Chapter 58: Wary of Ares... And Perhaps Rightly So

Astraeus gestured to a dimension, one that Ares immediately recognised as his own as he was being shown Appa bobbing around and playing with Leo in the garden. "The discovery of Xhilihx was an accident and is related to both the Primordial Blade and the forming of your dimension. You see, the pillars continued to create dimension after dimension. They would watch on as life sprouted before gifting intelligent lifeforms their power, some of whom would go on to become 'pseudo-Gods' within their worlds. They weren't real Gods as the pillar affinity that could be bestowed to an individual not in the same dimension was limited. The pillars lived in the void so, unless they created another being similar to myself, one that could also live in the void, there would be no more champions or Gods. If the pillars relocated to one of the dimensions they created, then it would have been possible, but it was unnecessary. The pillars cared more about creating dimensions and that task would become far more difficult were they not present in the void. To put it simply, they were like a horse with blinkers, focused solely on their natural instinct and nothing else. One day, the pillars attempted to create yet another dimension. Although I made every effort to keep it stable, it simply vanished and, in its place, Xhilihx burst out of the void. Xhilihx is capable of blending and merging with the void, so it had gone unnoticed. The dimension that spawned on top of it awoke it from its dormant slumber. The pillars fought against it, eventually managing to barely repel it thanks, primarily, to the fundamental pillars which had also hitherto been in a dormant slumber. When they sensed a disastrous foe, they awoke and combined their efforts to push Xhilihx back. It was later discovered that Xhilihx was travelling the void, gorging on defenceless dimensions and reaping billions of lives in order to grow stronger. I then made an effort to gather as many dimensions as possible and attach them to myself in an bid to save them, but I can only safeguard so many at any given time. To this day, Xhilihx is still wandering the void and devouring dimensions that I cannot protect. One day, he will become even stronger than both the pillars and I; and then there will be nothing left to stop him. The pillars foresaw this outcome and came up with a solution. They would create a new dimension from scratch and inhabit it themselves. This way, they could imbue the creatures that spawned within that same dimension stronger affinities, thus creating actual Gods. These Gods would be tasked with aiding the pillars in repelling Xhilihx, even if they weren't capable of killing it. They would buy time until the fundamental pillars chose their own champions. This was a process that could not be taken lightly, a fundamental pillar granting its power is a monumental event. The devastation that could be wrought if the fundamental pillars chose an incorrect host was no to be trifled with, so they took their time and waited patiently. I should note that the fundamental pillars agreed to select a champion from the same era to avoid any potential mishaps. The fundamental champions are strong individually, yes, but you will be stronger together and capable of keeping each other alive if need be. That is why you are all roughly the same age. As for which pillar had the luxury of picking first, that was given to the pillar of destruction for two reasons. Firstly, it is the strongest pillar and there is no competition. The trade-off for an inability to create is an unrestrained ability to erase. Given the nature of our predicament, the destruction pillar is easily the most valuable pillar as we need Xhilihx to be destroyed. Even if the other fundamentals had to pick a champion lower in quality, it was worth it to give the destruction pillar pick of the litter. The other reason is because the destruction pillar is highly intelligent. No one quite understands why, but the destruction pillar is not driven solely by emotion, it is capable of logical thought and reasoning..."

Ares snorted to himself. YOU don't understand, I do.

"... I mentioned earlier that the other five pillars never attempted to create anything... That is only partially true. They tried once, and yet, before they made any progress, the destruction pillar wiped out all of their work, presumably to prevent anything from going wrong, thus displaying its foresight and ability to rationalise. As for the destruction pillar's champion, it spared no effort in creating you. In fact, everything you are is a result of the pillar's patience and planning."

Ares already knew this, but still he feigned ignorance by raising his brow and questioning, "How so?"

"The answer to that is two-fold. For starters, the Primordial Blade. Back when Xhilihx was awoken, the universe that 'vanished' had, in fact, been eaten by Xhilihx. In an act of pure ingenuity, when the pillar of destruction awoke, it barely made it in time to imbue Xhilihx with mana. As you are aware, when mana and nothingness are present, merging is possible. Xhilihx is a creature born from the nothingness of the void so, when adding mana to his system, the dimension he was digesting merged with the sheer abundance of nothingness within Xhilihx, thus creating the Primordial Blade. The weapon is essentially a combination of an entire dimension, mana from the pillar of destruction, and nothingness straight from Xhilihx itself. It is, without a shadow of a doubt, the most powerful, non-sentient object in existence. This was step one in your creation. As I'm sure you've figured out, the dimension you currently reside in was created, shortly after the awakening of Xhilihx, to house the pillars. The birth of your dimension was not happenstance, nor was it anomalous, it was intentional. Decades passed and, slowly but surely, life evolved. Gods came and went, either because they were murdered or they handed down the position, as did various other races. Of particular note is the revenants. A wolf who had obtained immortality and a phoenix with the power of rebirth copulated, and thus was Dominus, the first ever revenant, born. The two parents were sent back to their respective tribes for punishment for breeding outside their race, and baby dominus was sent into the outer world where he eventually became rather infamous for his deeds. However, there is more at play here. Although only tangentially relevant, I should inform you that the Gods and the dragons utterly despised the revenants; and it was they who spread various unsavoury rumours about your race including your propensity to usurp control. As the revenants became more and more prominent, the dragons and the Gods felt uncomfortable with giving their race a seat a the table at the top of the racial hierarchy. Gods were immortal and had the longest history, thus they possessed 'wisdom'. Dragons were noble creatures with power that could even overwhelm the Gods on occasion, thus they possessed 'strength'. Until the revenants came along, there were no races that 'possessed' any other meaningful qualities. The phoenixes could revive but there was a limit so, when the revenants were found to be perfectly immortal, the general consensus included them as powerhouses in discussions alongside dragons and Gods. The Gods and the Dragons resented the addition of a third 'power', they already detested one another as is so they worked together to spread malicious rumours. Dominus, at the time, was none the wiser. He was lascivious, yes, but he truly didn't care for the power he wielded otherwise why would he spend all his days attempting to kill himself? Even in the wake of his death, the activities of the revenants were greatly over-exaggerated. I think you'll find that even Atria's situation is not quite what it appeared to be, but you can ask around your home planet for that story."

Ares was actually interested in this as it was something that hadn't been included in the information he received prior. It wasn't really relevant to the big, overarching problem, but he was still curious as there was no way he was going to be able to avoid it. He had to go through the domain at some point and open things up, so he would invariably have to try and solve the issue anyway. Still though, that was a long way aways and not a priority right now.

"As for why I'm telling you this, you have a mixed lineage. You are primarily a revenant, yes, but you have dragon blood within you. One of your ancestors made peace with a dragon and created a family of which you are a descendent. Your entire family line has draconic genes that have remained untapped. For all but you, this power will never awaken. It requires a strong bloodline that is impossible for most as well as strong enough magic. Dragons inherently have pure bloodlines as well as large pools of mana and their fire breaths, so they fit the bill intrinsically. Some revenants have had strong bloodlines, but the magic half of the equation was unfulfillable. Your destruction magic can do it. When you reach bloodline awakening, destruction mana will be embedded into your blood and awaken the draconic blood in you, causing you to become somewhat of a mutant. This is a guarantee as I believe you've already awakened the ability to talk to animals? This comes from the draconic lineage and there is yet more for you to discover later. As for what will happen to your revenant form... I cannot say what you will become. Your situation was unique enough to begin with, as you are the first to combine a dragon and revenant's bloodline, but to add onto it all, you're an 'Adept'."

Ares had heard the term 'Adept' in passing when reading various books but he'd never found an accurate description of them as they were quite rare. There was so little information on them that he didn't even realise he was one, whatever they were, so this was actually going to be useful information he probably wouldn't be able to get his hands on anywhere else. "What does that mean?... Does it have anything to do with me being unable to increase my physical strength normally like other cultivators?" This was a problem that had been plaguing Ares for quite some time now. He was happy enough with destruction magic, but lacking physical strength was going to make his life hard.

"Precisely. Only those who belong to races that can transform can become an Adept, that is a prerequisite. As for what it means, quite simply, it locks the cultivator out of improving a specific aspect about themselves. For some its speed, for others intelligence, etc... No matter how hard you try, you will never be able to increase your specified trait beyond the average amount for a cultivator at your level. No matter how much you train, no matter how many treasures you consume, nothing will work."

"That sounds atrocious, no? If the pillar of destruction could have picked anyone in my family lineage, why go for me if being an Adept has such a massive downside?"

"That's because, actually, being an Adept is typically seen as a positive thing. It's not strictly worse than normal. In fact, it's somewhat akin to the difference between a dryad and a mecha dryad; although Adepts are far, FAR rarer than mecha dryads. While your normal, human form cannot gain strength, any strength you would have gained does still apply to your transformation; in this case your revenant form. Not only does it still apply, but it instead applies at a rate that is over 10x more effective. Additionally, Adepts cannot cast non race-based arts. In your case, you would be able to cast revenant arts while transformed, but not destruction ones. This is because all of your destruction magic will, instead, be channelled into your Adept trait, strength. In short, between your draconic mutation, your Adept strength trait, and your destruction magic powering your revenant form, it is going to be powerful to a degree that even I cannot truly comprehend. It may even be more fearsome than your human form with full access to destruction magic. Your physical strength at the moment is uninspiring, but when you gain the ability to transform your physical prowess will be categorically unrivalled. You are essentially a new breed that has never existed before and will never exist again. Fundamental pillars are strictly limited to one champion at a time, and you are immortal. Until the end of time, there will never be another revenant, dragon, and God hybrid. Only you can become such a thing thanks to the meddling of the destruction pillar. Your existence frightens me, if I'm being truly honest. The day you become a God you will be unstoppable with the tools available to you, including your weapon mastery from Dominus. This was also a result of the destruction pillar's schemes. Dominus never truly died, the pillar of destruction simply weakened his soul, after he 'killed' himself, and trapped him within the Primordial Blade where time was stopped. The pillar held onto the soul so it could effectively bestow weapon mastery to its champion. When you began cultivating, the Blade ran you through, integrating Dominus within your blood and soul, perfecting your entire being. You have a draconic mutation in your bloodline. You are an immortal revenant. You are an Adept. You will become a God. You have unmatched weapon mastery. You have unmatched potential for physical strength. You wield the strongest magic of them all. You are the ultimate being, there is no other way of wording it, and that is why I am fearful. If you go astray, there is no stopping you. You could wind up being more problematic than Xhilihx, but I trust the destruction pillar. It was clever enough to engineer your creation, I can only respect its decision. I hope whatever it saw in you comes to fruition. To that end, I will aid you to the best of my ability, partially because Ignizz is clearly not doing his job, and partly because I hope my guidance can help keep you on the right path."

"Well I'm certainly grateful for the assistance." If a God was offering to give Ares a helping hand, he wasn't going to say no; especially if it was going to be in the form of a contract... And with Astraeus, the strongest God, no less. "What about Ignizz though, will that not complicate things when he wakes up?"

"No. The way in which I plan to aid you, via a contract, is not limited in the sense that you can form multiple contracts if you so desire. Just to give you a quick rundown, according to the contract, you will occasionally be able to summon me to your location. My power will be limited by your cultivation, but I may temporarily aid you in whatever way you deem necessary until the duration of my summon is up, at which point I will return here. Normally, contracts with Gods are rare but, for a fundamental's champion, the Gods will almost never deny you unless they are contracted with another champion already. Also, as I am far stronger than the others, and because I have a duty here in the void, the frequency with which you can summon me, and the duration of my stay, will both be limited more than usual. This is a minor trade-off when considering what I bring to the table and the protection I can provide when summoned. When Ignizz awakens, you ought to be able to form a contract with him and summon him more frequently in my stead. There is no detriment to forming the contract on your end, so I ask that you allow me this. Both so I can keep you safe, as your life is invaluable to our cause, but also because I would greatly appreciate a change of scenery every now and then. I have been stuck in this void for far too long, after all."

"Sure. I mean there's no way I'd ever say no to a contract with a God, that's a given. I'm guessing, based on what you just told me, you've never formed a contract?"

"No, and I've also never met with the other Gods. I am aware of them, and they are aware of me, however, so if you ever summon me in their presence, expect it to be awkward."

"Really, why?"

"I am somewhat revered by them. Perhaps it is due to the duration of my Godhood, perhaps it is because I am the strongest. I do not know, but I am aware of the respect they hold for me. Either way, let us sign the contract, shall we?" Astraeus 'blinked' and parchment appeared from a portal directly in front of Ares before unfurling. Ares skimmed through the fine text, found nothing untoward, and cut his skin to let blood flow onto the contract. The parchment was lit on fire before burning to a crisp. "It is done. The art required to call on me is an art of the 'contract' aspect under the 'reading rites' pillar. As with all arts under the reading rites pillar, the chant is long but the art is powerful. It is as follows, 'I call on thee O' purveyor of worlds and keeper of stars. Come forth, lord of planetary rule, Astraeus.' Remember it well."

"Already done and dusted." Ares committed the art to memory as this was a big one. Even if he could only summon Astraeus every couple of months and for a few seconds at a time, the offensive and defensive power, as well as utility, of the God of space and time was ginormous. Realistically, there wasn't many problems Astraeus wouldn't be able to solve if he was available. Combine that with the Ignizz contract... Whenever he woke up anyway, and Dominus, and Ares had quite a few life-saving tricks up his sleeve.

"I would recommend not summoning me until you square off against the pillar of creation's champion during the tournament."

"So he'll definitely be there?"

"Yes. The fundamental pillars are powerful, competitions of this calibre are a breeze for you all. He will definitely make it there. As for summoning during your match with him, it would be wise to use me to block Terra, the God of earth. Using me earlier in the tournament and not having me be available for that would be quite the disadvantage."

"Yeah, that makes sense, I'll do that. Be ready to say hi to a fellow God."

"Unfortunately, I will be too busy killing him to say hello. Still, perhaps I should consider greeting him in some manner? I truly had not considered this... That aside, do you have any questions?"

"Yes, actually, how do you know all of this? For someone trapped in the void, you know an awful lot about me and my dimension."

"That's rather simple. When you become a God, you gain full control over your affinity. For instance, Terros may shape earth freely without mana, and earth based magic doesn't affect him in the slightest. Part of that absolute control allows us the see through, and communicate through, our respective affinities to an extent. The pillars also have this ability which is how we communicate with one another, typically. As I am the God of space and time, I may peer into essentially anywhere that isn't directly within this void. Every inch of every dimension is constantly within my purview. I have watched your dimension for quite some time and seen a lot of its history, that includes you. Fret not, however, I do not invade your privacy when you spend time with the missus."

"... I hope not... Anyway, does that mean you know about my family? Is there anything you could tell me about them?"

"I could, but I won't. I, for the most part, take a non-intervention approach. That being said, you will find out everything you wish to know very soon, that I assure you. Any more questions, or will you be off?"

"Just one more. What's up with the Primordial Blade's interference between the domains?"

"Ah yes, that. It's been rather inconvenient for the Gods, you know? Even I have trouble viewing what goes on beyond the interference. Ignizz and Terros, in particular, had a rough time getting their clones to you and Mako because of it. The answer is simple, the destruction pillar didn't want Dominus' soul to escape from the Primordial Blade and flee. The interference kept Dominus locked in the immediate area, ready for him to be put into the champion the pillar chose. Like herding a sheep, you could say. The area chosen was fairly self-explanatory as it held the greatest number of revenants with a draconic bloodline. From there, the pillar of destruction waited until you were born. Of course, when the Primordial Blade was handed over to you, so too was control over that interference. You are not yet strong enough to wield the Blade and fix the issue, but you will be in time. Whether that will be a boon or a curse remains to be seen."

".... How so? Why would removing it matter, other than being able to climb to higher domains, obviously."

"The rest of the world is far more informed than your little collection of domains stuck within the interference. They know most, if not all of what I've told you as it does concern them too. To that extent, the fundamental champions residing out there have become quite famous and are well liked by the common people. They are going to save their lives after all. The other fundamental champions have lived very easy lives and been showered with cultivation resources from the moment of their birth. Why would anyone ever try to impede the progress of someone as important as that? Naturally, when you remove the interference and start interacting with the rest of the world, that favourability will also be directed to you. Plus there is a wide range of treasures and cultivation resources that do not exist within the tiny confines of the domains currently available to you. It may take a while for the people of these domains to comprehend all that which you've now been told, however, as most of them are blissfully unaware of a majority of what I've just told you. The Blade's interference has kept them out of the loop for a long time now and reintroducing them to the world will be a shock to their system, I imagine. That will be your boon, popularity and favouritism. Plus you can meet and work alongside the other fundamental pillars, all of whom are powerhouses. As for the curse, well, believe it or not, there are some who like the sound of complete extinction, for whatever reason. They will impede and attempt to kill you. There are also those jealous of your powers, and that is not strictly limited to mortals and cultivators, even some Gods are not too pleased with the power you wield being superior to theirs. In short, for every person who will be happy to see you, there will be at least one who will want you dead. Maybe not you, specifically, mind you, as you are an unkillable waste of time, but the others? Definitely; and you will be expected to aid them and help keep them safe, just as they will do for you. Currently, an organisation of sorts has been created to band the fundamentals together and send them on various important missions here and there, either for the sake of keeping the peace, or for directly training them. You will be approached by this organisation when the Blade's interference is removed and I would highly recommend joining."

"I see... but that's not going to be anytime soon. There's still a lot I have to do in the next few domains. The list isn't small."

"That's acceptable. As long as you are raising your cultivation, it doesn't particularly matter where you are or what you are doing. Still, it is in your best interest to move things along as fast as you can to get access to better resources. On that note, now that you've asked your last question, I have one for you... W.h.e.r.e w.e.r.e y.o.u l.a.s.t n.i.g.h.t?"

Ahem

"Apologies, I unintentionally slipped back into my old dialect. I'm simply asking because you seemingly disappeared and I couldn't find your location. I assume that means you were in here somewhere?"

…

After a moment of silence, Ares chuckled. "Yeah, I guess I sorta sleepwalked my way in here. After I woke up, I was about to leave until I detected you so I came to investigate. I'm guessing you couldn't see me in the void because there's no space here, so you can't track me, right?"

"That is correct, yes. Again, I was simply a tad perplexed. Although I figured as much, I just wanted some reassurance on the matter. Well, I thank you for your time and for listening to me prattle on. It was an important conversation, however, and I believe good has come of it. Feel free to stop by if you have any more questions and I will be sure to answer them to the best of my ability."

"Yeah, much obliged. I'll be seeing you then." Ares turned around and prepared himself to shift away. "Oh..." Ares swivelled his body and face Astraeus again. "... Yeah, I'm probably going to show Enyo this place, so don't be too freaked if I disappear again."

"Now that I am aware you may enter and exit this place freely, I will no longer concern myself with your disappearances. If you are not within my sights, then I will assume, logically, you must be here somewhere."

Ares gave a thumbs up and a wink before Shifting away.

…

…

…

"Hmmm." Astraeus sighed to himself as he stared off into the distance where Ares had gone. He wasn't too sure how to feel about Ares... And he most certainly didn't like that Ares could hide from him within the void... I suppose there's nothing to be done about it. I just pray he is truly on our side. If he becomes enamoured with destruction and wants to end it all... W.h.a.t t.h.e.n?