Aspros turned his eyes from his happy expression to a thinking one, as his gaze fixed on the ground. His eyes were staring at the lost limb in front of him.
His red eyes began to wander.
His eyes were not staring at the lost limb, but the blood coming from the slashed arm.
The metallic smell was permeating everything around him, and the color was contrasting very much.
As this happened, suddenly, Aspros had an idea come to his mind.
In the world of Jujutsu Kaise, the Kamo Clan wielded a unique innate technique known as "Blood Manipulation."
While it did not rival the formidable cursed techniques of the Zenin and Gojo clan, in terms of destructive capabilities, this skill possessed the potential for immense utility, allowing its users to exert control over their own blood.
Aspros knew what he wanted to do next.
Aspros began to allow his spiritual energy to come out of his body, and allow it to head towards the blood coming from his lost limb.
When the spiritual energy touched the blood, Aspros felt a connection, and he later began to try to use that connection and energy to begin moving the blood.
It didn't take long.
Aspros managed to take control of all the blood that was spilled on the ground and lift it towards his face.
Aspros smiled as he saw this sight; this meant that through his spiritual energy, he now had some control over the blood connected to it.
Aspros didn't want to waste time, and he quickly began to play with the blood.
The very first thing that he did was to concentrate the blood into a blade. It was not difficult.
[New skills acquired.]
[Extra Skill: Blood Blade acquired.]
[Extra Skill: Blood Construct acquired.]
[Extra skill: Blood Solification acquired.]
Aspros smiled as he heard the notification, but he didn't stop there; he wanted to see if he could do more, and he knew he could do more.
Aspros remembered that in Jujutsu Kaisen, Noritoshi Kamo, and even the likes of Chose, had a technique that could increase the user's body temperature, pulse rate, and the number of blood red cells to give themselves greatly increased energy and physical capabilities.
This technique was named "Flowing Red Scale."
Choso, the brother of Itadori Yuji, created an even more powerful skill called "Flowing Red Scale: Stack."
This skill intensifies the capabilities of the "Flowing Red Scale" further, increasing the user's physical capabilities to an even higher degree than normal.
Aspros tried to replicate it.
The principle of the technique is to make the blood of the body boil and accelerate the body temperature, the pulse rate, and the rate of blood cell production to strengthen the body.
Through spiritual control, Aspros managed to gain control over his body and even of his blood, and he later began to accelerate his activity to make the body stronger.
[New skills acquired.]
[Extra Skill: Blood Empowerment acquired.]
[Extra skill: Blood Defense acquired.]
[Extra skill: Blood Clotting acquired.]
[Extra skill: Blood Enhancement acquired.]
[Extra skill: Flowing Red Scale: Stack, acquired.]
[Congratulations, Master!]
[Extra skill: Blood Control acquired.]
Aspros smiled as he heard Raphael's beautiful words in his mind.
The information was also poured into him, just like before, and more and more information allowed him to control his blood even more.
As of right now, Aspros has complete control over his blood, and the good thing is that he doesn't need to use Ki to control his blood.
Aspros was able to control his blood through his spiritual power, but now he doesn't need spiritual power to control his blood.
Or at least the blood inside his body. If he wants to control the blood outside his body or the blood of others, he needs to use energy.
With this done, Aspros turned to another matter entirely. He needed to learn to control the natural elements, as these elements were necessary for his future plans.
Thankfully, he chose a place near a river, and he could use the river to experiment with water.
Getting up and entering the lake, Aspros closed his eyes and began to think of his next steps.
The first thing he did was to replicate the control of things through his spiritual energy, and that is what he did.
As the vibrant and powerful spiritual energy of Aspros began to come out of his body, he skillfully directed it towards the river.
He felt his spiritual energy resonate with the water, creating a harmonious connection.
With a focused thought, he guided his energy to lift the water towards him. The liquid responded as if it were infused with a consciousness of its own, rising gracefully from the lake.
It moved with a serpentine elegance, as if a majestic serpent had just awakened from a deep slumber, eager to obey its new master's command.
Aspros's lips twitched in a smile as he was now getting himself ready for what was going to happen later.
Controlling the water with powerful spiritual energy, Aspros began to experiment with it. Just like he did with the blood, the first thing he did was to adjust the water into a blade.
[New skill acquired.]
[Extra Skill: Water Sword acquired.]
This made Aspros smile.
At the same time, with a thought and some mental vision, he formed the water again.
He compressed the water into a blade, and the water was compressed to its absolute limit. As the tension in the liquid reached its peak, Aspros shaped it into a fierce, slash-like projection.
In a breathtaking display, what manifested was a shimmering water slash, or perhaps a water blade, glistening as it caught the light. With a precise flick of his wrist, Aspros propelled this aquatic projectile towards a distant rock, the air crackling with energy.
As effortlessly as one might slice through a vegetable or tofu, the water blade cleaved through the stone, the trees, and other things in its path with remarkable ease.
Yet, the journey of the water blade did not end there.
Unsatisfied with just the initial strike, the blade surged forward, maintaining its relentless momentum as it continued its path of destruction.
"Is this attack going to continue all day?" Aspros mused, a mix of awe and concern as he watched the relentless slash tear through everything in its path, leaving a trail of chaos behind.
With a decisive thought, he reached out to the spiritual energy embedded in the water slash. He gently guided it to dissipate, bringing an end to its furious ballet of destruction.
[New skill acquired.]
[Extra skill: Water Blade acquired.]
Aspros smiled once again as he heard the notification. Yet he didn't stop here; he still tried a few more skills using water.
At the end, Aspros heard what he wanted to hear.
[New skill acquired.]
[Extra skill: Water Manipulation acquired.]
Aspros also confirmed what he had been thinking for a while.
It seems that Raphael wants to keep some skills at the "Control" level, instead of actually granting the skill the "Manipulation" status.
This is because with the help of the skill "Molecular Manipulation," Raphael would be able to create a much stronger skill once she obtains it.
This means that Raphael can upgrade the skills "Mana Control" and "Blood Control" to "Mana Manipulation" and "Blood Manipulation" at any time.
Still, she chooses not to because she wants to create those skills with the help of "Molecular Manipulation."
Now... what comes next is to do the same thing that Aspros did with water, but with the other basic elements.
However, that is where the problem began.
Aspros used the natural water of this small lake to connect his spiritual energy with the water and later manipulate it.
However, Aspros saw none of the following elements, such as fire, wind, or lightning, around him.
The element of Earth is around him, so he didn't need to find it. But the other elements are hard to find in a utopia like this.
With that in mind, Aspros had to think of another way of getting to the other elements. And that is where he remembered a skill named "Conversion."
Or transmutation.
In some comics, anime, and even manwha, characters can convert their spiritual and physical energy into elements.
As you can see, water can be manipulated by spiritual energy; this means that fire, lightning, earth, and wind can also be manipulated.
This means those things can also be used by spiritual energy. If spiritual energy can use them, spiritual energy can be them.
"Raphael, my dear... Look into the properties of the elements, and try to figure out how to convert my spiritual energy into elements, please."
Aspros, who had been serious about trying to get more skills, had ignored Raphael for a time. Still, Raphael didn't mind, as she was also busy optimizing skills and more.
[Right on it, Master!] Raphael responded with a happy tone.
It seems that she is getting happier and happier with each moment that has passed.
[Request to upload information.]
"Granted."
It was surprising how Raphael could do something that could take someone else days, weeks, months, years, or even thousands of years of research in a matter of moments.
As the information was uploaded, Aspros had a big smile on his face, as he now knew how to convert his spiritual energy into an element.
Aspros quickly came out of the river, sat down in the lush green ground, and began to experiment with his spiritual energy.
The first element that he tried was Wind.
Although Wind in the anime is not seen as often, it sure holds a lot of potential. After all, sharp wind slashes are capable of cutting anything and everything.
He also had the intention of creating an attack like the Rasengan in this world, including the Wind Style: Rasenshuriken.
Aspros tried the element in three ways, and after that, Aspros obtained the skill.
The wind is a flow of energy that allows us to move things. So this means that wind is pressure, temperature, and motion.
The thing you need to do is to convert that energy into something that can move something. Of course, the exact detailed work is more than just that; the summary also works.
As for fire, you need to compress and accelerate the flow of spiritual energy in the body. Or the flow of spiritual energy outside the body to create fire.
After all, combustion and heat are technically the acceleration of particles.
The same thing applies to lightning, but lightning is on a higher degree. It is charging the particles and later discharging those particles, and that creates lightning.
It is more destructive, and therefore it is much harder to control.
Earth is very complicated, but Aspros was able to master the art very easily.
[New skill acquired.]
[Extra skill: Wind Manipulation acquired.]
Aspros didn't stop there, as he also tried the other elements.
[New skills acquired.]
[Extra skill: Earth Manipulation acquired.]
[Extra skill: Lightning Manipulation.]
[Extra skill: Fire/Flame Manipulation.]
Aspros finally stopped playing around with the elements that he was able to create using his own spiritual energy, and he smiled as if he had the necessary skills.
At the same time, Raphael, who got the information and skills, began to work. Not even a second later, she managed to get everything she needed.
...
In the distance, the Ancient One and Gaea looked at each other like they were stupid.
Gaea, the mother of nature, created the earth where humans now live. Over the years, she has seen humanity evolve and develop many technologies. She also saw the birth of the use of magic in the world.
However, not even after her long, ongoing journey of watching over human evolution and preserving Mother Nature has she ever seen a person get to that level almost in an instant.
It was truly heaven-defying comprehension and understanding. She even had to use some of her knowledge when she was in the Chinese pantheon to describe what she was seeing.
Such a talent and potential, and it was paired with such a good brain. But this was outrageous.
Mind you, not even an hour has passed since Gaea and the Ancient One saw Aspros begin to train.
But Gaea has already seen something else happening.
"He is using pure spiritual energy and converting said spiritual energy into elements. In theory, he is not using magic but pure spiritual energy."
The Ancient One was truly astonished as she heard Gaea, but was surprised that she also noticed it.
In Kamar-Taj, it is not easy to use pure spiritual power to perform what Aspros just did. Not even the most skilled of sorcerers is able to do something like what Aspros has done.
"Impressive. It takes even the most talented to do this."
Gaea replied.
This is true.
She saw Agamotto, the son of her sister, the Elder Goddess Oshtur, and the first Sorcerer Supreme of Earth, understand the three ways of enlightenment, or the three types of magic.
Egocentric Magic.
Egocentric Magic.
Exocentric Magic.
Magic is the purest essence of using spiritual power, either from the self, the world, or extraterrestrial dimensions, to use or alter the physical laws of the world.
Or you can think of it like a program.
Yes… You need to know that Magic is like a program. This is why the Ancient One, in the future, told Stephen Strange to think of magic like that.
But just like a program in technology, you need coding and the energy for it to work. The same thing applies to Magic.
Magic is simply the use of spiritual energy, either from the astral body, the environment, or dimensions, in an organized format, like runes or symbols, that seems like a program, and later expecting the result.
Those results are magical shields, teleporting magic, spatial magic, and so on.
Here is a more detailed example.
In truth, magic is having a thought, later having the idea of making that thought a reality, but you find you can't make it a reality.
You start to find the means to make that thought possible, and later succeed.
However, you find out that you have the energy to turn that thought into reality. This is where you start using spiritual energy, or, like everyone likes to call it, mythical energy, to produce that thought into reality.
It is turning possible "what ifs" into a "What is."
Turning a lie into a truth.
Gaea knows that most of the sorcerers of the current age don't know the real essence of magic.
But Gaea knows the essence of magic, and what Aspros was doing is not magic, but using the raw spiritual power of the astral self and converting said spiritual power to elements.
This retains the properties of the real elements, and it can also directly affect the astral body. It was clever.
Gaea and the Ancient One became more and more interested in Aspros.
Back to Aspros.
[Notice.]
These were the words of Raphael that Aspros suddenly got to listen to. Aspros was confused. But what came next surprised him.
[A new chain reaction has occurred.]
[Using the skill "Astarte, Lord of Heaven" to evolve some skills.]
[Congratulations, Master! The Extra skill: "Water Manipulation" has evolved into the Extra skill: "Water Domination."]
[Congratulations, Master! The Extra skill "Wind Manipulation" has evolved into the Extra skill: "Wind Domination."]
[Congratulations, Master! The Extra Skill: "Lightning Manipulation" has evolved into the Extra Skill: "Lightning Domination."]
[Congratulations, Master! The Extra Skill: "Earth Manipulation" has evolved into the Extra Skill: "Earth Domination."]
[Congratulations, Master! The Extra Skill: "Fire Manipulation" has evolved into the Extra Skill: "Fire Domination."]
[After using the Extra skill "Water Domination" and the Extra skill "Fire Domination" as a base, you acquired the Extra Skill "Molecular Manipulation."]
[Congratulations, Master! The Extra skill "Molecular Manipulation" evolved into the skill "Molecular Domination."]
...
[After using the Extra skill "Mana Control," and the Extra skill "Mana Jamming," alongside the Extra skill "Molecular Domination," you acquired the Extra Skill "Mana Manipulation."]
[Congratulations, Master! The Extra skill "Mana Manipulation" has evolved into the skill "Mana Domination."]
[After using the Extra skill "Blood Control" and the Extra skill "Molecular Domination" as a base, you acquired the Extra Skill "Blood Manipulation."]
[Congratulations, Master! The Extra skill "Blood Manipulation" has evolved into the Extra skill "Blood Domination."]
[After using the Extra skill "Molecular Domination" as a base, you acquired the Extra skill "Matter Manipulation."]
[Congratulations, Master! The Extra skill "Matter Manipulation" has evolved into the Extra skill "Matter Domination."]
[Congratulations, Master!]
[After using the Extra skill "Matter Domination" as a base, you acquired the Extra skill "Matter Transmutation."]
[Congratulations, Master! After using the Extra Skill "Molecule Domination" as a base, including the memories from the Gods of Saint Seiya, you acquired the Extra Skill "Atomic Manipulation."]
[Congratulations, Master! The Extra skill "Atom Manipulation" has evolved into the Extra skill "Atomic Domination."]
[Congratulations, Master! After using the Extra Skill "Atomic Domination" as a base, you acquired the Extra Skill "Subatomic particle Domination."]
[After using the Extra skill "Matter Transmutation" and the Extra skill "Mana Domination" as a base, you acquired the Extra skill "Mana Transmutation."]
[After using the Extra skill "Matter Domination," "Matter Transmutation," "Molecular Domination," "Mana Domination," and "Mana Transmutation," you acquired the Extra skill "Omni-Transmutation and Domination."]
[After using the Extra skill "Omni-Transmutation and Domination" and the Extra skill "Blood Domination," alongside in-depth scientific knowledge of the human body, you acquired the Extra skill "Biological Manipulation.]
[Congratulations, Master! The Extra skill "Biological Manipulation" has evolved into the skill "Biological Domination."]
[Congratulations, Master! The Extra skill "Godspeed Regeneration" has evolved into the skill "Infinite Regeneration."]
[After using the Extra skill "Omni-Transmutation and Domination," alongside the knowledge regarding the laws of gravity, you obtained the Extra skill "Gravity Manipulation."]
[Congratulations, Master! The Extra skill "Gravity Manipulation" evolved into the Extra skill "Gravity Domination."]
[After using the Extra Skill "Omni-Transumation and Domination" and the Extra Skill "Fire/Flame Domination" as a base, you acquired the Extra Skill "Light and Heat Domination."]
[After using the Extra Skill "Omni-Transmutation and Domination" and the Extra Skill "Wind Domination" as a base, you obtained the Extra Skill "Sound and Wind Domination."]
[After using the Extra Skill "Omni-Transmutation and Domination," the Extra Skill "Lightning Domination," and the Extra Skill "Water Domination" as a base, you obtained the Extra Skill "Water and Thunder Domination."]
[After using the Extra Skill "Omni-Transmutation and Domination," the Extra Skill "Earth Domination," and the Extra Skill "Water Domination" as a base, you obtained the Extra Skill "Earth and Water Domination."]
[Using "Sound and Wind Domination," "Light and Heat Domination," "Water and Thunder Domination," and "Earth and Water Domination, alongside the Extra skill "Omni-Transmutation and Domination," as a base, you obtained the Extra skill "Weather and Nature Domination."]
[After using the Extra Skills "Omni-Transmutation and Domination," "Biological Domination," and "Weather and Nature Domination" as a base, you acquired the Extra Skill "Organic Manipulation."]
[Congratulations, Master! The Extra Skill "Organic Manipulation" evolved into the Extra Skill "Organic Domination."]
[Congratulations, Master! After using the Extra skill "Omni-Tansmutation and Domination" and the Extra skill "Organic Domination" as a base, you acquired the Extra skill "Inorganic Manipulation."]
[[Congratulations, Master! The Extra Skill "Inorganic Manipulation" evolved into the Extra Skill "Inorganic Domination."]
[Using "Weather and Nature Domination," "Gravity Domination," and "Omni-Transmutation and Domination" as a base, you achieved the Extra Skill: "Law Manipulation."]
[Using the Extra skill "Law Manipulation" as a base, you obtained the Extra skill "Object Manipulation."]
[Congratulations, Master! The Extra Skill, "Object Manipulation," evolved into the Extra Skill "Object Domination."]
[Congratulations, Master! Using the skill "Object Domination" as a base, you were able to obtain the skill "Technology Manipulation."]
[Congratulations, Master! The Extra Skill "Technology Manipulation" evolved into "Technology Domination."]
[Congratulations, Master! Using the Extra Skill "Law Manipulation" and the Extra Skill "Mana Sense" as the base, you obtained the Extra Skill "Universal Perception."]
[Chain reaction has ended.]
Aspros was overwhelmed as the information came, crashing, and embedding into his brain and soul. It was surprising how, out of nowhere, someone could gain so many abilities.
But this made Aspros smile.
All of these abilities came from just unlocking the elements. Well... these abilities came from unlocking the elements and later combining them to create the Extra Skill "Molecular Manipulation," and the rest was history.
"Damn..."
As the information settled in, Aspros began to smile like a crazy maniac. This was something that he didn't expect to happen right away.
But he didn't think much of it.
The next part of his plan is to train his body and mind.
As the energy inside him has been controlled to an incredible level, although not a perfect level, he can train to reach that level.
Now… Aspros needs to start working out his body.
A strong mind and body are only able to elevate life into another state.
"Raphael, my dear... connect my consciousness to my body, please."
What does he mean?
Have you heard of the ability named "Life Return" in the anime of One Piece? No...? Well, it is an ability that allows the user to completely control their body.
Every muscle, every bone, and even functional parts of the body, like the digestive system, and even the heart.
A skill like this can allow its user to grow from fat to a Greek body physique with a thought, as the person is rapidly consuming the excess fat that the body stores up, and allowing the body to become fit.
Abilities include things like muscle control, blood control, weight distribution, and so on.
To be able to train every muscle in his body, Aspros needs to have control over his body, or at least have his body and mind connected.
[Right away, Master.]
Raphael was quick to answer and quick to connect the consciousness of the mind to the body.
In an instant, Aspros felt a massive change in himself, and the change was not caused by the information but by the perception.
Aspros heard the flow of his blood, the beats of his heart, and even sensed his own cells and molecules. He could go even further and go to the atoms.
But when he did, he was surprised. Inside each atom, there was a miniature universe. It was vast and beautiful.
However, after looking at it, Aspros found something strange. It was not a small universe inside each atom. No... each atom held a fragment of the universe. And when you see all of the atoms from a higher perspective, you can see the microcosm.
Yes... This makes sense.
All of the atoms that make up the human body come together to form the actual microcosm.
That each atom that makes up the human body has a very small fragment of the universe is not ridiculous. In fact, it is the utmost truth.
After all, each atom of the body is a fragment of the universe, and only by combining all fragments, in other words, all atoms, is the microcosm created.
Aspros had a thought.
As it was said, the atoms of his body hold fragments of the universe, which is the key to forming the microcosm.
But... could he not analyze the actual universe?
You need to understand that the fragments of the microcosm inside his body are specifically made to make the microcosm, which is the miniature version of the macrocosm, in other words, the universe that everyone lives in.
That is why people call it the "Small Universe."
But... what if he analyzed the universe itself? The actual macrocosm.
Like he said before, the microcosm is the blueprint of the original universe that is inside all beings, but only those who have talent can awaken it.
The theory he has is that after analyzing the universe, Raphael could complete the fragments of the universe inside his body, and thus, each atom of his body would later contain a complete microcosm.
You need to know that the original process is not just adding; instead, it is multiplying. The process of forming the microcosm is often explained as adding. Still, in reality, it is multiplying each atom by each other.
Adding each atom wouldn't make enough energy to even form the microcosm. By multiplying the atoms against each other, the energy produced can create the microcosm.
So when multiple complete microcosms inside of each atom combine, the microcosm created from that combination is going to be insanely strong and powerful.
The final result would be like a Supreme Microcosm.
This is what Aspros aims to create. Or what his random imagination led him to think, and what he wants to create.
Back to learning his body.
Everything about his body was known to his perception.
It was truly incredible, and like One Piece characters, he could control it to accelerate the digestive system, healing, and other things.
It was surprisingly an interesting skill.
"Raphael, my dear... start looking for ways of training the five senses to perfection, and also start ways to strengthen my soul."
Why strengthen the soul?
This is because Aspros just figured something out. Or more like he remembered something from his time as a fan of Marvel.
The essence of magic.
Have you wondered what is truly magic?
Magic, in essence, at the very core, is simply taking a thought and making it real. Taking a lie and making it the truth.
Magic is everywhere and anywhere.
Why is this?
This is because of spiritual energy.
Planets that have life have spiritual energy and thus possess people who could potentially learn magic.
This is because spiritual energy exists in every living thing. Including plants, which are living.
The concept of magic was created during the fifth cosmos, the cosmos that predated even the current cosmos and multiverse.
The oldest form of magic and the purest is Chaos Magic.
Chaos Magic was believed to be non-existent, yet it does exist. It is so potent that it can construct and deconstruct the very fabric of reality.
However, it is later revealed that chaos is not merely a force of destruction but an ancient fundamental aspect of creation itself-- the very building blocks of existence.
Chaos is neither purely constructive nor destructive; it embodies the possibility of both, neither, and everything in between.
As it was said, magic is turning a "What if" into a "What is." Chaos embodies that.
Chaos magic represents an infinite number of "What ifs" becoming their own "What is." Chaos is good and bad.
It depends on how people use chaos to their advantage. Is it to make peace, or to conduct evil?
This is why Chaos Magic is infinite in energy and also extremely powerful. That is why Wanda, one of its bearers, is extremely powerful.
But how is Chaos Magic so powerful and so abundant?
It is because of the special existence of chaos.
Chaos Magic infinite? But why? Chaos is everywhere and nowhere, even inside a person, even inside a soul.
Magic is done through spiritual energy, and this means that, as a force that exists everywhere and nowhere at the same time, chaos is infinite.
But what does this have to do with his plan?
Spiritual Energy is the source of a lot of things.
But where does spiritual energy come from? The soul.
Psychic powers, magical energy, emotions, and so on, come from the soul.
Aspros is a natural-born Psychic, Esper, and Psionic.
All of these categories require spiritual energy, including magic. Although the latter can be used by anything.
His point is that if he trains his spirit to perfection, which he knows he will, this means he will encounter this as well later on.
So Aspros was not against using magic or learning magic.
In fact, Aspros wants to perfect his spirit.
You also need to understand that the soul has multiple layers.
The spirit, the consciousness, and the soul.
All three are one, yet they are not the same.
What does this mean?
Let me give you an example from the world of Tensura, which explains this very well.
In the world of Tensura, what people call the "Soul" is the core of a person. The original core. But that is not the soul.
The true soul is the "Ego."
The core and this so-called "Ego" can be said to be the soul.
But what is the Ego?
The ego refers to the information particles that define a person; in other words, the individuality of a person.
The identity.
The core protects this "ego."
The shape of the protection shield of the "Ego" is a white flame. This white flame is what everyone thinks is the soul.
For those who like a more direct explanation.
The Ego can be said to be the equivalent of the processor of a computer. But unlike the processors of computers, this processor can also create information.
It functions as a way to process information, but also to create information.
But where is the information that the ego created stored?
This is where the spirit, or the astral form, comes in.
The core that holds the ego, which is in the shape of a white flame, in most universes, is later protected by the Astral form.
In other words, the spirit.
But where does the spiritual energy that forms the spirit come from? It comes from the very core that contains the Ego.
The spirit is also where the information that the ego creates is stored.
The spiritual body can be said to be the "true body."
As the spiritual body is formed, it acts the same as a real physical body, but it is made from spiritual energy, and thus only needs spiritual energy to operate.
However, this is where there are multiple layers.
The spiritual body is simply another layer to protect the core, right? How come it can store the information, if its core purpose is to protect the core?
But where are emotions, memories, and consciousness stored?
This is where the third layer of the soul and the spirit comes in.
The mind.
The mind can be said to be a realm.
In fact, this realm is called the "astral realm."
Each person has their own individual astral realm. Inside this realm, emotions, memories, and so on are stored.
This is also where the spiritual energy that comes from the core that protects the information particles is processed into the mind.
The mind is the evolution of that spiritual energy that was meant to protect the core, and it later transformed into something independent.
This is why the infinity stones separate the mind and the soul.
It represents an entirely new concept.
However, the mind evolved so much that it can even control spiritual energy, the energy from which it evolved.
This is why sorcerers who are able to do astral projection train their minds to do so. Only the mind, which is the evolution from spiritual energy, can access the spiritual energy.
Inside the astral plane of each person, emotions, memories, and other things are stored. This information is later passed through the spirit back to the core, where the information particles adapt and evolve.
This is where the explanation that the "experiences" define each person makes sense.
However, whether it is the astral plane, the spiritual form, or the soul, all of them are the same, but at the same time, they aren't.
When Aspros was reincarnated in this world, the system of reincarnation gave a true immortal soul to Aspros after he won the lottery in the wheel of reincarnation.
What Aspros really gained was a true immortal core and immortal information particles.
With a true immortal core and immortal information particles, Aspros doesn't really care if his astral body is destroyed, as he can regrow one at any moment he wants.
He will feel death, but after that, he will return.
After all of this, the training to train the soul and the mind is in line.
"Raphael, like we did for the training for the physical body and the five senses. Find the most optimal training method for the mind and the soul."
"Our goal is to increase the soul energy and to make the mind impenetrable. To make it absolute. To have control over every aspect. Emotions and so on."
With the training method that Raphael designed for him to push his five senses to perfection, and the upcoming perfect training method to strengthen his soul and mind, Aspros can say that once he awakens the microcosm, even if in terms of output, he would be limited; in terms of everything else, he would be superior to anyone and everyone.
Aspros also had in mind a proper training schedule.
One day physical, the next day mental and spiritual.
One day, he pushes his body to its limits; the next day, he allows his body to relax while he trains his mind and spirit to the limit.
This will be the training that he will do for the next ten years. Although ten years is a very long time, it is also the perfect time for him to properly learn and perfect all of his future skills.
After all, you can't reach the level of perfection in a year. Of course, Raphael could make a training regimen for that, which will make it possible, but with enough time in hand, why rush it?
Rushing things always comes with a price, and that price is less mature skills and experience.
With all of this, Aspros sat down, and he began waiting for the upload of the information by Raphael. He will train his mind, his spirit, and his soul.
This is because he wasted time on learning to control his energy, and thus took away essential time that he could put into his body.
However, it doesn't matter. At least he can train the mind first, and later the body.
Raphael fused the training methods that many Xianxia novels use with the methods of Buddhism and the methods of the saints from Saint Seiya.
Of course, she also included other methods into that mix aside from the ones mentioned, and the result of the combination of all of them was the most perfect method.
This method can cleanse the spirit, strengthen it, increase its defenses, expand the mind, increase the defenses of the mind, and develop many mind-related abilities, increase spiritual and mental energy, and, most importantly, bring the elevated spirit and the mind to its perfect limits.
When the mind and the body reach the limit of perfection, at that moment, Aspros will form the microcosm and elevate his entire being to an entirely new level.
After all, with the microcosm, his spirit and body will evolve.
I am sure you are going to say... but if he is training his spirit and mind, doesn't he have the sixth sense?
No.
In Saint Seiya, some people are already capable of using psychic abilities without the use of Cosmos. Kiki, the apprentice of Aries Mu, is the best example.
Kiki comes from a lineage that has telekinetic abilities, and from a very young age, he has been able to use those abilities. In some universes, the sixth sense is known as the ability to use psychic abilities.
And while this is true, the sixth sense in Saint Seiya is not only that, but also the awareness of the cosmos around them. The intuition of the cosmos inside of each other, and the formation of said cosmos.
When the microcosm is formed, the spirit, the mind, the soul, and the material body undergo an insane qualitative change.
That Aspros plans to train his body, his mind, and his spirit to the limit before he can form the microcosm will not hinder his future training. In fact, it will only benefit him.
Actually, it is the proper training.
You need to know that the formation of the microcosm is not just reaching the limits of the five senses, but also training the mind and the spirit for it.
The macrocosm came to be the macrocosm because of multiple factors. The same for the microcosm. The microcosm is formed after certain requirements are met.
So it was good that Aspros trained his body, mind, spirit, and soul.
As was stated before.
If you are a telekinetic who is able to move buildings, cars, people, and so on. Yet... you are not able to move things like matter, energy, molecules, atoms, and so on. When the microcosm is formed, these abilities will evolve to be able to do all of that on a higher level and with a much higher sense of control and precision.
With all of this, Aspros began to train his mind and spirit.
The day was go to be long and tiring.
.... .... ....
"So... what are you training for?"
Gaea inquired, her gaze shifting from the lavish spread of food before her to the man across the table, who was devouring his meal with an almost wild fervor. Her eyes, a captivating blend of sensuality and nurturing warmth, sparkled with an earnest curiosity.
At the same time, the Ancient One, who was savoring her meal with a poised grace, perked up her ears, keenly attuned to the forthcoming words of Aspros.
Both women had been witnesses to Aspros' rigorous training routine: mastering the intricate control of spiritual energy, delving into the arts of healing and regeneration, and even channeling his spiritual power to manipulate the elements.
They had observed him labor tirelessly, testing the limits of his spirit and mind, pushing beyond boundaries as he honed his abilities day after day.
'Raphael, should I tell them about the microcosm?'
Aspros is not a person prone to indecision; he possesses a resolute nature that guides his choices.
However, Raphael holds a unique ability to dissect situations with remarkable clarity, offering insights that could influence Aspros's pivotal decision regarding whether to disclose the details of the microcosm.
Ultimately, even if Raphael assures him that revealing this secret would be beneficial, the final choice lies squarely in Aspros's hands.
Trust runs deep between them, and Aspros has always valued Raphael's perspective. If Raphael advocates for the disclosure, Aspros feels empowered to heed his counsel, recognizing the weight such a recommendation carries.
[Completely positive about it, Master.]
[The Ancient One only cares about the protection of Earth and humanity from mythical threats. The Elder Goddess Gaea also cares about humans more than the so-called gods. They also seem to have sided with you, although it is not confirmed.]
[Revealing this information about the Microcosm to the Ancient One will result in her trusting you more. Putting more cards on the deck that she is playing against other powerful beings.]
[The Ancient One is already putting herself against the King of Asgard, Odin, who rules Earth, to protect us until we become strong enough.]
[The Elder Goddess Gaea has no ill intentions towards you nor humanity, and she is, in fact, very fond of humanity and of you, Master. Especially you, Master.]
[Telling them about what you are doing will result in trusting you more, and supporting you more, until you can become strong enough to protect them.]
This sentiment resonated deeply within him.
Aspros sensed no malice in the presence of these two formidable women, aware of the authority they wielded and the weight of their influence.
Setting down his knife and fork with a soft clatter, he turned his gaze toward the two women, whose expectant expressions mirrored his own inner contemplation.
A sigh escaped his lips, but soon thereafter, a smile broke through, illuminating his face with warmth and acceptance.
"Lady Gaea... Is this dimension of yours to be trusted? And I apologize if this sounds mean and offensive, but I am wondering if no one is going to hear what I am going to say?"
Aspros wanted to make sure that whatever he was going to say was not going to be heard by anyone else.
Gaea slowly nodded, but she raised her hand, and she made a barrier around the table where they were seated.
"Do you know where we, humans, get what we call superpowers from?"
This question raised the eyebrows of the two women, but the Ancient One, who had seen the timeline countless times, was the first one to speak.
"There are multiple ways. Training, technology, mutations, and natural powers."
Aspros nodded, but he later denied this affirmation.
"You are right. However, that is the case for humans and other races in the universe. But... this is also wrong. Our powers come from the universe itself."
Aspros explained.
"Interesting."
Gaea nodded, but she didn't deny or admit anything that Aspros was talking about, wanting to see how Aspros would explain his claim.
"Are you familiar with the formation of the universe?"
It was a normal question, but the question itself posed a greater conversation.
"You mean the theory of the Big Bang?"
The Ancient One asked. She was now more and more intrigued by this.
"Yes... It all began with the magnificent event that we, humans, know as the Big Bang, a cataclysmic explosion that birthed the cosmos itself. I often refer to this vast expanse as the macrocosm."
"When the universe sprang into existence, it wasn't just a void; it gave rise to an array of life forms, each one evolving through the ages into the myriad expressions of existence we recognize today as the life of the universe."
"The macrocosm, this grand tapestry of existence, forged its life through its own inherent power. Some beings emerged, endowed with the extraordinary ability to match the universe itself. In contrast, others remained lesser, lacking such formidable strength."
"What many fail to realize is that every creation within this boundless universe is but a reflection of something greater. The reflection of the universe itself."
"And I'm not merely speaking of the Celestials; I'm speaking directly to you, to me, to each and every one of us."
Aspros emphasized his point by gesturing towards the Ancient One, Gaea, and himself, underscoring the interconnectedness of their existence.
"We all have a soul, we all have a mind, and we all have a spirit. But we also have a physical body. Correct?"
Aspros asked the two women.
The two women nodded. This is very true. Even Gaea has a real body, and the same goes for the Ancient One.
"Have you ever wondered if our existence reflects the universe? Do we also have the chance to grow as big as the universe?"
Aspros asked them. And the two women were left without making a sound, as they were thinking.
"This is not some speculation, but the truth."
Raising his hand, Aspros made a projection of what he was referring to.
"Inside each atom of our body, we hold the blueprints of the universe. Or, in other words, fragments that reflect the grandeur of the macrocosm."
"However, instead of being the blueprints of the big universe, these blueprints are on a smaller scale. These blueprints are what I call the blueprints of the microcosm."
"When the atoms are combined, the formation of the microcosm starts. When this happens, the physical body, the spiritual body, the mind, and the soul undergo qualitative changes."
"What you are currently seeing are my own atoms. So this is not fake information. This is the truth."
Aspros explained as he also projected what he was explaining. Clearly showing the powerful women what he was talking about.
He made a big emphasis on the fragments of the universe, and later the formation of the microcosm, when all atoms come together to make it happen.
Making sure to make them see what he was doing was not just some theory, but the truth. But what Aspros and Raphael were also aware of was that the potential for the microcosm seems to be unique to him.
He thinks that once he awakens the microcosm, he should be able to form little seeds. This will allow him to create saints in this world.
"Damn..."
Gaea was the first one to curse as she was impressed by what she had just learned. She didn't think that the universe itself hid this from everyone.
"This is very interesting... so you are training to awaken your microcosm?"
The Ancient One spoke as she turned away from the projection and stared at Aspros. Aspros nodded.
"Correct."
"Why are you training? Does the formation of the microcosm require some level of training?"
Gaea was the one to ask.
She feels that with the knowledge and the level of strength of Aspros, it is more than enough to form that unique system of power.
"Correct. Although the microcosm is inside everyone, it takes a very brutal training to awaken it."
Aspros spoke as he began to explain.
"You know the five senses of the body, right?"
Aspros questioned, and the two women listening nodded.
"These are taste, sight, touch, smell, and hearing."
The Ancient One replied, engaging in the conversation, but also responding to the question of Aspros.
Gaea also nodded as these were the five senses that she also knew and had.
"The five senses are the senses that are given to all life-forms to observe, taste, touch, smell, and hear all of creation."
"These are also the senses that give shape to our existences and personalities. That shapes our identities."
"A kid that has never tasted hunger will have a different experience from other kids who have experienced hunger since birth."
"Among these five senses, there are skills that a person is born naturally with, or because they are missing one or two senses, and the other senses are more powerful and thus allow them to develop those abilities."
"However, above the five senses, there are three more senses."
Aspros explained in detail, but when he got to the part of the other three senses above the five senses, Gaea and the Ancient One looked surprised and intrigued.
"Three more senses?"
The Ancient One asked, and Gaea followed with a head nod, but the two were interested. They were interested in this new system of power because it was something they had never heard of.
"The Sixth Sense is the sense of intuition."
"This sense can be said to be the beginning of the supernatural. Here, you are able to unlock or learn abilities like psychokinesis, elemental manipulation on an atomic level, atomic manipulation and destruction, and so on."
Aspros explained, but when he said that, the faces of the Ancient One and Gaea looked a bit disappointed.
These are things that they can do, with a lot of trouble in some cases, but they can do it. So none of this was surprising.
But because they seemed to be disappointed, they seemed to have skipped where Aspros said that he could control the elements on an atomic level.
"What is the difference between this sense and simply using psionic or psychic abilities?"
Gaea asked, her curiosity still high, but the hype from before was not there anymore.
Aspros smiled.
"Don't get disappointed, I have to explain the sixth sense in detail."
Aspros said as he drank some of the wine that Gaea had prepared for their dinner inside the castle of Avalon.
"You saw me training my spirit, my mind, and my soul today, right?" Aspros asked, and he knew they had watched him train.
"Yes..."
The Ancient One replied with a smile, as if she didn't care that she had been found out spying on his training. But none of the three cared about that.
"Anyone can learn psychic abilities; they just need to learn to channel and control their mental energy to perform those abilities."
"In fact, aside from the five senses, you need to train the spirit, the mind, and the soul to their limit as well. Once both have reached the limit, it is when the doors of the sixth sense are opened to you."
"Like I said, the sixth sense is the realm of the supernatural. However, as you saw me today, with spiritual energy, you can control the elements and even do things like telekinesis."
"However, when I describe the Sixth Sense as the Sense of Intuition, I don't mean the mind. I mean the universe around us, and also sensing the universe inside oneself."
"For you guys, it would be like sensing the cosmic energy that makes the universe."
"The Sixth Sense is where you can perceive matter, energy, molecules, and atoms causally. The cosmic energy that surrounds us."
"The Sixth Sense can be said to be the first resonance between the macrocosm and the microcosm. When you are able to perceive everything around you, you are able to perceive the start of yourself."
"The Sixth Sense also lifts one of the two limits of humanity. This brings superhuman strength, casual super sonic speeds, psychic abilities, super durability, atomic destruction, and elemental control."
"Any skill that is acquired before the Sixth Sense, when the Sixth Sense is awakened, those abilities will undergo quantitative and qualitative changes."
At first, the Ancient One and Gaea had lost some hype, but when Aspros began to explain in detail, the faces of the Ancient One and Gaea began to change drastically.
Especially when he began to show the capabilities of the Sixth Sense.
You need to know that some gods and some humans aren't able to move at high super sonic speeds casually, nor are they able to do psychic abilities, and other abilities on an atomic level.
Nor are they able to control the elements on an atomic level, nor are they able to control matter, molecules, and even atoms at will.
"When you mean atomic destruction, you don't mean it right?"
Gaea asked, a bit worried about what Aspros was going to say. While she is strong enough to defend against an attack, her magic cannot, but even her magic is like paper compared to attacks like that if she is not using enough energy.
Not many gods or superhumans are able to block an attack of that level.
"Yes... Everything I say is the truth. If I say that my punches can do atomic destruction, they can do atomic destruction.
"Atomic destruction. My fist will be able to destroy anything and everything casually. This atomic destruction can also be performed on the spirit, the mind, and the soul."
"Not just atomic destruction, but atomic defense and protection."
"I am not exaggerating when I say that if an attack does not perform atomic destruction, I won't be harmed."
"Let's say that if an attack capable of destroying a planet is not able to perform atomic destruction, I won't be harmed."
"Even if the attack does atomic destruction, my durability and endurance can tank an attack like that pretty easily."
"This also means that if an atomic bomb lands on top of me, I won't be harmed at all. For me, after I awaken my sixth sense, that atomic explosion would be like a normal explosion, and even then, a normal explosion can't do anything to me."
The Ancient One and Gaea were quiet after they heard this.
An atomic bomb is an atomic bomb.
While an atomic bomb won't do anything to the likes of Gaea and the Ancient One, who have insane levels of power, an atomic bomb is still an explosion on the atomic level.
An explosion of that level can literally disintegrate flesh, matter, molecules, and many other things on an atomic level.
Not even the Ancient One can tank an atomic bomb.
While she is powerful enough to tank one with her magic and even walk it off, if there is no magic, the Ancient One does not think she can take an atomic bomb and survive.
To know that Aspros, as soon as he awakens the sixth sense, can tank an atomic bomb like it's a normal explosion, and even normal explosions don't do anything to him, was something they didn't expect.
And this is the normal microcosm.
If Aspros' plan of combining at least seven octillion small universes into one is possible, then his super microcosm could do more than just that.
Where do the seven octillion small universes come from?
This is because seven octillion atoms make up the human body. If his plan is to allow all the atoms of his body to hold a complete microcosm, then he would have around seven octillion microcosms inside his body.
And all of those microcosms will create one super-microcosm.
"What kind of power do you get when the seventh sense is awakened. I am guessing that is the sense above the sixth sense."
Gaea was the next one to ask the question, and she was more and more surprised and more excited. This is the kind of power that a Human God should have.
For some reason, she also feels this is the right path of evolution. It evolves everything that makes one special.
"That is right, the seventh sense is the one after the sixth sense."
Aspros nodded, and he smiled as he saw that the two women were curious about his future system of power.
This also proved what Raphael had said earlier.
"The seventh sense can be said to be the sense of self-awareness. The understanding of oneself."
"However, the way I see it is completely different."
"Like I mentioned earlier, the sixth sense is awakened after the soul, the spirit, the mind, and the five senses of the body have reached their limits."
"When the pinnacle of the soul, the mind, the spirit, and the five senses of the body of a person are used, they allow a person to perceive the cosmos around us."
"And like I said, we use that perception, or that intuition, to feel the universe inside of us. It's like we used what is already established to establish our own power."
"Once we find the fragments of the universe inside of us, using that sensation, we build the microcosm, and thus the sixth sense is also awakened."
"But story long made short, the Sixth Sense is the gate for the other senses. The training that was done before is the key to opening that gate and entering its lobby."
"In this case, the seventh sense represents the action of entering farther than just the lobby. It's a meeting with the microcosm inside of oneself."
"Most people who awakened the Sixth Sense think that the microcosm is a power aside from us. A power that we train to obtain, but that is not inherently ours."
"They think that the fragments of the universe are placed inside of us, not something that we are born with."
"The Seventh Sense disproves that immediately."
"To awaken the seventh sense, you need to accept that the microcosm is not an outside power, but the power that is inside of each person."
"Think of it like this: "The cosmos is the universe. The microcosm inside of me is the universe. But this is not an external power, but this is my power! Therefore, I am the cosmos."
"Once you ignite, realize, and accept that truth, you unlock the seventh sense. At this point, you are able to tap into the latent potential of each person."
"In other words, the seventh sense is when you finally understand that truth."
"The benefits of obtaining the Seventh Sense are the same as the Sixth Sense, but you can't compare the two."
"You gain an increase in strength, an increase in speed, an increase in durability, an increase in mental capacity, an increase in mental defense, and many other stats are increased."
"However, this increase in capabilities also removes the limits of the body. Or the second limiter, as the first one is removed during the sixth sense."
"This allows a user of the seventh sense can quite literally ignore physics."
"The seventh sense allows for lightspeed movement, lightspeed flight, lightspeed reaction time, lightspeed attacks, and the skills that a Sixth Sense person can do are upgraded to a whole new level."
"They can be in the vacuum of space like nothing, destroy planets with a simple punch and kick. Destroy galaxies. Advanced spatial manipulation, time manipulation, dimensional manipulation, and even capable of performing Absolute Zero, and so on."
Aspros explained.
The Ancient One and Gaea were quiet once again.
They were processing what they were hearing.
At the sixth sense, a person is already capable of moving at supersonic speeds, a speed not many humans with superpowers can match, including some lesser and higher-tier gods.
A sixth-sense person can punch, kick, and destroy things on an atomic level. They can manipulate matter, molecules, and atoms. They can manipulate matter, molecules, atoms, and anything in between those three latter.
They can do psychokinesis and other psychic powers, and also perform multiple moves on an atomic level.
They are nearly perfect warriors, both physically and spiritually.
Now you are telling them that at the seventh sense you can move at the speed of light, fly at lightspeed, attack at the speed of light, and react at the speed of light?
Are they hearing correctly? A person who is able to ignore the laws of physics?
Destroy a planet with a single kick and punch?
Destroy a galaxy?
Advanced spatial manipulation?
Time manipulation?
Manipulations of dimensions?
If that is not overpowered, what is overpowered?
Of course, this comes from the fact that Aspros was talking about how a body, a punch, and a kick can destroy a galaxy.
Destroying a galaxy or a planet is something that some dimensional lords can do. They don't do it because it can alter the balance of the universe, but it is possible for them.
Not even Odin, in his best moment, as the strongest Skyfather-level god, moved at those speeds, nor was he able to do something like that.
Of course, Odin has moved at the speed of light, but it was not consistent. At some point, Odin was able to move at lightspeed whenever he pushed his limits, but now? He can only reach supersonic speeds.
The only reason he is still in power in Asgard is that his magical power is nearly infinite, and he can cast multiple spells whenever he wants. But even then, the Ancient One can manage around Odin pretty easily.
When Odin had reached that level of speed and strength, it was because the situation required him to put more than he could already output.
It is like entering an overdrive mode.
"What is the eighth sense?"
The Ancient One asked, more and more intrigued, and more astonished by the power that the microcosm can grant its user.
"The Eighth Sense is when you have mastered the Seventh Sense to perfection, and you begin to notice that there is one last limitation."
Aspros explained, but his brief words left more intriguing information.
"What is that limitation?"
Gaea asked, her eyes gleaming with interest.
"Life and Death."
Aspros answered as he took a sip of his wine.
But the faces of Gaea and the Ancient One were grim.
Life and Death. They knew that concept very well.
In fear of dying without giving the title of Sorcerer Supreme to a person capable of protecting Earth, the Ancient One sought the power of Dormammu to extend her physical life.
In Gaea's case, she knew life and death due to what happened during the Elder God era. She saw how her brother and sisters, the elder gods, turned into demons.
How she was forced into hiding, and into giving in to the idea of birthing a son capable of destroying her own family. Atum, the God Eater.
But those times were past everything.
The two women simply nodded and listened in more closely.
"The Eighth Sense is the understanding and comprehension of life and death, and once you understand them and comprehend them, you transcend both."'
"Like I said, when someone reaches the pinnacle of the seventh sense, they start to notice that they have reached a limit. A limit they can't bypass, no matter what."
"That limitation is that the microcosm inside the body has reached a limit. Well... not a limit. It simply can't grow past the concepts of life and death. To continue to grow, it needs to bypass those concepts."
"It's like having infinite power and infinite growth, but the vessel of said infinite power cannot hold it. It will either stagnate the production of said power or said power will start to collapse on itself."
"Just like the universe around us, one day, it will expand so much that it either stops expanding or it will start to deform, and later it will collapse on itself."
"With the microcosm, you will not collapse, but your progress and strength will stagnate as there is no further room for improvement."
"Some people who learn the microcosm will either stop here or try to push forward. But without knowing how to advance, they do a certain bad move, and they collapse."
"But the real path forward is to understand the meaning behind life and death. The most important thing to understand is the concept of death. We understand life, but we don't understand death because it is beyond us."
"Only when you transcend both is when your body, soul, mind, and spirit, the microcosm, can truly start expanding infinitely in a safe manner."
"This is because at that point, life doesn't limit you, nor death is able to limit you. You are completely free from the restraints of Life and Death. At that point, you and your microcosm become limitless."
"Reaching this sense will also give a massive power boost."
"This eighth sense will bring an immense power boost, boosting all physical, spiritual, mental, and soul-based power to a whole new level."
Aspros said calmly, but he tried to not chuckle when he saw the stupid expression on the two women's faces.
Transcending life and death?
This was something that not even Gaea and the Ancient One had truly thought of doing. But here it was the theory that with the eighth sense, it could be possible.
"And what is the final sense? The Ninth sense?"
Now the two women were extremely curious and anxious about the information. Aspros smiled, and he later looked at the others.
"The Ninth Sense is Godhood. True divinity."
As soon as those words were uttered, the two older women who had lived through many obstacles and struggles looked at each other like they were stupid.
Not because they didn't believe what Aspros was saying, in fact, it was the opposite. They believed in his words.
Everything that Aspros told them was told from the heart, and none of it was a lie. They can clearly tell that.
This meant that the information told was true.
"True divinity? How does true divinity mean in the ninth sense?"
Gaea asked, the more interested one, as she possessed divinity, and she wanted to know what kind of divinity Aspros was talking about.
"You need to understand that there are multiple types of divinity. But all divinities are tied to the laws of the universe."
"Physical laws, spiritual laws, conceptual laws, metaphysical laws, and supreme laws."
"All laws work in conjunction to make what we know as the universe. The law of space and the law of time work together to make what we know as the Space-Time continuum."
"The law of life and death work together to make what we know as our birth and our time of death."
"All godheads that all gods possess are variations of the laws of the universe."
"You, Lady Gaea, possess the Godhead of Earth and Nature. Your cosmic and spiritual power is tied to life, growth, harvest, and renewal."
"This means your power is tied to the conceptual laws of the world."
"As a being that was born from those concepts, your energy produced is the energy that has the properties of the law you are connected to."
"But the true divinity is a mixture of all of these things. An immortal body that can hold the law, and the understanding of the laws of the world."
"If you paid attention to what I said earlier, the Sixth Sense is the formation of the intuition of the cosmos around us, and later using that intuition to find and form the microcosm inside oneself."
"The Seventh Sense is the understanding that the cosmos and the body are the same, and once that is complete, one is able to use their potential to the fullest. This sense also makes a resonance with the macrocosm."
"The eighth sense represents the sense beyond the realm of life and death, and thus the microcosm is able to grow indefinitely as life and death no longer limit it. The resonance here is that the microcosm is starting to expand as large as the actual universe, slowly but surely."
"The Ninth Sense is the complete resonance with the macrocosm. The microcosm inside oneself is as big as the universe itself, or even higher. You are also able to comprehend everything and anything, including the laws that the universe possesses."
"At that point, you truly become God."
This was the truth from the world of Saint Seiya. True divinity is the combination of multiple factors.
The divine bodies of the gods that hold their divine blood, which is able to hold their powerful microcosm, which holds the laws of the world, are one of those factors.
While Aspros explained that True divinity is able to see, use, and understand the laws of the universe, it doesn't mean that as a god, you can embody all of them.
If that were true, then all the gods of the Saint Seiya universe would be able to use the godheads of the other gods. While they can do that, it is not good to do it.
After all, mastering one law is better than having multiple of them, but not having perfect control over them.
Aspros already has all of the requirements.
He has a divine body.
While his divine body has yet to awaken, as he has yet to squeeze the potential to make it awaken, his body is divine.
His divine body has divine blood.
Aspros already has a godhead. A godhead that has multiple other godheads.
The divine body, the divine blood, the multiple godheads, but he also possesses the ability to see and use the laws of the universe.
Yes... with the ability "Law Manipulation," Aspros is able to see the laws of the world. Not just see the laws of the world, but also manipulate them. Or use them.
However, due to his strength, he cannot use the power of the laws for too long, or he will be dried.
This is also what allowed Raphael to make the perfect training method to perfect their mind, spirit, soul, and body.
As she tapped into the knowledge that the laws have, she managed to get the perfect training method for his improvement. But also to see if he can surpass the laws of the world.
Raphael also seemed to have stored the knowledge of the laws of the world, to study them, so when the microcosm is created, she can slowly but surely implement them.
"That is incredible. I didn't know that this system of power existed."
Gaea made her remarks on the entire power system of the Microcosm. She never knew that the will of the world had done that.
Aspros himself did not know that the microcosm could do all of that. You need to know that when he watched Saint Seiya, none of this was explained.
Everything that was explained was "everything is made of atoms, and we use the universe inside of us to interact and destroy those atoms."
But Aspros, as Kaiser, in his previous life, had a guess that the microcosm could do more than that. This was true as Raphael analyzed it.
The microcosm is the reflection of the macrocosm, in other words, the universe. Everything that the universe can do, the saint can do it.
Can the people of the universe use magic? The Saint can do it.
Can the people of the universe use cosmic power? The Saint can do it.
Can the people of the universe use psychic abilities? The Saint can do it.
The microcosm is the perfect way to evolve and gain power, as it encompasses all paths into one, thus creating the perfect warrior.
Aspros also understood some things about the Marvel Universe.
When the cosmos was born, many things were created, but there was no order. No laws. Although the laws were created, they weren't used. Or more like nobody knew they existed.
This is because the laws were concepts at the time.
The laws were created, but as concepts.
Concepts are the idea or meaning associated with something.
Concepts are interpretive, symbolic, representational, or, in the example of laws, the essence behind a law, or the metaphysical idea.
Examples of concepts are chaos, order, harmony, destruction, abundance, death, life, equilibrium, and so on.
Laws are concepts that were refined to define how the cosmos and everything else in the cosmos should work. Cosmic laws are the fundamental rules that govern how reality works.
There are laws of space, the law of time, the law of causality, the law of death, the law of life, and the law of gravity.
But how do the concepts and laws work together?
Easy.
For example.
Death.
The law of death is the mechanism, the law that everyone follows. The concept of death is the meaning or interpretation of said law. Two are one and the same.
It is like the case of Eternity and Infinity. Infinity and Eternity are one, but at the same time, they are separate.
It works like in court.
The law is the paper that was made by multiple people, the paper that everyone goes by, as that paper is the law.
But what is the concept? The concept was created long ago, and those concepts became the laws.
So... what are abstract concepts?
Abstract concepts are the primordial ideas. This is even more true as the One Above All resides in the House of Ideas.
The primordial idea of the universe came from the One Above All.
Before the cosmos was created, the primordial idea behind the creation of the cosmos was there.
Like the One Above All thought of it, but it was never made into motion until he decided it was a good idea to make it happen.
The One Above All, having other ideas for the universe, knew that he needed a place to keep them. That is why the abstract concept of the universe became the concept of space and the universe.
The First Firmament was so powerful because all the concepts that the One Above All thought about were inside of him.
You can say that the abstract concept became a concept. How is it different? It went from being an idea to a realized idea; that is the difference.
Once the first celestial war happened, the celestials separated those concepts that were inside the First Firmament and later allowed them to branch.
After some arrangement, these concepts were used to create the laws.
"How is this different from using cosmic energy?"
The Ancient One asked.
She felt that the powers that the Microcosm offers are extremely powerful, but... these powers and concepts sound a lot like the Power Cosmic.
In the universe, multiple beings use the power cosmic to their advantage. This is why she asked the question. She has seen firsthand.
"Well... aside from the fact that with each sense you are evolving into a higher being, the microcosm is not just cosmic energy. You need to know that the universe has magic. Magic comes from spiritual energy."
"At the root of existence, matter and mind are one. The spirit and the physical are separate but act together. The universe is the same."
"This means that aside from the basic benefits of the microcosm like increased strength, speed, and other physical, mental, and spiritual stats, you can still perform magic."
"In fact, your magic will be much stronger than other people's magic because the purity has increased, the abundance, and the sheer power of said magic will be absurd."
"The microcosm is the universe on a smaller scale, the universe inside of us. The universe has magic. This means you can perform magic, including psychic abilities."
"The microcosm covers what the universe offers. This translates to all kinds of physical, spiritual, mental, and soul-like benefits."
After hearing this, Gaea and the Ancient One were quiet. Very quiet. But Gaea was the one who finished the silence.
"HAHAHA! You are truly the creation I've been waiting for. The perfect creation. You have truly not disappointed me."
Gaea laughed.
Not of mockery, but sheer respect, and because she was able to meet Aspros.
Aspros, even if he was recently "born" into this world, already had knowledge of which she didn't know.
This was something that made Gaea simply laugh. Laugh at the thought that she knew the cosmos so well.
No, she didn't.
She didn't even know that she was almost a direct descendant of the One Above All. Well... all of creation, either good or bad, is a child of the One Above All.
The Ancient One also smirked, but she was feeling down.
How come she didn't know there was such a system of power?
She can also tell that the microcosm can increase vitality, which in turn allows a person to live for more years. While she was using the dark energy of the dark dimension to extend her life, it was also corrupting her soul.
If it wasn't for the fact that she was a believer of Eternity, the Ancient One would have had her soul taken by either the Vishanti or Dormammu.
Now you are telling her there was another path to greatness that she never heard of, but that it was possible? It made her feel stupid.
Aspros, who resumed eating after explaining the microcosm, stared at the Ancient One.
"Don't worry... I can try to solve that problem for you."
Aspros said softly and slowly, so as to allow the Ancient One to understand what he meant. She did understand what he meant, as she stared at him with fiery eyes.
The Ancient One did not want to die; that is one thing for sure. Not because she feared death, but because of her duty, she has not been able to enjoy life as many of the other humans on Earth.
Unlike other sorcerers who sought power or a way to solve their problems, the Ancient One was born in Kamar-Taj. She was the daughter of two powerful magicians, and she was born with an innate talent for Magic.
Her magical talent was so high that she was accepted as the apprentice of the Sorcerer Supreme of that time. At the time, she was very excited because the title of Sorcerer Supreme had a certain value.
That value was recognition by her peers, and it also meant extreme power. To be the most powerful Sorcerer of Earth, the one who fights against the dimensional lords.
However, as time passed, she became more and more connected with the position, but this position also left her occupied.
She was happy with the position, and she even managed to push Dormammu and Mephisto, two powerful dimensional lords from Earth, with her strength.
Yes... her strength alone. Not even using the Time Stone.
She didn't have the time to visit places that other magicians could go to whenever they wanted, as she had to stay in Kamar-Taj, making sure nothing happened.
And whenever she left Kamar-Taj, or even the planet, dimensional lords would catch up to that news, and they would want to come down to Earth.
This left her tied to Earth and Kamar-Taj.
It was not until recent years that the magicians, some of them driven by greed, became powerful enough to defend against some of the higher-tier mythical threats that dared to come to earth.
This lifted some weight off her shoulders, but still, none of the current magicians is as powerful as her, nor as talented as her, nor even more talented than her.
The only one that came as close to matching her was Stephen Strange, her chosen successor. However, even as her chosen successor, the Ancient One had her skepticism.
The Ancient One is a believer in Eternity, the cosmic entity that represents space and the universe. The multiverse is his body.
As a believer of Eternity, Eternity has granted her the sight of another version of her chosen successor to become the next Sorcerer Supreme.
In some universes, Stephen Strange is what she expected of him. Egostical, yet kind, powerful, and decisive in wanting to protect humanity.
In other universes, Stephen Strange is greedy, evil, yet extremely powerful. And that is to be expected.
In some universes, certain factors can change the life of someone, but her skepticism doesn't come from that perspective.
Her skepticism comes from the facts shown to her.
Eternity also gave her the ability to see possible futures of Stephen Strange from their current universes.
What she saw made her pale.
A vast majority of the versions of Stephen Strange in her universe turn evil. This is not what she wanted.
But Stephen Strange was the only good choice she had. Wanda was another good candidate, but her instability is what pushes the Ancient One away from Wanda.
From the beginning to the end, the Ancient One had placed her bets on Stephen Strange, and it was up to Stephen Strange to disappoint her or to make her proud.
Yes... She was pretty much taking a gamble. A very big one as well.
This gamble changed when Aspros came into being.
Not only did Aspros do what it took for her when she was first learning magic, months to even do in a single hour, but his mind and soul were oriented towards protecting humanity.
Damn it, he was the god of humanity.
As the God of humanity, his belief is to protect humanity. Either bad or good.
He might be a god, but he is more human than god.
As a human being, Aspros will care more about his people than any other human on Earth. And this is correct, but Aspros has not gotten to that point.
This is why she is taking the necessary gambles to bet on Aspros's rise to power, to see if she can give the position of Sorcerer Supreme to him.
She was not against Aspros becoming the Sorcerer Supreme.
Agamotto, the son of the Elder Goddess Oshtur, one of the three core members of the Vishanti, was the first-generation Sorcerer Supreme, and he was an Elder God.
Or half-human and half-elder god.
Aspros, as the new God of Humanity, is not far off from the same position that Agamotto once had.
Agamotto, just like Aspros, had to train to become the being that everyone got to know as "Agamotto, the All-Seeing."
Even the Gods have to learn to use their powers, and no one is born powerful. Of course, there is an exception to that rule.
This is why the Ancient One was pretty optimistic about Aspros. If Aspros succeeds in awakening the Microcosm, he will walk a path never walked before.
His path will also allow him to use magic, which is the requirement for the Sorcerer Supreme. From what she can tell, if Aspros learns magic, he will be the best sorcerer on Earth and even the universe, and even beyond that.
"Are you sure...?"
The Ancient One asked.
In a few years, she will reach the limit of her soul, and at that moment, she will apparently die. But because she is a follower of eternity, her soul will arrive at the Realm of Eternity and stay there for eternity.
"Yes... Your problem is not that serious." Aspros began as she stared at the Ancient One, and later returned his gaze to his food.
"How come my problem is not hard? Not even higher entities dare to fix my problem."
As calm as ever, the Ancient One asked the question that even Gaea wanted to hear being answered. Although the Ancient One asked the question nicely, you could tell she raised her voice a bit more.
"Some of them can't do it. Some of them can do it, they just don't do it because they would be breaking cosmic laws."
"However, this statement is also wrong, as many cosmic entities break cosmic laws all the time, and they are never persecuted for such things. This is because if you break a law, but if the law doesn't affect the balance, nobody will actually come to punish you for it."
"So... in my opinion, they either can't fix your problem, or they don't want to do it. Simple as that."
"I can do it, and I am willing to do it, but I need time to finish the first stages of my training, and I'll do it. Right now, I don't have enough control and energy to do something like that."
This was a lie.
Aspros was sure that Raphael could do something in a second, or even less time than that, but he wanted to do it.
That level of manipulation requires focus, control, and many other things. Things that Aspros currently doesn't have. That is why he needs to keep his strict training method to become strong.
"What exactly do you need to do?"
Gaea asked for the process.
This is something not even she is able to do. She is able to give her power to repair things like nature, a planet, and even the multiverse.
But things as detailed and complex as the soul, the spirit, and the mind are beyond her.
"Oh...? I just need to move the information particles from her dying core to a different core, and your soul problem is fixed."
"I could even give her a more powerful body altogether as well. There are multiple options for fixing the problem. But it depends on the person."
The way that Aspros was talking about repairing damage that not even Elder Gods or even cosmic entities could repair, as if it was nothing, was simply beyond them.
These words made Gaea and the Ancient One look at each other like they were entering a new realm of possibilities, and also like they were stupid for not thinking of that.
Gaea knew the Ancient One's problem. For her own entertainment, she has watched the Ancient One whenever she fights against dimensional lords.
This is because it brings her some level of entertainment, and also allows her to see how the successor of Kamar-Taj can do its job of protecting Earth.
She also knew that the Ancient One had stolen dark energy from the Dark Dimension from Dormammu to extend her physical body. Still, her soul was slowly dying as the corruption was taking place.
The reason why the Ancient One went to Dormammu was that the Vishanti had prohibited the use of magic to extend life or to seek immortality.
The Vishanti believe that their magic is used to maintain balance and to help defend the universe, not cheat the cycle of life.
Of course, the Vishanti can grant immortality if they want to, but they choose not to because they think it disrupts cosmic order.
The Vishanti and Gaea knew that the Ancient One did not seek immortality for the sake of immortality, but because she knew if she died, the Earth could be plunged into darkness.
Until the Ancient One found a worthy successor to take her place, the Ancient One was pretty much alive. This is why the Vishanti did not take the Ancient One's title of Sorcerer Supreme from her.
Another reason why her title was not taken away is that the Ancient One is strong. The Ancient One is powerful enough to fight against Dimensional Lords like Dormammu and Mephisto.
The Vishanti needs a champion to become the Sorcerer Supreme, and the strongest champion is the Ancient One.
Even with all the reasoning and explanation, what Gaea and the Ancient One heard was astonishing.
Aspros says that he can repair the damage that is being done to her soul as if it were nothing. Information particles? Core?
These are things that Gaea and the Ancient One never heard of, but these things must be things that only Aspros knows about.
"Are you serious...?"
The Ancient One asked, her eyes dead serious due to how delicate the conversation is, but also because this is a way of solving her problem.
"Yes... I can also solve your problem of needing Dormammu's power to extend your life."
This was not a problem for Aspros and Raphael. Things like Infinite energy and so on will be available to him in the future.
"Well... I'd guess I will trust you with this."
The Ancient One smiled, and this promise between the two helped Aspros gain the Ancient One's approval and trust to a greater degree.
"How long will you stay here to train?"
Gaea asked, intrigued as to how long Aspros would stay in her dimension, known as Avalon.
"A long time. Why...? Throwing me out already?"
Aspros joked with the goddess, and the goddess laughed.
"Of course not. Why would I throw away the only being that has managed to intrigue me and that has reached the perfection I sought to create? Do you know how long I've been waiting for someone like you?"
Aspros was quiet.
He did not know what kind of perfection she was referring to, but he simply stayed quiet.
"A long time. I won't talk about it now, but we can later talk about it."
Gaea said she was also a bit tired, at least mentally.
She was not actually tired physically or mentally, but she knew that today was enough. They all can speak another day.
"I'll leave you guys to rest or enjoy the night. I'll be taking my lead. There are things I left undone."
The Ancient One placed her hands on the table, and later, with a bit of impulse, she got to her feet. A big smile on her face. Maybe even relief.
"Here... while you were training, I had someone make a copy of the essential magics of Kamar-Taj. Things like the portal magic, and so on. I'll leave this here in case you need to come to me; you can use that magic to come to Earth."
The Ancient One was the first one to speak. She has been gone for two days, and this was more than enough time for her. She needed to go back to Kamar-Taj, or her disciple would start to think she was dead or something.
"Well... Thank you for coming and bringing this fine specimen to my dimension. I appreciate you a lot."
Gaea got up from her seat, and she walked towards the Ancient One. Both women knew what kind of responsibilities the Ancient One had.
The Ancient One and Gaea technically had a really good connection. The Ancient One protects the Planet Earth. Gaea is an Elder Goddess who fused with the planet.
This means that the Ancient One protects Gaea.
Yes...
Gaea fused with the planet, and thus she is the planet and the consciousness of the planet. This is why the Vishanti also takes priority in protecting Earth.
It is because Gaea is the sister of Oshtur, the elder goddess who created the group known as the Vishanti.
Oshtur and Gaea have a pretty good relationship, as the two are the only "living" elder goddesses who survive the events of the Elder Gods era. Also, Oshtur protects Gaea with the help of the sorcerers of Kamar-Taj.
This is why Gaea is very optimistic about the Ancient One.
The Ancient One also found out about this while the two were talking, as they saw Aspros train earlier. She was surprised to know that Gaea was Earth, but she didn't mind.
Gaea is a pretty cool lady, and she is a good god. She loves human life and protects it. She is also the mother of multiple pantheons.
Gaea is an important character in human history and in the history of the gods.
Aspros also said goodbye to the Ancient One, finished his meal, and later said he was going to rest.
Gaea also needed to go and do a few things.
As the goddess of Earth and Nature, she also has to use her power to help restore some parts of the world that were in a bad condition.
Aspros also took his time to finish his meal and go to the room that Gaea had assigned to him to rest in. He simply went to sleep.
Aspros was tired as hell. He was not going to do anything else but rest and later wake up and prepare for the next day.
The next day was going to be worse than today.
Simply closed his eyes and went to sleep, as the next day was going to be even worse.