Apocalypse: Starting With Three Unique Blessings-Chapter 59: Awakening (4)

Magnus fell silent, the question echoing in the quiet space. What did he truly want power for? Yes, he yearned to stand at the apex, to control his destiny, not be controlled by it.

Deep within him, a primal urge resonated, the same thirst for power that drove every ambitious soul. He craved control, dominance, the freedom to shape his own world. To be above all, unchallenged, untouchable.

He wrestled with these thoughts for a moment before answering. "To be above all of heaven and earth," he declared, a steely determination hardening his gaze. "To be so powerful that no one would dare even think of challenging me."

Then, a flicker of anger ignited in his eyes. "Most importantly," he added, his voice laced with venom, "to kill the gods. All of them."

A deep, booming laughter erupted, echoing through the space like a clap of thunder.

"Ha ha ha ha!" Future Magnus roared, his voice vibrating with amusement. "Good, good answer. Those old fools dared to place that useless curse on us. They deserve to die, although not all of them are as bad as those old geezers from the Council of Gods."

Magnus hummed thoughtfully. The existence of good gods was irrelevant right now. He was barely strong enough to survive, let alone wage war against divine beings. He needed to become stronger, immensely stronger, before he could even dream of such a feat. But there was a burning question he needed to ask.

"I have a question for you," he said.

"Go ahead and ask away," Future Magnus replied, his voice laced with an easy confidence.

"Your... your corruption," Magnus began, his gaze fixed on the mask concealing his future self’s face. "Where is it from? The curse?" He had been intensely curious ever since he first saw his future self’s corrupted visage.

Future Magnus scoffed, a hint of amusement in his voice. "Pfff? Curse? You mean that pathetic curse from the Council? It did little but make my life a bit harder, nothing much. But this—" he gestured towards his masked face, "—this is completely different. You’ll get to know, that is, if you live long enough."

Magnus furrowed his brows, his mind racing. What else could have caused such profound corruption?

"Wait, don’t tell me..." he started, but a powerful voice cut him off.

"Enough!" The voice boomed, causing both Magnus and Future Magnus to turn towards the source. Standing before them was a man with golden hair, a golden beard, and piercing golden eyes. He wore a pristine white robe that flowed around him, but despite his handsome features, his hair and beard looked unkempt and ruffled, as if they hadn’t been touched in years.

"Hey, Mortem, my old friend!" Future Magnus greeted the newcomer with a chuckle. "I’ve been waiting for you. Good to see you again. Well, the past you, not that you’ve aged in the future or anything. You’re a god, after all." The statement shocked both Magnus and the visitor, who was indeed the god Mortem.

Magnus’s mind raced. ’Wait, he’s a god? And I seem to be on good terms with him in the future?’

Meanwhile, Mortem was equally confused. ’He seems to know me, and quite closely. Are we friends in his timeline?’ He pondered this for a moment, then another thought struck him. ’He also seemed to be expecting me. Is that why the seal around this space offered no resistance when I tried to enter?’

Mortem had been observing Magnus from afar, watching his trial, his encounter with the Council of Gods, his exit from their space, and the beginning of his awakening. Then, he had abruptly lost track of Magnus, as if the young man had vanished into thin air. Moments later, he sensed Magnus’s presence again, more accurately, someone was transmitting it to him.

Following this new signal, he had arrived in this pocket dimension. He knew that even he couldn’t break the seal around this space, but when he attempted to enter, he was granted access, as if the owner had been expecting him.

And now, here he was, in this strange space, witnessing a conversation between Magnus and someone who exuded the aura of a being from another timeline.

"Who are you?" Mortem demanded, his voice resonant with authority. "And how do you know me? How did you manage to end up in this timeline?"

"Easy, easy, old friend," Future Magnus said with a chuckle, causing Mortem’s gaze to narrow. "One question at a time."

"Who are you?" Mortem repeated, his patience wearing thin.

"Him," Future Magnus replied, gesturing towards Magnus.

Mortem blinked, a flicker of understanding crossing his face. ’Huh,’ he thought. ’No wonder he knew me.’ He looked at Magnus, his expression a mixture of curiosity and suspicion.

"Then why are you here? No, how did you come to this timeline?" Mortem asked, his golden eyes fixed on Future Magnus.

"Him as well, I was just chilling in my timeline, doing my own thing, and boom! Time portal!" Future Magnus said, bursting into laughter.

"Me?" Magnus muttered, bewildered.

"Him?" Mortem echoed at the same time, equally confused.

Magnus was baffled. He didn’t possess any knowledge of time manipulation. He had just awakened, been transported to this strange place, and the affinity card he chose wasn’t even related to time. He had assumed his future self was responsible for this bizarre situation. Was Future Magnus now throwing him under the bus in front of a god? But Magnus knew himself; he wouldn’t do something like that, which only deepened his confusion.

Mortem, however, was even more perplexed. He knew time manipulation was impossible, even for gods.

Even if the gods knew a way, the consequences of distorting the universe’s order and balance would be catastrophic. No god would dare attempt such a thing.

He had naturally assumed Future Magnus, with his control over this pocket dimension and its impenetrable seal, was the culprit.

The seal was so potent that even Mortem, and likely the other gods, couldn’t breach it.

Perhaps even the universal forces of Order and Balance were blocked, explaining the lack of repercussions. Yet, Future Magnus was pointing the finger at present-day Magnus, a newly awakened individual barely ranked among the weakest mortals. How could he have achieved something beyond the capabilities of gods? It was mind-boggling.

"Well, I don’t care who did it, but you shouldn’t exist in this timeline," Mortem declared, addressing Future Magnus. "Besides, your presence here is messing with him," he added, gesturing towards Magnus.

"Messing with me? I’m perfectly fine," Magnus mumbled, but then his gaze shifted to his body. To his horror, he was becoming translucent, a change he hadn’t even noticed while conversing with his future self. A chilling realization washed over him, the implications of his fading form sending shivers down his spine.

Meanwhile, Future Magnus chuckled. "I know, I know, old friend. Why don’t you do this one a favor and send me back?"

"Gladly," Mortem replied with a smile. He had been eager to test Future Magnus’s power.

Lunging forward, he unleashed a palm strike towards Future Magnus. Magnus felt a destructive power surge through the space the instant the attack was launched. His future self, however, simply stood there, laughing.

The palm strike connected. There was no explosion, no dramatic impact, but Magnus felt a wave of terror wash over him. He knew instinctively that if that attack had landed on him, he would cease to exist – body, soul, everything obliterated. Yet, his future self took it without flinching, as if it were a mere scratch.

Magnus gaped, his mind reeling. ’What the hell!’ he thought.

Mortem was even more shocked. He knew the power behind that attack. While not his strongest, it was among his most potent, capable of disintegrating an entire world at full power. And Future Magnus had taken it head-on, without any visible defense.

’What kind of monster have I created?’ he wondered, a flicker of unease in his golden eyes.

Suddenly, Future Magnus stopped laughing. With blinding speed, he dashed towards Mortem, hands outstretched, ready to deliver a palm strike of his own.

’What speed!’ Magnus thought, awestruck.

Mortem was too stunned to react. Before he could defend himself, Future Magnus was upon him, his palm connecting with Mortem’s chest. But to both their surprise, nothing happened. No impact, no force, just a touch. Then, Mortem felt a strange energy entering his body. His celestial essence reacted, attempting to expel the foreign energy, but instead of being purged, it integrated itself into his very being.

Mortem stared at Future Magnus, his eyes wide with shock. "What did you do to me?" he exclaimed.

"I left you a gift," Future Magnus replied, his voice calm. "And you as well," he added, pointing towards Magnus.

"What!" Magnus exclaimed. "What gift?"

"You’ll find out pretty soon," Future Magnus said cryptically. "Well, it was nice seeing you two. I think it’s time I went back to my timeline now."

As he spoke, the space around them began to dissolve, and Future Magnus disintegrated into motes of light, fading into the vanishing landscape. Soon, everything was gone, leaving Magnus and Mortem standing in an empty white void.

As soon as Future Magnus disappeared, Mortem turned to Magnus, his golden eyes scrutinizing him intently. He scanned Magnus from head to toe, as if trying to memorize every detail, searching for clues to explain how this young man could become the formidable being he had just encountered.

Magnus shifted uncomfortably under Mortem’s intense gaze. He felt like a specimen under a microscope, a scientist’s newest discovery being meticulously examined. Despite his discomfort, Magnus remained silent, allowing Mortem to continue his inspection without interruption.

After a long moment, Mortem smiled brightly. "You’re one fine specimen," he said, his voice laced with a hint of intrigue. Then, his expression turned somber. "Too bad your path ahead won’t be easy," he murmured.

Another silence stretched between them before Mortem spoke again. "Okay, time to send you back," he said. "I suspect your people are worried about you." With a wave of his hand, Magnus began to dissolve into motes of light, his form slowly fading away. Mortem watched him disappear, a thoughtful expression on his face, then sighed.

’Too bad I’ll have to lock away your memories of him,’ he mused. ’Knowing what lies ahead would do you more harm than good.’ He sent a tendril of energy towards the vanishing motes of light, erasing Magnus’s memories of the encounter before he finally disappeared completely.

Mortem stood alone in the now empty white space, his gaze lingering on the spot where Future Magnus had stood before the pocket dimension collapsed. He seemed to be searching for something, some lingering trace of the enigmatic figure.

"Interesting," he murmured, a flicker of curiosity in his golden eyes, before vanishing himself.