After several seconds of suffocating silence, the Primordial's voice resonated in the void again, now carrying a dangerous edge.

"You are telling me that a black hole, thousands of light-years in diameter, said to contain a Celestial treasure. Something rumored to elevate a Primordial to true godhood, giving them the power to conquer all of the universe… has disappeared, just like that?"

Fearing death, Max could only nod sheepishly and pray.

"I see… You have done a fine job. You may leave." The Great One declared.

Instantly, Max hurried out of the space. He didn't dare linger for longer than necessary, as this was courting death.

Once Max left through the colossal gates, the Eternals began arguing.

"Could an enemy empire have gotten it before us?!"

"If that were the case, we would already be dead!"

Ignoring the bickering of his underlings, the Primordial rested his back against the mighty throne and closed his eyes.

'Singularis… There isn't an Eternal or Primordial that doesn't know the existence of the black hole. Many have dared enter the place in search of strength, only to perish. Some of these beings were even on par with my power…'

Singularis was, in many ways, the ultimate prize for any empire that sought dominion over the universe and all its galaxies. That was why they had made sure their territories stretched to the black hole, driven by the relentless quest to penetrate its depths and claim the celestial power said to lie within.

It wasn't an exaggeration to say that whoever survived the journey to Singularis' core and attained what awaited there would have everything in their grasp.

But now the black hole was missing?

Once the word got out, this would disrupt the plans of every Primordial that existed. Somebody had survived the hellish journey said to be even more torturous than the eternity of torment and reached the very core?

'Strange…' The Primordial mused. Only its equals could hope to achieve such a feat… But he knew them all very well. He knew that once they attained such might, they would not hesitate to launch a campaign to conquer the universe. Heck… They could have done it single‑handedly, not even using their empire.

'Acquiring such power would have alerted everything alive, but I don't sense a shift in the universe… Meaning that somebody traversed Singularis, reached its very core, attained the celestial power, and used it completely while simultaneously remaining undetected.'

If it wasn't for universal domination, what could one even use so much power for?

Millions of calculations ran through the Primordial's head. Possibilities that could explain this phenomenon.

"HAHAHA!"

Suddenly, the Great One's maw opened, erupting into maniacal laughter.

Instantly, the Eternals fell silent, witnessing the sudden change in the Primordial's demeanor.

They didn't know how long it had been since the Great One had shown any kind of emotion.

"Great One, have you realized who is responsible?" One of them asked.

"Yes." The Primordial smile reached his ears, showcasing his ragged teeth. "I must admit, I was starting to grow bored of the stalemate with my enemies. But this… is something entirely different. I've never faced an opponent like this before. I can only imagine the reaction of the other Primordials as they arrive at the same realization."

"The other Primordials?" Adonis bellowed. "Does that mean the one that conquered Singularis isn't one of them?!"

In response the Primordial's menacing grin widened even more.

"Then…" Seraphina's eyes began to glint with a dangerous edge. "Who, no… What are we up against?"

Amused, the Primordial observed his underlings, noting their different reactions.

Then his lips pursed.

"We are up against a Regressor."

Then, as if still having difficulties coming to terms with reality, he erupted into maniacal laughter once more.

The implications!

Something foreign had come back in time for reasons unknown.

What had this entity achieved?

Had it conquered Singularis through a method the Primordials had yet to uncover? Or perhaps it had killed the Primordials, absorbed their spiritual power, and claimed Singularis by brute force?

The Primordials didn't know! They didn't know a thing, while their foe could potentially know everything! Their powers, weaknesses, armies, and underlings.

Regardless of how one looked at it, they were matched against their worst match! Like playing poker while your opponents knew your cards and how you were going to play them.

Chills ran down the spines of the Eternals. In their entire existence they had borne witness to this side of their ruler only once.

It was when their ruler challenged another Primordial like himself.

'Where is it? Is it bidding for time? Will it come to challenge us? If yes, when?'

Countless emotions ran through the Primordial's blood, emotions that he forgot he even had. And above them all, one emotion reigned supreme…

Fear!

The excitement of true combat, with the chance of defeat. The sweet kiss of death neared from the horizon.

"All of our plans will be reworked. They have all become irrelevant with the disappearance of Singularis!" The Primordial declared, his eyes ignited by the passion of war after countless years of inaction.

While the universe was descending into chaos with the other Primordials making similar decisions, Michael ran across the city of Celestia guiding Victoria by hand.

Achoo!

He wasn't able to suppress a sneeze.

"You must have caught a cold." Victoria mumbled with concern on her face.

"Or maybe someone is talking about me." Michael chuckled.

"Surely only nice things." She giggled.

"Perhaps…"

Dropping the matter, he asked.

"Where are the others?"

Victoria sighed in dejection. "We got split up, so I can't say for sure."

Making a mental note to search for them later, he continued.

Noticing that Michael was guiding her to the center of the city, Victoria prodded him for answers. "Where are we going?"

"Did you forget?" Michael said with a dangerous glint in his eyes. "Currently there is a body of an Overlord lying in the middle of the city. Damned I will be if I don't absorb some of its spiritual power and ascend my realm!"

Looking backwards, he added.

"And I intend to strengthen you as well. Maybe this will be the day you become a Grandmaster…"

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