Chapter 213: The Dying Time god!

Chapter 213: The Dying Time God

"The third Time god is dying?!" Tessa's voice trembled with shock, her mind racing.

"Can a Time god even die?" she murmured, bewildered, as the idea felt both impossible and terrifying.

Before she could gather her thoughts, the Time god Zorath vanished, taking her with him. They surged through a cascading stream of time, the shimmering flow carrying them across countless realities. As vivid scenes unfolded around them, Zorath's voice echoed like a narrator in her mind.

"There can only be three Time gods in existence," he began, his tone grave. "While Time gods may seem immortal, certain events can trigger our end."

Tessa's eyes widened as the swirling scenes revealed battles and cosmic devastations. Zorath's explanation deepened her unease.

"Years ago," he continued, "a forbidden-level god known as Erodius, also called the Darkness Within, emerged. He's the one currently attacking Earth. Although weaker than the Imogis, Erodius's unparalleled intelligence allowed him to bend them to his will. He discovered a secret—a way to kill a Time god. And as the eldest of the three, I became his target."

The scenes shifted to show planets being consumed by darkness, star systems collapsing into voids. Tessa could barely breathe, her horror mounting.

""To kill a Time God," Zorath explained, his voice steady yet laden with gravity, "one must erase their entire universe from existence. That's when I realized there are powers beyond even us Time Gods. But that knowledge... it's too dangerous for you right now."

His voice faltered briefly, burdened by the weight of his revelations. The stream of time unfurled before them, displaying his desperate, repeated attempts to stop Erodius—each failure etched indelibly into the fabric of history.

"Erodius's actions weakened me," Zorath admitted, his tone bitter. "He annihilated my planets and star systems, eroding my strength with every world he claimed. When I finally moved to end him, I was betrayed—by the other two Time Gods. They misunderstood my intentions, believing I was abusing my powers to target a mere forbidden-level entity."

The memory surged before Tessa's eyes, vivid and heart-wrenching. The intervention of the other Time Gods left Zorath isolated, his once-boundless power shackled by their judgment.

"Now, it's too late," Zorath continued, resignation staining his words. "I'm dying, and a successor must rise to take my place. That's why I brought you here."

The swirling stream came to an abrupt halt. Tessa now stood face-to-face with Zorath. His once-radiant form had dimmed, and his piercing gaze was clouded with weariness. As he leaned closer, his intensity made her heart pound.

"Will you kill Erodius for me?" Zorath's voice softened, yet carried an undeniable weight of expectation.

Tessa's breath caught. The enormity of his request sank into her like a stone in water. The scenes around her dissolved into haunting stillness, leaving only her and the dying Time God. In his eyes, she saw both hope and desperation. In her heart, a storm of emotions raged, threatening to overwhelm her.

Before she could respond, the stream of time resumed, pulling her into another vivid scene. This time, she witnessed Erodius's rise—a cunning manipulator who used the abilities of several Imogis to erode Zorath's universe. He had deceived them into believing that by conquering and killing a Time God, they could ascend to that level of godhood themselves.

She watched in horror as Erodius conquered world after world, leaving only one planet standing. Her chest tightened when she recognized it: Earth.

Confusion clouded her expression as she turned to Zorath. "Lord Zorath, if Earth is the last planet keeping your existence tethered, doesn't that mean you can still survive as long as it remains?"

The barely visible clock engraved on the temple of Zorath's head ticked erratically, as though it might explode. Then, it abruptly stopped.

"My end will come either way..." Zorath sighed, his voice weighed down by sorrow. The faint ticking of the celestial clock engraved on his temple echoed in the silence, a sound that felt like the heartbeat of his waning existence.

"Either I give my life essence to a successor, or one of those malevolent Imogis will claim my remains and take it by force. Earth isn't even one of my planets—it belongs to the Second Time God. I begged him to lend me a planet to prolong my life for just a while longer. He didn't believe me, thought my claims of dying were a pretense. Yet, reluctantly, he granted me Earth. But either way, it's only a matter of time..."

His words hung in the air like a funeral dirge, the inevitability of his fate pressing heavily on Tessa's chest. She could feel the weight of millennia in his tone, the regret of a being who had once wielded unimaginable power but now stood on the precipice of oblivion.

"I will end Erodius, no matter what it takes," Tessa declared, her fists clenching tightly. Her voice trembled with determination, though she knew the gravity of her promise. "But I'm still in the midst of the evaluation of the Middle Power Realm. The real challenges aren't even from the trials—it's from the beings observing it..."

Her voice trailed off, but her resolve burned brighter with every word. She looked at Zorath, his fading figure a stark reminder of the stakes involved.

"Once I give you my life essence, this entire evaluation becomes meaningless," Zorath said softly, his gaze fixed on her. "Your life force will surge to the level of a Time God. It will take time and unwavering determination for you to grow from your current state to that level, but you will have the potential. You will inherit my strength, my memories, and my burden."

His words were both a promise and a warning. The path ahead would not be easy—it would be wrought with sacrifices and unimaginable responsibility. Yet, as he spoke, there was a flicker of hope in his dimming eyes, a belief that perhaps Tessa could succeed where he had failed.

Tessa hesitated for a moment, then nodded resolutely. "Okay, Lord Zorath," she said, her voice steady despite the storm of emotions raging within her. "I accept all your terms and conditions. But..." Her voice softened, and she looked at him with a mix of sympathy and determination. "Please don't die. Live on as much as you can. We still need you."

Her words struck a chord within Zorath. For a brief moment, the clock on his temple ticked with renewed vigor, as though her plea had ignited a spark of life within him. Yet even she could see the truth—the very essence of his being was ebbing away, like the last leaf of a withering tree clinging desperately to its branch.

Zorath gave her a faint, sorrowful smile. "Your compassion is noble, Tessa, but my time has already been written. Every tick of the clock brings me closer to my end. What matters now is not how much longer I can hold on, but what I leave behind."

He extended a hand toward her, the faint glow of his remaining energy gathering in his palm. "I chose you for a reason. Your spirit burns with the will to defy fate. Use that strength to end Erodius and protect the balance of time. But remember, once the essence is transferred, there is no turning back. You will be bound to this path, and the enemies you face will be relentless."

Tessa took a deep breath, the enormity of the moment pressing against her. Still, she stepped forward, her eyes locking with his. "I understand," she said firmly. "If it means saving countless lives, if it means giving Earth a chance to stand, I'll do it. I won't fail you, Lord Zorath."

A faint tear glimmered in the corner of Zorath's eye as he closed the gap between them. "Then it shall be done," he whispered, his voice carrying both the weight of eternity and the fragile hope of a dying god. The glow in his hand began to intensify, casting the surroundings in an otherworldly light.

The strange world around them trembled as the transfer began, the very fabric of reality shifting to accommodate the birth of a new force. Tessa braced herself, her heart pounding as she felt the first surge of Zorath's essence enter her being. It was overwhelming—a flood of memories, power, and ancient knowledge that threatened to consume her.

But amidst the chaos, she heard his voice, soft yet steady. "Hold on, Tessa. You are stronger than you know."

And as the light enveloped her, Tessa realized this was only the beginning of her journey. The weight of the universe now rested on her shoulders, but her resolve had never been stronger.