Earth's Core

"So the apparition originated in New Earth…" General Beking mused, guessing what transpired for Zax to end up coming after Horn Kikon and the rest.

"You let him come!" Admiral Hamumni greeted the four in contempt.

"We could not shake him off". Archbishop Silternjan explained guilelessly. "You can drive him away, if you think you can".

"I would like to see any of you try". The black blur that was Zax, who maintained a constant speed in his pursuit after Horn Kikon, General Logan, Archbishop Silternjan and Cardinal Northstar, appeared moment after the four.

He scanned the first arrivals, but none dared make eye contact with him, for one reason or another. Be that as it may, the stage was no longer New Earth and if need be, before throwing punches, it will not be a problem to drag whoever among them to the mesosphere.

"We can"t fight him". General Logan sent the others without getting into the oath he gave Zax. "Refrain from using Sublime Soul Sense. Rely on the communicators to converse".

"What happened here, Beking?" Cardinal Northstar asked the question on everybody"s mind.

"Don"t play around". Horn Kikon warned, peeved by Zax, but with his attention on the matter at hand.

"All the Spirits in the Heavy Water Pools had gained sentience and in the process of awakening". Since they were here before she could a.s.sess the situation in the Down Ocean in its entirety, the truth was something not within her power to conceal by the devising a meaningful plan in the short timespan she had.

"Hamumni, did you really sense it?" Shaken, General Logan inquired.

"Elder sister Beking said it, so do you think I"ll contradict her?" Admiral Hamumni sneered. "If you don"t believe us, dive and check of yourself. At this point there is no need to get close to the Heavy Water Pool to probe them. The undulation they discharge spread far and wide".

"The state of affairs has gone beyond what Peak Martial Mortals can handle. We must inform the Immortals". Cardinal Northstar coveted a private session with the G.o.dly Law Template, but he did not sign on this perilous of a risk. Moreover, he could not afford endangering Stelero Mars and Sister Iaura.

"Not yet". General Beking hastened to placate the tension before one of the others will rashly sabotage this mission they all, in a way, share. "Why do you think Hamumni and me dawdling above the western coastline? If the Spirits remain docile in the Down Ocean, would there be a need for us to abort our tasks?"

"That"s a h.e.l.l of a gamble". Horn Kikon remarked. "I desire it".

"I don"t". Cardinal Northstar retorted.

"I do". Archbishop Silternjan cut his transmission and then sent privately. "You sought to partake in my mission since you realized you cannot return to the Holy Palace, Northstar. You schemed and cooperated diligently with me up till now; were you secretly so faithless to begin with?"

"I"m aware of my limits". Cardinal Northstar angrily responded. "Of course I"m willing to do whatever it takes to expand my horizon with the G.o.dly Law Template. But, have you forgotten why I was sent here? To safeguard His Young Eminence and Sister Iaura. I was picked because on this Star I can keep them from any harm. The presence of the Spirits was already a stretch past the red line. With them awakening and possibly leaving the Heavy Water Pools… Remember, you have the consequences of failure to your mission but so do I to mine!"

"All I"m asking of you is not to prematurely quit". Archbishop Silternjan implored. "Wait a while longer. To avoid an unfavorable scenario, I"ve sent Bishops to accompany back Sister Iaura and ordered for the Grand Abode to be at a standby for takeoff; it"s faster than the s.p.a.cecraft you brought".

"This is not enough a.s.surance".

"Then, we can rig the Core of your s.p.a.cecraft"s engine. It may result in a timely explosion that can deter Sacred Immortals, certainly newborn Spirits".

Archbishop Silternjan and Cardinal Northstar argued, while also listened to the debate among the other four.

General Logan weighed the pros and cons for everyone. Due to his recent breakthrough, he felt less reliant on the G.o.dly Law Template, and so he too was in the apprehensive side.

Admiral Hamumni was in the same wary group. She would do and did as General Beking because she valued her as closest kin, but she had an opinion of her own and quelling it while facing General Logan"s cons was a struggle in and of itself.

"I changed my mind". Cardinal Northstar informed the rest after getting into an agreement with Archbishop Silternjan. "The greatest thing you have to lose is your lives and currently the probability it will happen is rather high. I"m, conversely, playing with greater stakes and like any of you, for only the chance to have a divided prize. Nonetheless, this chance and that divided prize are still worth it and you all know it even better than I do".

"Then it is settled". General Logan concluded the deliberation. "Order your subordinates in their excavation"s sites to stay put. Reconnaissance could agitate the Spirits".

The silence that ensued post his arrival was short, not even the s.p.a.ce between words in non cultivators" conversation. To Zax, however, it was sufficiently long to determine that the six will not let him in on the situation, at least if he will not force them…

"Halt!" Admiral Hamumni barked at Zax as he floated down for the surface water of the Down Ocean.

"Why?" It was not an ignorant inquiry, but a blunt showing of how easily he can goad them to speak.

"Let me". General Logan sent the group. "Because there were dormant thing in the water that now are awake and should not be tempted to come out… The phenomenon in the Savage Caves and a decade ago in the Earthly Crater had sp.a.w.ned Beings called Spirits…"

General Logan correlated the emergence of the G.o.dly Law Template"s aura apparition to the creation of the Spirits, rather than ascribing it to the Heavy Water Pools formation, without elaborating much on the former. Otherwise, Zax received a thorough explanation of what exactly Spirits are.

"A byproduct of the last part of the Three Locks formation in the Down Ocean…" Zax quickly connected the dots.

"For the time being we decided to postpone taking action". General Beking intersected. "The Spirits, right now, are like infants, ones whose tantrum can bring about catastrophes. If you value the lives on Ercas Mir and New Earth you won"t do something that will interfere with our measures".

"I"ll just follow you closely". Zax grinned.

General Beking frowned, but said nothing. She turned for the Down Ocean with her eyes fixated on every ripple and rustle in the water.

The rest conducted themselves similarly, including Zax.

"It"s possible that the G.o.dly Law Template will reveal its location if the last part of the Three Locks formation will dismantle. Two things might happen then… either they will contend for the template or alert their Immortals, through Sheldon and if not, disregard Sinister Chain"s threats and use their Galactic Communicators". Zax pondered what to do.

He had expected hundreds of years to pa.s.s before the three Immortal powerhouses behind the five powers will descend, but the more he learned the more he realize how unreliable was that estimation.

"Senior Gid", he sent via his communicator.

"Zax, what"s up with? Why only now are you answering?! I heard a commotion brow at the border area of the pathway in Rising City and strange vibrations dispersed across New Earth. Big brother Ariel and big sister Trey said they tried to contact you but failed and big brother Ariel claimed that he sensed fluctuations he recognized from ten some years ago…"

A barrage of restlessness stormed Zax the instant communication was made.

"Stop, Senior Gid! Give me a chance to talk!" Zax snapped and contacted Supreme Rulers Ariel, Trey and Ar Yen. "Listen to me all of you��"

Avoiding the same mistake he did with Gid Chu, Zax narrated everything that happened since he entered the chamber in the second Savage Cave and his supposition of the five powers, omitting only his personal knowledge of the G.o.dly Law Template.

"Make preparation in case of emergency. Attempt to contact the Star Scavenger, if it hasn"t gotten too far. I"ll remain with them at the Eastern Continent"s eastern coastline. Perhaps the Spirits will be a setback for the five powers… In spite of everything, they are essentially contending one another. Therefore, it"s doubtful they desire to proceed when in the same spot".

"I hope you are right". Supreme Ruler Trey expressed.

"Be careful!" Supreme Ruler Ar Yen reminded. "Stay vigilant of those b.a.s.t.a.r.ds. Don"t let them gang up on you!"

"The matter is too big for just the five of us". Supreme Ruler Ariel stated.

"Contact whoever you deem helpful, but beware, the five powers cannot notice odd movement". Zax disconnected the communication with the three Supreme Rulers. "Senior Gid, my son and nephew are journeying in Ercas Mir. Please send people to find and retrieve them to New Earth".

"I"ll get to it immediately".

"Thank you". Zax said.

He disconnected to connection with Gid Chu and opened one last channel…

"…So don"t worry". He finished describing the situation to Anet and waited for her reply.

"Alright". Although it sounded like she understood, Zax knew that her tender heart wavered in concern. "I"ll wait for Niel and Jingrow and you… I love you, look out for yourself ".

"I will. I love you, too". The transmission was over.

…

"It has been seven days. How long are we to wait?" Horn Kikon sonorously asked.

��The Spirits haven"t acted at all. Apart from one occurrence where two briefly appeared near the surface of the water, nothing extraordinary manifested in the Down Ocean". Archbishop Silternjan mentioned.

"Shall we go in or order your subordinates to examine any changes in the seafloor?" Cardinal Northstar asked.

"What are you talking about?" Zax, who floated some tens of meters away, noted the slight facial distortion of contemplation on Admiral Hamumni"s face, where otherwise, for the past several days, all six personage of the five powers presented static countenances like a peculiar variety if mannequins.

"Logan", Zax turned for the man after n.o.body answered.

"We are just wondering if it"s safe and things can go back to normal".

"And…"

"You can go back to New Earth. Tell your people that the Down Ocean is inaccessible so the Sprits won"t be bothered". Admiral Hamumni heckled. Of course she noticed Zax"s short glimpse, which made her realize it was her fault he picked up on their conversation.

"You have people in the ocean, right? Are they alive, in hiding or back to their work?" After Gid Chu"s official return to New Earth, a large portion of Sinister Chain database was disclosed to the high echelon, including the five powers" excavation in the Down Ocean.

"What should we say? A lie would not pa.s.s if he will decide to see for himself". Feeling like she offered her hand to the tiger"s maw, Admiral Hamumni regretted speaking and anxiously asked.

"Tell him the truth". It was not the answer that surprised everyone, but the one who suggested it. Horn Kikon continued. "It"s not like he will recognize the Heavy Water Pools" formation even if it will stand out in bright colors. Maybe he will even get into an altercation in a Spirit and die".

"I concur". General Logan said. "I"m not sure about the rest of you, but one of my men notified me that he accidently got into an arm distance from a Spirit and it ignored him. All we have to do is work together, see what"s happening with our own eyes and exit the ocean. From there, let time do it course…"

"We are about to check on them. Do what you see fit, just don"t involve us. The waters are hazardous, now more than ever". Saying that, General Logan headed first to the Down Ocean.