Chapter 480: The Trials of Equilibrium

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[The Will of the Omniverse demands your identity.]

The form of this entity looked familiar. Somehow. Neji was unsure exactly what way. They had red eyes and black hair, except for the back part which was tinted red. Neji was expecting the manifestation body of the Omniverse to be more blue-themed, so he was a little surprised.

As for the question… 

[I'm Neji. I'm from the future.] For once, he decided to be truthful. Out of the many reasons, one was that he could feel that all lies could be detected by this entity. [That's why I got a blessing from you. You blessed me yourself in the future.]

“....” The little boy, or girl, Neji was still unsure, titled their head. They spoke, but again, a system prompt delivered it instead of a voice.

[The Will of the Omniverse finds it hard to trust you. Time travel on this scale is not possible, they say.]

Neji rubbed the back of his head and then blinked. He pointed at his head and eyes, [Don't I look familiar? The woman, She Beyond Omnipotence, sent me here.]

The kid frowned and then blinked, a small smile blooming on his face. [Indeed, says the Will of the Omniverse. They recognize your appearance to be similar to the Great Lady of the Golden Lagoon, as she's the partner of the Great Lord of the Crimson Veil who planted and helped nurture the ‘Cube Artifact’ in this Omniverse.]

‘Huh?’ Neji blinked. Partner of that Raki woman...? She did mention a ‘Brother’ a couple of times, back when they talked. That was probably him: the other half, He Beyond Omnipotence.

From the way the kid said ‘planted the Cube Artifact’, it seemed to be similar to planting a tree. In that case, perhaps this kid's red features originated from that man, He Beyond Omnipotence. Neji wondered if that played any reason behind why this kid looked familiar.

Regardless, due to this information and how the kid was smiling now, Neji could deduce that those two were kind of a godmother and godfather figure to this kid. The suspicious frown it wore earlier had now vanished entirely. 

[Why have they sent you to the past, the Will of the Omniverse wonders. ‘Is it to fix me?’ they ask.] The system prompts read.

Before he could reply, another strange prompt flashed. [The Will of the Omniverse has made a connection with its blessing inside you. Now you two can converse with ease.]

“Fix you…? Ah.” Neji asked back and blinked. 

As the prompt said, he realized he could speak now, instead of having to rely on smoke text. Though he felt this freedom was only possible due to being inside this hut; the Cubes’ Will was allowing it. Neji felt a little embarrassed, the thing had just helped him talk in the hope that Neji would help it back. He rubbed the back of his head. 

“Sorry if you had your hopes up, I probably don't have the means to fix you. Rather, I'm in my own situation,” he said. “Besides, what is wrong with you to begin with?”

“Oh…” The bright expression of the kid vanished as he looked gloomy again. Neji wondered how he had befriended this entity in the other possibility. And yes, he was sure Neji of the other possibility had befriended the Cube, that's why it had lent out a blessing just the minute current Neji received the System.

Though he wondered, how? In this possibility, he got to meet the Cube because of the quest. But in the other possibility, the chosen path must have been the Chaos one, since the goal of the Demon path was seen alive. In that case, what caused Neji to meet the Cube?

Then again, figuring that out didn’t matter right now.

What mattered was his quest. “I am here for some kind of trial, I’m unsure of the details.” He opened his system page just to check one last time. “Would you happen to know any?”

The entity blinked its eyes and tilted its head, “I am unsure. There are many trials here, I doubt you’re supposed to go through them all, you wouldn’t survive. Can you tell me about what you know of the trials?”

===

Quest: Class Mastery Quest, Harmonizing the Paradox

Description: The Temple of Equilibrium has sensed the ripples of your presence across time, acknowledging both the potential and the peril it holds. As the Forge of Creation aligns with your essence, you must delve deep into the trial of balance, where you will confront the echoes of Chaos and Order. Embrace the crucible to strengthen the omniversal weave that has frayed at your touch.

Goal:

- Play and win the Chessboard of Existence, Balance the Twin Realms, and five other trials of your choice. Adapt to the call of the void, and the embrace of the light.

- Attune the Heart of Balance, a relic within the temple that oscillates between states of Order and Chaos.

- Synchronize your existence with the pulse of the Omniverse, earning its recognition.

Reward: Leads you toward an Infinite Creation path. You shall be awarded with abilities of Light and Darkness, versatile equipment, and the title of [Celestialsapien, the Cosmic Enigma].

Failure: 

Should you fail to harmonize the discordant strands, the opposing forces will tear you apart from within, threatening your very existence. At best, personal dominion over your powers will be at stake, and at worst, and most likely, you will be erased.

===

 Neji read the Quest’s contents in front of this presence that seemed both ancient and childlike. It listened to him in silence, only showing a reaction when he said ‘the title of [Celestialsapien, the Cosmic Enigma]’. "So what do you think?"

The Will listened, its form shimmering like a mirage caught between realms. "You carry a heavy burden on your shoulders," it replied in its voice, a melodic whisper that seemed to come from everywhere.

Its ethereal form flickered slightly, a sign of its deep contemplation. A moment later, it turned to face him. As if the mood had changed, it took a step back and raised a hand. From its palm emerged seven glowing lights, each light expanded into a hologram, each bearing the name of a trial.

"You're fortunate I’m directly overseeing these trials," the Will conveyed. "In my prime, automated tests were the norm. Now, in my diminished state, I must guide them manually." This, Neji realized, might work to his advantage.

"Choose your trial," the Will prompted, its gaze fixed on the Chessboard of Existence.

Neji's eyes scanned the holographic displays, pondering his options. After a long moment of consideration, he pointed towards the Chessboard of Existence. "Let's begin with this one." The words [Chessboard of Existence] shimmered with an otherworldly glow, inviting Neji to embark on his first challenge.

With a graceful snap of fingers from the Will, a chessboard appeared, the pieces carved from the very essence of the cosmos. The chessboard floated between them, and its pieces were a reflection of many cosmoses. The board itself was odd, with a thousand more pieces than any normal chessboard.

Since there was nobody else here, he was going to play with the Will.

“Come, make the first move,” said the Will, confirming his suspicion.

[You have begun the Trial of Balance and Equilibrium.]

[0/7 Completed]

….

As they began to play, their surroundings changed.

Neji realized each piece held a Hyperverse within them, and each move decided the fate of a Hyperverse... It was insane how lives perished when a pawn was expended. Entities were living in them, entities far stronger than him. Yet, he was playing with their lives as if it was nothing. Even in this weakened form, the Will of the Omniverse was that; the Will. It could discard the lives living within it like how a human discarded his dead cells.

He also realized another thing. He was outmatched. It wasn’t even funny how outmatched he was. Each move was a lesson in humility; the Will's strategies were an intricate dance he could scarcely follow.

Insultingly enough, this wasn’t all the Will could do. "You're holding back, aren't you?" Neji accused, half in jest, half in exasperation.

The Will blinked and then gave a small, sad smile. "Even in my diminished state, I am of the Omniverse. You won’t be able to win unless I hold back." And he wasn’t winning even when it was holding back; it had already been days since they started playing.

The learning curve was steep, and Neji's patience wore thin. "This isn't working," he conceded, rising from the game. "There are other trials, right? Let's try... 'Balance the Twin Realms' first. We’ll be back to this slowly."

He hoped each trial’s completion would reward him with Levels so that he could put points in his INT.

“As you wish,” the Will of the Omniverse said, and their surroundings shifted once more. Neji's form became ethereal, astral, as he hovered above two vast planets, each residing in two separate universes, but thanks to the Will he viewed them side by side.

The first planet was radiant with Order. It had cities that were perfectly structured, and its inhabitants lived their days happily. The threads of fate moved in a rhythm so precise it was almost musical, keeping everything nice and calm. It was heaven on earth.

In stark contrast, the second planet was engulfed in Chaos. It had landscapes of constant change. Mountains shifted as indivisibles fought in the air, forests vanished under dragon’s breaths, and rivers changed course unpredictably. Fate was a mess. The world’s skies were a spectacle of ever-changing colors and patterns. The people here lived in a perpetual state of flux, their lives a dance of adaptation and survival.

Oddly enough, Neji realized they were parallel universes, except for one everything had gone wrong.

"…The difference is, in its way," Neji whispered.

"Beautiful for us because we’re safe for it,” the Will replied. "You see the dissonance. In one world, the Demon Lord was killed, the Hero won, and peace returned to Earth. In the other, the Demon Lord won, and the world fell to his feet. Can you find a way to grant both worlds harmony? I’ll grant you control of its threads of fate, and you have to move it in a way that both worlds reach a similar state. Time is sped up here, so we’ll see the result of the changes soon.”

He could either make the chaotic planet better, which would be hard or just make the orderly planet chaotic, remained unsaid. It’d be far easier. But he doubted if easy was the path his quest wanted. He frowned, thinking, and then began to weave his hand through the red threads of destiny.

He allowed it to spider-web around him, while his Jogan shone bright. A hundred eyes floated around, all Jogans using Sha Naqba Imuru, as he focused on a million possibilities at once.

As Neji wove his hand through the dense fabric of destiny, the threads vibrated with the potential for change. In the chaotic world, he chose a village boy who had known nothing but loss and suffering, yet lacked hate because of his kind surroundings.

Neji's Jogan eyes, like orbs of celestial observers, watched as the boy grew. Guided subtly by Neji's adjustments, a pack of demons comes to the boy’s village. They kill everyone but the boy, who survives by hiding, building a deep hate for the demons. The boy grows up with resentment toward demons and Neji guides him to find ancient tomes of forbidden knowledge, where he learned ancient arts that would empower him to challenge the demon king.

The boy became a symbol of hope for others who suffered under the demon's tyranny, a leader who birthed a rebellion.

In the world of Order, the boy's life was much more prosperous than mere farming. The boy's father was a noble, so his life was great. Neji manipulated the threads of fate to make envious the power-hungry nobles target him. A carefully orchestrated scandal led to the father’s downfall, and the noble's life ended in tragedy, leaving the boy with a legacy of betrayal.

Once a joyful heir to a prosperous lineage, the boy now harbored a deep-rooted loathing for the kingdom's corrupt elite. He vowed to dismantle the system that had crushed his family, as a similar route to power led him to gain power.

Neji watched as the boy, in both universes, became an example of change. In the realm of Chaos, his rise against the demon lord united the oppressed and brought a semblance of structure. His leadership did not eradicate the chaos but gave it a purpose and a direction, a controlled storm that cleansed the world rather than destroy.

Comparatively, in the world of Order, the boy's quest to overthrow the corrupt monarchy started with an element of chaos that was desperately needed in that world. His crusade sparked a revolution that encouraged free thought and self-determination. The once rigid society began to crack, allowing the light of change to seep through the fissures.

The Will of the Omniverse watched, intrigued by Neji's choices. "You did not choose the easy path," it observed, its voice a blend of laughter. “Although he suffered a lot, through him the world became a better place. It’d have been easier to just bring destruction to the orderly world and therefore balance it with the already chaotic world. But now, both worlds are a mixture of good and bad, a nice mixture.”

"Hopefully for the better," Neji replied, his focus yielding only to the flash of system notification that let him know about a trial’s completion. "And looks like I got some levels out of it. Let’s try the chess game again.”

He lost again.

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