novelhk Chapter 322: Beyond Fate, the Truth Within the Rift
Chapter 322: Beyond Fate, the Truth Within the Rift
The three stood at the edge of the universe, gazing up at the starry sky gradually returning to order. Although the shadowy figure had been completely eradicated and the universe seemed to have regained its balance, an indescribable sense of oppression still lingered in their hearts. Ares, Selna, and Ulysses all knew that this battle was far from over, and was perhaps only the beginning.
"Did we win?" Selna asked softly, a hint of confusion in her eyes.
Ares did not answer immediately, but gazed intently into the distance, as if searching for something elusive. He finally lowered his head and sighed: "We have broken the chains of fate, and the universe has regained its balance, but behind this lies a deeper secret."
"The chains of fate?" Ulysses raised an eyebrow. "You mean we broke not only the shackles of fate, but also forces beyond our comprehension?"
“That’s right.” Ares nodded. “Fate is not just what we see. It’s a profound structure that connects the entire universe. And the changes we’ve made, while breaking the shackles on the surface, have also torn open cracks in the universe.”
“A rift?” Selna frowned, a sense of unease creeping into her heart. “You mean, that deep, dark power is just a part of fate?”
“Yes,” Ares’s voice was deep. “It is a force beyond destiny that we have not yet come to understand. Although we have defeated the Shadow, its source still exists.”
Just then, the three suddenly felt a powerful tremor, which rapidly intensified from all directions, as if the entire universe was trembling again under this force. The stars in the sky began to sway slightly, and the flow of time began to become disordered.
“This is…” Selna’s expression changed drastically, her voice filled with unease, “This power… seems to have never disappeared.”
“It’s back.” A hint of surprise flashed in Ares’s eyes. “We failed to completely eliminate its source.”
The tremors intensified, and the passage of time became uneven. Ares whirled around, his eyes filled with urgency: "This is no accident. This force is something beyond fate, and it is closing in on us."
"You mean the power of chaos hasn't disappeared?" Ulysses asked in a deep voice, "It's coming back?"
Ares gritted his teeth: "It's not just chaos, but something deeper. What we've defeated is not the final form of fate, but the guardians beyond fate. We've broken the shackles of fate, but opened a greater abyss."
“The Watchers?” A hint of shock flashed in Selna’s eyes. “Could it be that the forces we once thought were beyond fate are actually these ‘Watchers’?”
Just then, space twisted, and the void before them suddenly cracked open, revealing countless black fissures around them, as if countless doors to different dimensions had been silently opened. The three of them could almost feel an unfathomable aura seeping in from the fissures.
"You have finally arrived." A deep voice came from the void, a voice that did not come from any physical body, yet it echoed clearly in their ears. "You have broken the shackles of fate, but you do not know that the guardian of fate has never been far away."
Ares whirled around, a sharp glint in his eyes: "What exactly are you? The guardian of fate? Could you be the truth we've never touched?"
The rift in the void gradually widened, and a hazy figure emerged from it. The figure's outline was indistinct, seemingly not belonging to this world, as if it were a creature from another dimension, having crossed the boundaries of time and space. Its gaze pierced through time and space, carrying an indescribable pressure, staring directly at the three.
"We are the true masters of destiny." The voice of the figure was deep and distant. "Everything you have done has disrupted the local balance, but it is only a part of destiny itself. You think you have destroyed destiny and broken the shackles of time, but you are completely unaware that the root of destiny can never be truly shaken."
"The root of fate..." Ares' eyes gleamed. "Are these the guardians beyond fate you speak of? What is your goal?"
"The objective?" The Watcher's voice was filled with a cold laugh. "You have disrupted the framework of fate, so you are destined to face the real test. The universe you see is nothing more than a test we have set for you. And your failure was already predetermined."
"No! We will not yield!" Selna's voice was filled with determination. "Even if you are the guardian of destiny, we will not let you continue to bind this universe!"
Ares gripped the hilt of his sword tightly, the blade radiating a powerful golden light: "We will not let you rule all of this; we will shatter your judgment with our own hands!"
“Very well.” The Watcher’s voice grew even colder. “Since you have chosen to rebel, then let me see how far you can go.”
As the Watcher finished speaking, the rift in the void began to expand rapidly, as if countless forces from different dimensions were intertwining within it. The three felt an intense pressure, as if the entire universe was collapsing before them, the rules of the universe were violently distorted, and the barriers of space and time were completely shattered.
“This power…” Selna’s face turned pale. Her lightsaber flickered constantly, but it was unable to effectively resist the endless dark power. “It’s too powerful, almost impossible to resist.”
"We can only rely on our own strength!" A firm resolve flashed in Ares's eyes. "No matter what it is, we have the power to change our destiny!"
As his words fell, Ares swung his sword fiercely, golden light radiating from it, the sword energy piercing through the void, aiming straight for the core of the Watcher. However, the Watcher did not waver; its form remained ethereal, as if it were completely untouchable by reality.
"Your resistance is laughable." The Watcher sneered, reaching out to instantly devour Ares's sword energy, turning it into nothingness. "You cannot understand; you are merely a part of fate, forever unable to shake its foundation."
"We are not part of fate!" Ares roared angrily. "We are beings outside of fate!"
Before he finished speaking, he swung his sword again, the sword energy striking the Watcher like lightning. This time, he no longer relied on brute force, but instead concentrated all his will into this single strike. In that instant, the blade shone with unparalleled brilliance, like a force that pierced through nothingness, striking directly at the Watcher's core.
"You..." The Watcher's figure finally began to distort, as if realizing something was wrong, its face growing increasingly pained. "You actually... managed to break all of this?"
“You’re wrong,” Ares said with a cold laugh. “The end of your destiny has never depended on you.”
Suddenly, the sword energy pierced through the void, striking directly at the core of the Watcher, instantly unleashing a deafening roar. The Watcher's figure began to crumble, transforming into countless fragments of timelines, finally disappearing into the abyss of the universe.
With the Watchers gone, space began to calm again. The timeline stabilized, the stars began to burn once more, and order was restored to the universe. However, Ares, Selna, and Ulysses did not let their guard down; they knew the battle was not yet over.
“The truth of destiny has finally emerged,” Ares said softly, his gaze fixed on the universe that had regained order. “What we did was not to destroy destiny, but to choose a path outside of destiny.”
Selna gazed into the distance, a hint of uncertainty flashing in her eyes: "Does this mean we hold the future of the universe in our hands?"
“Perhaps,” Ares nodded, “but the future remains uncertain.”
Ulysses sneered: "Variables? Then we'll control them ourselves."
The three exchanged a smile, their hearts filled with determination. The fate of the universe was no longer in the hands of a master of destiny, but in their own.