As it walks inside the castle, Hoshimukade cannot help but feel the ominous air surrounding this pce. But something is drawing it in... or someone... was calling out to it.

  Even then... in the darkness of this castle, its body glows just enough to illuminate the pce... and it can see chains, thousands of bck chains leading to a flight of stairs.

  Where on a throne, a woman with hair as dark as night sat. Chained up and unable to move a single muscle.

  "Aah~ you are here, my creation~", that woman whispered, sending chills down Hoshimukade's nonexistent spine.

  Her red eyes lit abze, showing the wide devilish smile she had on her face.

  "Who are you?", Hoshimukade pointed its sword at the woman.

  "I am Theia, the other Ego of Earth~", she replied with an amused tone, "Hmm~ looks like my twin is using my name~ so... please call me Tiamat."

  "Tiamat... what is the reason for you to call me here?", it asked, cautiously approaching the woman.

  "Because I can~ hehe...", she giggles, rattling the chains, "It has been a fairly long time before another one came, what? Ten million cycle? Hehe..."

  The atmosphere suddenly changed, and Hoshimukade felt an indescribable pressure pced upon it, making it kneel down.

  "Enough for silly banter.", her tone changed completely, and it became serious and regal, "I am quite disappointed that we are still alive."

  "What... do you... mean... by that...?", it struggles.

  "Hmm~ that oversized lizard, I really can't stand her, my twin sister. You see... you are my ticket to kill that lizard, and me.", she smiles dangerously.

  "Why would you want to kill yourself...?", it asked, trying to stand up from all the pressure.

  "We, as in Tiamat and Theia, eons ago crashed into each other due to some unforeseen accident. And our Egos began to fight against one another... that lizard won and became the main Ego of our conjoined world. Hah... by then, I wanted to die, to disappear, so~"

  The chains rattle violently as if they cannot contain the woman.

  "Try to reach out to the tendrils of The Slumbering King, for my own sake, my creation~", she giggles, "To fulfill my wishes~"

  "Why... should I?", Hoshimukade growls, "Why should I follow your wishes?"

  "Because you are my creation~", she leaned forward, her mouth wide open to reveal rows of sharpened teeth, "And you cannot disobey my will~"

  "Let us start with something simple...", she closed her eyes, "Your Name."

  "Roko, your name shall be Roko Mesmarel."

  A surge of power was forced into Hoshimukade... no, Roko Mesmarel. It felt as if its mind was rewired into accepting the name...

  Moreover, its body began to change, slowly becoming more... serpent-like, their fluid-like texture became scales, a mix of bck, blue, white, and purple. Two horns grew out of its head, curved and pointed upward.

  It blinked, revealing a pair of serpentine eyes, with bck sclera like the darkness of the universe, white irises simir to the light of a star, and red pupils like the color of blood. Its hair fluttered, still bearing the texture of the universe.

  Its body began to take up a more human texture, with skin as white as snow, mixed in with the scales reflecting the universe itself. An uncomfortable frown was found upon its newly formed mouth

  "Hmm~ this form is beautiful.", the woman commented, "This way you don't have to sneak around that much. You look like a Dragon, and you will behave like a Dragon."

  "So when the time is right... reach The Slumbering King, and be a sacrifice for our death~", she ughed, feeling overjoyed at the prospect of finally being killed.

  But Roko gritted its teeth, "No, I will not do as you wished."

  It remembered Charlotte's words, to change determined fate into a destiny it can choose... so it took up the sword...

  "Interesting...", the woman smiled, "You can do whatever you like, but in the end~ you will reach The Slumbering Ruler. As I had impnted into you the desire and instinct to reach beyond the prison of ice~"

  Roko turned around, walking away with its fists clenched. It had learned a lot from this encounter with the other Ego of Earth...

  Earth has two Egos, one called itself Theia and the other Tiamat. Two pnets merged into one, two Wills fought against each other for control, and one came out on top.

  Whether the current Ego of the World is Theia or Tiamat does not matter, as they had assimited into one. A Homicidal Ego and a Psychopathic Ego mixed together... is a recipe for disaster.

  The never-ending conflict on Earth was the result of two pnets smashing into each other. This Great Game... is nothing more than suicide with extra steps.

  As it got outside of the castle... Roko encountered something strange. A perfectly round silver sphere, floating in mid-air. Cautiously, Roko readied its sword. Just right after that, the sphere shined a green light over it, scanning its entire body.

  "[Match found.]", a robotic and emotionless voice came from the sphere, "[Designation: Fragment of The Original One.]"

  "What are you?", it asked, still being cautious.

  "[Pale Court Observation Unit 03— Changing Control, operation transfer to The Machine Overlord.]"

  Then the sphere began to change, shift, and morph into a Dyson's sphere, with two rings spinning around it. And then the entire construct glows red.

  "[Introduction: I am Pacmalinn Emvist the Machine Overlord. Attribute: Order and Evolution. Superficial Title: Crusader of Dread, Second Harbinger of Life. I have been searching for a specimen like you.]", they spoke in a less robotic voice, but there was still no emotion behind it.

  "Why have you been searching for me?", Roko asked, feeling the pressure dawning upon it.

  "[Reason: Experimentation. I wish to learn more about Fragment of The Original One.]", the sphere floats toward Roko, [Method: Genetic Code sampling.]"

  "What will you give me in return then... there is nothing you can offer me.", and to prove that it sshed its sword, creating a deep wound on the surface of the moon.

  '[Revaluation: I can help you. Confirmation: I can help you develop your power more than you already are.]"

  "And how would you do that...", it gred at The Machine Overlord.

  "[Trade offer: I shall receive a piece of your flesh, and you shall receive detailed instructions of your power and how to improve. Approval: Pending.]"

  Roko continues to stare at the mechanical being in front of it with suspicion. But there is nothing much it can get out from a sphere.

  This is dangerous...

  "I have another condition, give me a way to cut myself off from the tendrils in the sky.", Roko stated, its eyes glistening and shining in the darkness of the moon.

  It wants to escape this fate... to fight against the instinct that woman gave it...

  "[Deal Altercation: Accepted. Please raise your left hand.]"

  Roko did as The Machine Overlord said— and its entire forearm got eaten, crushed between the ptes of the Dyson's sphere.

  "What did you do?!", it reeled back, gring at The Machine Overlord.

  "[Confirmation: Trade complete. Instruction: look at your arm.]"

  Roko looked at its left arm... the forearm was repced with metal, and it felt like something is invading its body...

  "[Operation: Complete. You will not see me or my proxies again.]", and the sphere vanished.

  Now Roko was again alone with itself, staring at the left arm as it comprehended what to do now...

  Closing its eyes...

  "Let's wait."