The space that Damien was in…could it be considered the counterside of the True Void Universe?
Glancing around, he noticed that his surroundings were the same. He was in the same isolated training area. He could sense Void Palace and the other grand structures all around the Heavenly World.
The key point that made it incredibly obvious that this was not the True Void Universe was the lack of life.
The only living being in this place was Damien himself.
'Something existed?'
Damien exited the isolated area and walked into the world. The first thing he noticed was the sky.
Instead, the sky was made up of flowing waves of blue energy that perpetually moved and maintained its energy.
That was the model that Damien followed throughout his life. That was a direct representation of the way he wanted his own internal mana circuits to work.
They were close to that level now. Damien didn't necessarily need to use his own energy anymore, so it was inconsequential, but his mana still was not infinite.
If there was a situation where the entire cosmos was stripped of its mana, Damien's capacity would once again become finite.
This was a representation of a level he had not been able to reach. As it graced his eyes, he inadvertently raised off of the ground and approached it.
The energy was unbothered by his presence. No, perhaps it was the one who called him here. As he put his arm out and touched it, his entire body shook.
He had suddenly established a connection to something magisterial. His eyes glowed with a massively blue light. His consciousness was ripped from his physical form as he was taken to a place where he could properly interact with it.
In that place, it entered a form that he was already aware of.
A holographic blue window appeared before him.
He was just as speechless after understanding.
[Welcome to the Apeiron Records.]
It obviously wasn't its true name, but the fact that it acknowledged the only name Damien ever knew it by was enough confirmation that it was truly that entity.
The system that ruled over the True Void Universe, the reason why its people were able to progress through the stages of power without complications or doubt…
Was it this perpetual energy? Is this where it was the entire time, existing in this alternate True Void that others could not perceive?
For some reason, it was astounding. Damien, who had just come back from the Land of Nothingness, still found himself shell-shocked by this entity.
[You have achieved a state that this cosmos has never seen.]
The system clearly didn't have consciousness. It was able to interact with him within its parameters, which meant that this meeting was for a purpose.
As the system said, he was now in full control over both Existence and Nonexistence. To an extent, he was standing equal to the Void. This was a state that this cosmos had never seen, and a state celebrated by every cosmos lucky enough to birth an individual with such power.
[In lieu of your accomplishment, you have been granted the right to read the records.]
Damien's eyes widened.
The system was, as named, a record of all things. Persia's Encyclopedia did something similar to the system, but this entity acted on a completely different level. It was omniscient and omnipresent.
To be granted a right to read those records…
'It is not absolute.'
He wouldn't be given free reign over the system. He could tell from the messages that this was a one-time opportunity.
'Then, rather than focusing on myself, I should think broader.'
Rather than focusing on the True Void Universe that he could read at any time, he wanted to focus on the system itself.
"Show me those records."
The records of the system's origin. The records of its creator.
[Confirming access to Origin Record.]
[Partial access confirmed. Some information will be omitted.]
With those words, Damien was shown the very story he wanted to see.
He encountered no obstacles, almost as if the story was meant for him from the very beginning.
Once upon a time, in a world far, far away, two brothers were born. Their births took place only a few minutes apart, however, the way they were treated was different from their very first day alive.
The elder brother was showered with love. He was found to have an extremely rare talent during his birth, and all eyes had been on him from then.
The younger brother wasn't untalented, but compared to his elder brother, he was nothing special.
Others ignored him, but his elder brother didn't. He wasn't blinded by the attention he got. He cherished his younger brother and wanted to make sure that he was always happy.
However, his younger brother didn't appreciate his sentiments.
Every negative thing that happened to him was attributed to his elder brother. When a woman he loved decided to confess to his brother, he ignored the fact that his brother rejected her and threw her out of the house. He only cared about the fact that his brother had won again.
One day, a prophecy was revealed. It stated that a hero would be born who would save the world and even the universe itself. The two hero candidates were none other than these two brothers.
But the elder brother didn't want it.
He didn't want to be the hero. He never wanted to remain stuck on this planet, and the stronger he got, the more he desired to see the skies and what lay beyond.
The title of a hero was just a burden to him, but it looked like it meant everything to his brother.
As such, he decided not to compete. He announced his withdrawal from candidacy and disappeared, finally making his way into the starry sky.
From that point on, he never saw his brother again. He hoped his brother was able to gain happiness in that small world where they were born, but he couldn't be there to experience it with him.
It wasn't just because of his ambitions, but because his brother would only ever feel negativity and hostility if he stayed.
For years, he wandered the cosmos alone. He gained great power and a wealth of knowledge, eventually coming across a concept known as "Abyss."
It was everything and nothing at all. Existence and Nonexistence in one.
He chased that concept with everything he had, and as he got closer to reaching it, he distanced himself from everything else.
He only revisited his home world once. It was covered in statues of his brother and tales of a hero.
However, it wasn't all peaceful.
Since he was there in their hometown, he helped them kill a rogue dragon that was threatening to wipe them all out. On the same day, he also helped them design certain facilities that would increase the quality of living greatly.
He became a hero to that city, so they erected a statue of him to pay tribute.
It was the only one in the entire world, so it definitely felt special.
Nevertheless, that was the last time he interacted with reality under his birth name.
After that, he became the Worldwalker.
He eventually reached Existence and Nonexistence. Even longer after that, he combined them and became Absolute.
The Worldwalker started passing through the various cosmos within the Abyss and observing their cultures. Sometimes, he'd lend them a helping hand or create a treasure that would help the cosmos grow.
He was a wanderer at his core. He never wanted to stay in one place. The infinitely expanding Abyss filled with so many different cosmos with so many different peoples and cultures was his home, and within it, he found the greatest adventures.
Still, he was a mortal once. He perceived time, and eventually, he experienced an unparalleled sense of boredom and loneliness.
He decided that he had lived for long enough. He found a random newly budding cosmos as his final resting place, and he transformed it so that its people could live well.
That random cosmos was none other than the True Void.
His final creation was the system.
After providing a route for this cosmos' people to grow more stably and without deviation, he established it.
And, amidst those people, he laid himself to rest.
The origin of the system, and the first Absolute.
Their cosmos had been blessed by such a being. That was the reason for its oddities and its uniqueness.