Origin Seeker

Chapter 272: Conceptual World

Dream pondered the issue that plagued Luna and Iris, their conflict of opposite energies. 

There was only one possibility, and that was that the two girls occupied a single soul while maintaining two independent egos. Only, Dream was curious about how they could also attain two different sets of skills. They also had their own profiles. Everything pointed to them having two separate souls, but their collision of Dust and Ash refuted this theory. 

So what was their deal? Eventually, Dream came to the conclusion that it wasn't their soul that was singular, but their higher being even beyond the soul. There was something on the level of Dust and Ash that bound them together while also allowing them to form two different souls. This was the only thing Dream could think of, because if they truly did only have one soul, then they couldn't have two different skill sets and profiles. Dream had even observed their souls, so he knew there were two of them. 

Yet, this conclusion wasn't most comforting. It meant that when Luna and Iris went to go advance, their powers would manifest even more and conflict with even stronger clashes. Dream could stand between them right now, but if things got too complicated in the situation that they did something like realize their Dust and Ash, then he wasn't sure how much help he would be. At that time, their lives really would be in danger. 

Dream knew this would be a problem, and for a while, he thought about how to solve it. At some point though, he gave up. He needed more data and power to solve something like that, and the best way to do it was to focus on himself.

More than anything though, he really wanted to get in contact with them. Unfortunately, their separation was vast, and Dream hadn't heard anything from anyone. He had also tried to reach them, but just from sensing their soul bond was he able to tell that he couldn't send any messages. They would need to get closer. 

With that, Dream sighed inwardly. At the same time, the Keeper stopped staring at the marvelous fusion of Dust and Ash occurring in Dream's Divine Sea of Gray Mist. 

{You... how did you do that?}

At some point, the Keeper spoke. Dream gazed at him. 

"The fusion? I'm not that sure, but a long time ago, I was able to make it happen naturally. I didn't really understand how, and even now my understanding is shallow."

{A long time ago?}

"Of course. I would say around a dozen years ago. That's when I first got my hands on gray mist, and it wasn't long after that I entered this legacy space. Why? I thought having gray mist was a prerequisite in coming here."

Dream asked curiously. It turned out that him being able to fuse the power of Dust and Ash wasn't a given.

The Keeper was silent for a moment. 

{...Having and being able to utilize gray mist is indeed a prerequisite in coming here. Only, I had thought that you attained your gray mist through artificial means, perhaps from a source of it or from the man whom our mutual dissatisfaction is aimed toward. I didn't think you actually created it from direct fusion...}

"Really? Well, way back when, there were two girls who had a conflict across their souls, and they tried to annihilate each other because one side wielded the power of Ash and the other the power of Dust. I stepped between them, and after an epic battle with the dragons of order and chaos, I was able to fuse the two. I almost died in the process, but here I am. So I'm very familiar with this process of fusion."

{...Indeed. No wonder...}

The Keeper had a wave of thoughts surge through his mind. He was surprised he didn't see this sooner, but Dream was so different back then, and his odd attributes could be explained with less extraordinary theories. Now though, he directly displayed something the Keeper never thought he'd see. 

A single soul that contained the manifest concepts of Dust and Ash. It shouldn't be possible, especially at Dream's level. But here it was. 

Before, the Keeper hadn't been the most hopeful about Dream. Sure Dream was amazing for the current universe, but the Keeper came from an era of the Archons, a time before the system and a time when advancement and attainments in power were far more profound than now. Back then, there were pioneers who had to discover what power was, and others who bounced off of their work to produce the greatest beings of might to ever traverse the cosmos. The Keeper, as far as he knew, was the final and only one from that prosperous era. 

Naturally, he had high standards for those who entered this legacy space. As he said, it was only due to desperation that he had allowed that god to interfere and help with the selection process. And through this agreement, Dream came. The Keeper had scrutinized his every move and detail, wanting to find anything he could that would make him a failure. 

But Dream passed, with flying colors no less. He became a Prophet and was sent away, only to reappear a dozen years later at a level that was incomprehensible to his previous self. The Keepr had looked forward to his performance. But even then, he hadn't expected Dream to surpass his expectations too massively. This fusion of the powers of Dust and Ash was the cherry on top. It made the Keeper realize something. 

That god who he made a deal with, he didn't cheat him. Dream had been required to create gray mist by his own power before even stepping foot in this place, something that shouldn't be possible for someone at the level he had been at. He was far greater than the Keeper had realized. To the Keeper who was worried about the Archon's legacy not getting properly passed on, it was a deep satisfaction seeing this performance. 

Suddenly, the Keeper's attitude changed. Although he still wore that same frozen scowl on the outside, he was now brimming with joy. The legacy could finally be realized. 

Of course, Dream didn't see any of this. After the Keeper went silent, he had turned his attention to his soul. 

15 Divine Seas, that of mana, runa, flux, aether, his magical skill, his material skill, his will, mind intelligence, Divine Light, and Sophia. Then, there Dust, Ash, and Gray Mist. Finally, there was the inventory. 

Dream had stomped on the most amazing peak of 10 Divine Seas, going even beyond the Prime 14 Seas. While the 15th Sea was a mere inventory space, Dream still found it important. He liked being able to have his own personal dimension. 

For a while, Dream gazed between his Divine Seas. To finish up, he would condense down the large Seas and reform his spiritual image, his body, thus completing his advancement. 

But he didn't do it. He felt that something was missing. He felt like he could do more. Gradually, Dream turned his attention to his mind space, his gaze falling on those two bright marks at the highest heights. 

"Concepts..."

He mumbled, and froze there for a while. Those white cracks had long since spread through his entire mind space, not threatening to break it, but there was an obvious obstacle to the concepts being able to truly manifest within him. Dream knew that this couldn't be what a class 6 saw when they finally realized concepts. It wasn't enough. 

Dream was still for a while, neither the Keeper nor Sophia speaking a word. After a while, Sophia realized Dream was concentrating on something. She watched him from the side. 

Then, Dream's Will extracted some Divine Light, forming yet another Divine Sea. The Keeper tilted his head curiously, but he said nothing. 

After creating the Divine Sea, Dream thought for a while before grabbing some Gray Mist, Dust, and Ash. A blurry hand with no color was created as the Dust and Ash came together with the mist in the middle. One of its fingers then pointed and touched the Divine Sea. Then, the powers behind this hand were engraved into the Sea. It was filled with profundity, and was by far the most expensive enchantment Dream had ever made. 

His finger glided across one half of the Sea, creating an image. The image was of a man. This blank man stood among mountains and valleys, the grass beneath him and the sky above him. He looked up at the sun, basking in its warmth and energy. Everything in this image flowed as if it were alive. From it, one could feel life and intelligence. 

Then, the hand moved to the second half. It drew an image of a spirit, a ghostly figure that drifted through a grand world of power and magic. He wielded the supernatural, constructing for himself weapons of profound might. Around him was the vast expanse of the cosmos, below him a pyramid of people who stood under his might. The lower one looked below this man, the more people saw, corresponding to the gaps and levels of power between all the denizens of the universe. There were countless below him, and none above him. This wasn't to say he was the most powerful, only that he had yet to comprehend what was above him. One couldn't comprehend greater power unless they could make contact with it. 

This image was contrary to the warm and vivid one on the first half. The man amidst the cosmos gave off a feeling of fathomless wonder and complexity. The man amidst the mountains gave off a feeling of grounded humility. It was the difference between a mortal and immortal.

It was material and ethereal. Dream didn't know why he made these specific images, only that he felt compelled this way.

The two images finished drawing, those who gazed upon it suddenly seeing a story of two worlds. Then, the two images flashed. 

At the same time, the white cracks in Dream's mind space began to retreat, crawling back up until they were sucked into the two marks. Then, the marks disappeared, reappearing on the new Divine Sea. 

The first mark, that of Physical Reality, landed on the head of the man who stood amidst mountains. The second mark, that of Ethereal Force, landed on the head of the man who stood amidst the cosmos. After appearing, the power of the concepts flooded out, diffusing into the images and Divine Sea. 

This time, Dream felt a real connection being made. When the concepts finished fusing with the Sea, a white light flashed from Dream's soul. 

Dream's consciousness was guided by this light. He felt himself transcend dimensions and arrive in an ethereal space. Around him were massive orbs of light, some brighter and larger than any star. These were fields of power produced from concepts. It was conceptual space where concepts resided. 

Dream flew through these fields of light. He was brought up to some of the largest ones, and he could feel a familiar connection with one. He quickly arrived in front of this connection. 

Concept of Physical Reality

It was this concept, and Dream could feel his mark. What he couldn't do was see the end of the concept he was near. It was so massive that it seemed to block his entire view. It was as overwhelming as it was majestic. Though, it was also metallic and rigid, like all matter was. 

Dream was put in front of the mark he left on this concept. Then, nothing happened. He lingered there for a moment. 

After thinking, Dream carefully put out a hand. He placed it on the mark he left. Suddenly, he realized what this was. The mark truly was only a mark, not a connection with the concept. 

In that moment, Dream seemed to understand what to do. He grabbed this mark, crushing it in his hand. The power of the mark flowed into his body. Then, he pushed his hand forward, sinking into the field of light. 

His hand went through the barrier of light, then his arm. He kept pushing until his entire body sunk into it, and his view changed. 

A wide world, not unlike a planet. Only, this planet was inverted. Dream stood atop the grounds of this planet, and when he looked up, he could see the opposite side of the planet. It was a hollow sphere. He was literally within this world. 

Dream looked around, seeing the upward curve of the world that surrounded him. This world didn't seem bigger in size than Earth. Dream could teleport across it in but an instant. Here though, he quickly found out that using his power didn't seem possible. 

Dream was nothing but an invisible body. It was like his body was made of glass, taking on no color or definition. With this body, Drean began walking through this new world. 

Around him was a vast plain of grass, and in the distance he could see mountains that towered toward the center of the world, hundreds and thousands of miles tall. There were rivers, animals, plants, and a breeze that gave Dream a comforting chill. 

The most noticeable thing in this world though was the massive person who floated in the center of the world. His body was at least 100 miles tall, and he sat upon the tallest mountain in the world. This placed him in the center of this hollow sphere, giving him a view of everything else in this world. 

Other than the abnormal size though, there was nothing special about this man. He looked like a mortal adult man, clothed in loose wool clothes that looked comfortable and humble. He sat upon his mountain while cross legged, his eyes closed as if he were meditating.

Dream stared at the massive person from the vantage point of a large boulder. After a while of staring though, Dream was shocked to see the man's eyes open. He was even more shocked when those eyes turned toward him, staring directly at him. 

A peculiar expression came across the giant's face. His mouth opened. 

"Another has been blessed by this concept. Or have you? I have never seen a blank body be manifest in this place. I wonder who you are."

"..."

Dream couldn't even speak. It wasn't like this man gave off any pressure. It was just that Dream was too shocked by this series of events. 

Suddenly, he heard another voice. 

"There's someone else here?! No way! It's been nearly 10 thousand cycles!"

"Who is it? One of the angelic Dominions? Or did one of those filthy demons get in here?"

"I will have your head if you speak ill of the demons!"

"I can't even count how many times you've said that."

"I can! He's almost at 6 billion! I've got it marked on my mountain."

"..."

Dream was silent as he heard male and female voices echo throughout the world. He could hear each one clearly, but they were obviously very far away. 

Unsure of what to say, Dream thought of introductions.

"Uh, hello? I'm-"

"Stop! Do not speak your name!"

"..."

Dream shut his mouth as he was suddenly interrupted. Then, he face palmed. Seriously, how stupid could he be? 

These were all actual people in the universe, and each one of them had been accepted into this concept. Dream's circumstance was special, so they were absolutely far more powerful than him. If he gave his name, who knew what could happen?

"Aww, why'd you stop him?!"

"Silence, filthy demon. The last time someone said their name, they disappeared soon after."

"As if a single name cannot be used quadrillions of times over throughout the universe."

"Yes, but across the mere thousands who are blessed by concepts, the coincidence of having similar names is slim to none! Little one, do not fall for his trickery! Just be careful with your words."

"Bah!"

The voice of the demon spat. Dream's mouth twitched a little before he sighed. 

"Very well. I'll watch myself. So what is this place?"

"This is the concept of Physical Reality!"

"Ahh!"

Suddenly, Dream was startled as a voice came jumping out at him. It was a little boy, not any older than 14 years old, and he popped out from behind a tree. 

He gawked though when he saw Dream. 

"Whoah! I've never seen a body like yours before. Why is it glass-like? Everyone else has a body formed upon arrival."

"Truly, he is an anomaly."

Another voice appeared, and Dream snapped around to see a woman walk out of nowhere. She was dressed in loose robes, very lazy, but also exuding a very natural feeling. The boy was just plain rambunctious.

Dream cautiously backed away.

"What the hell is going on?"

"Don't be frightened. You can't be killed here. You, a class 6, have been blessed by this concept to become a demigod. This is the world of the concept. Here, you comprehend the concept further and increase your power. We are also people who have been blessed by this concept."

"Oh. I see. Uh, how many of you are there?"

Dream asked the woman who kindly explained the situation. She smiled a bit.

"There are seven of us."

"...Only seven?"

"What, you think that there are so many people who can actually be blessed by one of the highest concepts in existence? I should be congratulating you. Though, I truly am curious about your identity. Usually there's a big fuss kicked up when someone becomes a demigod."

"And there's been nothing!"

"Ah!"

Dream was startled again when another person came out. This person, this man, had two large horns that curled around his head like a crown. His robes were grand and royal, and their middle opened up to reveal an incredibly beautiful body. This man could be the prettiest and most handsome person Dream had ever laid eyes on. Only, he exuded the aura of sex and lust, and Dream chose to ignore the fact that he was completely displaying his nude body. 

He smiled with bright teeth. 

"You! I am the High Demon Dominion, Asmodeus! What is your name?"

"...I'm not sure I should tell you."

Dream mumbled with a blank face, inwardly baffled. 

Asmodeus? A legendary demon only told about on Earth in tales? The demon of Lust? How powerful was this demon?

He didn't ask such questions though. It would give away his abnormality. He was supposed to be a step above a class 6, and he didn't know anything about what it meant to become a demigod. He was critically in need of general knowledge, but again, he wouldn't expose himself here. 

Asmodeus scowled. The next moment though he smiled, flaunting his way toward Dream. 

"Tough guy, huh? Are you sure there isn't any way I can melt away that facade? I'm sure you know exactly who I am."

*Bang!*

"...Huh?"

Asmodeus froze as Dream held up his hand. In it was a gun, and he had fired a bullet right at the demon's head. Of course, the bullet did absolutely nothing as it flattened on his skin, but it sent a message. 

"Was that supposed to be an attack?"

Asmodeus smirked as he caught the flat bullet that fell off his forehead. Dream just shrugged. 

"Not really. It's just my way of saying that I don't swing that way."

"I could change that."

"Only after breaking down my very psyche and brutally reforming it. I can't say I'm interested in the offer though. Now, could someone explain what I'm supposed to do here?"

Dream turned his attention away from the legendary demon, facing the woman and the little boy. The woman smiled at Dream curiously. 

At that time though, another person came out. Then another. And another. 

6 people now stood around Dream, and he felt very awkward as he stood among them.