Chapter 881 A Heavenly Seat
Chapter 881 A Heavenly Seat
Cassius thought he had died but was floating in the endless sky instead. He has lost his physical body and got replaced by a gas-like form. It was the first time he had experienced such a thing.
"Am I dead?" was his first thought. However, his ego was too big to lament over the subject for a long time because he realized he was still alive. After that, however, he was different.
As the calamity was looking at the cosmos and its infinite possibilities, his existence started shaking. It was then that he realized that something was happening below. He turned toward the ground and saw a pillar of golden light collide with one of nothingness.
"Creator…"
Even in his current state, Cassius felt fear for the first time. He was afraid of the man who defeated him in a single attack, even though he had yet to recover. But, as he stared at the fight below, he realized he had been mistaken.
The threat was not the creator, nor was it Eragon. Arthur Silvera was the true anomaly because he had the power to use the two as he wished. Furthermore, that abnormal spiritual energy was not something a human should have.
A human couldn't have this amount of spiritual energy. The body consisted of three integrated components: mana essence, body, and soul. Each of them produced different forms of energy, but all of them translated into strength.
Cassius knew that the strongest and rarest among the three was spiritual energy. Unlike mana, spiritual energy came from within. As the body stores mana, it grows stronger. As it grew stronger, it could store more mana. This was the wheel of evolution, but spiritual energy was the ultimate fusion of the two because the last step of evolution was spiritual enlightenment.
A creature becomes more aware of his existence and the boundaries separating him from the universe, allowing him to transform one form of strength into another. This was the secret behind Arthur Silvera's final attack.
On the ground below, Cassius saw that the battle had started between Osian and the creator. It seems that Osian has failed to win using his powers, so he borrowed nothingness to have a chance against the creator.
It was rare to see someone powerful borrow the element of nothingness, so Osian held his ground against the creator. Every exchange between the two reminded Cassius of the Battle of Gods when the creator stopped Nameless, the calamities, and the guardians from sacrificing this world.
As if it was moments ago, Cassius remembered how the world's strongest accepted the offer given by Nameless—a world for each of them instead of fighting for a dying one. Everyone agreed except the creator, which made all the difference.
The second Battle of Gods was fast approaching, and the battle below was its beginning. As existence clashed against nothingness, neither had an advantage. Instead, their elements canceled each other despite being the strongest two.
Cassius was confused because the creator didn't use the same attack that he used against him. Furthermore, his attacks did not carry a hint of spiritual energy, making him rely on his mana and Eragon to weaken his opponent.
Being in his current state, he realized the reason behind that. The creator seemed unable to use these attacks often because there was a limit to how much spiritual energy he could use at once without damaging himself.
Their fight was breathtaking because the two strongest elements were seen only in times of crisis. It could be said that if existence fought against nothingness, doomsday would be close. Cassius watched the fight with bitterness because he was removed from that chessboard.
"A single attack…."
Although the creator always had a powerful soul, it was the first time he could use it to strengthen himself. It was the last step of evolution, so Cassius wondered how Arthur Silvera managed to pull it off. Has his soul evolved because he met Gaia twice?
Morana and Gaia were two sisters who managed the affairs of their world. One of them was the gatekeeper that prevented humans from ascending to higher realms, so it would be natural that her sister would have certain effects on souls.
"In either case, I lost," muttered Cassius as he allowed himself to float away from the mortal world. "I no longer deserve to pursuit greatness."
"Is that what you truly believe?" a voice asked him from above, seeming ancient and distant. Cassius frowned as he turned his attention toward the cosmos, only to find a being looking at him. It was the first time that he felt insignificant.
"Who are you?"
"It doesn't matter who I am," replied the being, who has now inched closer toward the calamity. "What matters is what I want."
"And what is that?"
"For my plan to work."
"Elaborate."
"Nameless needs to overcome that obstacle."
"That should be the eventual truth since Nameless is omnipotent," replied Cassius with a frown. "No matter how much the creator struggles, he will never overcome the end."
"Omnipotent?" muttered the voice with a hint of laughter. "Is that how powerful it looks to you, despite being a toy I created?"
"A… toy?" the two syllables made no sense to Cassius, who could feel himself grow insignificant compared to the voice. "You are bluffing. Nameless is not something to be created. It is a devourer of worlds!"
"And what purpose would that grant it?"
Cassius was silent. It looked like this being was using Nameless for its gains, but the calamity was unconvinced. Nameless gave Cassius a feeling of dread that this being failed to have. However, it did raise an interesting question.
What purpose did Nameless serve?
If someone assumed that Nameless had a purpose, then it would be natural that there would be a creator behind this creature of nothingness.
"And why have you revealed yourself to me?"
"I realized that Nameless is no longer enough to end this world. An anomaly has appeared among its creatures, one that I have not foreseen possible in a world of this level. Thus, I had to intervene, despite the risk of losing my seat."
"Your seat where?"
"…those are secrets you will learn when you ascend, Cassius," replied the voice, seeming more sinister now. "Have you honestly thought that a mindless creature can end worlds on its own?"
"…tell me about the anomaly you mentioned, and what do you mean that it wasn't possible in a world of this level," demanded Cassius as he began believing its words. He seems to have left his body because this being wanted to talk to him. "Are you talking about the creator?"
"Him?" asked the being with mockery. "If a puppet could change the course this world should take, I would have forsaken my plans long ago. Instead, it was someone else who seized control of the creator."
"Seized control?"
"Arthur Silvera is not a human that should exist in this world. He should not have been born at all, less break through the chains of order to manipulate time. Every step of the way, he has defied the laws of the universe."
"What is he?" asked Cassius, expecting another instant answer. But, instead, the 'all-knowing' suddenly went silent as if mulling over its following words carefully.
"Arthur Silvera is… the only human in this world who managed to harness the universe. His will is powerful enough to bend the universal laws, although this power was limited to those with a heavenly seat."
"Those who have a heavenly seat?"
"You call them… Gods."
Cassius could feel his soul shivering at the thought. Does that mean they all have been fighting against someone akin to a God? It seems the being feared this would dishearten him from following his commands.
"I sought you out for a single reason," said the being. "If successful, you will steal that quality for yourself and join heaven."
A star shone in the cosmos, shining down on the calamity. He could feel his soul longing for the light of a world higher than theirs. A world that only Gods could enter, and he was now offered a lifetime offer.
"What… do I need to do?" submitted the calamity to the allure of heaven. Even the sound of its name sat comfortably in his ears as if this should have been his since the beginning.
As the voice was about to reply, the battle below suddenly stopped. Cassius and the being stared at the fight below, only to find that the two fighters had ceased fighting. Instead, one of them was far from interested in the battle.
Arthur Silvera was covered with golden mana, looking like a flamed human. His aura was suffocating, even to Cassius, who was now nothing but a soul. However, what terrified him was that Arthur Silvera stopped fighting because… he was looking at them.
"Can he see us?" muttered Cassius with fear, almost as if exposed.
"Interesting…" muttered the voice. "It seems that this human… can feel my presence. This is the first time… that this happened."