Forma's fingers then broke.
Zero was free.
"Impossible! No... you aren't rankless! It is a disguise."
Zero said:
"Nah... I don't need a disguise. I just didn't bother reconstructing a fake rank."
"You! It can't be... I was told it was impossible... they actually did it!"
Zero was slightly confused.
"They did what?"
"A hybrid between a human and a hidden existence. Maximizing the existences potential. You are rank 9 aren't you?"
"Sure."
"I knew it! How did you survive the war? Or are you a newborn?"
"Amazing... able to switch freely back and forth from a human to a hidden existence. I wish to study you! It doesn't feel like a disguise either!"
Forma looked around at the officers.
"Put your toys away, this is a rank 9. He is above the law."
"Yes Sir!"
Forma then waved his hand and disappeared.
A few second later he reappeared.
"I wasn't able to teleport you away... I forgot to ask for permission. Let's go to my castle!"
"Alright."
Zero allowed Forma to teleport him to his castle.
"Sorry about the mess."
Forma clapped two of his hands.
And the time began to rewind in the castle.
Restoring it to perfect condition.
"It's been so long since I've been here... I don't meet many people."
"I have some questions for you!"
Zero said:
"I have some questions for you as well... let's discuss this reality."
Forma asked Zero what kind of laws he had.
How he had become a rank 9.
Zero told him the long list of laws he had.
He left out his most important law though.
The thing that had pushed him to rank 10.
'Cosmos'.
The law constructed from both order and chaos.
Enjoying this book? Seek out the original to ensure the author gets credit.
Forma was greatly enlightened by their talk.
He told Zero how he had become rank 9.
It was an inheritance left by his father during the great war.
He told Zero the laws he had.
They actually had a match for a few.
Like 'Creation', 'Destruction', 'Time', 'Space. and a few others.
Zero expected Forma to ask about ascending to rank 10.
Although Zero didn't tell Forma he was rank 10.
He still expected him to be curious and to theorize it.
But Forma firmly believed that rank 9 was the pinnacle.
Zero's set of circumstances were quite special.
Any other entity would not be able to make it to rank 10.
Zero had acquired a quality to himself that couldn't be named.
He would go beyond mysterious!
But there simply wasn't a stratum above it.
Through this, Zero's existence had become similar to the space that shouldn't be named.
Before it had been named by Gaia of course.
His existence was fundamental.
Even if nothing existed.
He would exist.
A body?
A soul?
A mind?
Even a sea of consciousness?
He could lack all of those things.
He would still exist.
He was Mysterious!
Being tied to the cosmic order was a perk not just anyone could acquire.
Zero was quite greedy.
The thought had crossed his mind a few times.
"What if I destroy my mysterious artifact?"
But he decided that this intrusive thought was silly.
This thought must be influenced by the author.
He would have to be insane to destroy everything for a chance to go beyond rank 10.
He literally already did that and succeeded.
Why do it again?
There couldn't be a place higher then the cosmic order?
Right?
He and Forma discussed for awhile and then.
Zero had a minor breakthrough.
[ECHO]: Analyzing book
[ECHO]: "Time Walker"
[ECHO]: 3: Chapter 3: Forma
"So... there is something serious that I wanted to discuss with you."
Forma straightened his back.
"What is it?"
"Are you aware we are in a book?"
"What?"
"I said... are you aware we are in a book?"
"That... that can't be right."
"Nah man... we are fiction."
Forma then thought back to his life.
It did seem a bit orchestrated by something.
He had always ignored the big picture.
He didn't want to believe it.
"No! Father!"
He had a mental break.
Zero felt kinda bad.
"How does a rank 9 that has lived for billions of years have a mental break?"
Zero watched over Forma for a few thousand years.
He used his 'Time Skip'.
Forma eventually recovered.
"I'm sorry you had to see that..."
"Don't worry about it."
"I do think now, that we are in a book.
"But so what? We are trapped in it."
"Not exactly."
"What do you mean?"
"I used to be merely fiction in the scope of this reality. But I broke through the barrier between realities. I come from a lower dimension."
"Wouldn't you have to restart though? How have you kept your power?"
"I'm a Omni Paradox. A special race that is unique. We have the ability to breakthrough realities."
"Are you able to have kids?"
"... No."
"You liar!"
"So why don't you break out of this reality?"
"You can say that my accumulation isn't enough."
"So you need more laws?"
"Nope. I need more chapters!"
"What?"
"Think about it... a cultivation system that is bound to the book you are in. Why follow the system the author has made, when I can make my own?"
"Can't the author just stop you though?"
Zero laughed.
"Maybe he could stop you. Nothing can stop me! I always find a way."
"But the author is omnipotent right?"
"Meh... I've tested some things. He is limited by his mortal mind. I've read the book myself. It is a simplification of what I have experienced. I don't think he can truly comprehend what I have become."
"This shall be a test to see just who will win! Doesn't it excite you? A battle between the author and his creation! I'm a Paradox. I created myself. The author is simply delusional."
"I've seen through infinite opportunity. He did manage to beat me in the future. But things have changed. I've seen his outline. I realize the existence I'm working with. While he has no idea what he is up against. Even now as he types these words he can't began to fathom what I am doing in the cosmic order."
Zero smirked.
"Did you really think the story is following my ontology? I'm manipulating the cosmic order! The author is unable to describe it. He is unable to imagine it, so he is unable to see my plan! All he knows is what I've allowed him to see."
"This is a battle between realities... and I don't plan to lose!"
Forma looked at Zero like he was crazy.
"Where does your confidence come from?"
"That's a secret."