The deep space was no longer a silent void for Arthur. With Aiden by his side, the cosmos felt alive, pulsing with a frequency that only the two of them could hear. They were traveling past the rings of Saturn, the golden ice crystals reflecting the violet glow of their combined auras.
"Dad, why do we have to move so fast?" Aiden asked, effortlessly keeping pace with Arthur despite being only a few days old. The boy was sitting cross-legged in the vacuum of space, his 1000x multiplier creating a small, comfortable bubble of oxygen and warmth around him.
Arthur looked back at Earth, now a tiny blue speck in the distance. "Because, Aiden, power like yours is like a fire in a dark forest. It doesn't just give light; it attracts the things that live in the shadows. And right now, the biggest shadows in the universe are looking for a snack."
Arthur stopped near a dead moon. He wanted to test Aiden's control.
"Listen to me, son," Arthur said, his voice echoing through Aiden's mind via mana-telepathy. "When I was a porter, I learned one thing: it's not about how much weight you can carry. It's about how you balance it. If you let the weight control you, it will break your spine. Your 1000x multiplier is the heaviest pack in existence. You have to be the master of it, or it will swallow you whole."
Aiden nodded, his face becoming uncharacteristically serious. "Like the wooden bird, Dad? I didn't mean to turn it into a sun."
"Exactly," Arthur smiled. "Now, try to manifest a simple shield. Don't think about the 1000x. Think about the texture of the old burlap bags I used to carry. Rough, strong, and steady."
The Arrival of Xal-Thun
Before Aiden could begin his training, the space around Saturn's rings began to warp. A massive shadow, larger than the planet itself, started to materialize. It wasn't made of flesh or metal; it was made of cold, dying stars.
[Warning!]
[Detection: One of the 7 Cosmic Devourers has arrived.]
[Identity: Xal-Thun, The Star-Eater.]
[Power Level: Level 3500 (Cosmic Entity).]
Xal-Thun didn't speak. It didn't need to. Its presence alone was enough to cause the moons of Saturn to deviate from their orbits. A massive, gravitational maw opened in the center of the entity, pulling in everything—rocks, gas, and light itself.
"Aiden, get behind me!" Arthur roared, his 'Void-Render' blade manifesting instantly.
[100x Multiplier Activated!]
[Skill 'Sovereign's Barrier' multiplied x100!]
Arthur created a massive violet wall of energy to protect his son, but Xal-Thun's gravity was so intense that the wall began to crack. The Star-Eater was literally trying to eat the space-time continuum they were standing on.
"You... you are the one who broke the Forge," a voice rumbled through the vacuum, vibrating Arthur's very atoms. "And the child... he is the fruit we have waited eons for. Give him to me, and I will spare your tiny blue planet."
"You want my son?" Arthur's eyes turned a blinding, absolute violet. "You'll have to reach through the Void to get him. And I am the King of the Void!"
The Father's Fury
Arthur launched himself at Xal-Thun. He moved so fast that he created ripples in the gravitational field. Every swing of his blade carried the weight of his 100x multiplier and the experience of a thousand battles.
BOOM!
The collision between 'Void-Render' and Xal-Thun's cosmic hide caused an explosion that could be seen from Earth. But the Star-Eater was too massive. It was like a man trying to stab a mountain.
"Your power is impressive for a mortal, Arthur," Xal-Thun sneered, firing a beam of pure black-hole energy. "But I am a law of the universe. You are just a porter who found a cheat code."
The beam hit Arthur's shield, and for the first time, Arthur was sent flying backward, his armor cracking. He felt the familiar pain, the feeling of being overwhelmed.
"Dad!" Aiden screamed.
Aiden saw his father struggling, and the 1000x multiplier inside him reacted to his fear and love. The boy's aura didn't just glow; it exploded. The cold space around them turned into a sea of violet and gold flames.
"Leave... my... DAD... ALONE!"
The Ultimate Resonance: 100,000x
Aiden flew toward Arthur, grabbing his father's hand. The moment their skin touched, the universe seemed to hold its breath.
[Ding!]
[RESONANCE DETECTED!]
[Father's 100x + Son's 1000x = 100,000x Infinite Multiplier!]
[Unlocking Forbidden Art: 'The Sovereign's Universe'!]
Arthur felt the power. It wasn't just mana anymore; it was the ability to rewrite the very laws of physics. His broken armor fused with Aiden's aura, creating a new form—the Dual-Monarch Mode.
Arthur looked at Xal-Thun, but he didn't feel anger anymore. He felt a calm, absolute authority.
"You called me a porter, Xal-Thun," Arthur said, his voice echoing through the galaxy. "And you were right. I've spent my life carrying things. And right now... I'm going to carry you straight to your grave."
Arthur and Aiden raised their hands together. A single point of light appeared between them—a singularity so dense it made Xal-Thun's gravity look like a joke.
"100,000x Multiplier... Concept: The End of Infinity!"
They released the energy. It wasn't a beam; it was a wave of 'Truth' that simply erased anything that was 'Untrue'. Xal-Thun, the entity that had eaten a thousand stars, started to dissolve. Its cosmic body, its dead suns, its very ego—everything was being turned into stardust.
"No! This power... it's not possible! The Source... the Source will punish you!" Xal-Thun screamed as its final atom was vaporized.
[Ding! Xal-Thun, The Star-Eater, has been Defeated!]
[XP Gained: 500,000,000!]
[Level Up! Arthur reached Level 2500!]
[Level Up! Aiden reached Level 500!]
Aftermath
The silence returned to the rings of Saturn. Arthur's white-gold armor faded, and he found himself holding a tired Aiden in his arms. The boy had used too much energy and was fast asleep, a small smile on his face.
Arthur looked out into the deep space. One Devourer was down, but he knew there were six more—each stronger than the last. And beyond them, the 'Source' was still watching.
"You're doing great, son," Arthur whispered, kissing Aiden's forehead. "But the pack is only going to get heavier from here."
Arthur looked at his status screen. The rewards were massive, but he didn't care about the numbers anymore. He looked at Saturn, then at the distant stars of the Andromeda galaxy.
"We're not just survivors anymore, Aiden," Arthur said, his voice firm. "We're the ones who are going to fix this broken universe. 100 times over."
[System Notification!]
[Legendary Title Gained: 'The Star-Slayer Father'.]
[Next Objective: The Nebula of Lost Souls.]
Arthur turned his back on Saturn and began the long journey deeper into the galaxy. The porter was no longer carrying bags; he was carrying the future of existence.