John Eric Rebellion stood in his study, going through his notes and past rune experiments. Following Zatiel's instruction, he solidified his foundation and gradually improved his techniques reaching the Limit Rank 6 Animax Soul Runemaster.
That happened three hundred years ago, and no matter how hard he worked, he could not take the next step forward and reach Rank 7.
In all fairness, his talent as a Runemaster was terrific, with him already being able to create average Rank 7 Runes, making him a Law Runemaster.
Unfortunately, that did not help the King get closer to his ultimate goal. He sought to become a Rank 7 Animax Soul Runemaster, not to create more powerful runes but to open a new cultivation path.
'Ahh, if only Teacher were here.' John Eric was extremely close to Rank 7 Animax Soul Runemaster, but many questions and doubts were blocking him. If he could solve them, there was no doubt in his mind that he would advance.
However, while he did not know the details about Zatiel's disappearance, the events that transpired in Gods' Tomb were clear to him. He hoped for the Neo-Demon to return, but time was running out.
While John Eric's lifespan would allow him to live for another few hundred thousand years, his potential would begin to dry out if he did not improve his cultivation and let it stagnate for too long.
As the King attempted to find a way past the bottleneck stopping his advance, he noticed that the ring in his hand began to glow, making him frown.
"Gabriel, what is the problem?" He made the importance of his current training very clear and that they should only interrupt him if a situation occurred that they could not handle for themselves.
"Father, Dante Daybreak came to the Kingdom and is waiting in the throne room. He brought with him something from Royal Teacher for you and Vania."
John Eric's eyes widened when he heard that and immediately flashed toward the throne room, reaching it in less than a second.
He saw Gabriel and Vania already there, but his eyes focused on the young man with a third golden eye.
"What did Teacher send!?" The King could not control his emotions. He felt that his waiting of hundreds of years was finally coming to an end.
Dante saw the state of the King, so he decided to get straight to the point, waving his hand and making the two spheres made of Virtual Force and Karmic Samsara Force appear.
"Father returned not too long ago and commanded me to deliver this to you two." Dante sent out the spheres, with the King's the one with the greatest force.
John Eric did not wait for even a second before sending his consciousness into the sphere. It fused into his soul the next moment, and the world around him vanished.
What appeared in front of the King was a raging sea of chaotic forces in a state of frenzy. He knew this was an illusion, but it felt no different than the real world, no matter how hard he focused on it.
"I used my power to simulate reality flawlessly. What you can learn from this place is the same that you could learn in the real world, including the laws."
John Eric felt a sense of utter shock when he heard those words and turned to the man by his side, although it would be more accurate to say, child.
Zatiel glanced at the King before turning to the raging chaotic forces.
"Of course, due to my current lack of cultivation, I can only replicate a small fragment of the universe, and that contains principles I have already thoroughly understood and engraved in my soul. Despite all that, this place has all you need to advance."
Although Zaitel's appearance was different, John Eric immediately recognized him and gave a deep bow before looking ahead.
"What is this... place?" The King spoke with a broken voice, as he still found it hard to believe how real this felt.
"A test for me and a lucky chance for you. It will begin. Pay attention." Zatiel said nothing else and focused on the raging chaotic force that was beginning to evolve in front of them.
John Eric did the same and saw how the raging force clashed with more and more power each second until they finally unleashed a massive explosion, and what began to form in front of him was a galaxy!
Even more shocking was that he could see how countless threads were expanding and interwinding in this place.
"The law matrix!"
While those threads lacked the profound meaning that the laws would usually express due to Zatiel's incapability to express their full power, what truly mattered to the King was how they evolved, interconnected, and used the three great forces to give birth reality.
It was, without a doubt, the most beautiful phenomenon he had witnessed in his entire life. The more he saw, the more he was amazed, and little by little, its secrets were being revealed.
"Those threads, they are.... they are more than just conductors for energy."
Zatiel smiled as he heard the King's shaking voice.
"You are right. We learn to harness the power of the universe with our runes, creating replicates of this matrix to achieve all kinds of wonders, but before the Ultimate Rune Path appeared, every single powerful rune was flawed at its core. That was because they were missing something." The Neo-Demon extended his palm, enlarging the evolving galaxy, making the two appear in the center of it.
John Eric could not stop marveling at his surroundings, and then enlightenment filled his eyes.
"A spirit..." As soon as he spoke that word, the King's entire body trembled.
Had Zatiel given him the answer, instead of helping him, it would have deprived the King of his enlightenment. All those doubts that plagued his mind for hundreds of years became simple now.
"The reason the universe works is not just due to the law matrix guiding the three great forces. The core of reality is the Universal Will, the amalgamation of every being's desire to live and prosper!"
The King's tremble with even more strength as he heard that, and a seed of immense power and profound meaning began to emerge in his Inner Law Dimension, allowing it to obtain a qualitative improvement.
"We Animax Soul Runemaster give our creation the ability to truly mimic the Prima Universe's power by allowing our runes to obtain a soul."
Zatiel spoke those final words before his figure vanished, leaving the King alone.
The more John Eric understood, the more fantastic everything felt to him. He freed his mind of every other thought, leaving it empty as he bathed his soul in the evolving galaxy's wonder.
He saw how the law matrix never stopped changing, even after space-time's threads reached every corner of this place. New heavenly bodies rise and fall, continuing the endless evolution process.
For the next ten years, John Eric's senses felt everything in this place until it finally crumbled like shattered glass, and he awoke.
He analyzed his surroundings and saw that he was in his cultivation room. Some confusion appeared in his eyes as he saw Gabriel appear.
"Father, you woke up!" Gabriel smiled as he saw his father awake, but his eyes narrowed as he felt no aura coming from his presence.
The King had always unleashed a mighty aura, but now the Second Prince felt nothing.
"How long have I been unconscious?"
"Oh, eh, ten years and fourteen days, Father." Gabriel's attention was pulled back to reality as he heard the King's question.
"So there was no time dilation." John Eric nodded before asking another question. "How about your sister?"
"She was only unconscious a little over a year. She seems to have learned powerful spells, and her understanding of the laws skyrocketed."
The King smiled when he heard that, but a serious expression appeared on his face the next moment.
"Announce the rise of Dean as the new King of the Scientia Kingdom."
"Father!" Gabriel was shocked by those words. It was not that Dean would become King but that his father would stop being it, which could only mean one thing.
John Eric Rebellion was ready to enter a final secluded training. By the time he emerged, he would become a Void Creator!
