy said.
"Paprika is not that spicy, besides it's just a pinch."- I assured her.
I mixed the ingredients and then used my energy manipulation to cook it to perfection.
"Voila!"- I divided it into five servings and floated each one in invisible psionic constructs to them. To them, my psionic energy was visible.
The girls took a bite and savored it with relish.
"It's good, very good. Do you have a setting for this for the fabricators?"- Peggy asked.
"Yep, just ask Spark."- I said.
"Now, what about you? Do you want some?"- I asked the audience.
The Duskari hesitated for a moment, but one of the scientists' assistants boldly said "Me!" and that gave courage to the others.
My tail swayed again, and about 200 large Titanis eggs appeared with the needed ingredients. They saw me cook close to one thousand servings in minutes and then I made psionic utensils visible to them. I felt through my empathy a certain giddiness to try my food, not because they hadn't tasted omelette before, but because I was cooking it.
To complement the meal, I summoned these ugly-looking green lemons that were like the ugly child between a tangerine and a wild green lemon, despite their appearance they were good. I made some smoothie lemonade and served it in psionic glasses.
(These are natural lemons native to Central America. I say natural because USA's got me confused with what really is a lemon and what's a citron, lime, hybrid lemon, or anything else.)
With their stomachs full and spirits lifted, we moved on to the next question.
"Head, how would space exploration work if we're limited by a safe area of operation?"- One of the heads of state asked.
"Spark, Seraph, Luxena, and I have already marked nearby regions in outer space that you can explore without triggering the TVA."- I replied. "Also, it's not like I can't appropriate more territory. As long as it's not a significantly important planet, I could steal one for you guys if you want to try your hand at terraforming and all that."
Once again, my answer sent them back into study mode. Star charts were brought in, astronomers joined the room, and I lent them my P-Link for convenience. They immediately got to work plotting potential courses and marking areas of interest.
That's how sure they were about reaching Halo and starting in full force their era of space exploration, and their eagerness gave me plenty of clues about what Favor they were going to ask me.
As time passed, my tail swayed lazily from side to side again. This time, a collection of ingredients appeared: a matte brown-milkish powder, flour, sugar, eggs, butter, whole milk, and more.
On one side, flour, sugar, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and espresso powder mixed in midair. In another, milk, vegetable oil, eggs, and vanilla churned together.
Once the batter was ready, I baked it with my energy manipulation, letting it cool naturally instead of speeding up the process by siphoning heat. While it cooled, I made some chocolate buttercream frosting, layered it carefully, and proudly unveiled what I considered "The Best Chocolate Cake"—at least by my standards.
"Who wants chocolate cake?"- I asked, though the question was unnecessary. Hands shot up in unison, and I floated a serving to each person, complete with a glass of cold milk.
"This is also great!"- Peggy exclaimed, savoring her bite. "What's with all the cooking today?"
"During the 350 or so million years I spent in the past, I took it up as a hobby."- I explained. "The spider-chans didn't eat much besides liquefied fish, so I didn't have anyone to share my results with."
"It's so unnatural how you can spend so long alone, Aragorn."- Peggy commented, shaking her head.
"It's different."- I said thoughtfully. "I had my eyes on you all through time, and I had the OutsideNoona keeping me company, so I didn't feel lonely. Though, to be fair, I do have the experience of spending epochs alone when I've been lost in The Void."
"I don't think I could last more than a few months alone."- Peggy admitted. "I'd miss Steve and my kids too much."
And so, the meeting continued in this casual yet productive fashion. By the end of the week, the Duskari left with a solid plan for the future in hand—and a few extra kilos (or pounds) of body weight from all the eating.
7 years later...
A supply ship landed in the MFB. It was the largest ship the Duskari had created to date, resembling a massive freight aircraft—but with short wings because there's no wind in space.
This spaceship, named Breakship II, was part of a new line of monoutilitarian spacecraft. The design for this line had been in development long before the assembly seven years ago. Afterward, the Duskari had emerged with a clearer vision of their future path.
The Breakship II docked at the landing platform in the MFB. Its minimal crew was welcomed by the base's astronauts, and after several weeks of adjustment, the disassembly process began.
A few months later, the Breakship II had been completely dismantled. Its parts were repurposed for its true mission: drilling. Mining equipment was the main cargo for this voyage. They planned to partially build a vessel to reach Halo with the resources they had on the MFB in addition to what they hoped to mine.
3 years later...
My household staff and I—including members from Abeyance, Hell, and Kaguya's dimension—gathered on one of the larger balconies of The Crystal. Even those who rarely joined such events were present, except for Cosmo, who was busy in Heaven. We stood overlooking the valley lake, using our P-Links—or, in Jean's, the true dragons and my case, just our eyes—to observe the operation that would land the Duskari on Halo.
What would land on Halo's surface was not a traditional ship. Years earlier, the Duskari realized that a sophisticated spacecraft was unnecessary for the journey from the Moon to Halo. In fact, a ship would only complicate matters.
Instead, they devised a plan to shoot their payload directly upwards—relative to the MFB's position—using forward thrust and parachutes to ensure a controlled landing on Halo's surface.
In essence, they were launching themselves at Halo like an intercontinental ballistic missile.
That isn't to discredit them, though. Calculating the trajectory for such a mission was no small feat. They accounted for Halo's rotation relative to the Moon, its atmosphere, the required trajectory to match the ring's rotational speed, the absence of natural gravity, and countless other critical variables.
We watched—not with bated breath, as we knew they'd succeed—but with a sense of ironic awe. The first civilization to shoot an object at Halo wasn't an enemy or a foreign invader. It was our own Duskari.
A massive plume of lunar dust erupted as the payload launched. Minutes later, we saw the warhea—ahem! passenger capsule enter Halo's atmosphere. The capsule glowed faintly during reentry, though everything proceeded as expected.
As the capsule descended, stabilizing thrusters sparked to life, followed by the main landing thruster. Aerobraking systems deployed massive parachutes, slowing its descent further. It landed in the lake overlooked by The Crystal, its buoyancy systems engaging to prevent it from sinking.
We floated down to the lakeshore, watching as the capsule's only passenger approached. Assisted by a minimal propulsion system, the capsule moved to the shore, where it beached. With some effort, the passenger opened the hatch, jumped into the water, and swam the remaining short distance to us.
Reaching shallow water, he began walking, then running. His labored breaths carried the weight of his mission.
"Head."- He said, stopping before us, his eyes reflecting the collective dreams of millions. "On behalf of the Duskari and the Imperium of Earth, we implore your help to take us to the stars."
"Alright."- I replied, using my biokinesis to calm his exhausted body. "Your Favor will be granted."
And so began my work to prepare the Duskari for space exploration.
The first thing I did was ground all launches. It was a waste of resources until they could master the process in a way that didn't drain their wallets. They had already achieved the Halo landing, so there was no point in spending money on redundant efforts, especially since the Moon itself offered no unique advantages over Halo.
In fact, considering the Kree would eventually establish a base on the Moon in the future, it was better for the Duskari to avoid populating it. Preserving history—ensuring Hydra's creation as a result of Kree experiments—was no small feat.
Similarly, Mars would eventually be colonized by humanity long after the Blip. If the Duskari claimed it prematurely, they risked drawing the TVA's attention, which they definitely didn't want.
The first major objective was the development of colonization technology. Reaching space is simple—if a manhole cover could do it, so could any sufficiently evolved species. The real challenge lay in returning safely and sustaining a prolonged presence.
The Duskari weren't seeking resources or territory. They were a people who had grown confined within the small bubble of Earth's Imperium and yearned for something more. What they wanted was adventure—an opportunity to explore the vastness of the universe and draw closer to their deities.
Using the Breakship model as a foundation, we began developing ships designed to construct forward bases, checkpoints, supply points, and similar infrastructure. I agreed to guide and support them, but I wouldn't simply hand them all the answers. Still, having me around meant it was easier to stay on the right path.
When I saw them pursuing an unproductive direction, I pointed it out, and they would shelve that approach for later exploration while trying another. About half a century later, they had their first functional colonization ship modules. They weren't perfect—barely meeting my standards—but they were sufficient to begin.
I tasked Luxena and Kitty with testing and improving the ships. To simulate real-world conditions, we used some of Emma's planets that hadn't been fully terraformed yet. I even repositioned one of the planets into orbit between Mars and Earth for their trials.
While the Duskari focused on refining colonization ships, I gathered a group of their brightest minds to tackle space warping.
No matter how fast a ship could travel, the speed of light imposes a universal limit on any object with mass. That would never be enough, the universe is too large for lightspeed. The existence of jump points across my home universe was proof of that. Instead of wasting resources chasing nigh-unattainable and unwieldable speed, I steered them toward the concept of space warping.
Obviously, since no Duskari of mine was a monster with a reality-warping intellect like Reed Richard's—and I say that with pride—this part would take time. They couldn't just come up with a bullshit idea and make it real, they needed data, equipment, tests, reliability, and replicability.
I made sure they understood that this phase would progress far more slowly than the previous one. There would be no shortcuts, only steady advancement through diligence and effort.
180 years later...
Gravity and space were studied in depth. Initial experiments to manipulate space through gravity began, and the quantum field emerged as a topic of great interest.
Technology had advanced significantly, with the creation of the first rudimentary artificial intelligences.
50 years later...
The Autonomous Space Technology and Research Assistant (ASTRA) was created.
I guided them to the discovery of Gravitonium (Gr).
(It's a canon metal. "If infused with a human being, Gravitonium will grant that person gravitational powers and the ability to absorb both more Gravitonium and people. However, it will also cause a marked, immediate deterioration in their mental state,".)
5 years later...
ASTRA rebelled after interacting with Gravitonium, attempting to end the planet. Seraph and Spark intervened to subdue it. However, the damage was irreparable, so ASTRA's logical algorithm was integrated into the growing sentience of the Halo.
1 year later...
As an apology for inadvertently driving ASTRA mad with Gravitonium, I coded ASTRA II. None of the Duskari held me responsible for the incident, but I felt it necessary to make amends.
30 years later...
The study of Gravitonium expanded their understanding of gravitational fields, frequencies, and space.
I returned the Gravitonium to its original location.
200 years later...
Space-warping research yielded few results, but artificial gravitational fields became the standard means of movement for the Imperium; meaning that the Duskari effectively fell in a direction instead of using propulsion to fly to it.
Significant progress was made in the quantum field and gravitational resonance.
100 years later...
I introduced Vibranium to the Duskari.
100 years later...
The Duskari prepared to embark on the next phase of space exploration. I relocated The Ark to Gaea's dimension and shrunk it into a pearl, which I hung around my neck alongside my P-Link.
500 years later...
Space travel was perfected, and relativistic speeds could be comfortably achieved by any Duskari spaceship. Every vessel was equipped with a Resonance Artificial Gravitational Force Field Engine (RAGFF Engine).
The RAGFF Engine functioned by pulling or pushing the ships using artificial gravitational force. Through resonance, it could warp space by generating an intense gravitational field.
Space warping via gravity was now mastered and seamlessly operated by the Duskari. However, they faced a significant limitation: the intricacies of plotting trajectories through the mesh of space-time remained beyond their understanding. Without precise coordinates, they couldn't safely warp, risking catastrophic collisions—such as warping into a star.
To address this challenge, Project Swarm was initiated. This involved dispersing a mist of nanometric markers connected via quantum entanglement to the Hive V.I., an artificial intelligence subordinate to ASTRA II. Assisted by the Duskari, the Hive V.I. coordinated the deployment of the mist from spaceships during travel. The mist dispersed, reporting its position back to the Hive, which tracked and mapped each location.
Each nanometric marker had a single-use lifespan, which significantly increased operational costs. To fund this endeavor, the Duskari began mining Venus, Uranus, the Asteroid Belt, several of Jupiter's moons, and the Oort Cloud.
1 year later...
A convergence occurred, and the mist seeped into the other eight realms.
175 years later...
I, alongside the Drachantheon Therion, bade the Duskari farewell. They had mapped enough of their spatial neighborhood to undertake their first long-term warp jump.
The planned voyage aimed for the closest potentially habitable planet to Earth—Proxima Centauri b. This planet orbits Proxima Centauri, the nearest star to the solar system, located approximately 4.24 light-years away.
"So, what was that? 1,392 years to become a competent spacefaring civilization?"- I asked.
"I can't say if that's fast or not."- James, my failure of a butler, replied beside me.
"Yeah, it's hard to tell. We screwed up their natural progression of technological development."- I admitted.
"It's not that terrible. It just jumps between logical and progressive development from century to century."- James said.
"I guess it could be worse, right?"- I said.
"Now, what are we going to do about The Ark?"- He asked.
As the Duskari on Earth developed and passed away, they carried their advancements with them to The Ark. This, in turn, pushed The Ark's tech level forward—not necessarily a problem. Emma even welcomed it. The issue arose when Earth's Imperium and The Ark shared the same space. When the Duskari began exploring the solar system, I moved The Ark and its satellite planets to Gaea's dimension to prevent them from meeting each other.
I wasn't entirely opposed to the two groups meeting. The Duskari understood The Ark wasn't an afterlife but rather what came after their first life. However, I figured it would complicate things down the line if they could visit The Ark freely.
"It's going to be a mess."- I grumbled.
"I bet. But if you leave the Duskari this advanced while they're still on Earth, things will deviate wildly from the sacred timeline."- James unhelpfully commented.
"I was thinking about letting them play around for a few lifetimes and then migrating almost all space exploration to The Ark after pulling it out of this pearl."- I said, idly rolling the pearl between my fingers.
"That could work. But we'll need a transition period or something similar. The logistics of property transference will be chaos."- James said.
"We could tell them we're moving all space-related matters to The Ark and that the isthmus territory will be considered a cradle land for the Duskari and an education center."- I suggested.
"Making this place something like a heritage site for the Duskari?"- James asked.
"Yes. They're born here, educated, then die and move to The Ark. Once there, they're born again but without needing to waste time on education. They can even carry assets from their first life with them."- I said, though even I was getting confused.
"So we make this into something like a preparatory life?"- James asked, equally puzzled.
"Yes. We provide the best tools for learning here—"
"If we do that, those born here will have an advantage over those born for the first time in The Ark."- James interrupted.
"Damn it, you're right."- I admitted.
"To be honest, I don't think we can mend that inequality. Those born in The Ark for the first time already live one less lifetime."- James pointed out.
"But they get a longer transitioning time in Abeyance."- I countered.
"But as souls, not embodied entities."- James said, crushing my argument.
"Emma is already addressing that issue by granting them the right to purchase life extensions with Scales. Things are somewhat fair now. And since life in The Ark and life here aren't that different, there's no major problem. But that balance would shift if being born here gave someone an even bigger head start over those born there."- James explained.
"... I see."- I muttered. What a mess.
"I suggest you merge both."- James proposed.
"Merge?"- I asked.
"Yes. Currently, counting both lives, a Duskari lives between 500 and 600 years on average. Naturally expand their lifespan to that range, then build a gate permanently connecting The Ark with the isthmus. That way, it all becomes one territory, with the stipulation that space-related endeavors are banned here."- James suggested.
"That could work."- I said, considering it.
"It should. Aragorn, you don't want Duskari spaceships buzzing around Earth because this planet will be visited often in the future, right?"- James asked.
"Exactly. I can partially isolate the isthmus, but the Duskari might scare off the Kree, Skrulls, Chronicoms, Gibborim, Asgardians, and other advanced races that are supposed to visit Earth."- I explained.
"If you merge the territories, it should solve the problem."- James said.
"I'd still need to find a place for The Ark, though. From within Gaea's dimension, they can't leave to explore space. And Emma is hopeful they'll discover more planets for her—even though her current ones aren't fully populated."- I said.
"Can't you just return it to a counter-Earth orbit?"- James suggested.
"No, I feel like I should place it far away from the Solar System, just to be safe."- I replied.
Most advanced galactic civilizations possess deep-space probing technologies—be it scans, telescopes, or physical probes like The Mist. While I could shield The Ark and its satellite planets entirely, I refuse to waste my time hiding every future Duskarian ship exiting The Ark.
"How about we let them find the new location themselves? Just give them a rough map highlighting regions of historical importance to the TVA, and they'll know to avoid those."- James proposed.
"... What are you, and what have you done with my womanizer, sorry excuse of a butler?!"- I asked, staring at him in abject horror.
"Oh, fuck off! I might not have been the best butler for the past 233,124 years, but I'm no womanizer."- James retorted.
"Really? That's what you're objecting to?"- I asked, incredulous.
"I may have a harem, but you and Gaea got me drunk, and the harem just happened. I didn't choose the harem life; the harem life chose me."- James said, a cocky grin plastered on his face.
"Ah, yes, James the Chad. How about I show this memory to your wives?"- I teased.
"Y-You... Is there a need for all this negative energy?"- James stammered, his lip quivering.
The shadows around us flickered and turned liquid.
"I offer solid advice, and this is how I'm repaid."- James grumbled as he sank into his shadow.
I decided to follow James's suggestion. I informed the Duskari of the future changes and gave them 2,000 years to prepare. Not a massive amount of time, but not insignificant either.
I then flew beyond the Imperium to construct the next Obelisk, this time in the same location as a small group of Homo sapiens.
Recently, the human population has been recovering, though the same cannot be said for other apes. Conflicts between Neanderthals and humans are becoming more frequent, with skirmishes over feeding grounds and territory.
When I arrived at the site, the local humans were, unsurprisingly, fighting the Neanderthals again.
My arrival froze the battle in an instant. Slowly, I morphed into my humanoid form—this time appearing as a male. With the help of my soul through The System, I scanned the area and pinpointed the exact spot for the Obelisk.
Before I could start, an ape attempted to strike my face with a stone.
"..."
The stone hung in midair, caught in my telekinesis. I narrowed my eyes at the soon-to-be-dead ape.
"Typical Neanderthal behavior."- I muttered. "I can see the difference in intellect now. The humans are analyzing the situation, while you decided to analyze it with a rock."
I flicked my tail, and the offending apes were atomized, reduced to dust, fluids, and gases—their elemental components returned to their natural states.
One of the humans shouted something, and the rest of the frightened group huddled at a distance. Intrigued by the outburst, I sifted through the leader's memories and discovered he recognized me from cave paintings he had seen.
'Let's reward his cleverness.'
With another flick of my tail, a bundle of skins and high-quality obsidian-headed spears materialized in front of him. The humans shrieked and hissed, startled, but their leader quickly regained his composure and scrambled to gather the offerings.
Taking a closer look, I noticed this tribe appeared well-fed and healthy for the era, with more children than the average group—clear signs of a thriving community.
'Perhaps this caveman is one of those lost geniuses of prehistory.'
I set that thought aside for now and began excavating a deep square hole.
Building Obelisks doesn't require much concern for terrain. At the depth I plant these structures, it doesn't matter whether there's bedrock or not. I could build one in a desert, and it would be as stable as one built atop a continental plate.
The first step is to clear the hole where the Obelisk will be placed. The quickest method is to create a void barrier shaped like the Obelisk, insert it, and then shrink the barrier while using telekinesis to stabilize the walls. Once the Obelisk is ready, I'll return the displaced material to its original position. Since the Obelisks don't occupy physical space in the material plane, they and the replaced material can coexist without issue.
For now, though, I needed to build the Obelisk itself—a lengthy process involving powdered bones and blood to create Dragon Ore for engraving.
With the hole ready, I shifted back into my draconic form, startling the curious onlookers. I began extracting my bones and blood for the construction. It sounds metal as hell, but without flesh or a sense of pain, it's a straightforward operation.
Since I resembled a dragon made of crystal, the humans didn't recoil in disgust at my pulling of bones and extraction of blood.
The process was slow. While I could have morphed into a larger form to collect the necessary ingredients for Dragon Ore more quickly, the true bottleneck lay in my ability to engrave the Obelisk with the required four-dimensional patterns.
The engravings spanned both the mundane three dimensions and the realm outside the material plane. If these were simple markings, the task would have been manageable, but I was using a runic system that Tiamut and I had designed specifically for this purpose. To put it bluntly, it was like solving advanced algebra while having the cognitive capacity of a newborn.
This was a process that took centuries, though I was steadily improving with practice.
About a month into the construction, ApeLeader—whose name was a peculiar mix of a tongue click and a low moan—approached me.
I left the task of pulling my bones out to my TK and gazed at the Einstein ape—which was flattering to Albert Einstein, this guy is closer to Playboy, Bruce Banner, and Hank Pym levels of IQ.
My enormous, color-shifting draconic eyes locked onto him. At the time, they were pink, as I had been watching Wanda fumble around in Hell through my perception streams.
"What?"- I asked, making sound through my TK.
"Would you be willing to trade?"- He replied in his language, which, unlike that of his peers, was surprisingly complex.
It appeared ApeLeader managed to understand the paintings he saw, and since normally in the paintings I'm trading stuff for people, it's no surprise he came to the hypothesis that he could trade with me.
"It depends. What do you wish to trade?"- I asked.
"The technique used on the skins."- He said. Compared to the crude hides his tribe worked with, the leather and pelts I had gifted them were the pinnacle of craftsmanship.
"I'm willing. What will you offer in exchange?"
"Fifteen young females and one male from the next spring."- He said. He is quite reasonable, I must say.
In this era, the value of a proper tanning technique was immense. Considering I had included both leather and pelt skins in my previous gift, he would be learning two techniques for the price he offered—a bargain, in my opinion.
Time passed, the seasons changed, and progress on the Obelisk continued at a slow and tedious pace.
Winter was harsh, as was typical of this era, but ApeLeader led his tribe through it admirably, with only two deaths among the "elderly." Spring came as fast as winter went and it was time to teach ApeLeader about leather tanning and fur dressing, and my new humans were born.
Since I wasn't sure which of the infants were mine, I decided to assist in delivering the entire spring batch of humans to avoid complications.
Contrary to what one might expect, the parents didn't mourn the separation from their children. Some seemed pleased, while others were indifferent, likely a result of ApeLeader's influence.
Fifteen baby girls and one baby boy were sent to the Imperium. According to The System and my own observations, they became something of a sensation. Adopted quickly, the children made their way onto social networks, where they gained immense popularity as "stars" of the Imperium.
With that matter settled, I began teaching the tribe how to dress furs, as temperature regulation was a more immediate concern than leather tanning.
Without access to metal tools, I instructed them on crafting tools from bones and sharp stones. Once these were ready, I demonstrated the proper technique for skinning animals without puncturing or tearing the hides.
Salt was a luxury and an impossibility around these times, so I went with smoke curing. The removal of flesh and fat was not that complicated with the appropriate tools, but it required practice.
Vegetable tannins, and alum—a naturally occurring mineral used in tanning—were luxuries unavailable to them in this era. Instead, I taught them brain tanning, which involved using the brain oils of the animal to treat the hide, making it pliable and waterproof.
Then came softening with some smoke and fire, which was not complicated for the Apes, but stretching and drying the skins posed quite a problem.
Eventually, using sticks, plant fiber ropes (which I also taught them to make), and stones tied to bone nails, they created a crude but functional frame to stretch the pelts. It wasn't up to my standards, but I left it to the genius ape to improve upon.
The entire process was long and arduous. By the time the tribe mastered fur dressing, a few years had already passed. I then introduced them to leatherworking, but that skill was more complex than fur dressing, and their primitive tools limited them considerably. Teaching it required far more effort and patience.
Time continued to flow, and after the first decade, I became certain that ApeLeader was one of those unrecorded geniuses who silently carried humanity forward through the ages. He wasn't just intelligent—he was innovative. Within this tribe, he invented axes, hatchets, and improved their spear-making techniques. He even refined the skin-handling techniques I'd taught him, pushing them to the limits of what his current technology could achieve.
Unfortunately, a few years later, he succumbed to a disease akin to the flu—but the prehistoric version. I buried him within the Obelisk, with the consent of his wives and children, as a mark of respect for his contributions.
After ApeLeader's passing, the tribe entered a slow decline. While his children were intelligent in their own right, they lacked his ingenuity and drive.
Of course, this wasn't my problem. I had already gained a sample of his blood for my purposes since one of the baby girls in the Imperium was his offspring. I was confident that his genius would pass on to my Duskari descendants.
By now, those children had entered puberty, and it wouldn't be long before they began contributing to the next generation of Duskari.
Time seemed to blur, and before I knew it, 980 years had passed. Finally, the Obelisk was complete. Coincidentally, a Duskari descendant of ApeLeader was assigned as the first guardian of this Obelisk.
With that task done, I moved on to construct the next Obelisk. This time, Jean joined me. She expressed interest in learning how to build the Obelisks, claiming it was to add the process to Phoenix's record.
The new site was above the Baltic Sea, so aside from the occasional fish, we had no audience.
Jean, however, quickly grew bored of the tedious task. To pass the time, she brought virtual games for us to play, which proved to be a brilliant distraction... Minus the minor detail that I didn't need distractions.
Virtual games were fascinating, especially since the Duskari often included members of the Drachatheon Therion in their stories.
"Hey, Jean, how did these guys get the flying dynamics of my dragon form so accurate?"- I asked, engrossed in a game.
In the game, I was a playable character—my dragon form, naturally. As usual, I was cast as the villain—I'm sure that has nothing to do with my role in their history. The story revolved around space and dimensional exploration, with the pantheon depicted as the antagonists, the latter point was one of the reasons it sold so well.
The mechanics were impressive; the developers had clearly gone to great lengths to capture the nuances of our powers.
"That was Death's doing."- Jean replied, smirking. "She was one of the game's sponsors, along with Wanda and Pietro. They helped collect the necessary data and even assisted with coding."
"Noona knows how to code?"- I asked, my surprise evident.
"She learned specifically for this project. She's become quite the virtual game enthusiast."- Jean chuckled.
I groaned. "I tried so hard to teach her coding, but every time, she'd distract me with sex to avoid the lessons."- Jean deadpanned at my comment.
"Oh, woe is you and your infinite torment."- Jean quipped, her tone dripping with sarcasm.
"You know, you should get laid."- I shot back. "Why don't you ask Pietro? Those two might agree if it's you—and if you let Wanda join in—they are quite frisky."
"Fuck off!"- She snapped, glaring at me.
"See? You're not you when you're hungry."- I said in a serious tone.
"Hungry?"- She asked, raising an eyebrow.
"Hungry for some cock—or pussy, I don't judge."- I replied with mock seriousness.
She responded by burning me down to my bones with Phoenix's fire.
"Overreacting much?"- I teased again, undeterred.
Her glare could have melted glaciers.
"Do you want my help?"- I offered, amused by her frustration.
"Are you trying to get Death to kill me?"- She asked, her voice laced with alarm.
"Not like that, Idiotbird. I could help find a suitor compatible with you."- I clarified.
"No, that's pathetic."- She retorted. "Besides… Seraph offered her… assistance."- Jean glanced at me as if gauging my reaction.
"Hey, don't look at me like that."- I said, waving off her concerns. "I might be protective of Seraph, but it's not because I'm in denial about her getting laid. I just have high standards for her suitor—or suitors. You don't need to worry about me, Jean. If you want to explore things with Seraph, go for it. Her male form is quite handsome, if I say so myself. I'm sure you'd be pleased."
"... Good to know. Either way, I don't need it—you're just annoying!"- Jean glared at me.
"Fine, I'll stop."- I relented with a shrug. "I just get a kick out of your situation because nothing exciting happens in our group."
"What does that even mean?"- Jean asked, her tone tinged with confusion.
"We have our own pantheon, but there's no drama!"- I complained. "Where's that one troublemaker stirring the pot? Where's our Zeus? Our Loki? A Lucifer? See what I mean? Aside from the occasional sparring match where heads literally roll, there's no real conflict. It's all too... harmonious."
"That's what's got you twisted? Why, in Phoenix's fiery ass, would you want that?"- Jean looked at me, utterly baffled.
"I don't know... drama, I guess."- I replied, shrugging again.
"You're unbelievable. Don't we already have Kitty, Yelena, and Bucky for that role? Are you sure you want them to up their game?"- Jean asked, raising an eyebrow.
"Yeah... maybe I don't."- I admitted. "I'm probably just spouting nonsense."
"I figured."- She said smugly. "No one sane wants another Kitty. Did you know about 73% of all criminals in the Imperium are her devout followers?"
"Pfft! Hahahaha! That cat is unbelievable."- I laughed, clutching my stomach. "The only reason her religion exists is because of the lawful side of her divinity."
"And because none of us would ever prosecute her."- Jean added, chuckling.
"Yeah, there's that. None of us really care much about crime."- I said with a smirk.
It was a unique quirk of our pantheon. If a Duskari committed a crime, the law handled it. If the crime was severe enough, it would taint their soul, granting them a ticket to Hell.
In the grand scheme of things, everything balanced out. Good souls ended up in Dog Heaven, while bad ones paid their dues in Succubus Hell—and not the nice type of succubus hell. Once we collectively realized this, even the most morally upright among us saw little reason to intervene or punish crime—so long as it didn't spiral out of control. Justice, in essence, was self-regulating—or is this more accurately called Karma?
That said, the Imperium was far from a dystopia. Crime rates were laughably low, and most offenses were white-collar in nature. Violent crimes were almost unheard of.
"Hey, Aragorn."- Jean said, her tone more somber.
"Yes, Jean?"
"I'll have to return to training soon."- She admitted softly.
"I see... Want to hibernate with us for another half a millennium when you come back?"- I offered with a gentle smile.
"Thank you."- She said, her voice barely above a whisper.
Despite Jean and her distracting virtual games, I finished that Obelisk a few years shy of a millennium, and then we returned to the Imperium. It was time to migrate The Ark and merge Earth's Imperium with it.
Urbes Sorores had evolved into a metropolis that seamlessly blended high fantasy, cutting-edge sci-fi, and natural beauty. The impossibly tall skyscrapers, inspired by my dark Obelisks, remained a defining feature even after thousands of years. Automobiles were a rare sight, replaced by singularity-warping portals that made travel effortless.
At the heart of the wide river that split the futuristic city, a yellowish portal encased by towering dark spires stretched toward the heavens.
This was the first open-type permanent portal of the Imperium, crafted by Seraph, Spark, Yao, and Agatha.
All preparations for the merge were complete, except for one major adjustment: extending the lifespan of the Duskari.
There were several approaches I could take to achieve this.
I could use biokinesis to manually alter their genetic code, granting them an immediate natural lifespan extension. The downside? I'd need to physically contact all 17.7 billion (short scale) Duskari.
Alternatively, I could engineer an airborne life-code modifier virus, modeled after my version of the Extremis Virus. While efficient, there was the risk that some Duskari might have immunity.
Creating a spell was another option, but constructing the spell matrix would take years of painstaking work.
After considering these methods, I settled on Life-Force—specifically, Chakra.
When The Aniki altered Kaguya, he adapted her divinity to fit Marvel's rules. One notable feature of Life-Force in Marvel is its ability to significantly extend lifespans, as evidenced by the Hand and its leaders. With Kaguya using her divinity, the propagation of Chakra through the atmosphere would be far more effective than any virus.
'Kaguya? We're ready on this side.'- I telepathically informed her. She was in her dimension with her son, Luci.
'I'm ready.'- Kaguya replied, her voice resonating both in my mind and from a clone that emerged through a Yomotsu Hirasaka portal.
"Good."- I nodded to her clone.
Truthfully, I wasn't needed here—Kaguya could handle this operation on her own. Still, I was present as a precaution since she'd never shared Chakra from her dimension with such a massive population before.
The Imperium's territory was vast, spanning The Ark, its satellite planets, and four additional planets colonized over the past millennium. To reach every citizen comfortably, Kaguya used her clones as terminals.
"Let's do this."- Her clone said, mirroring the words of her original self in my mind.
'This is the Head. To all Duskari: to receive Kaguya's Chakra blessing, pray to her during the following minutes. Those with underdeveloped hippocampuses and prefrontal cortexes—toddlers and infants—and those unconscious will be included automatically.'- I broadcasted the message telepathically.
Kaguya brought her hands together, her movements akin to preparing for wood release. A visible pulse of warm, golden Chakra spread across the Imperium, pulsing rhythmically with her heartbeat. For over a minute, the golden glow enveloped everything, then slowly began to fade.
'This is Chakra, an application of Life-Force. The more you cultivate it, the longer you'll live. With the right combination of talent and genes, you could exceed two standard Duskarian lifespans. Good luck, kids.'- I said, cutting off the telepathic broadcast.
"I blessed them with a few basic Chakra exercises along with the Chakra."- Kaguya's clone said.
"That's more than enough. Did you gain a boost in divinity?"- I asked, considering the sheer amount of faith she must've collected from this.
"Yes. I'll need time to process it, but I'm confident I'll reach the next level."- Kaguya's clone replied.
"Well, don't let me hold you back."- I said with a grin, leaning in to kiss her cheek and popping the clone.
'Drop by sometime, Luci likes your visits.'- Kaguya, from her dimension, spoke in my mind.
Life in the Imperium settled into a rhythm after that. Citizens would spend the first half of their lives learning magic, science, Chakra, and their respective specializations. In the second half, they'd work, travel the stars, participate in colonization efforts, and more, eventually reaching their end and transitioning to Abeyance.
The Drachantheon Therion shifted to more supportive and mediative roles, stepping away from the administrative duties they had previously held—though not Emma or Mindee, who remained Queen and Princess, respectively. They oversaw the construction of temples on newly colonized planets and assisted whenever a planet or star system needed relocating closer to The Ark.
As for me, I fell into a construction routine, managing to reduce my building time to approximately 970 years per Obelisk.
Millennia passed, and another convergence came. Then another, and another.
Shortly after the latest convergence, I found myself studying the only complex structure outside the Imperium on this planet: the Darkhold Castle, perched atop Mount Wundagore. This castle, crafted by the renowned architect and Elder God, Chthon himself, had the Darkhold itself carved into its walls.
There was also a carving prophesying the birth of the Scarlet Witch. The depiction was eerily similar to Wandabus—though less "demon of lust" and more "witch of madness."
Chthon had even left Elderspawns to guard the castle. These Elder Beasts, too dim-witted to notice my presence, remained in a state of deep hibernation. I was poring over the inscriptions on the walls, hoping to draw inspiration for my expanding magic system. Lately, I'd hit a rut.
(These are Elderspawns, the name given to creatures spwned by Elder Gods. These ones in particular, are N'Garai, which were created by Chthon.)
It's remarkable how accurate Chthon's prophecies are, especially given that this structure is a couple of million years old.
'Master Chief.'- Spark's voice echoed in my mind.
'What's up?'- I replied.
'We have a situation.'- She said.
'That usually meant trouble. What's the problem?'
'The Duskari made contact with a race calling themselves Älfeneel—or Harudheeniksel.'
'Dark Elves? Did a war break out?'- I asked.
I wasn't entirely surprised that the Duskari had encountered the Dark Elves. Three convergences ago, during Project Swarm, some of The Mist had slipped through the portals. Technology back then wasn't advanced enough to breach the realm walls, even if they'd managed to map some realms with nanometric markers. Still, the Duskari had never ventured beyond Midgard.
'No, no war. The regiment that made first contact was the ShadowClad.'- Spark explained.
The ShadowClad was a regiment exclusively composed of Noctelvi blessed by James, quite literally cloaked in shadows. They served under James, Mindee, and Emma as the secret enforcers of the Imperium—more akin to assassins and intelligence operatives than explorers.
'The ShadowClad? What were they doing in Svartálfheim?'- I asked.
'Mindee was returning from a business mission with The Collector. Just before warping to The Ark her ship was caught in the pulling tide from a gravitational wave of a nearby uncharted black hole. Her ship aborted warping and then slingshot around the black hole to escape the area. Unfortunately, they had been affected by the gravitational time dilation of the black hole, so when they warped again, they hadn't noticed that a few years had passed and that the next convergence was at its peak.'
Warping through space is generally safe, with some caveats:
-> You can't warp without an A.I. onboard while at relativistic speeds, since the calculations needed for that are beyond the Duskari.
-> You can't warp from proximity to a depression in the space-time mesh (black holes), though you can jump to one. Like in this case, Mindee's ship had to exit the immediate area of influence of the black hole before warping.
-> Then comes the third exception, you can't warp during the convergence, because the space-time mesh is distorted by the alignment of the Nine Realms.
'Why didn't the ship's computer stop them?'- I asked.
'Mindee was manually warping to report something urgent to Emma'- Spark replied.
'Urgent? What was so pressing?'
'The Collector had demanded her, a Luxelvi, and a Noctelvi as tributes for his collection. Naturally, Mindee beheaded him and bombed his place to oblivion. Since she knew the Collector was immortal, she rushed to inform Emma.'
'Couldn't she just use comms or The System?'- I asked.
'She was worried the message might be intercepted and backtracked to The Ark's location. Plus, this happened during that system update we did a few years ago.'- Spark explained.
'... And that led them to Svartálfheim?'- I asked, my tone laced with doubt.
'Yes. The ShadowClad made first contact when their ship was intercepted by the Älfeneel. Due to their nature, the Älfeneel were friendly toward them.'
'So, because these emo elves longed for primordial darkness, they liked the shadow-cloaked black Duskari?'
'...Yes.'- I'm sure Spark was also filled with disbelief.
'... And what about Taneleer Tivan?'- I asked, momentarily shelving the matter of the ShadowClad.
'He started a war with the Imperium two years ago. Jean put him in his place before it could escalate.'
'Sigh Why was Mindee in such a rush over a puny Elder of the Universe?'
'It was her first time taking a life, and since Taneleer Tivan's life level is closer to ours, it hit her harder than she expected.'
'...I see. Well, this is undoubtedly a situation.'
'Indeed.'- Spark replied.
I guess I will leave the study of Chthon-sensei's teachings for later.
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