Seeking The First Orb

Trent pushed open the huge doors of the monument, and they swung wide immediately, revealing a large hall with a few seats, resembling a church. Trent deployed his lightsaber and stepped into the semidark expanse. On glancing around, he could see Darth Executives whimpering on their knees along the aisle. Trent studied them and their black coats before glancing up to see the multiple levels of the monument, all crowded with Darth Executives—their major race was Elvarian.

Trent lowered his gaze to the altar after feeling a surge of energy emanating from it. It wasn't Mana, but just energy, and he saw an Executive hurrying to pick what it was and flee with it. The elf climbed the three steps and gripped the brown box on the pulpit stand but met his fate immediately as Trent simply glanced at him, causing him to catch fire.

The place dropped into silence as Trent walked down the aisle, with Executives kneeling at every corner. He knew whatever that thing was, it must be powerful because every step he took felt like breaking through an Essence-forged security mechanism. "Puny," Trent said, climbing the three steps and touching the brown box the elf had wanted to carry away.

'Hmm, this box is built with Mana,' he pondered, inspecting it before placing a palm on the surface and releasing an interior burst that quickly dismantled the box, its sides falling off. Trent couldn't believe his eyes as a green glowing sphere landed on his palm just as the box deteriorated away.

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Name: Orb Of Permanence

Nature: Celestially Forged (Neither Essence nor Mana; a rare group of objects)

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Trent couldn't believe it! 'I found it!'he screamed internally, glancing around at the Executives. "I found it!" he said aloud, holding the bright, green orb high for everyone to see as it illuminated the semidark monument. 'I really can't believe this is it!' He brought the Orb of Permanence closer to his masked face, studying the sparkling energy within. 'I wonder what it's for.'

"It is for destruction!" A voice boomed.

Trent, engrossed by his successful discovery of the Orb of Permanence, didn't notice when someone barged into the monument. The presence carried a Mana level close to his own.

Trent turned his attention to the figure standing by the door. It was undoubtedly a male behind the black coat, and it must've been him with such an authoritative voice and accent—one Trent hadn't heard since his arrival. The male's face was hidden behind a mask similar to Trent's, but this one was designed to resemble an expressionless face. He held what looked like a baton, and several others stood behind him, wearing similar masks.

Trent didn't need to be told that these were Aetherians, and the male in the center was the Darth Lord he had sought. It was unmistakable; his accent was unfamiliar, their stature too fit for Infernians, and much taller than elves. In conclusion, they had the physique of humans if Trent were honest.

"Step down, Nightingale. You do not want to make use of that Orb," the leading male commanded.

'Oh! So, you know my name. I guess I'm quite popular here.' Trent glanced at the Orb again. "May I ask what you have been keeping it for?" 

"Away from you," the Darth Lord replied, his voice sounding synthetic due to the mask on his face. "Away from the goddess' avatar."

Trent couldn't help but [read] the Darth Lord with the help of his System. He wanted to know how powerful this male was and what he had to do with The Turmoil.

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Name: Hakemeer Duvan

Race: Aetherian

Role: Darth Lord

Manifestations: One hundred and sixty -·-πππππ-·-

Beasts Tamed: One

Essenced equipments: Forty

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'What?!' Trent exclaimed in his mind. 'One hundred and sixty Manifestations is crazy!' 

"Please, drop the Orb, Nightingale. You do not want what will happen to happen," the Darth Lord said.

Trent slowly shook his head, upholding the Orb into the air. "Where are the humans?" He asked.

"Excuse me?"

"Don't play dumb with me, Darth Lord. Where are the human gamers that have made contact with you?" Trent demanded, chanting the ritual to activate the Orb of Permanence.

"You're making a mistake, Nightingale! You're on the wrong path! Don't activate that Orb!" the Darth Lord yelled, but Trent already had a Mana-forged shield surrounding him.

Ignoring the warning, Trent tightened his grip on the Orb of Permanence. The spherical surface pulsed with increasing energy as he channelled more Mana into it. The Orb activated, and an explosion of light erupted from it, casting a blinding illuminance throughout the monument. 'Woah.'

'He has done it!' The Darth Lord cursed within.

The Orb levitated from Trent's hand and began to spin rapidly as swirls of energy spiralled out like an orbit. Then, the spiralling energy shot out from all sides of the Orb, zooming out of the monument and into the atmosphere of the Paradox. The energy spread across all regions, both inhabitant and gamer locations, blinding everyone and everything with a flash of green.

In the underworld of the Rebels, their leader saw the massive swirls of light coursing through the Paradox and stretched his arms joyfully. "May thy will of the goddess be done."

In the busting cities of the Square, every indigene could feel a sudden shift. Those who were moderately Mana Keepers and Essence Channellers could feel conspicuous change within them as the chaotic green energy plague everywhere. The millions of human gamers felt the sudden shift as well. In fact, they were the most to be affected with the activation of the Orb Of Permanence.

The spiral energy of the Orb completed its revolution through the Paradox before converging back toward Trent. It glowed one final, brilliant flash before settling into a steady hum and dropping back into Trent's hand.

[Completed Goddess' First Mission: Acquire The Orb Of Permanence]

[Orb Of Permanence activated!]

[Possess Orb Of Permanence?]

Trent replied positively, and the ball diffused into him, leaving his Crimson Knight figure alone on the stage.

Trent looked at the Darths and saw the Darth Lord shaking his head. "You have changed the Paradox irrevocably, Nightingale."

"That's why I was sent here—to wipe the chaos."

"You are the chaos. The goddess brought you here for chaos! The Orb you activated is responsible for merging realities together. As it happens, you've just made human gamers permanent indigenes of the Paradox!" The Darth Lord proclaimed, stretching his baton, which liquefied into a dual-bladed scythe.

Trent mused over the Darth Lord's words. 'Is that why it's named Permanence?' he asked himself.

"I will kill you and undo this predicament you have placed," the Darth Lord boomed. 

However, at that moment, Trent was more interested in getting his own share of the pact he made with the goddess. And as it happened, Claw that he had sent to view over everything had just reported the presence of zero Mana Keepers in the Darth Society, in other words—human gamers.

The Darth Lord started to advance menacingly towards Trent when suddenly, he transformed into a cybernetic bird, his figure vanishing. Trent had switched possession with his bird and was now more than ready to kill those who had killed him and his family.