Chapter 468: 468: The Fateful Encounters
Chapter 468: The Fateful Encounters
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Fotia was in the Cube Omniverse, a realm distinct from her own, toward which her kind had been at war for eons. Nowadays, they were peaceful, so visiting Cube was safe for her.
More so because of her identity. Being the daughter of the Primordial God and Eurynome Celestine, she was not just any deity – her lineage was of the highest order, and even the Abstract Entities would rather not harm her even if things went downhill.
However, she wasn't here today in Cube by her own choice. Her parents had pretty much forced her to come here. This was supposed to be a vacation for herself and her fiance, where their parents hoped they'd get to know each other better.
Zephyrus was a formidable figure among the new generation in the Prime. As the son of one of the 72 Great God Emperors, he was an impressive sight with his large, well-built frame and striking blue skin that shimmered with an aura of power. His strength was not just physical but also rooted in the deep lineage of divine power, making him a match for the strongest beings in multiple universes. In fact, he was stronger than Fotia herself—though she would never admit it to his face.
Yet, despite his might and prestigious background, Fotia's feelings towards him were lukewarm. Their engagement was orchestrated more by the desires of their parents than by any mutual affection felt like an ornate shackle, restraining her fiery spirit.
Plus, he wasn't really her type.
Whatever the case, they were now on vacation, so she had decided to enjoy herself. They came to this world that seemed plucked from medieval fantasy, yet wasn't inhabited by humans, but rather a unique race of four-armed beings.
Their initial reception was less than welcoming. Since Fotia hadn't bothered to arrange things with the local Dimensional Supervisor, their powerful presence stirred fear and hostility among the natives. The world's finest Knights, capable of destroying verses in the lower worlds, teamed up to fight them.
With a simple gesture, she summoned a whirlwind of flames, dancing skyward in a mesmerizing display. The fire gleamed like liquid gold against the backdrop of the sky, flickered in patterns that told tales of ancient power and divine lineage.
"Uh..." the Knights had realized that there was no chance they could win.
With a mere display of her pyrotechnic prowess, she swiftly made them understand that, if she wanted them dead, they could do nothing. "Leave me alone!" – was what she yelled to them before they did as asked.
After enjoying her time in the local civilization, she decided to venture deeper into this world with Zephyrus. From what they gathered, this was a forbidden zone, filled with creatures that could destroy this hyper-large planet. Fotia wanted to test that out.
The two of them found themselves in a grassy land, filled with dangers unseen and foes formidable. The air was thick with the scent of wildflowers and the distant, almost imperceptible, hum of primal magic. It was here that they encountered a bunch of Demonic Grasshoppers, the size of a building. It was rumored to be an unstoppable force, and she had high hopes.
But her hopes died down when she, with her hair blazing like the sun, burned the bugs with a flick of her fingers.
"That was boring," she grunted out. "Why did we come to such a weak world again?"
"This was supposed to be a vacation, that's why..." her fiance replied, as she shot him a look. She didn't ask that literally. Still, she couldn't be annoyed, that blockhead behavior of his was cute.
She had to admit, their parents' goal of getting them closer via this vacation had worked out well. His looks still weren't her type, but it was cute how he acted so carefully around her despite being more powerful.RêAd lateSt chapters at novelhall.com Only
"Anyways, let's leave. Nothing is interesting here," she said. Should she go on a sightseeing date with him next?
"Alright." Zephyrus nodded.
The two of them turned to leave, but then Fotia's attention was suddenly drawn to the sky. A portal opened, with energy flowing out from a higher dimension, as a presence began to drop down. It crashed into the landscape with unexpected force, causing a cloud of dust to rise.
"Get behind me!" Zephyrus said and jumped in front of her, to protect her in case it got dangerous, as the figure of a man had dropped face-first into the ground.
"..."
Fotia frowned. If this was a surprise attack, it was poorly planned—the man's torso had dug into the ground. Fotia got around Zephyrus and approached the man. She used telekinesis to pluck him out and place him on his back.
"Ugh..."
"Oh my," Fotia grinned at the groaning man. "A handsome human... Hmm, are you human? Ugh, I should have trained on some sensory abilities."
"Odd, it's hard to sense his power level," her Fiance, who seemed to have powerful sensory abilities, said with a frown.
He wasn't supposed to listen to her orders, the collar wasn't designed for that, but he did anyway. He blurred toward the grasshoppers, and a second later, the bugs were burned with black flames.
Fotia cheered, "Oh, he has flame powers! My pet has flame powers just like me!" she grinned at the man while her fiance rubbed the back of his head. "Now now, come back, come back!"
She called him back as he stared at her from a distance. His eyes were a lot more clear now, but she didn't care to notice that. He grabbed his collar... and it vanished. She blinked in surprise, and in that single moment, he had vanished too.
"W-what?! Where did he go?!" Fotia let out a yell, while her fiance looked around in caution, ready to protect her in case of a surprise attack.
An attack that never came. Her lovely pet had fled...!
"We have to find him! We have to find him!" she yelled, running around in haste while Zephyrus followed behind her with a sigh. Fotia vowed to find her pet, who she had already imagined an interesting future with, where he would reveal his past to her, and she would help him out. He couldn't flee!
She would find him.
Unfortunately for her, that choice would be the end of her.
* * *
On the other hand, Neji had fled far. It was easy enough to put that collar inside his Inventory and free himself, and now he had successfully fled.
He left a few dozen wood clones behind on the titanic planet, who blew themselves up near strong creatures, which sent Exp his way, while he flew out of this system.
'What is up with that stupid woman?' he growled to himself. She wasn't arrogant, she was innocent, yet she was weird like that. Because that's how she had grown up.
Neji escaped far from this universe with the use of [Dimension Lost] Sacred Gear, which he had plundered from the Hero Faction, and ordered it to take him to the [Temples of Equilibrium] — his Balanced Path's test grounds. He was unsure if this artifact could directly take him there, but what could he do but try?
His body shimmered, and he teleported.
When the light cleared, and he blinked, he found himself in front of a magnificent tree. A tree the size of a sun, as he floated in front of it with a confused look.
[A God Tree]
'A God Tree...? Where is this, and why did it bring me here?' he wondered as his eyes wandered. Near its root, where he was currently, he noticed a figure playing with an apple.
Feeling his gaze, the figure turned to him. Her vibrant green eyes blinked and her hair danced as she looked at him from that distance. Neji blinked too, and in that short second, she was suddenly in front of him.
[Lady Life – Abstract Entity – Mid Class 1]
"My, you're wounded heavily." she tilted her head and checked his wounded body, while his hand shot up, involuntarily, to grab her throat. She let him do that while looking into his eyes. "You look like you're in pain."
No matter how much strength he exuded, she didn't flinch. Naturally, even if he had seen her die in the future timeline, she was still a Class 1 Entity. She gently held his hand, which he tried to free but failed thanks to her strength, and dragged him near the tree's root.
"Come here," she said gently, as if an angel. "I'll ease your pain."
"...."
Neji gave in.
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