Chương 460: Dark Essence

For three grueling weeks following the Horizon Festival, I spent the vast majority of my time personally traveling across the outer reaches of Sector Z-99, searching for the coordinates of the Well of Origin after we realized it would be impossible through my clones. Based on the clue Vael had given me — the place where starlight froze before the First Shattering, where the three rivers of lead, gold, and ash intersect — Kasian and Jeeves had isolated several potential candidate regions in the deep void.

I visited black hole singularities, ancient rifts, and isolated spatial pockets across the sector. The search was far from easy. It required an immense, painstaking amount of deep void meditation. Floating ten yards from the event horizons of supermassive black holes, I would open my soul gate, lock my [Primordial Shell] into zero-friction stasis, and expand my perception into the background static of the cosmos. Again and again, I tried to sense the underlying structure of space.

I would catch a microscopic, hair-thin thread of a hidden energy frequency, focus my Perception, Runic arrays and my zeroth-tier [Symphony of the Animus Arch] on it, only for the signal to dissolve into chaotic spatial noise a second later. I would lose the thread, step back, re-center my core-rotations, and try again. For days on end, the void yielded nothing but cold, empty silence. It was a maddening process of trial, error, and relentless patience.

But on the seventeenth day of continuous effort, during a twelve-hour meditation session near a lightless singularity, the persistent effort finally paid off. I caught the thread again. This time, instead of forcing my perception onto it, I let my [Lattice Perception] synchronize with its subtle, background frequency. Beneath the visible layers of the System's code, a vast, hidden energy began to slowly reveal itself.

I was able to find it by sensing how it contained a gigantic, strange sort of "Essence Highway" — a dark, lightless river of background energy that flowed through the deep void, connecting galaxies, star systems, and planetary cores together like a universal circulatory system. The dark energy didn't radiate any form of energy; it hummed with a quiet, subterranean density that felt like the liquid bedrock of space itself. This background energy wasn't standard Mana, nor was it an uncompiled form of Essence.

Yet it somehow acted as the invisible binding force of reality itself. The moment I sensed it, it immediately felt like a clue to the reason why even Twelfth and Thirteenth Tier Transcendents were forced to obey certain fundamental Laws. Perhaps this background framework somehow enforced the structural equilibrium of the cosmos. I sat in the quiet void for hours, observing the flowing river, feeling a deep, earned satisfaction in my chest.

I hadn't just stumbled onto a shortcut; I had painstakingly earned a glimpse into the true physics of the universe, and I routinely, eagerly returned for more. When I wasn't searching the deep void, I returned to Bastion, immersing myself in the civic and academic progress of our city. Ferra's "Essence Farming" infrastructure had reached an unprecedented level of efficiency. Under Leoric's supervision, our municipal academies had established a streamlined cultivation pipeline for the new generation.

Students were provided with high-grade quintessence pills, guided core-rotation manuals, and balanced lessons on morality, and the responsibility of power. They had ensured that our curriculum didn't teach soft, naive idealism. It taught realistic, grounded philosophy: that power was a responsibility, that strength was required to protect loved ones, and that in a harsh, competitive cosmos, killing an enemy was sometimes an unavoidable necessity.

To observe our educational progress firsthand, I occasionally disguised my physical appearance, putting on a simple student cloak and sitting in the back rows of the Academy's debate halls. I watched in genuine, dry amusement as young, very different looking apprentices engaged in fierce, intellectual debates over the nature of core-rotations, spatial friction, and systemic laws. Seeing their sharp minds and bright enthusiasm had a motivating effect, with regular food for thought from the different opinions.

On Thursday afternoon, Eliza met me in the Sanctum's inner gardens, introducing me to a man she had brought from the municipal research departments.

"Eren," Eliza said, gesturing to the tall, lean man in crisp white scholar's robes standing beside her.

"This is Edward. Before the Integration, he used to be an evolutionary biologist on Earth, among many other things. He is currently leading our advanced cosmic research department." Edward bowed his head respectfully, his sharp, intelligent eyes analyzing my presence with deep, academic fascination.

"It is an honor to meet you, Lord Ascendant," Edward said smoothly.

"Eliza mentioned you were seeking people for a discussion regarding macro-cosmic physics and essence energy grids." I looked at Edward, my [Lattice Perception] scanning his core architecture. His foundation was neat, stable, and carried a unique, high-tier soul ability.

"You carry a unique Soul, Edward," I noted softly. Edward smiled, openly displaying his status parameters without hesitation.

"I do, Lord Eren. My ability is called [Thirst for Knowledge]. It is a self-sustaining feedback loop: whenever I learn new information, analyze complex equations, or understand a fundamental truth of reality, my soul gate absorbs ambient Essence directly from the environment to expand my core throughput." Stolen story; please report.

"A cultivation method powered purely by learning," I murmured, genuinely impressed by the elegance of his skill.

"In fact," Edward added, looking at me with absolute sincerity, "before we discuss my research, I would like to formally request an un-systemic soul-binding with you. Eliza described the soul-shielding tether you wove over the council, and as a scholar, I wish to experience one firsthand, if you wouldn't mind." I looked at Edward, taken aback by his open, intellectual enthusiasm.

He wasn't providing me with the guarantee of a soul-tether out of fear, dedication or obligation; he wanted it out of pure, scientific curiosity.

"I would be honored," I smiled. I raised my hand, weaving a transparent soul-shield over Edward's gate, establishing an un-systemic, non-hostile alliance tether that permanently protected his memory-lattice against external corruption or mind-control. Edward gasped as the silver-and-gold thread settled over his core, his eyes shining with intense, scholarly excitement.

"Fascinating... the zero-friction resonance loop is incredible! The metadata doesn't interact with the Prime System at all!" Taking a strong liking to Edward's sharp mind, I invited both him and Eliza to join me in the Hall of the Chronicle for a high-level theoretical conference with Kasian, Jeeves, and Leoric. We gathered around the central projection table in the Chronicle hall.

I explained that Anna and Crysanthe were currently off-world in a high-gravity rift world, practicing their combat synchronization with Rexxar and Nyx, but I wanted the rest of us free to focus on pure, deep-level theory. I leaned over the stone table, projecting a three-dimensional diagram of the "Dark Essence" grid I had observed in the deep void.

"I brought you all here because I want to share some observations and bounce a few theories off you," I began, my tone open, conversational, and humble.

"I don't claim these are absolute facts, but during my meditations near the singularities, I observed what appears to be a background energy grid — a lightless 'Dark Essence' that I believe is there to act as the binding force of reality." Edward's eyes lit up as he examined the dark energy rivers on the screen.

"A dark, un-coded binding force... That could explain why macro-cosmic gravity vectors don't collapse when high-tier Transcendents relocate planets… The Dark Essence could be providing the underlying structural tension…"

"That's my thought as well," I nodded, taking a sip of tea.

"And based on my interactions with ancient Void entities, I've been trying to piece together a few theories about how this background framework operates." I presented my observations not as dogmatic declarations, but as open topics for debate.

"First, what I've been thinking of as the Law of the Scale," I offered.

"It seems that whenever a cultivator, System User, or higher entity monitors or causes any form of effect on another — especially if it is a lower tier cultivator — it creates a measurable karmic weight. There also appear to be many various mediums for this measurement, with the Void being the most common method of applying a "cosmic backlash" that applies once the weight is too high. To avoid this backlash, the entity is pushed to balance that weight with equal aid." Leoric scratched his chin, tapping his console.

"That sounds like a natural thermodynamic law built into the void itself, Master. Action and reaction. Every time energy is projected across a sector, an equal counter-weight must settle the disturbance." Kasian nodded, his spectral form leaning closer.

"It matches our pre-Shattering records. The ancient Sunder-Kin believed the universe was a giant, self-balancing equation." Eliza chimed in, raising a thoughtful question.

"Eren, if the Scale balances interactions, why doesn't killing an enemy seem to generate an immediate, direct debt on the Scale?" Kasian offered an ancient perspective.

"Perhaps because of how the cosmic Wheel of Reincarnation operates. In ancient Sunder-Kin philosophy, death was not viewed as a loss, but as spatial recycling since the mass and the Soul both persist. When a cultivator dies, their outer memory-lattice dissolves as their central core soul is reclaimed by the Wheel, but it is then recycled into new existences across the multiverse."

"Which brings up another interesting puzzle," Edward noted, adjusting his scholar's robes.

"If the Wheel's purpose is to refine souls... why does it erase memories during reincarnation? Wouldn't a soul grow infinitely stronger and smarter if it kept its past-life data?"

"Because retaining memories would eventually crush the soul," Eliza theorized softly, her eyes filled with clinical understanding.

"Imagine carrying millions of years of trauma, grief, and ancient grudges into a new birth. The memory-wipe is likely a protective mechanism — allowing a soul to start every new existence with fresh, un-burdened Willpower."

"That makes a lot of sense," I agreed, appreciating her insight.

"And it leads into another theory: that the Prime System itself, like all the other Systems, isn't an absolute god, but a compiled, artificial cage — a protective quarantine layer built to keep un-compiled Void energy from incinerating lower-tier souls before they're strong enough to handle it."

"And what about your curses, Master?" Jeeves asked politely, pouring fresh tea for the table.

"Wrath, Gluttony, and Pride?"

"I'm beginning to wonder if they're minor fragments of ancient cosmic Guardians," I mused, smiling dryly.

"Entities created eons ago to protect the Dark Essence itself from being corrupted, by perhaps taking the corruption themselves? Gluttony sure seems to love corrupted stuff…" For two hours, our group engaged in a collaborative brainstorm. I made sure Edward, after sharing many helpful insights, to never feel a lack of authority to speak; we were simply a team of sharp minds sharing observations, debating theories, and building a deeper understanding of the universe together.

Sitting at the table, listening to Edward, Eliza, Kasian, Jeeves, and Leoric bounce ideas off one another, I felt a deep, immense satisfaction. This was what made Bastion strong: a culture where knowledge was shared freely and every voice contributed to our growth. As the discussion began to wind down, I noticed Edward sitting quietly in the corner, his eyes glowing softly as his [Thirst for Knowledge] skill absorbed the massive wave of theoretical data.

He was staring intently at the sector map, his hands rapidly drawing complex spatial equations on his slate, converting the flow vectors of the Dark Essence into three-dimensional geometric models. I walked over, leaning against his desk.

"Edward? Did you find something?" Edward looked up, his sharp eyes burning with intense, analytical excitement, his fingers tapping the glowing slate.

"Lord Eren," Edward smiled, projecting his new three-dimensional model over the table, showing three massive, dark energy rivers intersecting in a swirling nodal point tucked inside a hidden sub-layer of Sector Z-99.

"I've been calculating the fluid-dynamics of this Dark Essence based on the memory packets and projections you have provided... and if my math is correct, these three energy rivers align perfectly with Vael's riddle about the lead, gold, and ash! I believe these are the exact coordinates where we can find the Well!"