Quest Maker: 416

A/n: We are already kneedeep in AU territory, but I can’t help but want to explore all the possibilities. I slightly ventured into the lore when retconning the ancient war and its effects by including some elements of the Warlock of the Magus World. But the array devised here will be the sum conclusion of all the lore development and the ‘new’ thing aside from including a few Poke-species (which are best left for the epilogue, kek! Sorry, but I have too much on my plate already!)

***

Title: Wish and Causality

Common sense, where law-manipulating monsters exist, dictates that Evolution stems from its unique law—let’s unironically name it the Law of Evolution. To Ja Sun, this Law is too broad for him to learn even after one includes the number of Laws he is working to understand by spreading his domain daily and using the Third Eye of the Evil God, which enhances his perception of the attributes of his Martial Souls. But becoming a Grandmaster is Luck’s fleeing flex. Still, Ja Sun has simple theories about the Law. Evolution occurs with enough time and stress. He did not lie about the things he learned from Violet’s transition.

No significant breakthrough is a gradual incline on the charts. It’s always a sudden and very steep spike! Now! For Humans—the absorption of the Spirit Rings/Souls introduces such spikes, letting the Martial Soul Evolve! But what about Spirit Beasts?

Aside from the fortuitous swallowing of immortal herbs or devouring their enemies in the wild, a Spirit Beast’s growth is linear and consistent. So? What gives? How do they earn surges of energy to trigger an evolution in sureshot instances like becoming 100,000-year-old spirit beasts?

The answers he consulted with Gu Yuena are concerning and fascinating.

---

“A rule?”

Ja Sun recalls Gu Yuena’s conclusion.

The silver-haired dragon shifts from her cross-legged position, letting her brilliant purple gaze rest atop him as she tenderly strokes the tip of her spear resting across her lap. “What is the common occurrence between Spirit Beasts capable of turning into humans at their breakthrough or evolving and advancing through it to face constant tribulations every 100,000 years?”

He considers the question, more than happy to spend his time on the brain teaser while eyeing the peerless Dragon, who suggestively moves her finger across her silver spear to distract him.

Only after three hours and several internal considerations did Ja Sun arrive at his answer.

“Heaven,” he confidently responds. “And not the concept, but the authentic blanket-like entity above us all. She’s the Evil Sage, right?”

Gu Yuena nods, sighing softly. “Similar to Asura setting the rule of no living being in this realm divining the past war, there are rules for Spirit Beasts. I will set aside the ‘why.’ It’s been years, and I cannot spend my time and burn my brain cells wondering why Evil Sage allows the Spirit Beasts to thrive despite the current roster of Gods wanting the opposite. She just does.”

“Sorry for butting in,” Ja Sun clears his throat. “But is she still your wife now that you know your ‘son’ is still alive, even if in another realm?”

Not many things ruffle her the wrong way, but his words manage to concoct the weirdest possible scenarios as she glares at him, her spear making a keen noise.

“I thought it would be beneficial to have ‘literal’ Heaven on our side,” Ja Sun shrugs. “I guess not.”

She scoffs.

“I’m different from Dragon God,” Yuena narrowed her eyes. “So the Dragon Prince is not my offspring, and the Evil Sage is not my former mate. My only relationship, as distant as I want it to be, is with my ‘twin’ restrained inside the Heavenly Realm.”

“It’s still pretty funny,” Ja Sun scoffs and leans back. “I can’t believe I have the same stats as Evil Sage but on a lower realm.”

“Would you like me to complete?” Gu Yuena frowns. “For someone who berates others for cutting into his explanation, you value your own rules as dirt.”

“Sorry,” Ja Sun admits, a little caught up in his feelings. “I just can’t imagine what the Evil Sage thought despite being so similar. I could never intentionally harm Liang or others, even if for a plan.”

Gu Yuena lowers her gaze before musing, “You two are not similar, so I wouldn’t worry about you turning like her. From what I recall, she never did like whips and acts of masochism.”

He shrugs, “I didn’t ask for that, but thanks. Others may think you’re a heartless bitch, but I find you pleasing to the eyes.”

“I am heartless,” Gu Yuena raises a brow. “And I didn’t ask for that either. Back on topic—” She doesn’t let Ja Sun speak whatever he plans on saying.

“—While we don’t know why Heaven has such a connection with Spirit Beasts, going as far as communicating with them to inform their future choices, we know it’s a ‘Rule’ for Spirit Beasts to evolve or turn humans. And since a God wrestles away part of Laws from Heaven to achieve their Godhood, it is easy to imagine Heaven still has its ‘self’ controlling an infinite number of Laws! Evolution, in its most mortal sense, is defined as growth to endure. But as a Law? We are incapable of unraveling its true workings.”

Ja Sun chews on her words, nodding in agreement as he lowers his gaze, looking away from Yuena.

“What is it?” Sharp as ever, but not enough since she lost, Yuena inquires with narrowed eyes.

“Right, I understand Heaven introduces evolution or ‘change’ in Spirit Beasts through their Soul Origins but not humans.”

Gu Yuena's eyes widen, understanding the point he is trying to make.

“So, I feel it’s not Heaven forming a special connection with the Spirit Beasts. It’s us humans denying that connection through another ‘Rule’ perhaps.”

And the recollection of one Deity erupts in their minds as Ja Sun finishes.

Asura.

---

The triangular array embeds upon the ground in golden carvings and grooves containing even more runes! Each broad stroke from a distant view includes thousands, if not more, runes! And in the center of such marvel lies a circle of runes different from the rest of the array upon which Linda sits. She blinks cutely, almost impatient for her new family to start whatever they are here for since it’s almost her snack time.

Ja Sun and Gu Yuena step out of the formation, leaving the true machinations to Yin, Violet, and Ruo. The duo’s task is to act against any unforeseen circumstances.

Yes, Ja Sun is confident it will work.

But the very definition of Unforeseen Circumstance is his enemy!

Ja Yin joins her hands, explosively exhaling while injecting her Spirit Energy within the array. It doesn’t matter who starts the sequence, yet in her usual fashion, Ja Yin gets her dibs. A third of the array glints gold, letting out soft hums as she breathes life into the runes, making them shift, connect, and click like the gears of a clock. Instead of following in Ja Yin’s footsteps, Violet and Lan Ruo wait patiently. The exuding golden glow slowly slithers forth towards the circular area under Linda, entering the spot akin to a thin worm coiling around the circle’s perimeter. The looping energy leaves space between each loop until it stops at the center of the circle.

Linda chuffs curiously, leaning down to paw at the spot as Violet injects her Spirit Energy into the array, illuminating another third of the miracle as another thin worm of energy coils around the circle, filling half of the gaps left from before.

Lan Ruo follows after, illuminating the rest of the array and filling the remaining gaps within the spiral or energy within the circular region. A golden pillar erupts from the array, covering Linda while tearing the spatial shackles of Ja Sun’s artifact to rise into the sky above the Sage God Island!

“Well,” Ja Sun mutters in annoyance, “I’ll have to incur the cost of moving the array and the damages to the artifact.”

See?

Unforeseen Circumstances!

He shakes his head under Yuena’s deadpan. What would a bum of a Divine Dragon know about his struggles? Instead, he focuses on Linda, calling, “Linda! As we practiced! Think hard!”

An affirmative bark from Eevee and a strained grunt from Ja Yin is all he needs to clap his hand and boost the array’s functions with his nigh-infinite Spirit Energy!

---

A few days ago.

“Do you think it will work?” Ja Yin rests her head on his shoulder, idly tracing her index finger across his chest as he muses. “You should be confident.”

“I am confident!” she snorts before grumbling. “The array uses my and your pitiful affinity with Destiny that you earned from in the first place.”

“The cost of copying my wife’s face,” He hums.

She scoffs again, this time with a smirk, as she leans atop him, looking into his eyes. “How did your observation of Violet’s evolution go? You spent hours with Yuena afterward.”

“I learned and understood a few things,” Ja Sun shrugs as he exhales hotly, almost losing his focus for a second as he glances forward to match Zi Ji’s eager violet orbs as she sinks her lips against his entire length, kissing the base with an upturned, eager-to-serve gaze.

“I’m just sure it will work,” Ja Sun licks his dry lips, wrapping his hand around Zi Ji’s head as he gently guides her along his shaft. “I just know.”

---

‘Ja Yin never did realize one of the revisions in the array was to mimic the ‘rule’ of Evolution I learned from Violet. Things would take ten times longer if I did not have the Eye of Causality, but her evil attribute of Destiny can achieve a lot of this due to its causal nature. The true reason the otherworldly monsters are thriving as such on the Island is because of Yin and myself—and our attributes that support our surroundings’ growth. But it’s not enough for them to break their natural limits.’

He recalls his instructions to Linda—Just wish for it to happen with all your heart.

‘Heh, Causality will take care of rest.’

Ja Sun activates his Eye of Causality, entering his Spirit Transformation as his third Eye glimmers ominously the second he feels a strange sensation connecting him to Yin.

She can feel it too, but it’s more intense for her.

“Experience it all,” Ja Sun telepathically guides Yin. “It’s the flow of Destiny invoked by the array and Linda’s desire—and one of the most clear-cut ways aside from the Third Eye of the Evil Sage to understand the Law of Destiny.”

Ja Yin nods, closing her eyes.

---

Ja Sun gently embraces Liang after returning the other children to their mothers as he observes the pillar of light fade. His smile broadens with anticipation.

“Did it work?”

Ah-Yin whispers worriedly.

“Nope. Linda died.”—Yin and others gape.

He lied… for fun.

“I’m joking,” he admits, receiving powerful smacks on the back of his head.

Totally worth it.

—Ja Sun, a Loving Father, and a Prankster, Demi-Divine Husband.

***

Alternate Title: An Array Beyond Baby-Making; Mastering The First Form of Prank: Lying; Ja Sun Lies As Easily As He Breathed; The Heavenly Conditions; The Rules; Heaven’s Reach; Similarities and Difference; Ja Sun Would Like To See Some Heavenly Action; Zi Ji Will Always Serve Her Beast God; Unforeseen Circumstances Always Occur… So They Are Foreseeable?; Ja Sun Is Never Leaving The Kids For Milk