Lore!
Tell-Tale!
Arriving within an abandoned universe where the natives had been eradicated during a war, Compass Carburettor unleashed his two signature abilities and began terraforming the laws of the universe, gradually morphing it into that of a Cultivation World.
"This is…pretty much a replica." Hazen gaped in shock as he saw his home world being created as soon after, four Divine Martial Spirits were birthed.
Compass Carburettor stared at Hazen and extended his hand with a smile, pointing at the created universe, "All yours to devour."
"I understand," Hazen exhaled softly.
By making it a replica of the universe that he had become one with, Compass Carburettor was creating the means to strengthen himself. After all, there was no other option available for his growth other than this.
"Thankfully, you have attained universality. Otherwise, your powers would have become useless against the Systems." Compass Carburettor said as he observed Hazen taking a long time and hadn't yet made any progress with the devouring of the Cultivation World.
At his stare, Hazen excused himself, "If I don't properly integrate it within myself, I'll implode."
"I understand," Nodding as such, Compass Carburettor pointed in the other direction, "Send me to a nearby abandoned universe. I'll be training there."
"Training?" Hazen stared in surprise.
"Yup," Compass Carburettor shrugged, "I still need to reclaim all my powers and refine them to be most potent against the Systems."
"How long do you need?" Hazen asked.
"A century or two," Compass Carburettor said casually, "I'll be refining my Genre Representation first. So, a century is the minimum most time required to recover from the side effects."
"I'm not sure if we have that much time." Hazen sighed, "The Systems are currently targeting Mascot and Technocraft. If even they fall, then we're done for."
"I won't reveal myself unless I'm strong enough." Saying so, Compass Carburettor boarded the truck and vanished. "Tell me once you've finished devouring this universe. I'll make you another."
"Fine…" Hazen focused his attention on the universe and sighed, "I just feel useless."
He clenched his hand into a fist and stared with vigour, "Compass attained his concept of Mortality by attaining Tell-Tale. Every System strives to attain a concept. That's how they are designed to be. It's not to mention that every single System, including a Hatchling System, has a universality to its power."
These two reasons were why Systems could develop at such a terrifying rate. And upon seeing the startling level of power difference between him and Compass Carburettor, Hazen determined the route he needed to take next.
…
Having arrived at an abandoned universe, Compass Carburettor observed it, "Hmm, its foundation is slightly stronger than what I need."
Tell-Tale!
Compass Carburettor began to modify the laws of the universe, causing some of its suns to merge into him and become his fuel. Immediately in response, a dreamland began to form in his body as they absorbed his Psyche Stars.
Thanks to that, the Psyche Stars began to perform their original function as they turned him more mortal and formed a filter layer between his original mind and the remaining trillions of minds.
All the other minds were plunged into the dreamland, allowing him to become more and more himself. 'Thankfully, this works.'
This was why he created Dreamcraft first. Only through Dreamcraft would he remain himself. Otherwise, as his powers continue to grow, he would become more and more similar to a Genre Representative.
Maybe one day he wouldn't even be Compass Carburettor anymore or even close to that.
As time passed, he became more and more himself, exhaling softly, "I'm more emotionally driven towards my goals now."
It would still take time to revert to his mental state from when he was living with Gehera though. It was why he wished to seclude himself and train for a couple of centuries.
The Psyche Stars began to charge up and increase in numbers as the dreamland became functional. Through Lore, all the trillion minds sprouted within the dreamland, becoming humans, animals, rocks, mountains, rivers, etc., whatever they were before.
Following that, he toned down his spirituality, cutting himself off from the experience trove in the dreamland. A few years later, he had wholly become himself, having also gotten rid of the individuality problem plaguing his cells thanks to Jyorta Bone.
He spent a couple more years and fully refined the laws of the universe to his needs. With that, he took in a deep breath, sighing, "I'll have to repeat this all over once again."
He got up as a torrent of energy burst out of him. Instantly, one unit of all his Psyche Stars was consumed as he muttered softly, "Genre Representation…"
Genre Representation—Survival Life of a Fragile Mortal!
His concept of Mortality expanded and merged into the abandoned universe, instantly morphing it as a brand new universe was created, one in which any entity would become a mortal.
Compass Carburettor had already changed the laws of the universe, making it suitable for his Genre Representation. Hence, the moment he unleashed it, his Mortality merged into the universe and raised its foundation tremendously.
He hurriedly left it and allowed the universe to develop normally for a century. After all, he was severely weakened once he left the universe, for that was one of the side effects of unleashing a Genre Representation.
Compass Carburettor recalled Stencil's condition, sensing that only a trillionth of himself felt sad and raged at the situation. Sighing, he began to recreate another dreamland once again, intending to repeat the same process as before.
"A century later, I'll become capable of unleashing a Genre Representation again. I should finish the remaining preparations by then." He meditated calmly in the void.
This time, it took him over two decades to recover, for using two Genre Representations in succession severely strained him. Usually, even a Genre Representative only unleashed a Genre Representation after ten millennia since the previous one, that too only if it was absolutely necessary.
After all, a Genre Representation sucks in all the essence of everything part of the genre to condense it into its pinnacle form. It was a massive drain on all forms of resources, including the laws of the related worlds. So, a long recovery period was necessary.
Twenty years since he unleashed his second Genre Representation, Compass Carburettor finished creating his dreamland and adding in the Psyche Star Filter, nodding in realisation, "If I were to unleash another Genre Representation, being unable to endure the necessary load, I'll simply implode."
"Nothing's ever easy."
