Author’s note: I’ll put three more chapters in the next few hours to make up for the days I didn’t post, I’m going back to Curitiba and it’s a bit busy.
"Kollen won’t protect you forever, Kayden. At some point, you’ll have to leave your flowered garden."
Matheus was the only one who had the courage to speak in this situation. The others feared being eliminated before they could even react.
"Kollen will protect me for only a few days. After that, you’re free to come after me."
Kayden didn’t respond to anyone as he disappeared through a series of teleportations.
The event of Kayden’s ascension caused an uproar throughout the universe. No one expected him to be this strong. Only two people weren’t surprised by how things unfolded—Matheus and Atlas. They had been with Kayden since his earliest days, and that boy had always been something insane.
The great mages panicked over Kayden’s threats. For the first time in a long while, the most powerful mages of the universe truly organized themselves, solely to hunt Kayden down as if he were a wild beast. Yet, even with 90% of the strongest beings in the universe united, none of them were able to find even a trace of Kayden.
"We need to kill him as soon as possible. His growth rate is far beyond that of any mage among us," Atlas said in a meeting with Netero and dozens of other mages. Fear was capable of uniting any group of mages toward a common goal.
The battle for the zones became meaningless after everyone understood the power of the Ice Emperor. No one had the slightest chance of completing this challenge with him in play. On top of that, there was still Matheus in the mix. The zones had practically become an unwinnable prize—no one had the strength to surpass the two.
This situation made the primary objective of all the mages shift to the future battle for the gods. No one fought over zones anymore; it was a total waste of time. Because of this, the universe entered its longest era of peace in recent years. The only major movement was the hunt for Kayden, which was turning into an utter failure.
Unfortunately for the mages of this universe, Hypnos’s technique was far beyond their understanding. Only sheer luck could lead them to run into Kayden, and the chances of that happening were so minuscule that they weren’t even worth considering. The universe was simply too vast. And besides, unless they were among the strongest mages, Kayden would just kill them with no difficulty at all.
Time passed slowly, and Kayden remained hidden, cultivating. Little by little, the mages started to let go of their search. The years turned into millions, then hundreds of millions. Over time, they grew more relaxed about Kayden’s threat, as if the boy no longer existed.
Achilles raised both hands as soon as he stepped into Kayden’s domain. For the first time in an unknown period, Kayden was having human contact again.
"Achilles, you truly are a special mage, aren’t you?" Kayden smiled as he teleported directly in front of the mage. The chances of someone stumbling upon him by accident were the same as a human picking a specific atom on Earth and getting it right.
"I have a few abilities, Master Kayden," the man smiled. Kayden waited for him to continue. This man was truly above the elite mages of this universe and had already proven his strength and value in the past.
"I want your help with something very specific."
"Tell me what you want and what you’re offering in return."
Kayden wouldn’t help any living being for free.
"I want you to unify my soul with my soulmate’s."
Kayden raised an eyebrow. He hadn’t expected something like that at all. And even less what Achilles said next:
"I offer you a way out of this universe—one that no god will be able to track. Not only that but also a position of respect in a high-level universe in the future."
Kayden had to think for a few minutes about all the options. This was a massive deal, too big to be made lightly. Minutes turned into hours as he kept considering all the possibilities for the future.
Kayden refused after weighing all the possibilities.
"It would take me too much time to study your soul and your soulmate’s to be able to put you both in resonance. That’s time I don’t have."
"I have a Time Chamber—one billion years in just a few months. That should be enough to convince you, shouldn’t it?"
Kayden raised an eyebrow.
"Who exactly are you? That treasure isn’t something this universe should be capable of creating without the presence of gods."
Some theories started forming in Kayden’s mind.
"I’m just an ordinary mage, Master Kayden. The difference is that I can manipulate the threads of destiny. This universe has treasures scattered all over that defy comprehension. This is just one of them."
Achilles didn’t answer Kayden’s question directly.
"Swear before the heavens that you will guarantee my safety in the other universe and my freedom in every possible way. Also, swear that no gods will follow me afterward."
Kayden wouldn’t leave any loose ends. He added a few more conditions to the oath before he stopped talking.
"I swear before the heavens…"
Achilles took a few minutes to finish Kayden’s oath. There were many details to ensure the boy had no problems in the future, making the vow excessively long.
The heavens released a red lightning bolt that struck directly between them. Neither of them even blinked before their bodies were engulfed by the energy.
They felt nothing. There was no damage to their bodies either.
"Your oath to the Challenger of the Heavens, Kayden Heart, is now in effect. Failure to uphold it will result in the annulment of your reincarnation."
A voice echoed in their minds. It had no discernible features, but its immense power was unmistakable.