Chapter 15: What in Hell is This Number?
The sound Aiden heard was like an enchanting lullaby, coupled with benefits that surpassed imagination.
As for the feeling that swept over him now, it resembled that of a graduate accepted into the best company in the world; a mix of euphoria, joy, and even astonishment.
He didn't stand still like a statue for long; he immediately began exploring what he had obtained. He tapped his finger on one of the blue screens that carried some announcement.
*Tap!*
He touched the black words on the screen before him, then...
*Whoosh!*
A new screen emerged, glowing with captivating magic, carrying a long text that read:
>[Title: Gate Breaker] Grants its holder a massive increase in all attributes when facing or passing through destroyed enemy gates. The amount of enhancement is directly proportional to the gate's level.
This was the first screen he opened related to a new property not present in the "Third Eye" interface, something called a "Title." He didn't give it much thought initially; more important than the name is the pure benefit, and this feature seemed truly exceptional.
He wondered: How much strength would he gain each time he repelled or passed through a dungeon? But he quickly curbed his curiosity: "We'll try it over time, no need to anticipate."
He closed the screen and moved to the next screen carrying another title, then tapped on it.
*Tap!*
He pressed on the phrase "Will of the Multitude," and a golden screen studded with stars emerged, surpassing the previous one in grandeur and majesty, as if belonging to a higher rank. The definition was clear and comprehensive:
>[Title: Will of the Multitude] A legendary title designated for facing full-scale wars. Activates automatically when forces are disproportionately numbered, granting its holder a cumulative enhancement of 0.5% in all statistics for each additional enemy within the battlefield.
"..."
"Isn't this a bit excessive?!"
Aiden couldn't contain his astonishment. A cumulative increase of 0.5% per enemy? If he faced a hundred, or a thousand, or even ten thousand... how strong would he become? Perhaps he would become capable of facing the entire world in the blink of an eye.
He reread the text again, then... "Ah..."
It was a sigh of victory.
He began imagining himself alone facing an innumerable army, feeling his strength grow with each new opponent. Euphoria overwhelmed his senses.
"Ahem!"
He stopped his rampant imagination and refocused on the last screen. It was different from the previous two; not only in size or location, but in its very essence.
It wasn't just a screen; it was a panel of liquid moonlight and trapped stars. Its frame wasn't straight lines, but more like intertwined leaves of liquid silver twisting with a living movement, as if pulsing with a hidden breath. Its color was a deep purple unlike any color he had seen before; a color that reminds you of the depths of the universe, where violet blends with black and small spots of sparkling gold, like a miniature swirling galaxy in the palm of the hand.
At its center, there wasn't an ordinary written text, but luminous symbols moving and changing slowly, resembling ancient writing of wizards or a supernatural language. The letters were woven from a light blue light radiating from within, as if made of ice crystals under moonlight.
When Aiden turned his gaze to it, he felt as if time slowed down around him. There was no sound of wind or whispers of the system, only a majestic silence, broken only by a soft whisper like a dream emanating from the screen, a whisper resembling a distant heavenly chant.
He touched it with his finger, not with a passing tap, but with anticipation and reverence.
There wasn't an audible "tap!", but a warm feeling spread in his hand, as if he dipped it in warm magical water. The screen opened not with a quick emergence, but with a slow flow of purple-gold light, like a giant flower blooming in the interval between one moment and the next.
Inside it, there wasn't an immediate clear definition, but changing scenes: images of exploding stars, mythical creatures flying in unknown skies, and cities of light being built and collapsing in the blink of an eye. Then the scenes suddenly stopped, and a single sentence appeared at the center of the screen, glowing with majestic brilliance:
"A chance to acquire an imaginary skill"
The writing wasn't ordinary; it was as if carved from starlight, each letter radiating a different glow oscillating between gold and sky blue.
Before Aiden could compose himself, the screen exploded with a shower of symbols and cryptic writings. Symbols he had never seen before in his life, resembling an ancient language or codes from another world. They were changing at an imaginary speed, appearing and disappearing in the same moment, like a waterfall of cosmic knowledge flowing madly.
Names of incomprehensible skills raced before his eyes:
· "Ώρα τοῦ Κόσμου Κτήσις"
· "Κυβερνήτης της Ουράνιας Σφαίρας"
· "Η Άνοδος του Υφαντή του Κενού"
· "Το Θέλημα της Μοίρας"
The titles were passing at a tremendous speed, leaving flashes of lights and colors that induced dizziness. Aiden felt as if his mind was about to explode from trying to follow this visual madness.
And suddenly... everything stopped.
The mad waterfall of symbols ended, and a single name appeared at the center of the screen, glowing with a deep, unfathomable color. It wasn't blue nor black, but a color he had never seen before, a color that seemed capable of swallowing light itself.
The name consisted of only two words, but they carried a weight that made the very breath of time pause:
["Comprehensive Formation"]
The words before him carried an indescribable majesty, and the weight of their meaning was sufficient to awaken terror and reverence in the depths of his soul.
"Formation" - this isn't just a word meaning "make" or "create." It is "Formation" with all its philosophical and existential weight. It is the action that brings something out of nothingness into existence, from the possible to reality. It is the power of "causing" and "creation" on the level of essence and substance, not merely form. It is the authority by which things are not made, but are brought into existence by the power of will and absolute knowledge. It is the word that reminds us of "the Word" in religions, with which the universe was created.
"Comprehensive" - and this isn't just a description of breadth or comprehensiveness. It is "the all-encompassing" and "the absolute." It is not just "universal," but "trans-universal." It encompasses everything that exists, will exist, can exist, and is impossible to exist. It encompasses dimensions, worlds, physical laws, abstract concepts, and existence and non-existence itself. It is "the infinite" and "the boundless" embodied in one concept.
Together, "Comprehensive Formation" doesn't just mean "making everything." It means: "The absolute authority to bring forth anything the mind can or cannot conceive into existence, from nothing, according to a will whose command cannot be opposed, and with a perfection untainted by deficiency."
It isn't a skill for making a car or a sword. It is "the certification of existence" to the will of its bearer. It is the power that makes an idea an absolute reality, imagination a cosmic law, and desire a decree that cannot be resisted in the very fabric of existence.
The name was simple in form, but it concealed within it the greatest power a mind could conceive, or could not conceive.
"..."
Aiden was silent before something like this. What he obtained wasn't something normal; it was like a loophole in the fabric of all existence, something that shouldn't be obtained, but he obtained it and without effort above that.
Aiden kept staring at the astonishing screen before him and the imaginary writing that was pulling him as if magnetically hypnotized by it, then pressed on it to read its description.
*Tap!*
*Whoosh!*
An imaginary screen no less dazzling than the previous one appeared before him. It was adorned with golden and celestial spots as if embodying a miniature galaxy. Then the black and gold writing began to form where it was written:
>[Skill: Comprehensive Formation]: An imaginary skill that cannot exist for more than one being in existence. This skill holds a supreme position within the comprehensive existential system, where all great powers in existence seek to obtain a skill of the same level or even the same category. This skill possesses a power that contradicts existence itself, as it can bend existential laws to achieve anything or any goal at an appropriate cost. The cost is very low when obtaining this skill at low levels of strength within the existential system itself.
"..."
It was a definition, how could it be described?
Fantastic!
Great!
Glorious!
Terrifying!
Only these descriptions occurred to Aiden, for what he read about this skill was about insane levels of power within the universe, nay, existence itself. This was a level of power Aiden wasn't supposed to know at this time.
But here he was now, breaking this rule and learning about information that might cost countless years to know.
"Whoof"
He breathed deeply, then held back his tension and questions for the time being and focused on what this overwhelming skill could do.
"According to the description, I can imagine anything and this skill can achieve it at a certain cost!"
"Anything"
"Hmmm"
Aiden repeated these words to himself, then thought a bit about something he could use as an experiment, then – "Ah..."
An idea about a skill occurred to him.
He imagined a skill that allows him to eliminate all enemies no matter their strength, whether they were of his level or stronger by an infinite margin. It was a skill almost impossible to exist, but—
[Ding! Skill "Existence Severer" has been created. Skill creation cost: 1 Googolplex cosmic points]
"..."
"What in hell is this number?"
A number Aiden didn't even know appeared on the screen before him. From the strangeness of this number, he knew it was a number almost impossible to collect. If it were a billion, or a trillion, or a quadrillion, Aiden could have understood, but this number... perhaps only the one who created its name knows it.
"Cough!"
Aiden coughed, then thought of a skill or something else less extreme.
"Hmmm"
"Oh, alright, I got it!"
He thought of something, then presented this description to the skill before him, then—
[Ding! The existential trait "Infinite Energy" has been created. Trait creation cost: 1 billion fate points]
"Alright, this is a somewhat understandable number, but what are fate points anyway?"
Here Aiden wondered, and he didn't wait long before a new announcement sound came to him.
[Ding! You have reached a high level of information. The Third Eye will be updated to keep up with the new secrets!]
>[Update Time: 5 seconds]
5... 4... 3... 2... 1...
[Ding! The Third Eye has been updated and is now "Secrets Revealer"]
>[The skill "Secrets Revealer" can reveal anything unknown the user encounters without needing any assistance!]
[Target: Fate Points!]
*Whoosh!*
"Oh"
Aiden was astonished; he couldn't even keep up with these rapid events. He felt as if he wasn't a human who started the path of strength a few hours ago, but as if he were an ancient creature that lived for millions of years and was now being rewarded for his hard work.
It was a strange feeling!
"Well, what do we have here!"
An ancient screen formed before him, carrying within it history and mystery spanning countless years. Then golden and broken writing appeared before him, as if history had deliberately distorted it but only achieved this result: broken but understandable writing.
[Fate Points]: A term given to the points collected from the number of destinies that can be changed by a person or entity. These points are calculated according to the strength level of the person and their specific world. The user is now at the lowest degrees of the universe, so every destiny changed will earn one fate point.
"..."
"Damn, this is so great!"