Chapter 450: Ascension; Realm of Thousand Paths
When the hologram which showed the miniature version of the starship materialized fully at the center of the table, nothing else happened. It just simply stayed where it was and floated in one place while slowly rotating counterclockwise.
[That’s it? A simple image about the ship we are currently in?]
Nova’s doubt-filled voice resounded in Khal’s head, sounding even a little bit disappointed that they have wasted their precious time just because of this.
Khal, however, shook his head indicating that it was far from over, and walked closer to the table with a serious face.
’These texts... Although looking slightly different, they seem pretty familiar to the language I have once spoken in my past life.’ Khal thought in his heart as he studied the words written all over the table, either above some buttons or next to them.
"You seem as if you can understand these texts." noticing the serious, but not at all troubled expression of Khal, Hale immediately realized that for some reason the young boy on his side seemed to understand the symbols these Realm Walkers used as a means of communication.
"I have learned a technique in the past that allows me to understand briefly ancient texts, and it seems it works even on these," Khal muttered utter nonsense without batting an eye, and placed his palm onto a small panel.
Whoosh!
At that very moment, the hologram changed its image, and now instead of showing the starship several moving planets and stars appeared at the center of the table.
"How interesting... It looks like this table has a function akin to a Realm Map, a relic allowing others to navigate in any of the Seven Realms in exchange for a bit of a Body Essence." Hale said quietly as he watched how Khal controlled the panel, causing the hologram image to zoom out and onto different planets and solar systems.
Khal then tried out several other panels and buttons on the table, learning that each of them had different functions.
For instance, there was one that was able to change the layout of the rooms on the ship while another one was capable of turning on a so-called Camouflage Mode which allowed the starship to literally become one with the surrounding space around it!
There was even a button that stated if pressed, hyperspace jump will be activated which will allow the starship to travel hundreds of light-years in a flash!
Of course, although Khal wished to press it and see how it felt to jump in space from one point to another, unfortunately, he had to say no to his desire and leave the button behind where it was.
"It seems there indeed is nothing else here." Khal sighed with disappointment, but soon his mood got elevated as he subconsciously touched the spatial ring on his finger which got filled with numerous precious items and objects he found interesting on this spaceship.
"What a shame... Though, although we have found nothing interesting, this ship gave me an idea where to search these Realm Walkers next."
"Really?" Khal was surprised to hear such words from Hale, and as if he realized something asked, "You think there are similar ships in the other six realms?"
"I don’t think it, I know it as I have already found them. Though, they are slightly different while their numbers differ too." Hale said as his eyes flashed with gentle golden light and continued, "There are two smaller starships as you have called them in the Third Realm, four in the Fourth Realm, seven in the Fifth Realm, and eleven in the Sixth Realm."
"What about the Zero Realm? Is there any?" Khal decided to ask despite already knowing the answer himself.
"There is none, unfortunately."
"I see..." Khal nodded before he looked around one final time around the control center before he decided to ask Hale to teleport him back into the Thousand Path of Destiny. As there was indeed nothing else on this ship to see and explore he was now completely ready to ascend into the Third Realm.
Hence, with the help of Hale Khal was quickly brought back into the pagoda where after saying his farewell to the ruler of the Seven Realms he started to ascend the stairs.
However, the moment Khal stepped on the stairs, he was shocked to find out that his weight became extremely heavy, almost as if gravity around him increased by at least five folds if not more!
However, that changed once again when he stepped onto the second step, which caused the increased gravity around his body to vanish, and what replaced it instead was insane heat.
It felt almost like he was tossed at the very bottom of a volcano where just taking a small breath made one’s lungs set on fire!
Then, when stepped on the third staircase, that feeling changed once again. Now, instead of believing as if he was in a volcano, he felt as if his body was pierced by thousands of daggers which slowly but surely sunk deeper and deeper into his flesh the more he moved!
Blood-freezing coldness, suffocating pressure, mind-shaking darkness, muscle-tearing pain, sensations akin to his cells getting petrified or turned into jelly, and hallucinations about his worst nightmares.
Every single time Khal stepped on the next staircase a different power appeared and assaulted either his body or mind, forcing him to ascend slower and slower!
However, although it made him move slower because of the pain and pressure he was experiencing after stepping on every staircase, they were unable to stop him from reaching the top, and after the last step which was also the 1000th, Khal felt as every cell, bone, muscle, tendon, and vein in his body got filled with a great amount of warm energy that made him feel rather comfortable.
Whoosh!
A faint breeze swept by Khal’s face as he enjoyed the warm sensation in his body without moving. Though, even without moving or opening his eyes, he knew he has ascended and finally was in the Third Realm!
The realm which until now was a huge mystery for the Human Race and only a very few were able to reach it!
The Realm of Misery, or on its other name the Realm Thousand Paths!
