Damien raised his brow.
"Who are you?"
The answer was very obvious, but he asked because he was curious.
That being said it was their first meeting, but hadn't he met it once before?
It was a bit confusing, so he wanted clarification.
The other version of him smiled as if understanding his troubles and responded:
"Just as you are, I am a reflection of that entity. However, unlike you, who has the potential to rise above it, I am merely a messenger who delivers its will."
"Then, is this my first time meeting you, this reflection, or is this my first time meeting that entity?"
The reflection's smile widened mysteriously. Its eyes turned into crescents as if Damien said something extremely amusing.
"I wonder…which is the truth? Do you wish to know?"
"Would I have asked otherwise?"
"Yes, you would have."
Damien tilted his head curiously.
"I would have?"
"Would you not?"
"No, I would have."
Their conversation was confusing, but it made sense to them.
As they discussed the musings of fate, the existence of inevitability, and the true height of the Void to view all things from a position of authority through those simple and meaningless words, Damien came to understand a few things.
The one he saw when he had his stint in Nonexistence was probably not this reflection, but it probably wasn't any other reflection either.
The question of whether it was the Void or not was something he wasn't prepared to ask himself, because if not the Void, then who else?
The real question was why this reflection appeared before him now.
"Is there any reason not to? You understand why I am here, so why are you questioning it?"
Damien sighed.
It was really annoying facing someone who could read his every thought, even the ones he wasn't consciously aware of.
But the reflection was correct. He was well aware of how important this next step of his journey would be, so it was understandable why he'd have a conversation with the Void now.
Plus, if there wasn't a reason like this, why would he have been summoned here at all?
"You must have many questions," the reflection said.
"I thought I would, but I'm surprisingly clear-headed right now," Damien responded.
"Nevertheless, there are things you wish to know, and I have been sent to give you those answers."
"All of them?"
"Of course not."
"Hahahaha…"
It was always like that, wasn't it?
According to these supreme beings, some answers became meaningless if one didn't find them oneself.
And it wasn't like they were wrong.
That was why enlightenment existed in the first place. One could look at the sky for sixteen hours a day if they wished to, and one could be told how beautiful the sky was until they got tired of it, but until the thought that the sky is beautiful appeared in their mind by their own will, would they truly feel that beauty?
Would they connect that beauty with the beauty of life or feel thankful that they were alive in this world?
Of course, the situation would vary from person to person, but that was exactly why such realizations were to be reached through one's own will and experiences.
So what could Damien, who had the chance to ask why question, ask right now?
'I'm assuming any questions about the Heavenly World will go unanswered…'
"Correct," the reflection said, smiling and replying to Damien's unvoiced thoughts.
'Yup, that's expected. Just like I had to explore Grand Heavens Boundary on my own, I have to explore the Heavenly World on my own so I can get the most out of the experience.'
'Then, what am I meant to ask?'
Not what should he ask, but what was he "meant" to ask.
The thought came to his head so naturally that he almost didn't question it, but he was glad he did.
'Aha, so it was like that.'
There was clearly a question the Void wanted him to ask, and this was a test to see if he could understand its intentions.
He was supposed to be the man who conquered it in the future. If he wanted to overcome the limits of an Apostle or a reflection and truly become the Void's sovereign, he needed to be able to pass this test.
That was the least he could do to justify his ambitions.
The first question that popped into his head was a simple, "What are you?"
But he already knew the answer to that. At least superficially, he knew what the Void was, so using his chance on that would be a waste.
The next was also simple.
"Why me?"
Why was he chosen out of the myriad existences who populated the worlds of this cosmos?
That was a question he didn't have any answers to. He would definitely benefit by knowing the answer, but was it enough?
Why would the Void prod him to ask such a basic question? It was too selfish to be the answer.
He was stumped for a while.
After those two questions, the ones that came next were worse and worse as if they had no meaning at all.
In the end, he came to a conclusion.
"I have nothing to ask that's befitting of a chance like this."
He didn't know the answer, and he wasn't ashamed to admit that.
"I will not ask a meaningless question here, and it is your choice whether or not you want to share the answer you were given."
The reflection raised its brow in interest.
"And what if I choose to keep silent?"
Damien shrugged.
"Then I'll find the answer on my own."
Since when did he need to rely on someone else?
The Void enabled him to reach his current heights, but it was just a foundation. His comprehensions, his ability to reach the Authority of Existence in such a short span of time, was entirely a product of his own effort.
He knew this was the opportunity of a lifetime.
The Void quite literally birthed everything. There wasn't a single being or object in the world that the Void didn't know about. All of the happenings guided by fate and individuality were products of its efforts, and thus, all thoughts and actions were crystal clear to it.
Damien could ask what a random farmer on a specific farm in a specific town in a specific country on a specific day was thinking at a specific time while doing a specific action and the Void could answer him with total accuracy.
So even if he stood here right now and asked for the meaning of existence, he could get the answer easily.
He just didn't want to find out this way.
He wanted to perceive these absolute truths with his own power, because only then would he be able to stand above omniscience.
Seeing his thought process, the reflection smiled an indiscernible smile that Damien couldn't see.
After all, he was acting as expected.
"Correct."
That was the right answer.
Someone who was born to dominate couldn't settle for outside aid on a problem that could be solved with their own strength and potential.
That was what the Void wanted.
It wanted someone who could undermine its authority instead of submitting to it like the rest.
Not just through blind ambition, but with absolute confidence in one's own power.
Damien was fully living up to the expectations placed on him. No, he was outshining them greatly.
And the Void…
…how could it not be satisfied?
