Chapter 1086: The Nature of Rules

"You’re fine."

As Orion was stewing in a mix of confusion and unbearable suspense, the commander finally gave him an answer.

The wineskin Orion was raising to his lips froze. He turned his head, his eyes locked on the commander. From this angle, lying on the grass, the man he had never met before seemed possessed of a profound, untroubled freedom.

"Those last three hundred steps on Blade’s Edge Peak are called the Inquisition Steps," Thresh explained lazily. "They were forged from three hundred Mind-Forged Rings. The fact that you could reach the summit means your mind and soul are not corrupted." He paused, a glint in his eye. "Of course, there are some things that even they can’t detect."

Before Orion could ask, the commander continued.

"But... the void within you still contains a mysterious, sealed object you know nothing about, correct?"

Orion nodded instinctively. He didn’t disagree with the commander’s assessment that he was "fine," but that wasn’t why he’d come all this way. He wanted to understand why.

"What’s inside you is a Rule," Thresh said. "Based on the memories you saw, that sealed Rule is a type of curse. But, because it’s in a sealed state, it’s not technically a form of active corruption."

Orion’s expression was a mask of confusion; he felt like he was only half-grasping the concept.

"Commander, is this thing dangerous?" he pressed. "What should I do? Just... watch it? Ignore it?"

His eyes were filled with hope. He wasn’t a demigod; he didn’t understand the rules of divine power. The man lying before him was his best chance at finding a path forward.

"

Heh.

You got any kids?" the commander asked, changing the subject so abruptly it gave Orion whiplash.

"Several," Orion answered, his mind racing. He wasn’t a fool. The enigmatic commander wouldn’t ask such a question without a reason.

"After you became an arch lord, did all your children experience a bloodline resonance?"

"They did."

"And do you think," Thresh continued, his tone casual, "that you could influence your children through the power of that bloodline?"

Orion frowned. It was a question he had never considered.

"Let me put it another way. Could you, by tapping into the blood that runs through their veins, briefly take control of their bodies?"

Orion fell silent, turning his senses inward, focusing on the bloodline that was as familiar to him as his own heartbeat.

"See?" the commander chuckled softly. "You already know the answer."

When a being at the arch lord level or higher ascended, it triggered a resonance through their blood. Their descendants carried that same blood. Through certain methods, an arch lord could indeed briefly assume control of their children’s bodies. Of course, successfully performing such a feat was dependent on factors like distance, the purity of the bloodline, and the power gap between them.

"It’s just as you suspect," the commander confirmed. "As a descendant of the giant gods, under the right conditions, they can control your body for a short time without your consent. To be more precise, they aren’t controlling you. They’re controlling the blood that flowed from them. They’re controlling their own power."

With that simple explanation, everything clicked into place for Orion.

The giant god was able to control him because Orion’s veins were filled with his blood. And that bloodline was clearly very pure, allowing for effortless control.

So, which god was it? The question burned in his mind. Could it be my parents, who vanished so long ago? Or someone else entirely?

"Commander, is there a solution to this?" Orion asked, his gaze intense.

"It’s simple," Thresh said. "Ascend to the rank of demigod and master your own Rule. In the world of Rules, only a Rule can block a Rule." He turned his head to look at Orion, a hint of playful mockery in his eyes. "Or, you could just discard your entire bloodline and use a special secret technique to transform into another race."

Orion hesitated, falling silent once more.

"It’s not necessarily a bad thing, you know," the commander said, taking a sip of wine. He spoke casually, regardless of the stunned look on Orion’s face. "Think about it. Would you ever use a technique like that to just randomly control your own kids?"

Orion shook his head, his conviction absolute.

"I’d wager most parents wouldn’t." After saying this, Thresh drained the last of his wineskin in one long pull, and his voice turned strangely distant. "Or, you could walk the path of the demigod to its final step and forge your own divine body. Once you do that, no god, no matter who they are, will ever be able to control you again."

That was the true solution, a path to absolute and complete self-mastery.

"Thank you."

Orion stood up and gave the commander a deep, sincere bow. Thresh’s words had not only explained the mystery that had been plaguing him but had also lit a fire in him, inspiring him to strive not just for the rank of demigod, but perhaps even beyond.

The commander waved off the gesture with an air of indifference. He casually tossed the empty leather wineskin, sending it sailing out over the endless sea of clouds.

"As for that ball of cursed Rules in your inner space," he said, "that’s even easier to solve."

Orion said nothing, waiting for him to continue.

"For those ancient gods, completely erasing an old and malicious Rule like that would be difficult. But for us Survivors? It’s child’s play." The commander didn’t get up. He just stretched out a hand and pointed vaguely in the direction of Soraya City. "The solution is over there."

Orion frowned in thought. After a long moment, he voiced his guess.

"The Purification Tower?"

"Bingo. With the small amount of sealed Rules inside you, a few years of quiet meditation in the Purification Tower will wipe it completely clean."

Hearing this, Orion felt as if solutions had been found for all his problems. But those solutions had only given birth to more questions.

"Commander... why is the Purification Tower so powerful?" he asked, deciding to press his luck.

"Hulk," Thresh began, using the old moniker, "if I were to use a secret technique to possess or devour you, would you accept it willingly? Or would you fight back?"

"I’d fight," Orion replied without hesitation, meeting Thresh’s gaze.

"See? Even you would resist. So why wouldn’t the Realm of Ash resist?"

The words hit Orion like a thunderclap, shaking him to his core.

"Our old world was devoured by this one, The New Age. Of course it would fight back. And so, the Survivor’s Platform was born. We, the Survivors, were born. Our stat panels were born."

The commander’s smile was as rugged and carefree as before, but his deep-set eyes now blazed with a light Orion couldn’t comprehend.

"Actually, to call it ’resistance’ isn’t quite right anymore," he mused. "Because we’ve already been integrated. We are now a part of this world. And since we’re a part of this world just like everyone else..."

He suddenly let out a deep, inscrutable laugh.

"Why can’t we be the ones in charge? Right?"

He looked at Orion, his smile widening. "And special buildings, like the Purification Tower... you could say they are a part of our old world’s will, made manifest."