The Ouroboros hung in a space that defied physics. There was no star, no planet, only an endless, crystalline plain that stretched to an infinity of softly glowing geometric shapes—floating cubes, spiraling towers, and shifting pyramids that pulsed with inner light. The "sky" was a swirling canvas of nebulous energy in colors that had no name, and the air itself hummed with a density of power that made the Veil feel like a vacuum. The temporal dilation was a tangible pressure, a thickness to time itself.
[Location: The Cradle - Interior.]
[Ambient Energy Density: Divine Tier.]
[Temporal Dilation Field: 1:100 Confirmed.]
[Analysis: Artificial Pocket Dimension. Creator: Unknown. Purpose: Ascension.]
Astra's injuries from the 100x gravity session knit themselves shut in seconds, the ambient energy passively accelerating his healing to an insane degree. His Power Level, now a solid 2,900, felt like a tiny spark in a sun. This place was not just a training ground; it was a forge for gods.
His first act was to establish the Anchor Point. He focused his will, pouring a massive surge of Ki and Mana into the System's new function, binding it to the very deck of the Ouroboros, here, in the heart of this pocket dimension. A complex, silvery rune flared to life beneath his feet before fading into the metal.
[Anchor Point Established: The Ouroboros, The Cradle.]
[Multiverse Jump functionality is now available from this location.]
A wave of profound relief washed over him. He had a home. A secret, unassailable base from which to operate. The gilded cage of Planet Vegeta was a lifetime away.
But the relief was short-lived. A chime echoed, not from the System, but from The Cradle itself. A section of the crystalline plain before the ship shifted, rising to form a flawless, mirror-like pedestal. Upon it sat three objects, materializing from motes of light.
1. A simple, unadorned silver circlet.
2. A small, crystalline seed that glowed with a green, vital light.
3. A data crystal, pulsing with a soft blue rhythm.
Astra exited the ship, the dense energy of The Cradle feeling like a baptism. He approached the pedestal. His [Appraisal] flared to life, but the information it returned was fragmented, as if the objects were too advanced for it to fully comprehend.
[Appraising: Circlet of the Architect (Incomplete Data)]
[Properties: Cognitive Amplifier, Interface with Cradle Control Systems?]
[Appraising: World-Seed (Incomplete Data)]
[Properties: Contains a template for a Class-3 Biosphere. Requires a massive energy infusion and a spatial anchor to germinate.]
[Appraising: Data Crystal of Fundamentals (Incomplete Data)]
[Properties: Knowledge Repository. Subject: Energy Manipulation and Material Synthesis at a Cosmic Scale.]
This was a welcome package. A tool, a resource, and a teacher. The Cradle wasn't just an empty room; it was a university, and it had just enrolled its first student.
He reached out and put on the circlet.
The world exploded in complexity. The swirling colors of the sky resolved into rivers of mathematical formulae. The crystalline plain became a lattice of interconnected energy pathways. He could see the underlying code of the dimension, the vast, silent machinery that maintained the temporal field and the endless space. He could feel the boundaries of The Cradle, and the immense power required to sustain it.
The circlet was an interface. It allowed him to perceive, and with time, perhaps even command, the functions of this place.
But with perception came understanding, and with understanding came a new, chilling revelation. The Cradle was not self-sustaining.
The [Circlet of the Architect] showed him the truth. The dimension was a masterwork, but it was bleeding energy at a slow, constant rate. The temporal dilation, the high energy density—it all came from a central power source, a core that was… decaying. The Cradle was dying. It had millennia left, perhaps, but it was finite.
This was not a permanent sanctuary. It was a timed test.
The System chimed in, its quest adapting to the new reality as it always did.
[FACTION MANDATE UPDATED: Saiyan Exodus - Phase 1]
· Objective: Establish a viable, hidden colony for a minimum of 500 Saiyans. New Parameter: The colony must be capable of generating a self-sustaining energy field of sufficient power to germinate the World-Seed.
· Time Limit: 4 Years (External). 400 Years (Cradle Time).
· Success Reward: Unlock Faction-specific Technologies. 5,000 Mandate Points. Designation as "Founder." Additional Reward: Blueprint for Cradle Core Stabilizer.
· Failure: Faction Reputation set to 'Hated'. Loss of all Faction-based System perks. Additional Penalty: The Cradle becomes unstable and will collapse within 10 years (External).
The stakes had just been raised to a cosmic level. He wasn't just saving Saiyans; he was now responsible for finding a power source capable of saving this pocket dimension itself. The World-Seed wasn't just a bonus; it was a component in a larger repair. The colony was now a power plant.
Astra looked from the World-Seed to the Data Crystal, then out at the impossible, dying paradise around him. He had found his sanctuary, only to discover it was a lifeboat with a slow leak. The path to power was now a race against the entropy of a universe he had just discovered.
He had 400 subjective years. An eternity, and no time at all. The Crucible of Eternity was now his home, and his prison. The work was indeed just beginning.