Earth's Greatest Magus

“Where are we?! What is this place?”

Emery’s voice broke with confusion and unease

Tolaro ignored him, his sharp eyes scanning their chaotic surroundings before producing an artifact—a bronze hexagonal plate. With a flick of his wrist, the artifact expanded into a 10-meter-wide floating platform, its surface etched with intricate glowing runes pulsing faintly in the dim light of the void.

“Get on!” Tolaro barked, leaping onto the artifact and settling into a cross-legged lotus position at its center. The artifact hummed to life, forming a thin, shimmering barrier of light around its edges.

Emery hesitated. Moments ago, they had been enemies, their trust nonexistent. But the swirling abyss behind him, with debris twisting and spinning unnaturally, along with his injury left him little choice.

With a steadying breath, he leaped onto the platform. The barrier shimmered briefly as it adjusted to his presence.

Tolaro’s voice cut through the hum of the artifact.

“This Hexalume needs three people to operate: one to control movement, one to activate the shield, and one to attack. I’ll handle the shield—you steer!”

The urgency in Tolaro’s tone left no room for argument. Emery closed his eyes briefly and extended his divine sense into the artifact. Beneath its surface, he felt raw, ancient power, vast and unyielding, waiting for direction.

Emery saw multiple rocks hurtling toward them from the swirling void ahead. Gritting his teeth, he focused his divine sense into the artifact, gripping the energy flows tightly. With careful precision, he managed to make a slight maneuver, just enough for the Hexalume to glide past the incoming debris.

“Huh… as I thought,” Tolaro said, his sharp gaze fixed on Emery. “Your soul is strong enough to operate this device.”

Tolaro explained that the Hexalume was a high-grade artifact, typically requiring the soul power of a Grand Magus to control. For someone at Emery’s level to execute even a minor maneuver was nothing short of remarkable.

“At least you are a bit useful! Now help me find a way out of this place!”

“How?! What is this place?!”

“You humans and your ignorance…” Tolaro sneered, his tone dripping with disdain. “….This is the Vaer Nur—a corridor formed at the edge of a singularity. It’s both a graveyard and a gateway.”

Emery’s brows furrowed. “Gateway… to where?”

“To other realms, you fool!” Tolaro barked. “Why would the master of space choose a champion who knows so little?! Just focus on dodging those boulders! I’ll locate a gateway back to our realm!” Find adventures at empire

As soon as the words left his mouth, Tolaro closed his eyes, his sharp features tightening in concentration. His aura shifted subtly as he extended his divine sense outward while simultaneously channeling energy into his wounded body.

Emery couldn’t help but notice how long it was taking the Grand Magus to regenerate his missing arm. The process was slower than expected for someone of Tolaro’s caliber. Was the injury more severe than it appeared? Or was there something else at play, some hidden limitation or interference in this strange place?

Either way, Emery understood one thing: their alliance was fragile and temporary. The moment Tolaro achieved his objective, their conflict would resume. Emery clenched his fists and closed his eyes briefly, focusing inward. He needed to recover his own strength as quickly as possible if he hoped to survive what came next.

Swiftly, he popped another one of his high-grade recovery pills into his mouth, letting its healing properties flood his system.

While at it, Emery reached out to his artificial being.

“VIA.. What do you know about Vaer Nur?”

The ethereal voice of his AI companion chimed in his head for any information regarding Vaer Nur and discovered that the human translation of the Elvish words “Eternal Void” was the key to understanding its true nature.

As the dark elf had described, most studies of Vaer Nur indicate that it is a graveyard, a forsaken place that few have ever left. Only a handful of individuals—supreme beings of unimaginable power—are known to have escaped its grasp. Even the Celestials, beings of great influence, mark the area as a dangerous zone, one that should be avoided at all costs.

Millennia ago, the Celestials had managed to navigate through this eerie realm by creating a gateway, which allowed them to travel between different realms. They identified eight universes and the Nether Realm that Emery had witnessed opening during the Celestial expedition was one of them.

This was information that was not readily available at the academy; it seemed to be restricted, likely reserved for the highest echelons of the Magus Alliance.

VIA further noted that humans had means to travel a few of these universes, but had no means of traveling through these endless voids, as Celestial travel technology had never been shared with humanity—not within the records available to VIA, at least.

As Emery flew through the stream tunnel, his mind raced, dodging both jagged rocks and the sudden bursts of dark lightning that streaked through the air. Anxiety gripped him.

If even Grand Magus figures could not escape this place, what chance did he—merely a Magus—have?

How long would he remain trapped in this desolate void? And with the looming duel against Kronos, what would become of his friends and earth?

The thought of his daughter flashed through Emery’s mind.

At the very least, he needed to make sure Shinta knew that he was safe… in a way.

However, just as he was about to send his consciousness into his Domain, a sharp warning from his divine sense froze him. Something was ahead—multiple flying figures. Dozens of them. They were humanoid in shape, but not elves or humans. They appeared… ghastly, their forms flickering like shadows, their presence chilling.

Tolaro stood up, his face contorted in frustration as he cursed loudly. “Dammit! My damn luck!! Not those creatures again!!”

VIA quickly analyzed the figures and identified them as Duskrath, one of the most dangerous creatures lurking within the Eternal Void.

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