Cosmic Ruler - Chapter 481

Chapter 481: Fate
“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.

One Aiden wielded lightning, another controlled space, while another burned with divine flames.

All of them attacked at once.

Aiden vanished, slipping through space with a movement only possible with his Pathfinder authority. Reappearing above, he swung his Reaper Scythe, slicing through the first reflection.

But instead of fading, the reflection rewound, reforming instantly.

The Gatekeeper watched from her throne, unimpressed. “Power alone is meaningless. You must understand the nature of reality itself.”

Aiden clicked his tongue. “Of course, it’s a test.”

He expanded his Spirit Sense, scanning the reflections. They weren’t independent beings. They were tethered to something—a hidden anchor buried within the twisted laws of this place.

His eyes—though blind—saw through the illusion.

“Found you.”

He ignored the reflections and swung his scythe downward, slicing into empty space.

A crack formed.

The moment the blade connected, the reflections shattered, and the world around him shifted once more.

The Gatekeeper’s smirk deepened. “Not bad.”

The Final Question

The battlefield vanished, and Aiden found himself standing in a vast cosmic void.

The Gatekeeper now stood before him, no longer distant on her throne.

“You’ve passed the trial,” she said. “Now, answer me this—why do you seek knowledge?”

Aiden didn’t hesitate. “Because power alone isn’t enough. I don’t just want to win—I want to understand. To break free from fate itself.”

The Gatekeeper studied him, then chuckled softly.

“Very well. You may enter the Archive.”

The void rippled, and before Aiden, a massive golden gate materialized, humming with forbidden knowledge.

As Aiden stepped through the golden gate, a vast realm unfolded before him.

Bookshelves stretched into infinity, each filled with tomes radiating an eerie aura of wisdom and power. Floating orbs of golden light illuminated the air, whispering forgotten secrets in languages older than time.

The Gatekeeper’s voice echoed behind him.

“Be warned, Aiden. Knowledge has a price.”

Aiden barely acknowledged her as he walked deeper into the archive. His Spirit Sense expanded, mapping out the colossal labyrinth of books. Each section pulsed with distinct concepts—some contained martial secrets, others detailed lost histories, while some emanated an aura so ominous that even Aiden hesitated.

“What am I looking for?” he muttered to himself.

Then, as if in response, a particular aisle pulsed—the energy was chaotic, yet it called to him.

Aiden followed the pull, arriving before a black and gold tome, suspended in midair.

“The Codex of True Sovereignty.”

The moment he reached for it, the world shattered once again.

The Will of the Archive

Aiden found himself in a void where a single colossal eye stared down at him.

A voice, deep and ancient, rumbled through the emptiness.

“You seek the forbidden. Do you have the will to bear the consequences?”

Aiden exhaled slowly. He had already lost his vision, endured countless betrayals, and walked paths few could survive.

“Show me.”

The eye blinked, and knowledge flooded into him—but with it came pain.

Aiden’s mind burned as he saw glimpses of countless futures, forgotten gods, and the truths hidden beyond fate itself.

He gritted his teeth, forcing himself to endure.

When the visions faded, he was back in the archive, kneeling before the Codex.

The Gatekeeper appeared beside him, her gaze unreadable.

“You survived.”

Aiden stood up, his body trembling, but his will unshaken.

“And now I understand.”

The Price of Forbidden Knowledge

Aiden stood in silence, gripping the Codex of True Sovereignty as its power surged through him. His Spirit Sense flickered, struggling to process the sheer volume of forbidden knowledge now embedded in his mind.

The Gatekeeper watched him with an expression that was neither admiration nor pity—just quiet understanding.

“You walk a path few can endure, Aiden. Do you realize what you’ve done?”

Aiden’s breathing was heavy, his body trembling from the weight of the revelations. He had seen truths buried beneath eternity, knowledge even gods feared.

He clenched his fists.

“I’ve taken the first step. That’s all that matters.”

The Gatekeeper sighed, stepping closer.

“And now the world will respond.”

The moment she spoke, the entire Archive trembled.

Aiden’s Spirit Sense expanded—the Archive was shifting. The golden shelves were collapsing, and the once-orderly labyrinth of knowledge was becoming a chaotic vortex.

Something had noticed him.

From the depths of the Archive, a presence stirred.

A voice—no, a chorus of countless voices—echoed through the realm.

“Mortal. You should not be here.”

Aiden’s grip on the Codex tightened. His instincts screamed at him to move, but his body felt like it was being crushed by an invisible force.

From the darkness, a colossal hand emerged. It wasn’t made of flesh, but of shifting words and concepts, ever-changing, ever-consuming. It reached toward him, ready to erase his very existence.

“Begone.”

But Aiden refused.

With a flicker of will, his Golden Sword Martial Spirit ignited. The sheer weight of destiny behind the blade clashed against the Archive’s will.

A single slash.

Reality shattered.

And Aiden fell.

Beyond the Archive

When Aiden opened his eyes, he was somewhere else entirely.

He was no longer in the Archive.

No longer in any world he recognized.

Instead, he stood in a realm of crimson mist, where the sky twisted like a living thing and the ground was made of shifting reflections.

And before him, waiting with a knowing smile, was a figure wrapped in deep black robes.

Their voice was soft, yet it carried an undeniable power.

“I was wondering when you’d arrive, Aiden.”

Aiden’s heart pounded.

This person knew him.

And somehow, he knew exactly who they were.

The Architect of Fate.

Aiden’s grip tightened on the Codex of True Sovereignty, his Spirit Sense reaching out instinctively to gauge the power of the one standing before him. But the moment he tried—

Nothing.

It was as if the figure wasn’t even there. Not a single trace of aura, intent, or presence. Yet he knew.

This was no ordinary being.

“The Architect of Fate,” Aiden muttered, his voice calm but his mind on high alert.

The figure’s smile deepened, their obsidian robes shifting like the void itself.

“It is rare for a mortal to understand my title before we are properly introduced.”

Aiden’s heartbeat slowed, his mind racing. The Architect of Fate was more than just a name—it was an entity that dictated destinies beyond mortal comprehension. A being that even gods feared to invoke.

And yet, here it was, standing before him.

Aiden took a slow breath. “You knew I would come here.”

The Architect nodded. “Of course. It was inevitable.”

Aiden’s grip on the Codex remained firm. “If it was inevitable, then why did you wait?”

The Architect chuckled softly, their voice layered with something ancient and unfathomable.

“Because, Aiden, you are the first anomaly in eternity. The one fate cannot control.”

The words sent a chill through Aiden’s spine.

Anomaly.

The one fate cannot control.

He had always known he was different. From the moment he grasped the Lord of Information’s authority, from the countless twists and turns that defied even the will of the heavens—he had carved his own path, refusing to be shackled by destiny.

But to hear it confirmed by the Architect of Fate itself?

Aiden’s mind sharpened.

“And that makes me your enemy, doesn’t it?”

For the first time, the Architect’s smile faded.

Silence.

Then, a soft sigh.

“That depends, Aiden. What will you do with the knowledge you now possess?”

Aiden glanced down at the Codex in his hand. Even now, he could feel its infinite weight—the culmination of truths beyond comprehension, secrets that should not be known.

If he wielded it recklessly, he could shatter the balance of existence itself.

And perhaps… that was exactly what the Architect feared.

Aiden’s golden eyes burned with determination.

“I don’t need fate to decide my path.”

He met the Architect’s gaze, unwavering.

“I will decide my own.”

The air around them grew heavy, the crimson mist swirling as if reacting to his declaration.

Then, after what felt like an eternity—

The Architect smiled once more.

“Good.”

And with a flick of their hand—

The world shattered.

—

The Awakening

Aiden gasped as he bolted upright.

He was no longer in the realm of crimson mist.

He was back—

Lying in a dimly lit chamber, the scent of incense and ancient parchment filling the air.

His hands trembled as he reached for the Codex of True Sovereignty—and found it still there, resting beside him.

Real.

Undeniable.

A sharp voice cut through his thoughts.

“You’re finally awake.”

Aiden turned.

Standing at the doorway, arms crossed, was Nexus.

His expression was unreadable.

“We need to talk.”

Aiden exhaled, his mind still reeling from the encounter with the Architect of Fate. His golden eyes flickered as he took in Nexus’s presence.

The man leaned against the doorway, arms crossed, his usual smirk absent.

“You saw something, didn’t you?” Nexus asked. His voice was calm, but Aiden could sense the underlying tension.