Angra Mainyu's annoyance seemed feigned, more like a playful act than genuine frustration.
Then, it smiled. "If the Greater Source's mana were truly abundant, there'd be no need for pruning. Pruning only occurs due to insufficient mana."
Morpheus grinned back. "So, at its core, the universe isn't infinite... it's finite."
The universe's future was destined for destruction. Even if it evaded pruning, cosmic annihilation was inevitable. This realization sparked a new hypothesis in Morpheus.
A main universe could spawn countless parallel universes, suggesting infinite possibilities. But this "infinity" was a literary flourish, not mathematically viable.
Since the universe's energy was finite, it couldn't birth infinite parallel universes. Thus, a main universe and its finite parallel universes could be considered a single cosmic set.
Within this set, summing all civilizations across these universes yields a vast but finite number... far exceeding the number of universes in the set.
The universe's destruction stemmed from energy depletion, not pruning, indicating that all universes in a cosmic set shared a finite energy pool.
Thus, the collapse of one universe meant the simultaneous destruction of all universes in that set!
This also meant the countless civilizations within those universes faced their end!
Morpheus recalled Hecate's ancient tales: the Greek gods' homeland, another universe, had perished. Chaos had fled to this universe to thrive.
Were there other civilizations that escaped such destruction?
Despite racking his brain for Nasuverse lore, Morpheus found no mention of other Servants or civilizations tied to this, only the Greek gods' lineage.
A pang of sorrow struck him for Chaos's lost homeland. Pushing it aside, Morpheus said, "I'll share my hypothesis. You can confirm or deny it, since you claim not to lie."
"Not your wish?"
"Not my wish. I just want to confirm my theories through our talk, like earlier." Morpheus shook his head, continuing, "The Third Magic... soul materialization... stabilizes the soul permanently, dubbed infinite mana, a perpetual engine. But its output depends on the soul's strength, right?"
Angra Mainyu nodded.
Emboldened, Morpheus pressed on. "From what I know, this 'infinite mana' isn't truly infinite. It's finite, with a ceiling so high it's nearly unreachable, thus called infinite."
Angra Mainyu neither nodded nor shook its head, only asking, "Your basis for this?"
It seemed intrigued.
"Naturally, a cosmic set is finite. If something infinite emerged within it, the universe would collapse instantly. Moreover, true infinity wouldn't face output limits unless deliberately suppressed." Morpheus smiled. "You nodded earlier."
"You're cunning. I'm starting to like you. Continue your theory. I'll nod or shake my head."
"Alright, here's my take on the Third Magic."
Morpheus's face brimmed with confidence.
"The Third Magic's essence is linking oneself to the universe itself... a complete connection between the Lesser and Greater Sources. Not Earth's Greater Source, but the universe's.
"The Third Magic user draws mana directly from it. A fully materialized soul is the ideal mana conduit, with minimal loss. Drawing from Earth's environment wastes mana, impacting the future, but at the cosmic level, this doesn't apply.
"Mana consumed by the user or spent on magecraft returns to the Greater Source, which remains constant.
"Even if the universe faces energy depletion tomorrow, a Third Magic user wouldn't be affected. The universe's mana consumption per second is, for them, effectively infinite... though I'm using 'infinite' poetically."
Clap… clap… clap!
Angra Mainyu applauded, eyeing Morpheus as if he were a fascinating curiosity, its gaze filled with admiration.
"You're incredible. Even with the Grail's backing, I've never seen a human like you!"
Angra Mainyu marveled. "You haven't practiced the Third Magic, yet your understanding surpasses even the one who came closest to mastering it."
"Closest to mastering it?"
"The one the Einzberns sought to recreate, the Third Magic user. But she only approached it, never truly mastered it. If she had, she'd still be alive, not dead."
"Are there places where the Third Magic was fully realized?"
"There are. I sense such places, but not in this world or universe... other worlds, other universes, like the aura you carry from another cosmos."
"You mean I'm from another cosmic set? Or another parallel universe?"
"I'm unsure. I'm close to the Grail but not the Grail itself. Even the Grail needs to touch the Root to know all. And each parallel universe has its own Root. The Root isn't what some think."
"Not what some think?" Morpheus frowned, but Angra Mainyu smiled, dropping a bombshell. "The Root was never the universe's core."
"That statement…" Before Morpheus could probe, he was evicted. "Time to go. I'll stay here."
As the space repelled him, Morpheus hurriedly asked, "Do you know where Bazett is?"
"Bazett?" Angra Mainyu seemed surprised.
"She's my sister!"
"Your sister in another world. She has no brother here." Angra Mainyu understood, then said, "She's alive, just unconscious. Summon the Greater Grail, and you'll see her."
The repulsion intensified, ejecting Morpheus back to his bedroom.
The black sludge on the floor receded swiftly, vanishing.
Staring at the retreating sludge, Morpheus sank into thought.
"Bazett's fine, protected by the Grail. Summoning the Greater Grail will let me see her, meaning her body is also preserved by it. Without summoning it, her body can't return to reality.
"That's good news, but Angra Mainyu's words trouble me most… The Root isn't the universe's core?
"I've had guesses about the Root, treating it as a world's center. But its claim forces me to reconsider."
The door opened, and Medea entered. Seeing Morpheus deep in thought, she didn't disturb him, signaling the crowd at the door to stay quiet.
Servants and Masters had gathered, watching Morpheus with concern and curiosity but refraining from interrupting.
Morpheus sifted through his encounters with the Root and knowledge from the Age of Gods.
"Each parallel world having its own Root makes sense. If this holds, the Root emerges with a parallel world's birth. Angra Mainyu said it's not the universe's core... does that mean it's not a singular entity governing a cosmic set?"
He dismissed this.
"No, if it were just that, it wouldn't need to specify. There's something more significant…"
Recalling his Age of Gods experiences, a spark flashed in his mind.
"The Greek gods came to Earth, gained divinity through human faith, and connected to the Root.
"That's understandable, but why did Typhon, arriving in true form, instantly gain draconic traits? Even Sefar, upon reaching Earth, later gained an Earthly identity, recorded in the Root…"
A chilling hypothesis formed, startling Morpheus.
"Does the Root emerge at a planet's birth or at humanity's?
"Ea… So, is the Root something born with the planet? But isn't that Gaia? Or is the Root a distinct entity, born with the planet yet partially independent?
"Gaia, Alaya, Human Order… Could the Root's expansion be the Human Order's expansion?
"If I created a new planet and unified its entirety, would I become equivalent to the Root? Or a trinity of Gaia, Root, and Alaya?"
***
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