Chapter 129 - Purgatory

When Sven received the three Void Souls, he smiled and proceeded to explain, "Wain, what do you know about the soul pearl?"

"Practically nothing. I had to get the thing to get out of the Purgatory zone, but that's where my information ends. Is it something important? Isn't the soul pearl just a key?"

Sven shook his head, "The soul pearl is the main difference between the Purgatory zones and the World of Darkness zones. Purgatory is also part of the World of Darkness, but it's more like a separate, detached zone with its own rules. I'd say Purgatory is just in the territory of the World of Darkness."

"So what's so special about soul pearls if they're only found in Purgatory zones?" Wain asked.

Agnes told him that a soul pearl accumulates the purest energy without impurities, flaws, or sins. It was the true ideal in terms of Soul Essence.

"The smaller areas of the world of Purgatory depend on this energy and may be destroyed if the soul pearl disappears. In fact, the soul pearl is nothing more than a simple natural phenomenon. The world of Darkness works like a filter, and only pure energy ends up at the very bottom, which condenses into a soul pearl." Said Sven.

"But, it's not that simple. Right?" Asked Wain.

Sven nodded, "Yes, the soul pearl is a valuable thing. It's hard to find something like it in all worlds, so obviously, someone would want to steal a soul pearl and use it for their own purposes. Moreover, the soul pearls themselves can be just as much trouble."

Wain did not interrupt and listened intently. Sven said that even he didn't know much about Purgatory, which showed Wain how unique this place was.

"As far as I know, on infrequent occasions, a soul pearl can explode. If it happens in a tiny area of Purgatory, that space will be destroyed. The same will happen to all zones that are not a medium size.

When the pearl of the soul explodes, there is a huge burst of pure energy, but this event also has positive sides. The point is that after the explosion, the energy of the soul pearl is not dispersed in space and does not disappear. 

The pure energy is directed to a random point in the World of Darkness, and there a new area of Purgatory is created with its own soul pearl." Sven pronounced.

"Hmm? Aren't you contradicting yourself? Before, you said that having a soul pearl was the hallmark of Purgatory zones. But, now you say that medium- and large-sized zones can survive a soul pearl explosion. Doesn't that mean that these zones can exist without a soul pearl?" Wain asked puzzled.

"Both yes and no. When the energy of the soul pearl is channeled elsewhere, as it passes through the space layer of its zone, the particles of energy remain there. In that case, those particles will turn into a new soul pearl. 

Simply put, a Purgatory zone can exist without a pearl, but only when it explodes and for a time before a new soul pearl is condensed from the particles of energy." Sven said in detail.

"I see, this means that soul pearls can multiply and Purgatory, as well as the World of Darkness, gradually grow." Said Wain.

"Yes, furthermore, if the Purgatory zone managed to survive the soul pearl explosion, by the time a new pearl appears, the zone will have fully recovered. Likewise, when the soul pearl is created, the entire zone will be infused with pure energy and will become much stronger and richer." Pronounced Sven.

Sven sighed and continued, "But, the Purgatory zones actually grow quite slowly. While one zone will be created, another may be destroyed for various reasons. So it's unlikely that there will ever be a situation where there will be an infinity of huge Purgatory zones."

"Clearly, moreover, to maintain the balance of Purgatory zones, it is necessary for soul pearls to create exactly as many zones as they destroy. But, I have a question. Is there any way to avoid this? Are the beings in the zones of Purgatory doomed to have their world destroyed at some point?" Wain asked.

"No, of course not. After all, all you have to do to ensure that the soul pearl never explodes is simply not to touch it. However, if the soul pearl is affected by other energy fluctuations or someone decides to attack it, then the soul pearl might explode." Sven said.

'Hmm, when I got to the top of the pagoda, there was a cage behind Forgotten's that contained the soul pearl. It was probably his way of protecting the soul pearl from any outside influences, but I interrupted his plans. It all worked out well in the end, though.' Wain thought.

"Sven, when I was in the Purgatory zone, I used the soul pearl to get out of there. After that, that zone was destroyed. But, will another Purgatory zone then be created from the energy of that pearl?" Wain asked.

"That zone you were in was small?"

"Yes, I would even say quite tiny. Forest, glades, mountains, and a few other places. No bigger than some huge park or nature reserve." Said Wain.

"I see. Since the soul pearl was used to activate the portal, no new zone will be created. After all, there's no energy left. The point is, the size of the zone also determines the power of the soul pearl." Sven pronounced.

"So the tiny and small zones are destroyed when the pearl explodes, but the medium and large zones remain intact." Concluded Wain.

"Yes, moreover, there are zones that have survived several soul pearl explosions. Such zones are very powerful. They are huge, and when another soul pearl explodes in them, there isn't even serious destruction there. It's more like an atomic bomb exploding than a force capable of destroying an entire world in an instant." Sven said calmly.

"Okay, I understand what a soul pearl is and what its role is. In brief, the soul pearl is a generator that enriches the earth around it. But, if you take the generator out of action, it can get into trouble, but only for small areas." Said Wain.

Sven nodded.

"Then you should tell me about the second part.. About who's after the soul pearls and for what purpose."