Chapter 147 Mission: Fixing Zero 1 (2/2)

Merlin noticed the horrified expressions on the Demon Lords left in the room and sighed. He then turned to Hades who nodded. The God of Death walked over to Zero and tapped the boy lightly on his head before Zero's eyes slowly closed.

Nobody moved a muscle when Hades extracted something from Zero's body. There was no mistaking that dark mass of power. Truen felt the orb call to him and walked over in a trance until he was restrained by Merlin's magic. Similarly, Amon, Mammon and Shittomi who were left in the room had to hold onto their rationality at the sight of that orb. They resisted the impulse to jump towards it, well aware of what would happen if they did that.

”I'll be taking care of him for a while. I'm leaving his body to you, Merlin.”

The wizard bowed as Hades took his leave. The moment Hades left, the Demon Lords allowed themselves to relax and Truen was freed from Merlin's magic. The wood elf took a while to regain his senses and when he did, he gave his teacher a panicked look.

”Don't worry. Unlike us, the Great Gods can resist the pull of Zero's soul. Right now, his soul is unstable. In order to counter the imbalance in him, Zero is looking to devour those he holds close.”

Truen shivered after hearing that. The Demon Lords looked ill with unease at that revelation.

”What would have happened if we gave in to the impulse?” Shittomi asked.

Merlin didn't answer immediately. His eyes were hard.

”You would have returned to the void and become a part of Zero.”

Nobody spoke, too horrified by the truth. Merlin had Truen carry Zero's body and decided that he would be staying in Hell for a while. Taking some time off Truen's studies might be good for both of them too.

***

Buddha wasn't too surprised when Hades showed up in his domain flaunting his superior aura. The God of Death must be livid if he didn't bother suppressing his aura like usual. Many of Buddha's weaker disciples fainted when Hades got close, overwhelmed by the power difference and the crushing magical pressure.

”Hades,” he greeted calmly. The God of Death didn't speak. Buddha knew what he wanted.

”Follow me,” he told Hades who followed after silently. Truth be told, Buddha was slightly afraid of Hades who had become so silent. Although the God of Death was a generally good-natured fellow, Buddha knew that the Great God had a ruthless side to him. The title he held wasn't a coincidence. Buddha wasn't fooled into thinking that Hades couldn't reap his soul if he really wanted to. The Sage God was walking on thin ice at the moment.

He led them through the maze of beautifully built temples. Nirvana was a mysterious place for many. It was said that if one could be lost in it forever if they weren't enlightened enough. While it was a peaceful place, it could also be one full of suffering worse than the abyss. Nirvana is one place that practices living without emotions. Buddha was the first to chance upon the void and decided to research more into what lies within the mysterious space. The power of enlightenment allowed him to know some of the greatest secrets of their multiverse. After becoming a Sage God, Buddha never stopped trying to find answers. However, the mystery of the void was neverending. He didn't know how the void worked but he knew how to enter and leave the first few levels of the void. That alone is enough reason for Hades to seek the sly Sage God out.

Buddha led them through a misty bamboo grove to a lotus pond in a clearing. It was bright but there was no sun. In fact, time didn't seem to exist in this place. No matter how many times Hades visited Nirvana, he was always confused by how things worked here.

At the end of a very long stone walk path, there was a beautiful white pavilion. The surface of the water was still. The weather was cooling even though there was no breeze. It didn't make one shiver in cold but it wasn't comforting either. Hades sat down on the hard stone bench, motioning for Hades to do the same. The pavilion was constructed in an octagon shape like all of Buddha's other Pagodas.

”Can you hold onto Zero's soul while I balance out the disruptive flow of energy?”

The God of Death allowed Zero's soul to float to the middle of the pavilion before holding it there with his magic. Buddha wasted no time and got to work immediately. The dark mass of energy spiralled when Buddha tried to reach out to it with his mind and struck back at the Sage God.

Buddha threw up a scripture shield just in time and the attack disintegrated it. After catching a glimpse of his hardship ahead, Buddha felt cold sweat forming at the back of his neck. It has been many centuries since he last did something so dangerous. The last time he attempted to break-through to the middle-levels of the void, he suffered a terrible injury that he spent half a century recovering from. He wasn't confident that he would be able to stabilise the state of Zero's soul but the look in Hades' hollow eyes told him that he didn't have a choice.

Gritting his teeth, Buddha tried again.