Title - Clash in the Super Flow
…
As Leucadius regained his senses, his mind raced with questions and adrenaline coursed through his veins. The pain from the energy blast still reverberated through his body, but he pushed through it, focusing on the immediate threat.
"ASPECT!" Leucadius's voice boomed in his own mind, filled with urgency and frustration. "WHAT THE HELL WAS THAT!?"
Silence greeted him at first, causing a moment of uneasy tension before, Aspect replied, "{Sir, it appears we've attracted unwanted attention. That energy blast was likely a warning shot.}"
"A warning shot!? That?!" Leucadius gritted his teeth, his mind racing to analyze the situation. "Who could have attacked us in the Superflow? Could it be the Builders?"
"{It's possible,}" Aspect replied a bit cautious. "{The Superflow is a domain where powerful entities roam. We must proceed with caution.}"
"Aspect, any readings on the attacker?" Leucadius inquired, his voice steadier now. For all he knew, that shot could very well be a stray shot from two beings battling.
Aspect's response came swiftly, "{Scanning... I'm detecting residual energy signatures consistent with advanced dimensional weaponry. It's a form of technology I'm not familiar with.}"
Leucadius frowned. Advanced dimensional weaponry meant someone or something here was equipped with technology far beyond what he had anticipated encountering. His mind raced through possibilities, considering his next move carefully.
"Can we trace the origin of the attack?" Leucadius pressed, his thoughts sharp and focused despite the lingering pain.
"{Attempting to triangulate... It seems the attack originated from a region of intense dimensional flux, a few light-years away from our current location,}" Aspect reported.
"Understood," Leucadius murmured, his mind already formulating a plan. "Redirect our trajectory away from that area. We'll avoid confrontation for now, but keep scanning for any further threats."
Aspect acknowledged the command, and Leucadius felt a surge of relief as he maneuvered through the Superflow, should that attack hit him again, he wasn't sure he could make it out unscathed.
Looking down at his wretched appearance, he trembled slightly at the sight of his skin regenerating. For as long as he'd had this ability, he'd never really seen it in action since the number of people who could injure him were so little.
"Damn." He cursed and created a new attire, this one, more durable than the last one since this one was made with Divinium alloy. Unlike the one he'd been using which was created by Phastos, this one was Durable and lightweight while fitted with an Energy Absorption trait.
It could also Adapt to any environment, regulate temperature and change appearance based on Leucadius' thoughts and intentions.
This encounter had rattled him, but it also reinforced his understanding of his strengths, and to proceed with caution and thorough preparation. 'I really wasn't taking this very seriously before…' he thought to himself as he followed the path Aspect created for him.
As he navigated through the shifting currents of the Superflow, Leucadius kept a vigilant watch while keeping his senses attuned to any signs of danger.
This unexpected confrontation had reminded him of the volatile nature of the cosmic realms and the importance of staying one step ahead.
…
Leucadius soared through the undulating currents of the Superflow, his senses finely attuned to the subtle shifts in energy and thought around him.
His attire, now fashioned from Divinium alloy, adapted seamlessly to the environment, its surface shimmering with a protective sheen. The material, crafted by his own ability, absorbed and discarded stray energies that occasionally surged through the Superflow, shielding him from potential harm.
As Leucadius pressed forward, Aspect remained vigilant, scanning for any signs of hostile entities or dimensional anomalies. Each junction they encountered presented a decision point—whether to delve deeper into the currents or veer away to safer passages.
"Aspect, any traces of the Builders ahead?" Leucadius inquired, his voice steady yet tinged with caution.
"{Negative readings on Builders, sir,}" Aspect responded promptly. "{However, I detect fluctuations in dimensional stability approximately three parsecs ahead. It could signify a convergence point of significant energy.}"
(A/N: A parsec is a unit of distance used in astronomy, defined as the distance at which one astronomical unit (AU) subtends an angle of one arcsecond. In simple terms, it represents the distance from the Earth to an object in space where the object would appear to move by one arcsecond due to the Earth's orbit around the Sun.
1 parsec = approximately 3.26 light-years, or about 31 trillion kilometers.
Astronomers use parsecs because they provide a more practical way to measure immense interstellar distances compared to kilometers or miles.)
Leucadius nodded thoughtfully. The Superflow was not merely a conduit for knowledge but a domain where cosmic forces converged and clashed.
He understood now why the Builders wielded such influence here—it was a realm ripe with potential and peril, where every thought could manifest into reality.
Due to this, Leucadius thought to adjust his course, to steer towards a quieter corridor within the Superflow, where the currents were more stable and the likelihood of encountering hostile entities would diminish. However, he knew doing that would reduce the chances of coming across the Builders.
To have such influence in such a realm, it was expected that there would have a means of navigating this perilous realm.
Time passed as Leucadius continued his journey, his senses alert to the faintest disturbances in the fabric of the Superflow. He occasionally encountered benign entities—a wispy consciousness from a distant galaxy or a bald headed man traversing the currents in search of enlightenment.
'Is that not… Guatama?' Leucadius thought to himself but didn't bother to dwell on the matter. If he could get here, why couldn't Buddha?
The passage of time seemed irrelevant in the Superflow, where moments stretched into eternity and the boundaries between past, present, and future blurred.
As he continued deeper into the Superflow, Leucadius encountered subtle anomalies—ripples in the fabric of reality. "Aspect, analyze the anomalies ahead," Leucadius instructed, his voice tinged with curiosity.
"{Scanning... Anomalies appear to be fluctuations in temporal resonance,}" Aspect reported. "{They do not pose an immediate threat, but caution is advised.}"
Leucadius nodded. Temporal resonance anomalies were rare but not unheard of in the Superflow, where time itself flowed like a river with myriad tributaries.
As he ventured deeper into the Superflow, Leucadius's thoughts turned to the Builders once more. No one in the Universe knew of their existence safe for him.
He knew of them due to having seen them prior to his arrival here. He hadn't even thought of them as significant until the thought of using them surfaced.
He charted new courses through uncharted currents, and at last, on the threshold of exhaustion yet fueled by his relentless pursuit of knowledge(and riches) Leucadius sensed a subtle shift in the Superflow.
He had never met them before, but unique beings had a certain unique energy resonance or Presence.
The Presence of a Human and a God were different. The same applied in the case of an Elder God and a Celestial. And In this case…The Builders.
"Aspect, I believe we are nearing our objective," Leucadius intoned, his voice filled with quiet intensity. "And I can bet my entire existence that that earlier energy blast was from them."
"{Confirmed, sir. I detect concentrated energy signatures consistent with the earlier attack,}" Aspect confirmed.
"Tsk." Leucadius clicked his tongue as his heart quickened with annoyance and anticipation as he forged ahead, his gaze fixed on a distant shimmering nexus where the energies of creation and cosmic design converged.
"What the fuck!"
---
The Builders created many "systems" to control the structure of space and time, including races called Alephs, Gardeners, Abyssi, Curators, and Caretakers.
Millions of years ago, the Builders entered the Superflow and spent a million years constructing the New-universal structure. Their Communications/Ascension Stations in the Superflow would cause White Events to give ascending planets new Builder systems to ease their transition: Starbrands, Nightmasks, Justices, Ciphers, and others.
With these new systems, the Builders recalled the Gardeners (except one) and most of the Abyssi died (except one).
"Fuck!" Leucadius cried out as he clutched his head in pain. "Who dumps information on someone who's unprepared to receive them!?" He screamed to no one in particular as the pain subsided.
This was one of the disadvantages of the Absolute Intelligence…although he's gotten used to activating and deactivating it at will, times like this prompted it to act out on its own.
Leucadius suspected that this was one of the perks TOAA gave him to cope with instances like this where he lacked any form of information.
"Doesn't that mean it was one of those three who shot at me?" Leucadius murmured to himself as he gazed at the three Humanoid beings floating a distance away from him.
"{They should be an Aleph, a Gardener and an Abyssi.}"
"Yeah, I could come to a similar conclusion." Leucadius said. The Alephs were destroyers, the gardener was creators of life and the Abyssi accompanied the Gardener and shaped worlds.
"{From the station conditions, it seems like they haven't been here for Millennia.}"
"Hmm, but still, those three remain on guard." Leucadius said. "We need to go through them and access their Communication Station. That way, our quest would be as good as completed."
"{Extreme Caution is advised.}"
"I know that much, Aspect." Leucadius said and floated through the iridescent currents of the Superflow towards the trio of figures who emerged from the shifting mists of the Superflow. They were unmistakably the Builders' creations: an Aleph, a Gardener, and an Abyssi.
The Aleph was the first to step forward, its metallic frame gleaming ominously and Leucadius couldn't get a reading from it.
It was followed by the Gardener, an entity radiating an aura of life and transformation and lastly, the Abyss, cloaked in shadows, exuded an aura of malevolence and entropy.
Leucadius squared his shoulders, his eyes narrowing as he faced his earlier attacker. He knew that this would be a test of both his physical prowess and his Mental flexibility.
"You-" Leucadius attempted to make small talk, however, without warning, the Aleph lunged forward, its massive frame moving with surprising agility as it covered the distance between them in an instant.
Its fists crackled with energy as it swung at Leucadius, aiming to crush him with sheer brute force.
Leucadius's eyes glowed as he saw the Aleph's attack a split second before it happened, allowing him to sidestep gracefully. The Aleph's fist smashed into the void, creating a shockwave that rippled through the Superflow.
"Too slow," Leucadius muttered, his voice cold and focused. The fist wasn't slow by any means, it was just that his precognition was able to perceive and predict where the punch would go.
With a swift motion, he countered with a burst of energy from his hands, aiming at the Aleph's chest. The blast hit, but the Aleph's durable frame absorbed most of the impact causing It to stagger back a bit, much to Leucadius' shock.
That was a full power punch from him and what did it do..?
It only caused this high end robot to take a few steps back..?
"Shit." Leucadius muttered as he caught the Gardener from the corner of his eyes stepping forward while raising its hand. That slight action caused the very fabric of reality to shimmer as Leucadius found himself standing on the ground of a whole new world.
'I knew they could manipulate reality, but not by this much…' He thought as he activated his Mystic Eyes to peer through the Realm, however, he found no flaws.
This meant that he was trapped until either party was defeated.
While he was analyzing, vines and roots erupted from the ground, twisting and coiling towards Leucadius with incredible speed. Each vine was infused with a pulsating green energy.
"{ALERT! ALERT! ALERT!}"
"I KNOW ASPECT!" Leucadius cried out as he tried to break free from the entrapment only to have his Energy being sapped. This was the unique trait of the vines and roots. They were capable of draining life and vitality from anything it touched.
By all means, Leucadius was immortal, but having his vitality drained was similar to having his Energy being drained.
Leucadius's eyes shifted as he gathered an enormous amount of destructive energy in his eyes. [Disintegration Beam]. He directed a focused beam of energy towards the oncoming vines, disintegrating them before they could reach him before turning to the ones on his body and doing the same.
The Gardener, undeterred, summoned more flora, transforming the battlefield into a chaotic jungle of writhing plants.
"Persistent, aren't you?" Leucadius remarked, his tone tinged with annoyance.
He activated [Intangibility], his body becoming ghost-like and passing through the vines effortlessly, however, before he could rejoice at this feat, he felt himself being thrown out of the state as various roots rammed into him, sending him sprawling.
Undeterred by the attack due to his recent suit mitigating most of the force, Leucadius teleported, reappearing behind the Gardener and unleashed a powerful energy blast that sent the entity sprawling.
However…
'I didn't feel the impact.' Leucadius thought.
"{There's a high probability that the entity known as the Gardener is Virtually Invincible within this Realm.}"
"Yeah…that or he's capable of energy Absorption." Leucadius thought out loud. 'Wait! Where's the third on-?' Before Leucadius could formulate a complete mental message, the Abyss, who had erased its presence, moved silently, its form, blended with the shadows, appeared behind him and extended a hand.
As soon as it did, darkness poured forth, engulfing Leucadius in an inky black void. The darkness pressed in on him, sapping his strength while attempting to cloud his mind.
It was an attempt which was futile as, not including the presence of Aspect in there, his Absolute Intelligence negated all forms of Mental Manipulation.
With a small, Leucadius's eyes flared, "Quoting my Son; I am the light of the World!" saying this, Leucadius' body shimmered as he generated a burst of intense light, dispelling the darkness and forcing the Abyssi to retreat.
The clash of light and dark created a dazzling display, illuminating the Superflow with a kaleidoscope of colors.
"You'll have to try harder than that," Leucadius said, his voice steady as he pursued after the Abyssi.