Volume 5 - Chapter 4-6ish (Patreon)

Volume 5 - Chapter 4-6ish

(THIS CHAPTER IS NOW UNOFFICIAL AND LIKELY TO BE CHANGED)

(I wanted to show a vision of a "cog in the wheel" of Dark Void - however, I've recently decided to rework this chapter, and instead of showing one of the cogs, I'll focus on the leader of Dark Void instead) - edit as of 1/31/2025

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“There is nothing more valuable than knowledge.”

The Third Layer was vast. Countless islands floated above the Void, creating a nigh endless mix of land and empty space, spreading thousands of miles in every direction. Some islands were massive, teeming with life, while others were barren and shattered into dozens of smaller islets.

“There is no blade more sharp, no treasure more precious, no power more keen.”

On the surface of a rather nondescript island in the middle of nowhere… nothing of note could be seen. Just rock, rock, and more plain, gray rock.

“For too long, the 7 Layers have crippled Humanity’s pursuit of knowledge and truth.”

There was nothing interesting about this particular, 230-meters wide island… until you looked upon the side less travelled.

“The Human Race, as she now stands, is hopelessly outmatched and unprepared.”

On the underside of this floating island, hidden from plain view near the island’s center, lay a rather strange looking upside down hut.

“If there should be any hope for our kind to survive the future, we must ensure the free flow of information to all mankind.”

The hut was made from hardened gray wood, its hue blending in with the natural gray stone that made up the floating island.

“Creativity. Analyzation. Adaptability. Experimentation. Comprehension.”

The inside of this hut were about what one might expect to find in a wooden hut. A simple room, bereft of decoration, containing a set of chairs, a table, a luminescent rock that served as a light source, and a dark skinned woman reading aloud from a glowing piece of parchment.

“In the pursuit of these goals, our single greatest tool is that which has always been with us…”

Despite the hut being upside down, on the underside of a floating island, gravity within the hut appeared reversed, allowing the speaker to read without worry of falling into the Void.

“The collective minds of all mankind.”

Dr. Amahle Nkosi fought back tears as she continued to read aloud the fateful message, her eyes red with emotion.

“Decentralization shall be our greatest shield. Multi-level mass encryption shall be our sharpest sword.”

The woman’s voice shook as she briefly closed her eyes and let out a long, ragged sigh.

“If you are reading this message, then rejoice, for it means that Humanity has taken her first great step forward in the battle to overcome savagery.”

A small smile found its way onto Amahle’s face. Marco always did have a way with words.

“There is no cause without effect, nor is there effect without cause.”

She read, her voice catching.

“Before we can overcome, we must first understand.”

Amahle nodded, fists clenched as she looked down.

Change was coming, whether she liked it or not. Personally, she blamed the unknown Ability user that had infected several researchers with mind-altering ‘Seeds.’

The discovery that such a power existed at all had sent the entire Research Branch into a frenzy, focused on developing networks that were impossible to compromise.

One thing led to another, and this was the end result.

Amahle’s amber eyes narrowed as she looked down, only now realizing that she had reached the final section of the glowing missive.

The tears she had held back for so long finally began to fall, unbidden, as she came to an abrupt, unwelcome realization.

It was time to say goodbye.

“Signing off on my final missive, this is Nobel Prize winner Marco Barone, former Director of the Dark Void Research Branch.”

“Signing off, this is Doctor Antwon Comtois, former Vice-Director of the Dark Void Research Branch — (Of course Marco found a way to bring up his Nobel Prize)”

“Signing off, this is Doctor Mei Won, former Chief Archivist of the Dark Void Research Branch — (There are 2 certainties in life on the 7 Layers - Death and Marco reminding everyone he won a Nobel Prize)

“Signing off…

Line after line, Amahle read them all, smiling at the personal notes each scientist left, until she found one name in particular.

“Signing off, this is Physicist Blake Winters, former Chief Quantum Engineer of the Dark Void Research Branch — (Amahle, now that we’ve all parted ways, I can finally speak my truth… Theoretical Physicists are just Mathematicians in disguise)

Amahle giggled despite herself, though her smile soon faded.

The comrades she had dedicated multiple years of her life to, countless true friends of like mind, one and all incredible scientists and researchers that represented the very best Earth had to offer…

‘I might never see them again.’

The Dark Void Research Branch, established by the Purgatory Church during the Second Wave, had officially broken apart and scattered to the winds.

Amahle held the glowing missive in her hand and began to speak out loud, imbuing the magic parchment with Mana to activate its power.

“Signing off, this is Doctor Amahle Nkosi.” Amahle smiled as she saw her words begin to appear at the bottom of the missive.

“Former Lead Biologist and Chief Theoretical Physicist of the Dark Void Research Branch. (Eish, Blake! At least my branch of Physics isn’t famous for tossing dead cats into boxes)”

Amahle smirked as she saw her message fully appear.

She could already picture Blake angrily going off on a spiel about quantum superposition.

A few seconds passed in silence.

Slowly, the smile vanished from Dr. Nkosi’s face as she set the missive down and stood up.

On the gray wooden table, the magic parchment she had just placed down began to glow as the Mana she had imbued into it began to escape. Slowly, that lack of Mana caused the parchment to self-destruct, erasing any and all traces that remained.

She could have kept the parchment and waited to see if there were any other latecomers leaving their goodbyes, but ultimately decided against it. Now was a time for action, not delay.

Amahle’s eyes grew calm as she tapped on a small, white ring she wore on her left ring finger. A circular black sigil was imprinted on the bottom half of the ring, one that glowed faintly as her fingers touched it.

It was a Returning Ring, a special Limited Artifact that cost around 200,000 Points. Coincidentally, this was an Artifact Micheal had seen before, in the hands of Prime.

A flash of light overtook the hut.

Moments later…

Amahle vanished, teleporting away from the safe house as she began the greatest mission she would ever undertake.

On this fateful day, unbeknownst to the rest of the world, one of the Human Race’s single greatest achievements finally began its journey anew for the second time in Micheal’s life.

Slowly, bit by bit… the massive, universally known, decentralized information sharing group, Dark Void, officially began to take shape.

.