Cosmic Ruler - Chapter 501

Chapter 501: Fate XX
Something is off.

A deep voice echoed from beyond the gate.

“Approach, challenger. Step into the domain of fate.”

Aiden stepped forward.

And the moment his foot touched the threshold—

—𝘞𝘏𝘖𝘖𝘖𝘖𝘔—!

The world disappeared.

Trial of the Fifth Gate—The Trial of Fate

Aiden blinked.

He was no longer on the Divine Ladder.

He stood in a place that defied reality.

Floating islands, suspended in endless darkness. Shattered ruins drifting in a sky with no stars, no sun.

And at the center of it all—

A throne.

A massive, ancient throne carved from celestial stone, hovering in midair. Golden threads of fate spun around it, weaving intricate patterns of destiny.

And seated upon it—

A man draped in white robes, his face obscured by a hood.

In his hands, he held a golden book.

Aiden instantly knew who this was.

The Fifth Gate Keeper—The Arbiter of Fate

The figure turned a page in the book.

The very fabric of existence trembled.

Aiden felt it—the weight of an unfathomable presence.

The Arbiter spoke.

“Fate is immutable.”

“Destiny cannot be defied.”

“You seek to ascend, but have you been chosen?”

Aiden frowned.

“You’re saying I need permission?”

The Arbiter’s hooded gaze lifted slightly.

“Yes.”

“One cannot claim godhood without the favor of fate.”

Aiden scoffed.

“Yeah? Watch me.”

He took a step forward.

And then—the world shifted.

—𝘊𝘙𝘈𝘊𝘒—!

Suddenly, a vision flooded Aiden’s mind.

A world not his own.

Aiden saw himself.

Or rather—what he could have been.

A version of him that never climbed the ladder.

A version that never gained his strength.

A version that died in failure.

“This is the fate you were meant to have.”

The Arbiter’s voice echoed.

Aiden’s chest tightened.

A world where I lost?

The vision burned into his mind.

It was real.

It was the fate that had been written for him.

“You should not be here.”

The Arbiter lifted his golden book, and the threads of fate around him pulsed.

“Now, return to the destiny that was meant for you.”

Aiden gritted his teeth.

“Screw that.”

—𝘉𝘖𝘖𝘖𝘔—!

He ripped himself free from the vision, golden energy surging around him.

The Arbiter stopped.

“You resist fate?”

Aiden grinned.

“You think I got this far by following fate?”

“I make my own destiny.”

The golden book trembled.

The Arbiter stood from his throne.

For the first time, his presence flared.

“Then prove it.”

The floating realm trembled, the very threads of destiny shaking violently as the Arbiter rose from his throne. The golden book in his hands glowed, the pages turning on their own, each one carrying the weight of countless realities and possibilities.

Aiden felt the shift immediately.

This fight isn’t just physical. He’s rewriting fate itself.

The Arbiter lifted a hand.

“Your thread was never meant to reach this point.”

“Let fate correct itself.”

Aiden’s instincts flared.

The Arbiter turned a page.

And suddenly—Aiden wasn’t standing anymore.

Aiden’s Future… Erased?

One moment, he was ready to attack.

The next—he was falling.

The world collapsed around him.

His vision blurred, and for the first time in his life—he felt nothing.

No power.

No energy.

No existence.

“This… this is—?”

—𝘍𝘞𝘖𝘖𝘖𝘚𝘏—

Aiden found himself in a vast void.

No Divine Ladder.

No battle.

No Arbiter.

Nothing.

He turned—but there was no reflection, no body.

Did he just… erase my future?

Aiden gritted his teeth.

He had faced monsters, abyssal horrors, and even reality-defying beings.

But this was different.

This was fate itself rejecting him.

The Arbiter’s voice echoed through the emptiness.

“You were not meant to ascend.”

“Your path ends here.”

Aiden’s golden eyes burned.

“Like hell it does.”

He clenched his fists—

—𝘊𝘙𝘈𝘊𝘒—!

The void shook.

Aiden felt something stir inside him.

It was deep, primal.

Something that had always been there… waiting.

“You can rewrite fate?”

“Then so can I.”

—𝘉𝘖𝘖𝘖𝘔—!

Golden flames erupted from Aiden’s body.

The void screamed.

The threads of destiny that had trapped him began to burn away.

A new message flashed in his mind.

[Authority Awakened: Fatebreaker]

[All predetermined outcomes are nullified in your presence.]

Aiden grinned.

“Try erasing me now, bastard.”

The void shattered.

Aiden returned to the battlefield.

The Arbiter of Fate staggered, his golden book cracking at the spine.

His hooded gaze locked onto Aiden in disbelief.

“Impossible.”

Aiden cracked his knuckles.

“I don’t follow fate.”

He took a step forward.

“I forge it.”

—𝘍𝘞𝘖𝘖𝘖𝘚𝘏—!

Aiden vanished.

The Arbiter barely had time to react before—

—𝘚𝘏𝘈𝘈𝘈𝘈𝘒—!

Aiden’s fist smashed into the golden book, shattering it completely.

—𝘉𝘖𝘖𝘖𝘔—!

The Arbiter was thrown back, his form flickering.

Aiden landed, rolling his shoulders.

The floating islands trembled.

The throne collapsed.

The Arbiter knelt, defeated.

“Fate… has been defied.”

—𝘊𝘙𝘈𝘊𝘒—!

The Fifth Gate shattered.

Trial of Fate—Completed.

Aiden stood tall.

Another trial conquered.

The Divine Ladder awaited the next step.

And he was ready.

Aiden exhaled, shaking off the lingering energy from his battle with the Arbiter of Fate. His golden aura still burned, flickering against the air like a living flame.

The Fifth Trial had tested his right to exist.

It had tried to erase him.

But I’m still here.

The Arbiter’s shattered golden book lay in ruins, its pages scattered across the void. The once-mighty Keeper of Fate knelt in silence, his form flickering like a dying star.

And ahead—

The Sixth Gate stood waiting.

It was different from the previous ones.

This one was not carved from celestial stone, nor wrapped in divine chains.

It was a massive mirror.

Aiden narrowed his eyes.

Another illusion trial?

A deep voice echoed through the air.

“You have defied fate. But have you truly defied yourself?”

Aiden stepped forward.

And the moment his reflection appeared in the mirror—

—𝘞𝘏𝘖𝘖𝘖𝘖𝘔—!

The mirror cracked.

And Aiden was pulled inside.

Trial of the Sixth Gate—The Reflection of Truth

Aiden landed on his feet, but his surroundings had changed.

He was no longer on the Divine Ladder.

He stood in a vast, white void.

Empty.

Silent.

Except—

There was someone else here.

A figure stood across from him.

Aiden’s eyes widened.

It was him.

Not his past self like in the Trial of Time.

Not an illusion.

This was something else.

His reflection grinned.

“So. You finally made it here.”

Aiden’s instincts flared.

This thing… wasn’t just a copy.

It felt real.

Like it had been waiting for him.

“What the hell are you?”

His reflection tilted its head.

“I’m you. But without the lies.”

Aiden frowned.

“Lies?”

The reflection’s golden eyes burned.

“Yes.”

“The lies you tell yourself.”

“The fears you refuse to acknowledge.”

“The weaknesses you hide even from yourself.”

Aiden’s grip on his sword tightened.

Another mind game?

No. This one feels different.

His reflection lifted its blade.

“Let’s see how long you can keep pretending.”

—𝘉𝘖𝘖𝘖𝘔—!

The mirror-Aiden attacked.

Aiden barely had time to react before his reflection closed the distance.

The golden sword in its hands moved like lightning, cutting through the air with perfect precision.

Aiden blocked—

—𝘊𝘙𝘈𝘊𝘒—!

The impact sent him skidding back, his arms trembling from the sheer force.

What the hell?

Aiden’s golden eyes narrowed.

This wasn’t just a copy.

It wasn’t an illusion.

His reflection was just as strong as him.

No… it’s fighting like me at my peak.

His opponent stood tall, eyes gleaming with a chilling familiarity.

“Is this really all you’ve got?”

Aiden exhaled.

“I’ve fought stronger things than a cheap copy.”

His reflection grinned.

“You’re missing the point.”

—𝘍𝘞𝘖𝘖𝘖𝘚𝘏—!

The mirror-Aiden moved again.

Aiden met the attack head-on.

Swords clashed.

—𝘊𝘙𝘈𝘊𝘒—!

Fists collided.

—𝘉𝘖𝘖𝘘𝘔—!

Each blow was perfectly countered. Every dodge, every feint—mirrored.

Aiden gritted his teeth.

It’s like fighting myself… but faster. More refined.

His reflection wasn’t hesitating.

It wasn’t second-guessing.

Every move it made was precise. Absolute.

And Aiden was falling behind.

Breaking the Mirror—The Realization

Aiden leapt back, breathing heavily.

His reflection didn’t chase him.

Instead, it tilted its head.

“Now do you see?”

Aiden stayed silent.

The reflection stepped forward, golden energy burning around it.

“You think you’ve conquered everything.”

“You think you’ve moved forward.”

“But deep down, you’re still scared.”

Aiden’s fingers tightened around his blade.

“Scared of what?”

The reflection smirked.

“That you’re not as strong as you pretend to be.”

Aiden felt something crack inside him.

The words hit deeper than he wanted to admit.

…Is that true?

Had he really surpassed everything?

Or had he just been running from the doubts still buried inside him?

His reflection raised its sword.

“If you can’t accept that…”

“Then you’ll never move forward.”

Aiden exhaled.

Then—he smiled.

“You know what?”

“You’re right.”

His reflection froze.

Aiden lowered his blade.

“I’m not invincible.”

“I have doubts. I have fears.”

“And that’s fine.”

He stepped forward.

“Because I’m still standing anyway.”

—𝘊𝘙𝘈𝘊𝘒—!

The mirror world trembled.

The reflection stared at him.

Then—it smiled.

“Good.”

—𝘉𝘖𝘖𝘖𝘔—!

The reflection shattered.

Trial of Truth—Completed.

Aiden opened his eyes.

He was back at the Divine Ladder.

The Sixth Gate was gone.

And the next step awaited.

“Alright. Next.”

Aiden exhaled, rolling his shoulders as he stepped beyond the shattered remains of the Sixth Gate.

The battle against his reflection had been unlike anything else. It wasn’t just about strength or skill—it was about acceptance.

I don’t need to be perfect. I just need to keep moving forward.

The Seventh Gate loomed ahead.

Unlike the previous trials, which had been monumental structures of celestial stone or divine energy, this one was different.

It was a simple wooden door.

Aiden frowned.

What kind of trial is this?

A deep voice echoed through the space.

“Beyond this door lies the Trial of Sacrifice.”

Aiden’s golden eyes narrowed.

“Sacrifice?”