“No…” Eridel absentmindedly whispered as fear began to rise.
Slowly, he crouched to the ground. Placed his elbows upon his knees, rested his palms together against his lips and closed his eyes.
“No…” he whispered once again.
The fact that the Slime Abomination was his Soulmate was shocking news, but for a second or 2 he had been quite interested. After all, the Slime Abomination had immense potential that was still growing. It hadn’t even comprehended an Intent yet (which it could now do since it has a Soul), which meant that It still had room for an explosion of potential. Who wouldn’t want to have such a partner for eternity?
He wasn’t even worried about the Slime Abomination not suiting his sexual tastes either, since that was impossible. One way or another, the Slime Abomination would obtain an appearance and personality that was so to his liking that it would be as if ‘she’ (and never a male, because Eridel is only sexually attracted to females) was divinely crafted by the heavens solely for him.
But…
Only a second later did he remember that this Soulmate of his… was very close from never existing ever again. Not even just dying. The Red Tribulation was extremely dangerous, and even with all the peculiar upgrades that the Abomination had received, there was still a chance of her fading into just a memory.
If that happened, even Eridel wouldn’t be able to bring her back to life.
Normally that wouldn’t be such a problem. Eridel had barely met her so he couldn’t possibly be attached, and talented figures died even more unjust deaths all the time so there was no need to dwell on it. Eventually, other talents on the level of, or even surpassing that of the Slime Abomination, would arrive and he would be able to protect their existences better. No problem at all.
Accept there was a problem. A very big problem.
Eridel knew the effects of what having a Soulmate die would do to a person, even if they had never met. In such situations (never having met before), the living Soulmate would permanently feel like something was missing, and as a common consequence, might fall into hedonism in pursuit of that ‘something’. Such a person’s will would eventually degenerate and their prospects for cultivation would collapse.
In Eridel’s case where he had met the Soulmate but had never really associated with her, regret would plague him for the rest of his life. The thoughts of ‘what if’ would never be fleeting, and like in the first example, his will would eventually begin to decline. Even if he tried to alter his own memory to forget said Soulmate, it wouldn’t work. He would only end up like the first example, but worse. When a planet (even a sentient one) that was already half-crazed with the desire for evolution began to feel like something was ‘missing’, the catastrophe could only be imagined.
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Lastly, there were the type of people who had achieved the relationship you would expect of typical Soulmates, star-crossed lovers. Whenever such people had their Soulmate die, it wasn’t hard to guess what would happen next. Death. Suicided to be specific. Some would attempt to bring the World down with them (Hahaha.), irrationally angry that the World would allow their Soulmate to die. But eventually, it would almost always end with death.
Thankfully, Eridel didn’t belong to that first category.
‘…Hopefully I don’t end up in any category.’ Eridel thought as he forcefully tried to quell his rampaging emotions. But they only continued to bubble and boil until he leapt to his feet with a roar.
“FUCK! This wasn’t supposed to happen! The Tribulation Laws weren’t even supposed to shackle me! I created it! I could have ended this Tribulation in an instant! FUCK! I wasn’t even supposed to have a Soulmate either! FUUUUUUCK!” Eridel raged, current emotions and ignored emotions of the past affecting him.
That was the thing about Immortals, gods or irregularly long-lived individuals (including reincarnators or people implanted with centuries or more worth of memory). They were expertly capable of managing how they act and were almost always in control of their emotions. But when they snapped, it was always a sight to behold.
“It doesn’t make any fucking sense! What kind of creator has to abide by his own…”
Whilst Eridel swore up a storm, the last few effects of the Slime Abomination’s divine celebration completely faded away. The Slime Abomination was now without a doubt a complete Anomaly, and the powers it came with were hers to wield.
The Mark of Gluttony was very close to being fully assimilated and soon, the people all over the World who had succumbed to the enthralment of Gluttony (just like in the time the Honourable Brother had become the Sin of Envy) would be released from their dreams.
All of those that had succumbed had forever changed. The way their bodies would react to Gluttony Essence was now utterly different, and the Sin of Gluttony would never be far away from them whether the Slime Abomination survived or not. The Sin of Gluttony was here to stay.
Perhaps in a couple years, Creatures in Black would start to appear just like the Creatures in Green had. And if the Slime Abomination managed to survive, who knew what further methods she could use to augment her followers using her bestowal ability as an Anomaly.
All it would take was a Contract, and a new sub-species would be born.
The Super Ant Colony of the Burning Nines, the Golden Humans of the Heavenly Sun, the Blood Fae and High Devils of the Blood Tree, Zion the Lunar Lion Kaiser and the other Creatures of the Moon, Dodo the Guardian of the Forest of Dawn and Progenitor of Glacial Saint Deer Clan.
All of these powerful creatures and races had been created by the wills of Anomaly’s. Their powerful Contracts upgrade beings who might have been ordinary, into unprecedented geniuses whose might could never be overlooked. One could only imagine what would happen if the Slime Abomination, who was both an Anomaly and a Sin, was to put her full efforts into upgrading someone using all of her means.
Something amazing, that’s for sure.