Lord Shadow

Chapter 1600 Pride Goeth Before the Fall

On the once vibrant worlds and planets that the Etherna had conquered, life was rapidly fading. 

The lush trees withered and crumbled, the forest looks like graveyard and life scattered in a sorrowful exodus. 

Even stars and celestial bodies seemed to lose their brilliance. 

The bleak curse of the Creator had affected them profoundly.

The Etherna, once capable of bearing offspring, were now plagued by the curse. 

Pregnancies ceased among their kind. 

Attempts to create life through powerful magic were equally futile; the resulting children had no souls, and death swiftly claimed them, shrouding their existence in misfortune and darkness.

For several years now, no new Etherna child had come into being. 

This disheartening truth haunted Borganʼs thoughts as she watched her brothers and friends converse, the weight of the plight of her race pressing heavily upon her heart.

Azief stood beside the lifelike vision of Borgan, his eyes reflecting a mixture of astonishment and confusion. 

He marveled at the ability to perceive her thoughts, as if he had been granted access to the inner workings of her mind. 

It was an extraordinary experience, one that puzzled him greatly.

Why could he hear her thoughts and emotions so clearly? What was the purpose of this revelation? 

Azief found himself lost in contemplation, seeking answers in this unusual encounter with Borganʼs past.

And Borgan answers his doubt almost immediately. 

”So, you would understand it even more”

”Most Etherna are psychic and we can always transmit our thoughts to another if we wanted to”

Azief nodded and then he listens to the thought of the Borgan in the past. 

At the same time, he also understood about the threat of the Creator and the destroyer. 

And he understood the worries that Borgan has in the past

He could see that unlike her siblings, she worries about the future. In hindsight, she was right.

This war that they are waging against the Creator and the Destroyer is a war that they would lose

Azief had come to a chilling realization about the Creator – the immense power he wielded when it came to destruction. 

When the Supreme One gave His permission to destroy, the devastation the Creator could unleash is nothing short of catastrophic.

The Creatorʼs ability to obliterate worlds, stars, and entire realms sent shivers down Azief spine.

 This revelation further underscored the dire nature of the situation. The Etherna were facing not only the wrath of their Creator but also the destructive might He held in His hands.

Azief had also known a bit about the Creator after always listening to his story and reading some of his lore in Orvanian libraries and ancient temple scattered in other intergalactic civilization

Azief knowledge of the Creator had always depicted Him as the embodiment of everything good and benevolent. 

The Creator is often revered as a merciful, divine presence in the universe. 

This image of the Creator is deeply ingrained in the minds of those who knew of Him.

However, the actions of the Etherna seemed to have greatly angered the Supreme One. 

It was evident that their transgressions were of such magnitude that they had triggered a response from the Supreme One to order the Creator, a being that creates and permitting destruction. 

And his actions in the war…..this was a drastic shift from the conventional view of the Creator as a compassionate and kind entity.

As Azief listened to the conversations among Asargan, Borgan, Vorgan, and Phaitos, he pieced together a more comprehensive narrative of the events that had unfolded. 

What truly shocked him was not the fact that the Etherna had previously battled the Creator; it was the revelation that they were also contending with the Destroyer.

The mere mention of the Destroyer sent shivers down his spine. 

If the Creator is an embodiment of Creation, than the Destroyer is the embodiment of Destruction

In all the stories and legends, he had encountered, the Destroyer is depicted as the embodiment of the End of All Things. 

The notion that the Etherna had not only faced the Destroyer but had repelled him was astonishing.

It was a monumental revelation that redefined Aziefʼs understanding of these ancient cosmic beings.

In the vast expanse of the Omniverse, there might not be any beings capable of matching the Destroyer, except for the Creator Himself. 

The two beings is akin to the apex powers of creation and destruction, the very embodiment of these cosmic forces.

To Azief, it was as if the Creator and the Destroyer were the top two entities, the ultimate rulers of the cosmic hierarchy. 

They held the power of life and death over the entirety of existence.

And yet, against all odds, the Etherna had not only faced the Destroyer but had successfully repelled this formidable force. 

”For we are the First race that the Supreme One has created. And as such we were blessed” Borgan spoke to him like she could read his mind. 

”Can I watch the battle?”

But Borgan shook her head

”Why?”

”because that is not what I want you to learn. Even if I bring you to see the moment when my brothers, my people fighting the Destroyer, you could not learn anything from it. It is magic of the purest kind. It is not something you could learn”

Azief understood her point but couldnʼt help but express his curiosity. 

”I did learn from witnessing the Etherna battle against that alien civilization,” he said.

Borgan sigh and then said.

”I know you must have learned something when you saw the Etherna fighting that alien civilization” Azief nodded at this.

 He never intended to deny this

”but the battle between the destroyer and the Etherna is not like that. No matter how many times you see it, you would not learn anything. Because the abilities that they use is innate. And that is not something you could learn. But I could tell you how it was fought. The Destroyer fought then, with the Etherna race taking no damage whatsoever” Hearing this Azief frowns

”But I just saw Asargan and Vorgan. They do not look like they are not taking damage”

Then tilting his head Azief mutters

”They look like they got beaten up”

”because this time, it is not only the Destroyer that came down. The Creator was also sent down. And in that battle , the Creator shows his power and many was injured. But, in the end we still manged to repel them. Both the Creator and Destroyer could not annihilate us”

Azief noted Borganʼs apparent lack of jubilation despite their victory. ”But you donʼt seem happy.”

Borgan chuckled bitterly. 

”Because I know that both times were tests from the Supreme One. If we had passed these tests, tempered our anger, and controlled our pride, the outcome would have been different.”

She sighed; her eyes filled with foreknowledge. 

”The war was won by the Etherna, but I have seen the writing on the wall. The age of our race is coming to an end. It hasnʼt happened yet, but even then, I could see the inevitable future unfolding.” 

”This is how it goes. The Creator and the Destroyer would return to the Exalted Divine Dimension. And they would plead with the Supreme One. And the news of the rebellion would reach the Garden. And so, a weapon would be constructed. A weapon that would be the undoing of the Etherna. And a weapon that holds the power of both creation and destruction. The moment it appeared realities shattered and trillions of galaxies were refined to create this weapon.ʼ

”The All Source” Azief mutters And Borgan nodded

”The All Source would appear” 

”As for why I am here….is because I want to prepare for the eventuality of this defeat”

In that brief moment of silence, Azief mind raced with thoughts about the All Source, also known as the World Orb in his world. 

He had indeed come across some information in the Orvanian libraries and through his conversations with Will, but he understood that Borganʼs knowledge would likely be far more comprehensive.

He pondered the sheer magnitude of the artifact. 

The All Source was shrouded in myth and legend, its existence considered by many to be more of a cosmic enigma than a tangible reality. 

If not for the fact he knew it exist, even Azief would not believe of such artefact that could change reality at will

Considering that it is their race that fought against these weapons, Borgan probably knows more than she is letting on. 

Azief also knows that the All Source is also called the World Orb in his world

”You mean that the All Source was created to destroy the Etherna race?”

At this question Borgan only laughed

”It is destined to appear. It is how the story goes. And since it did not deviate from the story, the All Source was created. 

”What is the All Source?” Azief ask. 

”I heard many mystical abilities about this thing. But I donʼt know whether to believe it”

”Whatever you think it is, it would surpass your imagination” Borgan answered, 

”The All-Source commands the power of the Supreme One”

”Imagine that. A power that is beyond the Grand Supremacy. This is a power to change realities as much as you like. Whatever you could think of, it could be realized, materialized. You could change the rules of the Universe and no one would notice. All realities depend on your thoughts. Even my race, no matter how powerful they are, no matter how many laws they could wield, armed with this power of the All Source, my race turned to dust”

”That is the story of my race. It is a story that is repeated countless times in many forms. The first race is prideful. And so, they fall.”

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