Chapter 1834: Chapter 1834

That evening, after dining with the ladies at home, Jenkins visited the Astral Plane once more. The Star Spirit greeted him with immediate congratulations for acquiring the [World Tree Seedling]:

"This is a monumental step for you. It signifies that your mortal vessel has cast off its human limitations, bridging a gulf that is nearly impassable for ordinary people."

Jenkins accepted the congratulations and tried to press for more information on the origins of the World Tree, but the Star Spirit demurred. That was a question touching upon the very genesis of the world, and she would not answer it.

His primary purpose for visiting the Astral Plane tonight, however, was to inquire about the fusion of the Four King Souls. The silver dragon Anathasia had told him that the souls would not merge on their own, yet acquiring the related ability, [Uncrowned King], required their union.

Rakul first recounted the ancient tales of humanity forging their own legends. Only after confirming that Jenkins understood the context did she begin to discuss the fusion of the Four King Souls:

"You will need fire, a hammer, and a forge."

"Is that a metaphor, or do I literally need the items you've just named?"

"It is no metaphor. You need a divine fire to meld and elevate their disparate natures. You need a hammer of miracles to forge destiny and shape legends. And you need a forge of ages to imbue the King Souls with the very weight of history."

Jenkins considered this for a moment.

The Star Spirit, a translucent figure of a woman, offered a faint smile.

"Of course. You must seek the power of fire, a flame granted to mortals by deities associated with the domains of [Sun] and [Fire]. This will be the fuel for forging the King Souls."

"That should be simple enough. The Church of Sun and Justice would surely be willing to help."

"Next, you will need an ancient hammer once wielded by the gods themselves. This will be your tool."

"What about the hammer created by the God of Nature from captured lightning in the very first epoch? Would that suffice?"

"Excellent. I should be able to borrow that as well."

"Lastly, you require a place for the forging. It need not be a literal platform, but it must be connected to time. You must forge the King Souls in a location where time behaves abnormally. Only then can you guarantee their power will reach its perfect state."

"A place where time is abnormal?"

This last requirement posed a problem. Jenkins mulled it over.

"In the material world, the locations with temporal anomalies known to the Church are usually tied to incredibly dangerous Cursed Items, like A-02-1-0307, the 'Cyclical Hunting Game,' or A-12-1-0499, the 'Recurring Moment of Death.' Attempting the forging in a place like that would be courting disaster. What about the Astral Plane? Relative to the material world, surely it qualifies as a place where time is abnormal?"

"The Astral Plane would be... acceptable."

Rakul considered it for a moment before nodding.

"Yes. The Astral and Shadow Planes are not entirely separate dimensions; they are more like two reflections of the material world. If you forge the King Souls here, you will need four assistants to help stabilize their power. Each assistant must correspond to the nature of one of the four souls."

"For the Tree Soul, I can ask Sigrid. For the Ice Soul, Dolores. For the Dragon Soul... the red dragon likely wouldn't mind helping. But the Dark Soul..."

The Dark Soul was the most difficult part. The ideal candidate was, without a doubt, Miss Windsor. But she wasn't an Enchanter. If an ordinary person were to recklessly enter the Astral Plane, being driven mad by the profound silence of the cosmos would be one of the better outcomes.

Though her soul showed she possessed the aptitude of an Enchanter, those who were rushed into their power often suffered from significant drawbacks. To train Miss Windsor properly, like the Church was training young Fini, would take at least a year.

"There were, of course, ways for a mortal to become an Enchanter quickly without side effects, but that involved the Mysterious Realms..."

The thought of taking an ordinary young woman into a Mysterious Realm was something Jenkins couldn't stomach. But if he was truly desperate, he might have to gather enough people to escort her.

But that was a problem for later. The primary challenge right now was awakening the Dark Soul.

The Star Spirit couldn't offer any further advice on awakening the Dark Soul. That was a trial for Jenkins to face alone. Still, he was grateful to Rakul. At least now he knew the three conditions required to fuse the Four King Souls and could begin his preparations.

His other reason for visiting the Astral Plane was to ask Rakul about the ritual known as the [Reverse-Fated Ritual]. Since this was unrelated to the Savior or the world's deepest secrets, Jenkins was confident the Star Spirit would be able to answer. Googlᴇ search ɴovelfire.net

"I know of this ritual. It is exceedingly ancient."

She leaned forward, gazing into the sea of stars at her feet as if peering into the material world.

"It is quite amusing, really. Mortals always believe they can defy fate, yet they fail to realize their very defiance is a part of fate's design. To struggle against destiny without knowing its true shape is like a clown fighting the air alone on a stage."

"So, the Reverse-Fated Ritual is impossible to complete?"

"No. According to our records, the ritual has been performed successfully in ages past. The successes are exceptionally rare, but it is not entirely impossible."

"Then what does the ritual do?"

"Its effect is as its name implies: to comprehend a segment of fate—one that is destined to occur or has already passed—and then reverse it, moving from effect to cause, from end to beginning. It sounds simple, but the ritual's true nature is difficult to articulate. I can put it this way: the ritual has entirely different effects and requirements depending on the individual who initiates it and their reasons for doing so. Only those with the unwavering resolve to defy fate and the great wisdom to match can discern the path they must take. It would be more accurate to call the 'Reverser of Fate' not a ritual, but a challenge that uses the entire world as its stage."

Jenkins had thought he was about to get a clear answer, but the more the Star Spirit explained, the more muddled he felt.

"I apologize, but I don't quite understand."

It was a frank admission.

"No one but the person performing the ritual can ever truly understand what it is or why it even exists. But you must remember this: it is no simple ceremony. It simultaneously manipulates and influences time, space, matter, information, and destiny itself. Everything that has ever existed, everything that currently exists, and everything that is yet to exist falls under its influence."

"It's that powerful?"

"But its requirements are so demanding that the probability of success is nearly zero. Each successful performance marks a pivotal moment in destiny. If your opponent intends to use this ritual and is close to succeeding, then they are truly an adversary worthy of you."

Rakul's words did little to ease Jenkins's growing concern.

"So, can the Reverse-Fated Ritual be stopped?"

"Simply kill the one presiding over it—the individual attempting to defy fate."

"If I could kill them," Jenkins muttered, "I wouldn't be worried about the ritual in the first place."