Destiny: The Legendary Hunter

[Writers-Ablood]

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[Temple of Crota, Ocean of Storms]

A grim silence had gripped the lunar surface. The horizon had turned dark, clouded by a wicked viridian tide that seemed to hover above Hellmouth. The tide stirred, and thundered akin to a brewing storm. Chains made of sickly green flames whipped at its sides.

But despite all this, there was no sound.

A lull had captured the moon. Even the winds had stopped howling, afraid they'd disturb the slumber of the prince of ruin. As if the world itself had gone quiet, or rather it had been silenced.

Only the soft crunch of Void's boots against the chalky dust seemed to echo for miles.

Each step he took, felt heavier than the last. And as he approached the entrance to the Temple of Crota, a chill ran down Void's spine. The archaic temple loomed ahead like a scar cut into the world—carved into the wide maw of two adjacent cliffs.

A monolithic gate locked the front, resemble a locked jaw, with a mouth filled with jagged onyx teeth. The closer Void got, the more it resembled something that wanted to devour him.

"Talk about a design choice." Void took a short breath.

Void halted a few meters from the gate. His eyes traced its contours as he recognized the wicked artistry of it. It was no coincidence. The gate was made, as if every soul that entered was walking willingly into the belly of a beast.

~Amusing, we face the cradle of ruin itself. It is as harrowing as I had expected~ Zamyr chuckled.

Void shook his head, "Only you could appreciate this horrific look."

Zamyr smiled and flashed a fanged grin, his face forming beside Void's ~What is it they say? Art is subjective, O brother mine~

"Tsk. Your face is as creepy as that gate." Void clicked his tongue and walked closer to the gate.

~Take that back!~ Zamyr barked, but Void grabbed the hilt of his sword, and pushed it into the sheathe, cutting off the Ahamkara's voice.

Void took another breath. The air was thin, stale, and soaked with age-old magic.

He exhaled and vanished.

His form shimmered, cloaking itself in shadow as he activated his Light. The familiar sensation of weightlessness wrapped around him as he prowled forward.

Void moved through the Temple's maw, his form consumed by the darkness inside. Void walked forward, his eyes gleamed as he adjusted to the dark. Then, his descent into the lair of ruin began.

He moved down ancient spiraling stairs that seemed to never end, each step echoing softly into the deep. Faint green flames flickered from old sconces, illuminating narrow hallways laced with Hive runes.

The air grew colder as he continued underground.

Void continued, still trotting down the steps. The faint green flames flickered again.

Time passed. Void walked the steps, descending till the air seemed to grow denser. Till the Lunar soil changed to a murky blood soaked shade of red. He descended till the last ray of light seemed to dissipate into the dark.

Then, he saw green flames flicker ahead.

Void continued, and walked till he was sure he couldn't descend any further, till even the dark itself seemed to hesitate. He walked, till time itself betrayed his senses. He walked till he was forgotten.

Till he was older. Till he was but a pile of bones. Till he was but a wisp of a soul.

Till he took his last step. Then, everything changed.

~Brother~

A sharp whisper filled the abyss beside him and a phantom wrapped around his figure. It called again, but the voice seemed muddy. He couldn't understand a word it said, but it seemed to beckon him.

Void paused. A jolt ran through him, his eyes widened. His chest heaved as the air rushed to his lungs. A burning knot formed in his stomach as he dropped to his knees. His mind reeled, and then, life came rushing back.

Void hitched a breath, "What....happened."

"Void!" Obsidian barked flittering with urgency, "Are you okay?"

Void's vision grew clear as he hastily got to his feet, a burning headache pulsed through his skull.

Zamyr grunted grimly, ~A wicked spell that one.~

"Did we get caught?" Void pinched his forehead.

Obsidian replied, "No. We were descending normally. But you seemed dizzy. Then, you just stood still and your eyes rolled back. As if-"

~As if you'd seen death itself~ Zamyr continued, ~It was a bewitching spell. You were caught in it the moment you saw those flames.~

"I thought I could see the magic, what happened." Void frowned and pressed the side of his head.

~The dark's blessing is strong here. Energies have intertwined and are indistinguishable. As it seems, your sight is of no use against the oldest of magic~ Zamyr replied.

Void nodded, "How'd you get me out?"

~Once the spell activated, it was a simple matter to break it, I just absorbed the flames. But to avoid it entirely is a challenge~ Zamyr answered quietly.

Void looked ahead, the green flames had indeed vanished. This time he walked forward with caution. He passed from shadow to shadow, hiding perfectly.

Moments later Void passed through ancient galleries and hollow stone chambers marked with ritual scars.

"This place wasn't just a stronghold," he muttered, his voice low.

Obsidian hovered beside him, scanning passively. "Mapping shows an interconnected series of structures. Passageways, a lot of narrow passageways. No human could fit into those."

"So it's a network," Void said. "And this was the hub."

Indeed, the Temple of Crota wasn't just a shrine—it was a spider at the center of the Hive's lunar web. A central junction buried under centuries of ash and fear.

Void pressed forward. His instincts flared as he blended into shadow, and send Obsidian away.

An instant later, legions of Acolytes passed by, digging through the tunnels, clicking and hissing. But none noticed him. Their senses dulled to anything not drenched in Hive magic.

Void stayed silent.

He wove through them, like wind through a ruin, moving deeper until he arrived at a large junction chamber. It was a sinister chamber, carved beautifully into volcanic moon rock. At the chambers end, were ancient tunnels that branched outward like roots stretching into the dark.

"Obsidian," he whispered. "Keep mapping. Get everything."

"On it."

Void studied the paths. One seethed with activity—ritual magic and heat signatures. Another reeked of blood and chittering. The last was quiet. Too quiet.

Void's eyes narrowed. He followed it.

The path led into a large hall, filled with strange stone pillars covered with wax and blood.

As he walked inside, he realized what the place was. It was a catacomb—massive open, and filled with tombs sealed in ancient Hive wax and stone.

Void slowed, eyes sweeping the chamber. Large black crystals jutted from the walls. Each tomb was flanked by bone-carved obelisks inscribed with Hive incantations.

"Didn't think the Hive buried their dead." he muttered.

Zamyr's voice echoed in his ear.

~A ritual. Their rest is wicked. They sleep only to be used again.~

Void's senses tingled, he felt something watching him for an instant, and just then the presence stirred, fleeing deeper into the dark.

"Something saw me!" Void's senses flared.

~Find it, Omnigul must not know we are here.~ Zamyr growled.

Void's body snapped to motion, he darted and rounded a corner, then saw it—hovering in the shadows. A creature cloaked in billowing rags of bone and ethereal flame.

Vurok, Spawn of Eir.

Its presence was oppressive, its eyes aglow with necrotic light.

Void's interface lit up. A mission prompt snapped into his vision.

-

Special Mission: Toll the Dead!
Objective: Defeat Vurok, Eir Spawn before it contacts the Ascendant Omnigul!
Rewards: +1 Light Mastery Level.
Remarks: Nothing personal, just business. Let em have it!

-

Void's eyes narrowed. "Zamyr, that dog is summoning!"

Then Vurok raised its staff. The catacombs began to tremble as Void shielded his face. A haunting, otherworldly dirge filled the air. It vibrated through stone seeking to leak out.

But the air ruptured and pale light filled the catacombs. The spell flickered, as Void unsheathed his blade. An Ahamkara's phantom flared to life and shrieked!

Zamy'r phantom tore through the weave of magic.

Vurok panicked, seeing its spell destroyed so easily, the Hive wizard roared, sending out dark miasma as it sought to escape.

Void darted to the side, cleaving through the miasma, he jolted forwards, zipping towards Vurok. Void flickered, an inch away from Vurok's face as he swung his sword.

The blade clashed against an onyx shield as Vurok flung him back. Vurok unleashed his magic. The catacombs trembled again, but this, it was different.

The mummified Wizards began to writhe in their tombs. Cracks split the wax and stone. Then—with a horrifying wail—they burst free.

Dozens of undead Hive Wizards floated upward, bound by Vurok's cries. Their eyes glowed with unnatural fury.

"Son of a bit*h", Void readied his blade, lightning wreathed around him as he used his light to the extreme.

Vurok flew up, hurling a sphere of sickly green energy. The Hive wizards followed, conjuring chains of that slithered toward him, seeking to bind his limbs.

Void vanished mid-dodge, flickering past a column as lightning surged in his veins. He dashed left, zipped right and swung, cutting down a charging wizard with a clean upward slash. But the rest kept coming.

More spells. More chains. The ground buckled.

Knights formed in the far chamber. Gate spells crackled.

Zamyr screamed in his mind. ~Do it, now!~

Void growled, slashing through a wave of chains. He dashed between pillars, his sword lighting the dark.

"I KNOW."

A blast from Vurok barely grazed his side. Void stumbled. He looked up, his eyes darted from side to side.

Twenty Hive Wizards loomed ahead, led by Vurok. As they raised their palms, wicked green fire conjured on their palms.

Void grit his teeth, the storm inside him swelled. He snapped his blade to the ground., glowing arcs of lightning snapped across its surface.

Void lunged forward, blade roaring like a storm. He cleaved through the first wave, then the second. Each swing tore through souls, ripping energy from the Wizards and feeding Zamyr.

Vurok screeched, the wizards followed, launching spell after spell—but Void didn't stop.

He leapt, spiraling mid-air. Arc trails followed him. The blade crashed down.

A tremor exploded across the chamber. The catacomb's floor cracked. With each swing of his blade, Void killed the wizards, and their souls were consumed by Zamyr's hunger.

Vurok staggered, momentarily stunned as he saw the Ahamkara's phantom coming to life.

Void dashed in. A pale light surged around him. Shadow and dust arced around his blade as he swung.

The world shattered, light and dark coalesced as Zamyr roared, a crushing shockwave spread outwards. The blades tide struck Vurok, and the wizard et out a shriek of pure rage before collapsing into dust and shadow.

As the tremors died down, the hive magic finally dissipated.

Void stood alone, sword humming quietly. He panted for breaths, and dug his blade into the ground, supporting himself. Void looked up, and the system's screen flashed.

[Mission Complete!]

[Applying rewards.....]

[Light Mastery (Lv1 --> Lv2) !]

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[Writers-Ablood]

As the final tremor subsided, Void heaved a breath. The air was heavy, but it no longer resisted him. He stood amidst the remnants of what had once been a hive of death, now reduced to silence and ash.

Void flexed his hand and looked up, reading his status screen.

-

{Legendary Guardian System}

Name: Void Blade

Level: 40 (Max Lv.) (Restricted)

Light Level: 248

Subclass: Bladedancer (Lv 2/10) (Arc Blade)| Nightstalker Shadowfiend (Lv 10/10) (Shadowshot Deadfall/Spectral Blades)

[Weapons]:

Primary: Vestian Dynasty (Sidearm)

Secondary: Grimm Citizen III (Auto Rifle)

Heavy: Zamyr's Requiem (Sword)

[Gear]:

Helmet: Skull of Bones (220 LL)

Grips: Young Ahamkara Spine (214 LL)

Chest: Vest of the Great Hunt (220 LL)

Strides: Boots of Eao (224 LL)

Class Item: Cloak of the Great Hunt (230 LL)

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Combat Perks: (10 Unlocked)

~Spectral Mastery: During combat, move with a flurry of dashes, your figure flickers, confusing your enemies.

~Spectral Shade: In combat, enemies have a higher probability of losing your presence if you break line of sight.

~Sixth Sense: As a hunter, you're able to sense danger a fraction of a second before it occurs.

~ Dagger mastery: As a skilled blade master you're able to masterfully wield daggers whether it is in long or short range encounters.

~Void Imbalance: Grenades are likely to explode immediately when shot with void weapons or void energy.

~Acrobats Dodge: Masterfully dodge your opponents, successful attack dodges allow instant counters and parries.

~Advanced Agility: You move fast guardian!

~Triple Jump: Jump twice in the air using an intermediate mastery of light.

~Gilded Blade: Your melee attacks have a chance to trigger void singe on champion enemies

~Void Sense: Your glare pierces through the enemies, revealing their weaknesses, highlighting critical spots.

[Passive Perks]: (4 unlocked)

~Times Tempo

Remarks: Just when it matters most, time's tempo randomly matches your own.

~ Crafting Lv. 5/10

Remarks: Mediocre, but at least something.

~ True Sight Lv. Max

Remarks: Perceive the world for what it is, perception is immune to mental and psychological attacks. Your gaze pierces through the unknown.

~Light Mastery Lv 2/10

Remarks: Master yourself, master the enemy. For now, thy meagre mastery is not worth mentioning.

-

'Light mastery finally went up.' Void smiled, and a sudden jolt ran through his hand.

[Your Light Mastery has increased!]

[The lightning responds to your stronger mastery!]

[Blade dancer Lv2 --> Lv3]

Arcs of lightning sparked across his fingers, dancing with fluid grace. Void stared at his hand, slightly surprised.

[Melee Ability: Thundering Strike unlocked!]

He raised his palm and flicked his fingers outward—six bolts of pure electricity lanced out from his hand and struck a far-off wall, searing molten cracks across its surface.

"That's new." Void smiled.

A deep pulse from Zamyr resonated through him, something between satisfaction and hunger sated—for now. With each soul taken, the blade grew, not just in power but in awareness. Its presence was more palpable, and oddly calmer, as if the souls had momentarily appeased its endless appetite.

~We shouldn't linger too long. I've hidden the traces of battle. But Omnigul is still vigilant~

"Got it, where are we going next?" Void sheathed the sword. Lightning still flickered faintly along his forearm, reluctant to fade entirely.

Obsidian flittered beside him as he continued to analyze the internal structure of the Catacombs, "These catacombs really are fascinating. Half of this stuff is older than the golden age itself. To think the Hive where here for so long. But stayed dormant."

"Not that surprised, all they do is sleep underground till its time to show up." Void shrugged, looking around for a way forwards, "Any of these halls lead anywhere?"

"Hmm, looks like this place was constructure like an inverted spire. The deeper we go, the more places to explore. " Obsidian's eye pulsed as he analyzed the construction again, this time mapping out the possible exits.

"There is a place to go. But, looks like its sealed up." Obsidian floated towards a wall nestled between the pillars of stone, "Strange, there is an empty space behind this, but the walls been reconstructed."

Void walked over and brushed his hand against the wall, "Seems a bit sturdy. You sure there's something back here?"

"Positive, echo-location reveals that there's a maze of chambers further down. It seems to be a large area." Obsidian nodded.

"Alright then." Void balled his fist and prepared to swing as lightning wrapped around his hand, "Are we free to make some noise?"

~I'll take care of it~ Zamyr replied.

-

[Core, Hellmouth]

Situated at the core of the necropolis, beneath the inverted cathedral carved of onyx bone, was a chamber even light dared not reach, a chamber where the dark itself seemed to reel in fright.

Cracked rock glowed faintly with unholy green light. Black rot dripped from the ceiling in slow, viscous strands, collecting in pools that shimmered with whispers. Floating at the center, pulsing with a low, eternal heartbeat, was a massive crystal sarcophagus.

Inside it, was a small shimmering light. A soul. Or rather, a wisp of it, one that connected the ascendant plan to the mortal realm.

Eerie shadows seemed to gather around the crystal, as if nurturing it from the dark. Naturally, the soul inside the crystal was Crota.

The Prince of Ruin had entered a slumber and gone back to his throne world in order to recover. The war had taken a toll on him. Though he hadn't planned on acting himself, his extended use of his powers, coupled with the loss of tithes to the deathsong was a devastating blow.

The Hive gathered strength through sword logic, and tithes. Without souls to claim, the prince of ruin had exhausted his mortal might.

Within the crystal, his towering form lay dormant, arms crossed over his chest. A faint rhythm beat from within him—slow, but unmistakable. The heartbeat of a prince not yet dead. Not yet awake.

And beside him…

She stood.

Omnigul.

The Ascendant Witch. Consort to Crota, disciple of the Worldbreaker, harbinger of screams.

Her ethereal shroud drifted unnaturally around her, carrying whispers of her king from the ascendant plane that twisted even the stillness of the air. Crota's voice echoed in her ears, and she obeyed.

She circled the crystal like a vulture watching over its sacred carrion. Her clawed hands hovered over the surface, drawing sigils in the air with gestures older than memory.

Green flames followed her fingers, drawn to the crystal as she carefully renewed warding spells and protective incantations.

Her voice, when it came, was like a blade dragging across stone.

"Nothing will touch you, my prince. The veil will hold. The light shall not reach you."

Her words were not worship, nor were they commands. They were oaths. Binding and unshakable. There was no room for doubt in her ritual. For her, Crota was everything. For her, he would one day be king.

She could afford no mistakes in caring for the prince.

And yet—something stirred.

There was a flutter in her perception.

Something unseen… brushing against her awareness. Her body froze mid-motion.

Her head snapped toward the high archway at the far end of the chamber. Her eyes gleamed with wicked magic as her gaze pierced through space and searched the dark. Nothing could block her perception. Without a doubt, the entire lunar surface answered to her magic.

Yet she saw nothing. She could see no intruders, she could hear no footsteps. But why did her instincts deny it? Why was her magic telling her otherwise? Omnigul continued weaving spells as she caressed the crystal.

Still, her fingers tensed. The ritual paused.

Something was wrong.

Not near—no, not here. Somewhere else. There was a disruption. It was unmistakable, she was sure of it.

As for what it was? She didn't know. It was almost as if an invisible hand had twisted the flow of fate, clouding what should have been seen. Her mind reached through the Ascendant tether, attempting to discern the source.

But it was like staring at a hole cut into reality.

'It hides…The world hides it.' The thought echoed endlessly in her mind.

She didn't understand. No, she couldn't understand. It, was beyond her.

Not because it was strong. Not because it was distant. But because it was something else. Something beyond perception, beyond understanding, beyond reality. As if the entire world sought nothing but to scheme against her.

A spark of fury ignited in her chest. But she quelled it just as fast. But then an eerie voice boomed in her mind, she stumbled.

'My prince.'

Not now.

No.

It was not her concern.

She turned back to the crystal, resuming her motion, letting the sensation fade.

Her focus was absolute. Whatever strange existence wandered the lunar surface above was not worth diverting her wrath.

Not when Crota slept so close to awakening. Not when his return would rend the Light from the world in waves of ruin and fire. She would not fail him.

She could not.

And so Omnigul watched.

And the heartbeat continued.
=

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[WhiteMageGoose]

Well that was a close call. Here's hoping he hurries up his scouting and gets out of there.

 

[SenpaiSamaChan]

Eyes up, guardian.

 

[Writers-Ablood]

Void raised his hand, lightning dancing across his fingertips. With a sharp exhale, he thrust his fist forward.

Crack.

The stone groaned violently as Void's thundering strike ruptured it from its center. A web of glowing fractures spread across the surface before it shattered entirely.

Dust and debris collapsed inward, revealing a set of stairs carved from lunar rock, spiraling down into the abyss below. Cold air leaked out of the opening, spreading a sickly chill that seemed to seep into his skin through the armor.

He shivered slightly.

Void rubbed his hands together as he exhaled, his breath condensing to a white fog as it scattered. Void walked forward, and descended. Step by step, he continued downwards.

Obsidian followed behind him in silent vigilance, occasionally scanning the structure, silently pulsing with curiosity.

The deeper Void went, the quieter it became—until even the sound of his own footsteps seemed to fade into the dark.

Eventually, the spiraling steps seemed to end, replaced by a marbled floor and an opening that seemed to stretch into the distance.

Void eyes widened as he arrived at a massive chamber, so vast it disappeared into darkness in every direction. The floor was flattened into blackened stone, the walls of the chamber were hollowed out, replaced by archaic ledges.

Void stumbled forward, gazing in awe as his attention went towards the towering walls. They stretched up higher than he could see, each one carved with recessed grooves forming thousands upon thousands of shelves. And on those shelves, he saw it.

'Scrolls. Millions of them.' Void's brows furrowed.

He approached cautiously, each step echoing into the abyss ahead, his presence itself felt like a challenge to the silence. Void reached the rocky shelves, and as he stood before them, his eyes flickered.

The scroll, was breathing. He could see it. He was sure of it. It was as if the scroll itself was alive.

"What...is this?" Void placed his hand on the shelf, softly brushing through the dust caking the scroll's parchment.

But as his fingers brushed the tanned and bruised parchment of the scroll. A sudden chill jolted through his chest, eerie whispers echoed in his ears, his throat dried up, his fingers twitched, his hands trembled.

"Ungh!" He jerked his hand back, heaving a soft breath as he recalled the sensation on his fingers.

The scrolls were made of something not quite parchment—tanned, twisted, and strangely pulsing. Its surface felt like a mix of leather and something wrong. Void examined it closer, carved into it were runes, ancient and unsettling.

"Scan the scrolls." Void rubbed his finger as he glanced at the pulsing scrolls.

Obsidian scanned it but stuttered. "The symbols aren't in any of the city's archives. This, is a language. But It's older than old. It's beyond ancient. There's not a record of a language like this that we know of."

Void nodded as he took another look at the runes etched into the odd parchment.

Then, Zamyr stirred.

~That's because it's not meant to be read~

The voice curling around Void, ~This, is the language of the soul.~

Void raised a brow, "The soul. But if its still a language, that means we can decipher it, can we not?"

Zamyr chuckled as if he'd heard a ridiculous notion.

~The language of souls stands through time. Nothing can break it. It does not need deciphering. You must experience it yourself.~ Zamyr's voice faded as a pale light curled around the scroll, nudging it outwards.

~Feed it. Just a flicker. Let the Light kiss the surface~

Void hesitated. Then, cautiously, he held out his hand and let a tiny arc of Light crackle from his palm into the scroll.

The effect was immediate. The scroll shimmered, dark energy fogged up from its surface like smoke from embers. The runes detached from the scroll and coiled around Void's form in concentric spirals. He stiffened as a flood of images surged into his mind.

Void's breath quickened. His eyes, teared with blood. He reached to wipe his tears, but then his vision flickered.

He wasn't standing in the World's Grave anymore.

His vision blurred into chaos. Fires raged across alien skies. Cities crumbled. Great ships fell like dying stars. Species he had never seen were being slaughtered, enslaved, or annihilated.

His heart pounded. Void whipped around to see a legion sauntering towards him. The earth trembled as they walked. The air stirred with their magic, and as the unsheathed their blades, life itself quivered with fear.

The vision continued.

The Hive marched—unyielding, methodical, ravenous. Void watched how they evolved, how they fought through sheer brutality, not only surviving their conquests but transforming through them, growing stronger by killing.

Void watched them, conquer and decimate the stars of the galaxy. Going from world to world, laying ruin to them all. The images seeped into his mind, etching them into his psyche.

A crushing headache pulsed as he was thrown out, his vision blurred again. Void winced in pain, the world flickered.

He was back.

The scroll had shown him just one of their worlds. One galaxy, one extinction.

And it was only a sliver.

Void gasped, staggering back as the scroll floated to the shelf like nothing had happened.

He stood in silence, shaken.

Zamyr was the one to say it first.

~You've found it. The World's Grave.~

Void looked up.

Endless scrolls. Each one, a story. Each one, a star the Hive had extinguished.

"The greatest archive the Hive have ever built. To think we found it so fast." A grim look colored his face. What he remember of the World's Grave, was nothing like reality.

Void rubbed his finger again, his eyes darkening as his thoughts stirred. "That scroll. It was carved onto skin wasn't it?"

~Indeed, O brother mine~

This place wasn't just an archive. It was the sum total of the Hive's truth. Their Sword Logic immortalized—every victory, every conquest, every betrayal etched into the very skin of their victims. A vast library of genocide. Of ideology. Of power.

Void stared at the countless shelves before him. His thoughts raced again as he realized what the World's Grave represented.

Every scroll might hold knowledge about Hive rituals, secrets, structures. And maybe, just maybe even their weaknesses. Void's eyes gleamed, a flicker of hope bloomed in them. Perhaps, the world's grave would give birth be very place that spelled the Hive's demise.

Perhaps, something beyond death would spell the ruin of the undead.

"To think the Hive really wrote of everything they've ever done" Void whispered.

Obsidian flickered. "Should we… document it?"

"Everything," Void said. "As much as we can."

Zamyr hummed. ~Be cautious. Not every scroll has history. This is sacred ground to them.~

"Which makes it even more important we steal it. If we're lucky, we might just find their plans." Void nodded.

He moved quickly, scanning shelf after shelf. Some scrolls pulsed with magic too thick to touch. Others felt dormant, cold, long forgotten. But many responded to his presence. He began selecting them, laying them out in rows. Obsidian floated over each, creating digital imprints, analyzing aura density, tagging for translation later.

Then Void paused.

"We'll need to find the scrolls related to earth too." He said. "Look for anything they have on us."

Zamyr nodded as his presence scattered through the archive, looking for even a sliver of knowledge that the Hive had hidden.

For hours—maybe days—he poured through them. Each Light-fed scroll assaulted his mind with a new history. One showed the Hive's first attempts to infiltrate the Sol system, thwarted by a Vex force they couldn't overpower. Another revealed the original rituals performed in the Hellmouth during its construction on the moon.

Another depicted the carving of a Hive rune deep in the Martian mountains—an anchor point for dark travel.

Scroll after scroll. Vision after vision. Void began to piece together something larger. Rather, he began to finally cement what he already knew.

The Hive didn't act randomly. They followed specific plans. Every step they took was calculated centuries in advance.

This was strategy. They were never as mindless as everyone had thought. Rather, their plans had always stretched for centuries, never making sense in the short term.

He grit his teeth and kept going. But his eyes scanned the dark. Darting from corner to corner.

At one point, Zamyr's voice cut through his focus. ~You're looking for the Keeper, aren't you.~

Void paused.

'Yes.'

From what he remembered, the World's Grave was not unguarded. Somewhere within its maze of records was a singular Knight—immortal, eternal, silent. The one responsible for organizing the scrolls. A witness to all things.

But Void had seen no sign of him.

"Why hasn't he shown up?" Void asked.

~Because you haven't broken the rules yet~ Zamyr replied coolly.

Void frowned. "Rules?"

~You've been watching. Observing. With the Knight not being able to distinguish your presence, he thinks of you as just another wretched wizard, here for knowledge. But the moment you take something from this place… really take it—~

Zamyr left the rest unsaid.

Void glanced at the shelves again. So many truths, hidden in flesh and spell.

He turned to Obsidian.

"Keep scanning. Prioritize Earth-related records. Anything with lunar glyphs, Cosmodrome alignments, or Traveler sigils."

Obsidian nodded.

And so, Void worked.

And worked.

And worked.

He didn't sleep. He didn't eat. The World's Grave offered no comfort, no passage of time. Only an unending cold. A silence broken only by the quiet whisper of unraveling scrolls and the ghostly memories of species long gone.

Void's armor grew stained with the dust of bones and blood. His eyes hollowed from too many visions. But he kept going.

Every insight he gathered brought clarity. With the timelines shifted from its axis, this was the only way to make sure he was on the right track.

Every scroll he watched deepened his understanding—not only of Hive sorcery, but of their psychology. Their religion. Their inevitable trajectory.

He would understand this knowledge. Truly understand it. Make it his own.

And when the Hive came again? He would be ready.
=
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