Cosmic Ruler - Chapter 503

Chapter 503: Fate XXII
For the first time in his life, he felt completely powerless.

This trial…

It wasn’t about fighting.

It wasn’t about skill.

It was about endurance.

Could he keep moving forward… even if he had nothing left?

Aiden clenched his fists.

“You think taking my power is enough to stop me?”

His voice echoed into the abyss.

No answer.

Just silence.

Aiden took a step forward.

Then another.

Then another.

The void didn’t change.

Minutes passed.

Hours.

Days.

Aiden kept moving.

But the darkness never ended.

His mind screamed at him.

What if this is forever?

What if there’s nothing at the end?

What if you’re truly alone?

Aiden’s steps slowed.

No.

He forced himself to keep moving.

I don’t care how long it takes.

I don’t care if I have nothing.

I will never stop.

—𝘊𝘙𝘈𝘊𝘒—!

The void shuddered.

Aiden paused.

And then—he saw it.

A single light in the distance.

Small.

Flickering.

But real.

Aiden grinned.

“Found you.”

He ran toward it.

The moment his fingers touched the light—

—𝘉𝘖𝘖𝘖𝘔—!

The void collapsed.

Trial of Isolation—Completed.

Aiden opened his eyes.

He was back on the Divine Ladder.

The Ninth Gate was gone.

And the Tenth Gate stood before him.

He smirked.

“Only a few more left.”

Aiden exhaled, steadying himself as the Tenth Gate loomed before him.

The Ninth Trial had tested his ability to endure true isolation—to fight, move forward, and survive when he had nothing left.

And he had prevailed.

Now, the Tenth Gate stood before him, its towering structure unlike any of the previous ones.

It was made of pure, transparent crystal, reflecting countless versions of himself in its smooth, glass-like surface.

Aiden frowned.

What now?

A deep, booming voice resonated through the Divine Ladder.

“The Tenth Trial—The Trial of Identity.”

“You have climbed higher than most, but do you know who you truly are?”

“A god without an identity is nothing.”

Aiden’s golden eyes flickered.

“I know exactly who I am.”

The gate pulsed.

And suddenly—the crystal fractured.

—𝘊𝘙𝘈𝘊𝘒—!

Trial of the Tenth Gate—The Fractured Self

Aiden stumbled forward, his vision warping.

He found himself standing in a vast, endless plain.

And across from him—

There were three figures.

Three versions of himself.

Each one felt different.

Each one radiated a different presence.

Aiden narrowed his eyes.

What kind of test is this?

The first Aiden stepped forward.

The Aiden of Power

This version of him radiated overwhelming strength—his body cloaked in divine energy, his golden sword burning like a sun.

His voice was deep, commanding.

“Strength is all that matters.”

“You have come this far because of power.”

“Embrace it, and claim what is yours.”

Aiden stayed silent.

The second Aiden stepped forward.

The Aiden of Balance

This one was calm, composed, standing with his hands behind his back. He wasn’t as overwhelming as the first, but there was a sharp intelligence in his golden eyes.

“Power alone is reckless.”

“Wisdom, strategy, and control are what make a true god.”

“You don’t just need strength—you need to know how to use it.”

Aiden exhaled.

Then the third Aiden spoke.

The Aiden of Freedom

This one was different.

He had no divine aura, no sharp control—but his presence was undeniable.

He grinned, arms crossed, confident and untamed.

“Both of them are wrong.”

“You’re not just power, and you’re not just control.”

“You’re more than that. You fight because you refuse to be caged.”

“Your strength comes from the fact that you never let anyone define you.”

Aiden felt something stir inside him.

The three versions of himself turned to him.

“Which one of us is the real you?”

Aiden grinned.

“None of you.”

The three Aidens froze.

Aiden stepped forward, golden energy surging around him.

“I’m not just power. I’m not just control. I’m not just freedom.”

“I am all of it.”

—𝘉𝘖𝘖𝘖𝘔—!

The three Aidens shattered into golden light.

The crystal gate fractured—then dissolved completely.

Trial of Identity—Completed.

Aiden opened his eyes.

The Divine Ladder stretched ahead.

Only two gates remained.

He smirked.

“Almost at the top.”

Aiden exhaled, his golden eyes locked onto the Eleventh Gate.

The Tenth Trial had been different—it wasn’t about strength, endurance, or sacrifice. It had forced him to confront who he truly was.

And now, he knew.

I am not just power. I am not just control. I am not just freedom.

I am all of it.

Now, only two gates remained.

The Eleventh Gate towered before him, its structure shimmering with translucent light.

It looked almost incomplete, as if it didn’t fully exist in this reality.

Aiden frowned.

What now?

A voice echoed through the Divine Ladder.

“The Eleventh Trial—The Trial of Transcendence.”

“You have walked the path of mortals.”

“You have walked the path of gods.”

“Now, do you have the will to become something beyond both?”

Aiden tilted his head.

“Beyond gods?”

The gate pulsed.

And suddenly—it vanished.

—𝘞𝘏𝘖𝘖𝘖𝘖𝘔—!

Trial of the Eleventh Gate—Beyond Mortality, Beyond Divinity

Aiden found himself standing in a new space.

Not a battlefield.

Not a palace.

Not a void.

But nothingness.

He wasn’t floating. He wasn’t standing.

He just was.

And in front of him—

A being unlike anything he had ever seen.

It had no face. No form.

Just a shifting mass of energy, constantly changing—sometimes humanoid, sometimes divine, sometimes something else entirely.

“Welcome, Ascendant.”

Aiden’s instincts flared.

This being—was not mortal, and not divine.

It was something else.

“Who are you?”

The entity pulsed.

“I am not a name. I am not a god. I am not a mortal.”

“I am what comes after.”

Aiden narrowed his eyes.

“And what does that mean for me?”

The entity shifted, forming something resembling a smile.

“It means you have a choice.”

Aiden tensed.

“A choice?”

The being’s voice resonated through his very soul.

“You have climbed higher than most.”

“You have surpassed fate, shattered limits, broken the cycle of mortality and divinity.”

“Now, you must decide what you will become.”

Aiden stayed silent.

The entity lifted a shimmering hand, and suddenly—

—𝘉𝘖𝘖𝘖𝘔—!

Aiden’s entire existence trembled.

He saw visions.

Three paths stretched before him.

Path One—The God of Dominion

Aiden saw himself seated upon a golden throne, ruling over millions. He was a true god, his word law, his presence undeniable.

Path Two—The Eternal Wanderer

Aiden saw himself walking across endless worlds, unbound by anything—a being who existed beyond fate, beyond rule. No responsibilities. No attachments. Absolute freedom.

Path Three—The Unknown Path

Aiden saw nothing.

Just an empty road, leading to something even the Divine Ladder could not predict.

The entity’s voice echoed.

“Choose.”

Aiden stared at the three paths.

A god? A wanderer? Or something else?

His golden eyes burned.

Then—he grinned.

“I choose my own path.”

—𝘊𝘙𝘈𝘊𝘒—!

The visions shattered.

The entity staggered.

“You refuse to choose?”

Aiden stepped forward.

“I’ve never let anyone decide my fate.”

“Not gods.”

“Not fate.”

“Not even the Divine Ladder.”

“I will become what I decide to be.”

—𝘉𝘖𝘖𝘖𝘔—!

The entity exploded into light.

The Eleventh Gate crumbled.

Trial of Transcendence—Completed.

Aiden opened his eyes.

He was back on the Divine Ladder.

And before him—

The Twelfth and Final Gate.

He smirked.

“Time to finish this.”