Chương 58: Heliopolis

It took only a day for Joe and the group to reach Heliopolis, thanks to the speed of his skyboat. As the vessel slowed on approach, Joe noticed that the city had undergone another new set of massive changes since he'd last seen it. The wall surrounding it now stretched far into the sky, he guessed at least a hundred metres high. It was also significantly wider, stretching off into the distance. Lining the top were what appeared to be the gun turrets Hakeem had mentioned, evenly spaced and unmoving.

A shimmering yellow mana field wrapped around the city, layered with intricate patterns that pulsed faintly.

"Wow, look at those," Peter said in awe, voicing what everyone else was already thinking. Joe brought the boat to a halt as all the turrets suddenly rotated and aimed directly at them. He held his breath, but a moment later, the weapons turned away, resetting into standby mode as the boat hovered motionless.

"I think we should walk from here," Veda said, hopping up to perch on Joe's head.

"Yeah," Joe agreed, preparing to land. The six of them disembarked, continuing the final stretch of their journey on foot. Joe carried Corel and Veda on his back, the now-familiar weight feeling oddly natural. As they approached the nearest section of the colossal wall, Joe watched in surprise as the structure warped and shifted. A gate formed before them, the mana field rippled, parting just wide enough to let the group through.

Waiting for them on the other side was a face Joe didn't immediately recognize, but then he blinked. It was… Sarah, yet she looked completely different. It took him a moment to process what he was seeing. Sarah was now an E-grade. She stood slightly taller, her frame subtly reshaped by advancement, and her features had sharpened. She'd always been attractive, but now she looked like someone who belonged on a magazine cover.

Her blonde hair flowed down her back, nearly to her knees, and she wore a sleek military suit that fully displayed her authority.

"Where have you been?" Sarah asked as she walked toward him. But she stopped abruptly, her eyes narrowing as they landed on Corel and the red serpent sitting atop Joe's head. She raised a hand, and two men stepped forward to her side.

"Please guide these three into the city and ensure they are looked after," Sarah instructed, motioning to Jane, Peter, and Ryan.

"Joe… who is that?" she asked, eyes fixed on Corel. Joe was taken aback; this was the first time he'd seen anger in Sarah's eyes.

"Sarah. This is Corel. I promise she had nothing to do with whatever has been going on," Joe said. He watched as Sarah's expression softened slightly. She pulled out what looked like a walkie-talkie and spoke into it, issuing brief orders to someone unseen.

"I'm sorry, Joe. But we need you to wait a minute. We can't just let one of the Voldura enter the city without taking precautions."

"Precautions? I'll keep her with me. She is injured. She's no threat to anyone," Joe replied. Sarah stepped closer, standing directly in front of him.

"I trust you, I do. But things are… strained right now. Too many people have already seen your approach. We could have hidden her if you'd warned us you were coming."

"Is it really that bad?" Joe asked.

"Yes. I'm guessing you've missed a lot. Where were you?" Joe explained about being trapped off-world, stuck in a white room for thirty days.

"That explains why you don't know what has been going on. Shit," Sarah swore. Her walkie-talkie beeped again, and she stepped away to respond.

"Maybe we should go and sneak back in later," Veda said.

"Fuck. Maybe we should. I don't think she can let us in," Joe admitted.

"Leave me. You can go in without me and just leave me outside the city," Corel said quietly.

"No," Joe and Veda said simultaneously.

"No, you're with me now. I'm not leaving you alone while your leg is still like that." Sarah returned with a sullen look on her face.

"I can let you in, but it's causing problems," she said. Joe then had an idea.

"Wait, is the area around your house still the same?"

"There are a few changes, but the layout is still the same. Why?" Sarah replied.

"I have a skill. I can jump us into the city unseen from here. I just need one practice jump first," Joe said. Sarah's eyes widened in understanding.

"You have a teleport skill? That would make things easier. How far can you teleport? You'd have to do it out of sight of the walls, or it might raise suspicions."

"I think I could do it from fairly far away. It's worth a try."

"Okay, let's try that. Then we can talk properly without all these eyes on us." Joe nodded. He turned and walked a short distance away from the city before he pulled out his sky boat, shooting off into the distance.

"Space jumping from here, just from memory, is very risky," Veda said.

"I know. That's why I'll jump on my own first, then come back for you," Joe replied. Veda nodded and sat beside Corel. Joe closed his eyes, picturing the area around Kai and Sarah's house as clearly as he could. He checked his mini-map, using it to get his bearings and estimate the distance. After preparing himself, he vanished into the city. He appeared in the clearing in front of the house, landing gently on his feet. He let out a massive sigh of relief.

"Holy shit, that was nerve-wracking," he muttered… then nearly jumped out of his skin as Sarah appeared beside him.

"Fuck. You can teleport? Warn me next time, you scared the shit out of me," Joe said.

"Oops," Sarah replied with a laugh.

"I have a lot more skills now."

"I see. Well, I'll be right back with the others." Joe said.

"Can you cover her until you get inside?" Sarah asked.

"Sure," he replied, vanishing again. Moments later, he reappeared with a large, covered bump on his back and quickly made his way into the house. Joe sat in one of the smaller rooms in Kai and Sarah's house, watching as Sarah served Corel a cup of tea and offered yet another apology.

"Please, I understand why my presence here is difficult. I'm the one who should apologise for my people's actions," Corel replied calmly. Joe observed the two women talking for a while. Sarah seemed more relaxed now that they were out of sight, but he still sensed a lingering tension between them, which he could understand.

"Joe," Sarah said. He blinked, realizing she was speaking to him.

"Sorry, what were you saying?"

"I was asking about that beautiful red lizard wrapped around your shoulder. Does she have a name?" Sarah asked, eyes gleaming with curiosity. She approached and tentatively reached out a hand toward Veda.

"Will she let me touch her? I really want to touch her," she added excitedly.

"You may, my dear," Veda said. Sarah jumped back, startled.

"She talks? Why didn't you say so!" she huffed, lightly whacking Joe on the shoulder. Then she began scratching Veda's ear, grinning like a child with a new toy.

"Yes, Joe, why haven't you introduced me yet?" Veda chided, giving him a soft tail slap.

"Sarah, this is Veda. You remember that egg I was carrying when we first met?" Joe said. Sarah's eyes widened.

"Here, let me." He gently lifted Veda and draped her over Sarah's shoulders. Sarah giggled and began pampering Veda with joy. Joe smiled.

"Also, congratulations on E-grade." With a small flourish, he summoned a gift he had prepared before the world fusion. Sarah accepted it with a grin and a twinkle in her eye.

"Oooo, you even come bearing gifts. I guess I can forgive you." Joe spent the next few minutes giving Sarah a full update on how he'd met Corel and their journey to Heliopolis. He only briefly mentioned the integration competition he'd won"We were all surprised by that. Did you know our world jumped four places in the ranking because of you? We are now World Ranked twenty-seven," Sarah said. Joe hadn't checked the rankings since returning from the competition.

He pulled out his personal pillar and glanced at the updated leaderboard. As expected, his name now sat at the top, above Pathfinder. Another detail caught his attention for the first time: the 'Upcoming Competitions' section was flashing. It showed he had a new message. He closed the screen for now. That could wait. There were more pressing questions, and he had a million of them for Sarah.

"Is there anything you can tell us about the pillars? Did we really lose five of them?" Joe asked. Sarah paused, then sat down before replying. The hesitation in her movement filled him with unease.

"There's no easy way to say this," she began quietly.

"We lost contact with six of the World Pillars. We (Heliopolis), along with New Eden, Kunlun, and Rarohenga, are the only ones left. The rest, including India… have all fallen to the Voldura." Something inside Joe dimmed. His chest tightened. India… gone. He barely registered anything Sarah said after that. The weight of it hit him like a stone, and without a word, he got up and walked out of the room. Drishti, Samira, Esha… faces from India flashed through his mind. Were they okay? Were they still alive?

His thoughts spiralled as a heavy dread took hold. He didn't know where he was going until he found himself outside, near the pond. He approached slowly and sat down at its edge, staring at the still surface of the water, lost in silence. __ Veda watched with a sad expression as Joe walked out of the room. She felt Sarah rise, ready to follow him.

"Leave him, dear. He needs to handle this in his own way," Veda said gently. Sarah stood in hesitation, staring at the doorway for a moment before sitting back down beside Corel. A shiver ran through Veda. She, too, was worried about their friends. She had grown fond of the girls she'd spent so much time with in India, but she also knew how cruel the Multiverse and the system could be.

"Will he be okay?" Sarah asked softly. No, Veda thought. But she didn't say that. Instead, she replied.

"He will be. He has to be." Sarah sat beside Corel and pulled Veda into her lap, stroking her tenderly. Veda was content to sit quietly, waiting for the boy to return.

"I love your hair, Sarah," Veda murmured.

"Thanks," Sarah replied with a smile.

"I recently found this new potion that made it grow out instantly. I'm really liking the length." She gathered her long blonde hair into her lap, letting Veda stroke and smell it with fascination. Sarah's communication device blinked, and she let out a long sigh.

"It never ends in this place. I have to go do more mayoral duties," she said, standing up.

"That's fine; we will entertain ourselves, won't we, Corel?" Veda said. Corel glanced at her, then turned her head without responding. After placing Veda gently on a chair, Sarah teleported from the room, leaving the two alone in silence, each lost in their own thoughts. __ Night fell as Joe sat by the pond, flicking stones across its surface. He knew jumping to conclusions was pointless. They could've gotten away. They were strong, experienced... But his thoughts kept flipping between hope and despair.

He needed a distraction. With a sigh, he pulled out his integration pillar. The screen flared to life before him, and his gaze went straight to the flashing section. He tapped into the upcoming competitions. Upcoming Competitions Integration Empire meeting - This meeting will begin in seven days. This is an invite-only, mandatory event for the top five-ranked combatants on each of the 49 worlds participating in this integration. (Rank 1 spot) Puzzle Completing - Begins in nine Multiversal days (five spots open).

Total point distribution 100, 000 Stellar Racing - Begins in twenty-two Multiversal days (five spots open). Total point distribution 100, 000 Joe blinked at the new entry, an invite-only event, triggered by becoming the highest point earner on his world. There was no additional information. Just a date and title. He leaned forward, rubbing a hand through his hair. It clicked that all the top five people would be there.

So that meant, in seven days, he would come face to face with Pathfinder, the Voldura responsible for so much of the chaos they were now trying to navigate.

"Shit," he mumbled.

"A fucking meeting? Really? Now, of all the times?" The words integration empire meeting echoed in his mind. What empire? What does that even mean? He decided he didn't care, not right now. He pushed the thought aside and returned to the leaderboard. There it was, his name, sitting at the very top of World Ranked 27. World-Ranked 27 Leaderboard 1: Joseph Caldwell - 250, 000 Points 2: Pathfinder - 108, 000 Points Joe flicked back and checked his personal page. He looked over the information there.

Personal Page Name - Joseph Caldwell Nickname - N/A Points - 250, 000 World Ranking - Rank 1 Integration Ranking - Rank 279 Interest level - High Prestige level - High Current status - unrecruited Alliances - None Multiversal Offers - None Notoriety - Low Joe looked at the nickname line. He had a thought and entered a name.

He returned to the world leaderboard and saw it update in real time: World-Ranked 27 Leaderboard 1: Feormere - 250, 000 Points 2: Pathfinder - 108, 000 Points A new prompt appeared when he checked his pillar shop. It had been upgraded due to its linking with Heliopolis's pillar, and it was upgraded to level ten. The shop's categories remained the same, but the number of available items had increased significantly. Joe browsed through the healing section first.

He checked each item carefully, but nothing stood out, nothing that seemed like it would help with Corel's leg. Disappointed. He returned the pillar to his storage ring and stood. His mind was still buzzing. He needed to move, needed to do something. What did I use to do at times like this? When he felt lost… unanchored? He thought. He pulled up the list of dances available from his Dancing Touch skill. Scrolling through the options, he looked for something that might speak to his current mood.

Each dance was marked as either a solo or an accompanied routine. One finally caught his attention: Coolarder, from the Etherean Dynasty. With a mental nudge, the steps and movements flowed into his mind. Closing his eyes, he let the sensation take over. Rising to his feet, he moved into the opening stance. One hand rested on his bent leg, the other held across his shoulder. His head dipped low, eyes on the grass. A steady rhythm in his thoughts. When the beat began in his mind, he moved.

Joe's clouded thoughts emptied as he fell into the steps of the strange new dance. His feet slid effortlessly across the grass, each motion fluid. He glided, spun, turned, a quiet storm of movement in the night air. He danced for ten minutes before his motions slowed to a stop. It felt good… but something was missing. There was a disconnect. The steps were elegant, foreign, and distant, like trying to find comfort in a stranger's voice. He needed something else. Something grounded. Familiar.

"Something to loosen the muscles," he muttered. Then he smiled. Joe straightened, rolled his shoulders, and let the beat of Smooth Criminal pulse through his mind. His body moved. __ Corel nearly jumped out of her skin as Veda suddenly darted out of the room in a blur. [What is it? What's going on?] - Corel asked in the party chat. No reply came. She sat there, confused and increasingly anxious. After a few more minutes, she couldn't take it anymore.

Slowly and carefully, she pulled herself upright onto one foot and began limping her way through the house. As she reached the front, she stopped. If someone saw her, it could cause problems for both Joe and her. She hesitated, considering turning back. But something held her in place. A strange sense, like a ripple in the air. Faint pulses of mana drifted in from outside. Her curiosity flared. Something was happening, something important. It had to be Joe. That was the only reason Veda would rush off like that.

She accessed her storage ring and searched for something to disguise herself. After a moment, she pulled out a large cloak Joe had given her. It took some effort, but she managed to drape it around herself and pull the cowl up, casting her face in shadow. She paused by a mirror and gave herself a once-over. It would do. Limping quietly, she made her way outside. As soon as she stepped onto the porch, she froze. Veda sat silently to her left, eyes fixed ahead. But that wasn't what rooted Corel in place. It was Joe.

He was dancing. On the grass before the house, Joe moved in fluid rhythm, arms sweeping through the air as streams of mana flowed from his hands. He spun, glided, twisted, every motion intentional, controlled. It wasn't a fight, it wasn't a drill. It was something else entirely. What is he doing? She wondered, wide-eyed. Veda hissed softly at her, motioning with her tail. Corel looked at the little red serpent and understood. She sat down awkwardly on the porch steps.

Then, with breath held, she joined Veda in silence, watching as Joe danced in the moonlight. __ Joe caught a glimpse of a hooded figure watching him from the porch. Still, he didn't stop. He danced through to the end of his second routine, breath now coming in heavy bursts, sweat starting to bead across his skin. As he moved, his mind drifted back to that unforgettable dance with Rose, the Varonothray. She had created a mana domain, something far beyond his current capabilities.

The power she had radiated during that preparation was still clear in his memory, almost impossible to comprehend. It was a stark reminder of the difference between them, a rock compared to a mountain. He was only level 78. There was no way he could replicate what she had done. So instead, Joe let mana flow softly from him, weaving it into the air around as he danced. It wasn't a domain, but it was enough to enhance the environment to serve his purpose. A good workout. A way to clear his tumultuous mind.

When he finished the final step, he stood in the clearing, panting. Steam rose from his body, the effort catching up to him. But it still wasn't enough. The tension hadn't fully left him. He tapped his gear; it shimmered out of sight, leaving him bare-chested; his skin glistened with sweat. He returned to the centre of the clearing. This time, he pulled inspiration from a film of his childhood: Footloose. He danced again.

Mana flowed from his fingertips in elegant streams, each movement a release of pressure, each spin a shedding of worry. He lost himself in the rhythm, letting the inner beat drown out the memories and pain. The world around him faded. As the familiar Footloose-inspired steps came to an end, Joe didn't stop. Instead, he shifted again, drawing on deeper memories. Old dances. Classic films. Gene Kelly. Fred Astaire. The steps were looser now, freer. He began to improvise. The clearing began to glow.

Stolen from its original source, this story is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings. He didn't notice it at first. The air shimmered around him, the mana thickening with every movement. Joe had released so much into the environment that it had begun to transform. He was unknowingly forming what he would one day find out was called a mana-enriched ocean vault. But he didn't know that yet. He wasn't trying to create anything grand. He was just dancing. Following instinct.

Letting his body and mana move as one. He stepped left, then right. His hands rose and fell in smooth arcs. His legs kicked out as he spun. Every movement was deliberate, intricate, woven with mana and intent. As he shifted right, Joe found himself beside the pond he'd created long ago. Not wanting to break his rhythm, he encased his legs in Mana-Coating and, with a focused strain, shifted the mana wrapped around his feet. He stepped onto the water. The air pulsed and twisted as mana whipped around him.

With a sudden gust and splash of rising droplets, Joe continued his dance, now gliding across the surface of the pond. Step by step, he moved toward its centre, never breaking stride, barely conscious of what he was doing. He only knew one thing: he had to keep going. Keep moving. Keep dancing. And so he did, whirling, spinning, flowing above the water like a phantom in the night. The two sets of eyes that had quietly watched him from the porch had grown into four. But Joe noticed none of them.

__ Vance sat alone, staring up at the sky, the cool night air brushing against his skin. He liked quiet evenings like this, peaceful ones. Since the world fusion, such moments had been rare. The world he once knew was gone, merged into this wild new place teeming with horned green demons… the Voldura. He shivered at the memory, grateful that the attack on Heliopolis had ended. Without the two Progenitors, they'd all be slaves by now. He said a prayer of thanks to them.

He stood, ready to head inside, when something in the air around him changed. A ripple. Subtle, but undeniable. He turned south, instinct prickling down his spine. The sky beyond the trees glowed with a strange purplish-red hue. What the hell? He squinted into the distance. A streak of mana launched into the sky like a flare, and suddenly, panic seized him. Was it another attack? Were the Voldura back? He tried to run, but his legs locked in place. No matter how he strained, they wouldn't budge.

His head refused to move, his muscles frozen. His eyes welled with tears, not from fear, not exactly. It was something deeper. Something more eternal. He looked up. A brilliant flash erupted in the sky. Vance squeezed his eyes shut at the sudden intensity. When the brightness faded and he cautiously opened them again, he saw something he would never forget. High above, glowing with pure mana, a figure danced.

A man, suspended in the sky, surrounded by trees that towered higher than mountains, trees so tall their peaks were lost to the heavens. The image wasn't just beautiful. It was… sacred. A memory carved into mana and sky. The man danced with such grace, such serenity, that Vance could only weep. And still, he could not look away. __ Varaiya Relashra sat at the entrance of a small cave nestled into the side of a mountain, her gaze fixed on the horde of Beasts spread out below.

She and the last remaining members of her clan had been trapped inside the cave for over a year. Their food supply was all but gone. She steeled herself, drawing in a slow breath. She was the last hope of her people. Everyone inside was old, worn down by age and hardship. They had no chance of surviving the Beasts below. Varaiya's eyes narrowed as she used Identify on the closest threat. Level - 142. These Beasts had surrounded their refuge since the world fusion was completed.

She clenched her fists, cursing their luck. Cursing Pathfinder, the monster who had driven the last of her people into hiding. She cursed everything… except the memory of her cousin. Corelliandra. She wondered if she was still alive. She hoped so, even if no one else in the clan believed it. Pathfinder had taken her. To them, that meant she was already dead. No one escaped that Volduran tyrant. Varaiya stood, tightening the straps of the pack on her back. It was time. She took one step forward… and stopped.

A light, brilliant and sudden, flashed in the sky above. Her head tilted upward, eyes wide. A figure had appeared in the air. A human? Perhaps. But he looked… different. Otherworldly. Beautiful. Her breath caught. Tears stung her eyes. Before her, a man danced amidst tall trees. A sight of impossible grace and radiant mana. She couldn't move. Couldn't speak. She just watched, entranced. Then the image widened. Two figures came into view, watching the dancing man: one, a small creature with a long tail.

The other was wrapped in a cloak and cowl, face hidden in its shadow. The wind stirred the fabric, revealing a brief flash of horns… and a face filled with awe. Varaiya's breath hitched. That face. No, it couldn't be. It looked just like her cousin. Corelliandra… But that was impossible. Corel had been taken. She had no way to escape… Or had she? __ Pathfinder burst from his tent, eyes blazing with fury. Those fools had let her escape, his precious future. He roared, and a wave of mana exploded outward.

Three voldura dropped dead where they stood. He didn't care. The weak deserved nothing but death in his eyes, just like the foolish clans that had dared to stand against him. He turned back toward his tent, already forming plans to recapture his seeker. Then… he paused. A strange sensation slammed into his senses. He staggered, clutching his head as a wave of pain overwhelmed him. Just as suddenly, it vanished. He spun, scanning the area for an attacker. Confusion washed over his face as his gaze was pulled upward.

There, high above, a human danced across the sky. Pathfinder narrowed his eyes, trying to shake the image away, but his body refused to move. His limbs trembled. For a brief moment, he was completely paralyzed. Around him, every Voldura stared upward in stunned silence, eyes glistening with emotion. He scowled and pulsed, freeing his body to move. He growled, recognizing the phenomenon… it was a mana convergence, but not one he had ever seen before. He scanned the horizon, trying to sense its origin.

It was distant, somewhere in the direction of the human city he had failed to capture. Then the sky changed. The image shifted and zoomed out. Two more figures appeared, standing beside the dancing human, watching. His gaze locked onto one of them. A cloaked figure, face partially hidden, horns barely visible beneath the cowl. Rage consumed him. He didn't need to see her face. He knew. It was her. His seeker. Pathfinder threw back his head and roared. __ Veda stared up at the mana convergence above.

Slowly, she pulled her gaze away and returned it to the one who had created the scene… Joe, dancing at the centre of it all. Somehow, he had managed to form a mana-enriched ocean vault. He never stopped surprising her. She studied the intricate mana weaves rippling out around him. It wasn't perfect, barely passable for an ocean vault, really. But he had completed it, and it already looked on the verge of collapse. She gave it a slight nudge with her own mana, stabilising it. Joe's eyes shot to her briefly.

He gave a quick nod of thanks before returning his focus to the dance. She smiled faintly. He was a good boy. Her attention returned to the convergence above as the image shifted. She now saw herself and Corel displayed in the sky. Her expression soured slightly when Corel's face flashed into view. That might create some problems. But oh well, nothing she could do about it now. Veda moved a little closer to the Voldura. She was still undecided about the girl. Still unsure whether she liked her or not.

She exhaled loudly. Corel, like everyone else watching, was completely entranced, her eyes locked on the sky. Which was good. Every being in the world who saw this convergence would be blessed with fortune moving forward.

"Joseph, do you even know what you have done?" she whispered. A subtle pressure began to rise in the air around her. She lay down and closed her eyes. The crescendo was about to begin. __ Joe blinked as he heard Veda's whisper. He was sure she hadn't meant for him to hear it, but he had. Every one of his senses was on overdrive. He could hear everything: the slightest movement, the blink of an eye, the flap of an insect's wings. He could smell the grass, the trees, the stone of buildings, and the sweat on bodies.

It was all too much. He closed his eyes and kept moving, focusing, trying to shut out the flood of overwhelming information. Then the air shifted. He felt something pull on his mana. What had been a carefully controlled stream now surged into a torrent as the remaining mana was ripped from his body. He froze mid-dance, suspended in the flow of energy. Pain crashed into him, and he nearly blacked out… nearly. But something kept him conscious.

Joe felt something profound pulse inside him, and a spark formed in his mind. He immediately knew what to do, and for the fifth time, he activated his Bloodline ability…

"Eternal Moment," Joe said as his vision turned black. Joe found himself watching a massive fish swim through a raging current. It glided forward with purpose, two smaller fish flanking it tightly, using the larger fish's body to shield themselves from the crushing flow. The enormous fish pulsed, releasing a wave of mana. A shimmering barrier enveloped them, easing the strain. Together, they swam on, deeper into the darkness ahead. Time passed. The current faded.

The three emerged into a vast underwater cave, silent and ancient. At its centre stood a crystal. Inside the crystal was the body of a fish, identical to the two smaller ones. With a sudden surge of speed and rage, the massive fish charged forward. Its jaw clamped down on the crystal, teeth sinking deep. Cracks splintered across the surface. Then, in a burst of mana, the crystal shattered.

The huge fish darted through the fragments and caught the body within, pulling it free before the shards reformed behind it, snapping back together in another flash of energy. The giant returned to its companions and gently laid the dead fish down before them. One of the smaller fish swam forward and embraced the body with its fins. Mana pulsed through the contact, flowing into the motionless form. Nothing happened. The second, smaller fish moved in, trying the same. Again, nothing. Joe felt something tug at him.

He turned and saw an ethereal vision of Corel floating beside him. What is this? She mouthed. Joe mouthed back, My bloodline, before turning to the scene below. Or he tried to, until a fiery gaze from the other side drew his attention. An ethereal vision of Rose hovered there, arms crossed, her expression somewhere between amused and annoyed. Her tongue flicked out as she licked her lips and drifted toward him. She slapped him. Mana sparked across his cheek. He didn't feel pain, so he gave her a wry smile.

Ask next time, she mouthed, then turned her attention to Corel. Joe watched in growing horror as the two ethereal figures locked eyes, tension thick between them. They didn't speak, but the looks exchanged were… impossible to describe. A silent standoff in another world. Corel moved first. She bowed deeply, one hand on her heart. Rose grinned and returned the bow. Who are you? Rose mouthed. No one important, Corel replied. Rose turned to Joe. He felt her question pulse into his chest, warm and insistent.

He shrugged, offering a sheepish thumbs-up. Her sigh echoed through him before all three turned back to the scene unfolding below. The giant fish moved forward and, in one smooth motion, swallowed the body of the smaller fish. Then it turned to the remaining two, who bowed before it. The massive fish ate them, too. Silence followed. Then, with its mouth wide open, the enormous fish let out a deafening roar. The cave trembled. Rocks broke loose from above, tumbling down.

But still, the fish roared, louder and longer. The shaking grew worse. Boulders crashed from the ceiling. Finally, the entire cavern collapsed, burying everything. The great fish vanished beneath the rubble. And then the scene turned black. Joe opened his eyes and saw a stag with massive antlers proudly atop a hill. Below it, a pack of hyenas circled two injured deer, their bodies slick with blood and barely clinging to life. The stag bolted forward, appearing in the centre of the pack.

Its antlers swept left and right in brutal arcs, leg kicking out with devastating force. Blood sprayed through the air as the animals clashed in a frenzied, furious battle. One by one, the hyenas fell. Until, at last, the final one collapsed at the feet of the bloodied stag. Limping, the stag moved to the two wounded deer. It nuzzled them gently, then lowered its antlers, touching them both. Streams of mana flowed out from the stag, threading into their broken bodies. For five long minutes, the mana poured forth.

Slowly, the wounds closed. One deer, trembling, managed to rise and nuzzle the stag in return. Still, the mana continued. Only when both deer stood tall, healed, steady on their legs, did the flow begin to fade. The stag's head lowered to the earth. The two deer leaned in one final time, nuzzling the fallen body. Then, the light in the stag's eyes dimmed. It was dead. The scene faded to black. Joe opened his eyes. He saw a man and two women walking through a dense forest. They moved in silence.

The man was massive, his body thick with muscle and covered in tattoos. The two women, though shorter, were just as powerfully built, also adorned with intricate tattoos. Their journey was quiet, purposeful. Eventually, the trio stepped into a clearing. At its center stood a small, simple house. Sitting just outside it was a delicate, fragile-looking woman. The two tattooed women halted at the edge of the clearing, while the man approached alone. He reached the woman and knelt before her. He didn't move.

An hour passed. At last, the woman looked up. Slowly, she rose to her feet and stepped toward the man, placing a hand on his shoulder. She stood there in silence. Then she withdrew her hand and turned away from him. Only then did he move, stepping back as if he'd been struck. He raised his arms to the sky and let out a thunderous roar. It echoed through the trees for five long minutes. The woman kept her back to him the entire time. Then she turned.

She walked up to him and slapped him hard enough to send him crashing to the ground. In an instant, the two tattooed women appeared at his side, eyes blazing with fury. They stared at the small woman with unrestrained rage. The woman smiled. But it wasn't a kind smile. It was one of deep resentment, pain, and fury. Her body began to change. A large, fluffy tail burst from her back. Her fingers lengthened and twisted into claws. Her feet warped into monstrous, clawed paws.

Cracks spread across her face as it shifted into a wolf-like snout. Fangs dripped blood onto the earth. She let out a primal, bone-shaking howl that echoed across the forest. The sheer power in her voice forced the two tattooed women to their knees in submission. Without another word, the wolf-like woman turned and walked into the house, vanishing inside. The two women lifted the fallen man, defeat heavy in their eyes, and left the clearing. The scene turned black.

Joe opened his eyes again and found himself in the midst of a raging battle. A city burned around him. Bodies fell, and people screamed. The chaos was overwhelming, steel clashed against steel, and cries of pain and fury echoed through the streets. From the heart of the bloodshed, a single man emerged, towering above the crowd of armoured soldiers. He raised a colossal hammer high into the air. The fighting stopped. Every head turned to look at him. With a roar, the man surged forward.

He became a force of nature, cutting through the battlefield like a storm. Everyone in his path fell, enemy or not. Unstoppable, unrelenting. He reached the city's centre, where three golden-armoured warriors sat atop an enormous, armoured horse. Together, they raised their swords to the sky and charged. The hammer-wielding giant met them head-on. What followed was a brutal, earth-shaking clash. Steel rang out, sparks flared, and the city trembled under the force of their blows.

One by one, the golden warriors fell, until only the man remained, soaked in blood, his chest heaving with heavy breaths. He raised his hammer and let out a final roar that echoed across the ruins. All who remained dropped to their knees in submission. The battle was over. The man turned and left the city behind. He walked through shattered streets and burning rubble, returning home. As he stepped through the door of a massive house, two small children ran toward him, arms outstretched.

He swept them up, placing one on each shoulder. In the back room, three weeping women looked up at his arrival. Their tears of sorrow turned to joy. They ran to him, wrapping their arms around him, clinging to him with relief. The giant man smiled, holding them close. Joe turned to look at Corel. A single tear slid down her cheek. Her eyes shone with something soft, something deeply moved. He gave her a gentle smile. She returned it, a small nod of understanding passing between them.

Rose floated up beside them, her expression thoughtful and distant, eyes watching the scene unfold. There was something unreadable in her gaze, an ancient kind of curiosity. Then, the vision shattered. Only Joe, Corel, and Rose remained, suspended in a quiet, endless void. Their voices returned at last.

"Hey, Rose… Sorry about that. I had no idea you'd get dragged into this." Rose floated over and raised a hand. Joe instinctively flinched, bracing for another slap. Instead, Rose laughed, a light, musical sound that washed over him.

"Sorry," she said, still smiling.

"I just needed you to understand that being dragged here suddenly, unannounced, is a little startling. How strong is your bloodline to work from so far away?" She extended a finger and ran it gently over the mark on Joe's ethereal chest. The touch sent a warm sensation through him, and he didn't pull away. But he did notice Corel floating closer, her gaze fixed on his bond of fate.

"Rose, this is my friend Corel," he said simply.

"She and I are currently travelling together. Corel, this is my bond, Rose." Rose gave him a sharp glare at the choice of words, but she let it pass without comment.

"Hi… Corel," Rose said, tilting her head slightly.

"What this fool says is technically true… though he left out a few important details." Corel returned the gesture, finally pulling her gaze away from Joe's chest.

"Apologies. I am Corel of Clan Relashra. Joe did not mention that he was bonded."

"Oh, he didn't," Rose shot Joe, another withering glare.

"It seems he has a habit of surprising people." Corel hesitated.

"May I ask… what world are you from? Are you also part of the integration?"

"No. I am Rose Terravignion of the Eludian Empire. Princess Rose." The last part hung in the air like a ripple in still water. Somehow, Corel's entire vision flushed red.

"A princess…" she whispered, awestruck. Rose waved a hand dismissively.

"It's nothing to worry about. Please just call me Rose." Joe blinked, slowly realizing he was being completely ignored.

"Rose… I…" Before he could say more, Rose raised a finger and tapped Corel on the forehead. Sparks danced from the point of contact, and Corel blinked, momentarily dazed.

"You're too stiff. Relax," Rose said. Then her tone shifted.

"Now tell me… are you ready?" Joe's stomach flipped. A strange wave of nausea rolled through him, sudden and unmistakable.

"I… think so," Corel replied, still clearly confused.

"Though I don't exactly know what I'm supposed to do."

"It's fine, I can guide you," Rose said, extending her hand. Corel hesitated for only a moment before reaching out to take it. Joe raised a hand, a sudden urge rising to stop whatever was about to happen. But Rose's sharp glare made him reconsider. He slowly drifted back, letting them continue.

"Now, move your mana to your hand like so," Rose demonstrated. A smooth current of mana flowed down her arm and began to circle within her palm. Corel mirrored the motion with surprising ease. Within seconds, her hand glowed faintly as the mana filled it and began to spill over the edges. She looked up, and Joe saw it… the flicker of understanding in her eyes. She turned her gaze toward him. Ding! Fated Encounter achieved. Joe stared, speechless.

He floated forward with a quiet sense of resignation, confused by the rush of emotions that now overwhelmed him. Rose gave a satisfied nod and gently took his hand in hers, then reached out with her other hand to grasp Corel's. The moment their fingers touched, all three began to glow, Joe in a deep, radiant purple, Rose in a brilliant pink, and Corel in a calming green. The bond of fate between Joe and Rose pulsed, a vibrant beacon that lit up the surrounding darkness.

Then, pain lanced through him as a second wave of mana ignited across his chest. Light burned against his skin as something deeper, soul-deep, shifted within him. He clenched his teeth as the brilliance swallowed his vision. When it finally faded, Joe blinked the white haze from his eyes. Corel hovered before him, glowing faintly. A new mark pulsed on her right breast, a small ball of fire, warm and flickering. Joe reached for his chest and found a new symbol there: a twisted, thorn-covered bush carved in light.

"Well done," Rose said, her voice low and teasing.

"I think you might be the first person crazy enough to form two bonds of fate." Joe could only stare. Two bonds? What did that even mean? Why had Corel bonded with him?

"I knew things would get exciting…" Rose mused with a grin.

"But even I never expected this. I hope you're ready for the future, my pet." He opened his mouth to speak, but his thoughts were scattered, too many questions crashing at once. Out of the corner of his eye, he noticed Rose float over to Corel and begin whispering something he couldn't make out. The mischievous sparkle in her eye was enough to make his stomach turn. Before he could say a word, the void around them collapsed, and everything faded to black as he returned to his body.

Joe felt a jolt as he slammed back into his drained body, still surrounded by the lingering torrent of his mana. A flash of panic surged through him as his new bond branded itself onto his chest, but he forced it down. He focused on the now, his fingers twitched, then stretched out as if grasping for something invisible just beyond reach. Something incomprehensible met him there, an unseen resistance, a pressure that pushed back. A strange pull clouded his mind, a calling. It wanted him… needed him.

He pushed forward, pressing his hand into the force that resisted him. Something cracked. Then tore. His mind screamed in alarm. Every cell in his body shrieked at him to stop. But he couldn't; the yearning, hungry call echoed in his mind. He was like a man dying of thirst in a desert. He committed. Slowly, his hand slipped through the unseen crack. Pain detonated across his nerves. It felt like plunging his arm into a volcano. Muscles spasmed, nerves sizzled. He kept going.

Fingers clenched together, he pushed deeper. Something began to enter him, something foreign. He held still as long as he could. The agony increased. He screamed, raw and unfiltered. Vision blurred. But still, he didn't pull away. Then, numbness. The pain dulled, and his screams stopped. Something filled his arm, though it wasn't really his arm anymore. A new space had formed inside him, a void within his left arm. His body seized as the strange essence poured in, rushing, vanishing into that emptiness.

He watched in stunned awe through his Dao sight as the torrent flowed endlessly into the void, yet nothing emerged. He had no idea how long it lasted. Time lost meaning. Abruptly, the flow ceased. His arm snapped back. The crack was sealed. His hand reappeared… normal, whole. Then, without warning, he was thrown backwards, crashing hard into the ground. Joe shot upright as control of his body returned. He glanced at his hands, then at the air around him.

His mana was still there, still heavy, but something else had begun to form above him. He looked up. Terror gripped his chest. Something was coming… Something massive and unnatural was taking shape in the sky. A swirling presence coalesced, a vast, watching eye. As panic bombarded him, one thought reverberated through his mind. He had to stop it. He had to save himself. He activated his Mana Sight, desperate for an answer to what was happening.

Lines of power, threads of meaning danced before his eyes, but he couldn't make sense of them in time. The eye in the sky opened. He heard a whisper…

"Consume." Joe nodded, reaching a trembling hand into the mana swirling around him. The moment his fingers touched it, he felt it, familiar, grounding. This was his. His ocean. His domain. Only he had the right to claim it. He pulled. In the blink of an eye, the mana responded. His drained mana bar began to refill, inch by inch. But as the mana returned, the massive eye above him shifted. Rage burned in its gaze. Lightning began to form in the clouds. Joe's breath caught.

He tried to divert some of the returning mana to shield himself, but nothing responded. It was like grasping smoke. He had no control, none. He was going to die. The bolt finished forming with a deafening crack and shot downward. Joe stared, frozen in horror. And then, suddenly, something appeared before him. A wooden shield, solid and steady. The bolt struck it head-on. All its energy vanished on impact as the shield shattered into a million broken fragments. A hand touched Joe's shoulder.

He glanced at Corel, standing beside him, wobbling on one leg, her face pale and strained.

"I don't know what the hell that was," she panted, leaning into him for support, "but please hurry. I can't block another one." Joe looked up again. Another bolt had already started forming, the eye's fury undiminished. His mind raced. He had to do something. He thought back to earlier. To the moment he had pulled something into himself. That strange substance… the void inside his arm. He focused, and time seemed to slow. There it was. A vast emptiness within his arm. A void, but not empty.

Something unnatural churned inside. Unfathomable. Above him, the bolt popped into existence and began to descend agonisingly slowly. He prepared to reach for the void again, but something inside whispered: Not yet. He waited, breath held. The lightning neared. Closer. Closer. Just millimetres away… Now! Joe tugged on the void as he reached out his hand. A small, vine-like thread emerged. It surged out and lightly tapped the lightning bolt as it just touched Joe's outstretched hand…

Everything vanished in a burst of blinding pain. His arm detonated with agony. Blood vessels ruptured, muscles tore. Blood sprayed across the grass. He dropped to one knee, teeth clenched, the strange white vine retreating back into the void as his arm throbbed violently, nearly useless. Time snapped back into motion. The world spun. Corel called out faintly beside him. Then, a voice. A thunderous roar.

"What did you do?" the eye bellowed. Joe, shaking and bloodied, raised his head with effort. His vision swam, but he focused on the massive eye above and activated Identify: Natural Identify: Mana Convergence Entity (Grade unclassified)level - 500, Bloodline - Present. Joe stared at the information, unsure of what he was even looking at. But one thing was certain: this thing was beyond his understanding. He opened his mouth to speak, to say something, anything that might buy him time to finish absorbing the mana.

System Message Mana convergence disturbed. System intervention is needed to prevent the destruction of World Ranked 27. Intervening now. Brrrr beep Joe flinched. In an instant, all rage in the entity's gaze faded. A portal opened beside it, swirling with power. The eye hovered there for a moment longer, then slowly turned toward the rift. But even as it began to move, it didn't take its gaze off Joe.

"Luck!" It bellowed. A tiny spark of golden light shot from the eye and streaked toward him, slamming into his chest. Joe stumbled as the spark started to sink deep into his body. Suddenly, the void in his arm reacted and began to pulse. It sucked the spark into it with a small popping sound. The entity passed through the portal with a complete look of shock as the portal winked out of existence, leaving no sign it was ever there. Veda appeared instantly, coiled tightly around his shoulder.

"Mana!" she cried. Joe's stomach lurched as he realized he was about to lose control of the mana still flowing into him. He forced his focus back, ignoring the blood pouring from his arm, and reached out with his mind. Bit by bit, he drew the mana back into himself, fighting through the pain, pulling with everything he had left. It was slow. Agonizing. But finally, the raging sea of mana around the trio calmed, returning to its rightful place.

As the last traces disappeared, Joe collapsed to his knees, dragging Corel with him. Pain tore through his arm, but it was over. They had survived. Corel, exhausted, clambered onto his back without a word. Veda wrapped her tail around her protectively, frowning as she glanced at Joe's ruined arm. Joe staggered upright, every part of him aching. The air still shimmered faintly with leftover mana from his dancing, but this was his. His mana. It wouldn't hurt anyone.

He turned toward the house and saw Kai and Sarah standing there, stunned, their faces pale with shock. Of course, they had seen it all. How could they not? He took one step toward them, then paused. A strange thought crossed his mind.

"Veda," he said quietly, "what would happen if I ignited all the mana in the sky with my Aura?" Veda's head lazily turned toward him.

"I assume it would explode, triggering an Aura Convergence… Wait. No, I didn't mean to say that. Don't you dar…" Joe activated Aura Shout, and the sky above exploded in fire.