Rivers of the Night

Chapter 841: Inflection Point

Theron’s eyes narrowed.

Ameridia was speaking of this matter in terms of generations, an uncountable, unknowable span of time. The way she spoke of the Heaven’s Gate, it was as though it had existed since the beginning of time itself.

How could a battle go on for so long?

Theron frowned, something inside of him shifting.

Goddess Sacharro still felt unfathomable to him even now. It didn’t quite make any sense, especially considering the fact he could just see the pinnacle of cultivation now.

The Transcendent Realm should be the last. Maybe there was a half-step beyond it, but that should have been all. He could feel it.

Yet she felt like something he couldn’t even begin to fight. He didn’t understand why that was.

But now… Theron felt a sudden urge to go.

This battle—if he could see it—maybe he could feel what the true pinnacle was supposed to be.

“I’ll go,” Theron said.

Ameridia’s gaze flashed. She had just been about to say something else, but Theron didn’t look like he needed convincing. In fact, it seemed that he had completely forgotten to care about needing or wanting her guidance.

Theron had only been looking for Ameridia because he had never truly received guidance before. There was a short time with the Nightingale Ancestor Spear, but that was only a single session, and Theron didn’t feel like it had anything to teach him outside of that.

Plus, the Nightingale Ancestor Spear was no longer with him.

This was an opportunity he wouldn’t miss.

“Where is it?” Theron asked.

The change really did catch Ameridia off guard. She had been leaning toward Daisy’s opinion just earlier. There was no way Theron really was 17 years old, right? Something just felt… wrong.

It looked like Theron would fight her if she tried to stop him now.

“You still don’t have all the information.”

“Doesn’t really matter,” Theron replied calmly.

“It does. The world of the Heaven’s Gate doesn’t have an age limit for usual reasons. For one, that age is chosen because it’s the Mortal Inflection Point. It’s the point at which you no longer improve but begin the slow tide toward aging.

“For some people it’s a little younger, for some people, it’s a little older.”

“Mortal?” Theron asked with narrowed eyes.

“Yes. The power of the Ancestor of the Tatsuya Clan and the Nameless Immortal God is too strong. All laws cease to matter and function under their presence. That problem is exacerbated even further by the fact the gate exists in a crack between the dimensions and Existences.

“All those that enter are restricted to Mortal Status. The only thing that can be relied on is Resonance. Even your Cores cease to function.

“But the biggest problem in the gate is aging. If you’re just barely young enough, then a balance can be reached where your Resonance and your aging can reach a delicate balance where you age at about the same rate as you do in the outside world.

“However, if you’ve already hit the inflection point you would have as a mortal—the point where your body begins to decline and weaken—then you will rapidly age. The higher you are on that inflection point, the more rapidly you age.

“Someone who is 30 years old would already be at the point of experiencing 10 years of aging for every year or so. And this is the measure of aging for a mortal, not a cultivator. Meaning, after just 10 or so years, you would already be facing the end of your life.

“If you entered at 35 years of age, you would probably experience 100 years for every one year. At 40 years of age, you would experience 10,000 years for every year. It continues exponentially.”

“So you mean to say that the 25-year age limit isn’t a hard cap. It’s just the most recommended age to enter.”

“Yes.”

“Doesn’t that mean if I enter that I won’t age at all?”

Daisy scoffed, but Ameridia still answered calmly.

“Theoretically, yes. But we don’t have any data of people who’ve entered so young.”

“Why not, if everything is simply reliant on Resonance?”

Resonance was just a matter of bloodline. Theoretically, even a baby could enter and be just as powerful assuming they could use their power freely.

It didn’t make sense for them to not try this.

Ameridia looked at Theron with a gaze that almost looked like… pity?

“No one would send their young into such a hellscape without a better choice, Theron.”

Theron blinked. “That’s not a good enough reason.”

Ameridia gave Theron a deep look. But sadly, he was also right about this. There were plenty of teenagers in grave mortal danger. Assassins’ Guilds weren’t the only cruel organizations in the outside world.

“… The problem is still that of the flow of time. While if you’re too old you will age out, if you’re too young the flow of time is exceptionally slow around you. Like you said, if you are truly as young as you say you are, you will age slower within the gate than outside of it.”

Theron frowned. A problem with the flow of time?

“Space and time form the fabric of reality. They’re the twin pair of Mana that are the hardest to receive the grace of the Heavens for, and also the foundation upon which all other Mana lay.

“When the flow of time is especially slow around you, so too is the flow of all other Mana. Meaning, if you’re using your Resonance within the gate—”

“There will be a lag in how well it responds to me,” Theron concluded.

“Yes.”

“You two are going to enter,” Theron suddenly said.

Ameridia’s heart skipped a beat, but it was Messo who seemed to have the fiercest reaction, her hand moving to her hip as though to draw a weapon.

Theron’s words made no sense. Ameridia and Messo both were well beyond the age inflection point. But he seemed so sure.

Ameridia held up a hand.

“That is right. Messo is a Time Mancer.”

just one chapter today in all likelihood. If there is a second, it will be very late tonight