Sovereign of the Karmic System

"Destiny?" asked Daniel with visible surprise.

"That is what I’ve said." Responded Conflict with his usual calm and emotionless tone.

After confirming that he hadn’t heard it wrong, Daniel started to understand why Iewah’s faction was how it was. Their systems matched the character of the original hosts, and the competitiveness of the newly born consciousness was nothing but a trait necessary to manifest one’s destiny.

Unfortunately, along with answering to a few of his questions, this revelation added some mystery to the matter. "Destiny sounds pretty important.. Is that why he wasn’t as fearful towards you as the others? Is he special?" he asked with curiosity, while sitting on a chair that formed right underneath him.

"Oh, he is definitely special. You can say that he is the youngest of us, but he is also not quite like us." Responded Conflict before sitting onto a second chair that Daniel had created for him. He then picked the demonic wolf cub, and after placing him onto his legs, he continued by saying, "While he is unequivocally part of our kin, his existence began the very moment the first sentient beings developed conscience, and started to aspire to more than just banging rocks together. However, instead of coming to be, his existence was born from a fraction of Fate."

"Fate? Isn’t it the same as Destiny?" Asked Daniel with confusion.

"Destiny is an ever changing consequence to a being’s actions. Fate, on the other hand, is an already written story that transcends time, and has already taken into consideration the changes that a being’s free will, will have on the future. Now that I say it out loud, they don’t seem to be much different, but that little change in perspective is what separates Destiny, but one of the low-tiers of our kin, from Fate.. A ruler in our pantheon." Explained Conflict with a matter-of-fact tone.

Daniel slouched onto his chair, and after a few moments, he muttered, "So that is how it is.. We are little gears in a machine that provides power to your kin.."

"If that is how you wish to see it." Responded Conflict while once again observing his champion.

"How else am I supposed to see it? Aren’t we still breathing because of your whimsical decision? I don’t believe he is more important to you than any other champion you have in any other dimension." Said Daniel while pointing his finger at the wolf cub, who straightened his ears and tried to reach for it, but was stopped by Conflict’s hand.

"You seem to have misunderstood something. We do not live to rule over you, nor do we care to. We simply exist. Would something change for you if you discovered that this sky has feelings? Would you feel dejected if I told you that your sword is thinking about something else other than how you are going to use it?" Said Conflict, slightly annoyed by Daniel’s attitude.

Daniel was taken aback from the deity’s words, which to him, were both reasonable and absurd at the same time. "Be as it may, can you understand how dispiriting it is to know your are but an unaware ant that hasn’t been stepped on yet, right?" Asked Daniel.

"If only you knew the stupidity of what you’ve just said. You would be surprised about the degree of struggle that ants put on to survive a world where they can be stepped on at any time.. Calling your race ants is overpraising yourself." Responded Conflict with a hint of irritation.

What Conflict said gave Daniel made him realize something important. Ants would not stop trying to survive just because there was a chance of dying a pointless death. Was that not the same as cultivators, who strived for power despite how many more cultivators were able to snap them into nothingness?

For the next few seconds Daniel felt ashamed of his defeatist attitude, and was glad that conflict could help him get rid of it with a few right words. "What do you gain from helping me? Why are you sitting in front of me and explaining this to me?" Asked Daniel with visible interest and a deeper confusion.

"I am trying to satisfy my curiosity," said Conflict.

"Regarding what?" Asked Daniel after straightening his back.

Conflict did not answer right away, and instead put down the cub, stood back up, and started pacing back and forth for a few seconds, considering whether it was appropriate for him to share what he was thinking. After about a minute, he finally said, "An idea."

"Does this idea have anything to do with Iew.. Destiny?" Asked Daniel while reaching for the cub with his hand, and allowing it to once again retreat in the comfort of his shadow, where it would feel the closest it could be to Daniel.

For the first time, Conflict showed the parvence of a smile as it looked at Daniel, pleasantly surprised about his intuition. "Him, you, those who call themselves as his children, and their followers," he said before turning to look at the vast line of trees that appeared in front of him as a natural barricade. He then added, "We may be powerful, and above everything else.. But even we have a limit. Do you know what that is?"

"..you cannot procreate." Said Daniel right away.

The smile on Conflict’s face widened, but only for a moment. "Once again, you are almost correct.. We couldn’t procreate, not until Destiny was born." He said before taking a small pause, after which he added with what felt like a passionate tone, "Think about it, how infinitesimal the chances of this happening are. Mortals gain self-awareness, and suddenly, Destiny branches out from Fate, and we become linked to one another. To create beings who can dictate death, time, feelings, karma even! That is no trivial matter. Children of Iewah, as you call yourselves in this dimension, are my kin’s spawn.. And thanks to your ambition and strive for conflict.. I should be your most favourite relative." As he reached that point, he took a small pause, recomposed himself, and after turning to look at Daniel, he added, "Well, all but you, of course."

"Because I am an anomaly.."

Conflict did not respond, and instead slowly nodded his head once.

"What now, then? Do we go on like nothing happened?" Asked Daniel with curiosity.

"I am afraid that won’t be possible. Your plane has already been marked as a disputed dimension. The champions of the other aspects of existence will be attracted to this place.." Said Conflict after recovering from his passionate tirade, and regaining his emotionless state of mind.

"How much time do we have?"

Conflict once again showed one of his extremely rare smiles, and responded by saying, "They are already here."

-----

Just like Conflict had said, to the portal that led to Daniel’s universe was removed any form of limitation, allowing the inhabitants of the other dimensions to visit his plane, and come in support to the champions already present.

It did not take long for Daniel to see the effect that these invasions had had in his universe.

In hope to maintain the balance that he and the two civilizations had barely managed to build after the bloody war, Daniel had spent months visiting their bases one by one, but unfortunately, it was always too late. Whenever he would arrive at the base of one of the factions, he would find out that some foreign entities would have arrived before him, and formed a connection with the faction’s members.

Starting from unfathomable beings who offered to teach their ways, while promising higher levels to the cultivators, to technologically advanced races who deepened the understanding of technological advancement of the alien civilizations.

Soon enough, each separated group within Daniel’s universe was visited by their respective counterparts, and in the short span of a single year, any form of cohesiveness amongst the different factions and the many alien races disappeared, bringing the universe back to a tribal state. Not anymore bothered with maintaining what could be called a government, each faction had quickly started to develop and improve its methods, using them to live freed by any of the rules that, until now, had stopped them from attacking one another.

The more Daniel saw of this new universe, the more he understood why the aspect of Conflict would prefer this reality over anything that the others had chosen, since now that chaos had been let loose, the easiest aspect of existence to observe was, in fact, conflict. However, while much more chaotic and dangerous than before, Daniel did not hate Conflict for what he had turned his universe into. After all, the alternative was to be erased from existence by Conclusion, Evolution, and Ingenuity.

The beginning of this chaotic era slowly chipped at Daniel’s feelings of belonging, and before he could even notice it, he found himself not caring about the future of this universe. All that mattered to him were the people who relied on him, and wanted to pursue their dreams without caring about which aspect of existence their actions would be aiding.

Nothing was left for him and his group in this universe, and that had formed the idea of using Edmund’s powers to leave this dimension along with the rest of his group, in hope to find a universe where they could live peacefully. But for that, it was still too early, as this universe still had things he would do anything to protect. People he would never leave behind.

With the faces of these few people still extremely clear in his mind, Daniel, along with his planet and the people who lived in it, began his voyage towards his reunion with the lost members of his group.

-----

In the outskirts of what was now the territory of the disbanded universal government, opposite to where the wormhole had appeared, was the domain of the corrupt faction. A galaxy cluster painted with the grim color of death-like power, that had corrupted any form of living being, and devoured the once livable land.

The corrupted faction was one of the first major factions to abandon the government after the opening of their dimension, and along with many of the minor factions that were subject to it,

like the parasitic faction and poison factions, they were approached by the champion of one of the aspects of existence.

However, this champion was slightly different from the others.

What made him different was the fact that he had been in this dimension for a bit longer than the others, and his business in this plane were much more personal.

Once only a consciousness that was able to roam this plane by possessing other people’s bodies, he was now able to invade this dimension with his full power, and his physical body. His plane of origin was the nether realm, which he had conquered an uncountable number of years earlier, and there, he was referred to by his followers as the Murderous God.

Half naked, and with only a loose robe that fell down his shoulder, the Murderous God observed the emptiness of space, hoping to find a trace of those whom he had pursued for so long, and that he had never been able to capture.. The Swordsman, and Jerigh.

Behind him stood politely two men. The first man was an exceptionally good looking young man dressed in a blood red robes that matched the color of his eyes, which shone through the cascade of black hair that came down the sides of his head, and fell on top of his shoulders. He stood a step behind the Murderous God and the other man, while maintaining a respectful silence.

The second man possessed a healthy physique that was covered by simple dark grey clothes, but his common body type and attire were his least notable features. To jump to the eye was the immense pressure that came from his short black hair, which felt like strands of death that would kill anyone that dare to touch them. Even more powerful, was the death-like essence that was emanated from his mouth, nostrils, and fully black hair, which made him look like the container for a power that could claim the lives of billions.

These two men were the Parasitic King and the Sovereign of Corruption, who along with the Murderous God, contributed to the aspect of existence of Sacrifice.