Yeah, that was indeed very close to the true essence of the cosmos. He knew that too, and had clearly added these two types to the Authorities he wanted when talking to Ouroboros.
Ryo also knew that, in the Saint Seiya world, the original power of the Cosmo came from the Big Bang. It was composed of atoms and existed as a sublime force within the depths of every living being's soul.
In other words, every living creature in the Saint Seiya world possessed a Cosmo. The only question was whether they could awaken and develop it.
Otherwise, Ryo would never have been able to obtain such an absurdly powerful force for a mere hundred thousand or so points on the forum.
Put simply, in the Little Garden, the Cosmo was incredibly valuable. The Little Garden's Central Core had even classified it as a new Another Cosmology. But in the Saint Seiya world, it was as common as the air everyone breathed.
In a sense, that was simply the difference between worlds. The Forum had simply taken advantage of that, giving him such a low price.
"Yeah, the Cosmo's most suitable path is destruction and creation, with destruction taking the lead. Hmm..."
Thinking this over, Ryo tapped his index finger lightly against the table and frowned. "So the path most suited to me is Shiroyasha's?"
The path Shiroyasha followed was one of deriving all phenomena from the two Authorities of matter and energy.
Though, according to Shiroyasha herself, she had basically just "messed around with it a little" before somehow reaching that level.
It was an absolutely infuriating display of effortless talent.
Everyone in the Little Garden who knew the truth was jealous of her. Seriously, it was maddening.
And the most frustrating part was that Ryo couldn't even ask Shiroyasha to serve as a reference. She was still completely fuzzy on how she had done it herself.
Ryo's brow twitched violently. "You're not going to tell me Shiroyasha should teach me, are you? She hasn't even figured out her own power yet."
Otherwise, how could Shiroyasha, despite possessing the strongest reputation in the Little Garden on the surface, have been defeated by the Twin Goddesses?
She was the perfect example of someone who "knows what she's doing without knowing why it works."
Calling her a Two-Digit powerhouse was almost less accurate than calling her a naturally gifted Two-Digit lucky bastard.
Her power was, of course, nothing to scoff at. Though history recorded her as having been defeated by the Twin Goddesses, the truth was far simpler: Shiroyasha had surrendered of her own accord. She loved the Little Garden too much to risk destroying it.
"No, Lady Shiroyasha isn't suited to teaching anyone." Athena shook her head and then dropped a fact that left Ryo momentarily speechless. "By the lifespan standards of a Star Spirit, Shiroyasha is only a little over thirteen years old. That's why everyone still considers her a problem child."
Ryo's mouth twitched.
Calling someone who was billions of years old a child was certainly something worth commenting on.
Though, given Shiroyasha's behavior, perhaps "perverted child" would have been more appropriate.
But…
"Star Spirits have a lifespan?"
Ryo stared at her in astonishment.
As far as he knew, five-digit beings in the Little Garden essentially had no lifespan restrictions. He had never even heard of a Four-Digit existence dying of old age unless their Spirit Rank suffered catastrophic damage.
Not to mention Star Spirits, a race said to be incapable of death.
"Everything has a lifespan. It simply isn't necessarily unchangeable." Athena nudged Ryo's teacup toward him, indicating that he should take a drink, then smiled. "How do you think Shiroyasha changed her forms?"
Ryo immediately remembered Shiroyasha's two forms: her childlike form and her mature form.
He had never been able to see through any of them and had always assumed each was her genuine appearance.
The corner of his mouth twitched. "She changed her age, then switched forms?"
Like saying, I'm loli today, but tomorrow I'll be milf.
It was ridiculous, but somehow hilarious.
"Smart." Athena smiled. "But just keep that to yourself."
Ryo understood immediately and took a sip of tea.
Athena tapped her fingers against the table. "Lady Shiroyasha's path is indeed too vague to serve as a reference. That's a fact. You can't really learn from it."
"However, after she became the first person to become a two-digit in Little Garden, quite a few people at the upper layers began researching the possibility of using two Authorities to derive all phenomena and reach the pinnacle."
"And the most obvious result of that research…" Athena looked at Ryo and blinked.
Ryo froze.
Then his expression changed.
"You mean… a Cosmology?"
The smallest common denominator required for a Cosmology was two.
Normally, two God Kings possessing suitable Authorities could construct a Cosmology, which could then be used to build the greatest treasure of a godly faction: the Another Cosmology. Or also known as Pseudo Star Map Creation.
So that was what the Another Cosmology meant.
It was essentially an imitation of the birth process of a Two-Digit existence, a star map that evolved from that process.
That meant every Another Cosmology was effectively equivalent to the path of a Two-Digit being.
No wonder a fully unleashed Another Cosmology could contend with even a Two-Digit existence within the Little Garden. So that was the reason?
Ryo then thought of his God Cloth, that magnificent supreme treasure that had cost him nearly all his wealth to create. Shiroyasha had even contributed a considerable amount to help him forge it.
So his future path was already contained within it?
At that moment, Athena's voice cut through his thoughts. "Stop getting ahead of yourself."
Ryo snapped back to reality and looked at Athena, who remained as calm as ever.
Athena's expression barely changed, but Ryo could clearly sense something in her gaze. It was the look someone gave an idiot.
"You haven't even mastered the basic methods of weaving authorities. You haven't determined how to apply concepts at a higher level, much less figured out how to use them in battle. And you're already trying to study the path of a Two-Digit existence? Don't you think you're aiming a little too high?"
Ryo could only give an awkward laugh.
"So, for the next few days, the most important thing is still to imprint the methods of weaving and applying concepts directly into your mind. Once you reach an unobservable world, you can organize and study everything yourself." After Athena finished speaking, she glanced at Ryo and beckoned him over with one hand. "Come a little closer."
Ryo obeyed.
He shifted slightly away from his seat and leaned toward her.
Not long afterward, he was completely unable to speak. A vast torrent of information poured directly into his mind.
Ryo recognized the technique.
It was the "Instrucción" magic from the Campione world.
But wasn't it supposed to be an oral transfer...? Where was his kiss?
For some reason, the moment Ryo thought of that, a sharp pain shot through his head. The flood of information suddenly intensified, and he promptly... passed out.
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