Chapter 686 - Enter More Cosmicians

'Gramps, something happened…'

'Jack, what's wrong?'

Getting an immediate response, Jack was a bit surprised. 'I thought you were busy?'

'I am, but to have you contact me when I wasn't expecting it, I can only assume that something drastically wrong has occurred. Now speak, Jack, don't waste time,' stated Daruun.

'I can't contact Father…'

'What?!' There was a moment of unannounced pause but Jack didn't question Daruun. 'Jack… I can't reach him either…'

'Then--'

'I can only assume that something has occurred that was beyond my predictions… Perhaps Halmut was more important to Jewel than I had anticipated…'

'What should I do?' Jack asked.

'For now… nothing.' Before Jack could interject, Daruun continued, 'If your father is truly in trouble, then you won't be able to do anything against his oppressor. I'm certain that he's still alive and within Olympic Chateau, but I can't inspect that place without entering it due to a mental barrier that Halmut created with Jewel's help long ago.

'Wait until one of my bodies can safeguard the planet. Once I'm positioned to block anyone trying to enter or exit the planet, enter Olympic Chateau and gather intel. If you find someone oppressing your father, don't bother acting, as that would only result in your capture as well. Do you understand?'

'Yes… I can do that.'

'I can safely assume you have your own means of entering Olympic Chateau, given your plan, correct?'

'Yeah… I'll get in easily… I'll just have to alter my plans accordingly.'

'Good…' Daruun nervously sighed. 'Wait for my signal. The moment I'm ready to defend Kartonia and make a move against a possible invader, gather the intel and inform me immediately.'

'How long will it take?' Jack asked.

'Maybe an hour or two… Sorry I can't act immediately, Jack. I'm sure you also know that your father is still alive which is the important thing,' Daruun reaffirmed. 'For now, focus on Glacier Keep.'

'And enter that room you mentioned before?'

'Right… of course you wouldn't forget,' Daruun laughed lightly, trying to lighten the tense conversation. 'Good luck.'

Shaken, Jack nodded and tried to act normal. 'Mom, don't draw too much attention. Daruun will be intervening soon, so there's no need to worry about Dad right now, okay?'

'Okay… I'll do my best,' sighed Lunara, trying to refocus herself.

Changing the conversation, Jack approached Oli and sat beside him on the steps toward the raised platform. "Mind telling me where you got such a great fit?"

"Oh? You mean my hoodie and sweats?"

"What else would I mean? How come you have those but they're better than my best armor?" asked Jack, confusing the gods overhearing the unhidden conversation.

"You transmigrated too, right?" Oli replied with a question.

"I'm not the only one?" A bit startled, Jack started to laugh. "So, that theory of alternate worlds is real?"

"To an extent…" Oli chuckled as well. "You'll find that similar words exist across the void. Typically, such worlds are developed as experiments or trials of powerful cosmicians. It's rare for a cosmician to make a world as intricate as Kartonia because it's easier to plant some human predecessor species and watch the natural evolution of man and technology. Some cosmicians do it in search of inspiration or original ideas for inventions or training while some just lacked entertainment or had nothing better to do."

"Then… is that why I can assume humanity is the dominant race in the void?" Jack deduced.

Nodding, Oli answered, "For the most part, but not among cosmicians. Humanity makes up the bulk of the general populace but cosmicians come in all shapes, sizes, and colors. Technically speaking, I'm not human either."

"What?! But you--"

"My soul was born human, but during rebirth and transmigration that changed," laughed Oli, startling everyone in the room and confusing most. "I'm just one example of the many strange cosmicians throughout the void. Never assume you know a cosmician you just met. There's no telling what they're capable of, who they really are, and the level of threat they pose. A critical rule of cosmician combat is to understand your opponent. If you can learn who your opponent is, then you'll be best suited to face them. But if they learn who you are first, then the opposite is true."

"So… Doesn't that make it harder on well-known cosmicians?"

Giving Jack a finger gun, Oli smiled. "That's exactly it. Fame in the void is a double-edged sword. For the most part, it keeps the majority of people from threatening you, but those that will threaten you will do so in secret and usually mount a single all-out attack to overthrow someone before they know better. And if you're best tricks and skills are well known, can you even call them a trick?"

"Makes sense…"

"Anyway, the others should be arriving in three, two, one…" As Oli finished counting, the wall opposite the raised platform suddenly became a giant spatial rift like before. "Time to get started…"

People began to walk through the deep purple rift with streaks of green energy, similar to the spatial gate in Earthen Keep that led to Daruun's private office. The legendary gods backed away to one side with Halmut while those with Jack stepped to the opposite side. Dozens of humanoid figures began to enter the space and stand between the divided gods. Most were human but some had different colored skin, size, or key features that proved them to not be, such as bestial noses, ears, eyes, scales, tails, and any manner of physical feature imaginable.

"Welcome!" Oli stood back up and threw his arms open wide. "Finally, we get to begin the challenge!"

"Are these the Kartonians?"

At the front of the emerging cosmicians, there were two young similar-looking, blonde-haired men looking to be in their twenties by mortal standards. It was one of them that spoke first. The same man scanned over the people on both sides of him and asked again, "Are these them?"

"Yes, that's us," Jack answered, proving his confidence as a leading figure. "My name's Jack and I'm with them."

Following Jack's finger, the two men looked at Moranti, Lunara, and the helmed man. Scoffing, the man who spoke earlier remarked, "That's it? What about them? What are you, the minority of your planet?"