Chapter 244: Law Masters
The barracks of the Oynstar Intergalactic Army were unlike anything Igaris had known. Vast crystalline halls stretched for miles, glowing faintly with inscriptions of universal law. The walls shifted color with the passing of hours, glowing bright azure at dawn and dimming into violet at night. Soldiers came and went, their steps resonating with hidden rhythms as though each one carried a song of creation within their bones.
Igaris’s assigned quarters were simple: a single chamber with a bed shaped from polished stone, its surface softer than silk, and a window that overlooked the twin moons. He was not alone long.
A man in silver armor entered, his expression open and warm. He looked to be in his early forties, with a sturdy build, short dark hair streaked with gray, and eyes that shone like tempered bronze. He smiled as though he had already decided to welcome Igaris as kin.
"You must be the new recruit," the man said. "Igor, yes? I am Captain Kael, your assigned mentor for the first stage of your training. From today forward, you and I will share blood and sweat. If you fail, it will be my shame as much as yours."
Kael extended a hand. His grip was firm, carrying the kind of confidence that came only from countless battles.
Igaris clasped it, nodding respectfully. "I will not waste your effort."
Kael laughed heartily. "Good. You have the eyes of one who has seen too much, yet refuses to break. That is the first mark of a true soldier." He motioned for Igaris to follow. "Come, walk with me. It is time you learned what it means to be a Law Master."
They stepped out into the training grounds, a coliseum carved into the heart of a mountain. Thousands of recruits sparred under the watchful eyes of veterans. The air vibrated with clashing laws: fire roared, water sang, lightning split the sky, and even gravity bent and twisted as combatants reshaped the battlefield.
Kael folded his arms, his voice resonant. "You saw children bending laws in the villages, yes? That is the beginning, but raw talent means nothing without discipline. To become a true Law Master, one must climb the Seven Stages. Each step carves your place in the cosmos."
Igaris’s eyes narrowed. "Seven stages?"
Kael nodded. "Yes. Listen well. The First Stage is Awakening. Here, the chosen plant the seed of a Law Tree within themselves. This tree determines their path, for it is born from the law that resonates most with their spirit. A man aligned with fire births a tree of flame, its branches blazing. A woman tied to water births a river-tree, its leaves flowing like waves. The Law Tree is the foundation of all cultivation here."
He gestured to a young recruit across the arena. The boy raised his hand, and a golden tree of light bloomed faintly behind him, its branches flickering like the dawn.
"The Second Stage is Growth," Kael continued. "Here, the Law Tree deepens its roots into body and soul. The stronger the roots, the more stable the law."
He raised two fingers. "The Third Stage is Blooming. At this stage, the branches of your Law Tree spread, and you begin to manifest techniques unique to your law. A master of flame may birth firestorms, while one bound to space may fold horizons."
"Fourth is Fruition. The Law Tree begins to bear fruit. Each fruit is an embodiment of a principle, a technique, or even a domain."
"Fifth is Transcendence. The cultivator merges with their Law Tree, becoming one with its essence. Their flesh and soul are infused with the pure law they command."
"Sixth is Sovereignty. At this stage, a Law Master no longer bends law; they define it. Their presence alone alters the fabric of reality."
Kael paused, his eyes turning toward the heavens where radiant symbols still drifted across the night sky. His voice softened, filled with reverence. "And the Seventh Stage... Celestial. The Law Tree ascends beyond the cultivator and becomes a pillar of creation itself. A Celestial is no longer merely a master of law. They give birth to new worlds, to suns and stars. Entire galaxies sprout from their branches. To become a Celestial is to stand as an architect of existence itself."
Igaris felt the weight of those words. He understood now that this was no mere advanced civilization. This was a higher-dimensional universe, greater in scope than the one he had left behind. His mind flickered with the memory of his own Overlordhood. Even at his peak, he had never created worlds with such casual inevitability.
"This realm," Igaris murmured, "is built on a foundation greater than mine."
Kael glanced at him curiously. "Strange words for a new recruit. But yes, this is not the only empire. Dozens of Intergalactic Empires thrive in this higher dimension, each ruled by Sovereigns and Celestials. Our Oynstar Empire is but one among many."
Igaris absorbed the knowledge silently. If he was to rise here, he would need to start from the beginning.
The following week, Igaris was assigned to his first mission. Kael gathered him and four other recruits aboard a sleek vessel crafted of white steel and etched with golden circuits. Its engines hummed with the Law of Motion, propelling them faster than light.
Their mission was simple: seize a group of pirates terrorizing the outer belts of a star system. For the recruits, it was a test of teamwork and discipline. For Igaris, it was an opportunity to observe.
The crew introduced themselves aboard the ship. There was Lira, a spirited young woman whose Law Tree of Lightning sparked around her like a storm. Darven, a stoic man wielding the Law of Stone, his aura steady as mountains. Selai, a healer who nurtured the Law of Vitality. And Kael himself, whose Law of Flame burned steady and unyielding.
As they traveled, Igaris listened. He learned how each had awakened their Law Tree, how they cultivated its roots and fruits through meditation, battle, and resonance with the cosmos. Lira described how her tree had grown after channeling storms for days on end. Darven spoke of training beneath collapsing cliffs until his body became one with stone.
"Every chosen must awaken their Law Tree," Kael explained one evening, standing beside Igaris at the ship’s viewing deck as stars streaked past. "Without it, one cannot step onto the path of the Law Masters. Talent, effort, even bloodlines mean nothing if the seed does not awaken."
Igaris remained silent. For days he had tried in secret to awaken a Law Tree, but nothing happened. He reached inward, calling upon fire, space, even fate, but no tree bloomed. He clenched his fists as doubt gnawed at him. Was he truly powerless in this higher realm?
The mission commenced. Their ship descended upon the pirate fleet: ragged vessels scavenged from fallen empires. A skirmish erupted in the void. Lira hurled storms of lightning, frying enemy engines. Darven became a fortress of stone, shielding the crew from cannon fire. Selai wove life into their wounds, closing cuts before the blood even flowed. Kael’s flame tore through pirate after pirate with devastating certainty.
Igaris fought with bare hands. His body, though stripped of law, was still a weapon beyond comprehension. He shattered hulls with punches, redirected blasts with raw strength, and crushed pirate champions with a single strike. The crew stared at him with awe.
But afterward, when the pirates were subdued and the mission complete, the whispers began.
"He has no Law Tree," Lira muttered to Darven. "How long can he last like this?"
Selai, kind as she was, frowned with concern. "Without a Law Tree, his path will end before it begins."
Kael said nothing, but his eyes lingered on Igaris with a strange intensity.
That night, aboard the ship, Igaris meditated. He poured his will inward, straining to awaken the seed of law. Nothing. His chest heaved with frustration.
Then, something stirred.
Infinite Acquisition.
The ability that had carried him across universes, that had devoured knowledge and power alike, suddenly blazed to life. His body trembled. His soul shook. The silence within him shattered, replaced by a roaring tide.
Before his crewmates’ shocked eyes, a tree began to bloom behind him. Not of fire, nor stone, nor lightning, nor vitality.
A vast Law Tree erupted from his form, its trunk glittering with constellations, its branches stretching into infinity. Leaves shimmered like galaxies. Fruits pulsed like stars being born. Its roots spread across dimensions, anchoring themselves in truths unseen.
The crew gasped. Selai dropped her staff. Lira stumbled back, her lightning flickering in panic. Even Kael’s steady flame wavered.
"What... what kind of Law Tree is that?" Lira whispered.
"It is not one law," Darven muttered, eyes wide. "It is all laws."
Kael’s voice was hoarse, trembling. "No... it is beyond even Celestial. This tree... it mirrors creation itself."
Igaris opened his eyes. They blazed with starlight, his presence pressing upon the crew like the weight of an entire cosmos. He whispered, more to himself than to them:
"This is my path. The Infinite Law Tree."