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Redemption Arc 66
🕑 Added 2025-12-09 06:27:31 +0000 UTCLucian blinked open his eyes. Water rushed around his body, passing by it as if he were a stepping stone in a stream. He had grown used to a world of vivid colors, but now the sky that he saw lacked color at all.
It’s black and white. That’s how you know we’re in the past. Color didn’t exist yet. It was invented later.
Lucian sat up, trying not to let his good mood infect his actions to make him dumber than he already was. Long white hair obscured his vision, and he brushed it aside to see clearly. Lucian had grown accustomed to his long hair, but this was different. He was different. His limbs were thinner, his hair white and silkier, and his body altogether smaller. He rose up, examining himself.
Just as he’d been expecting, Lucian now occupied the body of the True Divine Beast.
Can I keep this one? Lucian thought, only half-joking.
He surveyed his environment. He wasn’t in a physical place, per se, but a transportation hub of sorts. He stood up in water that flowed past his ankles in a landscape of endless colorless space. Right now, he found himself in the river of time. He could travel anywhere back upstream that he pleased. Living through a single day of the past—that was what the Jeweled Eye offered.
Under ordinary circumstances, this meant that someone could observe the past and gather information. Ultimately, that had been what Rowan Sumner ended up using the Jeweled Eye for. He travelled back in time to study the battle between the only warrior that had ever managed to inflict permanent damage on the First Emperor—the same one responsible for sealing him the first time. Rowan acquired information that allowed him to either seal or kill the First Emperor.
But Lucian already knew all of that nonsense, so why would he bother with that?
In life, the True Divine Beast could downstream on the river of time. But he was long dead, and Lucian ate his eye—safe to say, it wasn’t happening. Maybe Lucian could look back into the past to find Duke Cyril’s weakness. Maybe he could find out why Lucian was so deranged. Maybe he could satisfy any manner of curiosity he had. But… no. Lucian intended to obtain a power that transcended time. He intended to fulfill the only destiny this world truly had.
Calling upon the new power that he felt welling up from within, Lucian shifted into the divine beast. His body exploded outward in a burst of power, morphing into the shape of a great white vulpine beast. He puffed his body up, then ran up the river of time to see from whence the floodwaters of today’s tragedies flowed. He had the day in mind, drilled into his head from session after session of completing War of Four in every possible manner.
Despite losing the Jeweled Eye, the First Emperor never actually lost this power. He had found another way to peer back through time and pluck the prize from the tree. It was unpreventable. Now… now, Lucian intended to test that claim further. The current of time splashed beneath his paws as he moved back toward that fated day.
***
Lucian didn’t know how long he had ascended the river of time. At some point, color began to return to the world. He ceased to walk on a primordial concept and instead on a real, genuine stream. And at some point, when he turned his head to look around, he was in the midst of a serene forest unmarred by human intervention.
I’m here, he accepted, looking around. His heart beat fast. The Age of Godlessness. No time for sightseeing.
Lucian didn’t know where the hell he was, but the nice thing about tectonic plates? They were slow. He was a few thousand years in the past, but the mountains would be his guide So long as he could find them, he was confident he could orient himself and get to where he needed to go no matter how far away it was.
With time of the essence, Lucian sped through the forest as fast as he had ever gone. This divine beast form… he understood some of Aurelia’s arrogance in that moment. He felt invincible, insurmountable. He didn’t need to dodge the branches because they shattered before the speed and strength of his body. Finally, he burst out of the forest onto an open plain and looked around to examine his surroundings.
What he saw… a titan. A giant taller than a skyscraper, walking serenely. It resembled a human, but superficially. Millions of weapons hung from its figure, stuck into it over the centuries to no effect. In a way, that thing was a landmark of sorts. He was almost worried that it would spot him and turn his eyes toward him, but it did no such thing. Lucian was a visitor from outside of time. Nothing here would be able to even perceive him. Conversely, he wouldn’t be able to have any effect on anything.
Except one thing.
After looking around for a while, he saw a mountain range that was familiar to him and quickly raced across the fields in its direction. What he was about to do… it was destined, ostensibly. It had to happen. If Lucian did this instead of the First Emperor, nothing would change, right?
This time paradox nonsense was bad enough in War of Four, Lucian reflected. My brain is too small for this.
He ran across the hills, eyeing the titan.
Sorry about this, he silently told the giant. But someone has to, right?
***
Lucian had been a little disoriented for a while, but he eventually managed to find the mountain pass that led up to the place he was seeking. He came to a great valley made by four great peaks. Each of them had grand, winding rivers descending down into the valley. Each of their rivers carved their way across the mountains to end here. Four entirely symmetrical waterfalls pooled into a carved grove.
There were guards—countless of them, powerful figures each and all. Lucian walked past them, each oblivious to his presence. He bounded over the great gate keeping him from the pool in the center. Here, all four bodies of waters converged. Lying atop it all, reflecting all that looked upon it, was the Formless Essence. He leapt down to stand on the platform containing it.
Lucian shifted out of his divine beast form and walked up to the pool of water, peering down into the Formless Essence. It reflected the true form of all that looked upon it. Lucian was hoping he might see himself—the him from Earth, just as he was. Instead, all he saw was that familiar gray-haired youth, smiling back at him with condescension. He understood why people always regarded him so suspiciously in that moment.
In the original game, the cutscene that revealed the Formless Essence began as a curiosity. The player saw a strange figure approach this even-stranger pool. It wasn’t until he peered down upon the Formless Essence itself that the First Emperor’s form revealed itself before the player, and it became clear that he was about to get the powerup of his dreams.
Lucian looked around the area. His heart beat faster than a hummingbird’s wings. Not because of the power—because of what the power represented. Because right now, sealed by the Formless Essence, was the Hells. The moment that he took this power, he would be responsible for the demon threat of today, technically.
What other option is there? Lucian questioned. Passing it up, letting the First Emperor himself take it?
It hadn’t quite made sense to him when he’d first played the game, either, but apparently the First Emperor went back in time to unseal the demons. It implied that the First Emperor wasn’t a demon himself. He’d been able to wave it away as the typical time-travel shenanigans never making sense in games, but as he stood here now, was there anything else he could do?
Lucian looked around in paranoia. He felt that any minute, he might be spotted, or the First Emperor might jump down from the top rope and yoink this prize from him at the last minute. He took a few deep breaths, psyching himself up, and then kneeled before the pool of Formless Essence. He looked down at himself… then thrust his arm forth. Rather than collide with the reflection, the two arms neatly missed one another.
Lucian grabbed his reflection’s arm—it felt eerie, seizing it. Felt as though he had his hand in mercury, grasping a cold, dead arm. Then, he pulled his reflection up out of the water. It was a very difficult thing to pull out, because alongside it came the entirety of the Formless Essence. As he pulled, the essence conformed to his shape, mirroring the figure of Lucian Villamar completely. When it seemed as though his reflection might be fully freed, it lurched toward him and seeped into his eyes. He fell to his back.
Lucian rubbed his eyes, then sat up and looked at the pool. This was usually when the demons burst out and sowed havoc. Right now, the pool remained still and silent. He looked around at the guards—they, too, didn’t react. He supposed that even this intervention couldn’t change the proper flow of destiny. Things would happen as they’d happened in the past. He didn’t know whether to be comforted by this, or concerned.
Rising to his feet, Lucian touched his body. He couldn’t feel the power—but then, he couldn’t feel his magic, either. Presumably once he returned to his actual body, the Formless Essence would be there. Lucian clenched his hands, eager to leave this place and verify that fact.
In War of Four, Formless Essence was represented as an ability. It allowed its holder to use their highest affinity for all of the elements. In simple terms, it made the First Emperor’s 100% dark affinity supersede every single affinity he had. In even simpler terms, he was resistant to everything, and he used every single ultimate magic freely. It was the only ‘legitimate’ way of having opposite affinities at 100%.
Made the First Emperor a monster, Lucian remembered. He smiled. And me… me, with 98% holy affinity… it doesn’t feel real. It’s almost like Lucian was being an asshole anticipating I’d possess him, it’s so god-damn dreamlike.
Lucian started to chuckle to himself in disbelief, clenching and unclenching his hands. It didn’t fix the fundamental problem of his poor stat growths and his terrible compatibility with weapons. With Formless Essence, though, he’d barreled past every single other bottleneck for his future magic growth. There’d be no spell he couldn’t eventually learn. Finally, finally, he had something he excelled at.
“State your name.”
Lucian felt a pressure bore down upon him. It made his body shiver. He whipped his head back, peering upward. There, upon the walls shielding this pool, stood an old man in faded yellow robes. He had a long white beard, longer white hair, and callous black eyes. It was a figure he knew well. It was a figure that struck fear into his bones.
I never thought… never dared imagine… damn. The time gods double-booked us for this appointment. Embarrassing. Lucian braced himself. It’s not his real body, but… I guess I do get to see the First Emperor seethe.
Lucian had a small concern, though. Was seething all he could do?
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Comments
AddnSubtract
It might be a bit late to mention this at this point though I thought of it just now. Isn’t there a possibility that there’s another Jeweled Eye? The True Divine Beast gave up BOTH of his eyes if I remember correctly to see the truth. He left one eye in the sarcophagus at Heavenwatch Monastery. I feel like if you’re giving it up both, there’s gotta be a second one lying around. Or is the Jeweled Eye that we know just a fusion of both eyes into one eye after the vulpine’s death? It would be a headache if another glass eye exists and there can be time paradox after paradox of the emperor going back in time again to stop Lucian getting the Formless Essence or something. Or it can be second opportunity for Lucian idk
AddnSubtract
By dragon, are you referring to the Divine Beast’s mortal form? He’s a vulpine is he not?
AddnSubtract
Hmm I’m curious if the First Emperor knew that the Formless Essence would give him power once he free the demons, or just went back to only undo the seal and then received the power by chance. Did he go back in time from the same timeline as our current Lucian after being informed by Belcourt that the Jeweled Eye was stolen or before Lucian’s involvement? If you think about from the First Emperor pov, either he is livid that someone went back in time and got the ability first, or he met a potential fellow that shared the same goal as him as unleashing hell. Perhaps he’ll think of scouting him out first if it’s the second case, rather than seething, and instead manipulate him to become one of his personal servants? And the first emperor doesn’t know that the person who stole the Jeweled Eye even knows about the Formless Essence in the first place. What do you guys think?
Undead Writer
TFTC!
ReadingObsessed
That's high tier
AddnSubtract
I don’t think the first Emperor can die for real here when the old man body isn’t his
WarStrider72
All you got to do is kill the first Emperor here and now Lucian. Then you got an easier time. Just straight up solo him!
.m
I think it would invoke much less worldbuilding conflict for the player / Lucian to now just have 100% affinity for everything as the effect of Primordial Essence Fusion, rather than (abs(max_affinity). It wouldn't functionally change much from having across the board 98% to be across the board 100%, but then no further math is required and it creates a tidy justification for why his mana-type-inconsistent behavior doesn't seem to have any consequences for affinity.
.m
Given what is known in-universe about the growth and remission of affinities, what does it mean for an affinity symmetry of an across-the-board > 50% but not all = 100%? I understand that in gameplay mechanics it just means an absurd player buff, and philosophically the Formless Essence name suggests that he is now tapping a purer, primordial form of mana, but it created a paradox in a world where mana type affinity is directly shaped by behavior and personal developmental trajectoires. Does this limited amount that the max affinity could swing (+ 2%) create floor/ceiling effects that constrain his behavior, or do they potentially give him a chance of >100% in a given affinity? If acting "darkly" should increase his dark affinity and reduce his holy affinity, does that in-universe rule no longer apply where it would have before (i.e., if he's no longer tapping any affinity but rather pure mana that is manifesting as an arbitrary affinity), or would he just be resetting the equilibrium point (i.e., adding and subtracting in zero-sum from a net balance of 196 points)? If it's the net balance =196 thing, if he gets above 100% in a given mana type then does he start getting healed by damage of that type, or does he just "win" any effects determined by comparison of affinites (e.g., have a way to perpetually stay holier than Aurelia for Mentor's Seal purposes)? If it is that [absolute value of max affinity] = 98, then does acting in a directed way (acting holy, acting dark) change the affinity to reduce his affinity for all types (i.e., min(97,99)) or increase the affinity to all types (i.e., max(97,99))? If he is just now tapping pure mana at 98% affinity, and expressing it as his choice of elemental effects, that seems to create the fewest confusing individual consequences, but it also muddies the definition of what an affinity actually is. For the First Emperor to get 100% affinity in everything makes sense in-universe if he is just fused to the primordial font of types manas. But being 98% affinity while fused to that is confusing. Where does the 2% gap come from?
BlaueFeder
I am honestly disappointed. This mysterious power-up, the "Formless Essence", is just another cliche, go-to maincharacter trait: the Avatar treatment. Being able to control all elements is overplayed as hell.
.m
Bummer for Belcourt that his foe just got a level-up, and now is a rainbow mage with a less-spent Inquisitor's Mark. Bummer for the First Emperor that he just lost Belcourt. Bummer for the reader that we're entering the end-game (at least for this arc).
Jake
Ty for the chapter! 🫡
Thaabit Rivertree
I just realized that the first emperor sees the dragon, not Lucian. That's why he asks his name. Hopefully Lucian doesn't give him his name or any obvious clues as to who he really is.
Michael Vonica
Lucian's number one priority might have just become getting that 98% to a 100%. Although, without the stats, he still won't be able to do all that much damage, or take all that many hits. This also explains how Lucian even knows what this ability is. Rowan always gets the eye, and the First Emperor always finds another way to get the Formless Essence. But, assuming time doesn't branch, and that traveling to the past doesn't allow a person to change the events there (even if those events were destined to have been caused by the time traveller themself), the first emperor that Lucian is seeing must be the same one from the timeline Lucian is living in. The order of events must be that Lucian steals the eye, uses it to go to the past and get the essence, then returns back to modern times. Some amount of time passes from there. The emperor finds a new way of traveling to the past, now that his ritual was stolen by Lucian. He does so, and only then has this conversation with Lucian, before returning to the moment he traveled from. The point is, this first emperor is coming from the future, relative to Lucian. This carries some weird implications on the pre ordained nature of events, but it also means that anything Lucian reveals to the first emperor in this conversation will have no consequences once Lucian returns to the present. The emperor in the present won't know about this conversation until he uses his own ritual, which could take months. The first emperor should also have knowledge of the future, if Lucian is clever enough to get it out of the guy. Although again, if events are predestined, it's not like Lucian can take any of the future knowledge off the emperor and use it to actually change anything. If the emperor believes X happened, history must flow in such a way that the emperor will always arrive at this moment believing that X happened. There is some wiggle room there, but it's hard to work around. Or the time travel just works different in this universe, and I'm wrong about everything. Honestly, even ignoring the danger of the scenario, Lucian might just be best off treating this like a run in with the police, and shutting up. You never know what minor slip up is going to end up getting the noose around your neck.
no
Also understood it like that, let's see
Thaabit Rivertree
The explanation of what formless essence does was a bit confusing. Does this mean he has 98% affinity in everything? Melee weapons, dark magic, water magic, alchemy, etc?
Andrew Fox
Run bro, run! Get away from that crazy bastard!
