MM - Chapter 178 - AHH, SHI.. HERE WE GO AGAIN

“Wait,” Raine’s hand lifted for a pause. They were still a good distance from the swirling portal, yet already its spiraling energies pulled at their clothes and hair.

Selena's wide, panicked eyes swiveled in his direction. “What is it now?” It was clear from her shaking hands and the tremor in her voice that years of anticipation had reached a climax.

Intending to give her a moment to cope, Raine rested a finger against his temple and opened a call with Mel and Celeste. As usual, Mel answered right away. The bright smile she always had for him vanished upon seeing his seriousness. Celeste joined before either could speak. Her eyes were wild, dancing left and right as she ducked beneath a blade that whipped overhead.

With a shout, she released a powerful Charged Blast that caused someone in the background to scream before their voice suddenly cut off. “What?! Little busy here!” She growled, dashing to the side.

Seeing that she was preoccupied, Raine’s words were all business. “I’ll be out of touch for a while, maybe a couple weeks. You can leave a message with Morty if you need something before I’m done.”

“That’s what you called to say?! After everything I’ve-you know what, it doesn’t matter. See you when you’re back.” Instead of ending the call like Raine expected, Celeste released a few more Blasts at distant opponents. Finishing the last of them, she faced Raine fully, meeting his eyes with an intent look. In what could only be called adorable awkwardness, Celeste struck a pose that she must have spent at least a couple of minutes practicing. She blinked at him with glowing eyes ringed by dark eyeliner. The attempt at seduction was charming only due to how it highlighted her innocence.

Unimpressed by the minimal effort, Raine simply stared back at her. The amusement he felt didn’t reach the surface. When it became clear he wasn’t going to say anything, Celeste’s expression grew furious.

[What am I doing?! I’m such an idiot! Why did I ever think this was a good idea?]

[Crimson Nebula has left the call]

Mel sighed, fingers propping up her forehead. “Wow… she’s really bad at this. Like, even worse than me.”

“You can say that again. Glad she’s feeling better.”

“She really is! There was a big shift earlier today. I think she gave up on keeping everyone alive? Their deaths don’t send her over the edge anymore; she just keeps getting more serious now. It can’t be easy to have so much on her shoulders. Are you sure she can handle it?”

Raine nodded, “Crimson is exactly where she needs to be, and I think she knows it. Her debut on the martial stage is right around the corner. The experience she’s gaining leading the recruits will give her the strength to protect herself. She's stepping forward, and in the right direction, which is more than most of us can say.”

Mel’s shoulders slumped at his words, a relieved smile replacing her earlier melancholy. “Whew. Okay. I won’t worry about her as much then. But… It's easy to forget how young she is.”

Raine pinned Mel with a look soaked in confidence, “If she were alone, I would have doubts.” 

Mel lit up like a holiday decoration. She giggled nervously, words tumbling from her mouth. “You know, since we’re talking about it, you should hear her lately. She hardly opens her mouth without mentioning you. I know you two have a… dynamic thing going on, but you saw that look she gave you; I doubt she’ll be satisfied with the status quo for much longer. Also, Pam said she was interested in seeing what ZL is all about. Things might be pretty… spicy when you get back. Don’t take too long.” 

The barrage of mismatched thoughts had Raine chuckling and shaking his head. “Thankfully, those are problems for another day.” His gaze lifted to the portal, the unknown, the challenge, and the rewards that came with them, calling his name. By this point, Selena was openly glaring at him and looking much more relaxed. Catching his attention, she flicked her eyes toward the swirling gateway. Raine nodded. “It's time. I’ll be back as soon as I can.”

“O-okay.” Concern flashed across Mel’s features, and Raine once more regretted that she saw him so beat up after his duel with Jedidiah. To worry about him was to doubt, and she should have no doubts about what he was capable of.

He smiled confidently, “Why the worried face? Did you forget where we are, who I am? A little Mystic Realm is nothing. Quests like these can take a while, and it's in a space without communications is all. Nothing to worry about.”

When his words registered, Mel shook herself lightly, beaming smile returning full force as she did her best to resurrect her usual cheer. “Right. Sorry! So, did you need something? Or just calling to see my face one last time?”

“Mostly that, yeah.” They locked gazes for a long second. “No matter how bad it gets, don’t let them lose hope. Anything is possible if you don’t give up.”

“Right. Hope. I can do that. I’ll be the best mascot Astra could ever need! And you be safe-no, that doesn't fit here, does it? How about, uhm, adventure dangerously?” Mel questioned with a cute tilt to her head.

“Live dangerous,” Raine whispered, heart thudding at the phrase he’d spoken thousands of times in the past, just before things went to shit in the best way.

“Ohh! I love that. Live dangerous, Alaric.”

“That, you can always count on.” With those parting words, he ended the call.

“Ready?” Selena swallowed, likely regretting having pestered him to hurry up now that the moment to enter the portal was upon her.

“Let’s go.” Raine walked briskly down the stone path, careful not to step off it. Such displays of portent should not be ignored; when ZionLine handed out signs as obvious as this one, it was always wise to take note.

Selena dashed after him, her tone strained. “I can’t tell you what we’ll face as you’re not a member of the chosen line, but I can at least warn you not to be an idiot.”

“Very helpful.” Raine snarked.

Before he could say more, a light, feminine voice sprang from all around them, the crimson energies within the gateway swirled with each of her words, “Heed well this warning. You walk a path to the Primal Realm. If you dare tread into this sacred land, you shall be tested. If found wanting, your suffering will be as never before.”

The warning flew right over Raine’s head as giddy excitement bubbled in his guts.

Not a Mystic Realm, but a gateway to the Primal Realm?! How is that possible? The Primal Realm was supposedly torn asunder millions of years ago, its unfathomable energies used as fuel to create the fundamental realms. Have the ancient gods been living in a pocket Primal Realm? What kind of treasures have they been hiding away all this time?

More eager than ever, Raine boldly strode toward the dark surface of the gargantuan monument. In its reflection, he could see both himself and Selena. Their expressions—excited and trepidatious—were mirror opposites. The suction from the portal grew stronger, nearly pulling their feet from the stones. With the next step, new messages appeared.

[Entry restricted: Level forty or below. Tier One Class. Accompanied by a royal member of the Celendine Dynasty]

[Requirements met]

[You may proceed]

Selena had to shout to be heard over the howling wind of the portal, “I-if we don’t hold hands, we could be separated during the crossing!”

Raine grabbed her wrist and jumped. The swirling vortex snatched them from the air, rapidly pulling them deeper into a sea of churning energy. Connection allowed Raine to maintain a semblance of normal flight for but a moment before the forces pulling at them became overwhelming. He was pulled, pushed, and spun. Selena clung on for dear life with both hands as the chaotic forces tried to tear them apart.

Without warning, the stomach-twisting ride came to a screeching halt. A floor that couldn’t decide if it was marble or a cloud raced toward them. A last-second Lunge canceled Raine’s momentum, allowing him a controlled landing. Selena smacked face-first into the floor, nobly sacrificing herself to test its solidity for the both of them.

Raine mentally applauded her dedication to science while scouring their new environment for threats. All humorous thoughts vanished like dust on the wind at what he saw. The cloudy floor appeared to extend indefinitely. Above was naught but a starry sky. Directly before them stood twelve columns of the same fluffy material, though they were wrapped in golden and silver filigree in intricate patterns. They were arranged in a perfect semicircle, with Raine and Selena directly in the center.

The unusual panorama wasn’t what gripped his attention in an iron vice. In the distance were multiple identical sets of columns. And in their center, exactly where he and Selena stood, were pairs of incredibly lifelike statues. Their expressions were frozen in horror as their last seconds were extended into an eternity.

Raine knew petrification when he saw it, and it was easily one of the worst ways to die. Trapped, unable to move or even take a breath while slowly being solidified from the outside in, losing one sense after another. Suicide wasn’t available, as that option couldn’t be used under full stun effects. The pain was excruciating, and worsened due to the body being maintained by the energy of the skill, extending the torture. Depending on the creature doing the petrifying, it could take weeks or even months to fully die. And all the while, ZionLine trundled on. People continued leveling, leaving you behind. To put it simply, being petrified sucked ass. Raine doubted being petrified in this place would end after only a few months.

The moment Selena stood and got her bearings, one of the columns flickered, transforming into a figure masked in bright light that was impossible to pierce with the naked eye. The other eleven columns changed one at a time until the two of them were surrounded by glaring pinpoints of light. Raine wasn’t stupid enough to attempt identifying the beings. His senses came to life, focus dialed up to 150% as sweat sprouted across his skin. This was no game. One wrong move here and he might have to start all over from level 0.

Selena dropped to her knees, prostrating before the unknown entities. Raine was only a fraction of a second behind her. One of the creatures spoke. Its words were a jumble of indecipherable sounds, some organic, some mechanical. Raine felt something click in his skull, and his interface produced a rainbow yellows that rapidly shrank into legible words interposed over his usual screens.

[Welcome, lost child of Celendine the Unfathomable. You have come to find your way, to be lost no more. Here, your path will become clear. Or... it will end. You will be tested. Both of-Oh. What do we have here?]

Suddenly, one of the entities was standing right before Raine. Supreme muscle control allowed him to remain perfectly still. Despite being asked a question, Selena hadn’t spoken, so he wasn’t about to either. Another of the entities spoke. The only reason Raine could tell the difference was because the colors of its words were dark hues of iridescent oranges and browns.

[How quaint. It would appear things are finally about to get interesting again.]

The other entities blinked closer as well, hovering around Raine as though pondering an unknown and interesting insect. They spoke in rapid succession, words scrolling across his interface so quickly he could barely keep up.

[You were right, Menheair. There are others.]

[How could they escape our notice?]

[Look closer, Jouhr. This little one will show us the way. Yes, it is clear now. Behold. Lift your heads, children. This is a momentous occasion that should not be missed.]

Raine and Selena did as instructed. The entities had moved back to their original locations. Between them, a holographic sphere took shape. It spun so quickly that Raine couldn’t immediately understand what he was looking at. The sphere was red, a crimson wetness that somehow gave the impression of incredible heat. Yet all too soon, its surface turned blue and murky. Then, continents formed. They shifted rapidly as the sphere spun. 

Recognition dawned; how could Raine not know the planet where he was born?

One of the entities stretched out a finger of light, and the sphere screeched to a near halt. It swelled in size, growing larger and larger until it blocked out the starry sky above. Still, it continued to grow until Raine felt as though he were falling up toward its surface. Movement ceased, the entities, Selena, and Raine coming to a stop as they matched Earth's rotation. They hovered a kilometer away from a surface teeming with people going about their daily lives. 

They were poised above a city that Raine knew all too well. On the outskirts, farms mottled the land, and between the buildings were thousands of autonomous cars, some of them flying.

[Look at how busy they are. Busy, busy little drones.]

How the hell are they getting this footage? It has to be a live feed; ZionLine wouldn't dare break the AI accords. Wait, if these entities are only now discovering Travelers, then they aren't the ones who sent Selena her vision.

Raine's thoughts were interrupted as the view shifted disorientingly, bringing them to a nearly empty arena devoid of viewers: The Aureate Crown—the most famous arena on Earth, where masters bled and died for the control of entire territories. A man and woman fought in its center, dancing with exquisite martial prowess, bodies glistening in the bright midday light. They moved like living lightning, powerful blows blasting the sand away in expanding rings of force. Raine was stunned. He’d never seen what a real master was capable of, and it took his breath away. Either could have crushed a dozen Jedidiah’s in three breaths. In an instant, he became absolutely sure that what he was witnessing was no illusion, and no fake.

[For such a peaceful world to produce such fierce warriors. It is no wonder they were chosen.]

[Interesting times indeed, Menheair.]

[Observe.] 

The scene shifted again, this time more dizzying than the last. When the spinning stopped, Raine was looking at himself from above, peacefully sleeping with the thetadrive headset on. There were no cameras in his room that could possibly have been responsible for what he was seeing, and a deep sense of dread sank into his bones. The vision zoomed in until they were inside the headset.

[See how they connect to our Realms?]

Stretching a hand, one of the entities touched a circuit, and Raine’s entire existence convulsed violently. ZionLine and Earth vanished, replaced by trillions of sigils and runes flashing past all around him. They were too fast to see clearly, and his brain felt like someone was sticking a finger inside it, swirling around the goop to see what happened. He was back an instant later, feeling like he’d been put through the quickwash. Unable to focus, Raine could only blink in confusion.

What the fuck was that?

Rainbow-hued words splashing across his blurry interface were the first things clear enough to understand.

[So that's how they bridge time. Fascinating.]

[He's not really here.]

Furious hues of red and black flashed, the words strobing like a snake poised to bite.

[Sacrilege! They are interlopers! To meddle without consequence is vile beyond measure!]

Yellow pulsed soothingly.

[Calmness, Jashtimn. It is written in the weave. Consequence is layered into every facet of his… Connection.]

Raine's Connection, his link between Earth and ZionLine, the impulses from his brain converted to electrical signals, was somehow grasped in a fist of overwhelming might. Everything that was vital to his existence, his survival, was being ripped out of him. He screamed, unable to bear the agony that was so much worse than anything he’d ever experienced before. Thousands of decades of suffering, packed into a swollen moment that stretched for eternity. The torment ended, tears and the empty contents of his stomach stained the cloudy floor centimeters beneath his nose.

[Enough, Mileaha. I am appeased. This Connection is an interesting byproduct of the modularity principle. His mother was most clever.]

Fuck. This. Make some fucking sense already! And why the shit are they talking about my mom? What does she have to do with ZL?

A new, vibrant kaleidoscope of gold and purple appeared.

[Enough. Further exposure prior to the first ordeal will violate the covenant.]

In a burst of light and energy, the entities returned to pillars. A subtle, but powerful charge in the air, like current, but so much more, vanished with them, leaving an emptiness that made Raine's muscles ache for more.

[Lost child of Celendine the Unfathomable, Child of the Earth Realm, as per the covenant of old, your first ordeal will be that of survival, and piety. Go, now. Face your destiny with bravery and an open heart, as did your fathers and mothers who came before.]

The clouds below and the stars above bent at sharp angles, turning in on themselves, revealing that they were composed of millions of hexagonal shapes all along. The angles fell toward Raine and Selena, reality folding in on itself as though the two of them were the center of a digital black hole. Just as quickly, the flow of shapes reversed, bursting outward to form a thriving jungle full of chirping birds, buzzing insects, and the grunts of stomping monsters searching for their next meal. Monsters that remained unseen; the flora was so thick that even peering 3 meters into its depths was an impossibility.

Raine tried to stand, and stumbled back to his knees as lethargic weakness settled into his bones. He could feel his attributes plummeting to a fraction of where they were moments ago. The experience was a flashback to waking up thirty years in the past. He shook his head, still unable to think clearly after whatever the entities had done to him.

White cloth on his arms drew attention to the fact that he wasn’t wearing his armor, but soft, blaringly noticeable robes. Looking up, he found that Selena was wearing a matching outfit. A series of prominent messages flashed across his interface.

[You have entered the Primal Realm]

[There is no return gate. Only by passing the ancient gods’ ordeals may you return from whence you came. All items acquired in the Primal Realm shall be lost upon death. A 70% penalty to all attributes will persist for 100 days upon death]

[Ordeal of Survival and Piety (Hard): Survive the perils of the Primal Realm while seeking the shrines to the gods of old. Display your devotion, or suffer the wrath of this ancient birthplace. Equipment and items have been sealed until death or the completion of the first ordeal]

A hundred days?! The last Mystic Realm was only 20... and that felt like a death sentence. 

Below the disturbing system messages, gold and purple text appeared as though an afterthought.

[For the longevity of my entertainment, I implore you not to tarry.]

As if waiting for Raine to finish reading, one of the beasts making so much noise burst into view. It was a stomping effigy of the jungle's fierceness, a mockery of life and the evolutionary process. Its thick form was woven from gnarled roots and dark, thorny vines; its head was a tangled knot of wood, and from the skull-like sockets of its face, two eyes of molten amber glared with malevolent intelligence.

Hellish light shone through the latticework of its wooden ribs like a captive furnace, pulsing and resonating with that same vague sense of energy Raine had felt when the entities vanished. The beast took one look at them, vulnerable and delicious, then its chest flared brightly as it unleashed a roar that was not of living lungs, but the deafening shriek of a thousand splintering trees and the guttural blast of a forest fire. The jungle quivered from its rage, announcing for all to hear, the incipience of the ancient god’s ordeal.