Beyond the Apocalypse

Chapter 1123: The origin

The Primordial God of Bloodshed and Battle faced the True Depravita of Wrath while Overlord stood beside him.

The White Death had arrived as well, accompanied by the Obsidian Dragon King and the Amazon Queen.

The expressions on the sovereigns’ faces were complex.

Yet even they could not fully hide their awe.

Still, none of them allowed themselves to be overwhelmed by that realization.

Any unknown variable—especially one as powerful as Odinvaldr—had to be approached with extreme caution.

"First of all," Odinvaldr began, "let me congratulate all of you."

"What you have achieved in these few years is nothing short of remarkable. The fall of the Vorometallicae Realm was a massive success for the forces of the Light."

"If not for your prompt actions and the sacrifices made by your people, the Ancient Ones would have already consumed the universe in chaos."

Ancient Ones?

"They are what you call the Alien Powers."

Meaningful light flashed in their eyes.

They did not understand their true nature.

They did not even know where they had originally come from.

And if he was willing to share it, it could change everything.

"If you wish, I can explain the nature of the enemy we are facing before we move on to the reason for my arrival."

The appearance of Odinvaldr was clearly significant, but it might ultimately lead nowhere. Knowledge about the Alien Powers, however, was unquestionably valuable. Information alone could shift the balance of an entire war.

Then he took a deep breath.

Reality itself seemed to ripple as a vast illusion spread across the room. Suddenly, the castle disappeared, replaced by the image of a massive galaxy filled with stars and swirling light.

Instantly, the illusion changed.

All that remained was nothingness.

Yet Odinvaldr’s voice echoed again—this time carrying a somber tone so heavy that even the hearts of Paragons trembled.

The darkness shifted again.

The scene before them was a realm of indescribable horror.

No... trillions.

An immeasurable mass of monstrous abominations filled the void, stacked endlessly upon one another like an ocean of living nightmares. Their shapes were grotesque beyond comprehension—creatures so horrifying that even demons and devils would feel fear upon seeing them.

It was chaos.

They devoured one another without pause.

It was a cycle of pure madness.

There was no order.

No structure.

Any concept of civilization or balance was meaningless within such a state of existence. It was a form of reality so alien that lifeforms from the stable universe could barely comprehend it.

Even his heart trembled as he watched the scene unfold.

"These are the Primordial Ancient Oceans," Odinvaldr said solemnly.

Even the Primordial God himself looked grave as he spoke about these entities.

The illusion shifted again.

"The collapse gave birth to nothingness," Odinvaldr explained. "And from that nothingness, the first laws emerged."

"The universe was born from their collapse."

The sovereigns found themselves back inside the castle chamber, each of them staring at Odinvaldr with solemn expressions.

His voice grew even heavier as he revealed the final piece of information.

"At that point, they would devour everything once more—growing in mass and beginning the cycle again."

"They are the beginning... and the end of the universe?" the White Death asked slowly.

"Yes."

What they were trying to contain was the very definition of the unstoppable—the death of the universe itself.

"However, the universe is far from reaching the natural end of its life."

The Alien Powers—no, the Ancient Ones—were supposed to mark the universe’s inevitable end. If that was the case, why were they appearing now?

"The Ancient Ones represent the end of existence, but their appearance at this moment is a flaw... a mistake. They were meant to remain asleep for countless eons. Yet, due to an unknown irregularity, some of them have awakened prematurely."

If the universe had truly reached its natural end, then everything they had done—the battles fought, the sacrifices made—would have been meaningless. It would have been like children trying to stop a raging river with nothing but sticks and broken boards.

Then perhaps that error could be corrected.

"What kind of problem could have awakened them?" Overlord asked.

Stopping the Ancient Ones was vital, but understanding why they had awakened was just as important. If they did not uncover the cause, the same disaster might occur again in the future.

"I am sorry," he said solemnly. "I have searched for answers, but that is knowledge I do not possess."

Given what they had learned, another question soon emerged.

The question might have sounded naïve considering the relentless ferocity the Ancient Ones had shown so far. Their attacks had been merciless, their nature seemingly driven by pure destruction.

If the Ancient Ones were meant to remain asleep until the natural end of the universe, then perhaps there was a way to return them to that state.