Ti passed and the False Reality expanded.
As befitting her prior position as the Archon of Life, Oraios continued to have children with Yao. In fact, after only 5 short years, she managed to have over 70 children.
Her efforts alone multiplied the population, but she wasnt the only one.
Every couple and family besides those directly related to Dream or his wives had more children. Without exception, all of them had at least a dozen children, if not more through the years.
This led to the town becoming more and more rowdy. Yao and Oraios estate also expanded accordingly, and it seed the entire place began to revolve around them and the ruckus their children caused.
Of course, it was a welco task for everyone. The town was small and there wasnt much to do. Even if their powers had been reduced or outright disappeared, nobody was a normal human in this place. There was no natural hostility, food was abundant, and Yao was a master of all things regarding Creation. He alone introduced modernity to the town.
Everyone had easy lives, and without children, it would be dull and boring.
Like that, life was simple for a long ti. Year after year passed, and children continued to grow.
Especially Dreams children.
The seven children of Dream and his wives were all they had. They had decided on this even before having them.
The biggest factor in this decision was their childrens attunent to the concepts. They had basically inherited their parents powers, and Dreams factor had only made them all the more extraordinary. Unlike their mothers who had their egos affected by the concepts, the children didnt because of their father.
It made them all unique, and each of the wives were satisfied with their children. So instead of having hundreds like Oraios would inevitably have, they decided to focus on their seven.
But even then, they proved to be a handful.
Experience was sothing that could only co with ti. No amount of sheer knowledge or information could determine which way ones personality would develop, especially with these children who seed to have inherited their fathers boundless curiosity and recklessness.
This ant that over the years, each of the children went through many different phases.
It was the Apollyon trio that attempted to summon one of their mothers Chaos Eaters. In fact, they succeeded, but because the Chaos Eater was controlled by Iris, it didnt give the girls the chaos they wanted, ending only in disappointnt.
Though, it still resulted in the Chaos Eater releasing a sort of miasma that infected a portion of the land around the summoning. So any and all animals, insects, and bacteria present around the summoning were warped into hellish monstrosities that sought the destruction of all life and the corruption of the world.
Curious to see how it would be handled in the future, Dream allowed it to grow uninhibited. The town was thus forced to raise defenses and combat the hordes. Of course, nobody was at risk of dying, but they didnt know that.
It was the chaos that Apollyon wanted, so they were always present when the hordes ca. They also went around watching the changes the miasma had on the world, finding entertainnt in monstrous mutation.
On the other hand, the twin boys took up an opposing stance against their sisters acts.
Dream had taken to teaching his son Novus the ways of the scientist, indulging his curiosity with all matter of mathematical and engineering issues. And Novus set out to solve all of them, using his boundless intellect and experintal drive.
Novus also worked with Yao, reverse engineering and replicating his modern technology. In the end, Novus was able to build a large workshop filled with all kinds of gadgets, weapons, and experintal tech.
But he wasnt alone. Miserius, who craved the violence made capable by chanical entities, was often the target of Novus experints.
Arming his brother with weapons and support tech, Novus sent Miserius out to do battle with the hordes their dastardly sister created. The battles were always grand and magnificent with explosions and the great displays of splattered blood.
Miserius proved himself to be a great warrior at the young age of three, and he only got better as he grew through the years.
This duo of brothers only synergised more and more as they beca teenagers. In fact, their synergy beca so great that only Miserius could utilize the technology and gear that his brother made.
But in the war against the hellish spawns of Apollyon, they werent the only factor.
Aya, as she grew, ca to understand that the tilines she witnessed were not always set in stone. For instance, she had foreseen the summoning of the Chaos Eater, but she had not foreseen the harm it would do to its environnt. She was also unable to foresee Miserius skill in battle, nor the extent of Novus intellect.
And nowhere in her visions of the past or future could she see her sister, Nihila. It was as if she didnt exist, but often tis, Nihila ca to spend ti with her, the two quiet sisters bonding over the common ground of silence.
These variables, oddities, and inconsistencies led Aya to establishing an observatory on top of the monolith her father created in the center of the town. At that observatory, Aya employed Yaos help in building machines and conceptual tools to help her observe the present, docunting it and comparing it with her foreseen observations.
After several years, the observatory was filled with all manner of books and catalogs, telescopes that could glimpse into the concepts, and difference that could detect abnormalities in her prophecies and find the differences in what actually occurred in the present.
She spen much of her ti here, and the amount of information that was logged of the past, present, and future only continued to grow. She sought to reconcile the inconsistencies of her prophecies, beco capable of ture prophecy, and most of all, to find out what was causing Ti to deviate.
It beca her calling, and although she spent most of her ti in the observatory, she still employed her brothers and sisters to engage in experints, wondering how much of an effect she had on her own prophecies.
As for Nihila
She was often found with Aya, watching from the side and feeding her information from what she called the Graveyard.
In the Graveyard, Nihila was able to explore everything that was and would be. She could see people, their past selves, and what they would beco. She could even see stars, their births and deaths, and the material products of black holes. It was a universe unto itself, one that only she and her mother were able to visit at will.
But even that changed at so point.
Eloaios was the na of the Archon of Death, one who was always kept to himself and never interacted with anybody.
For a ti he was restricted to the False Reality. But at so point, he made his way back into Nothing, and thats when Nihila found him.
Now, Death was one of Nihilas few friends. In fact, the two spoke to each other. But because they only interacted within the Graveyard, nobody ever knew what they talked about. Not even the other Archons were able to speak to Death.
Either way, through Nihilas knowledge of the Graveyard, Aya was able to analyze her prophecies in depth.
War, prophecy, science.
This was the dynamic of Dreams seven children. They all had their unique roles to play in the False Reality, and the scale of their work only grew in ti.
As they garnered experience, utilized their powers, and dove into the secrets of their reality, they began reach certain limits. They began tor realize the truth of the False Reality.
Apollyon destroyed the reality and dug up its darkness, Novus and Miserius sought to repair that destruction through science and violence, Aya obsevered and anallyzed everything in between, and Nihila fed valuable information.
In the end, it all led to them coming together in curiosity.
In their childhood years, their work was only the result of their impulses and desires. They simply didnt know what they wanted nor cared. They were just children, despite the extent of their knowledge and intelligence.
But as they grew into their teenage years, their minds changed, and the depth of their psyche led them on paths greater than any other resident of the town.
Poking holes in reality, digging up secrets, tearing things apart and realizing that not everything was as it seed.
Their wonder knew no bounds, and when all seven children turned 20 years old, they finally pooled everything they knew and all of their powers.
It was in Ayas observatory that they gathered. Apollyon laid the foundation for a conceptual spell, Novus built the machine on that foundation, and Miserius operated it.
Are you all ready?
Aya asked, her blazing eyes looking between everyone.
Apollyon sat around the formation in her three identical forms. It was long revealed that she was one soul in three forms, and she always preferred being separated.
Novus nodded while adjusting his machine that looked like so kind of drill.
The machine is flawless. Everything else relies on Miserius and Apollyon.
Novus is arrogant to assu nothing can go wrong with his craft.
Great hubris.
Many mistakes have been observed on the battlefield.
Apollyon let off her comnts in retort, causing Novus to roll his eyes.
My machines being destroyed are not mistakes, only experints.
Then dont call them indestructible.
Call them desructible.
Or imperfect.
The three giggled as Novus frowned in annoyance.
Aya clapped.
Enough. Lets start.
Fine.
Novus sighed, and Miserius stepped up to the machine silently.
Apollyon did a sound off.
One.
Two.
Three.
Go.
With Ayas command, the machine activated, and the formation flashed.
From Apollyons formation ca destruction as space shattered and the conceptual wall of reality broke down. And with Novus machine, that destruction was utilized as he drilled further into that wall.
The controlled chaos led to the surroundings warping in view. The seven children were all excited as their plan actually worked, the powers at play surrounded the observatory in a bubble that separated them from the False Reality.
But then, as they made contact with what seed like another reality, they heard a voice.
Oh? What do we have here?
Ah!
Highest risk father!
Abort or commit?
Commit!
Aya answered them, and with one more push, they all made the final jump into the new universe they discovered.
Only a second later, the reality shattering device was destroyed, and through the window of the observatory, the view changed.
The seven children cautiously exited the building, stepping out into a dark void.
And they were struck with awe at the sight before them.
A tree so colossal in size that it easily dwarfed hundreds of stars.
Its trunk filled their view, rising high before branching out into an endless crown of leaves. Each leaf could be the size of a planet, and from them, angels flew in and out like fireflies that turned into beams as they shot off into deep space.
Higher up the crown though, the branches seed to vanish into reality, turning into an ethereal fog, nobody knowing where it could possibly go. That fog was filled with the infinite power of the concepts.
And the roots were a sigh to behold. There were only three physical roots. One of them looked standard, but the second one looked ethereal. Nihila recognized it. It looked similar to the Graveyard she often visited.
But the third one
It was being chewed on by a horrific parasite that they couldnt seem to comprehend. Exactly what it was couldnt be grasped in their minds.
It was massive, and it sought to infect the tree, like how the Chaos Eater did when Apollyon summoned it outside the town.
Except this was on a whole other level.
They knew this because they could see not just one Chaos Eater, but billions, trillions of them around the parasite. They, like the angels from the leaves, went out into deep space for so unknown purpose. All of them were as powerful or more so than the one they summoned.
They couldnt believe the scale. They couldnt believe that such things existed.
So, what do you think?
They heard the voice of their father, but they could only glance at him for a mont before looking back at the tree.
What is this, father?
Aya asked with a mutter, causing Dream to smile.
This is the real universe, the true foundation of reality. What you did was only open a doorway out of my False Reality. Very good job combining your powers, by the way.
...
None of them responded, still enraptured by the sight of the World Tree.
Dream chuckled.
That tree right there is Lunas. Its her Cosmic World, called the World Tree, ho of the Asuras. And that parasite is Iris, the broodmother of countless Chaos Eaters that prowl the universe.
For what?
Aya asked in curiosity. What could such powerful and nurous beings be looking for, or hunting?
The angels and demons of Order and Chaos.
Dream answered succinctly.
I suppose its not an issue for you to learn of the universal war. But Ill let you all discover it yourselves. You must do it within our sphere of influence though. Aegis!
My lord.
The butler responded, entering while warping space.
Dream pat his shoulder.
Take them on a tour and dispense so wisdom. Maybe introduce them to the machine god. Im sure hed be delighted to see them and show them his archives.
Of course, my lord.
Aegis bowed, and the children began to inquire.
Machine god?
The archives sound valuable.
He must know of chanized violence!
What the universal war?
Nihila asked that last question, turning back toward her father.
Dream ruffled her hair.
Just a small disagreent between myself and a certain eyeball.
SMALL?
Suddenly, the space around them all warped and transford.
Everyones vision distorted as the dinsions flipped and overlapped. The children were overwheld as they saw an eyeball poke into existence, its conceptual might bearing down upon every facet of space and ti.
But that was only for a mont, as Dream shielded them with a simple bubble, a portion of his False Reality.
Then, another figure appeared between them and the eyeball.
It was Luna, but the children could feel a vast difference. She was unbearably cold, completely devoid of emotion, nothing like their mother.
She raised a spear, pointing it to the eyeball and driving it away. Space was repaired as it disappeared, returning the place to normal.
Then, she turned around, facing Dream and the children.
It was Novus and Miserius who were hit the hardest when they saw that otherworldly gaze. It was so detached that they wondered how a woman like this could ever be their mother. It warped everything they knew about Luna.
Then after a few monts, she disappeared.
The brothers turned to their father, practically begging for an explanation.
That was your mother. Well, another part of her. Your true mother exists within the False Reality, and that Luna is driven purely by the concepts as she forms the foundation of existence and the Totality.
...So thats-
It both is and isnt your mother. You can talk to her about it. Here.
Dream waved, doubling the observatory. One stayed within the main universe while the other returned to its place on the monolith in the village.
A connection was ford between them in the form of a doorway.
Use that to go back and forth. But if youre here, just make sure you stay with Aegis, at least until you introduce yourselves to the Machine god. You dont want to be caught off guard by that eyeball. Now, Ill be back at the house. Make sure youre ho in ti for dinner.
With that, Dream left his children to their curiosities.
And after processing everything, they dragged Aegis every which way, making him spill everything he knew about the universe and its past.
That night, none of them made it ho in ti for dinner. Except for Nihila.
Through more ti, the children learned about the past of their father and mothers.
Heaven, Hell, the angels and demons.
Earth, the Asuras, the Universal War.
They learned about a great vibrant universe, one full of countless worlds with countless people.
The images in their mind were grand, and they dreamt of a place that they could adventure and explore new things. And at the sa ti, they were regretful that they couldnt do just that.
With the war, they were unable to do anything besides watch. After eting the Machine god, they were able to witness first hand everything that was going on.
Sieging worlds, the Harbingers converting countless angels and demons, the Chaos Eaters bringing ruin upon countless worlds, and the Asuras decimating their enemies.
The scale was unfathomable, and all of it was driven by their mothers and father. They finally learned just how great their parents were.
But they also learned who they were in the past, and everything they had done to rise to their position now.
It was amazing how not even Death was able to stop them. How their mothers had lived for billions of years, how their father had ridden the line between reality and true nonexistence, and how everything ca together through Ti, Order, and Chaos, to create the False Reality.
Everything that led to the creation of a ho where they could be brought into the world.
From a re human mortal of flesh and dirt, to the foundation of reality itself.
Suddenly, their war outside the village and stunt with poking through reality seed far less impressive. The scale of the actual universe left them awestruck.
It also left them curious and wanting more.
More details, more power. They constantly hawked their parents for more stories of the past, and they hawked Aegis and the Machine god for tours of what used to be.
And through more ti, they explored their powers and expanded what they were capable of. Suddenly, instead of machines used to slaughter monsters, Novus and Miserius were building factories that could process and generate armies.
Aya expanded her observatory to encompass the entire universe, her prophecies following in scale and her visions of Ti diving deeper.
Nihila also visited true Nothing where her mother operated. In that place, the sheer amount of people, places, and things that existed had her overwheld.
And Apollyon set her sights higher. The trio of chaos developed themselves further, pushing their abilities to extres they didnt even know existed. Through knowledge ca strength, and they learned from observing the Universal Parasite and the Chaos Eaters just how much depth Annihilation contained.
The seven children threw themselves into the deep end, and the fruits of their developnt wasnt limited to themselves.
The children werent allowed to suddenly forsake the False Reality. As the only place where their true mothers existed, they always ended up coming ho. Plus, there wasnt any place for them to interact with people besides the False Reality. All the angels, demons, and asuras were carrying out a war that they couldnt join.
So they focused on the Town of Beginnings.
The infection from the miasma only got worse, so they helped combat the monsters. They also built weapons the people could use to fight and defend themselves.
Not only that, but as ti passed, many children turned into adults, and they had their own children.
Generations expanded as the town grew to larger scales, and the seven watched from above.
One decade after another passed.
Hundreds turned to thousands, and thousands turned to millions.
The town grew into a city, other cities were established, and factions were spawned from the masses.
Pioneers left their hos to explore the edges of the world.
Dedicated warriors ford armies to fight the evil monstrosities of Apollyon.
Heroes rose from the armies, developing great power and leading the charge to vanquish the threat.
And as generations passed, life was no longer a given luxury.
Only the first generations maintained their eternal life. But their children were forced to face the inevitability of Death. It led to all facets of the war and the developnt of this small civilization to turn extre.
And the Seven were at the helm.
As Novus and Miserius had assisted in the war from the start, their nas ford two different factions. One was dedicated to technological developnt, and the other was dedicated to forming warriors.
Two schools were created, these becoming the supre governing body of the Town of Beginnings.
And Apollyon had her own faction. Those who wished for chaos and destruction fled to her, ambracing the power of the evil miasma and mutating into another form.
The birth of the new demons.
They grew as they reproduced, taking up organized arms against the established city, preaching words of a new step in humanitys evolution.
And a new war began, one on a scale that had never been seen before.
But it didnt seem like the original founders were concerned.
Those of the first generation eventually faded into the shadows, disappearing entirely. And knowledge of tree do faded from the minds of many, becoming legends before turning into fairy tales.
People of the factions, once led by the actions of the Seven, drifted into their own paths, disconnecting themselves from those who had risen too far above them.
The children watched as a civilization developed, and through that they gained the wisdom of their parents.
They learned what it ant to be who they were, the children of the Drear Ascendency.
Only 600 years had passed, and a small town that they once knew the nas of all the inhabitants had all but disappeared.
But for them, they had greater ambitions.
Realizing the true scale of which to operate, they set their sights to entire worlds, ones that they could only find in the main universe.
Dad.
Novus. Miserius. Whats up?
Dream smiled at his two sons who had long turned into full grown adults.
They looked at each other before asking a question.
How would Earth have turned out if they had continued on their path with no magic?
Ah, a complex hypothetical that can only be predicted utilizing the concepts. I suppose in a world where Order and Chaos is balanced, they would go on to develop themselves on a slower technological rise. But the Earth of my past was not balanced. It could only be balanced by the presence of magic.
What would we need to do to balance it?
Well, that would be a question better suited for your mothers. And of course, in this household, we put everything to the test. Why not a little experint?
With a smile, Dream suddenly snapped his finger.
Then, he and his two sons appeared in the main universe.
Luna, Iris.
Yes?
After Dream called, his two wives appeared only a mont later.
He motioned to the World Tree in the distance.
Can the first root replicate the Milky Way?
It cant replicate the universe of the Milky Way, not yet. But it can simulate everything beyond it.
Mm. Then go ahead and generate the galaxy.
Alright.
The two nodded before vanishing.
Then, Dream brought Novus and Miserius into the root. When they appeared, there was only darkness.
But then, a single star erged. This star blood before exploding in a magnificent nebula. From there, they watched the creation of the Milky Way galaxy.
Now, you want to see an Earth that develops purely technologically?
Yes.
Very well. Lets see how that plays out. And Sophia, if you dont mind giving us a hand.
Of course not, my dear.
Sophia appeared by Dreams side, waving her hand and shifting ti.
Like that, everyone set their sights on Earth.
They watched as it developed into modernity relatively quickly. Afterward, their technology only continued to explode, but even then, they hit various rough patches involving rebellion, war, and tyranny.
They beca a space faring civilization, expanding to mars before developing terraforming technology and inhabiting Venus. Then they harvested Jupiter and Saturn for resources, and when breakthroughs were made in space travel with the revolution of dark matter and energy interaction, they set their sights on the stars.
And they expanded. From star to star, they found planets and either colonized them or harvested them. But with greater distances and technology ca the seeds of chaos.
Weapons that could destroy planets, corporations that owned worlds full of people, and the absolute desire for total control of the galaxy.
The conflict only escalated as humanity expanded. Too many trillions of people dispersed among the stars, forming multiple galactic factions and vying for ultimate control. Wars involved billions of ships, and when everything ca to a head, everyone turned to the greatest weapon they could utilize.
The supermassive black hole at the center of the galaxy.
They called it the black hole bomb, a device capable of using the energy of a black hole to implode on itself and generate an explosion that surpassed even the magnitude of a kilonova.
This device beca the center of the ultimate conflict in the galaxys history, and in the end, the bomb was built, only to be activated by a tyrant with nothing to lose.
And like that, humanity destroyed itself in a glorious explosion that warped the galaxy into a graveyard of stars and ruined worlds.
Well, there you have it.
Ti froze, Dream patting his sons on their shoulders.
It ends poorly, to say the least. Now, why do you think it ended that way?
Too much chaos.
Novus was quick with his answer.
However, Iris, who montarily reappeared, only shook her head.
Wrong! In fact, there wasnt enough Chaos.
Not enough? They were at constant war.
War is only a superficial expression of the ideals of a civilization. The point isnt the war, but why the war is occurring.
Iris called upon her wisdom.
In this simulation, humanity lacked enough chaos. The elites of each faction continued to vie for absolute control, and if they couldnt have that control, then they would rather destroy themselves. What they lacked was another variable, sothing beyond their influence that they would never be able to control and would always keep them on their toes. They need more Chaos. And the perfect form would be other galactic races.
Iris waved her hand, and suddenly, two other alien species were planted within the galaxy. One of the races seed to be modeled after Asarya, in fact.
Play it.
She spoke, and Sophia began yet another simulation.
This ti, all three civilizations developed themselves into spacefaring civilizations, with humanity actually being the last to leave their ho world.
Iris explained as they watched.
Humanity is a naturally reactive species. They thrive through adversity. Through chaos, they create order. They find strength in the will to fight, and that naturally ans they must always have a target to fight against. With no target, they make one, and it often ends up being themselves. So in this case we give them a target, but we also make them the underdog. This way, they co together and fight for survival. As for the other two alien species, theyre more naturally capable than humans, but they lack the sa indomitable drive. Theyre more balanced, you could say, unlike humanity. Watch.
They focused back on the simulation.
And they saw as humanity was discovered by the aliens first. As the last to get off their world, they didnt have the sa capabilities as their alien neighbors. And when humanity found out that it wasn't alone, and that it was severely outclassed, they panicked.
Just about all conflict between humans disappeared instantly, and through their collective efforts, they exploded with technological developnt. Jumping from planet to planet, taking every risk they could, humanity strove to beco a powerhouse that could stand on par with the aliens.
And they beca contenders. They grew and expanded so fast that the aliens willingly backed off so that they might not poke the paranoid bear.
But with their new guns, humanity needed soone to point them at. And they naturally chose the foreign threats.
And so, a war started.
It encompassed the galaxy. The aliens were forced to call upon their stockpiled resources and fight back, while humanity clawed at them like a cornered cat.
It only developed further as humanitys technology grew to the furthest extres. From planet killer weapons to bombs that could trigger premature supernovas, they employed the most devastating tactics.
And the aliens resisted by taking it just as far. Before anyone knew it, the galaxy was engulfed in total war.
And everything led back to the black hole once more.
A black hole bomb was constructed by humanity, except this one was dialed down. Without ti for morer developnt, they built a primitive version of their previous one.
And the aliens were unable to stop them from triggering it, though their efforts resulted in a far less devastating outco.
In the end, a wave of dark energy was released from the black hole, washing over the galaxy and taking a long ti to do so. And it didnt destroy everything. Instead, it only washed over the weak biological life, killing it, and resetting the galaxy.
Iris nodded.
Looks about right. But now, they destroyed themselves for the opposite reason.
Not enough Order.
Luna chid in.
The people of humanity were unable to sway the desperation of their leaders. They lacked power in any form, especially since the rapid evolution of technology led to it all being in the hands of the few. So in order to rectify that, we need to give power to those people who will appear beyond the elite few. Thats what magic did, and in the situation of this galaxy, it's what they need.
Luna waved her hand, and the galaxy was blessed with a form of power similar to mana. It spread through the dark energy that was released from the black hole.
Then, she let it continue.
Turns out, those dead worlds of humanity and the aliens left behind seeds, from them sprouting their species. These new humans and aliens grew on their worlds, but now, they had odd powers.
It greatly shifted the dynamic of developnt, making them take longer. But like before, they all made their way into the age of spacefaring.
They spread through the galaxy, and now with the people having more power in their hands, the leaders of their civilizations were unable to act rashly. Instead, galactic unions were made between the humans and aliens, and although there were wars, they werent all out.
Dad!
Thats when a shout was heard. Sophia slowed Ti back down as everyone turned and saw Apollyon appear.
Dad, I did a thing!
Great thing!
A cool thing.
What thing?
Dream smiled at the enthusiasm of his daughters.
She pulled him along, and everyone decided to follow, leaving the galaxy behind.
Apollyon led them to the main universe, specifically to a black hole.
Usually it wouldnt be special, but this black hole seed to have developed oddly.
Dream could see a physical crust atop the black holes surface. After having halted all its rotational movent, it seed to have solidified in a way, obviously not naturally.
I made a world!
Like Terra Cores.
But for a black hole!
Ah, I see.
Dream nodded curiously.
I knew this was possible, but I suppose I never bothered to make one. You beat to it, Apollyon! Good job!
It was easy.
Not easy.
But worth it.
She smiled, her childish self not having faded even after hundreds of years.
Dream analyzed the black hole.
As Apollyon said, it had ford itself a Terra Core. This created a shell around the event horizon, and atop that shell, a world would eventually form, like Earth.
However, it wouldnt be an ordinary world by any standard. The physics and magic involved were too extre, so anything that lived there would have to be wildly powerful as a baseline.
But Dream got ideas.
Lets play around with this, Apollyon. If we can, lets see if we can build a world on top of it, with living beings and everything. How does that sound?
Yes!
Good idea.
Highest risk father is fun.
The three smiled with excitent, making Dream laugh and hug them.
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