Ebony's Fable

"Troublesome kid." The Death Tailor stood outside Ebony's house in Arcta with Vent and Nutash.

"Elder Ira, you are aware of his lineage. Please mind your language." Vent frowned.

"Yeah yeah. Mind your tone, young man. Just because you're God's Child doesn't mean you can talk to your elders like that. Did your parents not teach you? Ah right, you only met them a handful of times." The Death Tailor, Ira Elargrave, did not give Vent the respect a God's Child typically gets.

They were technically distant relatives, and she was the one who brought him up since he was a baby after all.

"Anyhow, just what is that staff in his hands…." Nutash had his Guardian Spirit, and their family locked the house down and cut out from this space.

"You saw it during his wedding. That staff is made from 3 Mythical materials and a Mythical creature. But the Xu…crafted it into a Divine item."

"But that's impossible. He wouldn't be able to use it." Elder Ira clicked her tongue.

"That's what the seals are for. Unlike the Eye I've been entrusted with."

"It's not a Divine Artifact is it?"

"Of course not, it doesn't hold a God's touch. Ebony's Will is still immature; that's where Xu's craft is so amazing. It can let such a weak Will control part of a Divine item." Vent didn't blame them for being unaware of the difference between a mere item and an Artifact.

"Hey! My family's Guardian said they can't hide this if it keeps up!"

Vent drew his bow and Elder Ira put on a robe with black miasma leaking out.

About to send Ebony and the entire house into a mist portal to a different Worldcore Vent and Elder Ira couldn't move when it felt like the world had descended on their shoulder.

"You may stand down."

"Xu Ru outdone herself again. But she needs a scolding, is she trying to have my nephew smited for a lousy staff? Those greedy Gods are gonna rob him blind."

"7 out of 22 seals is a bit too early for it to leak faith and concepts' presence. Xu Ru probably didn't know how to deal with this."

"Do you recognise this law?"

"No, your daughter found an interesting Demi-God. Too bad she already slayed it."

"Heheh, my daughter's awesome isn't she?"

Vent and Elder Ira took a moment before their minds were able to race back to a normal flow.

It seemed like two Saintesses had descended onto Elcra and the Nebula Watch did nothing. Understanding whose hands were on his shoulder, Vent knew that they were in technically native to Elcra and were allowed to be here. But it honestly didn't matter now that he knew who was touching his shoulder.

After all, no one and/or creature in the Hex Region, and multiple Regions surrounding them can do anything to this individual or the one beside her, whose identity he could've guessed with a stunted mind from the overflowing wisdom. The Demi-God Hydra in charge of Hex and every other Demi-God in charge of their Regions together would either turn tail or come wagging if they weren't also limited by the Nebula Watch.

Vent was in awe at how well both could control their aura and presence. The continent they stood on was actually intact!

Nutash had seen them during the wedding and a man of his status knew exactly who and what these two were.

The two ladies dismissed the three of them with a wave, but Vent stayed still.

"Vent Ly. Direct descendant. Feel free to call me if the one known as Cormac comes back for you, I will deal with it." The one who should be Ebony's clan member addressed him. "When you're an Emperor, come visit Sky's edge for a spar with our people."

"Thank you for the invitation. I will take you up on that offer when the time comes." Vent didn't fear either of them, but the one these pair held respect for was trouble his lineage couldn't afford to offend.

"Now that I think about it, I suppose you can be considered a relative since Ebony can be considered your brother. Hmm…what should be a good meeting gift?"

"There is no need to gi-"

"I know, I'll ask the First to get something from your stingy father for you."

"…." Vent blinked twice in an instant. Today, he learnt that the Xengs' fearlessness in front of power was limitless. They knew exactly who he was, whose child he was. With that knowledge, they directly addressed his Father. It would be sensed, yet they still insulted the End.

Just as the Shi Clan's Saintesses' sentence ended. Vent's world deepened into endless darkness and chill.

No words were said but his mind was invaded by a familiar presence.

His Will and desires were read: "Tell them you're satisfied."

In a split second, the presence disappeared.

Vent's suffering, pain and injury suffered from the use of his Divine Artifact Ended. 'I'm healed…'

His guilt and loss of the Divine Artifact Ended.

Within his grip was an Eye. 'The Divine Artifact I lost? No, a duplicate?"

His worries about Arcta's safety due to Ebony's Misfortune, which has targeted everyone close to him but not him, because Misfortune never misses. That Ended too. The Frost Elves will not be implicated by Ebony's Misfortune now.

"Thank you, I'm very satisfied." Vent gripped the new Divine Artifact in his hands. Numbed by how unreal what just happened felt.

"Hey, wait. End the partially frozen soul too. Its aura is all over this child." The Ning Saintess pointed at Ebony's eye.

Unexpectedly, Father Winter returned and disappeared. Ebony's frozen soul, due to the feedback from touching the Divine Artifact was healed as if it never happened.

"We'll be borrowing this spot." The Shi said.

Vent nodded and left.

The Cosmic Tyrant must have done something that made Father Winter, The Cradle of End reach out to him.

This place wasn't his to stand at the moment.

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"Why's that lump of his mana over there? That's his house." Shi Tao looked out of the village.

Ning Yu, grabbed hold of Ebony's floating house with her mind and dragged it over right outside the village before moving Ebony and his staff back to his home.

This continent was too small for any noticeable time delays for what she wanted to do. At the rate the gravity tunnel was moving his house, it would take over a week before it arrived.

With a thought, her mind pushed down the Will across the continent and deactivated Ebony's wasteful Will transfer so that he could focus on what he was doing now.

Noticing an ice sculpture of a tree present and the residual aura that Ebony's Domain Core left on it, she gave it another 'look'.

Both of them had to have their eyes closed so neither had physical sight, but it didn't hamper them.

"This spell formation." Shi Tao saw more and more of the tree's construction.

"Ridiculously wasteful. Yet I suppose it's nothing for him and perfectly suitable. It won't disintegrate instantly if you look at it."

"As expected from my sister's son."

Ning Yu felt immense pride from her close friend, but had to remind her, "It's more of his father's doing."

"Ai, shut up. It's easy to copy this formation." Shi Tao knew just about anyone with the basic knowledge of runic formulation could copy Ebony's layered turtle scale bark tree.

It would be even tougher with the right elements such as metal, earth or other esoteric elements.

"Yet you won't find another human capable of doing it. The mental gymnastics required would stump those eldritch brain aliens. But, it's lacking compared to what he can already do."

"His Unique Skill, you mean. You read that didn't you?" Shi Tao knew this friend of hers. Injecting memories into Ebony was one thing, but there was no way she didn't see anything while she was in his mind.

"Not the Skill itself but the process. I don't know how Gelidon taught him or what puzzle training he gave, but it's all trial and error, and he spent under 300,000 years of perceived time doing the same thing and came out the same person."

"That's a feat." Shi Tao nodded but didn't think much of it. Not when she knew who Ebony descended from.

"One that the Ubiquitous Providence probably noticed."

"Do you know what Ubiquitous Providence graded his Unique Skill?" Shi Tao changed the subject.

"No, did he tell you?" Ning Yu respected some levels of privacy of a fellow clan member.

"All I know is that he doesn't think much about his Unique Skill and thinks it's just a convenient utility skill. Your kids are still in the Garden?"

"They were silly, neglecting one of our own. After your clan prepared a Divine item it looks bad on us for not preparing the same."

"They already did. 'Her' Blood is better than most Divine ingredients one can find. Your descendant's next two evolutions are good to go. Hell, she might exceed some of our children's Potential with that Blood alone due to the compatibility." Shi Tao and Ning Yu respected the one who rivalled the First immensely, but that didn't mean they treated her any differently from another Saint.

Anyway, both of them were still far from the horror that was the Blood Saintess.

However, there was no shame. That existence was older than the majority of the beings in the universe.

"You can tell my kids that. He's almost done."

Ning Yu suppressed the leak of Faith and Law from the staff by padding it over with her Law.

Shi Tao felt helpless that she couldn't help much. If she used hers, the staff would disintegrate along with Ebony. She even needed Ning Yu to wrap her up to descend on Elcra without destroying the Worldcore.

"Hey old turtle, how're you doing? Still playing dead?" Shi Tao was bored since Ning Yu did the job.

"Greetings, Saintesses." Ful's Spirit energy floated across the lands to respond.

"No need for that. Why's that sword hilt still stuck in you?" Shi Tao made small talk.

"Decoration." The tree spirit replied.

"You gathered all of your sister's Heartblood Essence? All of a sudden…are you finally planning to wake up?"

"Oh? Please tell me that's true, our younger generation needs to know what the true peak of invincibility an Emperor can achieve is." Ning Yu wasn't even distracted by what she was doing for Ebony when she heard the interesting topic.

"You flatter us," Ful replied non-committedly.

"Not at all, I'm sure you won't disintegrate if I look at you." Shi Tao praised.

The sole creature on Elcra that was still alive and slayed one of the Xeng was not a joke. Although they were merely King-ranked while Rueful was the only living Emperor on Elcra back in those days, it was a fair duel.

The Xengs don't hold grudges over duels they picked.

How long ago was that?

Shi Tao felt a little nostalgic knowing there was still another creature who shared some memories with her. It was almost pathetic to watch them still playing dead.

However, the Gluttonous Solar Blooded Phoenix's Heartblood Essence over the entire Worldcore, including Tova being gathered all of a sudden was a good sign.

"My daughter Shi Jian would be honoured for a duel with a Grade 9 Emperor. Can't find those anywhere across the universe these days."

"You mean another battle to the death. No, thank you. I don't exactly like your clan." Ful replied with no anger.

"Hey now, my sister's student Spear Saint or whatever is not our fault he slaughtered your family."

"I'm aware."

"Wait, did you get back at my nephew because of that?"

"Of course not. He's a descendant of our Father's allies."

"Were you ever contacted by the Life Grafter? Oh, thanks for picking my nephew up when he just arrived and awakening his mana-being genes."

"No and no problem."

"Sheesh, is he still hiding with the Rime Tribe?" Shi Tao hollered, but nothing appeared out of a rift to smite her.

Not surprising. With God's perfect race inhabiting Elcra, other Godly beings would know better than to appear or touch this place.

For the most part.

That was why no religion had grown to spread here, even with the Elves present.

Their casual conversation extended into trading information on what had been happening around the universe.

Until Ebony completed his puzzle solving and finished breaking another seal on his staff.

When everything settled, both Saintesses removed themselves from the Worldcore temporarily. Ning Yu left a mental message so that the young man wouldn't be confused about why he was in his home.

Due to the insistent ranting from Shi Tao, she also left a message on what to take note of for their coming evolution. Direct mental communication was much faster than talking.

She didn't forget her descendant who would be the main receiver of a compatible Physique building ingredient and evolution.

Sensing the astral interruption, it seemed like the young lady's Zhao bloodline was finally kicking in.

That makes things easier.

That child was the daughter of the Sub-Bloodseeker Nosferan race, with her mother being born between a Ning and another human that wasn't Xeng. With Veronica being born between a Ning and Zhao, her divination bloodline was thinned out.

One good thing about the Nosferan race was that they could be traced back to the True Vampires. With blood from their Origin, the young girl would face few compatibility issues.

Ning Yu pondered about how to overcome the God of Knowledge's restriction to teach them about Laws and what would be evolutionarily efficient for each of them, considering their genetics.

"Ah Tao. If you're itching to help…"

"Don't dally, what can I do?"

"Hmmm, you go to the Spirit Realm. Your daughter Yun is training with some Demi-Gods there, maybe you can invite her and visit the Boundless Library."

"Boundless Library? What for?"

"Attract His attention for a bit, just enough to get his perception away from Hex."

"How should I do that?"

"I don't know, burn a bookshelf or something."

"That would mean destroying some facts and truths of the universe...that sounds mighty fine." Ning Yu should be more than aware of Shi Tao's Laws and what a book in the Boundless Library represents.

With battle intent ignited, there was already no stopping Shi Tao.

For their descendants to surpass them, the Xengs would do anything.

Even if it meant picking a fight with a God, a bigger bite than they should be chewing off.