The grand doors of the Hall of Fate swung open, revealing an expanse of void within.
In the profound void, streaks of light occasionally zipped across, casting brilliant silver metallic components into view.
As Prattick and Habus stepped inside, the light in the void noticeably increased, gradually illuminating the entire interior of the hall.
Within the void, a strange machine floated, its countless curved arms rotating slowly along invisible trajectories around a fixed point. Each arm moved at a different speed and on a different path, with some intersecting, yet none ever collided despite the complexity of their interwoven paths.
No one knew what drove these arms or by what rules they operated. They seemed simple, yet profoundly mysterious, even causing a mighty being like Habus to feel dizzy after prolonged observation.
Prattick sighed, “I must say, the power of nature is truly wondrous. I never imagined there could be something like the Fate Instrument. Merely relying on the mysterious forces inherent in the void, it can sustain itself and reveal the fundamental patterns of fate.”
Suppressing his discomfort, Habus carefully observed the Fate Instrument, feeling a faint sense of understanding. “Your Majesty, all these years, you have avoided steam power and primordial force arrays to better harness the power deep within the void?”
“Exactly,” Prattick nodded.
Habus, pondering, said, “Does Your Majesty wish to take another step forward?”
Prattick smiled bitterly. “Who wouldn’t? You, I, aren’t we all striving for more? Unfortunately, our blood grants us great power but also shackles us. From the moment of birth, our sky is set. Finding a power to replace our bloodline’s strength is no easy task. The only one who succeeded in eons was the one who fell in the New World War.”
Habus was silent for a moment, not wanting to delve deeper. Instead, he asked, “Perhaps in the New World, it might be easier to find such a power?”
This was a common sentiment among the Night’s top powers, but unexpectedly, Prattick replied, “The New World may not hold the power we seek, and the same goes for the Night. We may have been mistaken for millennia. Wait until I introduce a young friend to you, and you’ll understand.”
Raising his voice, Prattick called out, “Anwen!”
A door opened in a corner of the void, and Anwen emerged. Through the partially open door, a strange space was visible, with a floor but no walls or ceiling. Inside, besides tables and chairs, there were countless complex and bizarre mechanical parts. At least thousands of gears meshed together, moving in ways that would make one’s head spin just to think about them.
Not only did Habus stare at the machinery, but even Prattick was curious. Anwen, ruffling his disheveled hair, explained, “Recently, the calculations have been overwhelming. My dark aura and secret techniques are insufficient, so I had to build these to assist my calculations.”
Habus nodded, looking at the complex machinery with a blank expression. Even with the power of the Fire Crown, he couldn’t discern the operational patterns. As for Anwen’s calculations, they were beyond comprehension. Weren’t Night’s strong reliant on their bloodline’s power to advance?
The term ‘comprehension’ was borrowed from the human race, implying a felt understanding that couldn’t be expressed. Why did humans place such high value on enlightenment, praising it endlessly?
At Anwen’s place, it seemed original force not only could be described but also quantified and calculated.
Habus glanced at Prattick, seeing him equally bewildered, and felt relieved. It wasn’t that the blood clan was particularly dim; Anwen was just too peculiar. Even the great prophet of the demon lineage couldn’t fathom what Anwen was doing.
Seeing their expressions, Anwen decided to explain further. After all, the chance to work in the Hall of Fate and interact with the Fate Instrument was unique, and it all depended on Prattick. Also, Anwen’s expenses in the Hall were considerable, needing Prattick’s approval.
“Actually, I’m not at the stage of exploring unknown forces… Wait, let me explain!” Anwen quickly sensed Prattick’s murderous intent.
Prattick said, “Very well, I will listen to your explanation. Since Emperor Habus is here, he should hear it too. You’ve spent a month’s worth of maintenance costs, yet you haven’t started the main process. We’re all curious about what you’ve done.”
Habus interjected, “What is the annual maintenance cost of the Hall of Fate?”
“Enough to build three Magma Castles.”
Habus fell silent, staring at Anwen, wondering how he managed to squander in days what took centuries to build.
Under the scrutiny of the two top powers, Anwen felt immense pressure. Composing himself, he said, “I can explain, but you need patience. What I’m about to say might be… difficult to understand.”
Habus, with the composure of a crowned prince, remained calm. Prattick, known for his pettiness, was incensed, his eyes flashing with anger.
Realizing his mistake, Anwen tried to salvage the situation. “In our world, there are many forms of original force. Or, more precisely, dark original force has many manifestations, and we only know a few. Bloodline power corresponds to specific forms of original force.”
This was common knowledge among the Night’s elite, the first lesson for newcomers.
Anwen continued, “But there are many more forms of original force we don’t know. Perhaps, no, definitely, what we know is only a small fraction. There are countless new forms waiting to be discovered, even in the void, where some forms exist, and we are unaware.”
Introducing the concept of manifestations, Anwen saw Prattick and Habus were not overly uncomfortable. “We can divide original force into essence and manifestation. Dark original force is, in a way, a manifestation. It must have a deeper essence.”
Next, Anwen delved into numbers and models, prompting Prattick to interrupt, “You haven’t said what you’re actually doing now.”
“Alright, if we want to break the chains of our bloodline, we need to find new forces, or more specifically, more forms of original force. Only then can we find new paths, especially ones suited to us. The path of the Blackwing King, or rather, Andua, is not for us,” Anwen explained.
Prattick and Habus nodded, listening intently. They thought the Night world had no more room for advancement, but Anwen rekindled hope. Original force wasn’t just divided into Night and Dawn; it could exist in myriad ways.
“In short, we need to find more manifestations. However, most forms of original force are beyond our perception. Some cannot be sensed through normal means, and their existence is only theoretical. Verifying their reality is extremely difficult but necessary. Only by understanding all forms of original force can we truly comprehend our world and our bloodlines, finding ways to transcend them.”
Habus and Prattick grew increasingly excited. Prattick, the great prophet, asked with trembling hands, “So, what you’ve been working on is…?”
“Yes, tools to find these forms of original force! They’re almost complete!” Anwen declared.
Prattick looked bewildered, as did Habus, the Fire Crown Prince.
“Wait…,” Prattick tried to calm down. “You mean you haven’t started finding the manifestations of dark original force, but only built the tools to find them?”
“Shouldn’t one sharpen the axe before chopping wood?” Anwen said philosophically.
Feeling mocked by fate, the great prophet roared, “You spent a quarter of the Black Sun Valley’s military budget, enough to build nine Magma Castles, and delayed the Fate Instrument’s operation by half a month, to build… tools?!”
“Not finished yet,” Anwen admitted.
“NOT FINISHED YET?!!” Prattick’s roar nearly tore the void apart.
Anwen, calm, shrugged, “Now that the money’s spent, can you stop me from finishing?”
Prattick’s face darkened. He had to let Anwen finish the damned tools.
Eyeing Anwen’s weakness, Prattick said grimly, “Fine, I’ll continue funding. But if you succeed, it’s fine. If not…”
“How so?” Anwen, suddenly uneasy.
“This cost will be on your account.”
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