Chapter 452: The Fear That Trembles (2)
When Ash reappeared back in outside reality for the first ti in a few millennia, and he could imdiately see a slight difference after the reset.
He, Ellyn, and Drake stood on the surface of the Venus Plane — and finally he had stood within the High Dinsion of the Second Organism.
Coming here actually was outside of the plan he made for himself. He initially planned to head back into the Null Firmant along with Seris to clear things out.
However, he would et back up with her... after teaching his son a fine lesson.
"Today, you two will learn a lot about your old man." He spoke as he took in the vast plane of existence around them.
The were currently floating high in the skies of a deep purple. Unlike the Middle Dinsion the sky was not so tunnel, in fact it looked similar to any ordinary sky.
Sothing Ash knew to be nothing more than an illusion or a false sky, as with a glance he could easily see through it.
Hearing him Ellyn spoke first, "So, this is the High Dinsion, huh." She said as her eyes shifted over to Drake.
Drake, however, wasn’t taking in the new environnt.
His gaze was fixed on Ash with clear confliction....
It was a clear mix of resentnt, doubt, and the lingering weight of his own philosophy clashing against the man who had created the verse he now sought to make anew.
As he finally spoke his voice was low.
"What are you getting at, Father?" He said as he knew very well, that Ash knew everything floating around in his mind.
It was also a realization he ca to during his journey... everything he’d been striving... it was all under Ash’s watchful eye.
He’d never truly been moving towards anything at all....
Especially when the one person he was ’against’ could end his journey whenever he pleased.
He then continued as he clenched his fist, "I’m sure you already know my outlook on power. So why bring
here? Why act like nothing has transpired, the facade is getting old Father."
Ellyn sighed softly, sensing the tension thickening in the air.
"Drake... this isn’t going to be simple, is it?"
Hearing this Ash remained calm, ignoring the direct question for a mont as he continued to observe the purple sky and the vast plane below.
’Love, is this the correct Organism?’ He asked internally to Elysia.
’Hmph, you already know the answer.’ She replied while rolling her eyes. While floating inside of the Sacred Dinsion she continued anyways.
’The 10th Champion, Fear... he’s situated beyond this sky.’ She said, ’And I’m sure all the others are situated similarly.’
He smiled as she finished and finally spoke out loud.
"Didn’t you say I was fearful?" He questioned as he slowly turned to Drake.
He looked his son directly into his eyes.
In that mont, Drake felt as if they were the only two in existence.
The purple sky, the vast plane, even Ellyn — everything else faded into a distant, muted background. Only Ash’s golden eyes remained, calm, ancient, and utterly unshakable.
Ash’s hands remained in his pockets as he spoke, his smile small but carrying an weight that pressed against Drake’s very soul.
"Truly... it was not your philosophy, your drive to destroy my verse, or the audacity to think you could sohow take
out the picture." He said as he clicked his tongue.
"No, son, the thing that hurt the most..."
"Was you even thinking sothing in existence would bring fear to ... Ash Originat."
He paused, the smile never leaving his lips... he then looked towards Ellyn.
"You two get comfortable for a while." He said, "And make sure this brat keep his eyes on the screen the entire ti."
Ellyn nodded, smiling faintly....
As even she felt a faint shiver from his deanor just now — it was a rare glimpse of the true nature held beneath the fatherly face.
Unlike Aurora, none of his children quite knew just how... ruthless he could be.
"Understood," she replied softly.
With that Ash disappeared with a simple thought.
----
When he reappeared, he was in a bustling town on the Venus Plane.
When it ca to the three Dinsions that existed within the Organisms, there was not much different between the Middle and High Dinsions.
Both were vast planes of existences that spanned for many light years... and they all were accustod to Dinsional invasions.
Other than that, life went on as normal...
As Ash walked casually with his hands in his pockets...
The streets were alive with activity under the deep purple sky — rchants shouting, cultivators haggling over rare materials, and ordinary citizens going about their lives in the low, eerie light.
"Fear... will you cower or will you co out to play?" He muttered as he was a bit excited to see how well these Champions could hold up....
When it ca to the other inhabitants that had also beco stronger after the reset... he paid them no mind.
As it was quite literally no way in hell they could deter him from doing anything he had in mind.
There was however, one difference in these High Dinsions. As Ash learned many years ago, one catalyst needed for these Organisms completion or the ga’s completion, was 9,999 Peak Cultivators.
Though it wasn’t as simple, each of these Dinsions fell under the bubbling influence of these Champions.
For example, the Venus Plane... they were beings that were adept in fear.
Their Strata’s and concepts all were revolved around the sa overlooming aspect which all empowered the 10th Champion.
All of this was important... because it was the main component of how Ash planned to break this plane and Fear itself.
"First, let’s begin with... uncertainty." He muttered as he activated an innate power.
|One Sight|
HUMMMM!!
Imdiately, an invisible ripple spread across the entire plane of existence.
Fear it was sothing that had many stages... and currently Ash began with the thing he thought was the very first step.
In that mont, all uncertainty vanished.
But it wasn’t just that he made uncertainty null.
Instead, he made the future certain to all inhabitants...
For the next 100 years, every major event, every turning point, every significant choice that would shape the Venus Plane beca predictable and known to all inhabitants.
People suddenly knew with perfect clarity when the next invasion would hit, which alliances would form and break, which resources would flourish or dry up, and even the exact outcos of major battles and political shifts.
In this mont all surprises and unknowns were gone. No room for fear of the unknown.
The ripple continued outward, touching every soul on the plane.
Ash simply stood floating with his arms stretched out, watching as confusion and unease began to spread like wildfire.
People stopped mid-conversation, staring at the sky or at each other as the weight of perfect predictability settled over them.
While such a thing might not seem like much.... like ntioned before all these beings power ca from strength itself.
So, the tis when they were uncertain... those were the tis they thrived in the most.
A rchant dropped his wares, whispering, "What... I already know how today end?"
A cultivator training in a courtyard froze, his sword halfway through a form he now realized would fail in exactly seventeen strikes.
And as more and more confusion began to arise... The false purple sky above seed to press down heavier as the absence of uncertainty took hold.
High above the false sky, in a hidden pocket of distorted space, the 10th Champion — Fear — opened his eyes.
He felt the disconnect imdiately.
The constant, nourishing hum of uncertainty that fed his power... was gone.
His form — a shifting mass of shadows— rippled with irritation as he pierced the false sky with his vision.
Fear’s countless eyes narrowed, locked onto the man who had just begun dismantling the very foundation of his existence.
"Who?!" He exclaid... not even knowing this was the guy he’d been plotting on for the past eight millennia.
Ash looked up, sensing the gaze, and smiled.
With a wink, another ripple spread across the Venus plane... then another... and another.
"For the next second, every inhabitant will live through another decade of certainty," he said, staring straight at Fear itself.
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