Chapter 67:
Trial of the Third Root – The Maze of Leadership
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I. Entry into the Maze
The third root rested in the realm of Leadership—a golden maze, ever shifting, ever whispering.
> "Lead, or be led. Rule, or be ruled," the voice of the ancestor echoed.
Echo stepped into the labyrinth. At first, paths glowed clear, and those he met praised his name. They called him Prince of Revival, Heir of Light, Chosen of the Twelve Roots.
But every decision he made—left or right, save or sacrifice—reshaped the maze.
Each wrong turn twisted the faces of those around him. Followers became doubters. Doubters turned to mobs. Friends into traitors.
Echo stood at the heart of a burning crossroad—every path screaming for his leadership, each leading to ruin.
Then he heard a whisper not from the maze, but from within:
> "True leadership is not control. It is carrying the burden of choice."
He knelt.
He gave up the throne offered in illusion.
He chose the path of service, not glory.
The maze crumbled, revealing the Third Root—a golden crown made of vines, which wrapped gently around his spirit.
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II. Meanwhile: Errin's Preparations for the Divine Vessel
Back in the real world, Errin meditated on a starlit peak.
The vessel for the god-son was nearly ready.
He forged it not from flesh, but from will, infused with cosmic elements—light from forgotten stars, dust from extinct moons, and the breath of the last sleeping titan.
He called upon the flames of the Jade Mother, the ice of the 10,000th pole, and the void ink of dreams never dreamt.
> "The boy must not just be strong," Errin murmured. "He must be balanced. Where I was fractured, he must be whole."
A pulse shook the world as the Divine Womb formed—a sphere of glowing threads spinning around a fetus of divine light.
Yet, Errin felt a disturbance.
One of the ancestor realms… had been touched by corruption.
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III. The Shadow of the Usurper
Back in the dimension of Truth, the Usurper-in-shadow posed as Echo.
He entered a realm uninvited—the Fifth Root, ahead of Echo's true timeline.
With false kindness and twisted compassion, he fed it lies and drained its purity.
He left the realm intact—but tainted.
Now, Echo walks unknowingly toward a test already sabotaged.
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Next Chapter: 69 – The Hollow Throne and the Broken Root
Echo faces a realm that no longer knows if it's real. Errin must enter the void to intercept the Usurper. The god-son's heartbeat begins to echo through galaxies.