Birth of a true god

Seth continued facing trial after trial, managing to defeat all the challenges the Tower threw at him, while between each test being shown a piece of what he believed to be the Tower’s memories, traces of records sealed deep inside the Tower and to which not even his system had access.

Whispers of a place called The Outside and the World Sovereign’s goal to return to that place also appeared in some scenes. Seth didn’t know what most of those memories meant, but the more he discovered, the stronger his will to leave the simulation became.

He also witnessed the Tower’s movement through time, how it slowly altered events everywhere in the simulation, proving its impartiality was a lie from the start.

Krum’s trials were also taking a strange turn, each teaching him more and more about the void races.

After passing the 99’th trial, he knew more about the Tower than any other being in the simulation ever did. Still, the most critical memory came as he walked up the stairs to the hundredth floor.

His vision changed again, and he found himself in the Tower’s main room, where his wishes were fulfilled in the past, watching Krum kneeling before a shadowy figure.

“How is the subject?” asked the shadowy figure, no trace of any emotion in its voice.

“He’s been showing nothing praiseworthy except a strong determination. I believe that determination pushed him so far into his path.”

“Hmm. I also noticed that from the records the control tower had sent me. Can he break the curtain? Is he the one we’ve been searching for?”

“I do not know, but even if he could, I don’t think it’s worth it. He appears to have made contact with sentient traces of Her will and is aware of our movement. I suggest we eliminate him before he becomes an enemy.”

The shadowy figure took some time to think before it spoke again.

“No matter if he becomes an enemy or not. If he can break the void prison around the simulation, he can also break the prison keeping me here. I need you to wait for him to return to the control tower and train him. Make sure he understands our world and how big of a danger the void races are. Also, try to break his link to Her.”

Krum kept his head lowered and spoke. “She has tethered herself to his lovers using her decaying will. If we remove those links, we might be able to weaken her, but I can’t interfere directly with the simulation, or I might destabilize it.”

“Then use someone else to do it for you. Use the control tower’s wishes in exchange for favors from other fake gods and demigods. Remove those links one by one.”

“But if we do that and he finds out…” added Krum.

“Then make sure he doesn’t. Since that time will is after him, use it to remove the problems from the records themselves. He won’t be able to find out as long as those incidents didn’t exist in the first place.”

Krum’s face revealed his doubts, but he didn’t dare voice his thoughts.

“After we take everything from him, controlling him will be easy. Make sure everything goes smoothly. You’re my strongest general, so I expect nothing less than perfect results.”

“Your Excellency. A few singularities had already been born, each carrying their records independent of the world will’s control. It is impossible to eliminate those records completely...”

“That’s even better. Don’t be afraid to blackmail him with those records. You can use them to pressure him to join us if he still refuses to fall under our control. As long as he believes you can recover their records, he will do everything you ask.”

“Understood, Your Excellency. I’ll ensure everything is taken care of.”

“Good. You can return when you’ve taken care of everything, and he’s under our control.”

With the shadowy figure disappearing, Krum stood back up and heaved a long sigh, muttering: “I wonder how long will that take... Can’t wait to see my homeland once again...”

———

With the conversation between Krum and what Seth believed was the World Sovereign ending, Seth’s consciousness returned to his body.

‘So that bastard was also in on it… well, I guess it’s not that surprising anymore.’ Thought Seth, his footsteps stopping halfway through the staircase. ‘Still, this gave me a good idea.’

‘You want to use me for your own goals? Haha, we’ll see who does the using in the end.’

With renewed determination, Seth climbed the last few steps, arriving at the final trial of the Tower.

Compared to the previous floors, the last one was much smaller and barely larger than a typical battle arena. Judging by Krum waiting opposite Seth, clad in blood-red armor and carrying a different weapon in each of his arms, Seth understood what the last trial entailed.

“I didn’t expect it to be you waiting for me at the top.”

Krum chuckled, lifting his weapons off the ground one by one. “I told you I’ll make these trials more difficult than the last time you climbed the tower. What better challenge to put at the end other than me?”

Seth looked at his imposing form with a wry smile and said: “Then I might as well turn back now. I already know that I can’t beat you with my current strength. Even if I understand the origin of your power a little better, that only makes the difference between our strengths clearer.”

“Haha, don’t worry. We asura will never step on our honor and go all out against a weaker opponent. I’ll relinquish my concept and fight you only using power at the same level as yours.”

Seth barely managed to abstain from throwing up at Krum’s shameless words.

‘Honor? What honor? Where was that honor when you tempted a fake and insecure god to remove a weak ascended from existence?’

Despite his thoughts, Seth smiled at Krum with a nod. “Alright then. I already fought quite a few of your people during the trials. I’m curious to see what a real asura with a complete soul fights like.”

As Krum prepared to declare the beginning of the fight, Seth added: “But before all that, how about the two of us make a bet?”

Krum stared at Seth’s smile and asked suspiciously: “What bet? There’s nothing about you that I have any interest in.”

Seth smirked and said: “So a pledge of eternal allegiance to you won’t interest you?”

Krum remained unfazed by Seth’s offer, but despite all that, Seth knew from the last memory both he and the Sovereign wanted nothing more.

“And how would I know you won’t break your pledge? There’s no divinity to hold you accountable to your vows anymore.”

“And that’s where the bet comes in.” Added Seth. “The tower heals my source and helps me breakthrough, and I’ll fight you as a god. If I win, the Tower won’t have to return my source to the fifth shell, but if I lose, I’ll become your slave and one with a divinity already formed. Since you’ve made it clear the World Sovereign wants something from me, I don’t think any of those conclusions would be inconvenient.”

Krum remained silent, staring at Seth unceasingly before asking: “Can you even form a divinity? Your source’s capacity is not at its full potential, and it’s not fully fused with your soul.”

“That’s where the Tower’s help comes in. Since my soul already bore a divinity once, I can summon it again. All I need is for it to give me access to destruction energy and stabilize my source, preventing it from leaking any energy as I break through.”

Just as Seth thought, the temptation was too big for Krun, and he eventually nodded, accepting the deal.

“Fine, human. We’ll fight as gods, but you must vow before we begin the fight. If you think of not taking the vow, remember that even if you recover your strength, the tower can still suppress it nonetheless.”

With Seth nodding, Krum looked towards the sky and started giving strange commands.

“Disable the concept suppression protocol for challengers.”

“Keep challenger Seth’s source stable for the breakthrough process.”

“Flood the floor with annihilation force.”

With Krum’s words, Seth’s body shook, turning blurry as the damage to his source miraculously started recovering. Next, a dense destruction energy flooded the entire floor, covering his floating source completely.

‘This is it. My one and only chance. Hollie, if this works, I’ll owe you everything.’ Seth could feel his soul trembling in excitement as Krum kindly gifted him what he desired the most—the chance to obtain absolute power.

Seth greedily allowed the new energy to enter his source while simultaneously removing the destruction will present inside. The energy, which would have normally dissipated once its will was purged, was kept in place by the Tower’s control, allowing Seth to maintain his source stable.

Krum was clueless about the horrible mistake he had just made. His greed for fulfilling the World Sovereign’s will and returning to the outside world as quickly as possible allowed Seth to do something no other being in the simulation could. Create a source devoid of any external will.

The process took almost a hundred years, a time in which neither Seth nor Krum spoke a single word.

Seth was busy creating his pure source, devoid of any corruption of a greater will. At the same time, Krum watched him silently, dreaming of finishing his mission and returning to the outside world.

Seth could take his time with the Tower’s time flowing differently from the outside, so he ensured that none of the destruction will’s influence remained inside his soul and source.

After Seth finally reached the ninth shell, it was time for him to reform his divinity. This process was much easier than the last time when he had to take a trial to gain the acceptance of a greater will.

Now that he didn’t seek anyone’s acceptance anymore, he had to claim control over the energy himself. His destruction energy began expanding outwards, using his knowledge of the concept of destruction to purify all the energy inside the Tower.

Using the links the Tower created to fuel his source with energy, Seth spread his will even outside its borders, slowly replacing the shattered greater will that used to hold control over the concept of destruction with his own.

The greater will was shattered and weak, with no divinity to unite it anymore, so after 50 more years passed inside the Tower, Seth’s influence managed to spread throughout the whole simulation.

His soul and energy were already one, but after claiming control of all the destruction energy inside the simulation, he could feel his soul’s form disappearing slowly.

Afraid of his will shattering, Seth used his newfound strength to manifest a new crown for himself. The crown of destruction took form around his source, keeping his consciousness from turning into a mindless will.

‘So that’s why the greater wills need a crown over the source of their hosts. Besides its power, it’s also a way for them to keep their sentience.

Seth also understood why the power he wielded before didn’t satisfy him.

He understood it was not his power and that he was just a user. The destruction will was always in complete control, allowing him to play god.

Seth had finally become what he had always wanted.

He was no longer a fake god.

He was not using destruction anymore.

He was destruction himself.

He had become one with his own concept in will, soul, and energy—the mark of a true god.

He could even feel the springs of energy leading to the outside of the simulation and realized, to his surprise, that he could leave the simulation with only a single thought.

He was free of the cage that kept him prisoner for eons.

Just as the thought of doing so popped into his mind, a soft warmth spread through his soul, originating from the treasure of life still inside it.

Seth’s body materialized around his source, and he smiled, muttering softly.

“Don’t worry. I’m not leaving anything or anyone behind.”