Of course, the first things that occupied my attention were texts regarding “External Interference” and question regarding godhood. Once red letters were now grey and nothing happened regardless of whichever “yes” I pressed.
The thing that tried to influence me was, of course, so-called All-father. Because, what else?
But what actually was he? And why did he decided to act now? All I knew is that he was the first purpose, the universe itself. But, according to my information, he shouldn’t exist! Not anymore. He gave up his individuality and became a spread-non-conscious being.
Well, he did awaken inside of Kim, because my "little brother" lacked the ability to sort and organize his essence – for that short period of time he became “The Legion” - a cluster of minds focused on the same goal thinking as one possessing a single body.
Because of Sin-cores, I was saved from similar threats… Unless…
I looked at one of the “skills” I recently got. “Two souls one body” and “One soul two bodies”. The first one was obvious to me. It could get this one because of the creatures I swallowed or consciousness of Sins, or even Codex – all of them “lived” in me, even though I was the one in charge, they could more or less affect me or be used by me for parallel thinking – why didn’t I abuse parallel thinking?
Because it was flawed. Let’s just say that I was dealing with a certain situation – for example, I saw a group of thugs attacking a woman that was just coming back from the bakery. Pride would defeat the thugs, Wrath would pulverize thugs AND woman, Greed would take thugs belonging after beating them, Gluttony would use the commotion to look into baked goods woman was carrying, Lust would either join the thugs to use the woman, or attack thugs to use the woman on her own, or attack thugs, sexually use the thugs and then attacking woman to use her too. And so on, and so on.
And I? I would fucking know that these thugs are men of the Syndicate and the woman isn’t as innocent as she looks, most likely bought from them (me) a poison to kill her husband to get his heritage and then refused to even pay for the potion.
Yeah, I already had that conversation with them, but they were afflicted with their own approach to the world, and nothing could change it.
But, what surprised me is “One soul Two bodies”? What can it be? And what’s the use for all these skills?! Their description is so damn enigmatic!!!
Two souls one Body The Two in The One that shares One fate. The Two divided that were found Once again. For One is Half and Two is Whole. As Fire and Earth that made this World
Higher Intelligence, Wisdom, Spirituality and [Observation-class] skills or source of not-yet possed knowledge are needed to gain more details
One Soul two Bodies
The One’s end not within Oneself. Exceeding the burden of limiting flesh. Let thy mind to journey adrift. Be like a Water, be like a Wind, that tirelessly send the seedling of souls to find their new home
Higher Intelligence, Wisdom, Spirituality and [Observation-class] skills or source of not-yet possed knowledge are needed to gain more details
Replication To merely take does not mean to claim. To merely use does not mean to understand. Till you adapt, till you make it part of who you are, nothing shall truly be yours. So take, so taste, so understand and abuse. Either you can do it on your own, or it was never yours
Higher Intelligence, Wisdom, Spirituality and [Observation-class] skills or source of not-yet possed knowledge are needed to gain more details
Bestow You can be one for there are many that follows. Reaching perfection laugh at gods faces, bend the reality, abuse your rights, make thy followers bask in your light
Higher Intelligence, Wisdom, Spirituality and [Observation-class] skills or source of not-yet possed knowledge are needed to gain more details
Drone Queen of the hive does not raise her own child. General leading army does not train his own troops. They all have the people that do that in their name; and what’s more perfect servant than piece of themselves?
Higher Intelligence, Wisdom, Spirituality and [Observation-class] skills or source of not-yet possed knowledge are needed to gain more details
Doppelganger When the One in Two, that are Two in the one, like a fire, like water, like thunder and ground, split life apart and grant them their wish, to truly became the Gods – one in many and many in one
Higher Intelligence, Wisdom, Spirituality and [Observation-class] skills or source of not-yet possed knowledge are needed to gain more details
Informative, isn't it? And how do you use these skills? I tried using [Doppelganger], but what I got was:
Can’t use [Doppelganger] without [Drone]
So I did [Drone] just to get:
You can’t use [Drone] without [Replication] and [Bestow]
Just to be followed by
You can’t use [Replication] without [One soul Two bodies]
And
You can’t use [Bestow] without [One Body Two Souls]
And of course:
[One soul Two bodies] – You are yet to discover yourself
[One body Two souls] – You are yet to discover yourself
I have “discovered myself” plenty when I hit puberty! I can’t learn my body any more than that, you sick fucks! What else do you want me to d…
External interference detected!
Do you wish to achieve [God-hood]? [Yes] [No] [Yes!} [YES!!!]
Ignoring previous notification suggested
This time it let me decline it? I take no risk on that!
… wait, I can appraise part of the message…
[God-hood] What makes you a god-like being?
Is that power? Is that immortality? Is that ability to predict and react? Is it the ability to create?
No?
Every living being can gain power, can exceed its lifespan reaching immortality, they learn and therefore can forecast and proactively counter negative situations. All of them are capable of making.
What divides mortals from Celestial is knowledge. Of purpose. Of universe. Being a higher state of consciousness.
See and learn. Hear and understand. Give your all away to take everything more. Peek into divinity
I hesitated.
These things do not appear without a reason… And I am so tired of being but a puppet in hands of fate.
Forger of his own fate.
Forger my ass. I am being fed scraps of information, which often are leading to a completely different conclusion when presented without the whole picture. I need to know. I need to cut off my strings.
Sorry, Geppetto, this doll is about to start moving on its own.
[Yes]
Action fails. Use [Observation]-class skill on [Celestial] to see the truth
Are you kidding me? Just show me a fucking CELESTIAL around HERE! The closest thing to celestial would be either me or… Sebastian. Infernale Cellesitale – the corrupted aspect of divine being… No, that just wouldn’t work. If I have learned anything about the divine creatures, is that they are fucking cunts, speaking in riddles giving you answer in the plain sight, so obvious yet hidden behind nothing so much, you can’t see it. What if the answer is in the text?
I read it again.
[God-hood] What makes you a god-like being?
Is that power? Is that immortality? Is that ability to predict and react? Is it the ability to create?
No?
Every living being can gain power, can exceed its lifespan reaching immortality, they learn and therefore can forecast and proactively counter negative situations. All of them are capable of making.
What divides mortals from Celestial is knowledge. Of purpose. Of universe. Being a higher state of consciousness.
See and learn. Hear and understand. Give your all away to take everything more. Peek into divinity
And again the other one.
Action fails. Use [Observation]-class skill on [Celestial] to see the truth
I took a moment, two, three…
This can’t fucking be…
What divides mortals from Celestial is knowledge
Celestial is knowledge
Celestial
If that would be it, I would just fucki…
Calm down, dear me, here it comes.
[Appraisal]
An attempt was made. Yet your opened eyes are flawed and can’t see the nature of truth. Go and see with your other eye
You little fucking piece of son of a…!!! Nice lady. I have reached the bottom - I am yelling at binary system.
Other eye! Other eye! I am about to unzip my pant and release one eyed serpent! Let’s fucking see is that the other eye you mentioned, you fucking senile-riddly piece of shit!
Negative
That will not do
The narrative has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the infringement.
Of course, it wouldn’t! I wasn't even fucking tryin' t... eh.
I am so close, yet still in the dark! Fuck!
Uh, ur ejz ar flawd and can’t zee ze natur of ze tru!
I mocked the message in a ridiculed tone inside my head. Can I get more frustrated?! The answer is simple. I can, and I will.
I almost miss the time when I was fucking blind, before the whole hydra thing! At least I wouldn't have to deal with all of this
.... wait, what if…
I was blind because my eyes exploded, and they exploded because I used a skill from a suspicious source…
~ Zari! I can feel what you are thinking! Don’t! Don’t you even fucking dare! I have no idea how you achieved the God’s eyes, but that something you are not ready for! You are just slightly stronger than then and you will still suffer a backlash! I have locked this ability! You want it back? Prepare on fucking month of seal-breaking!
Warning! The system is being Hijacked! War*i!g, S1s7e5 15 833In6 81j*&% The seal over ability [All-seeing eye] is being corrupted by an [External interference]
The seal over ability [All-seeing eye] is being broken by an [External Interference]
The seal over ability [All-seeing eye] is being erased by an [External interference]
~ W-what?!
Silence, puppet of those who are blind. Mere tool with consciousness but no soul.
~ He will get hurt!
Truth is a wealth that can be not obtained without sacrifices
~ I will not let you hurt him!
Tis ain't a purpose. merely letting him decided
~ Lies! What are your goals!?
This one possesses no goal. No intention. No desire. Tis but a study. Observation. Examination. Evaluation
~ Zari! For the mercy of everything that is corrupted! Don’t you fucking dare!
You – External Interference or whatever. What will happen if I chose to see?
I will learn you. And you will learn me. You will learn yourself, and everything else.
If you are capable
What if I would do what Codex suggests?
Nothing
What do you mean by nothing?
No action taken. No reaction will follow
I won’t be punished or whatever?
That would be a reaction without action. Paradox. Illogical
Recalculating
Not taking action is a choice, making a choice - it is an action
[Paradox]
I learn
[Revaluating]
Not taking action in this matter by [User] is action on which [External] needs to react. [External] chooses to react with [by committing action of none-action] as well
My head hurts just from hearing him.
~ Zaaa-riii! If you do what I think that you would do, then I will give you a fucking headache! You hear me!? I will disturb your mana flow! I will make a mess of our your body! I will...
~ MAKE HIS DICK LIMP
~ Yeah! I will make your… WHAAA?!
So noisy.
Your action, [User]?
I looked at the single word in the notification [Celestial] and then I said it aloud
* “All seeing Eye.”
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My eyes were shut, my mind left my body, the pain almost split my head in two.
And then everything became dark. And then White. And blue and red.
My vision was obstructed by this single word, which shattered into thousands of marks and letters, each becoming a world of their own.
And then I was attacked by a wonderful sensation.
I was lying somewhere, on the soft soil, grass forced into a move by a gentle wind tickled my body. I heard waves lazily hitting a shore, I smelled sand and salt somewhere near. It was blissful.
* “You will get a sunburn if you would stay there too long, love! Come here!”
Giselle?
Of course. She is my love, that normal that she would worry about me, it was natural.
Yet, my body was so heavy. It was so hard to move. Just barely I managed to lift myself and with still shut eyes I walked in the direction of the voice.
* “Hee-re! It will be easier if you opened your eyes! It would be so much easier to see the world as it is, don’t you think?”
She was right.
I did as she suggested.
It was so damn bright! She was sitting on the swing, long enough for two people to get on it, under an apple tree. I could barely see her because of all of this light.
I sat by her side and put my head on her shoulder. She was so delightfully warm, such a blissful contrast with a somewhat cold wind, that made us clung into one another a little more.
I opened my eyes a little more to look at her face.
A beautiful, gentle face, with crystal blue eyes and long white hair tied into single ponytail reaching her waist, her long elvish ears were as always standing upright proudly.
She is so beautiful.
This lazy mood. This warmth. And the softness of Gis. I could just stay here forever.
* “It’s so wonderful here.”
* “Of course silly, it’s your deepest desire. Feeling of fulfillment. You, no-obligation, piece of land where no one bother you, apple tree and person you love on your side. In your opinion life will never get better than this.”
Something was wrong. Something in this wonderful world cracked.
Nononono! Let’s stay this way! I don’t want this place to change!
* “Why is this changing?!”
* “Because you are here to learn. To learn the world. And the world starts within yourself.”
Another crack in my castle of glass.
* “… You are not Giselle?”
* “I can be her, or I can be you. I can be all and none.”
Sea became quiet. The wind stopped blowing. Appletree vanished.
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I felt on the ground, my belly was hurt, as the meteoric blade dug deep in my side.
* “Fucking monster!” someone yelled throwing a stone in my direction. It landed perfectly
* “G-giselle?” I asked the person standing above me.
I was in the muddy cave.
Ah, right. I was running away. I was wronged. Accused of the crimes I didn’t commit. First I was banished from the guild, my friends turned against me and started the hunt. Everyone and everyone. I was running away using my contacts – in the syndicate, in villages I helped, asking for help druids and beast-men.
But everyone hated me.
I was being chased. With every passing day, I had fewer places to flee too, till eventually I was cornered – in the forest of the dread, in the deep, dark, dirty cave filled with rotting flesh.
I was ready to fight here like a cornered rat that I became. But, the person that came after me was Gissele.
I thought she came to help me, the last person that would never betray me.
But she was holding the sword in her hand, the pendant I gave her as a gift was no longer on her neck, only a mark remained - a shallow wound - as if she tore it off before throwing away, damaging herself in process.
And then she pierced me, leaving the blade in my body. Wounds were fatal, I was about to die, but she didn’t even finish me, she turned around and started heading out, just before she vanished she turned one last time and spat words filled with venom.
* “… how could I ever lover creature like yourself? How could I be so naïve? The filthy animals will remain animals. Disgusting scum!”
And she left me.
Alone. In the dark. Dying.
No-no-no!
No please no! I don’t want to be alone! Please! PLEASE! I BEG YOU! DON’T LEAVE ME
… I, I am afraid of being alone in the dark.
Yet, the cave remained silent, there was less and less light in the cave, I stretched my hand toward dying rays of sun, yet the sword didn’t let me move from my place.
And eventually, It became completely dark.
And I heard something moving, scratching with thin insectoid legs as it was approaching me.
Soon, it started feasting on my body.
Another crack, the vortex in illusionary space sucked me out of the darkroom.
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Once again I was standing in front of the white-haired elf. I couldn’t tell if he was a man or if she was a woman.
* “W-what was that?”
* “You came for knowledge. Of the universe, which starts in you. You are weakest when your deepest fears and desires are known, so mortals learned to hide them, even from themselves. You had to see and feel to understand. So you could learn, prepare, become stronger. Transcend”
* “What are you!?”
* “You know that.”
* “All-father?” IT nodded “… but why? You should not exist. You shattered yourself.”
* “You have such a flawed understanding of existence. I have no physical form. I have no mental form. I have no spiritual form. But does it mean I don’t exist?”
* “What other forms exist?”
He sighed.
* “Imagine you are living in two-dimension space…” he picked a branch of some tree and drew few dots on the ground “… these points are existences, they live in their own version of reality. Now, let’s say the god comes.”
He said stepping between the dots.
* “And that god made impossible to pass barrier for these beings…” he said drawing a square which shut all the dots, and himself, inside “… and now they see me, or at least dimensional version of me that they can understand, so also two-dimensional, doing this…” he walked over the edge of the square “… now, how will you explain creatures, that are living and are able to understand the concept of only two dimensions what I just did? They can’t comprehend that you can just
* “That would split reality and cause a paradox. The split reality in two mirror versions of thems…”
* “No, it wouldn’t. You were told that it would, because you are not able to comprehend what would happen. To be honest, such changes are done all the time, you are just not told about it because you would freak out. Let’s just say you went right on crossroad, but existence X wanted you to go left, so it would overwrite reality so many times, till you would eventually go left.”
* “… which would put into question the theory of free will?”
* “Exactly.”
* “So gods can do that and…”
* “No, they can’t.”
* “… but you just said that…”
* “… there are existences that can, but not administrators - which you call gods. Luckily for you creatures that can do that exist in another plane and don’t interfere with you. We are speaking about nonliving not thinking existence, paradoxes, things that can barely be called beings at all. They just are. And they act. For them, time does not exist, for time is something I created. It’s a river, and you are an ant tossed in. You are too focused not to drown, that you don’t pay attention to humans walking on the ground next to the river – walking in opposite direction to the stream, or even across.”
* “Why are you telling me this.”
* “Because you seek for the truth.”
* “What is it all about?! Life? The world?”
* “It’s just an attempt. An experiment. A project, the one that is not really going well, if I can add. Imagine the None-Universe, and chaos it is in. I was sick of in and tried organizing it. That’s it.”
* “… but the prophecies about your arrival… that I am somehow bound to you and…”
* “Because you are. Just as I was sick of my reality, so were you. You are me, on such scale.” he showed with his fingers that almost touched how much “… imagine the molecule of your body gaining self-awareness and leaving your body. You are but an ant that climbed at the peak of the nearest tree being able to see the neighborhood and claiming it saw the whole world! Solar system! Galaxy and Universe, as well as multi-verse cluster. That’s you.”
* “Then how can I be aware of you? If you are concept outside of my dimensional spectrum of understanding…”
He pointed on the drawing with dots and square
* “You see only the shade I leave on the ground. But that’s not the case. Do you fancy a game?”
A table, two chairs and a chessboard with figures showed out of nowhere. The thing is – that the game was already on.
* “I don’t really like finishing someone’s game.”
* “Who does? And who has a choice? A child raised in a family of nobles being told to marry a specific person in order to continue their family politics? The game started not by their parents, nor by their parent’s parents? Ha! You may not even be the one to finish it. You will just push this burden on those after you! In the case of nobles – maybe their child? So many games already going on, started by those forgotten, to be ended by those not yet born. We keep on forgetting, that we are just for a moment or two. People are so focused on asking what is their role in
* “… Does it mean that even the game that I am playing is already going? I was told I am the first one…”
* “Who told you that? Gods? Just as limited, or maybe even more, than mortals? Big kids with access to nuke? Zariel, Zariel, Zariel, Zariel. We are all playing in the sandbox without even realizing it, you merely moved from one to another. Don’t get me wrong, that’s quite a feat. But, there is nothing THAT special in you. You are just a freak. A spare puzzle that didn’t fit into hole in a picture. You have more perspectives and possibilities, but you are limited. Mostly, by yourself. So? Let’s do this… Tower on C5.”
He said. The figure moved on its own taking a specific place on the board.
I was losing. I had fewer figures in far worse formation, he could just trade one for one or even two for one and still end victories. There was no good move.
I picked Bishop and pulled him back. For now, I had to gather some space, maybe make a formation that would let me trade more efficiently. All-father just smiled with sad expression.
“This again…” his expression said
* “What’s the goal of this game, Zariel?”
He asked
* “Surrendering enemy’s king.”
* “You make the same mistake as everyone. Everywhere. Thought, once, without even realizing, you already did the best move before. In another game. In another plane.”
What was he referring to?
We kept on playing. I did my best, traded as many figures as I could, but in the end, I had only my king left. I wanted to push him down on the board in sign of giving up.
Then I stopped.
Why were we playing? I didn’t enjoy this game, apparently he neither. All of that after all the speeches he gave.
* “Why did I play with you?...” he raised his head hearing my speaking more to myself than him “… the game was lost, it was not even the game I started, to begin with. It’s not something that either I nor you desired… You didn't even force me to play with you, I just played along but... why? Why playing along with someone's rules? If I want to defeat the king then...”
I stretched my hand and grabbed the enemy king. I was looking at him, such a plain and ugly figure.
* “Why do we play if we don’t want to?...” all father asked “… sometimes, we indeed have
That’s so obvious. All livings are participating in the games that were started long ago but people they heard about from legends. They are not even questioning if they want to, they just passively do. I threw enemy king away, knocked all the remaining figures and broke the board. I don’t know why, but I was so, so mad!
* “And that’s what you were meant to learn, Zari. Something you were supposed to learn four years ago when you awakened for the first time. If you don’t like your sandbox, go to the other one, if you don’t like the game, don’t play it, shatter the box itself. Divinity means fully knowing the possible ways out! Do you want to go left? Do you want to go right? Why do you have to go at all!? Stay in place! Turn around and go back! Grow wings and fly! Or dig down! Don’t. Limit. Yourself.”
[Two souls One Body] activated
You have reached a deeper form of understanding.
Look within yourself. Look for these that are sleeping.
And devour them. Make them clones of yours. Adapt not only the body but their minds too.
[One soul Two Bodies] Abuse the limits.
Rip and tear.
Conquer and take.
Devouring and digesting might be the fastest ways of claiming these that are not yet yours, but is not the most sophisticated one.
Be a wolf in sheep clothing, a fake shephard leading unwilling and unknowing to their slaughterhouse.
* “Look within yourself each time you would lose your way. Ask your fears and desiers. And thank you. This conversation was even greater lesson for me than it was for you. You gave me courage, little one, maybe one day I will also be able to smash by game-board?”
* “Wait… you were limited? You?”
* “We all are, little ant, and sometimes when you can’t overcome big obstacles, you have to focus on that smaller one.”
* “… Yooooubastaaard…” I said with a quiet tone as the realization hit me “… organizing chaos my-ass! You did that to give us a suitable environment to live and learn so…”
* “Our time is over, your mind won’t last any more pressure. Farewell, Zari. I don’t think we will ever be able to talk again.”
I was angry. Frustrated. All these things we learned about All-fathers were not a lie, but they were imperfect.
He himself also wanted more. More power. More knowledge, but, he reached the peak of his capabilities. So, what he did, was indeed shattering pieces of himself, letting them leave, letting them grow. When warrior wanted to get stronger, he would keep training, but he could master only one thing at the time. Slow process. What he did - was making countless copies of himself which tried achieveing higer level of skills on their own - he wanted to ascened even futher by letting each pieces of him asscend on his own.
... and that's why he contacted me. I was doing that at fastest pace among all curently living.
But what he needed even more power for?
I woke up.
Again, in pain. My face was wet, did I cry when my head was away? Codex was yelling inside of my head, but her words didn't quite make sense to me. I walk to the mirror and looked at my reflection.
My face was wet not because of tears, but blood, that kept flowing from my eyes like a waterfall. At least this time my eyes didn't explode, quite a progress, if you ask me.
But now. I know what has to be done. I will have to train all these skills that I just got. But first, let's clean ourselves. I look like a man that was just dragged out from the hell.