Awakening: Reincarnating With the SSS-Level Extraction Talent-Chapter 507: The Truth About it All (2/2)

After Sylvaine's departure, a new figure emerged to take her place.

It was the fourth [Creator], Octave, noticeably different from the others, dressed in a coat that flared with every subtle movement, his fingers idly spinning a small, silver knife.

A faint grin curled at his lips as he stepped forward.

Several blue panels formed in front of Alex, each surrounded by a glowing ring, softly rotating in place.

The information etched across them pulsed with a quiet hum, as if echoing the knowledge they contained.

"They already told you how all of this came to be, and why you're here," Octave said, his tone playful but edged with something deeper.

"But now, don't you think it's finally time we talk about the [Chosen Games] themselves?" His grin widened slightly as he looked at Alex.

Alex nodded.

It was the part he had been waiting for, perhaps even dreading.

He wanted answers about the Games, and why everything had led to this.

"After the first few worlds were destroyed," Octave began, his voice calm despite the weight of his words, "the gods started to, well, let's just say they began having some serious disagreements."

"Petty arguments at first, but it didn't take long before they turned into full-blown conflicts."

A panel shifted in front of Alex, displaying a slowly changing image of powerful beings, each representing a different god, locked in debate, some arguing, others simply observing.

"Eventually, they came to us. They asked if there was a way to settle it once and for all."

"If there could be a method to determine who among them should be the one and only true god," Octave said, his tone growing quieter for a moment before he chuckled, "Quite the dramatic bunch, aren't they?"

Alex didn't respond, eyes still glued to the panel.

The imagery shifted to show the [Creators] standing above the gods, offering silent judgment.

"We agreed, of course," Octave continued, walking slowly past Alex as the panels rotated around them, "And from that decision came the [Chosen Games], a massive contest to determine everything."

"But as you were told, we placed one crucial condition, the games would only begin once every god had found a Chosen One."

He paused and glanced over at Alex.

"One by one, the gods succeeded. Some discovered their chosen by chance, others hand-picked the strongest among their worlds."

"It didn't matter how they did it, only that they did. And eventually, they reached the final planet, Earth."

The next panel showed Earth, vibrant yet surrounded by distant, ominous shadows.

"One god remained without a chosen, Kaelios."

"That is… until you came along. After your reincarnation, Kaelios finally had his Chosen One: you."

"That shocked us more than you know. It meant the Games were about to truly begin. A pact made millennia ago, finally activated."

Alex stayed silent, though his lips pressed into a thin line.

There was no pride in his expression, only a heaviness that continued to grow.

"Only one pair was supposed to remain standing in the end," Octave said with a smirk, "But even that didn't happen. You're the only one left. No pair."

"Remarkable."

"...Yeah," Alex muttered, voice quiet, the darkness behind his eyes briefly flickering to the surface.

"And yes," Octave added, "we did erase their memories after the agreement. The gods didn't remember why they were so driven to find Chosen Ones. Only that it was essential. Only that they had agreed to it. Nothing more."

Octave shrugged, almost lazily.

Then, with a casual wave, he vanished, his job finished, his explanation complete.

And just like that, only one [Creator] remained: Cael.

He appeared in front of Alex without flair, without light or movement.

Just… appeared.

His expression was as neutral as ever, cold, unreadable.

He didn't move forward like the others had, didn't offer a word of welcome.

He stood there, distant, detached.

A single panel appeared in front of him.

[Everything has been revealed to you.]

[Only one topic remains, the entities of Universal Descent itself.]

He didn't speak aloud, he never did.

His voice came through the panels, emotionless but somehow weightier than any voice.

Alex looked into Cael's eyes and saw nothing.

He was the most distant of the five, and the strangest.

More panels emerged, floating gently around them.

[You have encountered many entities, races, lights, monsters, and others.]

Alex nodded slowly.

[Each of those was either created or brought in by us.]

[Of course, we cannot create true life.]

[So when you saw elves, demons, dragons, they were not born from this world. They were taken from faraway places and placed here.]

[Over millennia, they adapted, and Universal Descent evolved into the perfect game board.]

Alex's eyes narrowed, the weight of the truth settling in even deeper.

[Talents, powers, classes, skills, external entities... all were made by us.]

[The "Lights," for example, are simply extensions of ourselves, manifestations of our nature that influence the world below.]

[We constructed every part. But in the end, we only watched. We were never meant to interfere directly.]

[I won't go into further details. You understand, don't you?]

Alex gave a quiet nod.

"I do."

[Then everything is complete. You now know everything, from the beginning, to now.]

"...Right," Alex whispered, glancing down at his own hands, "So that's it," he said, smiling faintly even though his hands trembled, "It's... never mind."

Cael, in a rare gesture, stepped forward and placed a hand on Alex's shoulder.

[Do not be overwhelmed, human.]

[This is how it happened. Nothing can change that.]

[What happens next... that is for you to decide.]

Something in those words, coming from the most emotionless of the five, offered a strange comfort.

It didn't erase the pain or confusion, but it helped him breathe just a little easier.

[It is time.]

Cael's presence vanished, and at that same moment, Alex's body began to distort.

A strange, almost magnetic force pulled him downward, warping the world around him.

In seconds, he found himself back in the original realm of the [Creators], the one where all five thrones stood before him, facing him in eerie unity.

But now that it was over, now that all the explanations had been given, Alex took a moment to quietly gather everything in his mind.

Vexum had explained who and what the [Creators] were, and also how they scouted gods from countless planets and merged them to form something greater.

Maleth revealed how those gods were brought into Universal Descent and how the "descent" process began.

How only twenty-five planets had been chosen, and how the decision to destroy them rested in the gods' hands.

Sylvaine had explained that, before Alex, twenty-four others had been granted the power of transmigration, one person from each world, given a chance to save it.

Yet every one of them had failed… until Alex came along.

Octave uncovered the origins of the [Chosen Games], a decision made long ago when the gods began fighting among themselves.

He revealed that the Games would only start when each god had a Chosen One, and that Alex's reincarnation had finally triggered it.

And Cael… Cael explained how everything within Universal Descent had been shaped.

How the world was crafted as a board for a game far older than any living soul could imagine.

Piece by piece, it all came together.

A complete picture, finally formed.

And then Vexum stood.

"Well then," he said, smiling, "before we explain what's next…"

"…There's just one last question for you," Maleth added, arms crossed, his gaze heavy.

"You don't have to agree," Sylvaine said, still wearing her calm, knowing smile, "Whether you accept or not won't change what follows."

"But if you do…" Octave said, flipping his knife between his fingers, "you may gain something far beyond anything you've ever imagined."

Cael remained silent, but his eyes locked onto Alex's.

For once, they didn't seem empty.

They were filled with a strange sort of resolve.

Alex hesitated.

What kind of question would they ask now, after all of this? What could possibly remain after learning the truth of existence itself?

Then a panel appeared. One unlike any other.

It shimmered with all five of their colors, Vexum's darkness, Maleth's crimson, Sylvaine's green, Octave's azure, and Cael's empty gray.

A merge of their powers and identities. A single line was written on it.

[Do you want to become one of us?]

Alex's eyes widened.

Vexum spoke again, voice soft but clear.

"To be specific… we're offering you the chance to become the sixth Creator."

And with those words, the entire realm seemed to go silent.

Alex stood there, frozen.

His thoughts stopped. His heart pounded. He hadn't expected this.

He never could have expected this.

To become… a Creator? His mind went completely blank.