Chapter 767: A Force Beyond
The Master of the Kriwon Universe was named Velkor.
The Kriwon Universe was, by most standards, average. Neither exceptional nor weak, just one of the countless stable universes that populated the multiverse.
Velkor, its ruler, was a competent Universal Master.
His power sat comfortably at the median of what was the expected threshold for Universal Masters in this section of the multiverse. He was a Monarch realm existence, and though he was only at the Inferior Stage, that was enough for his station.
Kriwon had a nationalized structure, a system where Velkor operated as the president-equivalent, overseeing the entirety of the universe.
Beneath him were the Ministers—the Pantheon’s Main Entities, while the other Entities of the Pantheon occupied the seats of Governors, Magistrates and other high-tier official positions.
Even such a simple-sounding system became incredibly complex when scaled to the level of an entire universe, but Velkor ensured that it ran like a well-oiled machine.
Today had been shaping up to be another routine day for Velkor. He was nearly done with his schedule, with only one item left on the list.
He had to inspect a galaxy cluster where three galaxies had recently collided, to ensure the collision hadn’t caused severe instability to the satellite galaxies of these three big galaxies, and that stars hadn’t spiralled into each other and triggered supernova chains.
He was just about to set off when the double doors to his office abruptly slammed open, and without waiting for permission, the Minister of Foreign Affairs, a Main Entity of the universe’s pantheon, stormed inside.
"Velkor!" he shouted.
Normally, such a breach of decorum would be met with immediate reprimand, but Velkor recognized the urgency in the minister’s voice and understood that this was definitely no ordinary matter.
"What is it?" Velkor asked, his brows furrowing.
In response, the minister held up a transparent glass tablet, the message displayed on its surface glowing faintly as he spoke.
"We just received a missive... from the Hell Universe."
Velkor’s expression darkened the moment he heard those words.
Unlike Kriwon, which was considered moderate in power and influence, the Hell Universe was a hegemon and one of the recognized major superpowers in their region of the multiverse.
It stood on equal footing with fabled universes such as Olympus and Asgard, and even the diplomatically neutral yet historically entrenched Bracken Cluster.
While Kriwon had engaged in brief contact with the Hell Universe in the past, those instances were rare, limited by both the vast spatial distance and the absence of any shared strategic interests.
And yet, today, they had sent a message.
Velkor’s eyes scanned the contents of the missive in silence. According to its details, a noble of the Hell Universe, specifically the daughter of a mid-ranking noble holding the title of Count, was scheduled to visit a particular galaxy within Kriwon, for an unstated reason.
More notably, she would not be travelling alone. She would be accompanied by an unnamed individual, a greater noble whose identity had been deliberately withheld.
That detail alone made Velkor’s stomach clench.
In the Hell Universe’s monarchy system, even a mid-rank noble like a Count was equivalent, if not greater in power to Kriwon’s Governors and Galactic Rulers.
However, a greater noble, especially one who was not named, implied an entity of tremendous influence.
The decision to leave their name out was an intentional method to avoid political complications or public awareness of their movement.
’Someone of high profile. Someone who should not be roaming outside the borders of the Hell Universe...’
Velkor immediately began to theorize possible candidates.
’Could it be the child of a Duke? Perhaps, even a Grand Duke?’
He ran through every name he could remember, but no matter how much he speculated, he couldn’t identify the possible candidate.
Just as he reached the point of grabbing his hair frustration, his Authority as the Master of Kriwon instantly reacted, blaring an ALARM.
Something had entered the universe, and the universe itself had deemed it a THREAT.
The Minister of Foreign Affairs also froze, his face betraying shock as he too felt the same reaction from his Authority. As two of the most powerful entities within Kriwon, they immediately recognized the implications.
"What the hell just entered the universe...?" the minister muttered, his apprehensive voice echoing in the room.
This presence, whatever it was, did not simply register as foreign. It registered as a force that transcended the level of the universe itself, something entirely incomprehensible to both ’Kriwon’ and the existences living in it.
’Even a Monarch Realm Existence, regardless of their stage, should not have provoked such a reaction...’
Just as that thought crossed Velkor’s mind, a theory began to take shape.
’Could it be... one of those Unknown Realms above the Monarch Realm?
The existence of Realms above the Monarch Realm had been speculated upon by scholars and theorists, but no one in this region of the multiverse had ever encountered an existence on that level publicly.
Their existence remained unconfirmed, even to Velkor, whose position should have placed him among those with access to such truths.
But this reaction from Kriwon itself was all but a confirmation. There was an overwhelming chance, near certainty in fact, that such an entity had now stepped foot within his universe.
Velkor looked back down at the missive the minister had just brought, and everything clicked into place.
’If they sent this right before they moved, then it’s possible for it to arrive at the same time as they did...!’
There was now no doubt in his mind anymore that the force that just triggered this reaction from the universe had come from Hell.
Whatever their reason, the Hell Universe had moved one of their hidden giants, and Kriwon had become the destination.
’Why?!’
The man screamed internally as he activated his Authority as the Master, scanning the regions around the galaxy mentioned in the missive.
’BK-759... BK-759...There!’
As he scanned several hundred thousand light-years of space, he immediately caught three distinct foreign signatures that had not yet integrated with Kriwon’s space-time continuum.
Each universe’s space-time continuum was different, and when entering a different universe, that difference could make one stand out like a drop of black across a white canvas.
Velkor conjured a projection, and before him appeared a small spaceship, tearing through wormholes in space at an extraordinary velocity.
Inside were three individuals: two men and a woman.
But just as Velkor focused his vision on them, one of the men suddenly lifted his head and turned around, as though staring right at him through the projection!
A second later, the second man did the same, but before Velkor could see his face, the projection shattered.
An external force had forcibly disconnected his Universal Master Authority within his own universe.
The silence in the room was deafening.
Velkor’s expression betrayed his disbelief. He had just been overpowered inside his own domain, and the one responsible was not even trying to conceal it.
This was something far beyond what he or Kriwon was prepared to face.
Sighing, Velkor pressed his fingers to his temple and spoke.
"Find out what the hell is going on in that galaxy. Monitor the—!"
Velkor was interrupted by another reaction from his Authority.
The terrifying entity, the one that had triggered the initial alarm, had exited Kriwon.
Velkor quickly re-checked the foreign presences en route to BK-759 and confirmed that while two signatures remained, the one that was beyond the level of the universe had already departed.
That left the Count’s daughter and the unnamed greater noble, whose facial features he now couldn’t see.
’Was that guy just an escort? But anyone with such a being as an escort is not to be trifled with.’
Clicking his tongue, he repeated his earlier order.
"Find out what the hell is going on in that galaxy. Monitor them. We don’t want or need any incident."
The minister nodded silently, before turning and rushing out of the room.
Left alone in the silence, Velkor leaned back in his chair and heaved a deep, exasperated sigh.
◇ ◇ ◇
Meanwhile, the entity who had just scared the shit out of both the Master of Kriwon and ’Kriwon’ itself, was currently folding space, traversing billions of lightyears of distance with each jump through the folds.
Naturally, this was Lucifer, executing Inter-Universal Jumps in much the same way as the Cosmic Teleporter he had given to Arthur.
Of course, he had given it to Arthur without hesitation because he no longer needed it himself.
Lucifer had mastered the artifact’s functions and could replicate them by harnessing the ambient cosmic energy found in the void between universes. This was how he had brought Arthur and Nicole to Kriwon, and now he was heading away from Kriwon, toward his original destination.
A universe as famous as household names like Olympus throughout many regions of the First Multiverse.
One of the ’Nine Realms’.
The Kingdom of Fire.
Muspelheim.
