Evernight, 20 years after Clay brought himself here, abandoning his family and friends. In grief and desolation. He would have succ.u.mbed to the sorrow if not for the will to not let that incident happen again. No matter the cost.
He blamed himself, blamed his weakness and blamed his lack of preparation for unexpected attacks, even from G.o.ds.
Revenge was out of his mind. Revenge could not have brought back his family, his friends, and their families. It was a task quite impossible even if he scoured every world, he could find that had advanced healing and resurrection techniques. He was the least optimistic about getting their soul back into bodies of flesh. Even if he studied and researched souls to an extreme extent, he really so no use for it.
He gave up on lofty goals like resurrecting them and instead built himself up in strength and power. Doing this, made him feel that a repeat of what happened would grow slimmer until it can no longer happen.
In 20 years, Clay had made Evernight the way it was supposed to be hundreds of years before the Lich G.o.d made it that way. The skies were bright with sunlight, the green fields and mountains were full of life and activity from countless animals and even magic beasts as well as miasmic beasts.
The human settlements grew in power and prosperity in order to defend themselves at night.
Clay arranged with the Lich G.o.d, that he would take back the day and the Lich G.o.d the night. This way, the world is balanced, and the urgency of survival would grind both parties into growth together.
And so, the day belonged to the humans, and the night belonged to the undead. The humans would toil and work to further themselves in the day, not holding anything back if there is daylight, and when night falls, the undead hunt also bring about their terror. Attacking the human settlements and castles in droves. The lesser undead were not as valuable as the higher level undead and even commander level ones, so they make them go and attack humans in hopes of bringing about other higher level undead.
With this arrangement, Evernight was reformed and was called by the humans, Solas. Clay became their G.o.d, and faith was directed towards him. For the last 20 years, Clay had been protecting them and upholding justice and fairness in Evernight. He set up a new Apollo"s Lair on the Sun"s core and had been staying there since then.
He setup an automatic smiting system which judges humans who hold evil intent and puts it into action. After which, a beam of golden light hits the offender without fail and depending on the degree of crime and offense he commits, he either gets his limbs cut off, his senses impaired temporarily or permanently, his head punched through and die. There are no warning shots or announcements. There is no need for police or temples to be built for oracles. Clay made himself overseer of humanity in this planet.
Of course, the degree of freedom the humans had was to the highest level, only crimes and offenses are judged and executed. Leaving no room for other people complain and whine.
This system had been going on for 20 years and nothing has hindered Clay"s growth in strength and authority in Evernight.
On the other hand, the Lich G.o.d had become their G.o.d and followed his will uncontested. Afterall, he was a Lich and right now, the highest order lich there is on the planet. He still stayed in the Forbidden Chamber and never accepted any other visitors unless it was his disciple Elkanor.
He had taken Elkanor as his disciple after Clay recommended her to him. Her achievements in research and undead technologies were top notch even with the Lich G.o.d"s standards. He told Clay that Elkanor had the highest chance of ascending given time. Clay did not comment and left.
While all this was happening and the world revolving, Clay was inside Apollo"s Lair in Evernight and absorbing all the radiation and energy he could and converted them into stats. He did this by continuously washing himself with these energies. His stats broke through the Billions mark after 15 years and the progress had slowed down until now.
Clay had not developed any more fun and games and just focused on the strength of his offense and the strength of his defense. Nothing else mattered.
Today marks the 20 years after Clay had come to Evernight, fleeing from Safir.
He descended stealthily and went to the Forbidden Chamber to seek the Lich G.o.d.
The Lich G.o.d felt his presence immediately and greeted him.
"Sun G.o.d, to what do I owe the pleasure of your visit?" The Lich G.o.d was cordial to Clay ever since he felt that Clay held more power than him, even though he was the senior.
"Lich G.o.d. Skip the pleasantries. Have you found any way to ascend further than just racial upgrade? Surely there are records of others ascending further?" Clay was seriously asking for a way to grow in power. He wants to find out how to become a real G.o.d.
"As I have told you time and again, even I only found records of ascending which I tried on my self and succeeded by some stroke of luck. Other than this, I hold no other means to help you seek what you want, Sun G.o.d." the Lich G.o.d was exasperated as he had already told Clay almost to a thousand times that he did not have the information he needed.
"Not unless you venture into the stars and find what you are looking for yourself, that"d be for the best. Both for you and Evernight." The Lich G.o.d continued, giving Clay an idea he himself also considered some time ago.
"I see. Then I will venture to the stars and seek what I need there indeed. While I am gone, our arrangement still stands. And my eye, will continue to execute my orders according to its commands. So, you can be sure that in due time, more disciples will come to you." Clay said only this much before he disappeared.
!!!
Even the Lich G.o.d could not trace his whereabouts and his movement as he disappeared. He was amazed and frightened. "Just how powerful had the man grown, for him to even make an ascended like me feel like an inferior race?" the Lich G.o.d pondered and shuddered at the thought.
***
When Clay disappeared from the Forbidden Chamber, he reappeared at the same time on Apollo"s Lair.
After he double checked his Automatons, no longer golems, but automatons, Clay gave another command.
"When less than 20 percent of humanity is left because of the undead, you shall mobilize and control the situation. When the situation is under control, you can go back here and watch again. This will be in a loop for as long as there"re humans left in Evernight." Clay left that command to them and slowly ascended away from the Sun. His stats had stagnated again, same with how his stats also did when he was primed for ascension. He suspected that an Ascension was in order, maybe this time, he"d achieve G.o.dhood as well.
"When I ascend to G.o.dhood, I shall settle accounts with Safir. Then I shall be able to honor the memory of my family in Alleucanth. My retainers are surely working hard in keeping the world in its place for as long as they are there.
"They"ve ascended as well, stronger than that Demon Azarael, keeping him in check would be easy. The rest of the world should also be under their thumb. At least, I am certain that they would make Claiomh Solais, a place worthy of my comeback. That is, if they do not think I died." Clay lamented.
Going into the void was an easy feat for Clay now. He merely had to operate his ability to manipulate heat and some other skills. However, as Clay needed to learn how to properly breathe in s.p.a.ce, he wanted to make his body learn it by force.
He flew into the void and started breathing in the void itself. Inhaling and then Exhaling it.
If not for his st.u.r.dy lungs and body, he would have imploded the second he went to the void. However, even the void had to bow down to his strength. No longer than 10 breaths, he heard his Ultimate skill giving him a heads up. That he learned to absorb the void into his body. Part of his lungs became the vessel for void particles which when breathed in, would go directly to that s.p.a.ce. With spatial manipulation, it was an easy feat for Clay. This gave Clay the ability to breathe in s.p.a.ce.
Having done this, he also made a s.p.a.ce for water to be inside his lungs, filled it with water through magic, and closed it off until he needed it.
Without a proper destination, Clay had to expand his perception to cover a vast part of the System this Sun had. Evernight was not the only planet that supported life it seemed. He found out that a planet two planets away from Evernight also had signs of life. That was his first stop.
Clay propelled himself at light speed towards that planet. His body unhindered by anything in s.p.a.ce, arrived in no more than 20 minutes.
Descending was no problem as well. There were no indications of intruding as he was simply too small to create any resistance in the atmosphere. Unless he flew at such a high speed while descending. Clay saw that the planet was a pure body of water. He could not detect that many signs of land ma.s.s through his Earth affinity.
The entire planet being a body of water was something even Clay was curious about. This meant that the beings that lived here and those he has been detecting since entering the atmosphere were all underwater creatures.
"Fascinating!"
Clay could not help but admire.
Landing on the surface of the water, Clay breathed in a huge gulp of air. He had been relying on his skill to breathe in the void since earlier and when he finally set foot on the planet, he found that the air, was heavier in this planet.
Without further ado, he plunged into the underwater world he detected when he encompa.s.sed the whole planet with his perception.
There were city-like structures at the bottom of the underwater world founded on the only landma.s.s that he could detect. He visited one of the cities and immediately was also detected by this world"s people. Surprisingly, they were not overly aggressive in their approach.
"Halt!"
Clay was greeted by a man riding on a giant sea creature he had never seen before. It looked like a horse that grew scales and the tail of a whale. If one were to compare it with known monsters, then it looked like Lugia but with the face of a Horsea. It was weird but also kind of expected for Clay.
After all, creatures were unique according to their evolution.
Even Clay can become some ball of heat when he releases his physical body and switches to his spiritual one.
When he heard the call to stop, it was not through the vibration in the air, rather, it was the vibration of water that was precisely targeted towards Clay. This technique was unique to the people of this planet. After all, they needed to communicate under water.
What Clay was extra curious though, was how these people along with the one who shouted looked a lot like the humans from Evernight.
Clay wanted to speak to them as well and his trusty Ultimate skill made this possible.
"Greetings! I mean you no harm. I come in peace!"
Clay chuckled in his heart as he never thought he would be the first to say this to another race in s.p.a.ce. He had only read things like this in manga and novels after all.
"Please hold. We are aware you are not from around here. However, we still need to check whether you hold any evil intent before we let you into our cities. After all, we can"t sense your strength but instead your existence only."
The one who halted Clay explained.
"Regardless, my name is Toka. I am captain of the patrolling squadron behind me. Please identify yourself and where you come from."
Hearing him introduce himself. Clay could not help but also introduce himself cordially.
"My name is Clay. I come from Evernight just two planets over from the same Solar System. How do you do?"
!!!
Hearing Clay"s origin, the captain calling himself Toka was surprised a look of admiration flashed in his eyes.
"Amazing!" Toka exclaimed.
"We shall hold you under monitoring, but you are welcome to enter our city of Shingle. I welcome you on behalf of our people." Toka gave Clay a warm welcome and commanded one of his subordinates to lead Clay into the city of Shingle.
"A small city, from its name, Shingle. Hope I can find some clues here on this planet."
***
Hearing that a foreigner came who originated from Evernight, a lot of big names in the city came to Clay to ask him about his origins and how Evernight was these days.
Clay answered them positively and told them that humans in Evernight had been given back the Sun and that they were thriving to survive even during constant danger from the undead at night.
After answering their questions, Clay also asked his own.
"Do you have any idea of other planets in this galaxy where I can travel? I am on a journey to find myself and want to go beyond my limits in traveling. It would be great if you can point me in the right direction."
After his question, the bigwigs of this city were thinking. Then they gave him their answer.
"We have to admit, even we are clueless as to other civilizations in the galaxy. As you may have already gathered from our inquiries, we are but former people of Evernight who escaped from there before the whole world was fully engulfed in darkness. That was some hundred years ago.
"We have been here for many generations already and our struggles to survive in this world was arduous and mind-breaking as well. Some even regretted coming here but look at us now.
"To answer your question. We are not aware of any other planet that may contain life in our Solar System as you put it. We are not as knowledgeable as you may think we are.
"After all, we come from the same origins. What we know, you may also already know. I"m sorry to be unable to give you the answer you"re looking for."
Clay listened to them and started to contemplate. After waiting for the speaker to finish in silence, he said,
"No, don"t apologize. I only had some hope you would be able to point me in the right direction. However, to thank you for your hospitality, I wish to grant you a gift. What I am giving you, is a way to go back and forth from Evernight to this place you now call home. You can decline if you don"t want- "
Before Clay finished speaking, some of the bigwigs already jumped at the offer in fear of Clay changing his mind!
"No, no, no, no! Of course, we would gratefully accept your gift, oh generous one! We accept! We Accept!"
Hearing them accepting his offer. He immediately asked for an appropriate place he can make a magic array on.
"A grand hall, would be preferable." Clay added.
Hearing his advice, the bigwigs immediately brought him to what looked like a place of entertainment. Like a grandstand. The place was big, and the surrounding area was a bit secluded.
Without further ado, Clay started engraving a runic magic array using the Olden G.o.ds Language.
He finished the elaborate and intricate work after 3 hours of meticulous engraving. Then finally, the finishing touch was to set a cost for each use.
This array would open a gate in Evernight"s largest human city. At the center of the training grounds. He did this so that the people there would be able to fully educate their visitors of the rules that they had to follow as well as be received properly.
Before activating the runic magic array, Clay warned them to keep quiet about who made it possible for them to travel between planets. He told them that they can study the runes and copy it later but did not recommend it. After all, it was dangerous. Saying their thanks, Clay went out of their well-built city where not even a speck of water can come inside through the vacuum-like environment inside.
He swam out of the water and started to contemplate what he was supposed to do now. Lost in thought, Clay tried to refocus and flew out of the planet in mere seconds only to find himself out of the current solar system and into another one. This time, he stayed inside the Sun of a new Solar System.
There, he contemplated his next moves. Being without direction was after all not ideal.
***
Clay was at a loss where to go, when he remembered that he could also ask some other beings about gaining more power. For example, the spirits!
Spirits were what made spirit magic possible for anyone with affinity towards them like Isaac.
"d.a.m.n! How could I have forgotten about the spirits! Even the Spirit King, Agni, invited me to have a feast with him a long time ago!"
"Let me just summon him again then?!" Clay exclaimed.
After doing the ritual summoning, the flames of the Sun and its heat seemed to intensify under the influence of Spirit King Agni. When he saw Clay looking up at himself, he was surprised and indignant, because he clearly remembered something unpleasant!
"How dare you human! You dare to renege on the promise we made when you first summoned me?! I ought to kill you right now!"
Angrily shouted Agni as he brought his giant face closer to Clay"s.
Feeling the anger of Agni, Clay thought about their agreement that he had clearly forgotten as well.
"I promised him to bring him a contract worthy of his power. I had in mind to let Mor have him as his spirit, but I forgot about it. s.h.i.t!"
Clay thought hard and almost face palmed himself.
"I apologize King Agni; I seem to have forgotten about it. However, today, I can fulfill your requirements and become your contract! What do you say?" Clay wanted to at least alleviate the King"s temper by offering himself.
"You are indeed adequate, but why did you take so long to realize this?" Agni clearly wasn"t questioning Clay, rather, he was mumbling to himself like a pouting child.
"Please accept my sincerest apologies and please make a contract with me. This way, we can converse properly!" Clay proposed and hoped that it was not too late for them both. After all, they were alike in the sense that fire and heat were their affinities.
"d.a.m.n you! Fine! I shall make a contract with you now. After which we will have a feast! After all, it had been so d.a.m.n long since I could fight to the fullest! Har Har Har Har!"
The Sprit King, Agni laughed out loud and immediately started the contract forming ceremony for him.
Each Spirit King had some form of ceremony to accept others as their contracted. Kings were lofty after all and not just anyone can gain their favors. Agni"s contract ceremony was the most lively of all as he would take his potential contract to the Spirit Realm and fight with the potential contract.
Once the fight is started, it had to be finished by either one surrendering. The type of contract formed then would depend on who won the battle. If Agni wins, he"ll be the master and he"ll keep Clay in the Spirit Realms, however, if Clay won, he"d be the master and he can keep Agni at his beck and call wherever I the mortal plane.
What Clay had yet to notice, was that Agni was made in contact with on Alleucanth"s universe. Evernight was not on the same dimension, as he confirmed with the s.p.a.ce-Time Magic he had mastered. The moment he realized this; he would flip on his head.
Without warning, Agni waved his arm and caught Clay in his grip. Clay was relaxed and not at all alarmed as he knew Agni had no ill intent. He let the giant spirit take him and transfer places, to the Spirit Realm.
When Agni changed the venue, Clay had not closed his eyes, but it was as if he was shrouded in fog which disabled his ability to sense or make sense of where he was.
After a second of staying still, Clay had found himself in another world.