"So... what are you training for?"
Gaea inquired, her gaze shifting from the lavish spread of food before her to the man across the table, who was devouring his meal with an almost wild fervor. Her eyes, a captivating blend of sensuality and nurturing warmth, sparkled with an earnest curiosity.
At the same time, the Ancient One, who was savoring her meal with a poised grace, perked up her ears, keenly attuned to the forthcoming words of Aspros.
Both women had been witnesses to Aspros' rigorous training routine: mastering the intricate control of spiritual energy, delving into the arts of healing and regeneration, and even channeling his spiritual power to manipulate the elements.
They had observed him labor tirelessly, testing the limits of his spirit and mind, pushing beyond boundaries as he honed his abilities day after day.
'Raphael, should I tell them about the microcosm?'
Aspros is not a person prone to indecision; he possesses a resolute nature that guides his choices.
However, Raphael holds a unique ability to dissect situations with remarkable clarity, offering insights that could influence Aspros's pivotal decision regarding whether to disclose the details of the microcosm.
Ultimately, even if Raphael assures him that revealing this secret would be beneficial, the final choice lies squarely in Aspros's hands.
Trust runs deep between them, and Aspros has always valued Raphael's perspective. If Raphael advocates for the disclosure, Aspros feels empowered to heed her counsel, recognizing the weight such a recommendation carries.
[Completely positive about it, Master.]
[The Ancient One only cares about the protection of Earth and humanity from mythical threats. The Elder Goddess Gaea also cares about humans more than the so-called gods. They also seem to have sided with you, although it is not confirmed.]
[Revealing this information about the Microcosm to the Ancient One will result in her trusting you more. Putting more cards on the deck that she is playing against other powerful beings.]
[The Ancient One is already putting herself against the King of Asgard, Odin, who rules Earth, to protect us until we become strong enough.]
[The Elder Goddess Gaea has no ill intentions towards you nor humanity, and she is, in fact, very fond of humanity and of you, Master. Especially you, Master.]
[Telling them about what you are doing will result in trusting you more, and supporting you more, until you can become strong enough to protect them.]
This sentiment resonated deeply within him.
Aspros sensed no malice in the presence of these two formidable women, aware of the authority they wielded and the weight of their influence.
Setting down his knife and fork with a soft clatter, he turned his gaze toward the two women, whose expectant expressions mirrored his own inner contemplation.
A sigh escaped his lips, but soon thereafter, a smile broke through, illuminating his face with warmth and acceptance.
"Lady Gaea... Is this dimension of yours to be trusted? And I apologize if this sounds mean and offensive, but I am wondering if no one is going to hear what I am going to say?"
Aspros wanted to make sure that whatever he was going to say was not going to be heard by anyone else.
Gaea slowly nodded, but she raised her hand, and she made a barrier around the table where they were seated.
"Do you know where we, humans, get what we call superpowers from?"
This question raised the eyebrows of the two women, but the Ancient One, who had seen the timeline countless times, was the first one to speak.
"There are multiple ways. Training, technology, mutations, and natural powers."
Aspros nodded, but he later denied this affirmation.
"You are right. However, that is the case for humans and other races in the universe. But... this is also wrong. Our powers come from the universe itself."
Aspros explained.
"Interesting."
Gaea nodded, but she didn't deny or admit anything that Aspros was talking about, wanting to see how Aspros would explain his claim.
"Are you familiar with the formation of the universe?"
It was a normal question, but the question itself posed a greater conversation.
"You mean the theory of the Big Bang?"
The Ancient One asked. She was now more and more intrigued by this.
"Yes... It all began with the magnificent event that we, humans, know as the Big Bang, a cataclysmic explosion that birthed the cosmos itself. I often refer to this vast expanse as the macrocosm."
"When the universe sprang into existence, it wasn't just a void; it gave rise to an array of life forms, each one evolving through the ages into the myriad expressions of existence we recognize today as the life of the universe."
"The macrocosm, this grand tapestry of existence, forged its life through its own inherent power. Some beings emerged, endowed with the extraordinary ability to match the universe itself. In contrast, others remained lesser, lacking such formidable strength."
"What many fail to realize is that every creation within this boundless universe is but a reflection of something greater. The reflection of the universe itself."
"And I'm not merely speaking of the Celestials; I'm speaking directly to you, to me, to each and every one of us."
Aspros emphasized his point by gesturing towards the Ancient One, Gaea, and himself, underscoring the interconnectedness of their existence.
"We all have a soul, we all have a mind, and we all have a spirit. But we also have a physical body. Correct?"
Aspros asked the two women.
The two women nodded. This is very true. Even Gaea has a real body, and the same goes for the Ancient One.
"Have you ever wondered if our existence reflects the universe? Do we also have the chance to grow as big as the universe?"
Aspros asked them. And the two women were left without making a sound, as they were thinking.
"This is not some speculation, but the truth."
Raising his hand, Aspros made a projection of what he was referring to.
"Inside each atom of our body, we hold the blueprints of the universe. Or, in other words, fragments that reflect the grandeur of the macrocosm."
"However, instead of being the blueprints of the big universe, these blueprints are on a smaller scale. These blueprints are what I call the blueprints of the microcosm."
"When the atoms are combined, the formation of the microcosm starts. When this happens, the physical body, the spiritual body, the mind, and the soul undergo qualitative changes."
"What you are currently seeing are my own atoms. So this is not fake information. This is the truth."
Aspros explained as he also projected what he was explaining. Clearly showing the powerful women what he was talking about.
He made a big emphasis on the fragments of the universe, and later the formation of the microcosm, when all atoms come together to make it happen.
Making sure to make them see what he was doing was not just some theory, but the truth. But what Aspros and Raphael were also aware of was that the potential for the microcosm seems to be unique to him.
He thinks that once he awakens the microcosm, he should be able to form little seeds. This will allow him to create saints in this world.
"Damn..."
Gaea was the first one to curse as she was impressed by what she had just learned. She didn't think that the universe itself hid this from everyone.
"This is very interesting... so you are training to awaken your microcosm?"
The Ancient One spoke as she turned away from the projection and stared at Aspros. Aspros nodded.
"Correct."
Aspros nodded and smiled at the question.
"Why are you training? Does the formation of the microcosm require some level of training?"
Gaea was the one to ask.
She feels that with the knowledge and the level of strength of Aspros, it is more than enough to form that unique system of power.
"Correct. Although the microcosm is inside everyone, it takes a very brutal training to awaken it."
Aspros spoke as he began to explain.
"You know the five senses of the body, right?"
Aspros questioned, and the two women listening nodded.
"These are taste, sight, touch, smell, and hearing."
The Ancient One replied, engaging in the conversation, but also responding to the question of Aspros.
Gaea also nodded as these were the five senses that she also knew and had.
"The five senses are the senses that are given to all life-forms to observe, taste, touch, smell, and hear all of creation."
"These are also the senses that give shape to our existences and personalities. That shapes our identities."
"A kid that has never tasted hunger will have a different experience from other kids who have experienced hunger since birth."
"Among these five senses, there are skills that a person is born naturally with, or because they are missing one or two senses, and the other senses are more powerful and thus allow them to develop those abilities."
"However, above the five senses, there are three more senses."
Aspros explained in detail, but when he got to the part of the other three senses above the five senses, Gaea and the Ancient One looked surprised and intrigued.
"Three more senses?"
The Ancient One asked, and Gaea followed with a head nod, but the two were interested. They were interested in this new system of power because it was something they had never heard of.
"The Sixth Sense is the sense of intuition."
"This sense can be said to be the beginning of the supernatural. Here, you are able to unlock or learn abilities like psychokinesis, elemental manipulation on an atomic level, atomic manipulation and destruction, and so on."
Aspros explained, but when he said that, the faces of the Ancient One and Gaea looked a bit disappointed.
These are things that they can do, with a lot of trouble in some cases, but they can do it. So none of this was surprising.
But because they seemed to be disappointed, they seemed to have skipped where Aspros said that he could control the elements on an atomic level.
"What is the difference between this sense and simply using psionic or psychic abilities?"
Gaea asked, her curiosity still high, but the hype from before was not there anymore.
Aspros smiled.
"Don't get disappointed, I have to explain the sixth sense in detail."
Aspros said as he drank some of the wine that Gaea had prepared for their dinner inside the castle of Avalon.
"You saw me training my spirit, my mind, and my soul today, right?" Aspros asked, and he knew they had watched him train.
"Yes..."
The Ancient One replied with a smile, as if she didn't care that she had been found out spying on his training. But none of the three cared about that.
"Anyone can learn psychic abilities; they just need to learn to channel and control their mental energy to perform those abilities."
"In fact, aside from the five senses, you need to train the spirit, the mind, and the soul to their limit as well. Once both have reached the limit, it is when the doors of the sixth sense are opened to you."
"Like I said, the sixth sense is the realm of the supernatural. However, as you saw me today, with spiritual energy, you can control the elements and even do things like telekinesis."
"However, when I describe the Sixth Sense as the Sense of Intuition, I don't mean the mind. I mean the universe around us, and also sensing the universe inside oneself."
"For you guys, it would be like sensing the cosmic energy that makes the universe."
"The Sixth Sense is where you can perceive matter, energy, molecules, and atoms causally. The cosmic energy that surrounds us."
"The Sixth Sense can be said to be the first resonance between the macrocosm and the microcosm. When you are able to perceive everything around you, you are able to perceive the start of yourself."
"The Sixth Sense also lifts one of the two limits of humanity. This brings superhuman strength, casual super sonic speeds, psychic abilities, super durability, atomic destruction, and elemental control."
"Any skill that is acquired before the Sixth Sense, when the Sixth Sense is awakened, those abilities will undergo quantitative and qualitative changes."
At first, the Ancient One and Gaea had lost some hype, but when Aspros began to explain in detail, the faces of the Ancient One and Gaea began to change drastically.
Especially when he began to show the capabilities of the Sixth Sense.
You need to know that some gods and some humans aren't able to move at high super sonic speeds casually, nor are they able to do psychic abilities, and other abilities on an atomic level.
Nor are they able to control the elements on an atomic level, nor are they able to control matter, molecules, and even atoms at will.
"When you mean atomic destruction, you don't mean it right?"
Gaea asked, a bit worried about what Aspros was going to say.
While she is strong enough to defend against an attack, her magic cannot, but even her magic is like paper compared to attacks like that if she is not using enough energy.
Not many gods or superhumans are able to block an attack of that level.
"Yes... Everything I say is the truth. If I say that my punches can do atomic destruction, they can do atomic destruction.
"Atomic destruction. My fist will be able to destroy anything and everything casually. This atomic destruction can also be performed on the spirit, the mind, and the soul."
"Not just atomic destruction, but atomic defense and protection."
"I am not exaggerating when I say that if an attack does not perform atomic destruction, I won't be harmed."
"Let's say that if an attack capable of destroying a planet is not able to perform atomic destruction, I won't be harmed."
"Even if the attack does atomic destruction, my durability and endurance can tank an attack like that pretty easily."
"This also means that if an atomic bomb lands on top of me, I won't be harmed at all. For me, after I awaken my sixth sense, that atomic explosion would be like a normal explosion, and even then, a normal explosion can't do anything to me."
The Ancient One and Gaea were quiet after they heard this.
An atomic bomb is an atomic bomb.
While an atomic bomb won't do anything to the likes of Gaea and the Ancient One, who have insane levels of power, an atomic bomb is still an explosion on the atomic level.
An explosion of that level can literally disintegrate flesh, matter, molecules, and many other things on an atomic level.
Not even the Ancient One can tank an atomic bomb.
While she is powerful enough to tank one with her magic and even walk it off, if there is no magic, the Ancient One does not think she can take an atomic bomb and survive.
To know that Aspros, as soon as he awakens the sixth sense, can tank an atomic bomb like it's a normal explosion, and even normal explosions don't do anything to him, was something they didn't expect.
And this is the normal microcosm.
If Aspros' plan of combining at least seven octillion small universes into one is possible, then his super microcosm could do more than just that.
Where do the seven octillion small universes come from?
This is because seven octillion atoms make up the human body. If his plan is to allow all the atoms of his body to hold a complete microcosm, then he would have around seven octillion microcosms inside his body.
And all of those microcosms will create one super-microcosm.
"What kind of power do you get when the seventh sense is awakened. I am guessing that is the sense above the sixth sense."
Gaea was the next one to ask the question, and she was more and more surprised and more excited. This is the kind of power that a Human God should have.
For some reason, she also feels this is the right path of evolution. It evolves everything that makes one special.
"That is right, the seventh sense is the one after the sixth sense."
Aspros nodded, and he smiled as he saw that the two women were curious about his future system of power.
This also proved what Raphael had said earlier.
"The seventh sense can be said to be the sense of self-awareness. The understanding of oneself."
"However, the way I see it is completely different."
"Like I mentioned earlier, the sixth sense is awakened after the soul, the spirit, the mind, and the five senses of the body have reached their limits."
"When the pinnacle of the soul, the mind, the spirit, and the five senses of the body of a person are used, they allow a person to perceive the cosmos around us."
"And like I said, we use that perception, or that intuition, to feel the universe inside of us. It's like we used what is already established to establish our own power."
"Once we find the fragments of the universe inside of us, using that sensation, we build the microcosm, and thus the sixth sense is also awakened."
"But story long made short, the Sixth Sense is the gate for the other senses. The training that was done before is the key to opening that gate and entering its lobby."
"In this case, the seventh sense represents the action of entering farther than just the lobby. It's a meeting with the microcosm inside of oneself."
"Most people who awakened the Sixth Sense think that the microcosm is a power aside from us. A power that we train to obtain, but that is not inherently ours."
"They think that the fragments of the universe are placed inside of us, not something that we are born with."
"The Seventh Sense disproves that immediately."
"To awaken the seventh sense, you need to accept that the microcosm is not an outside power, but the power that is inside of each person."
"Think of it like this: "The cosmos is the universe. The microcosm inside of me is the universe. But this is not an external power, but this is my power! Therefore, I am the cosmos."
"Once you ignite, realize, and accept that truth, you unlock the seventh sense. At this point, you are able to tap into the latent potential of each person."
"In other words, the seventh sense is when you finally understand that truth."
"The benefits of obtaining the Seventh Sense are the same as the Sixth Sense, but you can't compare the two."
"You gain an increase in strength, an increase in speed, an increase in durability, an increase in mental capacity, an increase in mental defense, and many other stats are increased."
"However, this increase in capabilities also removes the limits of the body. Or the second limiter, as the first one is removed during the sixth sense."
"This allows a user of the seventh sense can quite literally ignore physics."
"The seventh sense allows for lightspeed movement, lightspeed flight, lightspeed reaction time, lightspeed attacks, and the skills that a Sixth Sense person can do are upgraded to a whole new level."
"They can be in the vacuum of space like nothing, destroy planets with a simple punch and kick. Destroy galaxies. Advanced spatial manipulation, time manipulation, dimensional manipulation, and even capable of performing Absolute Zero, and so on."
Aspros explained.
The Ancient One and Gaea were quiet once again.
They were processing what they were hearing.
At the sixth sense, a person is already capable of moving at supersonic speeds, a speed not many humans with superpowers can match, including some lesser and higher-tier gods.
A sixth-sense person can punch, kick, and destroy things on an atomic level. They can manipulate matter, molecules, and atoms. They can manipulate matter, molecules, atoms, and anything in between those three latter.
They can do psychokinesis and other psychic powers, and also perform multiple moves on an atomic level.
They are nearly perfect warriors, both physically and spiritually.
Now you are telling them that at the seventh sense you can move at the speed of light, fly at lightspeed, attack at the speed of light, and react at the speed of light?
Are they hearing correctly? A person who is able to ignore the laws of physics?
Destroy a planet with a single kick and punch?
Destroy a galaxy?
Advanced spatial manipulation?
Time manipulation?
Manipulations of dimensions?
If that is not overpowered, what is overpowered?
Of course, this comes from the fact that Aspros was talking about how a body, a punch, and a kick can destroy a galaxy.
Destroying a galaxy or a planet is something that some dimensional lords can do. They don't do it because it can alter the balance of the universe, but it is possible for them.
Not even Odin, in his best moment, as the strongest Skyfather-level god, moved at those speeds, nor was he able to do something like that.
Of course, Odin has moved at the speed of light, but it was not consistent. At some point, Odin was able to move at lightspeed whenever he pushed his limits, but now? He can only reach supersonic speeds.
The only reason he is still in power in Asgard is that his magical power is nearly infinite, and he can cast multiple spells whenever he wants. But even then, the Ancient One can manage around Odin pretty easily.
When Odin had reached that level of speed and strength, it was because the situation required him to put more than he could already output.
It is like entering an overdrive mode.
"What is the eighth sense?"
The Ancient One asked, more and more intrigued, and more astonished by the power that the microcosm can grant its user.
"The Eighth Sense is when you have mastered the Seventh Sense to perfection, and you begin to notice that there is one last limitation."
Aspros explained, but his brief words left more intriguing information.
"What is that limitation?"
Gaea asked, her eyes gleaming with interest.
"Life and Death."
Aspros answered as he took a sip of his wine.
But the faces of Gaea and the Ancient One were grim.
Life and Death. They knew that concept very well.
In fear of dying without giving the title of Sorcerer Supreme to a person capable of protecting Earth, the Ancient One sought the power of Dormammu to extend her physical life.
In Gaea's case, she knew life and death due to what happened during the Elder God era. She saw how her brother and sisters, the elder gods, turned into demons.
How she was forced into hiding, and into giving in to the idea of birthing a son capable of destroying her own family. Atum, the God Eater.
But those times were past everything.
The two women simply nodded and listened in more closely.
"The Eighth Sense is the understanding and comprehension of life and death, and once you understand them and comprehend them, you transcend both."'
"Like I said, when someone reaches the pinnacle of the seventh sense, they start to notice that they have reached a limit. A limit they can't bypass, no matter what."
"That limitation is that the microcosm inside the body has reached a limit. Well... not a limit. It simply can't grow past the concepts of life and death. To continue to grow, it needs to bypass those concepts."
"It's like having infinite power and infinite growth, but the vessel of said infinite power cannot hold it. It will either stagnate the production of said power or said power will start to collapse on itself."
"Just like the universe around us, one day, it will expand so much that it either stops expanding or it will start to deform, and later it will collapse on itself."
"With the microcosm, you will not collapse, but your progress and strength will stagnate as there is no further room for improvement."
"Some people who learn the microcosm will either stop here or try to push forward. But without knowing how to advance, they do a certain bad move, and they collapse."
"But the real path forward is to understand the meaning behind life and death. The most important thing to understand is the concept of death. We understand life, but we don't understand death because it is beyond us."
"Only when you transcend both is when your body, soul, mind, and spirit, the microcosm, can truly start expanding infinitely in a safe manner."
"This is because at that point, life doesn't limit you, nor death is able to limit you. You are completely free from the restraints of Life and Death. At that point, you and your microcosm become limitless."
"Reaching this sense will also give a massive power boost."
"This eighth sense will bring an immense power boost, boosting all physical, spiritual, mental, and soul-based power to a whole new level."
Aspros said calmly, but he tried to not chuckle when he saw the stupid expression on the two women's faces.
Transcending life and death?
This was something that not even Gaea and the Ancient One had truly thought of doing. But here it was the theory that with the eighth sense, it could be possible.
"And what is the final sense? The Ninth sense?"
Now the two women were extremely curious and anxious about the information. Aspros smiled, and he later looked at the others.
"The Ninth Sense is Godhood. True divinity."
As soon as those words were uttered, the two older women who had lived through many obstacles and struggles looked at each other like they were stupid.
Not because they didn't believe what Aspros was saying, in fact, it was the opposite. They believed in his words.
Everything that Aspros told them was told from the heart, and none of it was a lie. They can clearly tell that.
This meant that the information told was true.
"True divinity? How does true divinity mean in the ninth sense?"
Gaea asked, the more interested one, as she possessed divinity, and she wanted to know what kind of divinity Aspros was talking about.
"You need to understand that there are multiple types of divinity. But all divinities are tied to the laws of the universe."
"Physical laws, spiritual laws, conceptual laws, metaphysical laws, and supreme laws."
"All laws work in conjunction to make what we know as the universe. The law of space and the law of time work together to make what we know as the Space-Time continuum."
"The law of life and death work together to make what we know as our birth and our time of death."
"All godheads that all gods possess are variations of the laws of the universe."
"You, Lady Gaea, possess the Godhead of Earth and Nature. Your cosmic and spiritual power is tied to life, growth, harvest, and renewal."
"This means your power is tied to the conceptual laws of the world."
"As a being that was born from those concepts, your energy produced is the energy that has the properties of the law you are connected to."
"But the true divinity is a mixture of all of these things. An immortal body that can hold the law, and the understanding of the laws of the world."
"If you paid attention to what I said earlier, the Sixth Sense is the formation of the intuition of the cosmos around us, and later using that intuition to find and form the microcosm inside oneself."
"The Seventh Sense is the understanding that the cosmos and the body are the same, and once that is complete, one is able to use their potential to the fullest. This sense also makes a resonance with the macrocosm."
"The eighth sense represents the sense beyond the realm of life and death, and thus the microcosm is able to grow indefinitely as life and death no longer limit it. The resonance here is that the microcosm is starting to expand as large as the actual universe, slowly but surely."
"The Ninth Sense is the complete resonance with the macrocosm. The microcosm inside oneself is as big as the universe itself, or even higher. You are also able to comprehend everything and anything, including the laws that the universe possesses."
"At that point, you truly become God."
This was the truth from the world of Saint Seiya. True divinity is the combination of multiple factors.
The divine bodies of the gods that hold their divine blood, which is able to hold their powerful microcosm, which holds the laws of the world, are one of those factors.
While Aspros explained that True divinity is able to see, use, and understand the laws of the universe, it doesn't mean that as a god, you can embody all of them.
If that were true, then all the gods of the Saint Seiya universe would be able to use the godheads of the other gods. While they can do that, it is not good to do it.
After all, mastering one law is better than having multiple of them, but not having perfect control over them.
Aspros already has all of the requirements.
He has a divine body.
While his divine body has yet to awaken, as he has yet to squeeze the potential to make it awaken, his body is divine.
His divine body has divine blood.
Aspros already has a godhead. A godhead that has multiple other godheads.
The divine body, the divine blood, the multiple godheads, but he also possesses the ability to see and use the laws of the universe.
Yes... with the ability "Law Manipulation," Aspros is able to see the laws of the world. Not just see the laws of the world, but also manipulate them. Or use them.
However, due to his strength, he cannot use the power of the laws for too long, or he will be dried.
This is also what allowed Raphael to make the perfect training method to perfect their mind, spirit, soul, and body.
As she tapped into the knowledge that the laws have, she managed to get the perfect training method for his improvement. But also to see if he can surpass the laws of the world.
Raphael also seemed to have stored the knowledge of the laws of the world, to study them, so when the microcosm is created, she can slowly but surely implement them.
"That is incredible. I didn't know that this system of power existed."
Gaea made her remarks on the entire power system of the Microcosm. She never knew that the will of the world had done that.
Aspros himself did not know that the microcosm could do all of that. You need to know that when he watched Saint Seiya, none of this was explained.
Everything that was explained was "everything is made of atoms, and we use the universe inside of us to interact and destroy those atoms."
But Aspros, as Kaiser, in his previous life, had a guess that the microcosm could do more than that. This was true as Raphael analyzed it.
The microcosm is the reflection of the macrocosm, in other words, the universe. Everything that the universe can do, the saint can do it.
Can the people of the universe use magic? The Saint can do it.
Can the people of the universe use cosmic power? The Saint can do it.
Can the people of the universe use psychic abilities? The Saint can do it.
The microcosm is the perfect way to evolve and gain power, as it encompasses all paths into one, thus creating the perfect warrior.
Aspros also understood some things about the Marvel Universe.
When the cosmos was born, many things were created, but there was no order. No laws. Although the laws were created, they weren't used. Or more like nobody knew they existed.
This is because the laws were concepts at the time.
The laws were created, but as concepts.
Concepts are the idea or meaning associated with something.
Concepts are interpretive, symbolic, representational, or, in the example of laws, the essence behind a law, or the metaphysical idea.
Examples of concepts are chaos, order, harmony, destruction, abundance, death, life, equilibrium, and so on.
Laws are concepts that were refined to define how the cosmos and everything else in the cosmos should work. Cosmic laws are the fundamental rules that govern how reality works.
There are laws of space, the law of time, the law of causality, the law of death, the law of life, and the law of gravity.
But how do the concepts and laws work together?
Easy.
For example.
Death.
The law of death is the mechanism, the law that everyone follows. The concept of death is the meaning or interpretation of said law. Two are one and the same.
It is like the case of Eternity and Infinity. Infinity and Eternity are one, but at the same time, they are separate.
It works like in court.
The law is the paper that was made by multiple people, the paper that everyone goes by, as that paper is the law.
But what is the concept? The concept was created long ago, and those concepts became the laws.
So... what are abstract concepts?
Abstract concepts are the primordial ideas. This is even more true as the One Above All resides in the House of Ideas.
The primordial idea of the universe came from the One Above All.
Before the cosmos was created, the primordial idea behind the creation of the cosmos was there.
Like the One Above All thought of it, but it was never made into motion until he decided it was a good idea to make it happen.
The One Above All, having other ideas for the universe, knew that he needed a place to keep them. That is why the abstract concept of the universe became the concept of space and the universe.
The First Firmament was so powerful because all the concepts that the One Above All thought about were inside of him.
You can say that the abstract concept became a concept. How is it different? It went from being an idea to a realized idea; that is the difference.
Once the first celestial war happened, the celestials separated those concepts that were inside the First Firmament and later allowed them to branch.
After some arrangement, these concepts were used to create the laws.
"How is this different from using cosmic energy?"
The Ancient One asked.
She felt that the powers that the Microcosm offers are extremely powerful, but... these powers and concepts sound a lot like the Power Cosmic.
In the universe, multiple beings use the power cosmic to their advantage. This is why she asked the question. She has seen firsthand.
"Well... aside from the fact that with each sense you are evolving into a higher being, the microcosm is not just cosmic energy. You need to know that the universe has magic. Magic comes from spiritual energy."
"At the root of existence, matter and mind are one. The spirit and the physical are separate but act together. The universe is the same."
"This means that aside from the basic benefits of the microcosm like increased strength, speed, and other physical, mental, and spiritual stats, you can still perform magic."
"In fact, your magic will be much stronger than other people's magic because the purity has increased, the abundance, and the sheer power of said magic will be absurd."
"The microcosm is the universe on a smaller scale, the universe inside of us. The universe has magic. This means you can perform magic, including psychic abilities."
"The microcosm covers what the universe offers. This translates to all kinds of physical, spiritual, mental, and soul-like benefits."
After hearing this, Gaea and the Ancient One were quiet. Very quiet. But Gaea was the one who finished the silence.
"HAHAHA! You are truly the creation I've been waiting for. The perfect creation. You have truly not disappointed me."
Gaea laughed.
Not of mockery, but sheer respect, and because she was able to meet Aspros.
Aspros, even if he was recently "born" into this world, already had knowledge of which she didn't know.
This was something that made Gaea simply laugh. Laugh at the thought that she knew the cosmos so well.
No, she didn't.
She didn't even know that she was almost a direct descendant of the One Above All. Well... all of creation, either good or bad, is a child of the One Above All.
The Ancient One also smirked, but she was feeling down.
How come she didn't know there was such a system of power?
She can also tell that the microcosm can increase vitality, which in turn allows a person to live for more years. While she was using the dark energy of the dark dimension to extend her life, it was also corrupting her soul.
If it wasn't for the fact that she was a believer of Eternity, the Ancient One would have had her soul taken by either the Vishanti or Dormammu.
Now you are telling her there was another path to greatness that she never heard of, but that it was possible? It made her feel stupid.
Aspros, who resumed eating after explaining the microcosm, stared at the Ancient One.
"Don't worry... I can try to solve that problem for you."
Aspros said softly and slowly, so as to allow the Ancient One to understand what he meant. She did understand what he meant, as she stared at him with fiery eyes.
The Ancient One did not want to die; that is one thing for sure. Not because she feared death, but because of her duty, she has not been able to enjoy life as many of the other humans on Earth.
Unlike other sorcerers who sought power or a way to solve their problems, the Ancient One was born in Kamar-Taj. She was the daughter of two powerful magicians, and she was born with an innate talent for Magic.
Her magical talent was so high that she was accepted as the apprentice of the Sorcerer Supreme of that time. At the time, she was very excited because the title of Sorcerer Supreme had a certain value.
That value was recognition by her peers, and it also meant extreme power. To be the most powerful Sorcerer of Earth, the one who fights against the dimensional lords.
However, as time passed, she became more and more connected with the position, but this position also left her occupied.
She was happy with the position, and she even managed to push Dormammu and Mephisto, two powerful dimensional lords from Earth, with her strength.
Yes... her strength alone. Not even using the Time Stone.
She didn't have the time to visit places that other magicians could go to whenever they wanted, as she had to stay in Kamar-Taj, making sure nothing happened.
And whenever she left Kamar-Taj, or even the planet, dimensional lords would catch up to that news, and they would want to come down to Earth.
This left her tied to Earth and Kamar-Taj.
It was not until recent years that the magicians, some of them driven by greed, became powerful enough to defend against some of the higher-tier mythical threats that dared to come to earth.
This lifted some weight off her shoulders, but still, none of the current magicians is as powerful as her, nor as talented as her, nor even more talented than her.
The only one that came as close to matching her was Stephen Strange, her chosen successor. However, even as her chosen successor, the Ancient One had her skepticism.
The Ancient One is a believer in Eternity, the cosmic entity that represents space and the universe. The multiverse is his body.
As a believer of Eternity, Eternity has granted her the sight of another version of her chosen successor to become the next Sorcerer Supreme.
In some universes, Stephen Strange is what she expected of him. Egoistical, yet kind, powerful, and decisive in wanting to protect humanity.
In other universes, Stephen Strange is greedy, evil, yet extremely powerful. And that is to be expected.
In some universes, certain factors can change the life of someone, but her skepticism doesn't come from that perspective.
Her skepticism comes from the facts shown to her.
Eternity also gave her the ability to see possible futures of Stephen Strange from their current universes.
What she saw made her pale.
A vast majority of the versions of Stephen Strange in her universe turn evil. This is not what she wanted.
But Stephen Strange was the only good choice she had. Wanda was another good candidate, but her instability is what pushes the Ancient One away from Wanda.
From the beginning to the end, the Ancient One had placed her bets on Stephen Strange, and it was up to Stephen Strange to disappoint her or to make her proud.
Yes... She was pretty much taking a gamble. A very big one as well.
This gamble changed when Aspros came into being.
Not only did Aspros do what it took for her when she was first learning magic, months to even do in a single hour, but his mind and soul were oriented towards protecting humanity.
Damn it, he was the god of humanity.
As the God of humanity, his belief is to protect humanity. Either bad or good.
He might be a god, but he is more human than god.
As a human being, Aspros will care more about his people than any other human on Earth. And this is correct, but Aspros has not gotten to that point.
This is why she is taking the necessary gambles to bet on Aspros's rise to power, to see if she can give the position of Sorcerer Supreme to him.
She was not against Aspros becoming the Sorcerer Supreme.
Agamotto, the son of the Elder Goddess Oshtur, one of the three core members of the Vishanti, was the first-generation Sorcerer Supreme, and he was an Elder God.
Or half-human and half-elder god.
Aspros, as the new God of Humanity, is not far off from the same position that Agamotto once had.
Agamotto, just like Aspros, had to train to become the being that everyone got to know as "Agamotto, the All-Seeing."
Even the Gods have to learn to use their powers, and no one is born powerful. Of course, there is an exception to that rule.
This is why the Ancient One was pretty optimistic about Aspros. If Aspros succeeds in awakening the Microcosm, he will walk a path never walked before.
His path will also allow him to use magic, which is the requirement for the Sorcerer Supreme. From what she can tell, if Aspros learns magic, he will be the best sorcerer on Earth and even the universe, and even beyond that.
"Are you sure...?"
The Ancient One asked.
In a few years, she will reach the limit of her soul, and at that moment, she will apparently die. But because she is a follower of eternity, her soul will arrive at the Realm of Eternity and stay there for eternity.
"Yes... Your problem is not that serious." Aspros began as she stared at the Ancient One, and later returned his gaze to his food.
"How come my problem is not hard? Not even higher entities dare to fix my problem."
As calm as ever, the Ancient One asked the question that even Gaea wanted to hear being answered. Although the Ancient One asked the question nicely, you could tell she raised her voice a bit more.
"Some of them can't do it. Some of them can do it, they just don't do it because they would be breaking cosmic laws."
"However, this statement is also wrong, as many cosmic entities break cosmic laws all the time, and they are never persecuted for such things. This is because if you break a law, but if the law doesn't affect the balance, nobody will actually come to punish you for it."
"So... in my opinion, they either can't fix your problem, or they don't want to do it. Simple as that."
"I can do it, and I am willing to do it, but I need time to finish the first stages of my training, and I'll do it. Right now, I don't have enough control and energy to do something like that."
This was a lie.
Aspros was sure that Raphael could do something in a second, or even less time than that, but he wanted to do it.
That level of manipulation requires focus, control, and many other things. Things that Aspros currently doesn't have. That is why he needs to keep his strict training method to become strong.
"What exactly do you need to do?"
Gaea asked for the process.
This is something not even she is able to do. She is able to give her power to repair things like nature, a planet, and even the multiverse.
But things as detailed and complex as the soul, the spirit, and the mind are beyond her.
"Oh...? I just need to move the information particles from her dying core to a different core, and your soul problem is fixed."
"I could even give her a more powerful body altogether as well. There are multiple options for fixing the problem. But it depends on the person."
The way that Aspros was talking about repairing damage that not even Elder Gods or even cosmic entities could repair, as if it was nothing, was simply beyond them.
These words made Gaea and the Ancient One look at each other like they were entering a new realm of possibilities, and also like they were stupid for not thinking of that.
Gaea knew the Ancient One's problem. For her own entertainment, she has watched the Ancient One whenever she fights against dimensional lords.
This is because it brings her some level of entertainment, and also allows her to see how the successor of Kamar-Taj can do its job of protecting Earth.
She also knew that the Ancient One had stolen dark energy from the Dark Dimension from Dormammu to extend her physical body. Still, her soul was slowly dying as the corruption was taking place.
The reason why the Ancient One went to Dormammu was that the Vishanti had prohibited the use of magic to extend life or to seek immortality.
The Vishanti believe that their magic is used to maintain balance and to help defend the universe, not cheat the cycle of life.
Of course, the Vishanti can grant immortality if they want to, but they choose not to because they think it disrupts cosmic order.
The Vishanti and Gaea knew that the Ancient One did not seek immortality for the sake of immortality, but because she knew if she died, the Earth could be plunged into darkness.
Until the Ancient One found a worthy successor to take her place, the Ancient One was pretty much alive. This is why the Vishanti did not take the Ancient One's title of Sorcerer Supreme from her.
Another reason why her title was not taken away is that the Ancient One is strong. The Ancient One is powerful enough to fight against Dimensional Lords like Dormammu and Mephisto.
The Vishanti needs a champion to become the Sorcerer Supreme, and the strongest champion is the Ancient One.
Even with all the reasoning and explanation, what Gaea and the Ancient One heard was astonishing.
Aspros says that he can repair the damage that is being done to her soul as if it were nothing. Information particles? Core?
These are things that Gaea and the Ancient One never heard of, but these things must be things that only Aspros knows about.
"Are you serious...?"
The Ancient One asked, her eyes dead serious due to how delicate the conversation is, but also because this is a way of solving her problem.
"Yes... I can also solve your problem of needing Dormammu's power to extend your life."
This was not a problem for Aspros and Raphael. Things like Infinite energy and so on will be available to him in the future.
"Well... I'd guess I will trust you with this."
The Ancient One smiled, and this promise between the two helped Aspros gain the Ancient One's approval and trust to a greater degree.
"How long will you stay here to train?"
Gaea asked, intrigued as to how long Aspros would stay in her dimension, known as Avalon.
"A long time. Why...? Throwing me out already?"
Aspros joked with the goddess, and the goddess laughed.
"Of course not. Why would I throw away the only being that has managed to intrigue me and that has reached the perfection I sought to create? Do you know how long I've been waiting for someone like you?"
Aspros was quiet.
He did not know what kind of perfection she was referring to, but he simply stayed quiet.
"A long time. I won't talk about it now, but we can later talk about it."
Gaea said she was also a bit tired, at least mentally.
She was not actually tired physically or mentally, but she knew that today was enough. They all can speak another day.
"I'll leave you guys to rest or enjoy the night. I'll be taking my lead. There are things I left undone."
The Ancient One placed her hands on the table, and later, with a bit of impulse, she got to her feet. A big smile on her face. Maybe even relief.
"Here... while you were training, I had someone make a copy of the essential magics of Kamar-Taj. Things like the portal magic, and so on. I'll leave this here in case you need to come to me; you can use that magic to come to Earth."
The Ancient One was the first one to speak. She has been gone for two days, and this was more than enough time for her. She needed to go back to Kamar-Taj, or her disciple would start to think she was dead or something.
"Well... Thank you for coming and bringing this fine specimen to my dimension. I appreciate you a lot."
Gaea got up from her seat, and she walked towards the Ancient One. Both women knew what kind of responsibilities the Ancient One had.
The Ancient One and Gaea technically had a really good connection. The Ancient One protects the Planet Earth. Gaea is an Elder Goddess who fused with the planet.
This means that the Ancient One protects Gaea.
Yes...
Gaea fused with the planet, and thus she is the planet and the consciousness of the planet. This is why the Vishanti also takes priority in protecting Earth.
It is because Gaea is the sister of Oshtur, the elder goddess who created the group known as the Vishanti.
Oshtur and Gaea have a pretty good relationship, as the two are the only "living" elder goddesses who survive the events of the Elder Gods era. Also, Oshtur protects Gaea with the help of the sorcerers of Kamar-Taj.
This is why Gaea is very optimistic about the Ancient One.
The Ancient One also found out about this while the two were talking, as they saw Aspros train earlier. She was surprised to know that Gaea was Earth, but she didn't mind.
Gaea is a pretty cool lady, and she is a good god. She loves human life and protects it. She is also the mother of multiple pantheons.
Gaea is an important character in human history and in the history of the gods.
Aspros also said goodbye to the Ancient One, finished his meal, and later said he was going to rest.
Gaea also needed to go and do a few things.
As the goddess of Earth and Nature, she also has to use her power to help restore some parts of the world that were in a bad condition.
Aspros also took his time to finish his meal and go to the room that Gaea had assigned to him to rest in. He simply went to sleep.
Aspros was tired as hell. He was not going to do anything else but rest and later wake up and prepare for the next day.
The next day was going to be worse than today.
Simply closed his eyes and went to sleep, as the next day was going to be even worse.