Chapter 198 - Advance Payment

He'd accomplished way more than he ever imagined from this gathering already. Just reinforcing the fading singularity of Axiom would've been enough, but he ended up learning secrets so damning they changed his very worldview.

So, while he wasn't going to say no to any more surprises, he was more than satisfied with the outcome already. I shouldn't push too hard. I should let things play out naturally, he reasoned.

That's when Ms. Harmony nodded, "Glad to make your acquaintance, Mr. Fulminis. It's a pleasure to share this seat of honor alongside you."

Fulminis hemmed and hawed for a few seconds before bowing profusely. It was funny how one party was so effortless with her words while the other was awkward beyond recognition.

She seemed to realize this as well and asked with a somewhat teasing voice, "Actually, would you mind if I called you Little Fulminis instead?" Chuckling, she added, "It seems too formal, and I'm pretty sure you're quite a bit younger than me."

Vern wanted to laugh, but he simply sufficed with chuckling to himself. She really knew how to break the ice.

"Ah, uhm, yes, please, sure. Thank you, Ms. Harmony! I—I'm seventeen."

She nodded and expertly didn't delve any further as she turned towards the high seat and asked with expectation, "Mr. Axiom, do you have any orders for us?"

After some deliberation, Vern shook his head, "Not today. Feel free to make yourself comfortable."

She seemed to be caught off-guard for a moment before her eyes lit up, "Is that to say there will be another time?"

He nodded.

It was always his plan to somehow turn this into a recurring thing. How else would he spread Axiom's name otherwise? If he always brought in new people, most of his time would be spent just convincing them that he was this all-powerful being that they should revere. His heart couldn't handle this too many times.

While it wasn't possible even for him to make out her visage clearly, expressions were right there. The moment he answered, a smile blossomed on her lips as she whispered, "Praise the Axiom!"

At that moment, the ones in the outer court who'd been barely keeping themselves from fleeing the Nexus relaxed a little.

One of them sighed, only to grasp at his throat, surprised by the sound coming from it. Vern had lifted their silence the moment the barrier between the two levels was formed. They were just so scared they didn't realize.

One after another, they all discovered the same was true for them, and before long, the chatter between them began once again. However, the barrier was absolute. Voices couldn't go in or out unless he wanted them to.

Ms. Harmony and Little Fulminis didn't even notice the commotion on the lower levels until a while. Vern, however, listened to each and every word carefully.

The conversation started off with them nervously asking each other what was happening before it quickly devolved into them theorizing that Axiom had implicitly given them permission to stay.

"We need to make sure we don't bother Lord Axiom or his chosen ones. We're here on borrowed time. Any mistakes might see us thrown out, and I can't afford that."

"Couldn't have said it better myself. I just plan on silently observing all their actions, and maybe—maybe one day, I can even ascend and sit alongside them as a chosen myself!"

.

.

.

Vern nodded internally. These were all sensible people, and it showed. They'd come to the right conclusions by themselves. Ahh, this is perfect. The rate of growth of Axiom's singularity had gotten faster since he formed the barrier.

It was as if the gravity of this situation and Axiom's perceived position finally sunk in for them. Funny how it's more effective to shun them than outright help them.

It made sense. People associate aloofness with power all the time. He was sure if he'd been friendly from the start, the whole atmosphere would be ruined, and these very people would still be making light of him.

Not that they would be wrong to do so. One of them was even a third-shade Observer, whereas he was still just in the first shade.

Shaking his head, he focused back on the inner court. Ms. Harmony had funnily settled down on the same seat as the last time during the confluence—positioning her in front and to his right.

The weirdly dressed guy—uh, Fulminis picked one on the other side, shifting visibly as he looked at the ground as if it was the most interesting thing in existence.

Soon, however, he spoke up with a bit of stammer, "Can I ask a question?" his gaze shifting between the masked figure high above and the lady.

Axiom gave a slight nod, and Kaneki began, "I was wondering if there was something I could do to alleviate the whispers."

They were…rough. It had gotten a little better over time, but during the early days, he was spending over half of his day vomiting and sick—simply lying in bed as the voices refused to stop.

When they were around, Lorendales got him to do one death-seeking experiment after another in the name of helping with the whispers. Sometimes, it was jumping in the pond with the electric eels, while at others, they told him to shock himself.

While it seemed cruel, it did work. But their efficacy faded over time, and he was back to dealing with the full force of the whispers. Ever since he lost communication with them, it only went downhill. He was out of ideas.

Illeana narrowed her eyes, and when Mr. Axiom didn't speak, she took the opportunity to ask instead, "Hmm, generally, if you follow your observation record well, they go away on their own. The more closely you can mimic the original record, the better off you are."

Tucking the loose strand of her hair behind her ear, she continued, "Which is why choosing the most compatible sequence is paramount. It gets harder to imitate the thoughts and ideas of our predecessors if we stray too far."

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Little Fulminis's shoulders dropped, and he replied, "I've tried that. It's just that half the methods and insights in my record are simply not viable to perform in my…environment. I don't know most of what it even means."

Illeana flinched at the deep sorrow within that tone. "I…see," she sighed. A part of her wondered just what this environment was. Nonetheless, she continued, "Yes, that's indeed an issue with shading your perception with lost sequences."

Luckily, she hadn't run into this issue herself, but she'd indeed heard of shade sequences that were impossible to follow because society had changed too much, making it impossible to recreate some conditions. It was a shame, really.

"Then, what is one supposed to do in cases like these?" he asked with a tinge of hope.

Illeana's fingers brushed the armrest of her seat in a rhythm as her expression turned thoughtful. After a while, she replied, "Double down on the basics. One method for an Observer to adapt their viewpoint to the shade sequence is to simply embody it with their whole being."

Her tone serious, she continued, "The name of the shade is of essence. A Singer, for example, would advance by simply singing. Yes, the efficiency can be dubious depending on the complexity of the sequence, but it is a surefire way to always be moving forward and lessen the hold of whispers on you."

Vern listened to Ms. Harmony with intent, finding some of his assumptions verified just like that. Hmm, so most Observers essentially just retrace the steps mentioned in their records, huh?

He didn't know what that would be like. After all, he never followed one himself. For him, it was experiments, dissection, and understanding all the way.

I wonder if one method is better than the other. Mine, where I critically analyze and figure out my own tenets more suited to my viewpoint or the one of simply following what's written in the Observation record down to the letter.

He vividly remembered Irene's explanation. She said that by following a record, we borrow the existing colors which are known to allow one to safely repaint reality. That was the proper way to avoid whispers.

However, he knew better. To him, they weren't just black boxes of madness. There was logic to them, too. Whispers came to those who envisioned incorrectly.

From what he understood, the primary contributor to this 'incorrectness' was trying to employ fundamentals one didn't understand. If one tried to use force fundamental related vision while having zero insights in that domain, they would be lucky to even be able to speak after that.

Most shade sequences combined multiple fundamentals to varying degrees, making it almost too easy to trip up and go outside the guard rails if one wasn't cautious.

He analyzed his own experience. Hmm, besides the first few times when I didn't know what I was doing, I don't think I was ever really crushed by whispers.

Which spoke volumes about his approach to growing as an Observer. After all, he'd used his visions very creatively at times, going far beyond the pre-defined guidelines of Instability Inducement.

That was to say, to avoid the calling of madness, one just had to know what they were doing. Hmm, though it comes with its own limitations. I typically need quite a concrete idea of cause and effect to perform my visions, whereas most others can get away with being quite vague.

This was the beauty of Observation. There were advantages to both approaches. He smiled, But I'm pretty sure I have far more flexibility in my visions than others and a higher guarantee of safety.

While others would be gambling if they ever used their visions in ways it wasn't meant to, he could do so willingly and with assurance.

Nodding to himself, he took a deep breath and interjected, "There's actually another way."

The two talking among themselves instantly stopped, turning their attention to him, and so did the ones in the outer court, even though they couldn't hear exactly what was being said.

The burly man whispered, "Can anyone read lips?"

Vern didn't want this insight to go out, so he countered this simple loophole by blurring his image for them.

The burly man became speechless and Vern continued without paying any more attention to the outer court, "While acting according to the Observation record is indeed a proven way to progress, do not dismiss the power of understanding why things work the way they do."

Ms. Harmony's face transitioned from confused to contemplative, whereas Fulminis remained puzzled even after a few seconds.

So, Vern simplified it further, "Observation records are just that—records. Do not fall for the extremes and follow them blindly. Find a balance. Use them as inspirations rather than the source of the single truth."

Illeana's eyes widened, her composed demeanor cracking for the first time. Her lips parted slightly, breath caught in her throat. She blinked rapidly as if trying to clear her vision of an impossible sight.

"But... but that's..." she stammered, her usual eloquence deserting her. She swallowed hard, regaining a fraction of her composure. "Isn't that incredibly dangerous?" Her voice was barely above a whisper, laden with a mix of awe and fear.

If someone else said such a thing, she would've considered them an enemy for life. After all, whispers were one subject that each and every Observer knew not to mess with unless they had a death wish.

However, Mr. Axiom's response was calm, almost nonchalant. "Not if you ask 'why' every step of the way."

In the outer court, a ripple of unease spread through the observers. They couldn't hear the exchange, but Illeana's visible shock was unmistakable. The burly man leaned forward, straining to catch any hint of what was transpiring. Others exchanged worried glances, the tension palpable.

Illeana's mind raced, possibilities unfurling before her like a vast, unexplored landscape. Her eyes shone with a new light—part excitement, part trepidation. That answer was short, but it embodied an entirely different way of life—an entirely new perspective on how one should go about shading one's perception.

Is that to say if I understand why my visions work the way they do, I can advance faster? Maybe do even more with them? That's what it must be, right?

She didn't doubt it any longer. The more she thought about it, the more it made sense. Maybe it was too risky for others, but her shackles of subjectivity were looser than most on this planet. Could this be why Mr. Axiom is telling us all this? Because he knows we're capable of following such a path?

"This... this changes everything," she breathed, more to herself than to Mr. Axiom. Then, gathering herself, she looked directly at him. "What must we offer in exchange for such... world-shattering knowledge?"

Mr. Axiom's response was enigmatic, his voice carrying a hint of amusement. "Consider it an advance payment."

The commotion in the outer court grew, observers whispering urgently among themselves, but Illeana barely noticed. Her world had shifted on its axis, and she was profoundly grateful to be standing at its center.

Little Fulminis, still a little confused, eked out, "Lord Axiom, I'm not sure where to even start."

The masked figure nodded, "Study. Dissect. Analyze. If you still can't understand, you may ask me. However, remember that the balance must be maintained. As long as you can offer an equivalent exchange, anything goes."

Ahh, she realized another advantage she had over everyone else. Yes! If something turns out to be too risky, I can just ask Mr. Axiom. Unable to keep her agitation in check, the speed at which her hands brushed the armrest grew, and so did the thoughts running through her mind.

Little Fulminis nodded repeatedly for a while before suddenly looking towards her, "Ms. Harmony, do you have any Observation records I can study? Something related to elements, maybe? I've only ever read a couple, and most aren't even remotely similar to mine."

She reflexively nodded. Besides the one gifted to her by Father, she did get her hands on an otherwise useless record when she managed to get a jump on that Waterbender who was pursuing her.

Turning back towards the masked figure overlooking all of them, Little Fulminis asked, "Lord Axiom, could you possibly arbiter the transaction between us? I…I don't want to cheat Ms. Harmony with my old and useless records."

Vern, who'd been silently relishing in the changes to his own singularity as well as the crowd's reaction, perked up when he heard that.

A devious gleam crossed his eyes. I am finally about to get my hands on more Observation records!