Alison shut his eyes and sighed.

  [A fool by the name of Abel Conqeen saw fit to bridge the gap between universes. His awakened ability allowed him to peek into other universes. He could see but never touch. This ate at him. And so, he dedicated his life to changing that. He gathered powerful mages, and they performed a grand ritual that resulted in the Great Shift. For some reason, he chose this place, Machaeverosa, as the nexus realm. Nine other realms split their contents into this universe. Foreign people and magic came pouring in. It was chaos.]

  [I can imagine.]

  [No, you can't. The Great Shift led to the Great Scramble. Machaeverosa was upended. The planet consisted of three supercontinents. Like this. This is it now.]

  Alison illustrated his points with his blue energy as it formed two world maps. The first showed three massive continents, appearing as a misshapen three-blade propeller. The second image was what the first would look like if the three landmasses were struck by a giant hammer, repeatedly.

  [Shattered,] Xyn said, staring at the dozens of landmasses separated by a web of waterways.

  [In short, yes. The natives of this land had no answer to the foreign threat and were quickly overwhelmed by the dreadful figures and magic. Importantly, while every universe was connected, connections varied in quality. Scholars believe the quality of their connection, and therefore, the spilage depended on how close the universal bubble was relative to Machaeverosa at the time. Universe 2, 5 and 7 were deemed very close, given how much of themselves they poured into this realm. Universe 4, 6, and 8 were less represented, especially Universe 4. Only three Elementalists could be confirmed to have been translocated over.]

  I wonder if any bothan or natel was translocated. Could any of their descendants still be alive? That would be...super awkward.

  Alison continued, having entered scholar mode. He was the type to love hearing himself speak, and at this moment, Xyn felt the same.

  [The bridges between the other realms and Machaeverosa were made and fueled the chaos of the period. But even more than powerful individuals going at it, what truly drove the gears of madness was the influence of Universe 10. It is unique among the realms. It is not a corporeal place one can visit, but rather, a collection of ideas. It is considered the multiverse's collective unconsciousness. The queer magic from that realm spilt onto Machaeverosa and gave rise to unpredictable effects.]

  Alison opened an eye and glanced at the forest.

  [Most of the strange phenomena you’ve witnessed so far are byproducts of Universe 10’s contamination. Fauna and flora are its biggest victims. But they are also mostly harmless. There are a lot of strange and harmful phenomena out there. The Sepcus Wind teleports anyone who is engulfed in its embrace. The Sky Craver Stone, upon touch, will reverse one's gravity. These stones are indistinguishable from regular stones and have caused many deaths. Rainbow Judge is a thundercloud that roams the world. It's constantly rumbling, and the lightning bolts change hue daily to one of the seven colours in the rainbow. It strikes anything that is the same colour as its lightning bolts. And these bolts aren't anything to sneeze at. They're A-ranked threats.]

  [Really?] Xyn asked, disbelief roiling in his system. [You're just making that up?]

  [No. As I said, Universe 10's unique mana led to all kinds of strange and unexpected phenomena.]

  [Does it still continue to leak into Machaeverosa, now?]

  [No. It has been sealed up. The King of the Pixies reversed a lot of what Abel had done, but not completely. Knowing he couldn't restore the multiverse to the Great Before, he chose a different path: locking away Universe 10 and his home realm. Thanks to his efforts, the rest of the multiverse was spared a bizarre end. Of course, transmigration remained a thing, but it became far rarer. And far more predictable. Though, of course, there are exceptions. You...and the other transmigrator come at an unexpected time.]

  [You mentioned them before. Where are they?]

  Alison glanced to his right. [In that direction, quite a distance away. They arrived about seven hours ago.]

  [How can you tell?]

  [Dimensional rifts leave a specific energy signature. Radae has developed the technology to detect them. Two were detected in this region, and since I was close, I decided to fly over myself and capture you and the other one.]

  "Other one", he says. Is that the extent of his knowledge about them? About us? Something to follow up on. Later.

  [I see. These ten universes, you've told me a bit about Universe 10, but what about the rest? What are their defining characteristics, and who or what rules these lands?]

  Alison inhaled deeply through his nostrils before nodding.

  [They are numbered and named. Universe 1, Machaeverosa, the Realm of Realms. Universe 2, the Realm of Good and Evil. Universe 3, the Realm of Gods. Universe 4, the Realm of Sacred Elements. Universe 5, the Realm of Myths. Universe 6, the Realm of Psionics. Universe 7, the Realm of Karma. Universe 8, the Realm of Travellers, Universe 9, the Realm of Time Keepers, and lastly, Universe 10, the Realm of Strangers.]

  Xyn's curiosity ballooned to ridiculous heights as he heard the grand labels tacked onto each universe. Many questions fought to leave his head, but one barged in front of the rest.

  [Why are they numbered in that way? Do the ranks mean anything?] Xyn asked. Could it be a power ranking? No way my Universe is sixth on that ladder.

  [If it does, I don't know. The one who assigned the universes their number didn't share why they did it. I am pretty sure that the arrangement is random.]

  More questions slithered through Xyn's head at the information. [Tell me a bit about each Universe. What are they like?]

  [Universe 1. I've already told you a bit about Machaeverosa. In the days of the Great Before, this planet was home to two enlightened races, humans and beastfolk.]

  [Beastfolk?]

  [Yes, this world has - or rather had a special cosmic force of nature called Wild Wind, which transformed regular animals into humanoids. The beastfolk came in various kinds, but were the minority. They lived in the wilderness, or if they were unlucky, in the basement of some human noble. All beastfolk were mana users, but it was a case of quantity over quality. Their only special ability was being able to transform into an empowered beast form based on the animal they evolved from. Human mages were rarer. Only ten percent wielded an aura ability called Ki that enhances the mind and body to extreme degrees. It's rather common across the multiverse. Other races have it as well. Every monster has a similar energy empowering it.]

  [I noticed.]

  [Would be hard not to. Ki users are strong, but they have low ceilings compared to the other magic users in the multiverse. The human kingdoms fell like dominoes at the arrival of the otherworlders.]

  Alison sighed at his home universe's weakness.

  [Universe 2 is an actual hellscape. It was once populated by humans, angels and demons, "once" being the operative word. Now, only demons call it their home.]

  [Demons?]

  [Yes, they are what you are likely imagining: beings of evil, of destruction. Violence is their purpose. They live and die for it. And unfortunately, Universe 2 isn't the only place demons can be found. They are all over the multiverse, and especially love invading Machaeverosa. Live long enough, and you'll see them.]

  I look forward to it, Xyn thought.

  [Universe 3. As the name suggests, it contains Gods. Well, gods,] Alison scoffed, his disdain evident. [They call themselves the Thenian Gods, and there is a whole pantheon of them. Each Thenian God embodies a concept or set of concepts. They are powerful, though far less so outside their home realm.]

  Gods? Like the God of Blood and Slaughter? The young man kept the information to himself, choosing to keep the conversation flowing naturally. [Why?]

  [Their powers are derived from narrative and belief. And believers. The humans there fuel the fire that is the Thenian Gods' power. Outside of Universe 3, few know of their legends, and deliberate efforts have been made by Radae and other powers to suppress that knowledge. Of course, I won't go into that with you now.]

  [Fair enough. Universe 4?]

  [Little is known about the Realm of Sacred Elements. It is rather closed off. Very few otherworlders come from there. What we do know is that all humans there are mages, and are capable of wielding one of five elements: water, wind, earth, fire and chaos. Beyond that, I am ignorant. Much of Universe 5 is lost on me. More so because I'm uninterested in the happenings, the quarrels. Dragons, Elves and Titans are in a three-way power struggle and have been since forever. There are also dwarves, but they mostly serve as slaves to the other three races. The shattered world map is mostly a product of the feud between the dominant Myths as they dragged their conflict into this realm.]

  High fantasy, how cool, Xyn thought, briefly imagining himself face to face with a dragon, glowing sword in hand.

  [Universe 6. For a long time, two enlightened races dominated affairs: bothans and natels. These races conquered their planet, solar system and their galaxy through the use of mostly mundane technology. Eventually, their expansion caused them to brush up against each other. Peace wasn't an option, and they came to blows, starting a war that spanned centuries. Other enlightened races were discovered among the stars and were forcefully recruited into the war or destroyed. Humans and their mages, known as psionics, were an afterthought for the bothans and natels, who only saw each other as threats.]

  They did...until it was too late. Xyn felt a twisted glee at the thought.

  [Psionics were incredibly rare. Telekinetics, Telepaths, and Clairvoyants made up 99,99% of psionics. However, there was a fourth type called Aberrants, who didn't fit the mould, and whose power could be entirely unique. A thousand years ago, an anomaly was born. An Aberrant whose power defied all scales. Rose Ipsen, or as they called her, the Void Empress.]

  The narrative has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.

  Xyn mentally nodded along.

  [She single-handedly ended the War of Dusted Stars. And made another such war impossible. All non-humans were eradicated from Universe 6. Then, in the aftermath, the Rose Union was formed, led by her father. I would go on, but I'm preaching to the choir, aren't I? You're from there, no?]

  Xyn decided to be playfully evasive. [What makes you say that?]

  [At first, this crater. Magic can do something similar, but more often than not, this type of precise destruction is evidence of high tech. I'd guess it was a graviton bomb of some kind.] Alsion stared at Xyn's hands. [I wondered if you had a storage ring from up high, but now that I'm close, I can tell that you don't. You must have teleported the monster cores with your psionic power. You're an Aberrant with a type of pocket dimension, right?]

  [Bingo. I keep a few high-tech items in there. It's helped me survive so far.]

  Alison nodded, everything making sense to him. [Is the Rose Union still in one piece, boy?]

  Xyn's eye twitched. [It is. Peaceful as ever.]

  The Radiant Knight's eyebrow raised at the response, but before he could comment on it, the young man spoke again.

  [You learned about Universe 6 from psionics who were transmigrated over, right? Do you remember their names?]

  [There aren't many. We rarely get psionics. I only know two off the top of my head, because they are exceptional cases: Rose Ipsen and Almon Drona.]

  They really were transmigrated to this place. Xyn hesitated before asking, [What made their cases so special? What did they do?]

  [They are significant for different reasons. Rose was instrumental to the rise of Radae and humanity as a whole. She played a role similar to one she had in your universe, that of a saviour and destroyer. Today, humanity dominates Machaeverosa, but this wasn't the case in the centuries following the Great Shift. The Myths and other powerful figures ruled the world. Humans were still great in number, but they had no land they could call their own anymore. That changed with her arrival. A rose with deadly thorns. Shortly after arriving, she was bound to the service of the king of Radae. With her on his leash-]

  [Wait,] Xyn cut in harshly.

  [What?]

  [That's impossible,] the Void Prince stated vehemently. [There's no way the likes of you could shackle her.]

  There was a reason why he called himself Void Prince, and not Void King or Void Emperor. Rose Ipsen was orders of magnitude stronger than he was. Planets and stars vanished at her casual thoughts.

  Alison's lips tugged up. He didn't immediately reply. Not with words, that is. His empty palm became occupied by a blue gem.

  [This is called a Truth Stone. Pour mana into it like so, and you won't be able to utter a falsehood. It's one of the dwarves' three great magical artefacts.] The orb glowed blue at the Radiant Knight's will. [None of what I've said is false.]

  [A trick.]

  Alison barked out a laugh. [Could be. Test it then.] Saying so, he tossed the Truth Stone toward the Room of Solitude.

  Xyn caught it, inspected it for a few seconds and then fed it mana.

  [That silence. I take it you're trying to tell a lie. It won't work.]

  The Void Prince ceased his attempts after twenty seconds. His thoughts and emotions were in turmoil at the implications of the findings. Then it really happened? She, she of all people, was caught? That's...

  Troubling.

  Xyn's threat assessment underwent a rapid review. If they could subdue someone of Rose's calibre, Radae could subdue him. His easy-going thoughts let themselves out of his head, and serious ones occupied their vacancy.

  He took a calming breath. [I see. Sorry for the interruption. Please continue.]

  Alison showed a look of approval. [The Void Empress, even among Transcendents, was especially strong. She was the sharpest blade in the multiverse, and the crown used her well. And frequently. The terror of the Myths was dispelled in no time. Many other fringe powerhouses fell to her as well. Radae was founded along with dozens of other human-centric nations. When she was alive, Machaeverosa basked in a peace it hadn't seen since the Great Before.]

  [When she was alive? She died? How?]

  Alison tilted his head. [Of natural causes. She lived to her silver years. It was a dignified death, beautiful even. Her passing is a holiday across most of Machaeverosa.]

  That doesn't make sense. On two fronts. Rose was effectively immortal. Why would they let her die if she was that useful to them?

  Xyn pushed down the questions in favour of other ones. [What about Almon Drona? What makes him so memorable?]

  [A few things,] Alison answered, his eyes growing distant. [He was never caught by Radae or anyone. The man had great luck on his side. He appeared just outside a special zone called Null Scepia. It came to be shortly after the Great Shift and is one of the strangest phenomena in the multiverse. The zone is essentially the corpse of a jellyfish that was mutated by Universe 10's strangeness. The creature expanded to the size of a massive city in a matter of seconds, crawled onto a nearby landmass and then died.]

  Xyn made a face, to which Alison chuckled.

  [Get used to it. Machaeverosa is wonderful but weird. Null Scepia is - or at least, was a forbidden zone. Not because it is inherently dangerous, no. Rather, it's because, inside the confines of the dead jellyfish, magic use is next to impossible. Transcendent-level magic still functions to an extent, but is a tiny fraction of its strength outside the special zone. Even someone like Rose would be barely superhuman in Null Scepia. A good handful of Transcendents thought they could overpower the domain's restrictions, only to get killed by mundanes. Ascendant-level and below is completely nullified. What it doesn't suppress is mundane tech, which accounts for most of Aldrona's combat prowess. In there, he's practically invincible.]

  [So, he hid in there?]

  [He did more than that. With the aid of his personal artificial intelligence, he built. Machines. Factories. Automatons. Then, a town, a city, a nation. Megalo, he calls it. People took notice. They came in droves, and in modern times, his nation is bustling and is considered one of the major powers in Machaeverosa.]

  Xyn felt a weird sense of pride swirl through him at the accomplishment of his fellow psionic.

  [Ideally, we'd have put a collar on him, but Radae and I can't complain. He's proven his character beyond a reasonable doubt. He's a fine man with a good head on his shoulders. A good drinking partner, too.]

  This guy's a true believer in what he's doing. They are the most dangerous types. Nothing I say or do will change his actions. Killing him is the only option.

  Xyn didn't rush towards the grim conclusion. More information was preferred. Also, the longer he stalled, the more mana he regenerated.

  [Alison of House Aegis. That blue energy is not Ki, right? Are you an otherworlder who was caught previously? I don't see any collar around you?]

  [Misunderstandings, you have several. To explain them away, let's talk about Universe 7, the Realm of Karma. It is related. Universe 7 is...a mess. Its past and present are a complex picture, worth ten thousand words. The planet at the centre of this realm is populated by humans and pseudo-humans. The mages of Universe 7 are called Mystics. They are rare, as rare as psionics. Mystics wield magical tools called Karma. A Karma is a manifestation of a Mystic's soul. Each one is unique, and all of them can be considered high-ranking artefacts.]

  Alison reached into his shirt and pulled out a necklace. A gem, as one might expect, wasn't present. Instead, a miniature shield made of wood and steel hung limply.

  [This here is a Karma, Impenetrable Shield.]

  [It is?] Xyn responded incredulously. He had noticed the silver link chain but regarded it as an aesthetic choice due to its barely detectable magical signature.

  [Your reaction is expected. Karmas, most of them, radiate next to no mana and can be mistaken for mundane objects. It's a basic feature. Quite insidious, no?]

  [Yeah. So, that thing allows you to wield that blue energy?]

  [By itself, no. Most Karmas perish with their creator, their Mystic. A small minority can be used by others. Impenetrable Shield is in the former camp. That being the case, a workaround had to be made. I am a true resident of Machaeverosa; my roots can be traced back to the times of the Great Before. The body I possess is a different story. It belonged to a Mystic, Andrew Norton.]

  [You can possess other people?]

  [No. I have no such ability. That belonged to a Scion of Destruction, Quanta or Fate Swapper, as she was known. After we put a collar on her, we used her Karma to place loyalists into powerful vessels. I had the opportunity and took it, going from a mediocre Ki user to one of the strongest individuals in Machaeverosa. I am not alone in holding this privilege. More than half of the current Radiant Knights occupy foreign vessels.]

  Xyn's skin crawled at the information. [This Quanta you speak of...does she still live?]

  [Unfortunately, not. We had her barely a decade before she was slain by a monster.]

  [A monster like the ones in this forest?]

  [No, an actual one, not some creation. One who still roams Machaeverosa to this day, the dread of all who meet his path.]

  Xyn watched Alison's face turn sombre, afraid even. [There's still more Universes to go over.]

  [There is, but we've long surpassed the stipulated five minutes. We can continue the topic during our travels west. I have no clue about the capabilities of the other transmigrator, and I doubt I'll luck out as I did with you.]

  [Last question, then. What does my future look like under Radae?]

  The question ironed out Alison's impatience. His posture straightened. He took a deep breath, inflating with pride. His inner voice projected this emotion.

  [In this tunnel of darkness that is Machearosa, Radae is the light leading out. It is a place bathed in warmth and luxury, where common citizens live like kings and queens. It is governed by law and order, and the wisdom of the royal family and enjoys a peace that no other territory can match. The best and brightest make it their home.]

  Alison had to take a physical breath, his face feverish at his overflowing pride. He shifted his green sights down to Xyn.

  [I’m forcefully taking you there, but frankly, I'm doing you a favour. Many wish to become citizens but can not. You have lucked out. These last two hours should have been a nightmare for you, being from the peaceful Rose Union.]

  I wasn't here that long, and no. It's been the opposite. A dream come true, Xyn countered.

  [Once you're within Radae, you won't have to see another monster again. As for what you'll do, I'm uncertain. Storage rings are common enough to render your psionic power useless. Radae is also not hurting for advanced technology. That said, the crown takes care of captured otherworlders. You'll live well. Safe and sound.]

  [Safe and sound,] Xyn repeated, his stomach turning at the notion.

  The Radiant Knight nodded. [I believe I've humoured you more than enough. Let's get this over with.] He snapped his fingers, and the Room of Solitude began shrinking. At the same time, Ignis Collar began floating downwards.

  [Last question.]

  [No-]

  [Has your barrier ever been breached before?] Xyn streamrolled over Alison's objection.

  The Radiant Knight looked miffed. [No. My barrier is...impenetrable, boy.]

  [That so? Let's test that theory. Now.]

  [What are you-]

  The following sequence took no longer than a blink, yet for the two involved, it was an eternity.

  Xyn materialised at Alison's backside. Using Vanta Drive, he thrust his splayed open right hand toward the Radiant Knight's nape. A moment later, White appeared at the middle-aged man's front and mirrored Black's actions.

  Alison was thrown off by the teleportation and duplication, but not to the point where he couldn't react. Dodging was possible, yet he didn't. This would prove to be a fatal mistake. Secure in his belief that his barrier would hold, he stayed still and let Xyn's hands encircle his neck.

  The Void Prince waited till the last moment before lathering his hands with lines of Endera.

  Black and blue met and...

  Wha-

  Xyn and Alison's reactions to the collision were identical. They were astounded, for something unprecedented had occurred. Endera destroyed all. No material or energy could resist the darkness. That was what Xyn believed...till now. The blue energy was being eaten through, but it would take several moments to accomplish.

  The Radiant Knight was stunned to discover this fact. And further shocked by the darkness Xyn summoned. He recognised it as Void magic, and thus the psionic's true nature. And identity. The blue membrane surrounding him had thinned by half upon collision and was rapidly shrinking as more energy rushed to fill in the gaps created by the ravenous Endera.

  Thoughts to escape flew out of Alison's head. He couldn't. Not up or down or from any side. Xyn's impromptu collar limited his movements. Panic set in. Death was closer than it had been in seven centuries. The Radiant Knight didn't fall into despair, though.

  His mind raced for a solution. Two identical swords appeared in his hands, the silver rapiers smoking with a black aura. These swords belonged to the Necromancer's foremost Death Knight and were used to reap countless lives.

  Alison didn't hesitate to turn them on the psionic. He did a clockwise spin and swung the swords, aiming to decapitate both Xyns. The arcs were swift and precise. But Xyn's necks remained on his shoulders thanks to some timely patches of Endera.

  Alison was surprised to find the swords grow lighter in his hands. Then, shaken when he saw them shatter into fragments. The enchantment binding the blades had been destroyed along with their tips.

  Alison scrambled for a solution. He found one. A needle in a haystack. It was risky, but it was doable. He diverted all of his energy into his arms. Xyn's blackened hands bit into his flesh and were moments from performing a gory clap. Alison deemed those moments sufficiently long. His plan was simple. Close his armoured hands around Xyn's wrists and pull his two selves away. Once the Radiant Knight had some breathing room, dealing with his opponent would be child's play.

  Alison rejoiced at his desperate ploy. He rallied his aura to carry out his plan, but before he could send the mental command, Xyn sent his.

  Like a taut bow, the arc was already drawn and ready to fire. From point-blank range - nay, a bit closer, the Void Prince let loose. The silver strand ended the contest cleanly. Alison of House Aegis, Duke and Radiant Knight of Radae, died.