The boy turned sharply, startled by the voice behind him. His hand tensed, instinctively reaching for his cloak, prepared for another fight. But what he saw was not what he expected.

  A man stood there, arms crossed, a grin on his face. He was human. The first human the boy had seen since arriving in the Center of All.

  He had dark, sun-worn skin, a thick mustache, and an easy confidence about him, like a gambler who had never lost a hand. His clothes were adorned with gold chains and intricate designs that shimmered under the dim, flickering lights of the Archives. And his boots made a solid, deliberate sound against the marble floor.

  "Looking for something you understand, sapien?" the man asked again, his accent thick, rolling his words like he had all the time in the world.

  The boy hesitated, wary, but also intrigued.

  The man chuckled, stepping forward. "Relax, kid. Name's Juan Castillo Fabronas. Or, maybe you heard of me as The Castle. The most efficient godkiller known to mankind."

  The boy blinked, stunned. Not by the title, titles were thrown around recklessly here, but because Juan was human. Among all the strange and terrifying entities in this place, he had assumed he was the only one of his kind.

  Juan smirked at the silence, then his eyes flicked to the boy's cloak. The moment he got a good look at the intricate pattern woven into the fabric, his expression shifted from amusement to shock.

  "Shit," Juan muttered, squinting as if trying to make sure his eyes weren't playing tricks on him. "I recognize that foo. I killed him two decades ago."

  The boy tensed. "What?"

  Juan pointed at the cloak. "That pattern. The celestial drop woven into it. That's from the God of Protection. I put a bullet between his eyes a long time ago. How the hell did you get your hands on him?"

  "They call that cabrón the god of protection, but the only thing he protects is his own greedy, evil, wicked ass." Juan said with a smirk.

  The boy remained silent, gripping the edges of the cloak as if he could pull answers from it. He had known his cloak was special, but this? A piece of a god?

  Juan studied him for a moment before shaking his head. "Nah, forget it. Ain't my business. What is my business is why a kid like you is snooping around the Archives." He gestured to the rows of ancient books and scrolls. "Looking for bedtime stories?"

  The boy hesitated. He had come searching for knowledge, for something to explain his dreams, the World Tree, and the whispers that had guided him here. But saying that outright felt foolish.

  "I'm looking for answers, in my dreams i saw something... a eye and a library" the boy finally said.

  Juan raised an eyebrow. Then, he let out a loud, bellowing laugh.

  "Ay, cabrón, you sure don't think small, huh? Searching for answer in the Center of All like it's just another side quest." He clapped the boy on the shoulder. "I like you, chico. Got guts. Stupid, but gutsy."

  The boy frowned, shrugging off Juan's hand. "Do you know anything or not?"

  Juan tilted his head, considering. "Maybe. Maybe not. But first, you need a name. I can't just keep calling you 'kid' or 'chico.' That ain't how we do things." He stroked his mustache, thinking for a moment. Then, he snapped his fingers.

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  "Pax."

  The boy frowned. "What?"

  "Pax," Juan repeated, grinning. "Short, easy, got a nice ring to it. Means 'peace' in some old-ass language, which is pretty funny, considering you look like someone who's never had a peaceful day in his life."

  The boy, Pax, now stared at him. He had never had a name before. Not a real one. Vash had never cared enough to give him one. And yet, Juan had given him one in an instant, like it was the most natural thing in the world.

  Something about it felt right.

  "Fine," Pax muttered. "Pax it is."

  Juan clapped his hands together. "Perfect! Now that we got that settled, lemme show you around. This ain't a place you wanna wander in alone, amigo."

  He turned and motioned for Pax to follow. With little choice, Pax fell into step beside him.

  The deeper Juan led him into the Center of All, the clearer it became that this place was unlike anything Pax had ever seen. It was like a massive casino, but one twisted and warped by forces beyond his understanding.

  The halls shimmered like liquid metal, shifting underfoot. Beings of incomprehensible shapes. Some whispered in languages that burned to hear, while others didn't speak at all, communicating in glances that carried weight like gravity.

  And yet, there was an order to the chaos. Juan navigated it with ease, weaving through the crowds, exchanging nods with creatures that would have sent Pax into a fight-or-flight panic had he been alone.

  "See those guys?" Juan nodded towards a group of tall, hooded figures, their faces hidden beneath shadows that moved unnaturally. "Stay away from them. Soul merchants. They don't care what you offer, they always come out on top."

  A massive, quadrupedal beast with scales of living fire brushed past them. Juan barely acknowledged it.

  "And that guy?" Juan pointed at a hunched figure with long, wiry limbs and a smile too wide for its face. "Real nasty. Likes to trick newbies into contracts. Real pain in the ass."

  Pax stayed silent, absorbing everything.

  Eventually, Juan led him to an area that felt... different. More structured. The chaos of the casino-like halls faded, replaced by streets lined with stone buildings. Here, the inhabitants looked more familiar, humanoids, bipeds, beings with defined features and expressions.

  "This is where most of the bipeds live," Juan said, stretching his arms. "A little more stable than the rest of the place. Fewer things trying to eat your soul, which is always a plus."

  Pax exhaled.

  He had come here for answers. For knowledge. Instead, he had found Juan Fabron. A man who called himself the most efficient godkiller. A man who had just named him.

  And, perhaps, a man who held the key to what he sought.

  Juan stopped in his tracks. Then, he laughed. Hard.

  "A eye and a library huh? Oh That loco? Oh, I done killed that bastard a long time ago!" Juan said, wiping a tear from his eye. "The one with that advanced adaptability, right? Yeah, he's locked up in my orb."

  Before Pax could even react, Juan made a small flicking motion, and a swirling portal appeared before them. He reached inside and pulled out a glass orb. Inside was a monolith, featureless except for a 3x3 square grid etched onto its face, pulsing faintly with an ominous glow.

  Juan grinned and held it up. "This fool? This the one you're searchin' for?"

  "No it looks different from the one i saw in my dreams."

  But Pax was stunned. a god was just locked away by a strange man in his forties with a casual attitude. He struggled to comprehend the situation.

  Juan, however, didn't give him time to process it. He tossed something at Pax, a strange, shimmering fruit. "Anyway, eat this. It'll help."

  Pax caught it hesitantly. "What is it?"

  "Fruit of Knowledge," Juan said. "Lets you understand all languages. Useful around here. You're welcome."

  Pax stared at the fruit, then took a cautious bite. The effect was immediate. Suddenly, the background noise of the Center of All, the murmurs, the shouts, the distant conversation shifted into words he could actually understand.

  Juan smirked, watching Pax's reaction. "Yeah, trippy, ain't it? First time is always weird."

  Pax looked back at the glowing orb, his mind racing. "How... how did you seal gods away?"

  Juan grinned and waggled a finger. "Now that is the real trick, amigo. It ain't even that hard if you know what you're doin'." He raised a hand and summoned a single droplet of water, holding it in front of his eyes. "Focus your entire mana into a single drop of water. Just a drop. When it falls, bam transfer all the energy into it. If you do it right, it'll crystallize so damn hard that no force in existence can break it. Only the one who seals it can open it."

  He rolled the orb between his fingers. "And guess who locked this bastard?"

  Pax couldn't believe what he was hearing. "You're saying... that's all it takes?"

  Juan winked. "Easier said than done. But yeah. That's all it takes."

  "With that, the first member out seven members of the pantheon."

  To be continued?