The Dawn of the New World



Hao Xuan could sense the urgency in the Emperor's voice even without the help of any other ability, which made him falter.

'How desperate must he be to sound so- No, it doesn't matter. I can't leave them behind-'

[You are not abandoning them]

"Of course you can read my thoughts. This changes nothing."

Hao Xuan made up his mind and strode towards the portal with confidence. Jin Wang also followed behind him, "Somethings are meant to be, old friend," he whispered.

The Emperor's light hummed weakly, [They certainly are. No matter how many times I try, this part never changes...]

Jin Wang's brow furrowed as the Emperor's words dug into his brain like a parasitic worm and he began to hesitate, slowly coming to a halt.

Hao Xuan stopped in front of the portal upon sensing the changes in his demeanor and turned to face him, "I need your help, come with me. I can't do this alone."

His strength would be invaluable in the upcoming battle and Hao Xuan knew that better than most.

"I know. It's just- something doesn't feel right," Jin Wang mumbled under his breath, his eyes swiveling left and right in perplexity.

He was an 8th Circle Mage in his previous life, one of only a handful in the Greater World. He had been to places that most people didn't even know existed and only survived in there because of his sharp instincts.

And right now those same instincts were reeling from discomfort, screaming bloody mary at the thought of leaving.

"It's all coming apart, there has to be another way..." he muttered weakly.

But Hao Xuan didn't believe so, "There isn't. I am not giving up on them! But if... you can then I won't strong-arm you either."

"NO STOP!" he shouted, pulling Hao Xuan back, "There is a way! At least there is a chance that there might be!"

He turned towards the Emperor, "You can use some of your remaining strength to temporarily boost his power, can't you?"

"...."

[Yes. But the moment he leaves this chamber it will dissipate, my power can only be maintained in here]

"That will work!" he let out a gleaming smile.

But no one else was following along, especially not Hao Xuan.

"How will that be helpful to me? I need help out there, not in here."

"No, you need to see the truth with your own eyes, to do everything you can before making a decision. Use your ability, the one that allows you to experience the future before resetting it! With 'his' help you can increase its power, push it beyond what could be possible naturally."

Hao Xuan's back straightened when he realized what it was.

"And as long as my body remains within the chamber it will work...there is definitely a chance!" he exclaimed, peeking his head over to look at the Emperor.

[So be it. It is better than the alternative...]

A tendril of golden energy whipped towards Hao Xuan and pulled him off the ground while the Emperor explained a few things.

[Pushing an ability beyond its limits could have dire consequences. You could lose it entirely or even harm yourself in the process. If you feel something is wrong do not try to push through it]

"I know..."

The four-leafed clover pattern on Hao Xuan's brain lit up and the leaves unfurled one by one, activating the full power of the ability.

The golden energy dug into his body through the ears, dying even his eyes in the same bright color.

The usual time Hao Xuan could use the ability for depended on several factors like, how many times he reset it or how quickly he shifted from one possibility to the next. But it never crossed the 20-minute marker.

His nose immediately began to bleed before the process had even started, just from the sheer pressure exerted on his mind and body.

*GAAASP*

Hao Xuan's back arched as all of his muscles contracted in unison.

"I can hear...music..." he whispered.

[Do not lose yourself in the chaos!]

The Emperor's voice reverberated within the chamber, pushing Jin Wang and Mr. Hyde away as an even more powerful surge of energy shot out.

"AARGH!"

Hao Xuan screamed from the pain while golden light poured from his eyes, projecting the future he was experiencing onto the chamber's wall.

Jin Wang raised his head with great effort to watch how it was all going down. It was several days' worth of experiences boiled down to a few seconds, playing with such speed that for anyone below the Saint Realm it would only appear as an unbroken band of golden light.

But to the people here it was like a movie being played in slow motion. They could see everything, every little detail of Hao Xuan's failed efforts painted on the walls like a commemorative memorial.

"AAAAAAAAH!"