Day 2400:
Nothing happened after I killed him. Julius took care of everything.
But that also cut off all my interest in the outside world and the so-called normal life that I was once desperate for.
I returned to my lab. Oh, my cold, peaceful and desolate lab, I missed it.
Before I knew it, this was my habitat.
*** *** ***
Day 3000:
Divine Paths. Most people don't know why Divine Paths are grouped into three the way they are.
Someone in the past saw it in the Ruins. But even they didn't know why.
But I think I do.
All the Divine Paths in Divergents are dealing with some aspect of 'Life'.
Body Awakeners are growing stronger using Chi to activate and strengthen their cells.
Morphers are growing stronger using Prana to merge themselves with an entity and eventually transform into it. This is increasing their life force as well.
Mind Awakeners…they don't fit.
*** *** ***
Day 4000:
Haha! I found the inscription in the ruins talking about Divine Paths.
*** *** ***
Day 5000:
I just need to add one more variable and my theory is complete.
I started calling the Divine path groups as Avenues as on the inscription.
Sage Avenue contains Life and Soul.
Even though people don't believe in soul these days, I do.
Body Path and Morpher Path deal with Life Aspect.
Mind Path deals with Life Aspect but eventually evolves into Soul Aspect.
The same can be said for the dimensions.
Space deals with Space. Time with Time. Gravity is a blend of both.
So maybe Soul can be considered a blend of Life and Death?
Anyway, Creator Avenue thus has Space-Time.
Finally, Elementalists.
They belong to Ruler Avenue. I don't get the name.
This is the strangest avenue. But the most appropriate aspect I could give to this avenue…Order and Chaos.
It just felt right.
*** *** ***
Day 6000:
I had that level 8 Space Awakener guard who used to guard me killed.
Maybe he did not expect it, but I loved the look on his face when he breathed his last.
I am broken, aren't I?
Trivial matters aside, I dissected him in my bid to study the Divine Paths.
With that, I jumped into another question.
Why does a certain individual awaken in a divine path?
*** *** ***
Day 7000:
Easy peasy.
Any person has affinities towards each of the Avenues.
Whichever affinity is the highest, they awaken in it.
But why is this answer so simple?
Because I cut down thousands of unawakened and artificially tested their affinity with life, space-time, and order & chaos.
The ones that survived awakened in the Avenue I predicted.
There was one boy I put in a block of special ice. He survived the longest and as expected awakened in the Water path. He reminded me of Julius, I burnt him alive.
Most of the time, 99% of the test subjects died.
But for the advancement of science and the human race, their lives are not wasted.
*** *** ***
Day 8,000:
Knowing how divine paths start, I delved deeper.
I divided talent into three grades.
Low. Medium. High.
Talent shows their affinity towards their path.
Most people have low talent and they can never reach level 4.
The medium talent is likely to remain at level 6, but it's possible to reach level 7.
High talent allows you to get to level 9.
Since Sovereign is a state in level 9 and not a level itself, you need to be at the extreme of high talent.
Then what if you had a higher talent?
There should be a level 10 after level 9….they should be able to reach it.
*** *** ***
Day 8,500:
Many people claim their talents increased after taking some secret fruit.
It is indeed true.
Many went from medium to high talent.
So talent is changeable.
Since natural fruits and treasures can do it, it should be possible to change the talents—affinities artificially.
*** *** ***
Day 9,000:
I studied many of those special fruits and made a potion to change the talent.
The best I could do is use fruits that change mid-grade to high-grade talent and make a potion that changes talent from low grade to mid grade.
In other words, I failed.
My theory so far has been right. So where did I fail?
*** *** ***
Day 10,000:
It's useless. I have the knowledge but I am missing…something. I can't put my finger on it.
Perhaps command over life? It's like I have the knowledge but not the power over it.
I tried to increase my talent. My talent is just entering high grade.
So, none of these fruits work on me.
I've yet to see a natural treasure that increases a high grade to something higher.
*** *** ***
Day 12,000:
My nephew! I have a cute little nephew. He visited me.
Charles Xander.
8 Years Old but very smart. He must have inherited it from me. Kek.
He was initially shy, but I felt a natural affection towards him. He looked a lot like my brother and his late mother.
*** *** ***
Day 12,500:
A big breakthrough.
I hypothesize the existence of Origin.
The stronger an awakener gets, the closer they are to wielding power over the abstract concept.
After reaching level 9, every awakener accesses a 'Divine View'.
They could see a white ball on a long road. They have a deep connection to the white ball. They also feel the connection from the road.
The white ball was called by different names. I call it Origin.
Everyone before me thought the white ball and the road were something related to becoming a Sovereign.
While it's undeniable that they are crucial to becoming a Sovereign, I think they're much more than that.
*** *** ***
Day 13,000:
I discovered a few things.
Linking talent to Origin, I wondered about one thing. Why should a person have only one origin?
If I have two origins, then unlike Dual Awakeners, can I awaken in two paths of the same avenue?
If I had to pick, I'd choose Body and Mind Paths.
Well, that's my long-term research goal.
I shall raise my talent to a higher level and get myself multiple Origins.
Lives can be lost, but research must not be stopped.
*** *** ***
Day 14,000:
My project had no progress. I would've gone mad but thanks to the little fellow Charles, I'm sane.
He's growing up quickly. He's already a handsome little fellow at 14.
He tells me about his dreams. He wants to be like his father. He wants to make his mother proud.
She told him to follow his father's words before dying. So he tries to make his father proud.
But still, he respects me.
Maybe he sees me as his mother, eh?
I don't try to instill my ideologies into him.
I know something in me broke when I killed the man I wanted to date. Charles shouldn't be like me.
He's a good child.
Julius too…was a good child. But now, I don't know what changed him.
…Would the pure Charles also grow to neglect his family?
Would he be another Julius?
No! I can't let that happen!
*** *** ***
Day 14,200:
Charles brought Narcis over once. But boy, he is full of jealousy. They are from different mothers after all.
I told Charles to leave Narcis alone. But he insists as an elder brother, he must take care of the younger ones.
While I'm happy that he is not leaving his family cold, I'm also worried that he will be troubled by Narcis one day.
*** *** ***
Day 14,500:
Good news! After an unknown number of failures, I developed the procedure to let a high-grade talent reach a higher level…what do I call it?
Celestial Grade!
That makes everything before it Mortal Grade.
So from high mortal grade to low celestial grade.
There is only one key component missing.
I used all my connections, but I couldn't find anything that increases talent from high grade to Celestial Grade.
It'd be weird if they did. Anyone who took the said treasure would easily be a Sovereign and even reach the 10th level.
*** *** ***
Day 14,700:
If I can't get those fruits, it also works if I can get a human or abyssal with Celestial Grade Talent.
I can use their sample to increase the talent.
But…from the hundred thousand humans and abyssals I checked, none of them even approached Celestial grade talent.
I am kidding. How can any Celestial Grade talent not be an absolute genius that shocked the world?
*** *** ***
Day 15,287:
Charles went to Defense Academy. He bade me farewell. I'm gonna miss him.
Ahh!
Julius is too much! He's doting only on Narcis.
Charles broke down a few times under the pressure. If not for me…I couldn't imagine what would've happened to him.
I can't tell Charles that Julius is actually jealous of him, right?
As a man that killed his father to become the head of Xander Family, Julius' biggest fear is the same happening to him.
Narcis talent is great, but not a threat to Julius. Charles, however, is better than Julius.
Someone might wonder why did he not just kill Charles and end the farce?
Because Julius loved his first wife! Even though she is dead, he can't bring himself to kill his own child.
Besides, Charles eyes resemble hers.
So Julius must have reached a compromise and intends to put Charles down through these psychological pressures.
But still, I am worried if Julius snaps and orders someone to kill Charles.
Not on my watch!
I pulled my connections and put security for Charles.
Charles, I will help you reach the state your father never could.
*** *** ***
Day 15,790:
Today is the best day of my life!
I found the way to help Charles and pursue my own goals at the same time.
It was a gift from the Heaven's Will!
It came in the form of a seventeen-year-old girl.
She is called…Sia.