With some luck, Daniel was given enough time to reach the interdimensional portal of Chaos’ domain, before Chaos himself could come back to it. By the portal, Daniel had encountered several of the latter’s most powerful champions, but when faced with his powerful presence and odd powers, they could do nothing but allow him passage.
Daniel was not bothered by the possibility of Chaos learning from his champions that he had escaped in his universe, after all, he would not be coming back there anytime soon, if ever.
Once back in the Trigate, Daniel spent several hours trying to find his way back. He did not know how far he currently was from the universe Der and Roley were inhabiting, so he was forced to act as a tourist, and stop unaware interdimensional travelers to ask for directions. By the tenth interaction, Daniel was able to locate the area that contained the group of universes which formed the domain of Horror.
The closer he came to Horror’s former domain, the more people Daniel had started to notice. Armies of cultivators that, representing the domain they belonged to, flooded the area in an attempt to claim the now unused universes.
As Daniel passed by them, he saw groups of cultivators clad in red robes and armors, with eyes as bright as freshly spilled blood that emanated the existential power of Sacrifice, battalions led by the highest champions of War’s domain.. Any domain that, in one way or another, could make use of the type of universe the domain of Horror used to collect.
Trying not to attract these groups’ attention, a few hours later, Daniel finally arrived at the edge of Horror’s former domain. A stretch of interdimensional portals that led to the newest universes the domain had tried to capture. That being the universe where Daniel and the late aspect of Horror had fought.
With extreme carefulness, Daniel sneaked past one particular portal, inside which he had left the horrifyingly powerful entity of Chaos, and jumped into the one he had just fought in. Like slush, the liquid portal made way for him, allowing to enter the universe without a problem.
What welcomed him on the other side were two armies, split on two different sides of the portal, each led by one of his old friends.
“Daniel! Oh.. goodness. You are fine!” Roley sighed heavily. He was happy to see his old friend come back.
While Roley had seen him oppress the horrifying aspect of Horror a few minutes ago, he was also somewhat aware of how the powers of Horror worked. Courtesy of Dewahs’ explanation. He could not be sure that, had Horror managed to escape into one of his universes, his friend would have been the one to survive.
Daniel seemed to have found the two in the middle of a heated moment, for both Roley and Der, at the moment of his arrival, were standing at the head of their respective armies, arguing about something.
Der, who seemed to have gotten the hang of keeping his army in check, had only now turned towards Daniel, and said, “It’s good to see you, kid.”
Daniel looked at the two individuals. He still possessed the memories they had shared together, but those memories did not feel his. He had no emotions for either of them, nor for the people that inhabited them.. Just a deep sense of familiarity.
“It is good to see you too.” Daniel muttered in a half-lie. He was indeed happy that they were alive, but only because of the debt he owed himself. A promise he had to keep to the young cultivator who, when forced to pick between becoming an aspect of existence, or die a human, promised himself that whoever he would become, he would take care of the people he once loved. And that included the two individuals that now stood in front of him.
Had the two died, he would have felt bad about himself.
While Roley noticed a bit of hesitation in Daniel’s tone, however, Der did not appear bothered by it. Instead, he was wearing a worried expression as he approached the champion of Karma, and asked, “Are you with.. The others? Is my daughter with you?”
He had missed his daughter deeply, but had never had a chance of finding her. This desire for reunion was accentuated by the nightmares he had been forced to experience in the domain of Horror’s powers, where he had done unspeakable things to her. He wanted to know that she was safe.
Never before had Der wanted to see Mea more than he did now, and he had hoped that she would be with Daniel, but as his old friend shook his head, he felt extremely disappointed.
“What about the others? Alis and Heimart? What about Ligart?” Roley asked right after.
“I am in contact with none of them. I am by myself.” Daniel clarified, unwilling to let the two keep throwing names left and right.
Surprised by his sudden response, Roley continued, “Do you know where they are? If they are safe?” He had felt something wrong in the way Daniel was speaking, and while he was truly interested in an answer, he also wanted to understand what had changed.
“Also, where have you been all this time?” Der added to the list of questions.
Slightly bothered by the sudden interrogation, Daniel turned to look at his surroundings, where an army of cultivators was busy in an intense staredown with an army of elementals. “We can chit chat at a later time.. What is going on here?” Daniel asked in an attempt to change the topic of conversation.
Even before Der and Roley could answer, Daniel was able to get a clear picture of what was happening. Several members within both groups were badmouthing the members of the enemy army, and contemplating whether a war would break out soon. In their tones, Daniel could feel a deep-rooted hatred. Whatever the reason the two armies had to be at each other’s throat, it could not have been something light.
As if reminded of their current predicament, Der and Roley looked at their followers.
“A misunderstanding.. One that went too far for us to mend.” Der responded with a stern tone. In his mind were the faces of the millions of people Roley’s army had killed. Be it with, or without his permission. Every man and woman, every child and elderly.. His people.
Roley was having similar thoughts.
In the eyes of the elementals, the cultivators were the invaders. They had barged into their home, and started a war of conquest with the pretext of revenge. Knowing now that that was all a misunderstanding did not matter, for his army had done too much damage. A damage he doubted the cultivators would forgive and forget without bloodshed.
Seeing them stuck at an impasse, Daniel did not say anything. He did not have a way to solve this problem peacefully, nor did he bother to try and think of one. Instead, he released the bit of karmic power that was left in his body.
As if he was a human-shaped smoke bomb, Daniel’s body started to release a faint golden mist which rapidly spread outward the moment it left his body. In a moment, both Roley and Der were engulfed by it, and a few seconds later, so were their two armies of.
Nobody should have been able to notice this golden cloud, Daniel thought, but he was surprised by the shocked expression that had appeared in Roley’s eyes. He could see it.
“What’s wrong?” Der asked the lord of the elementals. After seeing Roley’s reaction, Daniel chose to release both him and Der from the mist’s embrace, and instead, he focused on the two armies.
The moment the last of the elementals was engulfed by it, the mist slowly started to seep into each member of both groups. Those who could breath, inhaled it, while those who did not, continued the staredown, unbeknownst to the existential power that was merging with their essences.
“What are you doing?!” Roley asked as the millions of cultivators suddenly fell silent. Their eyes seemed void of consciousness as their jaws unconsciously dropped. But then, moments later, they all woke up one by one.
When they woke up, however, they seemed to lack the aggressiveness and hatred they had shown until now. And instead, they showed an immense amount of joy. “WE DID IT!!” A cultivator cheered as he jumped out of formation and hurried to hug one of the humanoid elementals, starting a chain reaction.
The intensifying noise of cheering soon became a roar as the structure of the two armies fell apart, and they merged into a single cheerful enthusiastic army.
“We beat Horror’s domain! AHAHAH!”
“You bet your ass we did!!”
While the members of the two armies rejoiced for what they believed to be a glorious day for the both of them, Der and Roley were not sharing the sentiment. Instead, they were staring at Daniel with narrowed eyes and palpitating hearts.
Something had changed with Daniel, Der thought, joining the skeptic club Roley was already part of. While Der could not see the karmic power, only Daniel could have been responsible for whatever it was that had caused the change of heart of his and Roley’s followers.
“Did you.. Did you force them to forget the conflict?” Der asked with poorly hidden anger. This was a question Roley himself was only moments from asking.
Daniel shook his head, then added, “No. I only directed their hatred towards the domain of Horror.”
Once again, Roley and Der were shocked. The Daniel they knew would have never taken the initiative to not only wipe, but modify the memories of those who had done nothing to him. That was a cardinal rule for him.. And yet, now, he had broken it without a hint of remorse.
Roley had a mind to say something, but then, before he could, Daniel turned to look at him and added, “I have seen what is in your head. I could get rid of it, for you.”
Daniel knew that Roley was not a cultivator of mental power.. he had felt it when his power came in contact with his body. He had also noticed that inside his body resided a second consciousness. One very similar to the one that had tried to consume his consciousness.. A spawn of Iewah.
Roley slowly floated away as a voice resounded in his mind, “Me and him have an agreement!” The Elementalist blurted out anxiously, worried that Daniel would take the initiative to erase his consciousness before Roley could even object.
“I will pass.” Roley said. He knew that the action of giving up his body was not an entirely selfless one, and that at the right moment, the Elementalist would make an attempt at swallowing his consciousness. Yet, there was still much he wanted to know about the Elemental System, and only one person to ask.
Daniel did not appear bothered by this refusal, as he dusted off the thought of helping with a shrug of his shoulders. But then, he added, “Very well then. Are you in control of his system?”
Roley nodded hesitatingly.
“Good. Do you mind forming a mission? I want to find the others.” Daniel asked, content with the current turn of events.
At the thought of meeting the rest of the group, both Der and Roley were ecstatic. The former really wanted to see his daughter, whom he had not seen for thousands of years.. While Roley, other than reuniting with his friends, almost hoped to leave the elemental army with the rest, so that he could continue his mission across the multiverse.
With no reason to refuse, Roley started to wonder whether a way to reunite with his friends existed, and soon enough, a new window appeared. After he finished reading through it, Roley described the content of the system’s mission, and together, the three left the universe alongside the two armies.
