Chapter 16: Interlude – Zellionias and Zephiarion

Zell stood up, purposely giving Ken a view of her body to tease him a little.

She then said, "You can keep eating if you want, don't worry about getting fat or something, since you don't even have a body. Your current one is just a simulated version that I created temporarily so you don't freak out over not having one. Oh, and you can take the time to examine the rest of your abilities."

After saying that, Zell warped to a different room, inside her body. Why did she have to move around with a smaller body inside of her real body? Because moving around her mind-bogglingly massive body just took too much effort. Her smaller, more compact form was much better when it came to efficiency.

Plus, she liked it because it looked really good.

In any case, she had to quickly prepare things. Although she could manipulate the flow of time within her stomach, they were still currently in the Corridor, where time is in a constant state of flux. If their luck was bad, and it took them too long, they could arrive at that world and the baby in question would've already had children with grandchildren.

Her real body, the enormous serpentine one, was currently traveling to that Hall as fast as it could. They would likely arrive with a bit of time to spare, but Zell thought it better to hurry on with her other preparations.

The room that she had teleported to, looked like a vast, white expanse of nothingness. One couldn't tell where the room began and where it ended.

Zell took out a small marble. It may have looked quite simple, but it was actually a crystallized version of the strange energy that the Laws had infused into Ken, that caused him to manifest abilities on his own. She had extracted it the moment she ate his [Soul Form] that was floating around in the Corridor.

"I'm sure he wouldn't mind that I did that without telling him," Zell said to herself. She had watched Ken for quite a long time. She had discovered that he was incredibly similar to herself in a lot of areas. They both lied as easily as they breathed and they were both the type of people that either cared a lot about something, or not at all.

Zell then proceeded to crush the marble. The marble surprisingly didn't turn into dust, but into a thick vapor-like gas that filled the entire area. Zell then waved her hand a bit, then the vapor started gathering together as one-hundred clumps of gas. The clumps of gas became smaller and smaller, denser and denser, until they became a hundred marbles the same size as the original.

That said, even if they were the same size, each of these marbles only contained a hundredth of the energy that the original contained.

Zell then stowed away ninety-nine of the marbles, and rolled the last one in her hand, musing on what to do with it.

'This is about how much the Laws will allow. Geez, who's idea was it to pump him full of this much energy? Actually, wasn't this part of the reason why that guy died?' Zell mused. Although she hadn't lied to Ken in any way, she withheld some information. Like how the strange energy had likely been part of why he died since a mortal's soul shouldn't really contain such a large amount. Even if the Laws didn't take action to kill him directly, he would've died from having so much of this energy sooner or later. The attack by the Laws in combination with all this energy constantly deteriorating his body and soul caused him to die a lot faster.

She didn't tell him, partly because she didn't think it really mattered anymore, and partly to sate her curiosity.

She knew Ken had an ability to detect lies, but she was curious to what extent did it detect. Would the ability only warn him when someone was outright lying to him? Would it be okay if everything she said was the truth, just that some of it was missing? Through her actions she was able to confirm that his ability most likely didn't outright tell him when someone was keeping something from him, perhaps only when they were being outright dishonest.

Zell hemmed and hawed for a bit, but then her eyes lit up in realization. She held her forefinger above the marble, then an incision appeared on it which caused a drop of blood to stain the marble. She then closed her eyes to concentrate, and soon, the marble lit up with black light. Then transformed into a tiny black snake. It wasn't that small, from the perspective of a human, but to her, any snake that couldn't fit at least one planet in her mouth was minuscule. She then watched the newborn snake writhe around and observe its surroundings.

"Little one, soon, you will meet a young man. Well, technically, he isn't young anymore. Anyways, you have to stay with that person's soul forever, okay? That is the purpose of your existence." Zell spoke gently to the small snake, then smiled when she saw it flick its tongue and nod. Despite being a newborn, seeing as it was born of an Archon, it couldn't possibly be stupid. It naturally knew that its purpose was to do whatever its creator told it to do. "Mm. Good. Although you're still quite weak, you'll get better in time."

She was about to just let the snake writhe about as she prepared some other things, but she suddenly thought of something. She gestured to the tiny serpent, and it immediately became incorporeal in form, then exploded into a cloud of black smoke. Zell held her hand out, and the smoke was sucked into it, forming a black talisman, with a golden serpent on it. She stowed away the talisman in her clothes, and then grinned mischievously. It would serve as a little prank for later.

She then started thinking. 'Hmmm... Even if he has five special abilities, none of them seem to be built for combat. Which makes sense since he lived in a world of relative peace. The little one can help when it gets bigger but that won't really happen for a decade or two. Even if the body he is going to reincarnate into is quite privileged, it makes me really uneasy letting him run around with no offensive abilities... The only thing I can give him that can help out in that regard is [Chaos Origin], but that's really hard to control...'

Zell was conflicted. Should she give Ken [Chaos Origin]? It was a power that temporarily transformed one's energy into [Chaotic] energy which was volatile and hard to control, however, it also gave you resistance and affinity to everything while it was activated. [Chaotic] energy was also highly efficient as a resource. If you needed a pint of normal energy to do something, [Chaotic] energy could likely do that a hundred times with the same amount.

It was part of the reason why [Chaos] Aligned beings like her were particularly stronger when it comes to combat, compared to [Good] or [Evil] aligned Archons.

However, when one transformed one's energy into [Chaotic] energy, it was incredibly hard to control. One must say it twice for emphasis. Zell had taken millennia before she could control hers. Since Ken wasn't an Archon, he wouldn't have to face as many problems as her, but it would still take him multiple decades to learn how to use it properly.

While she was wracking her brain, she suddenly remembered something. "The Sword!"

Zell took out a pitch-black sword. If Ken was there, he would immediately recognize, that it was the sword that was impaled into the body of the black rat. He had completely forgotten to ask about it, and even Zell had forgotten to bring it up. "I can't believe I almost forgot!" Zell slapped her forehead in exasperation.

She didn't really know much about the sword. She had extracted it from the scene of the crime since it was obviously not an object that should fall into the hands of normal humans. She had then studied it in the following years and discovered that it was actually quite a good sword that could even harm Archons for some reason, however, it required one to have a specific lineage to use. She didn't really need it though, since she was perfectly capable of harming other Archons on her own. She had kept the thing around in case she found some other use for it. And now she finally did.

She took out the talisman she had stowed just a moment ago. It made her feel dumb, stowing it away all smugly like that a while ago, then taking it back out again. But seeing as there was nobody else in here to see her act like a dummy, she just chose to let it pass.

Even if the sword required a special lineage to use, there were ways to get around that. She was an Archon after all. An Archon with quite a special set of skills.

Zell waved her hand, and the sword became black smoke, which she inhaled through her mouth. She then held the black talisman in front of her face and blew the smoke into it. 'Open wide, little one.' She mentally commanded.

As if following her command, the black smoke got sucked into the talisman, as if the talisman was devouring it. After just a few seconds, none of the black smoke remained. Zell nodded in satisfaction.

'With that, he can use the Sword through his soon-to-be familiar. That should be enough to tide him over until it can grow big enough, or when he can control [Chaos].'

Zell had finished her preparations, and all that was left was to wait for her body to reach the Corridor just outside the Hall in question.

'Speaking of... The Hall that I'm going to reincarnate Ken in is connected to that guy's domain.' Zell thought back to one of her acquaintances. He was a giant crow, who was Chaos aligned just like her, but for some reason, that guy fought like he was [Evil] aligned. The Hall she was going to had multiple worlds connected through portals. One of those worlds was the place where that crow guy was running a religion. A massive religion at that.

'Maybe I should say hello?' While Zell was thinking about visiting her long-time acquaintance, whom she had wreaked havoc with when they were relatively young Archons, she suddenly felt a powerful presence flying towards her from the side.

Zell's giant serpent eyes looked to the side, only to see a big crow zooming towards her.

'Speak of the devil and he shall appear...' Zell mused with a grin on her face.

Although the crow was big, it was still nowhere near as big as her real body. However, it was faster. It soon reached the World-Devouring Serpent and Zell eventually heard a voice speak into her mind.

"Hey. Let me in." The voice said in a deep, monotone voice.

"Alright." Zell answered back. Her real body then proceeded to open its mouth and suck in the big crow. The crow didn't resist, choosing to fly into the serpent's mouth of its own accord.

Only a few moments later, a tall man with black hair and dark eyes wearing a black robe showed up in the white room. He raised his hand and greeted Zell casually. "Hey. Been a while."

Zell nodded and smiled at the newcomer. "Yes, it's been eons, Zeph."

The black-robed man, Zeph, spoke. "So, what are you doing here?" He eyed Zell suspiciously.

Zell giggled and said in exasperation, "You don't have to look at me like that, I'm not here to cause trouble."

"That's what we always said right before causing trouble," Zeph spoke in his monotone voice. He was a man who wasn't very expressive when he talked. "Spit it out then."

"Fine fine." Zell then proceeded to tell him about Ken. As well as why she was helping Ken out with reincarnating.

"You're going to take a hit just to help the kid's conscience stay clean...? Why bother? I don't think he has that much conscience." Zeph remarked.

"Well, it won't be repaying him if I don't really lose anything now would it?" Zell smiled wryly. Then she took out one of the marbles of condensed energy that she had gotten from Ken. "Plus, look what I've got! I don't really understand how it can benefit me, but it looks really interesting doesn't it?"

Zeph observed the marble before tilting his head. "It doesn't seem to be such a big deal. Why did the Laws fuck him up so hard over this?"

"Yeah, well there were a hundred of these, and that was after he'd already manifested his fifth ability," Zell said proudly, as if she was the person involved.

"A... hundred!?" Zeph, who had maintained a blank face and spoke with a monotone voice, finally lost a bit of his composure. "No wonder!"

"I know right...? The Laws must've been really drunk or something for giving him that much of... whatever this is." Zell shook her head. While she was talking, Zeph's eyes had never left the bead. He looked at it with desire.

"Give me some," Zeph said.

"What? Why should I?" Zell stowed the marble away, afraid that this crow would steal it.

"Don't be so stingy. I just want a couple."

"Like hell I'll give you a couple. These aren't actual marbles that you buy in some street stall!" Zell retorted.

"Hmmm." Zeph took a step back at trying to get it for free. "What do you want?"

"Mm." Zell nodded. Satisfied that he had caught on. "Give my kid some nice stuff. Combat-related stuff."

"No deal. It's not worth it." Zeph shook his head.

"What in the world do you mean it's not worth it? I'm just asking you to give him an affinity you cheapskate" Zell needled. "Some extra skills too. I'm not asking you to hand out a special ability."

"Hmmm..." Zeph thought about it for a bit. He looked in a certain direction, where Ken was currently gorging himself on food. "He already has the [Lightning] affinity, and you're going to give him [Chaos Origin] right? Does he even need my affinity?"

"More is better. Plus [Darkness] affinity has a lot of useful things. Plus for some reason, the familiar I'm going to give him had [Darkness] affinity in addition to [Chaos] so it'll be like a matching set!" Zell exclaimed.

"Set...?" Zeph repeated in confusion. "Whatever. It's fine with just the [Darkness] affinity right?"

"Why are you cheaping out? Throw something else in!" Zell needled again.

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"..." Zeph glared at Zell for a bit but sighed and took out an orb.

"What's that?" Zell asked, but she used her insight on the orb anyways. "Hm? A taunt? And it's incomplete too... Why do you have something like that...?"

"Some dumbass used it on me, not knowing what I was, so I killed him. Luckily, taunting me was considered an attack, so I wasn't punished by the Laws when I erased him." Zeph nonchalantly said, in his usual monotone voice.

"Oh~ cool. But why is it incomplete?" Zell asked curiously.

"Because it should normally only work on those stronger than you, but also below the [Transcendent] realm. However, it had a one-time use ability where it would work on anyone." Zeph explained.

"And the imbecile used it on you? Ahahahaha." Zell couldn't hold back doubling over in laughter while clutching at her stomach.

"Is this enough?" Zeph asked.

"Haa-- haa--... Yes. It's enough." Zell said, through heavy breaths.

"Then how much do I get for these?"

"One bead each. For the affinity and the taunt. Two in total." Zell said casually.

"..." Zeph just stared at Zell in shock, his blank face had morphed into one of disgust. "Do you even have a conscience...?"

"Of course I do...? That's why I'm helping out a cute little mortal boy reincarnate in another world. Because he has benefited me greatly." Zell said, with a feigned expression of being wronged.

"Ten beads for both." Zeph made a counter offer.

"No deal. one bead for both."

"Why did it decrease!?!?" Zeph exclaimed hysterically, his composure thrown into the void.

"Because I don't like negotiating. Take it or leave it." Zell said nonchalantly. She took out one of the beads and waved it around enticingly in front of Zeph's face.

Zeph couldn't take his eyes away from it. He really wanted a bunch of those beads. He closed his eyes shut as he bit his lip. Then, reluctantly, took out a black feather and another orb. "W-w-what about these..."

"Oh?" Zell observed the orb and feather for a bit then used her insight ability on them. She smiled in satisfaction but tilted her head at the feather. "The orb is a [Frost] affinity, but what do I do with one of your feathers...?"

"..." Zeph glared coldly at Zell. "You make the snake familiar eat it, then it grows wings after a while."

"OH!" Zell exclaimed in delight. "I didn't know your feathers could work like that. Do I get wings if I eat you too?" Zell asked while eyeing Zeph appraisingly. She seemed to really be thinking of doing it.

"... Just try it." Zeph eyed her frigidly. He then sighed and asked. "How much?"

Zell smiled at Zeph, but despite the beauty of it, Zeph couldn't help but feel rage instead. "How much do you want? Since you honestly seem to be trying, I'll make a special exception and actually negotiate."

"..." Zeph thought about it for a bit then said, "I want Thirty. This feather is from my actual body after all."

"No deal. twenty for the [Darkness], [Frost], [Taunt] and the feather. That's my bottom line." Zell said firmly. She truly didn't seem to be fooling around this time.

"...bitch." Zeph cursed. But then nodded. "Twenty and a favor for the boy."

"A favor? What is it?" Zell asked curiously.

"..." Zeph seemed a bit hesitant, but still spoke after a moment, sadness in his voice. "It's gone, Zell..."

"What is?" Zell asked worriedly. She was willing to filch a friend for a few bucks but Zeph seemed genuinely troubled this time.

"My world..." Zeph sorrowfully admitted. "The entire thing is gone now."

"Wha--" Zell was flabbergasted. She then turned to face in a certain direction, her eyes glowing. When she had gone and checked the various Halls a while ago, she had only performed a rudimentary check. When she found a baby that could serve as a vessel for Ken, she examined only the world where the baby was in, not the other worlds connected to it.

She looked at the world where Zeph was playing around being a cult leader and was aghast when she discovered the state it was in. She turned around to face Zeph in alarm and asked. "What in the world happened?"

"Some bastard accidentally dropped something in my world, then it turned it into that. I don't know why, but it spread throughout the world faster than the Laws could stop it. I just left to fetch something in Grekonia then I came back to this. The guy who dropped it is dead, I and some others tore him apart after the Laws did a number on him. But the damage has been done. The world is ruined." Zeph explained with regret and disappointment.

"..." Zell stood there in shock for a bit before asking, "Is it going to spread to other worlds?"

In response, Zeph just shook his head. "There's no way that can happen. Two worlds worth of Laws would stop it." Zeph sighed then added, "The thing is... those things that grow in my world might invade the other worlds in the Hall. The corruption won't spread, but the creatures will definitely overflow from there. Plus since all the creatures are [Transcendent] grade and below, none of them will be restricted by Laws."

"..." Zell just stayed silent, thinking about various things.

"You were planning to reincarnate that kid there, but I think it's better that you don't," Zeph advised.

Zell shook her head. "There's no turning back now. We can't make it to that other place that he can go to, plus it's not going to be a big deal."

"? Why?" Zeph asked.

"Because that kid will survive. He spent such a long time in the Corridor without going nuts, he can make it through an apocalypse or two." Zell said with a hint of pride. "Besides the only other option is for him to stick around with me until we find another place to chuck him into."

"Why is that a problem? I thought you liked the kid?"

"I like him a lot cuz he reminds me of myself. We're too alike." Zell admitted.

"So...? That's a good thing. Just let the kid stay with you for a couple of eons, what's the big deal?"

"The problem is that we're too alike!" Zell shouted, with a hint of annoyance and embarrassment. "I might like him now, but that's going to get old fast. We both lie as easily as we breathe, and honestly, I think he's better at it than I am, and I don't like that! After a few millennia, I'm gonna be so sick of him I'd wanna kill him, but I'd still probably like him to the extent that I won't actually go through with it. Then we'll end up stuck to each other even when we hate each other... I'd rather not have to go through that!" Zell exclaimed in a huff.

Zeph just shook his head in exasperation. "I can't understand you at all."

"I don't want you to understand me!" Zell retorted. She then threw twenty of the marbles to Zeph, which he caught deftly and stowed away. "Give me that."

Zeph nodded and threw over all the items they agreed on. Zell then turned all of them into black smoke and inhaled it through her mouth. She then smiled in satisfaction. She would give all of this to Ken all at once later. "So, you didn't specify the favor? Do you want Ken to purify that world or something?"

"..." Zeph stared blankly at Zell before saying, "I thought you understood what I wanted without me telling you..."

"I can't read your mind. Spit it out." Zell demanded.

"... if he sees any of my church's followers, please give them a home. Or at least, treat them kindly." Zeph said.

"Oh. The Darkin? All of them...?" Zell asked pointedly.

Zeph shook his head. "Not all Darkin are my followers. It's enough that he just saves those he deems worthy of saving. Let it be my final act of kindness as their God."

"Hm. This is your final act...? Couldn't you have spent some more resources then?" Zell sneered mockingly at Zeph. "Don't you have a [Fire] affinity hidden? Yet you still chose to hold onto it."

"..." Zeph couldn't help but clench his fist in annoyance. 'You're going to say that to me after all the things you took!?'

"Anyways, I must be off. I can't leave my guest waiting for too long. He probably has a lot of questions to ask." Zell waved at Zeph and was about to go back to Ken when Zeph spoke out.

"Don't forget to tell him about my favor!"

"I won't I won't~," Zell said nonchalantly.

"If you forget, be prepared for me to hit you!"

Zell didn't respond and just vanished into thin air.

Zeph just stood there, eyeing the empty space where Zell vanished, feeling very conflicted.

'Is this how it feels like to be robbed? I feel so empty...' Zeph turned his eyes in the direction of where Ken and Zell had just reunited.

'Please save them, kid. I'm counting on you...' Zephiarion, the Crow of Desolation, prayed fervently for the boy to save his lost children.

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