Chapter 7: The World of Kalpa (2)
As Krax heard those words, the temperature in the throne room plummeted.
His earlier panic had been half performance, but now it was entirely genuine. He knew the price of wasting his father’s time.
Still, fueled by dreams of claiming the throne, he pressed forward.
"Father, I know I’m young and probably shouldn’t know what I’m about to share. But please, trust me this time—I have the Titans’ best interests at heart." He took a deep breath.
"I know about Kalpa and the forbidden wa—"
HUMMMMM!!!!
Before he could even finish, an absurd surge of energy suddenly flooded the room, wild and unrestrained in its intensity.
It was raw, untamed, almost savage in nature.
If before, the aura he naturally gave off felt like the steady, immovable weight of a mountain...
Then now Dune’s presence crashed down with the overwhelming force of a star collapsing, pressing against every corner of the throne room with crushing power.
Hearing mention of their home world and their darkest history, Dune had unconsciously unleashed his full aura.
He quickly reined it in, remembering their agreement, and focused intently on every word that followed.
Krax continued, voice steadier now.
"Father, I know of the Forbidden War. I’ve known for about four months. I learned how all the top races of our home world, Kalpa, turned their backs on us."
He recounted the nightmare that haunted Dune daily: how the Titans, once just one of many races on Kalpa, had become the targets of a terrible betrayal.
Countless Titans had perished trying to flee, including Dune’s own father, the former King.
Every word he spoke struck Dune like a hammer to the soul, each one dragging up memories he wished he could bury forever.
Yet as a Titan—no, as the King of Titans—how could he ever forget?
As Krax observed his father’s behavior, he inwardly smirked.
’Once my plan is in motion, the crown prince’s title will be mine! How could my elder brothers possibly be more worthy than me?’
Lost in his own delusions, he went on.
"About four months ago, in a dream, a God of Titans visited me and revealed our dark history," he continued, carefully mixing truth with lies.
"At first, I thought it was nonsense. But then he showed me vivid scenes from fifty thousand years ago.
He told me that if I wanted to truly live as a Titan, all the disgrace and filth staining our name had to be cleansed."
His eyes gleamed with fierce determination.
"And... he left me with a gift—to be stronger than anyone who dares stand against us."
HUMMMMM!!!!
Krax’s aura burst forth so suddenly it completely caught his father off guard.
It took Dune a moment to recover from the shock, and the sight of it boosted Krax’s ego enough to confirm his plan was ready to roll.
"Tier 8?" Dune finally exclaimed as he was currently trying process what he was seeing.
His youngest son, Krax, whom he had always thought to be useless, had been hiding his true strength in plain sight.
To be an eighteen-year-old Tier 8 cultivator... this was something that essentially made Krax a prodigy unlike any other.
As Luna had mentioned when speaking to Akasha the progression of ranks varied from person to person, and from star to star.
The faster someone could advance through the ranks, the more they would stand out and gain recognition.
But there was something else that made this feat so remarkable.
In Pantheos, ranks didn’t just signify moving up, gaining more divinity, or unlocking a new conceptual power.
No—each major rank was a direct reflection of the level of existence one had reached.
From the very moment they left the Awakening rank, they would shed the shell of being a mere Third Dimensional Being.
Now at the Divine Seed Tier 8 Rank, Krax was far beyond the limits of three-dimensional existence, standing as a Ninth Dimensional being who could read those beneath him like open books.
After hearing his father, Krax spoke plainly.
"Yes father" he said while internally smiling. "Also, according to the Titan God, the most chaotic age is now upon us."
With those words he heard a sound inside of his mind.
Ding!
----
[Congratulations host for completing the last trial quest. -Task #8-
Reveal your knowledge about the Forbidden War and The Golden Age
Gain the Trust of Dune at least 70%
Prepare for Kalpa]
[Reward - Innate Power Upgrade- Primordial Upgrade Card]
---
Dune’s shock sharpened into focus at the mention of the chaotic age.
He leaned forward on his massive throne, the stone creaking under his weight.
"The most chaotic age..." he repeated, voice low and dangerous. "You speak of it as if you understand what it truly means. And this Titan God... what else did he tell you?
Why reveal all of this to you, of all people.... and four months ago?"
He studied Krax like a predator sizing up prey that had suddenly bared its teeth.
"Speak plainly, Krax. What exactly did this so-called Titan God want from you in return for this ’gift’?"
Krax lowered his gaze for a moment, buying time.
Then he lifted his head with measured calm.
"I want to go to Kalpa..... I want to join an Academy there."
-----
While the Titans stirred with old grudges and new ambitions, the world of Kalpa continued turning, its restless energy building beneath the surface.
After over a millennium of relative peace, the gears of fate were beginning to shift.
In Pantheos and like most fantasy realms, powerful beings could perceive ethereal concepts like Fate, Karma, and Destiny once they reached certain realms.
Yet mastering them was extraordinarily difficult.
The verse ran on Divine Authorities instead of ordinary laws—mysteries that could only be fully understood in certain realms.
And at this moment, beings who had lain dormant for millennia, some even for tens of thousands of years, had stirred from their slumber.
They sensed a shift coursing through the River of Fate.
Without hesitation, all five Academies of Kalpa arrived at the same somber realization simultaneously....
"T-THE G-GOLDEN E-RA!!!"
----
Akasha and Luna stood atop a towering mountain peak, a faint breeze brushing past as they gazed at the vast landscape below.
Five massive continents stretched across the horizon, connected by rivers of crystal-clear water and floating landmasses like bridges of power.
Luna turned to him with a small smile.
"Now that you’re done with the transformation, you get to decide where you want to begin your journey."
Since Luna had already transferred all the knowledge she possessed about this world directly into his mind, he now understood all the basics—what each Academy represented and how they compared to one another.
Still, even with this knowledge and without yet having used his Divine Domain, he had an entirely different plan forming.
’Why should I get directly involved in their politics?’ he mused.
While it might seem intriguing to start at one of the Academies and climb through the ranks, he had no desire to face the potential complications that would come with it.
He certainly didn’t want to deal with people bothering him or endure the company of egotistical individuals every day.
With that thought, he smiled at Luna, glanced out over the breathtaking panorama, and spoke.
"I won’t be joining any of the Academies or factions on this world," Akasha declared firmly.
"I’ll be creating my own."
In that moment, Luna’s lips curved into a knowing smile.
She could.... literally see the thoughts turning in his head.
"Well... it is the perfect location," she said softly, her voice carrying on the mountain breeze. "From this peak, you have a direct view of all five continents. You can see just about anything from this height."
Akasha let out a genuine laugh, the sound echoing across the windswept summit.
Without hesitation, he sat down cross-legged on the ancient stone, the faint obsidian scales along his forearms catching the light of the seven suns.
"Well then," he said, excitement gleaming in his ever-shifting galaxy eyes, "I’ll put the Divine Domain down right here... on this mountain peak."
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