Author's notes:
I'll make an exception and put author's notes for this chap at the beginning (sorry for the immersion breaking).
The reason is that it is the most "risky" chapter and frankly speaking, most influential regarding where this fan-fic is going to move forward.
I'm afraid that I'll lose some of you(readers) with this one.
Sadly, the only thing I can say to this is: "So be it".
From the very beginning, even long before I have posted the first chapter, I have planned for the MC's aspect to end up this way. I am not willing to compromise on this.
I will do my best to make it entertaining moving forward. He is not going to be overpowered from the get go… or even for a reasonable amount of time… at least that's the plan. In my opinion it would quickly make things boring.
Anyways, sorry for the yap…
ENJOY!
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(Written while listening to: "Mythic Power" by Mikhail Kotov on YouTube)
<<<>>>
[WARNING]
[You already possess a True Name of your own.]
[Just the knowledge of It is too heavy for the current Universe to bear.]
[Erasing the memory of It from the entirety of The Nightmare Spell…]
[Bestowing a supplementary True Name.]
The Spell revealed some shocking information.
—
'What? Wait, that's illegal! How can someone have a "supplementary" True Name? A name is either true or not!' Laito got confused.
'Meh. Doesn't matter. I feel like it's gonna be a big pain in the ass.'
—
[You have been bestowed a supplementary True Name: Lurker at the Threshold]
'HERE IT IS! I KNEW IT!' Laito's suspicions were confirmed.
'It's all from Lovecraft's stories! How fitting. All this talking about "keys" and "gates" and all! I…'
Honestly… don't know what to feel about it. I'll just wait and see.'
He tried to remember more details from the cosmic horror stories he had read in his first life… but it was so long ago… even longer than when he read the "Shadow Slave" novel.
To remember more he would have to "upgrade" his basic stats.
Speaking of which…
[Your Aspect is ready to evolve. Evolve Aspect?]
'YES!1!'
[Dormant Aspect Gatekeeper's Apprentice is evolving…]
[New Aspect acquired].
[Aspect Rank: Unknown.]
—
[Aspect Name: Ultimate Gate.]
—
'Huh… That's… a new one... and also quite omnious...'
—
'That's something outside of the usual seven ranks. Tell me Spell, did you get bored with sevens? I liked sevens! It was so organized, you knew what to expect! "Unknown" sounds sus… That's what Spell usually describes Forgotten God... and other things it can't... or don't want to, identify. We'll see.' Laito started to ponder what the Spell said.
Aspect: [Ultimate Gate].
Aspect Rank: Unknown.
Aspect description: [The Ultimate Gate exists beyond any comprehension. The Gate is One. The Gate is All. There is an infinite amount of gates of slumber. But only One stands above all.]
'Who could have guessed? It does sound cool! Now what?'
[Compiling Innate Abilities…]
'Oh! You mean my quirk? Gimme gimme!'
Innate Ability: [Fate-binder].
Ability description: [Call upon your horrifying True Name and take over the command over forces of Fate itself. After all… what is Real?... If not your Will?]
—
'Let me guess… the "Name" I have to call upon… is the one you won't tell me about? I have to find out for myself? So be it! I accept your challenge to find out!'
'I must admit it's quite a leap from "binding one's shoelaces" to "binding Fate itself", but of course I couldn't get such a convenient ability without any caveats.'
'Beside that, I am also kinda… glad? That I can't do that yet. Trying to directly interact with the golden Tapestry is a death sentence for any mortal. Divine, Absolute… or any Aspect. No matter. And hey! I have a fate related thing after all. I personally like it better than Fated, or Fateless…' Laito's thoughts came to a conclusion about his innate ability.
Just like Sunny, he was to call upon his own True Name… it's just the consequences of that would be tiny-itty-bitty different.
Skill issue.
[The First Seal is broken.]
'Uh-oh here we go…'
[Awakening dormant powers...]
Laito felt a surge of energy… a feeling not much different from when he first absorbed the Mana back then in Incandescent Cathedral.
It was refreshing, invigorating… and this time it wouldn't start the countdown towards his death…
Hopefully.
The energy coursed through his very core.
Laito's Mind felt faster… good. Now he could still be stupid and waste less time on it!
He felt reforged and then…
He could see again… but his "sight" felt weird to say the least.
What he saw was just what he was supposed to see: The beautiful inner workings of the Spell.
But the way he saw it wasn't the usual way humans see things, with point focused sight provided by the eyeballs.
Laito saw in perfect 360 degrees.
The difference was quite overwhelming at the beginning.
But he got used to it as thankfully there was not much to see within the space he was in.
That includes himself.
Laito couldn't see himself even with 360 degree vision.
But he could "feel" his body.
It just wasn't a body of a human anymore.
Apparently, after his trial and everything that has happened, Laito remained an orb of light.
'No bigge. In a few moments I will be back in my own body. It's… gonna be fine… right?' Laito tried to comfort himself, although a slight worry started to creep in.'
And then he saw it.
His Sea of Soul.
He remembered that holders of divine aspects tended to have unusual Soul Seas heavily influenced by their source elements.
In Laito's case, what he saw was…
'It's the same place! I haven't moved an inch. What the heck!'
What he saw was a lonely stone platform with unlit six runes arranged on it in a circular manner.
On top of the platform stood a silent stone arch, with two tiny runes softly glowing at Its base.
It was mostly the same scenery that Laito had left with during his First Nightmare, just moments ago.
When Laito focused on "above" there still was an impenetrable dark there. As if trying to look right into the cosmic emptiness.
But there also were some major differences there.
Beside a platform there was a seemingly endless expanse of transparent floor…
But the army of eyeballs that was previously there was missing.
Instead in their place there was… white.
As if mirroring the endless expanse of the black above, there was now an endless expanse of white below.
And it wasn't anymore a "some" place deep in the depths of some Nightmare.
It became a central point of Laito's Soul Sea.
Another thing that Laito found strange was that there was no "sun" there or something similar that would symbolize the presence of his Soul Core.
But then he inspected himself again…
'Ahhhh. I think I get it. I AM the Soul Core!' I wonder what that entails.' Laito guessed partially correctly.
Around The Gate, were floating tiny orbs of iridescent lights. Laito instinctively knew these were his Memories and Echoes.
'1 ,2, 3… Okay. I think no more is "mysteriously" missing, beside that key. Good.' He had to make sure whether he still had all of his possessions.
'Okay Spell, I am ready, we can proceed!'
[Awakening Aspect Ability…]
Laito felt like rolling drums.
[Aspect Ability acquired.]
[Aspect Ability Name: One-in-All.]
'Wowze!' He reacted.
<<<>>>
[??? years left until MHA plot beginning]
[Chapter End] The story is not over yet
—
p.s.
;_; I am terribly sorry for the cliffs.