Chapter 76: Deal with a de-... A Spirit?
Hugo instinctively backed away from the sacred being before him, his hands immediately shooting toward the Omnitrix... However, even then, was anything in his arsenal besides Alien X capable of harming—or even running away from—this man?
No. Calling him a man in the first place is wrong, he is not a human or at least, not anymore.
Hugo was not as well-informed about apotheosis as he would have liked to be However, he did have great knowledge about the previous ranks thanks to the omnitrix database that was accessible to him.
Awakening was unlocking one's potential, Ascension was reaching the epitome of what a human was capable of, Transcendence was transcending humanity itself and taking the first step toward divinity.
While Supremacy was the act of defying the world itself and imposing your will upon it by establishing a powerful domain thus becoming a demigod.
Azarax had told him quite a few things about his deeds as a Supreme and Hugo simply could not help but feel utterly shocked. The power a Supreme possessed was beyond unnatural and unlike anything he had ever seen before and that was saying a lot considering how much he had witnessed in his short but eventful life.
apotheosis on the other hand, was a completely different form of power. It was the step where one would become a true god. A minor one, sure, but a god nonetheless.
The power such a being would have was simply incomprehensible to a human mind or to any mind, for that matter.
And this was not just any Spirit. It was Paradox, the Spirit of Time.
A powerful ally of Ben Tennyson that Hugo knew about due to Ben's memories still lingering in his head. However, Hugo did not know everything about Paradox—not only because Ben himself did not know that much about the mysterious time walker but also because Hugo only possessed a fragment of Ben Tennyson's life.
He had the memories of Ben Tennyson from the day of his birth to the moment Hugo took over his body in the Nightmare. Meaning everything that happened in the real Beast Realm, and everything after its fall, was unknown to Hugo.
And so, there was a very high chance of this deity working against him.
"Oh, young man, you really shouldn't greet new people you meet with such a murderous gaze, especially when I just saved your life!"
Paradox said in a slightly dramatic tone, and as he did, Hugo raised the dial of the Omnitrix and quickly rotated it toward the silhouette of the one alien he had never used since the start of this Nightmare.
Alien X.
He did not stand a chance against a Spirit as he was, nor did he trust him enough to make sure he was not being manipulated once again.
After all that had happened with Ben Tennyson, Hugo could not take any chances.
And just as he was about to hit the dial and gamble everything away by becoming a divine Titan, Paradox grasped his hand gently, his pleasant smile turning a little forced and slightly strained.
"Ah, please, I'd rather if you do not do that. You see, I'm a powerful spirit and all of that, but even I cannot bear the wrath of a Divine Titan angry teenager..."
Hugo looked at the Spirit with a hesitant expression and let out a long sigh, still trying to press the dial.
"I should just do it. What's the point anymore? Ben Tennyson is going to finish this Nightmare and take over my body, so I might as well become a Divine Titan, convince the two personalities in my head to give me control, and kill him and all of the survivors of the Beast Realm afterwards. "
Hugo looked at the Spirit of Time coldly.
After all, Paradox was an inhabitant of the Beast Realm, and in Hugo's eyes, all of them were vile, treacherous, and deceitful... although he was not serious about wiping out an entire civilization, considering he was not that cruel of a person.
Ben Tennyson, however... that was a different story.
"Come on now," Paradox continued with a smile. "I'm sure your friends back in the waking world would not want that. And besides, your story is still too important for it to end here... well, not exactly important in the way you think, but important nonetheless."
Paradox used his will and made the Omnitrix dial effortlessly return to its dormant state. Then he simply let go of Hugo's hand and spread his arms wide.
As he did, a magnificent blue tree manifested out of ethereal light, encompassing the entire world around them.
"Considering we both don't have much time, I'll be quick with the explanation. Firstly, I want you to know that I'm an ally of yours, and thus will go to great lengths to ensure your survival. Secondly, there is something veryimportant you need to know."
Mesmerized by the glowing tree, Hugo shifted his attention back to Paradox and said in a hesitant voice, clutching the omnitrix:
" what do you want? Oh, let me guess—I'm some sort of chosen one that's destined to save the world?"
Paradox shook his head. "Quite the opposite, actually. It's exactly because you have been chosen by no one and accepted by nobody, that I'm interested in you in th first place."
Paradox let the tree grow slightly bigger before continuing.
"You see, this tree is the World Tree. The tree holding up all of existence—realms, fate, and time itself... or at least, it was back in the age of the gods. Now it's simply a burnt trunk somewhere in the Dream Realm. But that isn't too important. What is important, however, are the two main components of this once-divine tree. Can you guess what they are?"
Hugo stared at the Time Walker for a moment, then snickered.
"What is this, a puzzle? You said you don't have much time here so why are you intentionally wasting it?"
"You know, you are starting to become just as irritating as Ben Tennyson himself. Believe me, that's quite the achievement."
Hugo flinched a little at that remark... for obvious reasons, but he ignored the sensation building in his chest and thought about the answer.
Well, if it's the main components, then it could only be one thing...
"It's fate... and time?"
Paradox clapped lightly. "Correct. Smarter than Ben, at least. So what makes time and fate so... bizarre and connected? Well, the answer is rather simple. Time is the shadow of fate, and fate is an absolute law created by forgotten god..."
Hugo shivered slightly at the mention of that deity.
He had recently learned about the existence of the seventh god—the god of nightmares and dreams, who was somehow the origin of corruption, or at least closely related to it.
"I cannot tell you much, considering it would risk you dying from profane knowledge. However, I can tell you this: the six gods betrayed the god of dreams and nightmares in the dawn of creation, trapping him in a very, very horrifying place... For that, the god of dreams retaliated with his own cruelty. this one as terrible, if not more, than what the gods did to him..."
Paradox's face took on a grief-stricken expression, and for a moment, he looked scared...
Hugo did not like that at all.
There were very few things that could scare a Spirit... and he certainly did not want to be involved in any of them but as luck would have it, he was.
"He created eight creatures, each born from his flame od desire. The first seven were the daemons, each carrying an authority of their shackled father. "
'So the daemons were not beings that cultivated to divine rank... rather, they were born from one of the seven gods... Why is this the most normal thing I've heard all day?'
"And then there came the eighth creature that was created by the forgotten god..., well it's not a creature in the regular sense, but rather ana absolute law. Fate. Or to be precise, the Grand Tapestry of Fate. A tapestry so powerful and dreadful that even the mighty gods succumb to it, falling to their dooms because of its grand design."
Paradox's gaze hardened as a fierce obsession settled in his eyes.
"It was the first and last curse of the forgotten god—one that all of existence would abide by until the day of his awakening And today, we find ourselves closer to that day than ever before, with all the divine realms, except yours, having been devoured by the Dream Realm, which is the sphere of his influence."
Paradox's words shook Hugo to his core.
Fate was something that became known to all humans after the descent of the Nightmare Spell, however, for it to be something this harrowing... for the predestined path of all living beings to be a curse of a greater primordial god... that was not something he would have imagined in his wildest dreams.
'The only way to stop such a being is if new gods are born...' Hugo thought, frowning deeply.
"Is ascension the only path left?" Hugo asked the spirit of time.
Paradox shook his head once again. "Not quite. It is the Spell's ultimate goal to cultivate humans to the divine rank and create a new pantheon of gods capable of protecting all of existence from the wrath of the forgotten god... but that isn't enough to stop the clutches of fate from destroying everything."
His eyes locked onto Hugo.
"The only way to save everything is quite simple... It is done by breaking fate. And I don't mean it metaphorically or in any other fancy way, I mean it literally."
Hugo nodded slowly, understanding what the spirit said.
"And how do we do that exactly...? Well, not we—I haven't agreed to help you yet, but I'm just asking. And you better not say I'm the one destined for that."
Paradox chuckled slightly. "No, young Hugo. You are not the one destined to break fate. In fact, there is no one capable of breaking fate in the modern era... except for one being, that is."
Hugo raised his eyebrows, it was good that he was not rhe one who is meant to break fate but he still wanted to know what that being is.
"The last [Fated] individual in all of existence, the one who holds a fate powerful enough to shake the tapestry itself. It is also someone you know very well."
'fated? What... What does that mea— !'
Hugo eyes eyes widened as a memory reurfaced in his mind.
Back on the Forgotten Shore, during his reunion with Sunny, Nephis, and Cassie after months of being dead... he had attacked them in a frenzy, driven by the Blessed Herald's innate nature, an overwhelming greed for anything that shone.
In that moment of madness, he had caught glimpses of golden strings wrapped tightly around Sunny, Nephis and even Cassie.. with Sunny's being far more... complex.
Back then, everyone had those golden strings wrapped around them.
But Sunny's...
They had felt heavier, Denser and More absolute than all the others...
Now, he has an idea about what those strings were and also about the bizzare ability the blessed Herald race possessed once they reached the devil class.
They had the ability to see and interact with the strings of fate, at least those that were within the physical plane...
Hugo was not sure how he made this connection on his own, but he assumed paradox was doing something to him, quickly allowing him to connect the dots together.
"It's Sunny..."
"Correct. So that was the young man's name. Hmm... a fitting one for the heir of Weaver."
Paradox continued:
"The way to break fate is deeply tied to the boy known as Sunless. Once he loses his fate and becomes a Fateless being, thus absolutely shattering the grand tapestry of fate, only then will humanity—and even Nightmare Creatures—be free of the curse of the forgotten god."
Paradox grabbed his staff and raised it towards Hugo.
"You, however, are unique. Your fate interacts differently with others, considering you were meant to die at a young age and only exist because Ben Tennyson interfered with fate itself. It is not an existence as powerful as a Fateless being but it is still something unique and necessary for the survival of the world... And so the task I ask of you is to guide young Sunless. Lead him toward a path where he seeks freedom above all else."
"Another will aid you in this task, so this is not your burden alone."
Paradox then turned his head elsewhere, looking at the ceiling of the hospital...
However, Hugo could tell that he was not merely looking at the roof; rather, he was looking at something or someone that no one else but him could see.
The Time Walker offered a gentle smile before raising his hand.
"Now, my dear Song of the Fallen, you have heard enough. It is rude for a young lady to eavesdrop on people like this."
With a flick of his hand, something changed in the world, and Hugo felt like he was... no longer being watched, which was quite bizarre considering he didn't have the sensation of being watched in the first place.
"What was that? Who's Song of the Fallen, and what did you just do?" Hugo bombarded Paradox with questions, not wanting to be left behind on anything.
Paradox turned his attention back and shook his head. "You'll know soon enough. Now, I've told you all that you need to know for the time being, so I must take my leave... But I have to admit, I did not come all the way here just to save your life and drop a couple of bombshells on you... Young Hugo, I'm very sorry for what is about to happen next."
Paradox raised his hand, and before Hugo could even react, his gauntlet plunged into Hugo's chest.
Hugo gasped, preparing for the pain to wash over him. However, none of that happened, as Paradox didn't pierce his chest, rather, he used it as a passage to reach much deeper into Hugo.
He reached into his soul or to be precise, his soul sea.
In there, he looked at the dozens of spheres orbiting Hugo's six cores and moved his hands around as if searching through a jar.
"Aha!" Paradox said as he grabbed one of the spheres and took it out.
Hugo, his eyes wide, heard the voice of the Spell reverberate in his head.
[You have lost a memory]
Of course, he knew exactly which memory he had lost, after all, it had been given to his Aspect Legacy.
It was his only Divine memory, Azmuth's ship.
"Don't you dare!" Hugo shouted, ready to transform and rip the bastard apart.
Paradox, however, offered him an apologetic look.
"I'm terribly sorry for stealing from you, young man, but I know you wouldn't have agreed any other way. I need this little thing to search for a very dear friend of mine in a very, very terrible place, you see. So I hope you will understand. After all, this is all a part of a grand plan to save all of existence."
He then grabbed Hugo's wrist and touched the Omnitrix.
"And as a gesture of good will, allow me to give you something in return."
Before Hugo's astonished eyes, Paradox's sacred will washed over the Omnitrix as he began twisting the dial in strange manners, decoding the Omnitrix's complex web of failsafes in mere seconds.
After a while, Hugo heard the voice of the Spell in his mind once again.
[You have unlocked an imprint]
[You have unlocked an imprint]
[You have unlocked an imprint]
[You have unlocked an imprint]
[You have unlocked an imprint]
[You have unlocked an imprint]
[You have unlocked an imprint]
[You have unlocked an imprint]
[You have unlocked an imprint]
[You have unlocked an imprint]
[your aspect legacy mastery has advanced]
[You have received the right to claim an Aspect Legacy Relic]
"Now that's done, I must take my leave. But before I do, let me leave you with a couple of pieces of advice. Beware the frozen ridges of Antarctica, beware of the Tomb of Dread, beware of the King of Swords and the Queen of Worms, and lastly... beware of the insidious plague that spreads through words."
Overwhelmed by the intensity of it all, Hugo simply froze. At the same time, Paradox began dissolving into motes of azure light.
"I will say it again, young Hugo. The heir of Weaver must be the one to break fate. You and the Blind Oracle will be the ones to guide him along that path, but you must do it in secrecy... Remember, even if it hurts you he is the key to everything."
And with that, Paradox completely dissolved into motes of blue light before scattering everywhere, leaving a shocked and confused Hugo alone.
—————
[Bellwood, a few hours earlier]
Ben crashed into an alleyway, detransforming from XLR8 back to his human form and panting heavily.
The last few days have not been kind to him, as he was constantly being hunted by both the forever knights and the plumbers. Not to mention that he was also abusing the ultimate function of the ultimatrix... But even that was not capable of contending with a supreme.
Gritting his teeth, ben punched a hole through one of the street walls...
His plan to take over Hugo has failed, and the final battle between the forever knights and the plumbers was drawing close which meant this nightmare will soon end...
Ben knows for certain that he would die once the nightmare ends, not because of the seed of corruption but because of the fact that he would be back in his human form, which is merely an awakened. The decent from a divine Titan to an awakened titan will instantly shatter his soul, destroying him entirely.
However... He could probably buy himself sometime if he uses alien x and convinces Serena and belicus to allow him a single use of alien x...
' that can't wait for later, I still need to get the old man first'
Ben turned his attention towards one of Bellwood oldest facilities... A simple retirement home.
It was also the place where one of the most powerful beings in this nightmare resided.
Using chameleon, Ben moved entered the retirement home and instantly dodged the security, not that he needed to but he did not want to kill anymore people even if they were all created by the nightmare spell.
Untill eventually, he reached a simply decorated room for one of the oldest inhabitants of this nursing home... And also of one of the ancient dwellers of this realm.
Turning off his invisibility, Ben reverted to his human form and looked down upon the old man seated on a simple wheelchair, watching the tv displaying the movements of the forever knights and the plumbers across the entire glob.
Ben let out a wary sigh.
"Oh how the mighty have fallen... Sir George, the first supreme of this realm and the one who fought off dagon hundreds of years ago... Reduced to a crippled old man..."
At his words, the old man, George, stirred slightly.
His empty gaze which had carried no weight for ages regained a spark of their former glory.
In the end, the old man spoke a single question:
"Is it time?"