It was a subtle movement, something even rank 2s would overlook. But as he was observing it with all his focus, Varian captured it clearly.
He only had doubts about this before, wondering if it was a perception mistake on his part. But redoing the experiment confirmed his suspicions.
The changes were exactly the same as the last time.
Long back when Logos first awakened, Varian watched in wonder as it repaired his broken guantlets.
Gradually, he came to realize it wasn't a repair in the traditional sense. Logos simply returned 'Order' to the chaotic system of broken pieces.
Origin might've just shaken but what it was doing was a similar process. It initiated the process to restore Order to the Origin. Even though the process never went through, this already gave him hope.
It remained passive showing no response whatsover to the other two slivers. But with Logos, it had a different reaction.
(Why? Why? You jealous @#$@#! You are hindering my powers, aren't you?) Samsara began accusing Logos without holding back.
[…It is odd.] Logos also commented, skepticism bleeding into her usually stoic voice.
(Odd? It is blatant! All slivers are equal, I'm better than you, but anyway, there is no reason you can do something I cannot do—unless you intervened.)
[Maybe you're just too weak?]
(Then the response should be weak, not absent. You rigged the results, accept it, you #@!&^)
Varian ignored the lively chatter. But he too had the same doubts.
In fact, the argument of weaker or stronger wouldn't make sense as he sent only a strand of both slivers into Aurora's origin. And before he did, he ensured they were both equivalent in quality. Even the space-time shards produced an equivalent strand of power.
The symmetry of divine paths states that there should be no difference in the results.
'There is something here. Why is Logos able to do this?' Varian couldn't see why.
All divine paths and their corresponding slivers were supposed to be equal. That's something he learned long ago from Sarah's mother and that lesson was only reinforced as he grew stronger.
Sure, some paths are more suitable in some situations than others. But that's due to the environment.
In a void environment, all paths were equal at a fundamental level. Perhaps some would have weaker offense capabilities, some weaker movement, but at a fundamental level, they should be equals.
"Hngh!"
At the pained groan of Aurora, Varian threw off those thoughts and focused on healing her.
A few moments later, she adjusted herself once again and rolled her eyes at him. "I'm going."
"The 77th experimen—"
"Meh, I have a treasure hunt with Sia in the evening." Aurora hopped out of the door and made a face at him, like a student who's getting away from a boring class.
"But Aurora, this is about your survival!"
"Exactly! I want to enjoy my final hours, not experience that pain!" As she said those words, she paused in her steps and turned to look at him.
Her eyes shone brightly as she gave him a bright smile. "Please don't worry about me. There are some who you can't save. As long as you can save who you can, don't feel guilty."
Varian watched as she vanished into the distance, humming a new song Enigma composed at their last camping.
He never thought Enigma would do something like that. But maybe it's beacuse she wanted Aurora to enjoy her final days, the silent lady came up with a beautiful song.
After ensuring Aurora was far enough, Varian sealed the room and collapsed onto the floor, blood rapidly pouring out of his eyes, nose and mouth.
"Damn!"
His body twitched violently before his flesh was spliced into pieces and his body was in pieces.
A few minutes later, Varian stood up, back in his peak condition and cleaned up the mess.
Breaching an origin was no small matter. He had to guide the strand of slivers and it gave him a huge backlash.
Thankfully, it was only pain and nothing more. But even a divine ranker like him wished to avoid the experience if he had an option. Unfortunately, he had no other option.
He did have the idea to lend Logos to her for some time to fix her Origin. But Logos informed him that it was bound to Varian. To try and take it away from him would mean ripping it away from his Origin. And he couldn't do it himself.
If he really wanted, he'd need the assistance of someone far stronger than him. Ophion and Hades weren't strong enough. Perhaps Keman and Yami would've been good candidates but they're gone.
"If I can make mini-slivers, then maybe there is a chance." Varian muttered.
But they'd take at least a year. It's such a long time. Of course, compared to Keman and Yami who had to spend more than a million years, this was a blink. Yet, a blink was far too long.
[What about shards?]
"Making shards is different from making mini-slivers. I don't know how to make them. And I can't control them once I give them to her. Aurora has to activate them herself.
And even after she does, her Origin has to be attuned to recieve the assistance. Even if I do it manually like I'm doing now, her origin will start rejecting the external interference soon and collapse more violently."
(B-But how can an Origin can be changed? It sounds ridiculous.)
It was truly ridiculous if even the sliver of life and death felt so. But again, as Varian grew, he had come to see these slivers as just vastly powerful creations and not anywhere close to omnipotence and omniscience he once assumed.
"It sounds ridiculous but I am not sure if it's impossible." Varian replied.
The sad part was that even if it's possible, researching something like that would take months for him on a very optimistic estimate.
He'd be happy if he had a month. But would she be able to drag on for a full month?
Rubbing his eyebrows, Varian glanced out, his vision piercing through the exquisite door and stretching across the grasslands, reaching a quiet corner by the lake.