(MC POV)
No… No, no, no. What the hell is this?! This can't be!
Why am I back?! Who the hell was that?! What in the world just happened?!
Wait, first things first, let's just do a quick check on myself.
Can I still use Origin?!
Oh, I can huh.
That's easy then, I just need to pinpoint the origin of where I was before I came here and simply move myself there.
Right as I was doing that, a knock came from the door.
"Master Lin? Are you ready to go yet?"
"I'm busy, Sect Master Qing!!" I shouted back.
"Eh? Sect Master? Ummm… Master Lin, are you alright?"
Ah of course, he's not a Sect Master yet at this time.
"Sorry, Elder Qing, I'm busy right now!" I corrected myself, though it probably wouldn't matter since I'm going back anyway.
He gave a noncommittal response before leaving.
Ignoring everything else, I concentrated on looking for the origin of my previous location and…
And I can't find it? No, the origin of it is right here?! But… If that's the case, it would mean I've dreamt up the whole thing?!
No, that's definitely impossible. Omniscience, explain.
"Oh, you don't need to bother, I can do the explaining for you."
I whirled around, finding myself face to face with… Myself.
Or rather, a person who looks like me.
I narrowed my eyes at him, "Who are you?"
"Is it not obvious? I am you, or rather, I am the real you."
"Are you high or something? There is absolutely no way you can be the real one."
"Why not? Didn't I just use Origin to send you back here and you couldn't even do anything about it?"
I shook my head, "That doesn't prove anything considering Iris managed to do that too."
He grinned at me, "I suppose that is true. But let me tell you a little story… Let's say an Origin fragment was to be lost in space and after some time, comes across another Origin fragment and absorbs it. It then goes on to travel through the universe absorbing other Origin fragments until it gains considerable power, eventually gaining sentience of its own and thinks that it's the original Origin."
I looked at him up and down, "Yeah… I don't think you're an Origin fragment that gained sentience on its own."
"Hmm? The thought that you might be the Origin fragment in question never crossed your mind?"
"Not possible. There is absolutely no chance that Iris would stick to me like that if I really was just an Origin fragment."
"Ahaha! I could have just asked her to do it, can't I?"
I snorted, "You really think anyone will mistake you for the real Origin with how expressive you are? Absolutely impossible. And as if Iris would even act like that in front of anyone else but the real Origin. Please. I'm pretty sure if I sent her to you, she would listen but she would definitely not be acting chummy with you either."
He grinned, "Seems like you already know your stuff huh?"
I nodded at him, "So, are you going to answer the question of who the fuck you are before I wipe you from existence?"
"Like I said, I am you. Or rather, an Origin fragment that has gained sentience and--"
I slapped him across the face with enough force to break through the barriers of reality, sending the both of us into an alternate plane of existence.
He teleported himself back in front of me albeit with a little more distance between us.
"Ouch, I didn't think you'd do that," He chuckled, rubbing the cheek I slapped.
"You're an Origin Usurper, aren't you? Someone who has taken in quite a bit of Origin fragments already."
"I suppose I shouldn't be surprised that you found out. Yes, you're right. Although I'm here to change all that."
I narrowed my eyes at him, "You're thinking that you can absorb me and turn yourself into the real Origin instead of someone wielding it?"
"Heh heh heh, that's right."
"You want to fight me. The Origin of all things, head on, with no backup and expect to win?"
His smirk grew wider, which was especially annoying since he was using my face to make such a disgusting expression.
"Oh, I do. And there's nothing you can do about it either."
"Really? Even if I were to do this?"
I snapped my fingers, intending to alter the origin of his left leg so that it would be wiped from existence.
I frowned when I realised I couldn't change his origin at all.
"Hahaha! I've taken in enough Origin fragments to turn myself into a part of Origin too! If you want to alter my origin, you will also need to alter your own origin as well to affect me!!"
That… Doesn't make any sense… But it's still a fact that I don't seem to be able to alter his origin at all. That would explain why I'm unable to return back to my original time since he had set that this is the origin of it too.
But in that case… I'll just have to trace the origin of when he started to move me so that I can find it, right?
Before that though…
He spread out his arms to his sides, "How does it feel to be helpless?! There's absolutely nothing you can do to me so obediently let me absorb you and I shall take your place as the true Origin! You are but a concept! A nonliving thing that gained sentience! Whereas I am a born living thing and thus stand above you!"
I tilted my head at him, then I disappeared from where I was standing to give him another slap on his other cheek.
This time I didn't stop at just one slap, following the trajectory of where he flew so that I could teleport there and continue smacking his face with my hand repeatedly.
He tried to teleport away but I simply had to read the origin of his location and I would appear at where he was going even before he appeared, allowing me to continue slapping his face.
"Sto… Stop!! Ho… How are you doing this?!!" He screamed, finally raising his arms to block me.
"I'm assuming you've grown so used to using your Origin powers that you forgot that punching and kicking are legitimate attacks?"
"No! Stop!! This can't be!!" He tried to do something to me using his Origin energy but just as I was unable to alter his origin, he could not alter mine as well.
I moved under his guard and delivered a punch across his cheek.
Holy shit, this guy is weak as fuck.
Realising what he was trying to do was useless he started directing his efforts towards running away.
I tried to pull him back but quickly remembered I couldn't affect him directly and he was already disappearing from my sight.
Thinking fast, I used Origin to lock down this World, preventing any Origin from leaking outside.
In a flash of light, I found myself back in my room, alone.
I cursed.
While I managed to trap him in this World, he had also managed to escape to somewhere else within this World itself.
And since I had to use Origin to lock it down, the entire place is saturated with Origin energy and he is able to hide from my senses by masquerading as Origin energy as well.
Even omniscience is of no help since it's basically trying to find myself and the answer to where he is will point to me.
On the plus side, omniscience did confirm that if I were to kill him, I would be able to get back the Origin fragments this idiot has absorbed and thus undo all of this.
Guess I'm going to have to find him the old fashioned way…
But first! Let's get some help!
Iris!!
…
The End!!
…
Hmm… I thought she would appear if I were to think about her… Seems like she's not coming for some reason… Oh well, there's still other people I can rely on for this.
My dear disciples, wait for me!
