White being part 2

Back in Carter's subconscious, the conversation with the white being continued.

"Before we dive into the true topic, I must explain something crucial—how you should approach 'Worlds' moving forward. Take heed, for your very existence depends on this knowledge," the white being said, his voice steady and firm.

"The most important point," he continued, "is that you must stop calling yourself a primordial."

Carter blinked in confusion. "What does calling myself a primordial have to do with anything?"

"Well, for starters, there are beings out there with power far beyond what you can imagine right now—beings who are the true primordial gods. Moving forward, you must never go around calling yourself a primordial. In small, immature clusters like the one you reside in, it's fine. But in worlds where they have influence? That's a completely different story."

Carter sat cross-legged in the void, rubbing his chin as he absorbed the information. "Alright… so what are these primordial gods, and how powerful are they compared to the X3X?"

The white being burst into hysterical laughter. "HAHAHA! Oh, first of all, I'm not allowed to tell you anything specific about the primordial gods. But I'll say this—" his laughter continued, making Carter scowl in annoyance, "—they're definitely stronger than the X3X."

Carter's frustration was evident as he glared at the being. "What's so funny about that?" he muttered.

The white being wiped an imaginary tear and finally composed himself. "Haha, anyway. That's just the first bit of what I have to tell you. Now, Carter, tell me—what do you know about the three powers?"

Carter crossed his arms, responding without hesitation. "Well, I know celestial energy is the most powerful and sought-after. Aether energy is the most commonly used, since every being is born with an Aether cell. And then there's arcane energy, which floods the world like cosmic energy once did. It makes things like magic possible. That's about it."

The white being nodded lazily. "You're correct, but that's just the surface. It's partially my fault—I told Kreos that I wanted to be the one to explain this to you."

"Huh? What are you talking about?" Carter asked, his eyebrows furrowed. "Didn't the system already tell me everything?"

"No, it didn't. For starters, celestial energy has its own area where it's stored, much like Aether energy. It's called the Divine Monument. The name comes from its unique shape, which adapts to fit its wielder. It resides in the chest."

Carter's eyes narrowed in disbelief. "Wait. That makes no sense. I don't have anything like that inside me, and neither do my subordinates. If that were the case, I'd know."

The white being smirked knowingly. "Just like how you didn't detect Aether cells until you unlocked the knowledge of them, this is the same. In your case, it's unique—up to now, you've never needed a Divine Monument because the system has been storing your celestial energy for you."

Carter fell silent for a moment, processing the new information.

"What about Aether cells?" Carter finally asked, a thoughtful edge to his voice. "Something tells me they're not as simple as the system makes them sound."

The white being's tone turned serious. "You're right. Aether cells are incredible, but you didn't think beings are just born with their maximum power, did you? Sure, some beings without celestial energy are naturally powerful enough to devour entire miniature clusters. But Aether cells have a way of growing stronger—through refinement. It's the same with a Divine Monument. Both absorb celestial energy to become stronger."

"What's the difference between them, then?" Carter asked.

"The difference," the being explained, "is that a Divine Monument absorbs celestial energy completely, converting it into its own energy to amplify its power. Aether cells, on the other hand, dilute celestial energy, converting it into Aether energy for practical use."

"Ah, I see," Carter said, nodding. "But how does someone know how strong their Aether cell is? Or how much energy it can output? And what about unlocking new abilities—how does that work?"

"That's simple," the white being said, leaning back casually. "Both Aether cells and Divine Monuments have limits. When those limits are reached, they enter new stages. The Aether cell evolves, while the Divine Monument breaks through to the next stage."

The being continued. "Here's what you're currently able to know: the Aether cell has nine transformations. Each transformation drastically increases its output. As for the Divine Monument, it has four stages—Iron Monument, Sky Monument, Star Monument, and Void Monument."

"I'm going to assume that arcane power has a similar system to the others," Carter said, his tone curious.

"Yes, but arcane power is special," the white being replied. "Unlike Aether power or celestial energy, arcane power does not have a core—it resides entirely within the user. It also doesn't absorb celestial energy. Instead, it draws on arcane energy, which floods the world like an invisible force."

The white being paused for a moment before continuing. "Although celestial energy no longer floods the world, it is still possible to absorb it from natural sources, like the earth, wind, or stars. But arcane power is different. Since it's omnipresent, absorbing it is far easier than celestial energy or Aether energy. However, arcane power is far more complex. The amount you can absorb depends entirely on your understanding of Arcana, the force you referred to as 'magic.'"

Carter tilted his head, intrigued.

"From what I can share, Arcana has four stages of mastery," the white being explained. "Novice, Adept, Master, and Grandmaster. Your ability to manipulate arcane power evolves as your understanding deepens, and this mastery determines the extent of your control over it."

"Sounds like this world is incredibly complex," Carter said, his mind racing with possibilities. "Not to mention the sheer variety of powers available to people. It opens the door for anyone to rise to unimaginable heights."

"You're right," the white being said, nodding. "But life isn't as straightforward as it might seem. Even if someone is born into an extremely average animal race, like an olick, whose Aether cell might only grant them slightly faster movement, there's potential. If that olick's Aether cell had an exceptionally high output and rare abilities, it could evolve, gain intelligence, and eventually tap into arcane power. Conversely, a creature born with incredible potential—like a cosmic worm with both a divine monument and an Aether cell—might have such low energy output that it becomes food for its siblings."

Carter nodded slowly, absorbing the information. "So, no matter the starting point, there's always a chance to rise—or fall—depending on what you're given and how you use it."

"Exactly," the white being said, its tone shifting to something more serious. "But now that we've covered the basics, it's time to discuss your purpose as the holder of Kreos."

Carter stood up, sliding his hands into his pockets. A grin spread across his face. "Now we're getting to what I want to hear."