Chapter 165: Erebos Intervening
Ty, placing a skeletal hand over his face in a gesture of conflict or resignation, responded, "I think so." His acknowledgment indicated a familiarity with this other voice, adding layers of complexity to his character.
As the voice continued to assert its presence, Ty struggled to maintain control. "Get out of the way, I won't—," he started, his sentence hanging incomplete, a testament to the internal battle he was facing.
Erebos, not allowing Ty to finish, took swift action. With a sudden and powerful kick, he sent Nana flying across the ground. His actions were forceful, demonstrating his willingness to use violence to make his point. "I suppose I will need to give you a little push," Erebos stated, his voice carrying a sense of inevitability and dark intent.
He then revealed a deeper layer of the narrative, one that extended beyond the immediate characters and their struggles. "Your destiny is to serve a higher power stronger than the Angelic God, stronger than the Demon King.
But you can't ever get to that point until we break all those locks off of you," he explained to Ty, suggesting that Ty was bound by unseen constraints that limited his true potential.
Erebos expressed his disappointment in the slow pace of Ty's progress. "I was hoping you trying to get that cross-link blade would face enough tragedies to force it, but things are moving too slowly," he lamented. This statement implied that Ty's journey and struggles were part of a larger, orchestrated plan to unlock his latent powers.
Erebos then shifted the conversation to a grander scale, mentioning the Vale of Despair and its impact on various realms. "The Vale of Despair has begun infecting worlds already, thanks to the Angelic race and others like the Vampire Realm and even the Demon Realm turning a lazy eye to events," he revealed.
Ty, fueled by annoyance and defiance, attempted to swing at Erebos, but his effort was futile. Erebos, with his bright red eyes, effortlessly halted Ty's skeletal fist in its tracks. "The time for you even having a real fight against me is a long time away, you shriveling infant," Erebos taunted, asserting his dominance in the confrontation.
Despite his rage, Ty found himself immobilized, his flaming red eyes a visible sign of his frustration and internal struggle. "Why can't I move?!" he thought desperately, searching for a reason behind his sudden helplessness.
Erebos, revealing a more complex side to his character, addressed Ty with a hint of regret. "Listen, boy, I am somewhat sorry about killing you that night, and even for hurting Kieran, but I had to keep the act up," he confessed. This admission suggested a deeper strategy behind his actions, one that was not immediately apparent.
Erebos continued, unveiling more about the larger narrative at play. "Had I not intervened when I did, you would have been infected by a monster from the Vale dimension, and the worse outcome possibly would have happened, with you being eaten eventually and your soul being absorbed by one of them," he explained.
This revelation hinted at a catastrophic fate that Ty had narrowly avoided, thanks to Erebos's intervention.
Shifting the focus to a broader perspective, Erebos lamented the state of the cosmos. "The 12 dimensions governing the entire universes have failed miserably," he declared, indicating a universal crisis and a failure of cosmic proportions.
Erebos, with a tone of disillusionment, elaborated on the situation that Ty was caught up in. "All they do is fight and torment each other endlessly," he said, painting a grim picture of the cosmic entities governing the dimensions. His words suggested a universe mired in chaos and conflict, with little regard for the consequences of their actions.
"You're part in this goes beyond anyone else," Erebos continued, addressing Ty directly. "So while this planet was meant to serve you the purpose of learning loss to break the second of your eight locks, we will have to speed things up a bit." This revelation indicated that Ty's experiences and challenges were not mere coincidences but part of a larger, orchestrated plan to unlock his potential.
Ty, his eyes slowly shifting back to green as he fought for control of his own body, expressed skepticism and defiance. "So, what, I'm just supposed to blindly believe you?" he questioned, unwilling to accept Erebos's words without question.
In response to Ty's challenge, Erebos snapped his fingers, conjuring a small portal. From it emerged a circular disk with a blue button at the center, a mysterious and potentially significant object. This action suggested that Erebos was prepared to offer proof or a means to expedite Ty's journey, adding another layer of intrigue to their complex relationship.
The moment Ty pressed the button on the mysterious device, a series of harrowing images burst forth. Burning buildings filled the view, and among the chaos was Jade, sitting next to a destroyed building, covered in blood. The scene was heart-wrenching, with Kieran lying dead in her lap.
The camera focused in on Jade's face, revealing a horrifying mutation covering half of it, tears streaming down her eyes.
Ty, overwhelmed by the shocking images, let out a scream. "No!! What is going on back on Earth?" he demanded, his voice laced with panic and disbelief. "The Demon King said everything was going fine."
Erebos, with a slight sigh, began to explain the nature of the device. "This is a future sight device," he stated, revealing its extraordinary capability. "It's a really valuable relic that I got in trade for those souls from the Demon King. It allows me to see into the future slightly so I can plan some moves more efficiently. My last one broke, so I had to go through a lot of work to get a new one."
He then dropped a bombshell about Earth's imminent future. "But this will be Earth in a little over a week," he declared, indicating the dire consequences that awaited. "The first pillar that Earth had crumbled once Kieran arrived to try and help you."
Erebos then shifted the focus back to Ty's journey. "Don't overly worry about that for now, but after a lot of research, I found the next three locks to unseal your true soul are loss, acceptance, and love," he revealed, outlining the emotional and spiritual challenges Ty needed to overcome to unlock his true potential.