The space cracked, time became nothing, logic twisted, and concepts disappeared… or so Karl thought, if he had truly inherited Acta Est Fabula.
"What are you muttering about?" Jingliu asked flatly, pressing the ice block tighter against his wound.
"Ouch—don't push it, you fu—!" Before Karl could finish, she pressed harder.
"Ack!" Karl whined, his body trembling as the ice slowed the blood. His vision blurred, his lips paled, and the weight of blood loss dragged him under. Before long, he collapsed unconscious, leaving Jingliu to tend to his wounds in silence.
---
[Alchemy Commission]
Caelus, March, Welt, and Tingyun arrived at the Alchemy Commission. Before them stretched rows of towering crucibles, each releasing streams of smoke into the air. Mara-struck monsters prowled the grounds, heavily guarding the area.
"Miss Tingyun, what's that?" March asked, pointing toward one massive crucible belching mist.
"Oh, that? That's the Crucible—used by the Alchemy Commission to create elixirs… though it's strange to see it so heavily guarded." Tingyun tilted her head, smiling faintly.
"Elixirs? That must take real skill. I've heard the process is insanely hard—so the Alchemy Commission must be full of geniuses," March said, eyes sparkling.
"Elixirs…" Welt adjusted his glasses. "Forgive me, Miss Tingyun, but what are they actually for?"
Tingyun folded her hands politely. "I'm afraid I only know the basics. They say it can be used for ailments, fevers, or even to extend the lifespans of short-lived species. But beyond that, I wouldn't know."
They pressed on, but the deeper they went, the more dreadful the sight became. Bodies littered the ground—Cloud Knights, Mara-struck, monsters, even disciples of the Alchemy Commission.
"This… what happened here?" March gasped, her eyes wide.
"Looks like a massacre," Welt muttered, gripping his cane tightly.
"This must've been Diviner Fu's soldiers…" Tingyun added softly.
Before they could react further, a scream split the air.
They ran toward it, finding a Cloud Knight soldier on his knees, clutching his head in agony, surrounded by disciples of the Alchemy Commission and mara-struck beasts.
"S-stop! Make it stop!" the soldier cried, blood soaking his battered armor.
"Foolish man," one disciple sneered. "You should be grateful. This pain is the blessing of Them. I'm saving your life."
March's eyes widened. "Saving him? That's not saving! Look at him—he's suffering!"
The disciple sighed mockingly. "So what if the procedure is… tantalizing pain? At least he won't die a meaningless death."
The soldier screamed again, begging, "Kill me! Please… end it before I turn into one of them!"
A swift kick silenced him, slamming his head into the ground.
"Ungrateful fool," the disciple muttered.
But it was already too late—black veins spread across the soldier's body. With a guttural roar, he lunged toward March and Caelus.
March drew her bow and fired an arrow of ice, freezing the soldier mid-leap. "...Sorry," she whispered as the sculpture cracked and shattered into glittering shards.
She turned her bow toward the disciple, fury burning in her eyes. "You—!!"
Pink and blue ice bunnies rained down, exploding into a storm of frost. The disciple staggered, barely shielding himself—only to be struck in the back of the head by Caelus's bat.
"Consider this payment," Caelus said coldly, "for all the lives you've stolen." The man crumpled, unconscious, and Caelus slung him over his shoulder like a sack of grain.
Nodding to each other, they continued their way until they arrived at the plaza.
"Astral Express, it's good to see you here!" The soldier who guarded the entrance greeted them.
"You… know us?" Welt said unsurely, and the guards nodded.
"Yes, Divine Fu told me that the Astral Express will arrive, so I had to memorize your face in case I forget." He said confidently at them, before moving to the side, to clear the way for them to enter.
"Diviner Fu is ahead, please. May the Rainbow Arrow guide you, Trailblazers!" they nodded at the soldiers before proceeding to enter, they immediately went to find Fu Xuan.
And when they found her, she was talking to someone. March made no effort to butt in and said, "Miss Fu Xuan, we've arrived!" March called, waving toward Fu Xuan in the plaza, where she stood in heated discussion with Cloud Knight officers.
Fu Xuan turned sharply, relief flickering in her eyes—before the weight of responsibility settled once more on her shoulders.
"Trailblazers, it's good to see you safe. I apologize for not being there to greet you," Fu Xuan said, exhaling heavily. "The situation here is far more dire than I anticipated."
"Diviner Fu," Welt began, his voice steady, "why was that crucible so heavily guarded by Mara-Struck monsters? And what was with the thick smoke?"
"Come. I'll explain as we walk." Fu Xuan gestured for them to follow, leading the group into a vast docking space.
She pointed at a colossal crucible steaming ominously in the distance. "That Elixir Crucible was seized by traitorous disciples of the Alchemy Commission. They used it to cultivate the Ambrosial Arbor, seeking to transcend mortality and achieve so-called 'immortality.'"
Her gaze hardened. "The smoke it produces corrupts anyone who draws near. Inhaling it triggers the Mara, turning them into Mara-Struck."
Welt frowned. "And what exactly triggers Mara?"
"Memory," Fu Xuan answered gravely. "Specifically—negative memories. The heavier one's regrets and suffering, the faster the corruption takes hold."
"I see…" Welt placed a thoughtful hand under his chin. "But then how can we possibly approach it?"
"That's why you're here—the Astral Express." Fu Xuan's eyes met his.
"Us?" March blinked, half nervous, half incredulous.
Fu Xuan nodded. "We of the Xianzhou cannot draw near. Our long lifespans burden us with countless memories—too much fuel for Mara's corruption. But you outsiders are different. Though you may be affected, it will take far longer for Mara to consume you. Long enough to disable the crucible."
She bowed her head slightly, her voice softening. "On behalf of the Xianzhou Luofu, I ask you—please, aid us."
Welt straightened, resolute. "Then leave it to us, Diviner Fu." He glanced at Caelus and March, who nodded back.
"Thank you," Fu Xuan said sincerely, a rare smile tugging at her lips. "You may rest for now, Trailblazers."
The group exchanged looks. Caelus was the first to speak. "Should we head out?"
"You go on ahead," Welt said, his eyes lingering on the crucible belching thick smoke. "I'll stay and investigate a safer route."
"I understand, Mr. Yang. Let's go, March, Tingyun." Caelus motioned for them to follow.
"See you later, Mr. Yang—Benefactor!" March called as they left.
As they entered the plaza, March cast Tingyun a curious look. "Miss Tingyun, you've been sticking with us for a while now. Shouldn't you be with your husband?"
Tingyun chuckled, flicking open her fan with playful grace. "Benefactors, you needn't worry. My Dear already gave me permission to accompany you—as long as I stay safe." Her smile curved sweetly. "Such an adorable husband I have~."
March glanced away with a small sigh. "It must be nice to have someone like that…" she muttered.
"It is nice, Benefactor~," Tingyun cooed, her tone just a little too perfect as they continued on their way.
—----------
At Cloudford, Jingliu stood watch over the slumbering Karl. Her heeled boots tapped softly against the ground, the sound crisp in the still air. A breeze swept by, stirring her silken snow-white hair into motion.
Her gaze shifted. In the distance, something stirred. Her hand clenched as the echo of footsteps closed in from behind.
An ice-forged blade bloomed in her palm, gleaming faintly in the moonlight. Jingliu turned slowly, her eyes narrowing at the sight: countless Mara-Struck closing in. The sword caught the light, scattering cold reflections as she inhaled deeply, releasing a slow mist.
"Come." A single word came out from Jingliu's mouth.
The monsters wasted no time. With guttural roars, they charged.
Jingliu did not falter. She bent her knees, and with a sudden burst—BOOM!—the air cracked as she shot forward.
Her blade carved arcs through the night, every swing trailing snowflakes and frost. Flesh and armor yielded like paper, her strikes smooth and effortless.
One larger beast bellowed, glyphs spiraling in its hands as it summoned a blast. But before its spell could release,
"Squirt" A steel pierced its skull. Jingliu stood at the center of the battlefield, Mara-Struck corpses littering the ground around her.
Still, more advanced, their shadows stretching across the dock. "...Annoying, when did Maras become this annoying." Her grip tightened.
With a silent leap, she ascended into the air. Behind her, an illusory moon rose, casting its pale glow. Her sword swelled, crystalline energy gathering along its edge.
She swung.
The strike became a frozen crescent, screaming across the field. The Mara-Struck braced, shields raised—but their defenses were already undone.
They didn't realize. They couldn't comprehend. A thin line of blue light split across their bodies, and then—blood erupted in fountains as their forms collapsed, cleaved apart at the very atoms.
Jingliu landed gracefully, her spin sending a storm of frost outward. Blood, cargo, corpses—everything within reach froze solid.
Everything… except Karl. Leaning against the rails, still asleep, untouched by blade, frost, or crimson spray.
"Huff…" Jingliu's breath misted in the air as her sword dissolved into particles of ice.
Just then, a dark mist seeped from her body. Jingliu's hand shot to her head as a sharp pang cut through her skull. A soft grunt escaped her lips—"Khh!"
It took a while for a dark mist to disappear as Jingliu silently clicked her tongue before she turned toward Karl, eyes lingering. With a quiet leap, she settled onto the railing beside him, silent guardian once more.
"Unbothered by chaos, even in slumber. How long can you really afford to stay asleep?" Her eyes(?) never left Karl's pale face.
She lifted her hand, fingers splayed against the air. Slowly, an ice lotus bloomed above her palm, its crystalline petals glimmering in the moonlight. Her gaze softened for a fleeting moment as she guided it downward, lowering the lotus until it hovered just above Karl's head.
"As the lotus hovers above his pale face, it casts an illumination of ascension… like a deity slumbering amidst the eternal chaos of this realm," Jingliu murmured, her voice barely above a whisper. Her eyes drifted toward the distance. "Don't you think so, Baiheng…?"
Yet only a soft breeze answered her, flattering her snow-white hair.
—--------
(????????)
At the empty void of the realm—where no eyes nor senses could reach—stood a towering man. His long gray hair flowed like dying embers, his tan body marked with a wound that bled molten gold. His gaze was fixed downward, unblinking, as golden blood dripped like threads of eternity.
And before him floated another.
Karl.
Fragile. Vulnerable. Pretending.
"Nanook is in front of me?!" Karl screamed inwardly, his heart hammering like a caged beast. His breathing quickened, though no air existed here. He squeezed his eyes shut, as if feigning sleep would keep the God of Annihilation from noticing.
But then—
Drip.
A drop of golden ichor struck his body.
"Liquid…?"
The thought didn't last. Pain swallowed him whole.
"GAAHHHHHH—!" Karl's scream split the void. Golden cracks raced across his skin, like lightning burning through glass. His muscles convulsed, his bones screamed, his soul itself writhed beneath a flame that seared and healed all at once.
"AHHHHHHHH!"
Tears burst from his eyes, trailing down a face that fractured like shattered porcelain—then mended instantly, only to break again. His blood turned molten, his veins a river of fire. His organs liquefied and reformed, again and again, like cruel puppetry.
And then came the sound.
Whispers.
Thousands. Millions. Billions.
A tide of voices surged into him, a flood of madness gnawing at his skull. Each whisper clawed at his reason, pulling, tugging, fracturing. Some were laughter, some were sobs, some spoke in languages that could not exist.
"Die."
"Live."
"You are mine."
"You are nothing."
"Become."
"Destruction."
"Annihilation."
His soul splintered beneath them, then stitched itself back together only to splinter again.
Karl opened his eyes, glassy and void, staring at Nanook who finally turned his gaze upon him. A crack split across Karl's cheek, glowing gold, then resealed. His limbs burst apart into shards, scattering into the void—then rewound, whole again.
And the cycle continued.
"Five hundred and sixty-one…" Karl croaked, his lips trembling as he counted. His voice was hollow, an echo with no strength.
Shatter. Reform. Shatter. Reform.
Every cycle longer. Every healing crueler.
"Five hundred and sixty-two…" His mind strained against the endless storm. "When will this end… I want to go home… I want to see Tingyun…"
The whispers only grew louder. They twisted his own voice against him.
"Tingyun is gone."
"She never cared."
"Why return? You belong here."
Karl shook, his body peeling open like paper set aflame, then stitching back as if nothing had happened. He gasped, his jaw cracking open too wide, teeth reforming in place.
"J-just leave me alone, you… you stupid bastard—!"
His scream ended in silence as his body detonated again, fragments scattering like dust across eternity.
And then he was whole.
Again.
"Useless."
"You've already molded HIS blood."
"Just accept it."
"Sjieiejxhd"
"Ahh uwisjns"
"+#2++$"!"
"Why…" Karl thought weakly. His mind was slipping, drifting in a haze of agony and whispers, when suddenly—
Something yanked him.
The force was unnatural, irresistible, like a hook digging into his very soul. His body disintegrated mid-pull, shredded into fragments of light—only to violently reform, just so it could be torn apart again.
Then came the laughter.
It rolled across the void, echoing in every direction, impossible to locate. Deep, shrill, mocking, joyous—like a thousand voices laughing in unison.
"HAHAHAHAHAHAHA!"
Karl's golden cracks flared, burning him from the inside as he convulsed in the air. The voice rang out again, words carried on the rhythm of madness:
"A MORTAL… ABLE TO ABSORB HIS BLOOD?! Absurd! Astounding! Hilarious!"
The laughter doubled, trebled, until it was all Karl could hear. Each laugh tore his body apart, each syllable unraveled him—yet each time he was stitched back together, perfectly intact, only to suffer again.
"WHAT A SHOW!" it roared. "HAHAHAHAHA! A broken vessel imitating divinity! A toy that refuses to shatter!"
Karl screamed as his ribs burst open like splintered wood, organs scattering into the void—before snapping back, restored in an instant. He didn't even have time to breathe before he was ripped apart again.
"I CAN'T LOOK AWAY! BROKEN! BROKEN! YET STILL YOU STRUGGLE! HAHAHAHAHAHA!"
The laughter vibrated through his skull until blood streamed from his eyes, his ears, his nose. His jaw locked, his teeth cracked from the pressure. His thoughts bled into the laughter until he couldn't tell what was his anymore.
And yet the unseen voice kept laughing.
Kept pulling.
Kept breaking him.
—-------
"AHHHHH!!!" Karl jolted awake, his body drenched in sweat, chest heaving as if he had just crawled out of hell itself. His trembling hand clawed at the railing for balance, gasping for air.
Jingliu, who had been silently keeping watch, flinched ever so slightly at his sudden outburst. Her crimson eyes shifted toward him, calm yet sharp, her tone cutting through his panic.
"Why are you shouting?" she asked coldly, as if his agony was nothing more than a nuisance.
[END]
A/N: Hi~ We finally got what path Karl will get and its destruction~, so you might be thinking Karl will become the Emanator of destruction, yes and at the same time no. Due to a special plot which I completely overlooked, Karl will now suffer every time he over uses his body, I mean what can you expect? He had no power, no cheat (leave aside the Longinuslanze Testament), nothing. A single blood of Nanook already broke Karl's mind at the same time not.
After all, just like Jingliu said, "The war between "THEM" has already started, we are nothing but a pawn on their games."
Karl is simply a normal human, so yeah. I nerfed him so badly but not Longinuslanze Testament tho, I ain't nerfing that marvelous beast. And yes, I finally decided what power Karl will get… kidding.
Anyway, this is the list of what kind of power he will get in the next, next, next chapter or who knows.
"Boundary Manipulating -- (Limit only to the user's comprehension which I also had…)"
"Echo of Collapse – The ground or reality beneath him fractures in a ripple wherever he walks in battle. (Aura Farming)"
"Ashen Rebirth – If fatally wounded, his body explodes into golden ash before reforming once. (Leaves him weaker each time.) (I think you know what kind of person is this…)"
"Paradox Rupture – His attacks ignore durability; even the indestructible will eventually wear down if he keeps striking. (SENATOR?!)"
"Fatebreaker Instinct – Resists order/control, embodying rebellion against fate. (Jackpot!)"
Your choice to make~, Ciao~!