A little under two weeks later, I was allowed to return from my vacation, once again sitting in the meeting in the Seat of Divine Foresight. While I was away, most of the plans had been completed, and all the preparations finished; this meeting was the last 'rehearsal' before the action.
-"Let's not waste time."-Teng Xiao leaned back in his seat as always.-"Everyone knows the plan, so let me be brief. Ketu Mirage is an enemy we can't allow to exist, let alone to approach Yuque. I hereby declare the whole of Luofu to enter the state of full battle readiness; all Cloud Knights are to uphold their duty."
-"Yes, sir!"
-"Jing Yuan, I give the command to you."-He turned to his chosen successor.
-"I won't fail."
-"Jingliu."
-"I won't any Abomination stand in my way."
-"Great. Then I declare the joint Luofu-Yuque campaign commenced."-He struck the marble floor with his blade.
In response, everyone present saluted him; I also followed suit, showing respect not only to him as General, but to all others who would fight in this war.
A few minutes later, I was dragged by Yingxing to a side hall where the High-Cloud Quintet had gathered.
-"Eno, hope you don't mind acting with us?"-Jing Yuan smiled as I sat down.
-"Sure, just make sure to change your team name to a Sextet."-I rolled my eyes.
-"It doesn't sound that good."-Baiheng showed a troubled expression.
-"Then hexad."
-"A little better, but it still doesn't have that ring to it."
-"Sigh, whatever."-I sighed and looked at the smiling strategist.-"Please."
-"Us six will defeat the Ketu Mirage before it can threaten either Yuque or Luofu."
We all nodded, not bothering to act shocked or surprised.
-"At least…"-Jing Yuan wanted to complain, but a sharp look from Jingliu stopped him.-"Ehem. Then allow me to divide responsibilities. First, Yingxing, I'll need you to prepare weapons capable of overwhelming Ketu Mirage; its regenerating bio-armor is not something we can pierce with any random blade."
-"Sure, I'll make something for everyone."
-"Thanks. Baiheng, Eno, you two are tasked with getting us onto it. Ketu Mirage not only possesses tough planetary defenses, but is also defended by an aerial blockade of Abundance fleets and the shifting, chaotic gravity fields of the living planet. I'll need your joint effort to punch through all of that and allow us a chance to strike it directly."
-"You can leave it to us."-Baiheng threw her arm around my neck, answering for us both.
-"Master, Dan Feng, the two of you will be our main force; destroying the planet core and fighting the enemies will mostly depend on you."
Two of them nodded, long aware of their job.
-"In three days we will depart; make all preparations before then."
And that's what we did. I myself had confined myself to the Divination Commission, predicting and plotting a route that could safely take us to the target. Combining the advantages of the exquisite Matrix of Prescience and the super calculation capabilities of my QIBNN, I could 'see' the future with such clarity that it was as if I watched the recorded past.
As I worked, I couldn't help but wonder where denying fate ends and writing it begins. All my life I lived with a conviction that fate is nothing but the will of gods or other 'greater' beings forced upon the world, but now, it was I who arranged everything so that the future I desire happens; what makes those gods, whom I despised, and me different?
What gives me the right to use the world as a playing board, with lives of both enemies and allies as pawns to make the best board layout for my purposes? Are my intentions, no matter how good, any different than the fickle will of a god, or in pursuit of power to defy that very Fate, I myself became what I despised.
With such thoughts swirling in my mind, I didn't notice when I entered a space I had never seen in the Divination Commission before. It was a grand library filled with tomes on all subjects, from ancient legends and myths to the most advanced research still perfected in the universe. Between those high shelves, a lone elder watched me ponder; his eyes covered by gauze, yet I could feel his gaze fall on me.
-"What do you think, young sage?"-The elder asked me, wanting to hear my thoughts on the troubles I was reflecting on.
I remained silent for a while longer, before remembering why I departed on my journey. Why did I choose to serve my Princess, just from gratitude or due to who she was? No, I knelt before her due to her ideals: For the order of the stars and moon, of the chill night, existing at a great remove so that certainties of sight, emotion, faith, and touch all become impossibilities.
-"There is no right or wrong in knowledge, no taboo in wisdom; only actions can be judged. The difference between a cruel tyrant and a wise king is not in ability, but in how it is used."-I answered, conviction returning to my eyes.-"Having power is not wrong."
-"Then, how can you be sure not to be corrupted by this power?"-The elder continued his questions.-"Where does the line lie?"
-"I don't know, but as long as I have my family around me, I won't cross it."-I smiled.
-"Is that your answer?"
-"Yes."-I nodded without hesitation.
-"What power will you seek then? To control, defy, or know Fate?"
-"To know."-I answered subconsciously.-"Controlling it will only make me become what I hate, and power to defy alone won't change anything when I don't know when or how to use it. Only by knowing what is to come, one can truly fight to change it."
-"Even if that knowledge comes at a price of suffering?"
-"It's better to suffer in knowledge than be blissful in ignorance."
The elder nodded and extended his hand toward me; in his palm was a small pearl.
-"This will allow you to learn all that will happen, to divine everything you need, but it'll also make you know all that you are powerless to change."-The elder left the choice to me.
I looked at that small orb and quickly accepted his 'gift'. I've already told him my answer; there was no need to hesitate now.
-"Eno!"-I felt someone shaking my shoulders.-"Wake up."
Opening my eyes, I was greeted by the worried eyes of Mobius, who was examining me, everyone else watching from the side. When I looked at them, I felt my mind fill with pain, scenes of tragedy flashing before my eyes. Far from the cold and precise calculations, it was the experiences and emotions of those involved in those disasters; the price of knowing.
I quickly grabbed my forehead and used my divinity to calm my mind, that small pearl now imbued in the center of my brow, cold to the touch. Luckily, the numbing influence of the divinity could counteract the pain caused by the influx of those chaotic emotions and images, allowing me to relax.
-"What happened?"-Mobius asked me in a grave tone.
-"I can probably guess."-Teng Xiao spoke up, his face showing a mix of seriousness and surprise.-"He received a blessing from an Aeon, and looking at how it manifested, I can safely assume that it has been Nous."
-"Yes."-I confirmed his words.-"I was invited to his library."
-"Oh? That's quite a rare honor."-Teng Xiao nodded.-"In the recorded history of Wisdom Sapientia Academe, only six people were granted an audience with the Wisdomwalker. Of them, three would rise to become Generals of Yuque; one would revolutionize the Alliance's technology; and the last two would succumb to the price of their blessing before achieving greatness."
His words made everyone focus on the pearl on my forehead.
-"Eno, explain."-Mobius ordered me directly, worry in her tone unconcealed.
-"Nous made me ponder about the nature of divination, fate, and those who control them. The blessing is twofold: it strengthens my divinations, allowing me to calculate the future with much greater ease, and it causes me to see the future that will happen."
-"Will happen?"-Jing Yuan caught the meaning instantly.-"You mean the unchangeable one?"
-"Yes. This is the price and true blessing. While the uncertain future can only be divined with calculations, the one that is sure to happen will be forced upon me, and not as images or knowledge, but as experiences and emotions of those who will be involved."-I looked at them; my eyes glowing slightly due to the divinity I was using.-"Just now I saw a tragic battle, one where death will claim someone."
-"Will this happen in this battle?"-Teng Xiao asked.
-"No, this battle is something from the future."-I shook my head.
-"Then there is no need to worry about it now."-He shrugged.-"As Cloud Knights, death is never far from us; knowing that it won't be now its enough for me."
As if infected by his optimism, everyone let out a sigh of relief and relaxed.
-"Will that new blessing affect you?"-Jing Yuan asked me.-"We need to depart shortly."
-"Don't worry, I won't let it influence me."-I assured him.
-"Then rest quickly and meet us at the dock in three hours."
I nodded and watched them leave, leaving only Mobius and me.
-"Now, can you tell me what you saw?"-She asked
-"Luofu in flames, countless dead Cloud Knights; I felt the pain of loss that four people felt, and the sadness and mourning of those who survived the catastrophe. Everything was too fragmented to understand cause and effect, but I can be certain of one thing. Luofu will experience a tragic battle, and one of the High-Cloud Quintet will die, but who it'll be is not certain."
-"I see. What do you plan to do now?"-She touched the pearl on my forehead lightly, as if admiring it.
-"Nothing. Knowing what will happen will help me to prepare for it, but as it's unavoidable, there is no need to panic."-I grabbed her hand and kissed it.-"It's better to suffer in knowledge than be blissful in ignorance. That was my answer to Nous, and I'll stand by it; using the knowledge to prepare for the tragedy and its aftermath."
-"Just don't keep everything bottled up."-Mobius helped me up, before bringing me a mirror to see my face.
In the reflection, I saw a face that could only be described as holy. Compared to the delicate but sacred appearance I possessed before as Sankta, my face now had inherited most of Elysia's flawless beauty, with an aura of majesty caused by divinity. The addition of the pearl in the center of my brow added a note of mystical charm, making me look even less like a mortal.
I also checked my status to see if any change occurred, and, as expected, a new entry has appeared.
______________________________
Personal skills:
Omniscia: B
A blessing of Nous and a mark of a sage. Allows one to divine the future with ease and shows the unavoidable fate of those around. But that knowledge comes at a price. It's Aeon's recognition of one's pursuit of knowledge, as well as a test.
______________________________
After putting it away, I stood up and walked out of the room, heading for the dock.
-"Correct course six degrees to the right and eleven degrees up."-I commanded while controlling the Divination Matrix before me.
-"Done!"-Baiheng didn't hesitate, following my orders as precisely as she could.
-"In thirty seconds, accelerate forward and turn eight degrees right, two degrees down. There will be a gap between two enemy vessels."
-"I see it!"
Two of us worked in sync to pass through the battlefield, avoiding dangers while heading for our target. A few hours ago, the Luofu fleet joined the battle to reinforce Yuque, causing the already great battle to intensify. Using that chaos as cover, we slipped past the enemy's main force, and now we are trying to pierce their last line of defense.
Baiheng controlled the Starskiff, avoiding any danger that came our way, while I sat behind her, divining the path that would bring us to the target. The Omniscia on my forehead constantly shimmered with light as the Matrix before me operated, calculating all the possible routes.
-"Three degrees to the right, one degree up."-I gave another correction.
The Starskiff maneuvered around the enemy vessels and Ketu Mirage's gravity fields, passing every obstacle with the finesse of an air show stuntman. Soon, the living planet was within our reach, allowing everyone to disembark.
-"Let's go."-Jing Yuan jumped off the craft, his new glaive in hand.
As promised, Yingxing prepared weapons for everyone, each of them of quality that easily classified them as a Noble Phantasm. Jing Yuan received a glaive named Xīnghuǒ Mèngshēn, the Starfall Reverie; Dan Feng, a spear named Jīyún, the Cloud-Piercer; Jingliu, a sword named Zhīlí, the Shard Sword; Baiheng, a bow named Lù'ěr, the Deer Ears; and I received eight flying swords, each named after a moon phase; thus, together they are called Yuèxiàng.
Those weapons, aside from being a perfect fit for us all, were imbued with the power of Hunt, capable of restricting the healing of Abundance. My swords were also specially made to be used as nodes of my sword formation, something I was grateful for.
While four of them jumped out of the Starskiff, I stayed back with Baiheng, helping her to fend them off until they could return. Thus, we started a battle that was as much of a chase as it was a fight; Baiheng switched between shooting the enemies and piloting the craft, while I used my swords in both offense and defense, using all my formations to test how well the new weapons performed.
The battle was quite intense, but nothing we couldn't manage; it was even rather enjoyable with our new toys. Baiheng and I even started to compete on who would kill more enemies, betting on the privilege of making a request of the other person. So to avoid any chance of her making me dress in something weird, I put some effort into the fighting.
The battle didn't last that long, as after about four hours of having fun, we could feel the whole planet starting to shake and crumble, clearly signaling that the mission was about to be finished. With that, our competition also came to a close, as we had to meet up with others. Quickly dealing with the enemies that surrounded us, Baiheng and I rushed into the air.
After finding their location through a quick divination, Baiheng flew toward them while the living planet continued to collapse. It was quite a spectacular scene, definitely worth an action movie. With one swift swoop, she closed on the rest of the Quintet, allowing me to pick them up with my swords and bring them onto the Starskiff. With everyone on board, Baiheng took off toward the distance, escaping the collapsing planet.