"Ninety-eight percent..."
Master Wyatt mulled over the numbers. That was well within acceptable limits.
After all, the person standing before him was a powerhouse capable of summoning a Nebula Body; it was highly unlikely someone of that caliber would deign to lie to him. Furthermore, the serene, effortless composure on Zoran's face showed absolutely no sign of a guilty conscience.
"Very well!" Master Wyatt declared in a deep, resonant voice. "Since you are willing to aid me, I, Master Wyatt, cannot simply stand idly by!"
As his voice dropped, his diminutive form began to slowly levitate.
"Hold on, Master! Don't forget we're still here!" Phoebe cried out anxiously, noticing Master Wyatt's movements.
Zoran and Master Wyatt's conversation hadn't been hidden from them at all. She knew what the Primordial Void Annihilation was; it was her master's ultimate, absolute technique.
The problem was, there were still several Ultra Beast warriors here. Even if the probability of success was high, what if bad luck struck and they drew the short straw?
Master Wyatt glanced at the panicked expressions on their faces. Giving a wry, self-deprecating smile, he nodded. "Fair point. Let us wait a moment, then."
The dawn-like luminescence ahead of the wormhole expanded rapidly; they were now incredibly close to the exit. Finally, after a brief, dizzying flash of blinding light, the Black Tortoise ship successfully broke through into the Earth of the Second Parallel Universe.
In this cosmos, the Earth of each parallel universe served as the absolute core of that specific reality.
"My friend, why don't we test this outside?" Master Wyatt requested, cupping his hands in a respectful gesture.
Zoran nodded slightly. His silhouette drifted seamlessly out of the spacecraft, with Master Wyatt following close behind, leaving the rest of the crew waiting inside the vessel.
"Hey, do you think there's a chance..." Kino muttered, rubbing his chin thoughtfully. "That Master Wyatt actually wanted to drag us into that Primordial Void with him just now?"
"Huh? Why would he do that?" Thales asked, utterly bewildered.
"Have you never played a video game, Fatty? To pad the RNG! We were going to be the sacrificial fodder!" Kino slapped Thales on the shoulder.
"Absolutely impossible!" Phoebe stated firmly. But a split second later, her tone softened with a hint of uncertainty. "Master isn't that kind of person... I think."
A few minutes later, a violent spatial tremor rippled across the exterior of the spacecraft. The occupants in the control room staggered, their faces instantly pale with shock.
"Say, what if they can't get out?" Kino asked, genuinely curious.
The moment the words left his mouth, a strand of brilliant, golden light illuminated the front of the ship, vanishing as quickly as it appeared. Right after, a completely unfettered Zoran and a visibly solemn Master Wyatt flew back toward the Black Tortoise.
"A truly magnificent method. Even I could not see through it," Master Wyatt remarked to Zoran.
Just moments ago, he had indeed used the Primordial Void Annihilation to tear open the Primordial Void. Yet, within that brief, isolated dimension, Zoran had merely flicked a finger, casually opening a doorway inside the void. They had simply stepped through the door and walked right back out.
It was so effortless, so entirely casual, as if the man were merely entering and leaving his own living room.
No wonder Master Wyatt looked so grim. Though loath to admit it, this proved his signature, ultimate sealing technique was practically useless against Zoran. In fact, it could even backfire. Zoran could easily walk out on his own and leave Master Wyatt trapped inside forever.
At that thought, Master Wyatt let out a soft sigh. He wasn't a stubborn old fool, but at this moment, he couldn't help but marvel inwardly.
A powerhouse from an alternate world is truly a force to be reckoned with.
Not only did he possess an unfathomable reserve of Hetero-Energy, but even his foundational techniques were completely beyond comprehension. Master Wyatt patted Thales on the shoulder, leaving the stout boy looking utterly confused.
"It is a good thing I returned the Black Tortoise to you. It really is time for me to retire."
With those words, carrying a hint of desolation, he walked toward a quiet corner of the spacecraft.
"Master?" Phoebe stepped forward, her face full of concern.
Master Wyatt waved his hand dismissively. "It is nothing. I just want some peace."
"Who's Peace? Is she pretty?" Kino chimed in reflexively.
"Wow, Kino. That is an incredibly old joke," Thales immediately shot back.
To the side, Zoran's eye twitched slightly. He could finally see it clearly, not a single soul on this entire ship was normal.
Now that they had arrived at their destination in the Second Parallel Universe, it was time for him to investigate the cycle of reincarnation unique to this realm. Without a word, he stepped out of the spacecraft and vanished into the distance.
His test just now had confirmed that the system's dimensional gateway could freely traverse the Primordial Void created by Master Wyatt's ultimate technique. This meant that in the future, he would never have to worry about an escape route for himself or Shendu. He could absorb the Hetero-Energy of this world without any reservations.
Gazing into the far distance, a city that could be considered somewhat majestic filled his vision.
Dragon City.
The stronghold of the Azure Dragon Clan, the rulers of Earth in the Second Parallel Universe.
Stepping forward, Zoran instantly stood high above Dragon City, suspended in the vault of heaven. At the city gates, two foot soldiers dressed in the traditional attire of the Azure Dragon Clan stood guard.
Zoran's gaze shifted slightly. A continuous stream of dark shadows was leaping from the high ridges, stealthily infiltrating the interior of Dragon City.
If he remembered correctly, this should be the Scorpion King, Solita, one of the Four Guardians under Hades, leading a surprise assault on the Azure Dragon Clan under official orders. The actions of the Ultra Beast Force were almost entirely under the surveillance of Hades' subordinates, and Solita was their very first obstacle.
At this thought, Zoran closed his eyes in deep contemplation.
Right now, a vital link in the karma of the hundred-thousand-year cycle was unfolding.
A hundred thousand years ago, the Azure Dragon Clan didn't rule the Second Parallel Universe alone; there was also the lineage of the White Dragon Clan. On that fateful day a hundred thousand years past, the Grand Elder of the Dragon Race was frail, old, and drawing close to the end of his lifespan. He prepared to pass down the hereditary Energy Locker of the Dragon Race and the position of supreme leader to the victor of a martial tournament between the two clans.
The warriors chosen by both factions were their respective leaders at the time: Rowan of the Azure Dragon Clan, the current master of Dragon City, and Valen of the White Dragon Clan, who was the father of Hades' current Guardian, Solita. [1]
Though Valen emerged victorious in the duel, he was mortally wounded when Rowan's armor was accidentally tainted by the blood of a Poison Dragon. As the shared Elder of both clans, the Grand Elder's subsequent handling of the situation was deeply flawed, igniting a sudden, bloody feud. Rowan ultimately led the Azure Dragon Clan to slaughter the entire White Dragon lineage.
Now, as the sole surviving seed of her people, Solita had exacted her return. She was back to obstruct the Ultra Beast Force, and more importantly, to claim Rowan's life.
Everything had originated from a virtually tragic, unavoidable misunderstanding. Yet, it remained an immutable link in the karmic wheel of reincarnation.
Zoran opened his eyes, everything perfectly clear to him. This was the Second Parallel Universe, and it would serve as his testing ground to validate a solution for breaking the cycle of reincarnation. If he could resolve this specific karmic knot, perhaps the tragic destiny tied to the Second Parallel Universe could finally be rewritten.
Below his feet, the dark silhouettes slipped further into Dragon City, advancing straight toward the main palace.
At the same time, Devin, a designated member of the protagonist group who had only recently acquired his Energy Locker, was leading his clansmen on their Flash Riders toward the coordinates where the Black Tortoise had landed. The disturbance caused by the Primordial Void Annihilation earlier had been far too immense, and Rowan had dispatched him to investigate the anomaly.
"Reincarnation... Karma," Zoran suddenly sighed.
The cycle of reincarnation in this world actually shared a few striking similarities with his origin world.
He abruptly extended his palm as a colossal wave of Hetero-Energy surged out, completely unchecked. His silhouette began to ascend higher into the sky, nebulae gathering beneath him to elevate him straight into the clouds.
He did not intend to stop the events of the present. Instead, he was determined to journey back, to a hundred thousand years ago.
However, to traverse the space-time continuum of this universe, one final, indispensable component was still required.
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[1] I haven't watched RevEvolution, so I don't know what the official English names of the leaders of the two Dragon Clans. They're named Jian Long and Long Fei in Chinese. Rowan and Valen are just names I made up for them in this fic.
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