The Colossus Warmoth had legendary accomplishments. As a matter of fact, slowly discovering his laundry list of achievements was one of the things that made Skullius appreciate the choice he made for his fourth evolution back then – Warmoth Progeny.

’Ju`wtte, an exclusive lifeforce that doubles as a versatile weapon; the three dimensions – Empyrean Bosom, Treasury, and Pestilent Vault – built using a similar mechanism to what Serenity used to stabilize the Null Verse; comprehension of the |Greater Cosmic Law|; Runic mastery...’

Of course, the Warmoth had an unparalleled mastery of Runes as well. It wasn’t Skullius’ first time seeing it, but the kind of Runes etched on the rings seemed to be of a higher caliber than what he’d known the Warmoth to be capable of. They were rather intricate.

Runecraft was the highest form of control in Reality. It was even the genius behind the Books of Alignment, after all (the books used to convert ordinary beings into Existential Parallels).

"But even with all that, there were things the Warmoth couldn’t do, huh?" said Skullius.

"Once upon a time, the Jan`ind desired heirs. Many of them. He grew too bored with the Null Verse and wanted to explore the outside world. I’ve studied over two-thirds of the species in here at length, he said. No doubt, there’ll be more in the future, but I can’t help but be more enticed with what Serenity forbids us from seeing – what’s outside our ’reality’. Still, I can’t explore it alone. There must be strong enemies with powers beyond my own out there. I wonder what they’ll teach me."

Susu’k never forgot the memory. The joy in the Warmoth’s voice that day had been unlike any he’d ever known from him.

"I’ve always gotten the impression that he was kind of an arrogant sockethole," said Skullius. "To think he acknowledged that there could be stronger foes on the outside..." He chuckled. "He would have been in for a nasty surprise otherwise."

Skullius had surmised that the Four Authorities were roughly as strong as the Primeval Deities before, but after absorbing Boron’s memories, he’d realized that the comparison wasn’t as simple.

’In addition to Treasures, Parlous Natures, Physiques, Andori, and Amras being foreign concepts to the Null Verse, there doesn’t seem to be the Power of Dimensions either. There’s no higher plane than three dimensions in the Null Verse,’ Skullius thought, ’which means that a Primeval Deity could easily eliminate an Authority who wanders out of the Null Verse. On the other hand, if a Primeval Deity were to invade the Null Verse into an Authority’s Dominion, they would be slaughtered easily. Their reliance on traversing through dimensions will become a weakness.’

Susu’k pretended as though he hadn’t heard Skullius stabbing at his old master and continued speaking.

"The Jan`ind courted and won the affection of a powerful mate. It was a surprise to me that he had it in him, considering that he spent most of his time steeped in research, though, I suppose, he did learn quite a few things from the Penetrators."

"He grew even happier with his partner, enlightening her about all the things he knew – all the possibilities he imagined. He was only happy to share his Ju`wtte, his powers with her and their progeny. He hadn’t, after all, wanted his legacy to end with how he’d just been a legendary Authority once upon a time."

Skullius counted the smaller thrones surrounding the larger one.

"Ten heirs? He wanted that many?" he said.

"He was greedy," said Susu’k. "He was convinced he needed at least that many as a start."

"Hmm. And when did this ambition fall apart?"

Susu’k hesitated. "When he created Cold Oblivion."

Skullius was taken aback.

"Cold Oblivion?"

"I’m sure you only know it as a poison, but that was the final conclusion the Warmoth came to, after it took everything from him."

Susu’k’s sullen tone was heavier than gravity. His ability to recall everything the Warmoth had said and done with shocking clarity seemed to backfire.

"Ten children were born between him and his lover, and as the Jan`ind suspected, they were very much like him – compatible with Ju`wtte and great receptacles for his ideas. He was thoroughly pleased. All that remained was a way to leave the Null Verse – something only one other species had ever managed at that point."

"That’s where Cold Oblivion came in; created by inverting the genetic material of all the Null Life species the Jan`ind had ever studied – over two-thirds of all Null-living creatures – and matching it against his own genetic material. He surmised that the only way to leave the Null Verse was to strike the Null Verse’s boundary with a concentrated burst of potential energy equal to its capacity."

Skullius frowned at once, but not for a lack of understanding. He grasped the concept easily enough.

The Warmoth had already replicated how the Null Verse worked with his three isolated dimensions to the point where Skullius himself was convinced the legendary Authority wasn’t truly dead and would be reincarnated in the future, just like it was with the Cycle in the Null Verse.

’The Null Verse was designed in a way that even Serenity can’t control the depth and variety of the species it generates. Ha,’ Skullius shook his head. ’The Warmoth had already studied most of the species in the Null Verse. All that potential... Taking it and ramming it back against the Null Verse in some form would be a smart strategy to overwhelm the Null Verse and create a way out."

...And it indeed it was. Cold Oblivion was so potent that it was lethal to anyone other than Skullius, all because it combined the infected, inverted genetic material of quintillions of Null Life species. Such a mass of power was atrociously dangerous, even against a Reality rank Treasure like the Null Verse.

However...

"I get the theory," said Skullius to Susu’k, "but even with this weapon, the Warmoth himself was bound to the Null Verse by Serenity, right? All the Authorities are. And even if they manage to escape somehow, they are stripped of their Dominion, aren’t they?"

That was how it’d been with Caxellac.

"Indeed," answered Susu’k. "That was why the Jan`ind planned for his sons to use Cold Oblivion and explore the outside world. It was a supreme means of traversal as well as a supreme weapon against outside enemies. He charged his sons with finding a way to free him. The Null Verse exists somewhere in the outside Reality, he said to the ten. Study your surroundings, rid them of any foes, and then breach the barrier from the outside and draw me out. It won’t matter to me then if I lose my standing as an Authority."

"I see..." said Skullius. "The heirs didn’t get to do any of that, though, did they?"

Susu’k’s ten eyes closed shut.

"When the Jan`ind granted them the Cold Oblivion, it appeared as though everything was within his calculations," he said. "However, in the end, none of them were complete heirs. And so, the Cold Oblivion killed them. Slowly."