Author's Note: Unedited Chapter ------------ Gustav's eyes narrowed as he considered her words. She always had a way of offering just enough information to guide him, without ever giving him the full answer. It was infuriating, but also helpful. "If it's my living essence that's the problem... then I need to find a way to mask it." Gustav mused aloud. "Or... minimize it. Make it undetectable... or just get rid of it all together. " The system nodded approvingly. "Now you're thinking. But can you pull it off? Can you temporarily 'shut down' your essence enough to pass undetected? After all, you've never exactly been the quiet type." Gustav smirked as his mind began working through possibilities. "If it means getting that vestige, I'll find a way." With this new task in hand, Gustav activated a few of his abilities to experiment. Energy dampening was a common technique, something he had learned in his earlier days, but this situation called for something more advanced—something that would mask his very existence. The silent expanse of space around Gustav was eerie as he initiated a technique that very few would dare attempt. His goal was clear, but the path to it was hazardous. The restriction demanded extreme measures if he wanted to reach the vestige within. Standing alone in his spacecraft, Gustav focused his energy, channeling his Outworldly powers to perform a separation technique on himself. A faint, translucent light surrounded him as he pushed his energy outward while his consciousness split n two. His body shuddered as his form divided, creating two distinct entities. One of him remained as he was—alive, breathing, human. The other form, however, took on a twisted, hollow appearance, with his skin taking on a faint greyish hue and his eyes dimmed to a dull glow. This was an undead version of himself, a being devoid of true living essence. He looked at his undead form, inspecting it with a critical eye. "Alright, you're my ticket in," he murmured, watching as the undead Gustav mirrored his movements. "You will or rather I will bring that vestige back to me." The undead version gave a slight nod. It was like Gustav's consciousness was split in two as well. Gustav left his other self outside as his undead version approached the barrier using the spacecraft. Unlike his living form, the undead body slipped past the boundary with ease, unaffected by the force that kept all living things at bay. "Good," Gustav undead form whispered to himself forward from within the spacecraft as it continued to drift forward. As they approached the deeper part of the restricted zone, the vessel's instruments began to fluctuate. The metallic frame shuddered under the strain of the intense energy field surrounding them. "Hold together," Gustav muttered, gripping the controls. Despite its lack of life, the spacecraft was starting to feel the pressure. It wasn't as severe as it would have been for a living creature, but the sheer force of the restriction was wearing down the machinery, piece by piece. Finally, after a long, grueling journey, the craft could go no further. Gustav gritted his teeth as he ordered his undead self to disembark, leaving the craft behind. As the undead version of himself drifted away from the vessel, he continued forward alone. "Almost there," Gustav thought, watching through his connection with his undead self. The journey was slow but he forced himself forward, inch by inch. After what felt like an eternity, the figure of the vestige finally came into view. Encased in a stone-like shell, it looked like a statue, pulsing faintly with the energy of his Outworldly essence. But as the undead Gustav reached out, a realization hit him. "I can't absorb it," he muttered to himself. The undead form lacked the necessary connection to his living essence, making direct absorption impossible. "Looks like I need to bring it back to me," Gustav voiced with a hint of frustration. With no other choice, he directed his undead self to lift the vestige statue. --- Meanwhile, in another part of the galaxy, Endric, Ria, and Sersi had landed on an unknown, vibrant planet. Thick green foliage covered the ground, and enormous trees stretched toward a violet sky, their leaves gleaming in various shades of purple and blue. Strange, iridescent creatures moved between the trees, their eyes glowing with an intelligence that was more instinctual than sentient. "Well, we're definitely not on one of the dead planets we've seen before," Sersi murmured, glancing around at the vibrant surroundings. "No kidding," Ria added, leaning against a tree and observing a creature with fur that shifted colors, moving in and out of the shadows. "It's like a jungle out here, except everything wants to eat you." Endric sighed, crossing his arms. "Alright, we don't know if this is where we're supposed to be, but we're here now. Let's keep our eyes open for anything that might hint at the sword's location." Sersi tilted her head, looking around warily. "Should we... try asking the locals?" She gestured to a massive, four-legged beast with dark scales and three eyes, watching them from a distance. "I doubt they're the chatty type," Endric replied, raising an eyebrow. "These creatures look like they'd rather eat us than talk to us." Ria smirked. "Still, can't hurt to try, can it? Maybe we could use Sersi as bait. You know, lure one over and see if it wants to have a friendly conversation." Sersi shot him a glare. "You volunteer to be the bait, Ria. I'll happily watch from a safe distance." Endric held up a hand to cut off their banter, his gaze sharp as he scanned the surroundings. "Focus, both of you. Let's spread out and see what we can find. Keep your comms open in case you spot anything unusual." They moved cautiously through the dense jungle, stepping over roots as thick as tree trunks and pushing aside massive, shimmering leaves that released a fragrant, almost hypnotic scent. The ground was alive with small, scurrying creatures, their beady eyes following the trio as they passed. Sersi knelt down to examine a patch of glowing blue moss, touching it carefully. "This place… it's almost like it's from another dimension. The flora and fauna don't match anything I've seen before." Ria shrugged, keeping a wary eye on the trees above them. "Well, if there's some creepy dimension where weird robed figures and magical swords like to hang out, let's hope it's this." Endric's gaze was steely. "Whoever those figures were, they seemed determined to keep the sword hidden. If they're connected to this place, we might find some sign of them here." They continued their search, moving deeper into the jungle. Hours passed, but they found little more than strange plants and the ever-watchful eyes of the local wildlife. Frustration began to simmer as their efforts proved fruitless. Sersi exhaled heavily, brushing a hand over her forehead. "Are we sure we're not just wandering aimlessly?" Ria nodded, tossing a small stone at a nearby tree. "Yeah, we could spend a lifetime here and still find nothing." They had hoped to find a clue here, but hours had passed, and their efforts were leading nowhere. "Maybe we're on the wrong track," she murmured, looking around. "This place just doesn't feel right." Endric, who had been deep in thought, shook his head slowly. "It's… strange, yes. But we can't just turn back now. There has to be a reason we're here. Those robed figures we saw—they must have been protecting something. Maybe they left a trace." Ria flashed a grin. "Or maybe they just have a weird sense of direction. What if we're just wandering aimlessly while they're laughing somewhere, watching us on some cosmic monitor?" Sersi chuckled lightly, but Endric remained focused. He knew they couldn't abandon their search without exhausting every lead. "Let's spread out again. but stay within sight," Endric instructed. "If we cover more ground, we might be able to find some kind of clue. Anything unusual, call it in." The trio began a careful sweep of the area. Ria ventured toward a nearby clearing, examining the rocks and unusual markings etched into the trees. "Endric, I don't think we're going to find anything here," Sersi called over the comm. "There's nothing even remotely close to the other world's energy signature. It's like they left no trail at all." Endric frowned, a sinking feeling settling in his stomach. "Maybe they're hiding it with some kind of cloaking mechanism. These beings seemed powerful enough." Suddenly, Ria's voice broke in, a mix of confusion and concern. "Uh, Endric? Sersi? You two might want to see this." Endric and Sersi exchanged glances before hurrying over to Ria's location. When they reached him, they found him standing in front of a massive stone structure partially hidden by the foliage. Carvings covered its surface, symbols twisting and winding in patterns that seemed to move under their gaze. "What is this?" Sersi whispered, stepping closer to inspect the symbols. Endric reached out, running his fingers over the carvings. The stone was cold to the touch, but he felt a faint vibration beneath the surface, a kind of ancient energy that sent a chill down his spine.