"Am I really that bad? What nonsense! I'm not evil at all..."
John smiled wryly.
He didn't see himself as evil. But neither did he see himself as some sort of force of good. He had caused endless suffering. But at the same time he had given birth to new consciousness.
Without his actions. This world wouldn't even exist! Even if he later destroys it because of some sort of benefit. Everything has a life cycle. Everything goes through birth and death.
John saw his universe no different then one might see an insect. Some insects. The seasons change and they follow a pattern of death and rebirth.
A mayfly may 'exploit' its environment. Living beneath ice and feeding to emerge as an adult come spring.
But there are many insects that aren't so lucky.
Is John himself just a lucky 'insect'?
He didn't think so. Everyone else might need to follow this pattern of life and death. Everyone else might need to meet a end one day.
But John had already had his turn. He had lived many lives. He had gone through this cycle himself. He believes he has transcended it! He has become an entity above the laws of others.
He was 'special'.
Even if others become immortal. Even if others can manipulate consciousness. Even if they become gods. They will never reach John. Because John doesn't try to surpass others.
He doesn't want to surpass rank 10 because there exist someone at that level. No.
He wants to surpass it, because he wants to surpass himself! He is John Destinatus!
As John listened to the overseer talk. He was repeatedly shown on a illusion array the memories of the seer.
The seer was using his spiritual sense to input data from his mind... the information of the future.
John became interested.
"They say I will erase them all. But I have lived peacefully among them for a decade. If I wanted to destroy this universe. It would be as easy as breathing."
"So what exactly was it that I find in the future?"
"What is it that causes me to go on a rampage?"
John found the seers of this world interesting as he lacked a precognition power. They were capable of doing something even he couldn't do!
They could see the future. John had no powers like this.
John had Intuition and Knowledge which could do something similar. But as for looking directly at the future? He was merely simulating things.
This showed John an important detail.
"The more the world evolves. The more people will appear that can do things I cannot. If I use this to my advantage... I can rid myself of all weaknesses."
"Once I have no weaknesses... Even Zero will have to make way! I'll speed-run past rank 10! I'll reach rank 11... then 12... then 13. I'll make the past system obsolete! I'll create an entirely new standard!"
"But to do so would infuriate those other hidden existences..."
"But what can they do to me?"
"This is only the beginning!"
John started to laugh. He was so deep into his thoughts that he actually laughed out loud. Everyone turned to look at him.
He coughed and apologized.
"Please continue!"
"As I was saying. Do not leak this information. We don't want others to panic. Search for the source of the invasion in the shadows. Do not publicly make it an issue. We don't need seeds to become useless due to paranoid actions."
"The next issue I need to talk about is seer allocation."
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Soon the seer went through each person individually asking them the status of their seer.
When it was John's turn.
"My seer died..."
"How did your seer die?"
"I asked her a question regarding my son. She said something about a demon child then died. I was afraid that it was a demon. So I killed the child shortly after it was born."
"Hmm..."
"You wouldn't mind a soul search?"
John frowned.
"Do you have any idea who I am?"
"Kai! This concerns the entire realms future. Are you really so selfish as to avoid the natural duty of the top players? We are at the top not to protect ourselves. But to safeguard others..."
Soon everyone was 'encouraging' John to undergo a soul search.
Truthfully... The Overseer was just curious how John had attained a 'Mysterious' destiny.
John spoke with a sneer.
"Natural duty of the top players? Nonsense! If you want to soul search me. I'll need..."
John rubbed his two fingers together.
"Compensation!"
John was already rich. He also had everything one could possibly want... everyone else wondered what he meant by 'compensation'.
Even the seer was confused.
"...What do you want?"
"Not much. Equivalent Exchange. There is no free lunch in this world. You search my soul. I search yours. Deal?"
The Overseer felt extremely happy! He had a trick or two up his sleeve.
His soul had been tempered by many lives. Allowing someone to search your soul didn't necessarily mean they would get your entire life's work.
It depended on the skill of the person and the amount of memories they had experienced. So why was he happy? Because this was a fools game! Kai was known as a battle type cultivator. He couldn't possibly have a complicated soul.
Meanwhile. The Overseer had honed his craft.
It was like he was an adult taking candy from a baby. But the baby would have the opportunity to try to steal something from him as well...
But this analogy falls apart, because John is no baby. Instead... he is like a god confined in a mortal body. So not only would he take the candy back. But he would somehow steal the mans wallet and keys.
The Overseer had already lost. But he had no idea.
In the center of the meeting room. Admin type cultivators began to bring the proper artifacts for this soul search 'duel'.
There were two screens. Any information fished out of the soul would be engraved on a disk and briefly displayed in flashes on the screen.
The Overseer had complete confidence.
Two chairs were brought out to the center of the room. John sat down as the artifact covered his head. The same went for the seer.
"3... 2... 1... Go!"
On the seers screen... endless fractals were displayed. It was weird mathematical imagery. John himself had no idea this was what his soul displayed. He didn't make any preparations at all.
On John's screen... It was the fake childhood and life of the seer. But John saw this as a mere fake. It wasn't the true contents of this mans soul.
John made sure not to overdo it.
He shattered what the seer wanted others to see and revealed his-
----------------------------------------
The Overseer's POV:
"...What do you want?"
"Not much. Equivalent Exchange. There is no free lunch in this world. You search my soul. I search yours. Deal?"
I look into the future and see if this outcome will be useful. What I see disturbs me... This man somehow revealed my biggest secret! I absolutely cannot agree to this competition!
"Kai! There is no need for us to go so far. We are all brothers here."
Kai squinted his eyes a little bit.
Kai then said:
"Being a seer is quite useful!"
What does he mean by that?
----------------------------------------
"...What do you want?"
"Not much. Equivalent Exchange. There is no free lunch in this world. You search my soul. I search yours. Deal?"
John then felt something weird.
His blessing of Fate...
"Someone has altered history? No. It hasn't happened yet."
"I see... this must be the ability of the seer!"
"How interesting... I wonder if there is a way for me to steal this power."
John smiled:
"Being a seer is quite useful!"
John stood up.
"This topic has caused me some distress. I will be taking my leave."
"But first. I will search your soul!"
John had formed a plan instantly. How exactly do you deal with someone who has the ability to see the future?
You do reckless insane actions! Consistent insanity!
John stabbed his hand through his chest ripping out his own heart. He then used Fall to trick the consciousness of the seer.
He switched consciousness again just like he had done with Kai.
The Overseer was shaken as he looked at the heart in his hand. He then fell to the grou-
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The Overseer's POV:
"Being a seer is quite useful!"
What does he mean by that?
Kai stood up.
"This topic has caused me some distress. I will be taking my leave."
"But first. I will search your soul!"
He stabs his hand through his own chest!
"Madness!"
I then feel dizzy as my perspective switches...
I am holding my own heart...
"Urgh..."
"Not much. Equivalent Exchange. There is no free lunch in this world. You search my soul. I search yours. Deal?"
I look into the future and see if this outcome will be useful. What I see disturbs me... This man is something evil! He is using my ability against me...
But how!? This isn't possible.
How would one pull off-
"Being a seer is quite useful!"
Oh no...
He stands up.
"This topic has caused me some distress. I will be taking my leave."
"But first. I will search your soul!"
He stabs his hand through his own chest.
"Why is he doing this!?"
"How can I win?"
My perspective shifts and I die...
"Being a seer is quite useful!"
Again.
"Being a seer is quite useful!"
Again.
Over and over again.
I find myself stuck in a loop of death. No matter what I do. He acts recklessly and manages to kill me. It is as if his actions are consistent. It is as if he... knows...
"Being a seer is quite useful!"
I wait to die again.
He stands up.
"This topic has caused me some distress. I will be taking my leave."
"But first. I will search your soul!"
This time he doesn't rip his heart out.
I feel my soul searched...
He has actually done it...
There is a limit to the amount of times I can look into the future. Eventually, I am playing with my real life.
But how? How could he know?
This...
To do what he did...
Just who the hell is he!?