Without another sound, Nhiria disappeared.

  And with her, the crushing pressure that held Sokram so tightly that he couldn’t even speak vanished in an instant, leaving him gasping as icy, thin mountain air scraped his lungs.

  The only things around him were the chair and two enormous tomes, one written in ancient draconian, Oghmah, and the other written in ancient Aefhery, Allseer’s Codex.

  They were heavy, their covers made of mithril, revested in leather that resembled cured dragon skin; impenetrable, ancient, and impossibly smooth, with the tome smelling of ancient parchment and everlasting Magi.

  They didn't just sit there; they vibrated with a low, resonant hum that fizzed through his bones and stirred the depths of Sokram’s Chaos Core.

  “Heh!” Sokram’s smile stretched from ear to ear.

  Then he shouted to the skies, “I just beat someone on the Paragon level! Where’s my title?!!”

  The air shimmered and split open. White light coalesced into two floating screens, their text dark, seemingly written with the darkness of the Nether, demanding to be read.

  One in front of everyone in the galaxy, the next only in front of each of Mentyr’s followers:

  [Congratulations on yet another monumental achievement, Pioneer of Chaos.

  Though this accomplishment strays from the direct path of Evolution, it is nothing short of extraordinary. You are the first being in our galaxy to achieve such a feat.

  Not only did you defeat an opponent of the Paragon Level, a stage beyond Transcendence, but you did so while still at the Awakened Level.

  For outwitting Mentyr the trickster, I, Nhiria, First of the Grey Dragons, bestow upon you this title:

  Agent of Chaos.

  May your enemies tremble at your approach, for it is now a fact that one day, our paths will converge in the hallowed halls of the Star Palace.

  Godspeed.]

  Mentyr’s message:

  [From the bottom of my heart, I welcome you, Pioneer of Chaos, among the pantheon of Seekers.

  I have been watching you achieve your Evolution, seeking to unveil the unknown.

  It’s my pleasure and a great honor to know you.

  As you said, you are of one heart with me in your hunger for knowledge.

  It’s my greatest joy to name you Lord Seeker of Chaos!

  May every one of my children forever call you Lord!

  Godspeed.]

  “Hahaha, so that’s how you’re taking revenge? Good, Mentyr.” Sokram laughed wholeheartedly, knowing just what he had achieved.

  A plan that had been taking shape since the moment Mentyr possessed Amira, back when they discovered the Kasula.

  Now he knew that any vessel that came near him would be very careful.

  Becoming a Vessel, especially for those of the Nether, was never without consequences, even when it came to Azula and Mentyr.

  The darkness of the Nether was as everlasting as the emptiness of the Void.

  Yet, that energy leaked from their bodies once it met the plane of the living.

  Identifying to whom that energy belonged was just a matter of knowing who they followed, and Sokram knew them all, especially Mentyr.

  Sokram lifted the two tomes with utmost care and a greedy glint in his eyes.

  They were not just books; they were counted among the greatest treasures of the Multi-Dimensional Plane.

  Magical books that contained almost unlimited knowledge. But one should know how to use them. Knowing the language they were written in wouldn’t be enough.

  So, playing the part of the eager genius, Sokram rushed to open the Oghmah, whose title translated to Mother’s Answers.

  But the book was blank, the pages stared back at him, empty and unyielding.

  He flipped the pages frantically. The pages rustled, the sound sharp yet muffled by the wind at the peak of the mountain, but every sheet was a pristine, light beige.

  No ink, no diagrams, just an endless void of potential that refused to fall in his hands.

  Not giving up, he opened the Allseer’s Codex.

  Contrary to the Oghmah, the Allseer’s Codex would show all the information about everything one had seen in their lives.

  With seen being the keyword.

  Even if they had read, studied, and knew everything about it, if they had never laid their physical eyes upon it, the book wouldn't show it.

  Thus, when he opened the Allseer’s Codex, there was nothing in it.

  In Sokram’s case, even if he had memories from his previous timeline, his physical body was new.

  The memories from his first timeline were stored in his soul. But the books didn’t use Soul Magic.

  The origins of these books were unknown even to the Guardians, such as Nhiria.

  Some believed the tomes appeared together with the Records, as the books had a limited number, were found in every universe, and were connected to the Records.

  In Nhiria’s galaxy, there were only ten thousand of each Allseer's Codices and Oghmas for a galaxy with more than a million habitable planets.

  And now Sokram held such treasures in his hands.

  Still, Sokram had a part to play, so acting like a disappointed teenager, he sighed, frustration tugging at his brow.

  “Of course, there would be a catch. How do I even use these?” He muttered.

  “Let me see…” Sokram started summoning book after book out of his Void Glove and began re-reading them.

  From time to time, he would mutter sensible information to himself, much like when he pretended to be studying.

  Meanwhile, far away in the Star Palace, a commotion arose.

  Beings that could shatter planets with their presence alone raised their voices in argument, as both Paragons and Lord of the Nether complained to Nhiria.

  The first to raise his concerns was the Second Paragon Agorath, “Milady, that child is a menace! He made a mockery of a Paragon, and you reward his insolence with weapons of mass destruction?”

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  “Weapons of mass destruction?” Nhiria raised a brow. An amused light tug on her lip at her Second Paragon’s choice of words.

  “In the hand of someone as ingenious as he is, yes, I agree with Agorath, Milady.” Azula chimed in.

  “You’re all scared of a hatchling who isn’t even of age yet? You? My chosen Paragons?” Nhiria giggled, the sound chiming coldly through the starlight hall.

  “Even the infamous Lords of the Nether, who time after time defied my decrees. Afraid of a greedy hatchling who doesn’t even know how to use those weapons of mass destruction?” Nhiria’s tone was full of mockery.

  “Milady,” Harten, the fifth Paragon, spoke humbly, “Their worries are legit. If Sokram can trick even Mentyr, then how can we ever intervene on behalf of our children whenever he is around? And now he has an Oghmah and an Allseer’s Codex in his hands. How long will it take for him to learn how to use it? Look at him.”

  Harten pointed at Sokram, who restlessly searched among his books, trying to find a way to use what he had just earned.

  Nhiria’s lips curled back, revealing her pristine white teeth. It wasn't a smile of kindness.

  It was a sharp grin of an ancient dragon watching a hatchling learn how to spread their wings, attempting to take flight sooner than most.

  Then, her gaze shifted back to Harten, a slight scowl took over her expression, “I gave you the same reward back in your era, and different from you, instead of complaining about the empty, blank pages, he is looking for the keys.”

  Harten flushed and lowered his gaze.

  Nhiria continued, her grin sharpening with a hint of mockery at every word, “Besides, I never thought you would speak on Mentyr’s defense. I see… he truly deserves the title of Agent of Chaos, as the echo of his actions is pushing things toward Evolution even here in the center of the galaxy.”

  But it wasn’t just there; the waves of chaos spread far beyond.

  The entire galaxy was in uproar.

  Every kingdom and faction continued looking for Sokram, the discoverer of Chaos Energy Cultivation, the one on the right path toward finding the Crystal Palace, the Pioneer of Chaos who appeared in the Records' screens again and again.

  A kid not even of age had just received another galactic title.

  Many speculated this would be the rise of a new Paragon.

  While others were more worried about what to do to find him and suffocate that flame before it spread across the galaxy.

  In the Central Continent Elven Empire, Empress Meriande, looking out the windows of her office, dazedly watched a few of her other grandchildren gathered in the imperial palace’s gardens, the princes and princesses of the Empire she built with her siblings, resting and laughing under the shade of the Sacred Tree and the security of her shadow.

  A contrast to her grandson in the frozen north, who had just defeated a Paragon, causing galactic ripples.

  And thinking of him, her lips held a proud smile.

  Gathered before her, the councilors, administrators, generals, and nobles of the Empire discussed the matter passionately.

  One of them dared to break the Empress from her daze.

  “Lady Empress Meriande, you once said you believed this child, who can now defeat Paragons, was from our world. How certain are you of that?” The one who asked was the Second Seat of the Empire, Chancellor Lekar di Ellcrys id Ellaria, and Meriande’s nephew.

  He was a High Elf who stood at 1.9 meters tall, with long blond hair tied in a braided ponytail. His battle-hardened body was covered in elegant royal attire.

  Yet, all the elegance didn’t hide the arrogance in his eyes as his chin tilted upward, looking down at the assembly.

  He adjusted his silk cuffs with a slow, deliberate motion, carrying a poise that screamed he believed himself the most important person in the room.

  “Don’t worry. Although I’m sure the Pioneer is from this planet, he won’t pose any threat to us.” Meriande, ignoring the arrogance in her nephew's eyes, answered calmly.

  “How are you so certain, Lady Empress?” Lekar insisted.

  Meriande’s eyes narrowed, and the air in the room grew heavy as the gravity around her shifted slightly. “If you’re going to doubt my every answer, why bother asking? Sigh… Leave me, I need to think alone.”

  Their arrogance mattered little to her. No one would dare disobey her.

  Soon after her order was given, she found herself alone in her office, but not completely.

  “Are you going to keep hiding, Elrilyn?” As Meriande spoke softly, a smile surfaced on her lips, one only her closest kin knew.

  The stone wall rippled like water. Elrilyn stepped through it as if it were nothing but mist, the solid, warded wall solidifying instantly behind her heel without a sound.

  “Sister, I’m back again, and I brought gifts. But before that, tell me, when can we finally meet him?” Elrilyn smiled brightly, meeting her sister's gaze.

  “That I can’t tell you, I’m now under Oath,” Meriande spoke without fear, as her eyes met her sister’s.

  “I see, so Hannah is purposefully keeping us away, hm?” Elrilyn speculated, staring at her sister with a thoughtful expression.

  “How is your Council of Magi? Found any successors yet?” Meriande deflected, which was all the confirmation Elrilyn needed.

  “Yes, I did, there are six children touched by Magi that were revealed to us so far,” Elrilyn nodded.

  Then she looked at her sister pleadingly, “One of them is here, our little pink-haired princess, Zenregan.”

  “Zenn is also cultivating Magi? Since when? She just mastered that new Titan Force Technique.” Shock flashed across Meriande’s face, tightening her jaw.

  “From what she told me, while mastering that technique, she reached an enlightenment, and through it, she found a way to bridge the Titan Force to the walls of her newly formed Mana Heart.” Elrilyn grinned proudly.

  Then she cast a knowing look at the Empress, “Amazing what your grandson can inspire, even so far away, right?”

  Elrilyn couldn’t help it and didn’t bother trying to hide how eager she was to meet Sokram.

  “Let’s go. But you'd better stay for a while this time. I’ll see if I can find a way for you to meet him,” Meriande scowled slightly at her sister, leading the way out of her office toward the imperial chambers.

  But as Elrilyn walked with her, Meriande sighed deeply, “I wonder if Mira is disappointed that I couldn’t attend her marriage ceremony.”

  The Empress’s expression betrayed her inner conflict, a rare moment of vulnerability, one she only dared to show in front of her sister.

  Elrilyn hugged her sister from behind as both paused along the hallway and watched the Imperial Garden through the windows, “She will understand. Don’t worry.”

  “And my grandson, would he understand?” Meriande’s gaze shifted upward, watching the sky, as she caught herself doing often lately.

  Dreaming of the day she would meet the person born from Garuth’s sacrifice.

  Back in Eversnow, in the Dracnakrid estate, Sokram’s family sat in shock, still in Sokram’s triplex, wondering how he had done it when none of them were able to stop the possessed Amira.

  A mutual consensus was formed among them: Instead of going after him, they decided to trust him and wait for him to come back on his own.

  Had Sokram known of the changes taking place all over the world and the galaxy, nothing would’ve changed, because everything was going according to his plan.

  After leafing through some of his books, Sokram returned them to his Void Glove.

  He picked the Allseer's Codex, and his hand hovered over the back cover.

  With a deep breath, he didn't open the book. He turned it over, opening it from the very end.

  His fingers trembled slightly, and anxiety clawed up his chest as he sought the secret hidden in the last page.

  Seeing that scene, the Paragons, who were still in uproar, froze as Harten muttered, “He found the key.”

  While everyone focused on Sokram, both Nhiria and Mentyr shared a look of complicity.

  The difference between their expressions was that Nhiria’s grin was proud and wide. While Mentyr bit the inside of her cheek, forcing her face into a neutral mask.

  But her joy betrayed her. Her eyes crinkled at the corners, with a suppressed mirth that she couldn't quite extinguish.

  Yet, Eliora caught onto it, and she couldn’t contain herself, standing up in anger, pointing at Mentyr, “You scheming little…”

  “Eliora! Mind your tongue.” Nhiria glared at her, and Eliora froze at the weight of Nhiria’s gaze.

  “But, Milady, Mentyr was hiding a smile just now. That’s not the reaction of someone who was fooled!” Eliora protested, sitting back with crossed arms and pouting.

  Nhiria raised an eyebrow, looking at Mentyr, “Did he truly trick you?”

  “Yes, that spell caught me completely off guard. His behavior, too. Though you, Milady, coming to my rescue, didn’t. I believe that part went according to his plans as well,” Mentyr confessed.

  “You mean he tricked me?” Nhiria's expression shifted to a thoughtful, slight frown.

  “Well, he is trying to. Even right now.” Mentyr's grin widened a bit.

  “Explain,” Nhiria ordered.

  Nhiria then heard Mentyr’s reply, her voice transmitted telepathically, “How good is his memory, Milady? He had the key from the start.”

  Mentyr raised a brow, with an expression that said But you know that as well.

  Nhiria chuckled.

  Then, trying to think about how Sokram managed to beat Mentyr, she frowned, as though searching through her memories.

  A moment later, her brows raised slightly in recollection. “You told me Sokram had been reading about tales of the past and Astral projection, but I dismissed it back then. What about that?”

  Mentyr sighed, seeing that Nhiria wouldn’t hide her questions from the other Paragons, “Sokram was reading about the times you intervened in our favor.”

  Mentyr could see everyone hanging on to her every word attentively, “But I believe he was looking for a pattern, and he was also reading about the Oghmahs and the Codices.”

  “He knew it was impossible to get it by normal means. He also read about how you presented them to Bella, Harten, and Ariana after they impressed you with one of their feats… like feats worthy of a title, for example.” Mentyr explained while Azulla observed her closely to see if she was lying.

  “Still, I just realized how connected everything was once you appeared with the books. I realized we had been tricked, which is why I was shocked and scared.” Mentyr shrugged.

  Then her eyes shifted back to Sokram on the top of the mountain and smiled proudly, “Sokram wouldn’t go as far as torturing me, I believe. But I chose not to say anything because I believe he earned it.”

  Mentyr's expression didn’t show regret, but her tone was, nonetheless, subservient and apologetic.

  “She’s telling the truth,” Azulla stated, but Nhiria knew that as well.

  Mentyr would never lie to her.

  “Look at what you’ve done,” Agorath shook his head, a scowl on his face as he pointed at Sokram, who had his eyes glued to the Allseer’s Codex and grinning mischievously.