There are times when one gets the feeling that something is deeply wrong. Times when, as a father, you come back late from work but everywhere is silent, or as a kid when your parents haven't come back even though it's nighttime.
That kind of feeling that disrupts your day and unsettles your mind, one of the oldest fears known to us: the fear of the unknown.
Science exists, in part, to push back against that fear, and part of the reason religion dominates the world is because of this.
Humans, animals, even plants fear what they cannot understand, and anything that defies the familiar patterns of existence.
Then, what would happen if that fear became a person? Someone who embodies that sense of wrongness. A being that is just… nothing.
That was what I felt the moment I opened the door in my soul. Even though that dread surrounded me, I didn't feel afraid. In fact, I felt the safest I had in years.
It was like I was lying on my bed again. Like nothing had ever happened. Like I would wake up tomorrow, eat a small breakfast, watch a show, exercise, and go back to bed.
But I knew that wasn't the case. The indescribable power that surged through and enveloped me reminded me of where I was.
Slowly lifting my gaze, I saw a familiar darkness, faintly illuminated by glistening stars that seemed to have a mind of their own.
It was like I was in space without the presence of any nearby celestial bodies. A void filled with stars, that was a fun thought.
'Just how crazy is my life going to get.'
Turning myself over, I observed my surroundings. Just like I had seen when I opened my eyes, this place I had found myself in was a void, perhaps a subspace in my soul or maybe even a place that actually exists in the vast cosmos.
Suddenly I felt a chill around me. Almost immediately I sensed invisible gazes, like the stars were staring at me.
I felt exposed and vulnerable, something I hated being. Whatever place I was in was definitely not my soul. That door served as a gateway into this part of the world.
I shut my eyes for a moment; it was then that I sensed the familiar energy in the air. It was a little like the primordial energy Uriel had spoken about.
'If that's so, then that door was meant to take primordial energy from here and slowly feed it to me until I became void rank.'
That meant the stars were truly watching me. However, if I considered the fact that none had moved even though someone had infiltrated such a sacred place, that meant no one could enter here.
I was the only one who jumped all the way from mortal to a nonexistent void rank, meaning I alone had that door and an option to enter this place.
Then… what would happen if I absorbed half the primordial energy here?
Probably death.
There was a reason why gods couldn't be made in a day. And if I tried to absorb it, I would surely die.
However, I couldn't just turn around and try to find a way back.
Not after coming here. Not after sensing the hostile gazes of the stars that colored the sky.
A small grin appeared on my face as I turned my head and stared back at the sea of stars.
All of a sudden, all the attention from the stars vanished, leaving the void dark again.
The darkness of the void felt even more comforting than it did before. I wanted to stay here for all eternity if possible, but I still wanted to live.
"Now…" I floated cross-legged in the void, placing my palms together as I closed my eyes.
I had thought it through. If I were to absorb this energy, I would surely die. But that was under normal circumstances.
First, I was going to be a god either way, meaning most of the strain that would affect a normal person wouldn't affect me. Secondly, this was a projection of my soul, not my actual body.
Even with all that being said, there was still a possibility I might die trying to absorb something foreign to all beings, an energy that existed from the moment the universe was created.
That was why I wouldn't try to reason how I would survive. Uriel had said earlier that I was loved by fate herself. A being who could bless or destroy a person's life. Something that other transmigrators wished they had while immortals tried to steal it.
Yet that same being loved me.
If by even a percent chance that was true, then she would not allow me to die here. If it was a lie, then I would gladly die. It wasn't like I hadn't died before, so what was the harm in doing it again?
I relaxed every muscle, letting the energy stream through me.
As the cold energy slowly seeped into me, a particular thought crossed my mind.
I knew I was ready to die at any time, but what exactly was the reason why I was doing all this? Perhaps this was the world's way of knowing my intention, since my success meant the being who could destroy it awakening.
My answer to such a question was simple. I was doing this for my past, my present, and my future.
I wasn't a regressor who wanted revenge or a hero who sought justice. I just wanted to secure my peace and quiet. Make sure no one disrupts my past, live calmly in the present, and let my future be bright as the sun while being stressless.
The energy around me and inside my veins surged to new heights, but I didn't feel even an ounce of pain or anything at all.
At that moment, it felt like the world and I were conversing. I didn't know how long I was there, or how long it took. But after a long wait, something sounded in my head, the first sound beyond myself in the starless void.
Ding!
[The world has reacted to your answer]
[Fate has gone against the world just for you]
[Your wishes have been granted by the world]
[The wishes have been taken back]
[Your rank and existence have surpassed that of the world]
[You shall start your own legacy]
Opening my eyes slowly, I saw the void churning and spinning around, stars that no longer seemed hostile or even alive illuminated the space.
I felt an indescribable energy course through me. I didn't feel like just one man, or like my consciousness was limited, but as if the world itself was my playground.
It was a feeling I couldn't describe. I exhaled softly as the sound echoed again in my head.
Ding!
[Dear master of the void and loved one of fate...]
The system, or whatever it was, paused for a long while, then with a soft British voice as if fading away said:
[You are Flawless]
My fingers tingled at my side as the urge to control the void filled me. I raised my hand, and with one motion the void began reshaping, void-like houses and people formed from it, gradually rising from the ground.
Seeing this, a loud laugh escaped me. "What the freaking hell."
Even I couldn't believe it. As anticlimactic as it was, I had become something that transcended all beings.
There were no flashy effects or soundtracks playing from a distance. Just a silent, effortless awakening.
I had once said that the world worked by belief, but never in a million years did I expect that believing in laziness and a stress-free life would make my awakening reflect that.
Spreading my arms wide, I shaped the void into a being that showed my status as an Eldritch Horror. A being grotesque and beyond this world.
Controlling the form, I thought about being directly outside the goddess' world. In an instant, I found myself exactly where I imagined.
The being I had created wrapped itself around the world at my command, and I could see everything inside it, but they couldn't see me.
I could see their power levels and things about them no one would ever know, their past, present, and future all unfolding at once. I quickly shut my eyes for a moment and tried turning it off.
My head wasn't spinning, but it was simply unsettling to look at all those things.
With a thought, I found myself back where I originally was.
'I still can't believe it.' I held in my grin and summoned the one thing that would explain everything I wanted to know.
"Status."
Ding!
[Projecting your status screen, Master]