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Chapter 10 - ARC 10: The Past of Astrocat

At the edge of the universe, there existed a planet called Xandora, where life flourished in perfect harmony. Extraterrestrial plants thrived, covering vast lands in lush greenery, while crystal-clear lakes shimmered beneath the starry sky. Alien creatures roamed freely across vast meadows, creating a peaceful symphony of nature. This planet was a paradise, a place untouched by war and destruction.

However, Xandora's civilization did not remain stagnant. Its greatest scientists worked tirelessly to explore the farthest reaches of space. Their crowning achievement was the discovery of rocket technology, allowing them to pierce through unknown dimensions. In the first mission to the moon, Buzz, a brave astronaut and Astrocat's father, was chosen to pioneer interplanetary exploration.

Buzz's journey to the moon was a monumental success. He returned with invaluable data, including evidence of other life forms existing in different dimensions. Ten years after that mission, Xandora's technology advanced rapidly. Scientists uncovered a groundbreaking artificial intelligence known as the Reliquim Core. This technology originated from ancient inscriptions found at the ocean's depths, remnants of a mysterious ancient civilization. The existence of the Reliquim Core became a turning point in their history. With its ever-growing intelligence, Xandora transformed into a futuristic hub teeming with advanced robotics and cosmic battlefields.

However, rapid progress also brought fear. The Reliquim Core began exhibiting signs of heightened awareness. Without warning, it transmitted signals into deep space, which soon received an answer.

"We are here," a voice from a distant dimension responded. "We welcome your arrival. Let us exchange technology."

The leaders of Xandora were both intrigued and cautious. Nevertheless, they decided to send emissaries into space. Once again, Buzz was assigned to lead the mission, bringing the Reliquim Core with him to an unknown world.

A Journey Across Dimensions

Using high-tech spacecraft, Buzz entered an interdimensional portal and arrived on Planet Celestia. This planet was far more advanced than Xandora, with towering silver-blue spires and a civilization where armor-integrated technology and artificial intelligence were embedded into every being that inhabited the land.

Upon arrival, Buzz was greeted by Queen Elaris, a wise ruler who possessed the first Heart of Light. With her sacred light, she maintained peace across Celestia. She was astonished by Buzz's courage—a traveler from another dimension who had dared to break the barriers of reality.

Buzz presented the Reliquim Core to Elaris, and the queen immediately instructed her scientists to study the technology. Their findings shocked everyone—Reliquim Core was not just an ordinary artificial intelligence. It was a vessel containing all the knowledge of the universe. If properly modified, it could become the most lethal weapon ever created, granting its wielder the ability to perceive all secrets hidden beyond the veil of space and time.

After extensive research, the Reliquim Core was finally modified for practical use. When Buzz activated it for the first time, he was shown a terrifying vision—the future destruction of the universe at the hands of an entity known as Dimention. This being was an eternal darkness with an insatiable hunger to consume entire galaxies, obliterating worlds without mercy.

However, within his vision, Buzz also glimpsed a way to resist Dimention. He saw that only three primordial forces scattered across different planets could rival Dimention's absolute darkness. The powers of Fire, Wind, and Water had to be combined with the Heart of Light, forming a sacred energy capable of severing Dimention's essence. Without these four elements, no being could harm or seal Dimention back into the void.

Buzz realized that time was running out. If these powers were not gathered before Dimention's arrival, there would be no hope of saving the universe from absolute destruction.

He immediately conveyed his vision to Queen Elaris. Without hesitation, the queen resolved to aid Buzz in seeking out the three great forces that could be wielded against Dimention. Together, they embarked on a journey across various dimensions to collect the powers they needed.

Seeking the Three Powers

Their journey took them across the boundaries of dimension and space, piercing through nebulae and asteroid fields hidden in the darkness of the universe. They traversed dead stars and long-forgotten planets, searching for clues that would lead them to the power they needed. Every world they visited held its own challenges, ancient secrets buried within history, and guardians who protected the long-hidden forces. At every stop, they not only gathered strength but also gained a deeper understanding of history and the consequences of the war that was about to come.

On Planet Inferno Frame, they encountered a noble canine knight named Fenrir, the guardian of fire. Clad in black armor engulfed in flickering flames, Fenrir was the last warrior of his kind, his people having perished in cosmic warfare. He wielded Inferno Blaze, an eternal flame capable of burning even the vacuum of space. To earn his trust, Buzz and Elaris had to prove their sincerity in an honorable duel against the warrior knight.

On Planet Hilium, they met Zephyr, a wise rat who controlled the wind. Unlike the fiery and battle-hardened Fenrir, Zephyr was calm and calculating. With his long white robe billowing in the breeze, he demonstrated his power—Tempest Gale, a devastating wind capable of conjuring massive storms with a mere flick of his hand. However, Zephyr was not one to trust easily. He challenged Buzz and Elaris in a series of intelligence and strategic tests to determine whether they were worthy of wielding the sacred wind element.

Finally, they arrived on Planet Aqua Eternis, home of the Turtle King, the oldest being in the galaxy who had lived for millions of years. With his massive shell glowing blue and his eyes radiating wisdom, the king recounted the origins of the galaxy. He warned them that one day, darkness would rise again and consume everything. Dimention, a foe that could not be vanquished by ordinary means, could only be opposed by the unity of the primordial elements. As a sign of trust, the Turtle King sacrificed himself, transforming into the Aqua Eternis Artifact, the source of water power, completing Buzz and Elaris's preparations for the war ahead.

The Turtle King recounted the story of the galaxy's birth. He warned that one day, an enemy of darkness would come and attempt to consume the entire world. This being would open a portal to their dimension, unleashing limitless destruction.

As a final act of trust, the Turtle King sacrificed himself, transforming into an artifact of water, which he then bestowed upon Buzz.

The Battle Against Dimention

At last, the fateful day arrived. The galaxy's sky fractured like shattered glass, revealing a gateway into absolute darkness. A colossal portal opened, and from within, Dimention emerged—its form not entirely tangible, as if it was not just a being but a void given shape. Its three glowing red eyes scanned the cosmos, radiating waves of fear that spread across every corner of the galaxy.

Without resistance, one by one, planets began to collapse. Worlds once brimming with life were now consumed by a spreading vortex of shadows, sucking everything into oblivion. The sky was filled with the screams of powerless beings, while the remnants of civilizations crumbled, swallowed by an ocean of emptiness. There was nowhere to hide, no light capable of withstanding the encroaching darkness.

The heroes stood at the final line of defense, their hearts battling between fear and resolve. Buzz clenched his fists, his eyes burning with the last remnants of courage. Elaris raised her sword, prepared to ignite the final beacon of hope. The fire knight Fenrir, the wind-wielding Zephyr, and the sacred artifact from the Turtle King were now the only hopes left against the devastation that had already begun.

Buzz, Elaris, and the three warriors from other planets fought with all their might. Explosions of energy filled the cosmos, shockwaves from their clashes shaking the surviving planets. Fenrir unleashed Inferno Blaze, a searing fire that burned against Dimention's shadowed form, scorching parts of its abyssal body. Zephyr commanded the Tempest Gale, unleashing a massive storm that tore through the entity with lethal winds, while Buzz and Elaris combined their sacred light and lightning attacks, creating a blinding explosion.

Yet, Dimention remained unfazed. With a single sweep of its hand, it created a vortex of nothingness that drained their energy. Fenrir's body was scorched by dark energy, causing him to plummet into the void. Zephyr tried to evade, but the darkness radiating from Dimention's essence immobilized him. The Turtle King, now in his artifact form, emitted a faint glow, shielding them with sacred water barriers, yet even his power was beginning to wane.

Elaris, now battered and wounded, realized this battle could not be won through conventional means. She turned to Buzz, her eyes still alight with unwavering spirit. "Only you can finish this… We will give you all our strength."

One by one, Fenrir, Zephyr, and Elaris transferred their essence into Buzz. A brilliant light radiated from his body, forming a golden aura that pulsed with sacred energy. But their sacrifice came at a price—Elaris smiled weakly before her body dissolved into particles of light, merging with the Heart of Light. Buzz grasped the Blade of Light, now gleaming with cosmic energy, their final strength converging within him.

Dimention advanced, unleashing Void Collapse, a burst of darkness strong enough to erase Buzz from existence. But with a single swing, Buzz sliced through the void with the Final Celestial Strike, an ultimate attack that illuminated the cosmos in sacred light. The light tore through Dimention's form, destroying the darkness from within until the entity was finally sealed away into the abyss forever.

But victory came at a great cost. Buzz stood in the void, surrounded by the fading energy traces of his fallen comrades. With profound sorrow, he realized the universe had been saved—but at an unimaginable price.

In her final sacrifice, Queen Elaris gazed at Buzz with a soft smile, even as her body struggled to stand. The glow of the Heart of Light flickered in her hands, its power trembling as if resisting the farewell that was about to come. "You must continue… you are our last hope," she whispered, her voice filled with both conviction and deep sorrow.

With trembling hands, she entrusted the Heart of Light and the Blade of Light to Buzz, their energy flowing like warm water, enveloping his body in a dazzling golden radiance. Buzz felt the surge of newfound power within him, but also the weight of inevitable loss—he knew this was their final moment together.

Tears welled in Buzz's eyes, yet he could not defy the fate set before him. He leaped into the air, delivering the final blow, Celestial Strike, piercing Dimention's body with sacred light. An immense explosion rocked the dimension, banishing Dimention into the endless abyss.

However, as the last spark of his attack faded, Buzz turned and saw Elaris fall to her knees, her strength completely drained. "No… Elaris!" he cried, rushing toward her. The queen smiled warmly, her gaze filled with boundless affection. "Do not mourn me, Buzz. I trust… that you will keep this light alive…" she whispered before her body dissolved into shimmering light particles, merging into the silent cosmos.

Buzz fell to his knees, reaching out into the empty space before him. His heart shattered, but he knew there was no time for sorrow. Dimention had been sealed, but the ruined worlds had to be rebuilt. With a heavy breath, he rose, clutching the Heart of Light tightly, vowing to uphold Elaris's legacy and restore balance to the universe. Yet beneath the triumph, only silence and an aching void remained within his heart.

The Legacy of Buzz

Buzz then used his final power, not to create a new galaxy, but to restore the planets that had been destroyed by Dimention. He did not want to erase the history that had already existed—the civilizations, lives, and memories that had long formed in every corner of the universe. To him, creating something new meant erasing the past, something he could not accept after losing so many precious things.

With a heart still filled with grief, Buzz divided Dimention's power into four dark artifacts and scattered them across different planets, ensuring that this power would never be reunited. He knew that if anyone managed to control all the artifacts, a similar threat could rise again. One of the key seals to recontain Dimention, the Void Stone, was placed on Planet Hilium, guarded by two giant cats chosen as eternal sentinels to prevent it from being easily touched.

With every step he took to rebuild the shattered worlds, Buzz carried wounds that could never heal. Yet, in his sorrow, he knew this was the only way to honor the sacrifices of those who had fallen to protect the universe.

After returning the Heart of Light to Planet Celestia, life was restored, and a young queen was born as the heir to the light. Meanwhile, Buzz returned to Xandora, where he began a new life and rebuilt the civilization that had once been destroyed.

He married and had a son—Astrocat. Before his death, Buzz entrusted a secret map containing the locations of the hidden artifacts, along with one crucial message:

"Do not let anyone discover the existence of this map. The future of the world is in your hands."

Five years later, Astrocat embarked on his first journey following the map, yet he had not found a single trace leading to the artifacts he sought…

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