Lucky or unlucky.

  Xyn pondered the subject as he drifted toward the direction he called northwest. He was conservative with his mana use - not even using Vanta Drive. Monster cores were on his mind. He had already collected those belonging to the monsters who pursued Black and was looking forward to more.

  Big swings of good and bad luck, but overall, I’d say I’m quite lucky, he settled on.

  The happenings and encounters of the last hour were the latest instances in a pattern that had persisted since his birth. Being born in the peaceful Rose Union, awakening not one but two powerful types of magic, and being transmigrated into this fantasy world… all came with major pitfalls.

  Had that horde had a monster like that supersonic monkey or something like Designated Battlefield, or if the dark entity deigned to speak earlier, or if the tattoo didn't take to my mana as fast as it did – yep, I’m definitely lucky.

  Ten minutes later, Xyn would find more evidence to further his claim. Standing at the edge of the massive egg-shaped crater and looking down, he locked onto a treasure trove. He rubbed his hands like a slimy merchant while sporting a smile to match. Monster cores dotted the area like stars did the night sky - above a cityscape. Hundreds of orbs had rolled to the centre.

  Aha, I knew they’d survive.

  Survive was the wrong word. Monster cores weren’t indestructible; he had tested this. None would withstand the graviton bomb's detonation. The key to their presence was the slight delay between a monster's death and its corpse's transformation into a monster core. Scrambling space didn't interrupt the magical working embedded in each iota making up an individual monster. Thus, from molecules, monster cores formed, materialising after the diabolical Egg wrought its devastation.

  Having warmed his hands to a blaze, Xyn stayed idle no more. He took a step, leaned over the edge and let himself slide down the slope. It was long, gentle and smooth as a mirror. In other words, a ramp. He became the wind with momentum alone.

  Faster and faster, he reached the bottom in no time. He was set to be the white ball at the start of a pool game, but a collision didn't happen. Instead of knocking the glowing spheres away, he vacuumed them into Void Vault. The psionic had fun with it, skating in spiralling patterns to reach the various monster cores.

  Wee~

  His black locks danced wildly in the rushing air. Xyn, while he couldn’t claim to be happy, nonetheless had a ton of fun. Life was about the little joys, and the Void Prince relished them whenever he could.

  Many circles later, he scooped all but one up. Xyn gave the final orb special treatment. Stopping before it, he bent down and picked it up. It was molten orange.

  This belongs to that giant lizard thing. Nearly fried me, the bastard.

  Xyn closed his fingers around the orb, brought his hand close and blew at it. Then, he lowered his hand and slowly opened it to reveal an empty palm.

  “No smoke or mirrors here, folks, just magic,” Xyn chuckled as he imagined an audience.

  The Void Prince loved the magicians of yore. The ones who used not mana, but sleight of hand, misdirection and other tricks. It was a lost craft by the time he was born, and it was only thanks to Xyn’s deep dive into ancient civilisation that he discovered the art form.

  He had become quite taken with the craft, which managed to mimic magic’s effects. More than entertainment, he admired the skill and ingenuity of the tricksters who seemed to bend the natural laws. This admiration led him to veer into the realm of mystery and trickery as well, and by now, it had become part of who he was and how he did things.

  Aand done. Plus the hundred and fourteen from before, we have a total of three hundred and ninety-five monster cores. Excellent.

  An accomplished smile surfaced on the youth’s face. He didn’t know the value of these magical spheres; however, he was certain that they did have value. More likely than not, significant value.

  Okay, I've lingered long enough. Let's bounce.

  Xyn summoned the bone dagger and tossed it high into the sky. It landed pointing north, but the Void Prince couldn't pay any mind to it. His gaze, which had followed the blade's trajectory, noticed something strange as the knife reached the height of its parabola.

  A cloud? A bird?

  Xyn blinked, and his vision turned crisp, allowing him to identify the distant figure as a humanoid. Over twenty kilometres high, the man was still against the heavenly canvas.

  Since when has he?

  Xyn was beyond surprised at the discovery.

  The distant man noticed the young psionic's attention on him. He rubbed his chin, as if in approval and then dove.

  Whoa!

  Shockwaves sounded in the stranger's wake as he zoomed down, appearing like a blue laser shot from an orbital satellite.

  Xyn half expected the other to crash into him, but that didn’t happen. The stranger stopped abruptly where the ground would be, at the Void Prince's twelve o'clock.

  Lording over me, aren’t you? Then again, it fits, Xyn thought as he got a look at the human. Definitely a noble.

  Visually, the middle-aged-looking man was the opposite of Medric. He was handsome and dressed to impress in his blue and white attire. The man had sun-kissed caramel skin, emeralds for eyes, a full head of auburn hair and a thick, well-kept beard, all combining to make him resemble a lion. The comparison to the beast extended beyond his looks. He stood straight and proud, his figure surrounded by a thin membrane of blue energy.

  There was much to see, but Xyn’s black dots latched onto the silver band on the man’s ring finger. He has one too. Are storage rings common? No more important-

  Xyn’s thought was cut off.

  Ah?! Nigh-instantaneous...

  The Void Prince recoiled in shock as he found himself encased in a house-sized cube of energy.

  Unauthorized duplication: this narrative has been taken without consent. Report sightings.

  No preemptive mana fluctuation and that speed – this guy’s casting is on a whole other level; so is this barrier.

  Xyn approached the barrier’s edge and placed his hand on it. The inch-thick sheet of blue appeared like water in a laminar flow. Yet, studying it with his magical senses and intuition, he knew that it was anything but so easily passable. A conceptual power flowed through it that could shield against various types of attacks and workings.

  Malconi's Egg wouldn’t dent this. Nor would a Blade Storm. Only Endera could destroy this.

  Making that judgment, Xyn looked to the origin of the barrier magic. He reserved judgment on the man's status as a friend or foe. There was still a lot of wiggle room in his mind. The appearance of a fellow human was comforting, especially in comparison to the last. Thus, despite being “trapped”, his feelings toward the stranger were leaning toward positive.

  He must have been drawn here by the bomb, and instead of carelessly approaching, he chose to observe from afar first. This lion has a bit of fox in him, Xyn reasoned, staring at the man calmly. His magic is strange. That blue energy is nothing like the monkey's or monster's aura. Or the blood mage. It's quiet but intense, kind of like a psionic's.

  The Void Prince's analysis was interrupted by the man parting his lips; unknown words split out. The man saw Xyn's confusion and stopped speaking. A green marble appeared in his palm. He made it glow, and the orb began radiating psychic energy. It spread in all directions, as far as a hundred metres before dying.

  Xyn recognised it as harmless at once, familiar with similar workings by Telepaths. A second later, a baritone voice resounded in his head.

  [Colour me impressed. You’re handling this situation quite well, boy,] Alison said, his dignified expression showing traces of approval.

  Xyn’s expression flickered. He understood each word projected into his mind. He focused on the green orb. I want one.

  [A Traveller's Stone,] the noble rolled the sphere on his palm, [a must-have in this melting pot. One for you.] Alison summoned a second marble and tossed it down.

  Through the barrier it went, passing without a ripple, before landing in Xyn’s hand. The Void Prince studied the object for a few seconds before directing his mana into it.

  [Greetings, stranger. I am Xyn, nice to meet you,] the Void Prince said, sincerely.

  [A polite one, good. There are far too many youths who forget manners. I suppose I must return the respect.] The stranger struck a pose. Straightening himself, his right hand struck his chest while his left reached for a tail he didn’t have and declared:

  [I am Alison of House Aegis, Duke and Radiant Knight, known throughout the realm as the Impenetrable Shield.]

  Xyn stared on in a mix of emotions, unsure of what to say or which face to make – though he certainly was making one. [I see. I’m in the presence of nobility. I’m honoured and also a bit confused. About many things. Above all, what such an esteemed figure as yourself is doing in this place of death. Was our meeting chance or fate?]

  Aliison nodded. [A good question. I wouldn’t call it the latter, but it was not the former either. I am on a mission. To apprehend otherworlders fresh to Machaeverosa. I wasn’t too far away and chose to rush over to collect you.]

  Xyn’s eyes narrowed as his opinion of the other shifted. [Apprehend. Collect. Those sound like fighting words.]

  [I have no intention of fighting. Not that I need to with you trapped in my Room of Solitude.]

  Xyn made a show of glancing at his prison cell. [Mm, you’re right. This barrier is something else. You must be a big fish in this world.]

  Alison’s eye twitched, not appreciating the wording. [Yes, you could say that. The title of Radiant Knight is given to the elite of the elites. Radae's best. Oceans part and mountains crumble where we go.]

  [And you’re the strongest?]

  [No. I’m formidable in my own right, but I’m middle of the road. The strongest would be…the king.]

  [A king who can fight. I’m impressed.]

  Alison nodded, sharing the viewpoint. [You may give him your respect when you see him. Which will be soon.]

  Xyn stayed silent for a few seconds before planting his rump on the ground. [I take it that refusal isn’t an option?]

  [It is not. Your will and wants are immaterial to the nation of Radae and me. Your service will be forcefully acquired…with this,] the noble said, then retrieved an object from his spatial storage ring.

  The golden neck band shone in the sunlight as Alison twirled it around his meaty finger.

  Holy hell!?

  Xyn squinted to avoid being blinded. Not by the reflected light. No, the object appeared like a star when looking at it through magical lenses. An ocean of mana fueled the enchantment embedded in the engraved metal.

  That’s some seriously powerful magic, he thought, his heart rate spiking as he readjusted his threat assessment.

  [Your awe is justified, boy,] Alison let off a chuckle. [You’ll be hard-pressed to find magic as potent as this anywhere else in this realm, or any other realm for that matter. This here is called Ignis Collar. Its enchantment is as simple as it is powerful. Forced obedience. After clipping this onto your neck, you’ll be a lifelong slave of Radae.]

  Xyn’s face clouded over briefly before returning to normal. [Is that the standard practice of your kingdom? To enslave otherworlders?]

  [It is, yes,] Alison admitted without a hint of shame. [Otherworlders are coin flips, unknowns, existences that have the potential to throw the world into chaos – into further chaos. I speak not in hypotheticals, boy. This has been the case since Machaeverosa became a nexus realm. The landmass southeast of here, Renoron, was once home to several great empires. The Necromancer’s Death Farm turned it into a hellscape.]

  The Radiant Knight shut his eyes as images of a devastated Renoron streamed through his mind.

  [Even centuries after his demise, the continent remains smothered in a shroud of death magic. Undead roam the land. Millions in number and unkillable. Scholars speculate that it will be the case for another thousand years. The Necromancer is one example of many. And one that was learned from. Radae certainly did. Thus, measures were taken. You, harmless as you appear, could in fact be a great villain. Radae won't take chances. Whether devil or saint, you’ll be put on a leash– a short one.]

  [Ah, I can't argue with that,] Xyn said, scratching his cheek awkwardly. He had no high ground to counter from. He was, in fact, a great villain, after all.

  [Indeed, it would be pointless. Now, let's get this over with.] Ignis Collar was wrapped in the blue energy and floated down. At the same time, the blue cube began shrinking.

  [Wait. Hold up.]

  [What?] Alison responded, halting the motion of the golden band and his Room of Solitude.

  [Can I ask you some questions before you put the collar on me?]

  [Hmm.] The Radiant Knight went quiet for a few seconds. [I suppose, it can't hurt. Your attitude thus far has been agreeable, and we are to be allies; positive feelings between us serve Radae best. Speak your curiosities. I'll humour your request for five minutes,] the noble rubbed his beard as he radiated a manganous aura.

  [Many thanks. My first question regards this multiverse. Tell me about it. How many universes are there? And how do they relate to each other?]

  Alison nodded. [A good starting point.]

  He conjured soccer-ball-sized spheres. Ten. They moved oddly. Each one had its own pace and trajectory. The spheres never strayed too far away from each other, though. There seemed to be a distance limit, as though they were connected by invisible rubber bands. Ripples were created on the surface of the bubbles as they collided. These impacts changed the speed and direction of the spheres in unpredictable ways.

  Xyn watched the display with piqued curiosity.

  Seeing his audience fully engaged, the Radiant Knight delved into his explanation. [As you can guess, each sphere represents an individual universe. There are ten of them, and each is unique. For aeons, these various universes floated in the aether, mostly ignorant about each other.]

  The young man was awed. So many! Excitement and anticipation surged within him at the prospect of visiting these foreign lands. He kept his face placid and voiced his question with a natural tone.

  [Mostly?]

  [Yes, mostly. Coming here, you must have recognised a lot of creatures and objects as things you're familiar with, correct?]

  [Yeah.]

  Alison pointed at bubbles fresh from a collision. [These ripples you see, while harmless, carry an effect. Ideas and concepts are imparted from one universe to another via these collisions. Terms like mana or Soul Shroud are, for instance, universal. Beyond these collisions, there's also the matter of the residents of Universe 8. The Pixies. Members of their royal lineage can use dimensional magic to cross into other universes and have done so since the multiverse's beginning. They have a non-interference policy, but they have unintentionally spread ideas across the multiverse during their travels.]

  Xyn's mouth watered at the information. Each subsequent word from the Radiant Knight served to both fill and empty his metaphoric stomach. The Void Prince couldn't get enough.

  [For time untold, this was the state of things. We call this period the Great Before, where every universe, more or less, is on its own. Then, twelve centuries ago, it happened.]