Chapter 476
In the ruins of a temple inside a remote realm, surrounded by a tall wall of energy storm and restless silvery blue energy as if it was under thousands and thousands of meters of sea water, an energy vortex appeared in the space between two old and worn stone pillars, and before long, it became a portal with bright blue edges.
Professor Atkinson and his assistant Dolores Brooke came out from the portal, and right after they landed safely in the internal area of the ruins, the portal was destroyed in a rather ungraceful manner, and even caused a small explosion in the air.
This was the temple both the professor and Dolores had been researching for a number of years, but what they learned in those years trying to date the ruins and the buildings, transcribing the words and symbols from the inner rooms under the main temple building using special tablets was like a small pamphlet to an encyclopedia compared to what they had learned in the past few weeks with the blessings of Xyn and both in the Edgelands and in the Grant Academy Library. When they reflected on this experience, the irony was clear to both of them.
Last time they were “here”, they were kind of summoned by Xyn and were here only in minds but not in flesh, the fallen god and the self proclaimed first voidborn to have ascended to Godhood and the original owner of this temple who was now locked in a room under the main temple trying to recover from his fall. And now, with the tacit approval of Xyn, they came here to revisit their site of excavation, hoping to find something new.
Now, armed with the blessed ability to read the actual original texts and scriptures of the ancient voidborns, both Professor Atkinson and Dolores couldn’t help but shiver when they stepped into the gate of the underground temple. It was partially because they were nervous of what the writings and drawings on the wall would tell them, and partially because they were worried about the weight of the knowledge, and of course, about what they would confirm for them.
“Okay, here goes.” Dolores let out a long exhale with her eyes closed, then opened her eyes wide to start rereading the texts they had already transcribed. They did try to read the transcript they had from the special templates, yet similar to their previous attempts prior to making the deal with Xyn, they found that there was quite a lot of information missing or incomplete, it’s just now they actually knew why - the meaning of the scriptures could only be fully understood only with specific energy fields around them, in specific spatial positions to create some kind of cognitive resonance.
“... the void was vast, barren and dangerous ever since the voidborns first became self aware. They struggled, they fought with their bare intuitive power, they willed, and they became. And rose from its families, peers, friends, enemies and strangers, was Xyn. Blessed with the gift of healing, mending and give blessings for others to be anew from the moment it becomes self aware, Xyn rose through the thickest dirt, hottest fire, the most crushing of lightning and strongest wind to the heavens and tame the entire void with its unwavering will and undying love and care for its brethren...”
“ … from the deepest and emptiest depths of the void, Xyn anchored and stabilized the inhabitable realms for its brethren and its people, providing them with shelter, sustenance and space for the civilizations to grow and mature.” Professor Atkinson was reading the scriptures from another angle: “Acting on its deepest love and sympathies for the voidborns and plights the normal had to face in their lives, Xyn, with its vast power and piercing insight into the true nature of the universe, found the springs of knowledge, vitality, knowledge and blessing from the center of the void, and used them to bless the voidborns through generations and generations, giving them easier and less weighted access to the most valuable knowledge of the universe, and less trying routes of ascension to greater power and to immortality ...”
Professor Atkinson had to take a short break when reading this - though they already had the blessings from the Spring of Knowledge, which would lessen the effects of certain weighted knowledge about Xyn and the voidborns on them, this information was still hard to read through in just one sitting.
On the other side, Dolores fell on her back and almost hit her head on the floor due to exhaustion. She had to lay down for now and was not able to get up.
“The symbolism of the hand, the drip from the stalactite - I think I understand them now.” Professor Atkinson: “It’s a kind of blessing Xyn placed on the voidborns, and it’s actually harvested from the void itself. This… this explains a lot.”
“And I just became more confused...” Dolores said while panting and trying to catch her breath: “Most specifically about Xyn himself - he was blessed with the power to heal and even revive voidborns - and if I understand it correctly - he even had the power to just create life from nonlife at one point even before ascending to godhood? How - how is that even possible?”
“The springs.” Professor Atkinson said: “The scriptures here mentioned that he harvested some kind of springs from the depths of the void and blessed the voidborns with them. I don’t think they’re talking about the springs in Edgelands, I think they mean...”
“... the liquid dropped from that stalactite - which became something having to do with voidborns including elementals.” Dolores nodded: “Which was obviously draining for the environment, or the void, in this case.”
“So - ” Professor Atkinson sat up and rubbed his eyes: “Is it a stretch to assume, that the actual descendants of him would be someone with the same gift?”