Karma—singular—was shepherded along the gentle currents of space, soon emerging in a pitch void atop a marble-tiled plateau. Illusory mosaics dotted his periphery in an amalgam of calligraphy, numerals, and pictograms.
"Let's see ... We've got Event Ledger, Leaderboards, and—Exchange!—woohoo, shopping!"
"Could you share your perception? I believe I lack the requisite Tabulator to join in your excitement," inquired Anlîthëma.
"Ah, right—the bet. Sure, one moment," said Karma, funneling his viewpoint through a newly-minted Ouroboric vacuum. "All set. Alright, let's go left to right, starting with—ehm—Event Ledger."
----------------------------------------
Event Ledger
----------------------------------------
General Statistics
----------------------------------------
Death Tally{Qi Formation}: 14,464/∞
Death Tally{Embryonic Inquisitor}: 417/1000 (+0 Early-Stage Earthly Monarch Slots)
Death Tally{Earthly Monarch}: 0/100 (-0 Minor-Stage Limit)
Death Tally{Total %}: 18.41% (<50%)
----------------------------------------
Culling Merit Accrual [Team]
----------------------------------------
Events Survived: 1 (+10)
Wins: 1 (+100)
Losses: 1 (-100)
----------------------------------------
Culling Merit Accrual [Personal]
----------------------------------------
Qi Formations Slain{1–9}: 212 (+212)
Embryonic Inquisitors Slain{Early}: 57 (+1140)
Embryonic Inquisitors Slain{Middle}: 11 (+440)
Banner Capture{Enemy}: 1 (+250)
??Banner Capture{Friendly}??: DEFAULT_TO_NIL (+NaN)
----------------------------------------
Culling Merit Accrual [Aggregate]
----------------------------------------
Total: 2052
----------------------------------------
"I find it intriguing that they rewarded butchering your sect mates, yet failed to consider completing an enemy objective."
"Hmm, maybe the culling-related logic was prioritized? It's in the name, after all."
"A most reasonable assumption. It appears our hypotheses were equally inaccurate; how shall we proceed?"
"How about: when the time comes, you'll pitch your five most desirable locales, and I'll select the most exciting of them?"
"I would be amenable to such an arrangement."
"Excellent! Now, where were—ah, Leaderboards."
----------------------------------------
Leaderboards
----------------------------------------
Culling Merit Accumulation
----------------------------------------
1. ???—2052
2. Melinoë Áïs—1214
3. Scáthach—1117
4. Thrax—1099
5. Jnori Phoroh—820
6. Gardabharatha—816
7. Erinyes Áïs—524
8. Ilmiri Māvortis—501
9. Tathāgata—488
10. Tang Perennial O'—487
...
----------------------------------------
Objective Accolades
----------------------------------------
1. ???—2
2. Melinoë Áïs—1
3. Scáthach—1
4. Thrax—1
5. Tang Perennial O'—1
6. Pesse Jinkmëniah—1
7. Iris Selenium—1
8. Tom—1
----------------------------------------
Karma scratched his chin. "This ... was a waste of time. Let's do some shopping!"
Jubilantly turning to the Exchange mosaic, Karma nearly swooned at the vast assortment of treasures.
This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road. If you spot it on Amazon, please report it.
"Anlîthëma."
"Yes?"
"If you're particularly upset with any wealthy sects, do consider including them in your proposal."
"Okay ..."
"Oh, and mark them with a 'heist' suffix."
"Understood."
----------------------------------------
Exchange
----------------------------------------
Advancement Aides
----------------------------------------
Celestial Dichotomy—99,999,999
Heavenly Writ—850,000
Earthen Diadem—112,000
...
Diametric Chrysalis—450
Coalescent Legume—450
----------------------------------------
Armaments
----------------------------------------
Genesis Spear—1,111,111
Orbital Strike—888,888
Death Bunny—444,444
...
----------------------------------------
Mechanics Inheritances
----------------------------------------
Fate Whispering—3e^12
Immemorial Glimpse—1.5e^12
...
----------------------------------------
Miscellaneous
----------------------------------------
Origin Tofu—6,368,756,273
...
----------------------------------------
"Alrighty, let's begin," muttered Karma, double-tapping the Diametric Chrysalis icon. "Two of these."
A pair of Coalescent Legumes soon followed.
"And another two of these."
----------------------------------------
Order Details
----------------------------------------
+ 2 x Diametric Chrysalis—900
+ 2 x Coalescent Legume—900
----------------------------------------
Checkout? (-1800)
----------------------------------------
"That leaves me with ... 252. How about a new magical ability?
"Preferably a barrier type for my upcoming breakthrough—can't blow up another building ..."
"Another?"
"Frederick's vault? Self-destruction trigger? Ring a bell?"
"Ah, yes. If I recall, I—in my locket form—contributed to the payment for that particular mechanism."
"A poor feat of security, and a spectacular feat of fireworks."
...
Following a lengthy scroll through the Mechanics Inheritances catalog, Karma reached his desired price range.
----------------------------------------
Mechanics Inheritances
----------------------------------------
...
Chronoperceptual Acceleration—250
Spatial Solidification—250
Omnic Gaze—245
Entropic Bulwark—235
...
----------------------------------------
"Damn, I want them all," tsked Karma, his fingers dancing about the pickings with an avaricious finesse. "Maybe I shouldn't have let Jnori and them live?"
"I was under the impression your sparing them concerned the Earthly Monarch's entry Mandate."
"That was logical me, the fool"—sigh—"I suppose I'll make do with Spatial Solidification."
Besides, if Contradiction entails what I'm hoping for—heh.
**
Pop!
Karma, materializing in his suite, diligently observed his handful of recent acquisitions.
Consistent with Elder Li's illustrations, the Diametric Chrysalis husks sparkled an opulent amber. Similarly, the Coalescent Legume pebbles appeared nearly identical to fine opals.
The Mechanics Inheritance, an uncanny artifact, seemed a marble englobing incandescent, hoary breakers.
It bears significant resemblance to Anlîthëma's panicked countenance—only malnourished and deteriorated. Is this the product of a soul-amputation? I could check ...
The searing heat of vomit churned at the base of his throat.
I'd better not—I'd still need to eat the damn thing regardless.
"Cheers, my possibly-brain-dead friend," yipped Karma, swallowing the dubious treat.
Gulp.
**
To solidify Space is to tauten the strings of reality's gossamer linens.
True density arises not from external compression but from internal contraction.
An apple crushed from without becomes pulp and mush.
An apple deprived of air from within becomes arid and rigid.
Space hoards its air, jealously cordons it within clothen folds.
Steal naught air. Steal fabric.
Steal space.
From Space.
**
Lids tightly shut, Karma raised an outward-facing palm. Inwardly, he visualized, revised, and visualized once more his personal understanding of Spatial Solidification.
None can boast more knowledge over reality's "strings" than I.
Innumerable golden threads projected into his consciousness in fractal, overlapping matrices. Unprecedently, they did not bind spiritual entities to other spiritual entities, but spiritual energy particles to other spiritual energy particles.
To tauten a weave, one can simply pull on its errant threads.
His Speed concept suffused four symmetrical threads, drawing them outward in dichotomous directions.
Karma's lids slowly lifted, unveiling the murky, translucent pane erected before him.
He grinned.
Now, my affinity.
Whoom.
The pane, as if injected with another dimensionality, inflated into a monolithic pilaster.
Wider.
Its width bridged the suite's opposing walls.
Longer.
A ghostlike substance engorged the suite's entirety, the gelatinous quagmire inducing all spiritual phenomena an airy sluggishness.
"Hey, Anlîthëma, try and talk?"
"Whaaaat—fuuuuck yoooou!"
Karma diverged his Spatial Solidification unto the room's perimeter.
"Try now?"
"I refuse."
"Hah, it worked! Incredible, no?"
"No."
**
"Time for the main event!" whooped Karma, procuring Anlîthëma's spatial pouch and doffing his spatial ring. "Apologies, I need you in the space jelly."
"Wait, do—"
Plop.
"—ooon't. Fuu—"
"Quiet, or this becomes permanent."
"..."
Inhaling deeply through his nostrils, Karma spawned a non-linearity remnant, handing him a set of Legume and Chrysalis.
**
Contradictions occur when, given a set of premises, we make an assumption based on that set, thought Karma#1.
**
Through a series of logical transformations, thought Karma#2, placing the Avatar stimulant and stabilizer on his tongue, if we arrive at the negation of a premise—
Gulp.
Contradiction is born.
A scourging blaze erupted in his Spirit Aperture.
I am the Premise.
Like previous breakthroughs, his Aperture swiftly overflowed with spiritual energy, sharding into a torrential surge.
Only, this Aperture had experienced Attunement.
It transcended the boundaries of its cage.
It wanted to be free, to enlarge and enlarge.
It sought infinity.
The Coalescent Legume denied it infinity, its pearlescent border insisting upon the finite.
I am the Assumption, roared Karma#2's Avatar.
To be or not to be, that is MY choice.
Not the universe.
Not the Dao.
Mine.
An impossibly isotropic "?" congealed overhead, its one-yet-infinite surfaces effusing an aura of enigma.
**
Karma#1 stared at the surreal spectacle with nervous fascination.
We have our Assumption.
Karma#2, his remnant status unable to support his Avatar, began unraveling into rainbow-colored sparks.
Rainbow: an expression of limitless possibility.
Sparks: an ephemerality of unportended fate.
The Assumption negates the Premise.
Karma consumed his Legume, his Chrysalis, and—
His Avatar.
His.
**
Creation is Oblivion.
Forward is Backward.
Eternity is Transitivity.
I am Contradiction.—I am not Contradiction.—I am Contra...
**
"SHUT. UP," blared Karma, brandishing his fist at the isotropic "Ω" enwreathing the emptiness above his head.
Its double-helix, white-and-black motifs halted their twining orbit. The resultant quiet finally heralded a measure of serenity.
"Ahh, peace at last."
"Heeelp m—"
"Not yet! There's one more thing I need to try. As always, interrupt, and I'll flay you."
A door-shaped plane of Spatial Solidification appeared before him.
"Go ahead ..."
I am Contradiction.—I am not Contradiction.—I am Contra...
The door's translucence inverted to opaqueness; its ineffable blankness surrendered to impenetrable blackness.
Its Solidification—
"HAHAHAHAHA!"
To Anlîthëma's chagrin, Karma stepped through the door of darkness.
Correction—Karma stepped into the door of darkness.
Nothing came out from the other side.