The other Aegis of the Arctic Deity nodded silently in response. Despite his limited facial expressions, it seemed like he had casually nodded at the man's words. "But I still can't believe that this worked," he remarked, stretching his hands toward the machinery before him, marvelling as it effortlessly rose into the air at his command.
"Well, it did. When science and magic come together, they become the greatest forces to explore right from where you sit. Your powers make you a perfect candidate for my apprentice. So, what do you say, Oberon? Does a mortal wrapped in the skin of a god want to dive into the depths of science's extremes and versatility?" the man responded, a broad smile gracing his face.
Oberon shook his head firmly in response, "I'm not interested," he replied.
"Humph! That's a shame, a once-in-a-lifetime gift missed," the man responded, his gaze sweeping across the upturned lab before fixing on the other Aegis of the Arctic Deity. "If you don't mind, Oberon, why don't we test your abilities by restoring this room back to normal?" he suggested.
Oberon nodded in agreement. He channelled divine energy through his hands, waving them over the room. Instantly, the chaos began to reverse—the broken equipment and furniture regrew seamlessly as if they had never been damaged until the room was fully restored.
The man observed the scene and nodded. "One of the perks of being a god: partial omnipotence, omnipresence, omniscience," he muttered, then refocused on Oberon. Seeing Oberon's confusion, he sighed and began to explain.
"According to my research, I've come to understand that so-called gods are not truly all-powerful as they claim. They are based on three things: partial omnipotence, which means they possess immense power but do not have absolute control over all aspects of the cosmos; This allows them to manipulate positive and negative possibilities equally. Which also means that for every act of creation, there's a potential for destruction, and vice versa."
"For example, when a god creates a lush garden for their race, there's also a chance of indirectly harming the land or creating a cataclysm that could harm their race. What you've done is as simple and irrelevant as fixing some household furniture, so you don't need to worry," he responded with a light smile, using an example that Oberon could easily grasp.
"Partial omnipresence means they can be in many places simultaneously but not everywhere at once, limited by their focus and attention. As for partial omniscience, it grants the gods vast knowledge, from the air you breathe to the atoms of the ground. However, they lack complete awareness, partly due to simultaneous events in the cosmos slipping past their real-time notice. Imagine a vast library in their minds, accessible if they choose to delve deep, yet challenged by anomalies that confound their understanding, rendering their partial omniscience debatable," he elaborated.
"This is why Gods seek to decipher the laws of the cosmos from the Divine Mysteries to correct those anomalies and get closer to becoming true gods, gaining omnipotence, omniscience, and omnipresence over those laws without consequences. A battle between gods isn't just about the complex techniques; it's about their understanding of these laws and those of their opponents. Do you follow?"
A sudden silence enveloped the laboratory, hanging heavy with the weight of revelations.
Orion furrowed his brows as he absorbed everything the man had just disclosed. While he couldn't deny the insights he had gained about the gods from the man's words, he couldn't shake off his growing suspicion about the man's true identity. How had he obtained such profound knowledge in the first place?
"This mortal! Unless he has dined and conversed with the gods, I see no reason for him to possess such an in-depth understanding of us," Aerialia remarked, her eyes narrowing at the man below her. She had felt strangely uneasy ever since he entered the room.
Though uncertain of how a mortal could stir up such emotions within her, she composed herself and observed the unfolding events keenly.
Meanwhile,
"I still find it hard to believe that you know about all these things despite only recently encountering the gods," Oberon remarked, his gaze scanning the man before him with intense scrutiny.
The man smiled mysteriously, choosing not to respond directly. Instead, he steered the conversation in a different direction. "As you merge with your true self, you should also gradually acquire the qualities of the gods. This transformation could happen at any moment now," he explained, watching as Oberon slowly descended to the ground. The impact caused the floor beneath him to crack open with a resounding "Bang!" creating a widecrevicethat extended towards all four corners of the room.
"What's... happening to me?" Oberon exclaimed, feeling a dizzying sensation as he involuntarily expelled a black-and-sky-
blue fluid from his mouth, intensifying the dense, mind-
boggling pain rippling across his body.
"Unlike humans, who are direct descendants of the Omnithrallians and may possess genetic similarities that make them more suitable candidates for the procedure, other races may lack the necessary genetic predisposition or physiological traits required to undergo the transplantation process successfully."
"Their bodies may reject the infusion of primordial and divine energies, resulting in catastrophic consequences or a failed transformation. However, our success in this regard means we need not worry about any of that.Yet, there are still various limitations; for instance, youwon'tbe able to fully comprehend a lawbeyondits initial stage of five per cent.No matter how well you are fully attuned with your new self, you remain a fragile mortal in a highly sophisticated divine container."
"The benefits, though, are substantial. You'll be able to harness your racial abilities to the utmost, now enhanced to the level of the gods. Coupled with a nearly invulnerable body that can stand toe-to-toe with the gods and withstand whatever they throw at you, not fully grasping the divine mysteries won't render you weaker than the gods," the man concluded, his voice solemn as he watched Oberon collapse to both knees, further sinking the already collapsed floor.
"Are there any other complications I should be aware of?" Oberon asked, struggling to maintain his composure and stay conscious.
