Cosmic Ruler - Chapter 480

Chapter 480: War LIII
Aiden stood there, fists clenched, heart pounding. The battlefield had returned to normal, but he hadn’t won.

No—he hadn’t even lost.

The fight had been removed.

Like it never existed.

He ground his teeth, frustration bubbling inside him. This was different from any battle he had ever fought. He had clashed with monsters, gods, and reality-defying entities, but the Nameless Warrior…

He controlled the very concept of battle itself.

Aiden exhaled sharply. Fine.

If brute force wasn’t enough, he’d figure it out.

He glanced at his hand—his fingers trembled slightly. Not from fear, but from the sheer weight of what he had just experienced.

Then—

“Aiden.”

He turned.

Nexus stood there, arms crossed, his usual casual smirk absent. Instead, there was something close to… respect?

“You fought well,” Nexus said.

Aiden scoffed. “I lost.”

“No, you didn’t.” Nexus shook his head. “You fought something that exists outside of winning and losing.”

That…

That was what frustrated him the most.

Aiden let out a sharp breath, rubbing his temples. “So what now?”

Nexus smirked again, this time with a knowing gleam in his eye. “Now? We prepare for round two.”

Aiden’s lips curled into a dangerous grin.

“Damn right we do.”

Nexus nodded, his smirk widening. “Then let’s get to work.”

Aiden exhaled, his frustration morphing into something more productive—determination. If the Nameless Warrior could manipulate the concept of battle, then Aiden needed to push beyond normal rules.

Break past limitations.

Rewrite the very foundation of combat itself.

“First,” Nexus continued, “we need information. If that thing isn’t bound by normal laws, then we need to figure out what laws actually apply to it.”

Aiden clenched his fists. “I already know where to start.”

Nexus raised an eyebrow. “Oh?”

Aiden’s eyes gleamed with the golden light of his Lord of Information, Akashic authority. His mind reached out, threading through the countless strands of knowledge within existence. But instead of searching for answers, this time…

He was going to steal them.

He grinned. “Let’s go find someone who knows.”

Nexus let out a low chuckle, his eyes flashing with intrigue. “Now you’re thinking like a real monster.”

Aiden ignored the jab, already focusing on the next step. If the Nameless Warrior operated outside normal combat laws, there had to be something—or someone—who understood how and why.

And he had a pretty good idea where to start.

“The Immortal Vaults,” Aiden said, turning to Nexus. “There are records even the gods tried to erase. If there’s a way to counter this thing, the answer is there.”

Nexus crossed his arms. “I assume you know how to get in?”

Aiden smirked. “Not yet. But I know someone who does.”

The Next Move

The plan formed in Aiden’s mind as quickly as his thoughts. The Immortal Vaults were hidden deep within the layers of reality, locked behind divine constructs designed to keep out even the strongest beings. But Aiden had an edge.

He had Lucifer’s authority.

Lord of Pride. The power to command, to manipulate, and to twist restrictions in his favor.

“We need to find the Gatekeeper,” Aiden said. “She’s the only one who knows how to bypass the seals.”

Nexus tilted his head. “And let me guess—she’s not exactly friendly?”

Aiden let out a dry laugh. “That’s an understatement. The last time someone tried to force their way into the Vaults, she erased them from existence.”

Nexus whistled. “Well, that’s reassuring.”

But Aiden’s grin only widened. “Don’t worry. I’m not planning to break in.”

“Then what?”

Aiden’s eyes burned with resolve.

“I’m going to make her an offer she can’t refuse.”

Finding the Gatekeeper wasn’t going to be easy. She didn’t just exist in one place—she moved between different dimensions, only appearing when certain conditions were met.

Aiden tapped into his Lord of Information authority, scanning through the vast web of knowledge connected to Akashic records.

Countless possibilities flooded his mind before one stood out:

A ruin, hidden in the Celestial Wastes, a place where time and space twisted upon themselves.

“I’ve found her,” Aiden muttered.

Nexus raised a brow. “That fast?”

Aiden shrugged. “Information is my domain. But reaching her is a different problem.”

The Celestial Wastes weren’t a normal battlefield. The very laws of reality fluctuated, shifting terrain and gravity unpredictably. It was said that even peak Immortals lost their way inside, their bodies stretched across time until they simply ceased to exist.

But Aiden wasn’t just any Immortal.

Entering the Celestial Wastes

Standing before the jagged rift leading into the Wastes, Aiden exhaled slowly.

“Stay here,” he told Nexus. “If I don’t make it out, you’ll know something went wrong.”

Nexus frowned. “You’re not invincible, Aiden. This is reckless, even for you.”

Aiden smirked. “It’s only reckless if I fail.”

Before Nexus could argue, Aiden stepped forward, vanishing into the twisting abyss.

The Trial of the Gatekeeper

The Celestial Wastes immediately attacked him.

Gravity reversed, crushing him upward. Space twisted, trying to pull him apart at the molecular level. Phantom figures whispered ancient secrets into his mind, tempting him with forbidden knowledge.

But Aiden’s will was absolute.

He activated Pathfinder, allowing him to navigate even through unstable dimensions. His Spirit Sense extended like a web, stabilizing his form as he pushed forward.

Then—he saw her.

A woman with silver hair, wearing obsidian robes embroidered with cosmic symbols. Her golden eyes burned like twin stars.

The Gatekeeper.

She sat atop a floating throne of crystalized time, her gaze sharp as she studied Aiden.

“Mortal,” she spoke, her voice layered with countless echoes. “You seek the forbidden.”

Aiden met her gaze, unflinching. “I seek knowledge. And I’m willing to pay the price.”

The Gatekeeper smirked. “Then prove yourself worthy.”

Reality shattered, and the battle began.

Aiden barely had time to react as the world collapsed around him.

The Gatekeeper raised a single hand, and space fractured, creating mirrored reflections of Aiden that each lunged at him with perfect synchronicity.

“Reflections of Fate?” Aiden muttered. “Annoying.”

These weren’t just illusions; they were temporal echoes—versions of himself pulled from possible futures, each armed with different outcomes and experiences.