Chapter 15: What in the Hell is This Number?
The voice Aydin heard was like an enchanting lullaby, bound with benefits beyond imagination.
The feeling that surged through him was akin to that of a graduate accepted into the greatest company in the world—a fusion of euphoria, joy, and even disbelief.
He didn't linger, frozen like a statue, but immediately began exploring what he had received. With a fingertip, he tapped one of the shimmering azure screens that displayed an announcement.
Tap!
His finger brushed over the black words on the screen before him, and then—
*Whoosh!*
A new screen burst forth, radiating an otherworldly charm, inscribed with glowing text:
[Title: Gatebreaker] Grants its bearer a tremendous boost to all attributes when confronting or passing through shattered enemy gates. The magnitude of the enhancement scales proportionally with the gate's level.
This was the first time he had seen a feature not tied to the "Third Eye," but something else entirely—a "Title." At first, he gave little thought to the name itself. What mattered wasn't the label, but the utility. And this, he realized, was extraordinary.
How much stronger will I become with each dungeon I clear? The question lingered in his mind, but he quickly restrained his curiosity. "I'll test it in time.No need to rush."
He closed the screen and moved to the next, which displayed another title. He tapped again.
*Tap!*
His finger pressed against the words "Will of the Masses." Instantly, a golden screen, adorned with scattered stars, unfolded before him—far grander than the last. The definition was as clear as it was daunting:
[Title: Will of the Masses] A legendary title designed for large-scale warfare. Automatically activates when forces are uneven, granting its bearer a cumulative 0.5% boost to all statistics for every additional enemy present on the battlefield.
"..."
"Isn't this… a bit overpowered?"
Aydin was dumbfounded. A cumulative 0.5% per enemy? If he were to face a hundred foes—or a thousand—or even ten thousand… what would his strength become? Could he, perhaps, stand against the world itself in the blink of an eye?
He reread the text, then exhaled in triumph. "Ahh…"
His imagination ran wild: himself standing alone against an endless army, growing stronger with each enemy that appeared. The thought sent waves of exhilaration coursing through him.
But he reined in the fantasy and turned his gaze toward the final screen.
This one was different—not in size or placement, but in essence.
It wasn't merely a screen; it was a tableau of liquid moonlight and imprisoned starlight. Its frame was no set of rigid lines, but an intricate weave of silver leaves twisting with living motion, pulsing as though they breathed. The hue was a deep, unearthly violet—like staring into the depths of the cosmos where purple bled into black, speckled with flecks of golden starlight. A miniature galaxy cradled within his hand.
At its center, no ordinary script awaited him, but shifting glyphs of light—ancient, mystical, incomprehensible. They pulsed with a soft, crystalline blue glow, as if carved from frozen moonlight itself.
The moment Aydin laid eyes on it, time seemed to slow. No wind stirred, no system whispers filled the air. Only silence… pierced by a dreamlike hum, as though a celestial choir sang from worlds away.
He reached for it, not with a casual tap, but with reverence.
There was no sharp click!—only a warmth spreading through his hand, as though he had submerged it in enchanted waters. The screen did not burst open but unfurled, a slow cascade of violet-gold radiance, like a flower blooming in the pause between moments.
Inside, there was no definition at first, but visions— Stars exploding.Mythical creatures soaring across alien skies. Cities of light rising and crumbling in an instant.
Then the visions froze. A single line of text glowed in the center with majestic brilliance:
"Chance to obtain a Mythical Skill."
The words weren't written—they were engraved in starlight, each letter burning in hues of gold and azure.
Before he could even react, the screen erupted, a torrent of cryptic runes cascading like a cosmic waterfall. Symbols he had never seen before—ancient scripts, alien codes—rushed past him, appearing and vanishing faster than thought itself. It was as though the knowledge of the universe itself had been unleashed, drowning his senses.
Names of impossible skills raced before his eyes:
Ώρα τοῦ Κόσμου Κτήσις
Κυβερνήτης της Ουράνιας Σφαίρας
Η Άνοδος του Υφαντή του Κενού
Το Θέλημα της Μοίρας
They blazed across his vision, leaving behind dazzling flashes of light that made his head spin. His mind felt like it would burst under the strain of trying to comprehend the impossible.
And then—
Everything stopped.
The chaotic torrent ended, leaving only one name suspended in the void, glowing with a color beyond definition—neither black nor blue, but something deeper, something that seemed to devour light itself.
The name consisted of two words. Two words that made even the flow of time itself falter:
[Universal Creation]
The title radiated a majesty beyond words, a weight that stirred awe and dread in the deepest parts of his soul.
Creation. Not just creation, but The Creation. The act of pulling being out of nothingness, possibility into reality. The very authority by which worlds come to exist. The divine "Word" by which universes are spoken into being.
Universal. Not merely global or cosmic, but absolute. That which encompasses all that is, all that will be, all that could be, and even what cannot exist. It was infinity given form.
Together, the phrase was no simple skill. It was not "make a sword" or "craft a spell." It was the power to imprint one's will upon the fabric of reality itself. The authority to declare imagination into law, and desire into existence.
The simplicity of the name belied its immeasurable weight.
"..."
Aydin stood frozen before it, silent. What he had received wasn't just rare—it was an anomaly, a breach in the tapestry of existence itself. Something that should not have been granted… yet here it was.
His eyes remained locked on the screen, almost entranced, before he pressed down to reveal its description.
*Tap!*
*Whoosh!*
The screen blossomed again, painted with galaxies of gold and azure, as if a miniature cosmos had been etched into its surface. The words appeared slowly, written in black-gold flame:
[Skill: [Universal Creation]]: A mythical skill that can exist in only one being across all existence. Its rank is so exalted that every great power in creation seeks a counterpart of equal measure. It possesses authority that runs contrary to reality itself, bending existential laws to achieve any result—at an appropriate cost. This cost is significantly reduced when acquired at a lower tier of existence.
"..."
Legendary. Glorious. Terrifying.
No other words came to his mind.
This was not power meant for someone like him, not now. And yet, here it was—a secret of the universe thrust into his hands.
He swallowed hard, pushing down his awe, and forced himself to think rationally.
"If the description is right… then I can imagine anything, and this skill will bring it forth at a price."
"Anything."
He repeated the word in his mind, mulling it over. Slowly, a reckless idea crept into his thoughts.
What if… he imagined a skill that could eliminate all enemies, regardless of their strength? No matter how infinitely beyond him they were…
[Ding! Skill "Existence Severer" created. Cost: 1 Googolplex Cosmic Points.]
"..."
"What the hell kind of number is that?!"
The digits displayed before him were incomprehensible. Billion, trillion, quadrillion—those he understood. But this? It was a number that felt impossible to ever attain, its sheer absurdity mocking him.
*Cough!*
He forced the thought away and considered something less extreme.
"Hmm… oh, I've got it."
He described a new concept and set it forward.
[Ding! Existential Trait "Infinite Energy" created. Cost: 1 Billion Fate Points.]
"That's… at least a number I can grasp. But… what are Fate Points?"
No sooner had the question formed than a new chime echoed.
Ding! You have reached a high tier of information.The Third Eye will now be updated to accommodate greater secrets.
[Update time: 5 seconds.]
5… 4… 3… 2… 1…
[Ding! The Third Eye has evolved into: The Secret-Seeker.]
[The Secret-Seeker allows its user to uncover the truth behind any unknown without external aid.]
[Target: Fate Points.]
*Whoosh!*
"Oh…"
Aydin was overwhelmed, struggling to keep up. He felt as though he weren't a mere human who had begun his path to power hours ago, but some ancient being reaping rewards after millions of years of toil.
It was… surreal.
"Well then—let's see what we've got!"
An archaic screen materialized, steeped in timeless mystery, etched with letters fragmented as though by the erosion of ages. Yet the meaning was still clear:
[Fate Points]: Defined as points gathered through altering destinies by an individual or entity. These points are calculated according to the level of power and the world of the one who alters fate. The user currently resides at the lowest rung of existence. Thus, each fate altered will yield one Fate Point.
"..."
"…Damn. That's… incredible."