"It looks imposing..." Eztein commented.
"Of course, it's a creation of our god, the Isolated Formation God," Erkigal said, stretching her hand cautiously to touch the stone monument.
Ohm!
A dazzling light burst forth from the point she touched, engulfing everyone before they could react.
Sinners...
When Erkigal opened her eyes, she found herself in an unfamiliar place. The surroundings were filled with volcanoes, their fiery streams mingling with dark, viscous liquid. The atmosphere was intensely hot, and an overwhelming energy pervaded the space.
Words and images flooded into her mind, seemingly from an unknown source she couldn't identify. She surmised it to be the legacy left by the Isolated Formation God—a repository of information for his people.
Next, Erkigal found herself in a chamber lined with books. At the table, a man sat, penning cryptic words in a notebook.
"The curse... The entity beyond... The curse is similar to the curse in Archetype. It prevented anyone from sharing information," the man mumbled, his voice carrying a sense of resignation. "I will die soon. I've laid down all the plans and I've found a loophole, but the curse is too strong. Imperium will not tolerate it."
Erkigal realized that the man she was observing was the Isolated Formation God himself.
"Hmm...?" The Isolated Formation God turned his head, detecting something. He closed his eyes briefly before reopening them, revealing surprise in his expression. "This... A part of my plan has succeeded. The curse will kill me, but it also distorts a portion of the monitoring system."
Standing up, he gazed directly at Erkigal's presence. "The monitoring system has been distorted due to the curse. I couldn't see you, but I can sense you... You're one of my people. Heed my words: do not dare to research anything about the so-called lost era. The era nineteen thousand years ago... Unless you've figured out a way to leave all the realities within the Imperium."
"Huh?! You can communicate with me, my lord!" Erkigal was astonished. This was a scene from a thousand years ago.
"I couldn't directly communicate with you, but I can sense your presence. Don't underestimate the means of your god, I'm different from other gods. The person standing before me is not you; it's Vanhel Windi. You're merely traversing through his memories, but I can detect if someone is prying into my existence," the Isolated Formation God clarified. "I can only leave behind memories for my people, as my own memories are too corrupted. Contact with them would result in your demise. The Windi, Flaem, Methal, Botano, and Darkna Clans are all cursed. I've left everything so that you can break it, but this curse will disappear along with the memories associated with it."
Erkigal squinted her eyes.
"I've committed a taboo...! Hmm? The curse is preventing me from speaking of it. The Imperium is dormant, and we are nearing the end. This is the final cycle. Utilize all the remnants I've left behind to begin anew, as you've shattered the All-Filter Barrier Formation."
"This barrier will purify all impurities. Your strength and memories will be affected too. Concerning your strength, I've already made preparations. You will regain it over time. However, the memories... I cannot handle that. It was only slightly opened, yet it caused immense destruction. The extermination of the Cosmic Signs thousands of years ago is linked to it. Head to the Frozen Continent after the Great Barrier has opened up if you wish to unravel more or seek out the No God Emperor in the Hall Plains."
The scene abruptly vanished, and Erkigal was overwhelmed by a severe headache.
"Agh!"
She beheld a colossal and magnificent gate, fashioned from unknown metals, slightly ajar. A dense surge of dark energy emanated from it, while a viscous dark substance flowed across the ground.
Within the fissures of the door, Erkigal sensed someone staring back at her. It emitted pure madness.
Huh?!
Erkigal opened her eyes and found herself kneeling on the floor, drenched in sweat, with Vashno, Eztein, and Franklin gathered around her, concerned.
"What happened? You touched the monument, and then you were suddenly on the ground," Eztein inquired.
Erkigal looked at them and stated, "We're going to forget everything that occurred here, whether we want to or not. The curse will erase our memories related to it. It's similar to the curse of Archetype. Oh, I forgot that none of you have reached Five Shackles, so you wouldn't understand Archetype yet."
"Archetype?" Eztein and the others looked perplexed.
"Yes, individuals should be able to train in it from the beginning, but there's a curse preventing everyone from remembering it, no matter what," Erkigal explained.
This was why only those at higher levels could remember and train Archetypes. The curse affected all living beings and those yet to be born. Only by attaining Fifth Shackles could they begin their training.
"It's over. These mixed dimensions will soon collapse, returning to their original state," Erkigal stated as she gazed upward.
Once the All-Filter Barrier Formation was broken, it would purify the impurities. Some of their strengths would vanish, but the Isolated Formation God had readied his energy for this eventuality so they could reclaim their strength. However, there was no solution for their memories.
...
On the battlefield...
The barrier enclosing the Botano Clan had shattered, revealing the mythical-grade fruit radiating potent energy.
"The mythical fruit?!"
Spatial Whisperer immediately manipulated the surrounding space, attempting to isolate the fruit and claim it for himself.
Swoosh!!
Souta clenched his fist, conjuring a black hole that surged toward Spatial Whisperer.
"Take this!"
The voracious black hole surged toward Spatial Whisperer at incredible speed.
"Damn it!" Spatial Whisperer cursed under his breath as he shielded himself with his arms, absorbing the impact of the black hole. His attempt to isolate the fruit was thwarted as the space around him shattered and was consumed by the force of the black hole.
Meanwhile, Shen Yao, Adel, and Black Blader surged ahead, streaking through the sky toward the Botano Clan's premises, their sole focus set on obtaining the mythical-grade fruit.
Souta swiftly followed suit, ascending into the air and unleashing a barrage of blood bullets and crimson webs in all directions.
Shen Yao and the others deftly dodged the incoming blood bullets while simultaneously launching their own attacks. In a synchronized effort, they managed to eliminate the seven shadows that were approaching the fruit, preventing any encroachment upon it.
As the monsters surged forward, Souta focused his energy, activating the [Yin Yang Unification] technique. Feeling it wasn't sufficient, he continued, swiftly utilizing most of the equipment skills at his disposal. His aura intensified, and he conjured numerous black holes.
With an intense resonating hum, the black holes materialized across the battlefield, casting an ominous darkness over the entire area. From within this darkness, countless black tentacles emerged, spreading out menacingly.
Suddenly, a brilliant light erupted from the center of the conflict, dispelling the encroaching darkness. The monsters summoned by Man-Eating Tamer were swiftly disintegrated within mere moments.
Meanwhile, Shen Yao, Black Blader, and Adel engaged in a fierce battle at the heart of the field. Their energies surged to unprecedented levels, their exchanges of power reaching the peak.
Everything appeared to collapse, with shattered space revealing other dimensions affected by the ongoing battle. It wasn't just one dimension; several others were experiencing similar disturbances.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
The intensity of the battle reached an unprecedented level, felt by everyone present.
The top-tier SSS-rank experts were unleashing their full power without restraint.
Souta deployed the [Colosseum Undead Party], creating a large platform that subdued elemental abilities for his opponents. Raising his hand, he summoned a powerful gravitational field.
Ohm!!
The ground beneath the fruit began to shift as gravity pulled it. In the following moment, the Botano Clan's residence appeared in front of Souta.
Boom!!
The detonation of the [Colosseum Undead Party] caused rubble to scatter in every direction. Shen Yao, Adel, and Black Blader glanced upward, spotting Souta near the manor.
They transformed into streaks of light, intending to prevent Souta from obtaining the fruit.
Souta sensed the impending danger. He realized he wouldn't be able to withstand the combined forces of several top experts.
Swoosh!
Two figures materialized before him: the [Yin-Yang Twin Spirits]. They swiftly moved to intercept the trio.
All of this occurred in a matter of seconds.
Souta descended and finally laid eyes on the Tears of Divine Might. The fruit had a square shape with a triangular base. Strange circular carvings adorned its skin, transitioning in color from white to blue in mere seconds.
