CHAPTER 553: NULLION

"W-What the f..."

The shadowing entity lingered like a stain on reality. Its form was uncertain — a shifting silhouette that refused to obey the logic of shape or form.

At times, it seemed humanoid, with long, twisted limbs reaching through the chaotic streams of void energy; at others, it dispersed into clouds of darkness, reforming with a face that never truly existed.

Just being in the vicinity of the creature induced an existential level of rejection and repulsion in them. Moreover, the sensation was slowly growing!

Galactic was its size, towering over every being in the region and only outdone by the only shimmering universe present.

Any and all movements on its part made the void tremble. Its dark, murderous and soulless gaze locked in on Alexander and his party.

Even so, none of the chiefs dared to be in the vicinity. They had vacated the region for thousands of light-years.

And despite their efforts, they could not stop their cores from throbbing anxiously. When was the last time they felt this level of dread? The chiefs could not remember!

The creature could no longer be called a void creature, and neither could it be called the amalgamation of the corrupted Enforcers.

It was something else entirely... something unknown... something that felt ancient and horrendous to behold.

’H-How the hell are we supposed to fight something like that?!’

The very sight of the creature disallowed the concept of getting in close. None of the chiefs could see themselves standing against that monstrosity.

’I-If that thing is just a minion of that Cosmic Entity...’

The thought needn’t be completed; they knew. And the moment this thought took root in their very existential frames, a wave of despair hit them like a plague.

’Get a hold of yourselves!!!’

Snapping out of harrowing thoughts, the chiefs focused a portion of their will on Rycan, the lionkin.

’Everyone gathered is a Veilwalker of the highest order! Losing ourselves to despair at this stage will make a joke out of everything we’ve been through and strived to achieve!

’We were chosen by our reality to defend it against that monstrosity! Even if we aren’t meant to fight that thing, it is our job to make it easier for the Supreme One!’

’...’

The words of the lionkin hit the chiefs like a truck, igniting a fire that was almost lost in that moment. But Rycan wasn’t done.

’We can’t afford to lose hope, not yet.’ Rycan directed his companions’ will towards Alexander. ’Look at him... What makes him so different from the rest of us?’

’We should be ashamed of ourselves! We were the ones to bring this disaster forth, and yet, he is the one cleaning up our mess!’

The veteran Veilwalkers clenched their fists in shame and a burning anger directed at themselves. They could not refute Rycan’s words.

’That boy hasn’t shown an ounce of fear ever since I met him, and that says a lot for beings like us.

’And while I know the lot of you hate to admit it, myself included, that boy is everything that we are not.

’The only thing we can do now is show we have his back as fellow Veilwalkers. The fight for the stability of our reality isn’t over... but something tells me we’re entering the final moments.’

Drakmor couldn’t have agreed more. He accepted everything his companion said and more.

Alexander was everything they weren’t, and he would be damned to miss him in action.

’What is a self-reliant entity, and what are they capable of?’ Drakmor was very eager to find out.

As the shadowing entity imprinted its form in the hearts of the gathered Chief Enforcers, Alexander and his companions remained calm, taking in the creature’s vile presence.

Cassandra, in particular, was baffled beyond reason. A monstrosity like that should have shaken her being to the extreme.

Yet she felt nothing... besides the bit of apprehension she had for the ghastly apparition. She had seen the Enforcers distance themselves the moment the entity appeared.

For Veilwalkers of their calibre, there weren’t many things that made them retreat. That in itself was a testament to the horror the entity induced in them.

’Don’t think too much about it, Cassandra.’ The catwoman heard Alexander’s voice in her mind. ’I am here, and that is all you need to know.’

His response brought a small smile to her face. Too bad it was hidden behind her grey cloak.

’You’re right...’ Cassandra replied. ’But what does this thing hope to achieve?’

’We’ll find out soon enough.’

As the entity’s soulless eyes stared at him, Alexander asked, "You can’t possibly think this creation of yours can harm me, do you?"

"Actions have consequences..." The entity expressed its master’s intent. "You, child, are no longer part of this reality."

Alexander narrowed his eyes at those words, and picking up what the entity meant by that intent came to him instantaneously.

Simultaneously, the entity moved with an unsettling grace, neither floating nor walking, but gliding through the chaotic streams of the void.

With an outstretched limb that defied all concepts of motion and space, it encompassed Alexander’s party and universe!

In response to its gesture, the void trembled and distorted, and a stupendously large portion of the region became suffused with its abhorrent essence.

The move was beyond instantaneous, disregarding the concept of time and chaos to achieve its intended effect!

With a clasp of its mighty limb, the void shook, as the entity acted to sever any and all connections to the Omnisoul!

Alexander was no longer part of the system... but his universe and companions weren’t. Severing that connection and erasing their existential essence?

Even temporal reversion...

"Not on my watch."

Alexander unleashed a wave of his essence, exiting the chaotic streams of time and veil to match the entity’s actions.

Everything in his field of vision and senses came to an absolute standstill; only he and the entity existed outside of time.

With one hand firmly holding Julia to his side and another hand outstretched towards the entity, Alexander made a clenching gesture.

The entity succeeded in severing the connection of Alexander’s universe from the Omnisoul, effectively crippling the universe and putting it on a path of weathering!

But then Alexander acted.

He already had plans of claiming his universe from the Omnisoul; the entity only acted to speed up the process.

Naturally, it intended to sever that connection and erase the remaining essence, wiping out everything related to the universe.

This was oblivion in its truest essence, nothingness without the possibility of revival!

But akin to a ruthless shredder, Alexander’s essence tore through the entity’s essence, swiftly neutralised it and then claimed his severed universe for himself.

The ancient and soulless gaze of the entity quivered and narrowed at the backlash, its form wavering and flickering, seemingly on the verge of dispersing.

The universe disappeared right after, now tethered and powered by Alexander himself. However, it was far from over.

Alexander had to change the fundamental and existential essence of his universe with his own. Void energy, along with all other forms of energy, was replaced with his.

His essence was no longer just Nexis Radiant. He was an Existential Absolute, the ontological root of his own existence.

Alexander’s essence was now foundational and cosmically self-originating. It was something that predated all forms of energy, existence and laws.

’Nullion.’

The essence echoed through his existence and universe, bleeding through the framework of his universe, replacing old with new.

Everything drew form from it, yet itself could not be defined. This was his truth, the foundation of his cosmos.

The process was seamless as it was effortless. By carrying out the process outside of time, he had all the ’time’ in existence to work...

At the same time, Alexander retaliated against the entity.

"Your actions are pointless, Cthulhu. Did you think a mere fraction of your will could rival mine? You and I are not the same... What you think you’re capable of, I simply am."

With one of his arms still outstretched towards the ghastly entity, Alexander added coldly, "Stay right where you are... I’m coming for you."

Accompanying his intent, Alex made another clenching gesture at the entity, his essence forcefully devouring the entity.

Rumble...

When he exited the timeless state, all of reality trembled. However, the effects of the entity and Alexander’s actions had far-reaching consequences than met the eye.

***

The chiefs looked on with sombre gazes, their senses honed in on what was about to transpire.

"Actions have consequences... You, child, are no longer part of this reality."

Drakmor and his colleagues heard the entity articulate. However, before anything else could occur, the entity vanished, and the void, along with their very existence, shook!

"Ahh...!!!"

Abruptly, soul-stirring and existential cries of pain reverberated through all of reality!

Regardless of who it was or where they were, every living creature felt as though a part of themselves had been forcibly torn away.

Every existing life form throughout reality felt a degree of agony unlike anything they had ever experienced.

It overshadowed anything imaginable, everything conceivable, ruthlessly snuffing out an uncountable number of lives in every existing universe!

The powerless ones were the most unfortunate, their hearts and brains giving out the moment the agony ravaged their beings.

Many more were crippled in the aftermath, left in a vegetative state as their souls and existential frameworks cracked.

"A-Aah... M-m-m..."

The Enforcers could not put together any intent, the agony ravaging their being and leaving them bleeding vast amounts of essence from their orifices.

Their regeneration abilities could not grant them any relief... nothing did! They struggled and gritted their teeth, doing everything in their power to bear the agony.

"H-HOW...?!!!"