Ten years.
An instant for the universe, a blink for a long race, a considerable time for a celestial ranker and a full decade for a mortal.
It was the longest period of Varian’s life.
"Again?"
Varian looked at his status with irritation.
[Creator Avenue: 1000/1000
Ruler Avenue: 1000/1000
Sage Avenue: 1000/1000]
He was stuck at peak rank 2 for ten goddamn years. The bottleneck hadn’t moved an inch.
[Don’t stress it too much. The primordial gods are rank 3. Even the slivers can’t help beyond a point.] Logos said in an uncharacteristically soft tone.
Varian shook his head, rolling his eyes and breathing out. "Screw that bullshit. I’d be happier if you had a specific answer."
[I don’t.]
"Well."..
[Neither does she.]
(Shut up, Logos! Why are you dragging me into this?) Samsara almost screamed, like a cat whose tail was stepped on.
Then, she addressed Varian, her voice turning gentle, as if she wasn’t the one yelling at her fellow sliver.
(Var, you now view avenues instead of paths. Your understanding has touched rank 3. You should breakthrough under any logic. Unless...)
"I don’t know how to break that bastard’s seal." Varian focused on his soul.
The eyes imprinted remained as always, looking at him with amusement.
Samsara eventually brought up his strange behavior and Varian told them about the eyes.
To his surprise, they accepted it without much doubt. It seemed the slivers also realized Architect was playing a game with them.
[We can’t see him. And any attempt to help you might backfire. I don’t know if he can do it directly, but he can definitely influence us indirectly. Or our source of power.]
(I have checked my avenue. I can’t sense any trace in the avenue of life and death. I just don’t understand how he’s able to influence me and prevent me from noticing the ban on you. Heck, I can’t even see the eyes.)
[Is it through our divine paths? Is it through origin?] Logos brought up a good point.
Varian had a hunch that it involved origin. It might not be the whole answer, but origin was definitely involved.
But how? Just origin wasn’t enough.
For any individual, origin was the source of their three divine avenues.
Even the universe itself is built from these three avenues. They’re the framework of it all.
He had been pondering over a thought for a while now. Out of the million thoughts he’d get during the grinding sessions, this one stood out and never left.
"Does the universe has an origin?" Varian asked.
[...Strange question.]
(But dead things don’t have one, do they? Does a sword have origin?)
Varian waved his index finger and the world around him shifted. He appeared in a treasury, holding thousands of weapons.
With a flick, they all activated.
Some were glowing with life, others were flaring with chaos and many were vibrating space.
He had this doubt too. This place solved that.
"A sword doesn’t have an origin, but it does has affinities for divine avenues. Some are more inclined for life power, few for space and others for chaos. There is a similar model playing out here.
Since there is a difference in affinities, there must be something that determines it. Origin.
I can’t see it, because only a living being can unlock the view. Doesn’t mean a sword might not have one."
[So, the universe has an origin? Or something similar?]
"It sounds crazy. But if my origin is where my understanding of divine paths and source of divine power exists..."
(Then where exactly is it?)
"It cannot be in the same space-time field. It is beyond reach, cannot be touched, cannot be seen by non-owner."
(Very, very interesting hypothesis you have there, Var.) Samsara’s usually cheerful voice grew solemn.
[Wait a minute...] Logos seemed to draw in a breath. As a sliver, she couldn’t. But maybe she was just that nervous.
[Architect holds the origin of the universe. Through it, he’s controlling us, controlling you? It makes perfect sense! Varian, you are brilliant!]
In all these years he’d been with her, Logos never praised him so sincerely. If she had a physical body, he was damn sure he could see her sparkling, admiring eyes.
Varian shook his head, throwing those thoughts out. These days, thoughts kept coming. Damn seclusion.
"He is after something. That’s why he keeps intervening. He is also afraid of some things. Or he wouldn’t have stopped the Heaven tribe’s research on origin.
I suspect he isn’t as strong as we think him to be. At least not omnipotent and omniscient level strong. Or why wait? He can just do whatever he wants.
He has the origin, but I doubt he has it full. Maybe just a fragment.
But through it, he has the leverage."
It’s a very reasonable deduction. Samsara and Logos fell silent at the theory.
[T-That....might be a chance....a chance!] Logos muttered in excitement. She seemed to be on the verge of choking.
Varian wondered what the hell happened with this aloof sliver? Was it about the futures again?
[Varian! There might be a chance. The two futures I saw—]
"I know, I know." Varian wanted to leave right away as he had heard this too many times.
Samsara imitated her voice and said.
(When I see the future, I see darkness. But two types of darkness. One is the darkness that never changes. Eternal Hell.
Another is a darkness that is ever twisting. It will spare nothing in its path. All things will be devoured and assimilated.
It’s either one or the other. The futures are both doomed.
The only difference is the type of doom.)
[Varian.] Logos didn’t care about the imitation joke and continued earnestly. [Please, please, never give up. There is hope. As long as there is hope, you’ll figure out a solution.]
"Logos, go back to your cold self." Varian clicked his tongue, giving a cheeky smile. "I want to train a cold maid, not a nice one."
(Tsk, tsk, tsk) Samsara made sure to voice her jealousy.
"I don’t want to train you, Samsara. You are perfect the way you are."
(Var~)
Watching him say those lines so smoothly, Logos wanted to slap his face.
[This is important!]
"I know. But I can’t think beyond this now. He has a fragment of origin, a version of it or whatever.
Maybe he also has something else other than origin. I’m not sure if he can do all that he does with just a fragmented origin.
Or maybe he can. I really don’t know.
We’ll see."