What was the universal law?
Damien had been chasing it for so long, but had he ever truly dissected it?
It was common knowledge that universal law was the foundation of all things. It governed the way the universe functioned. Every little mechanism that the universe held was governed by this mystical law, from the greatest Cosmic Rebirths to the smallest life cycle of an ant.
Earth's science defined the function of the universe as the product of interactions between several forces, four in particular holding the most weight. With the introduction of mana, this science was skewed, but it wasn't entirely wrong.
After all, humanity managed to get themselves in space with these laws as a foundation. Earth's human race achieved great feats using technology alone, something that wasn't mentioned often enough.
What they'd done was observe a portion of universal law. They defined these concepts using equations and math, an approach lost with the esoteric nature of practice.
They were correct about one thing. Universal Law was indeed the result of interactions between countless forces, however, the process reached an ethereal level earthlings couldn't perceive before the World Awakening.
The universe was birthed from nothingness, bearing its own children in that moment who took the form of planets and stars.
There were many things determined at the moment of genesis.
The function of World Cores and the worlds surrounding them, the foundational laws Damien had slowly been accumulating, and a few other things.
But without the first instances of life, without the first instances of death, without the "first instances" of everything that had ever occurred, those laws didn't hold much power.
Universal Law was what kept the universe alive, and every time a new situation occurred, the law would evolve to accommodate it.
Uncountable eons passed since that time, and the law that governed the universe now was far more complete, almost airtight and impenetrable by the senses of those residing within it.
Because of this, universal law was regarded as the Heavens, an untouchable existence, by most.
Damien was an outlier.
The Void pushed him in a direction even he couldn't imagine and made him pursue it as if it were normal without him even realizing it.
He was already close to the universal law, holding an inherent familiarity with the concept, but that wasn't what he needed right now.
If he wanted to gain control over such gargantuan concepts and utilize them for his own purposes, he needed to dissect them and thoroughly digest their parts.
Inherent familiarity could only support this goal!
So, what was Universal Law?
'Universal Law is a manifestation of the interactions between all things. As long as it has happened, Universal Law has accommodated and governed it.'
Why did Universal Law exist?
'For the maintenance and protection of the universe. Without Universal Law, chaos will reign and Grand Heavens Boundary will meet its doom.'
Then, was Universal Law another term for the concept of Order?
'No. Order and Chaos both have a place in the grand scheme of things. Universal Law can be considered the force above these two concepts, maintaining the harmony between them.'
What would happen if the Universal Law shattered?
'...'
Damien had to ponder for a moment about this question. If it completely broke down, the answer was obviously destruction, but what if it shattered, with some pieces still in motion and others broken beyond repair?
'Isn't that somewhat similar to the situation of the sub-universe? An incomplete Universal Law leaves room for anomalies and restricts the beings within in various ways. Overall, the world becomes less complete.'
The Ghost King was a prime example. His range of action was limited, therefore, he felt more like a game boss than an enemy to Damien.
The Impulse Wave was the same.
The world had a complete destruction and rebirth cycle that included the living beings within. Such a mechanism would be considered a "glitch" or a "bug" in a complete universe.
If the Severed World had proper laws, the first Impulse Wave would've destroyed all things living and nonliving, and the world that appeared after rebirth would be a completely new entity possessing the same core.
So then, what laws did the Severed World have in place?
'I can't say for certain, but there is one thing I'm sure of. The foundational elements of this place mirror the true universe. This isn't something that can be accomplished naturally, unless…'
Damien's eyes shot open.
'...they were designed by a being that witnessed the formation of the universe.'
Flash!
A memory surfaced in Damien's mind, swallowing his perception.
The formation of a world; he'd seen it before.
Long ago, he'd been graced with a vision where he watched from start to finish in great detail as a stray World Core birthed its world.
Back then, he didn't have enough knowledge to gain much from the experience, but the current him was incomparable.
This memory finally found its place.
The creation of a world could be considered a microcosm of the Universal Law. It gave Damien a more digestible perspective to start from before he continued on to greater concepts.
And he realized it.
'All of these processes are not only supported by governing laws, but something greater as well.'
There was a trace of the Void in everything.
Even the very greatest mechanisms of the universe couldn't escape it.
'In the end, it leads to the Void again. The more I learn, the more I realize just what kind of force is residing in my body.'
Damien's eyes suddenly widened.
'Wait…'
The Universal Law was a measure of interactions between everything, while the Void, in Damien's own perception, was the mother of everything.
By this reasoning, couldn't Universal Law be considered a record of the Void's actions?
If so, why?
Was it birthed by the universe not for such simple reasons like maintenance, but to try to find traces of its origin?
The conclusion formed in Damien's mind was downright nonsensical. Even he, as the one who had the thought, absolutely could not believe it.
'Does the Universal Law…' he thought, his body trembling.
'...have sentience?'
"ARGH!"
A splitting pain enveloped Damien's head and forced him out of his enlightened state.
'Damn, this is…!'
It wasn't the first time he'd faced it, but it was the first time he was aware of it happening!
A strange force was trying to invade his mind and wipe the memories of his understanding.
'It's pushing me away from the Universal Law!'
Was this also a mechanism of the universe?
Damien couldn't accept it!
If something like this was happening, then he was definitely on the right path to finding out secrets he wasn't meant to know!
'But what kind of secret is worth knowing more than the ones that were never supposed to come out?!'
VOOM!
Mana raged around him in a flurry. Damien encompassed himself in a thick cocoon of mana and got to work.
Black threads of Void Mana spread over his body and into his spiritual world.
He'd been trying so hard to figure it out moments ago, but now, he faced a far, far greater challenge.
Now, rather than comprehending it, he had to directly fight the Universal Law!
