Cursing out loud Marcus did not stop for quite a bit. It went from flaying a certain Michael to quite a few descriptions. If this outlet of emotion told me something, it's that while Marcus may have participated in that even 19 years ago, he is not a bad person. It was quite apparent that was the case since I first interacted with him.

Leaving him to his own devices for a bit I focus on the Soul that had been inscribed with mana. On the outside I could see markings on the bottom part of the Soul. There was a small circle with what I guess would be runes and one small rune that looked like a point at the very bottom of the Soul. ` If what I am observing is right then they add one circle over the other until there are nine but I don't think that any of them have even seen the inside of an inscribed Soul. `

Since right now there was only one Circle inscribed there was little to see but one tiny little structure inside. Like lines they connected the inside of the circle and the runes. Observing it like this brought me little so I did what any sane person would do. Placing my attention on Marcus I saw him just staring at me, although even if his awareness were not on me soon it would have. 

“ Marcus. Who is Michael? ” I really wanted to know.

“ Michael? I have no idea who that Michael you're asking about is. ” He denied it. Leaving it at that as I didn't care I motioned his attention back to the Soul.

“ Are you gonna finish this or do you want to first go down the rabbit hole as you called it? ” With a demanding voice I asked him. He looked at it then at me and decided the rabbit hole it is.

“ How are you alive and last I remember you were supposed to me male? ” And with a question he started.

“ Well. ” I kept it at that for a second. “ Technically you guys did kill the target you wanted. What you see before is a complex karmic being that came out of the clusterfuck you guys started. As for the gender well… I wanted to experience what it means to be a woman so ever since I achieved Transcendence and noticed I could do it I worked on it here and there. The transformation is still not done completely but it's as perfect as it can be at this point. ” Still not believing what I said I added on it. “ Look, it's complicated. The one you guys wanted to kill is dead as for how I came to be maybe I will tell you the story and maybe not. What matters is that I am the one here and now but I will tell you one thing. Thank you. ”

“ Thank me? ” He was baffled by those words.

“ Yes, thank you guys as it was due to you guys that I was able to live and experience this wonderful World. ” I said. “ What I am more interested in is what kind of fate the Original me would have had if you people had not intervened. I hope you won't mind telling me as I am truly curious. ”

“ Umm… it's a bit long to explain in words but here take a look at this. ” Marcus said and from his hands a projection appeared. It was quite big but what it showed me told me all that I wanted to know. It was of a circle and it was separated into 3 parts. The first one positioned on the left upper part displayed a bright golden light in which stood one figure which was holding a holy looking sword. The sword was piercing a huge marble. In that marble one could see a hellish landscape with Demons on the ground either dead or soon to be. Opposite from it on the right side was a darker image of a figure, this time holding an evil looking Demonic sword. It too was piercing a marble, but this one showed Heaven The third one pictured the same figure from the other two but its surroundings changed. Behind it showed an apocalyptic scenario of numerous dead bodies of Demons and Angels alongside buildings of all natures but it's in the front of that figure that the curiosity happens. In its hands where pieces of broken fragments of what appeared to be two different marbles. One was bright gold while the other was dark.

“ Uhh, no wonder the amount of Potential Chaos was so huge. ” I said. “ Still considering your outrage a few minutes ago would it be wrong to consider that the event did not go according to plan? ”

Hearing my question he denied it with a shake of his head. “ No, an acquaintance made me deal. For the Chaos seed that was in his possession I would help him make sure the event went off flawlessly and it did sort of. You see, nobody wanted a future like that. ” He said as he pointed at the projected picture. “ So all factions worked on it. It was planned for a long time so when the time came to do it everything went on flawlessly and it was done. Of course at that time I thought it was all about preventing that future. ” Again he pointed at the picture. “ But as it turned out my acquaintance and the Heaven/Hell factions knew what happens when a Timeline of that magnitude gets destroyed. ”

“ Oh, I can see where it's going. Continue. ” I said to him. “ With plenty of security measures for cases of sabotage the event happened. You ugh… the target was killed, his Soul reaped by Heaven/Hell and a Time Lock was placed by us. Like I said it went off flawlessly on your side but when it came to collecting Chaos everything went wrong. You see, from what I saw and observed Heaven/Hell have done this before as the process was streamlined. The only reason they needed our help was due to the Divide and due to the fact that if they tried on their own they would have failed as those at the center of prophecies are protected by them in their early life. ” Like that he explained the theory of protection the Chosen Ones he called receive from prophecies and their effects. It was interesting but nothing new to me.

“ Anyway back to the main topic. When it was time to harvest the said Chaos everything turned to shit. Due to always being involved in shit by the very same acquaintance I was prepared for everything possible so I withstood that sudden pressure that appeared. ” He said. “ But the others were not. Due to that pressure the ritual was interrupted and any Chaos that was to be still harvested vanished alongside the pressure. But what was enough was still quite a lot. It was at that moment that my acquaintance made his move. I think he had some kind of deal with Heaven or was it Hell I don't know, but when the ritual was interrupted his plans changed. With deftness I would always expect from him he went for the remaining Chaos stored in the ritual. Being prepared for his durable crossing I wanted to interfere but for some reason he was able to place a trap into the ritual even though everybody went over it like 10 times just in case, he was able to grab it. Not all of it but enough to make Heaven and Hell enraged. ”

“ From your earlier outrage I can guess he escaped? ” I added.

“ Yea, many have tried to kill him even before that event but he always escapes. “ He said. “ Either way after his escape they wanted to find an outlet and seeing through their intention I also made my getaway. Ever since then both Heaven and Hell have been using mortals affairs as an outlet for their rage. ” There he stopped his tale but my own thoughts didn't. Ultimately they didn't matter as that was long over from my point of view.

“ So, was it worth it? ” I asked. 

“ It was until you came along. ” Looking straight into my face he told me. Then took a deep breath and calmed down. “ Either way it wont change the fact we met and from the looks of it I will get involved somehow anyway. Shoot, tell me how you plan on changing the World and why even bother with it? ”

“ The how, is still in planning but I am making progress. The Dreamscape you saw while being utterly unexpected is a good way forward but it alone will not be able to do anything. ” I said to him. “ The current ways of the World are just too fixed for one person to change anything. No, for something of that magnitude I need more help. In this case the others will be the normal people but if I had help from people like you it would just make things go smoother. As for the reason well, that one is easy to answer. I just don't like the current way the World works. ”

“ Really, that's your reason. ” With disbelief he asked.

“ Yes, there are a few nuances here and there but the reason is simple because there is no need to overcomplicate stuff. ” 

“ See that picture. ” Hearing my reason Marcus pointed with his right hand. “ That will be the result of your actions for your simple reason. Many will die and many more will die from the Chaos that would ensue due to it. Please don't tell me that you think so little of the people that you don't care about them. If that is so I will kill you here on the spot and be done with it. ”

“ Haha, oh Marcus. You still see the World from your perspective and not from my end. ” I said. “ Here, think of it like this. For a future like that to be possible means that a reason has to exist. So tell me this, if a prophecy already exists like that one then what would be the reason as to why it even exists in the first place? Could it be because I want to change the World or could it be because there is a need to change the World that it exists?  ”

Hearing my reasoning did make him think as he observed the three outcomes placed upon it. “ Or it could be both, but tell me what you think is wrong with the World that needs to be changed? ”

“ Hmm, there are quite a lot of personal reasons as to why I dont like its current appearance but you probably want to hear more concrete examples. First I need to explain how my part of my Power works as it is due to its existence that all of it will be possible. I will start from the simple stuff that I have figured out so far like what is Life Essence and how it works. ” Like that I explained most of the stuff that I knew. How Life essence comes into being, how it affects everything to its current theorized utilization by the Heaven and Hell faction. At the same time I explained to him my reasoning of the functions the Soul has in the current World and finally at the end I told him my reasoning about the Divide and its effects.

It took some time as he asked some questions here and there. We even debated on a few facts but what hit him the most was the functions of the Soul and it was at that topic that we held on then most. Unlike the culture he came from where Souls are an integral part of their History and debate there was little I could argue with him but just because there was little to argue didn't make the little I knew meaningless.

“ I guess we have come to the end of this little topic. ” I told him. “ So what do you think of the overall right now. Do you think this rabbit hole is juicy enough for you to jump in or not? ”

“ It's juicy alright but let me ask a few more questions. Why is it you're looking for in the Souls of other Powers? What is your end goal?  ” Asked Marcus and I looked down at the Soul he had inscribed still in my hand

“ Note that, while my current outside perspective of Powers is limited it doesn't mean that that limitedness does not provide enough vision. ” I told him. “ Your Magic system is one that understands Reality through logic and formulas. With them you can bend the Universe to your Will. Am I right? ” When he nodded I continued. “ The Power system in the east uses a similar system of understanding but the difference is that their goal is uniting one's Will with the Universe. Through that fusion they became more than themselves but at the same time they can manifest the Will of the Universe through their personal understanding. Does that explain it? ” Again he nodded. “ My Power on the other hand cares not for the outside Universe but the one we make for ourselves is the best way I can explain it. I can not bend nor can I fuse with the outside Universe but I can do anything I imagine if I have the Knowledge, the Will and the Power to back it up. That is because my Power is Thought over anything else. ” 

“ You know, from what you are saying your Power sounds very powerful and if there is one thing I know it is that the more powerful something is the restrictions it has. ” Commented Marcus. “ So what are yours aside from the obvious ones you have already stated? ”

“ First one would be that while Life Essence can fuel things its best use is for biological evolution. If I want to influence anything outside that while possible it is however inefficient and if not properly done risks the chance of it to be sucked into the Planet. I am sure that I do not need to tell a man of your Power how to go around that. ” I answered as truly only with a Soul is that possible. 

“ The second restriction would be energy usage restriction and recovery. The body's generation of Life Essence is pretty low and it cant be replenished from the Universe like you guys. It has to come from one's body, unless you are able to steal Life Essence from others of course. ” Smirking at the last part, it was easy to see on Marcus's face that the message came across.

“ To overcome the first two restrictions we come to the third. To achieve the first two one must first reach what I call Transcendence. ” I said.

“ You have mentioned that before but always skirted around it. What is it actually? What do you transcend? ” Asked Marcus