After taking a sip and feeling refreshed, Arslan gazed at those who had arrived. Only two beings had come. The leader and the glaucus in its smaller form. It must be a bloodline power, just like how Kaplan could manipulate his weight when tested.
Now that they were closer, he used his Mind Energy to envelop them. He was genuinely curious about the two, which didn't happen often. He also had a good excuse to check, in case of a possible attack, though everyone in the room would roll their eyes if he said so. Thus, he didn’t say anything and wantonly scanned them.
Regarding the glaucus, he sensed that the creature was resonating with something deep in space. And it was female. Likely, her ancestor was in a different dimension. A benefit of the Cosmic Resonance stage was sensing elements that are unseen by the five senses and Mind Energy. They didn’t need to spend energy to resonate, as the Existence did it for them. An authority to sense the metaphysical, so to speak. However, it was not omnipotent. Without becoming an Eternal, time and space had many mysteries hidden from them. Sensing and gathering enough knowledge to utilize it was a completely different thing. Fate and other obscure concepts were even more troublesome to study.
Arslan had made many trials and errors to focus on Domination just for this. He could, for a limited time, access the samsara function of the cosmos. For a few seconds, it was easy for him to snatch a soul from it. Unfortunately, due to his weakness in cultivation, he couldn’t survive long. The system of reincarnation was something only Divines could utilize without breaking a sweat. Eternals? Only the experienced ones could handle a few revivals. After all, they could protect their Existence even if they had passed through reincarnation. Some lost too much to the point they would lose time and space comprehension, not being able to advance upon birth. And some who were born with it would directly combine the formula of time and space upon birth to advance to Eternal Independence like Buddhas do, so that they could protect themselves.
As for the leader, she was a beautiful woman with black hair and blue eyes, with dark sparkles around her entire sclera. Although some might think it was related to space, he knew it was not. It was Death. Fundamental and most primal Death, that only those below Divines could taste.
Now that his nerves had relaxed, he spoke freely, “You both are interesting. You may sit,” he said, pointing to the opposite side of their table, which was rectangular and had a design that was too homely for a spaceship.
“Your Majesty, my name is Mortelle and my partner’s name is Stella,” Mortelle introduced herself with a slight bow.
Arslan could only nod and wait for them to speak.
“A day ago, we saw a vision,” Mortelle began, “In that vision, you came here, to this planet, and not long after, your death was announced.”
“That vision, if it is as you say, should have cost you a lot,” Arslan was not disturbed in the slightest. Dying was not something he feared. Or, he would not roam the cosmos, playing—warring with other factions in the galaxy.
“Yes, ten thousand years was the cost.”
“And you want compensation?” Arslan didn’t think so, but asked anyway. If they asked, he would pay. This was cheaper than what they could want from him.
“No, no, Your Majesty, you misunderstood. We are here just to warn you and help you survive what would happen to you on this planet. We don’t have any other expectations. Do we have your consent to join you on your journey to the Planet Animara?” Mortelle finished her speech, and Arslan would have believed they were doing it for free if he were five. At that age, he was considered a cub. And now, he was a lion.
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***
In a place where Possibilities were tangible, a being without features or form played chess with an old man. However, the chess they played was different from the original. It was designed so that it could be played even by those who were all-knowing. It functioned by distorting the game of chess into something different, yet the same.
“Another choice, another Possibility,” said the formless being.
The being playing with him was an old-looking man in white robes, appearing no different from any other human. Yet, the old man was anything but human. He was something beyond human, just like any other Boundless. He was such a being that he allowed others to exist and potentially reach his own level. He wasn’t the only one, but he was the one in this context. He was strange, yet not at the same time. Even with their omniscience, understanding any other being of their level would create a paradox, a Possibility, that they didn’t find necessary. It didn’t mean they couldn’t; it was just pointless. They knew the answer to what they would get, so why do it? They were all-knowing, after all.
“You gave him choice, you gave him Possibility. You would know better,” said the old man, continuing to play.
“Yes... I do. Yes, I do,” the formless being radiated helplessness with each word.
The old man laughed it off. He knew the feeling, even though he had never been anything close to mortal, unlike the being in front of him who had the luck to use the Possibility to his advantage to reach this level from mortality. When was the last time he laughed like this? Oh, right. After his rebellious son decided to go against him at every corner of Existence.
The old man paused after seeing the check that the formless being made. He looked at the formless being, perceiving his real appearance. “You could have changed the original outcome, you know? He might not force the outcome at our levels so that you and everything he created could exist, but you could have changed it. There’s no taking back what he gave, and he knows it. You know it.”
Inside the formlessness, he smiled. “Why would I change the outcome I have set in the past, present, and future or in any other Possibility? And it's just chess. More fancy. Just making you doubt if I will follow the outcome grants me endless satisfaction.”
The old man shook his head. Paradox, Existence, Non-Existence, Comprehension, Understanding, and Everything were meaningless yet so meaningful. He especially liked the being in front of him, even if it was just to have these feelings. Yet, his formless friend had so much more to provide than just this feeling.
They both knew that only those who were Omni could feel the same feelings. It was just that they were all different.
“I heard that you were trying to be with her,” the old man continued.
“A man can hope. She came to my Universe, after all. It’s definitely a sign. Definitely…” The formless being laughed so hard, Omniscience wasn’t necessary for those who were close to being an Omni to be aware. Existence might be thought of as only this Universe, yet his creations were clueless. Not for long, as he made sure of that, in his own beginning.
“We do not need hope. In your Universe, you are the highest of the Omni, equaling even I. What a strange Possibility you are,” the old man smiled, and just like the outcome that was already written somewhere, the chess game ended in a draw due to repetition.
“Hearing this from the being that created the whole concept of hope is strange. I am not Boundless like you. I have to stay up to date so that I can go beyond. By being Boundless, you don’t need to worry about Possibility as you could follow any Possibility and take advantage of it. I’m only considered Boundless in my own Universe. Yet, I am only as strong as the day I Existed. Existence and Non-Existence were already a playground to you who had no beginning. I artificially have no beginning, yet I also do. We just have to let them create more. Discover more. Their imagination, our imagination, limitless, that words alone wouldn’t be able to explain. After all, we can always reject things that don't fit into us. We improve and will improve. But me improving and you improving are different things. You could wish for improvement, and it would come true. I would want it, yet could not. That is what separates an Omni who is Boundless from other Omni,” the formless being said.
The old man smiled. It was the truth, so what could he say? It was good to be forever young. Maybe it’s time for a change. Maybe a hot and beautiful woman next? He remembered a song that had been popular a few years ago from the world he had created, a song that was just right for the situation. They sure were daring, and he liked it.