The paths were different from everyone else’s, earning him the title of Challenger of the Heavens. But in the end, the outcome was the same as all the others. Ultimately, the best he could do was place the law in his path and have the Law of Balance within his domain.
Author’s note: I know the frequency isn’t very high and I owe a chapter, but I’m on a business trip, I’ll try to upload more on Monday, I promise.
Thinking this way might make it seem weak or even ordinary, but in reality, it was the opposite. Kayden would be placed directly at the highest level, even among superior universes. However, it was the same path others had already taken, leading only to the same places without any major gains for him.
Kayden had the potential to become a high-level god, according to Hypnos—his life was practically set. But... a conversation with Thoth changed his mind once again.
"What do you think about the path I’m taking?" Kayden asked during one of Thoth’s rare visits. The mage could enter his soul spell without any difficulty and without suffering its effects. The first time, it had put Kayden on high alert until he realized it was Thoth.
"It is one of the most complex I have seen in my entire existence." Kayden took that as a sincere compliment. In the past, he hadn’t fully grasped the scale of power that Thoth represented, but after becoming a ten-ray mage, everything changed.
Thoth’s name appeared dozens of times along that path—it was something completely terrifying. Reaching the title of a tenth-ray mage was already insane, but doing so dozens of times? That couldn’t even be put into words.
Thoth had followed dozens of perfect paths, elevating them to an insane level of mastery. And yet, he still sought a power beyond that—something Kayden couldn’t even begin to understand. In the end, Thoth was not a god with the title of strength. He was the god of paths.
"How far can I go with it? What level of strength can I achieve with this?" In the end, everything boiled down to potential. That was all that mattered.
"The highest level of a god should be possible to reach. The chances of you raising the Law of Balance to the next stage are practically zero, considering all the future factors of your life. But... with your perfect soul and mentality, there is a real chance you could reach that level." Thoth began discussing the infinite possibilities at a speed that made Kayden dizzy.
"Wait." In the end, Kayden couldn’t take it. He had just heard at least ten thousand ways he would die in a few years and ten thousand ways he would die in a few thousand. He couldn’t even process that many possibilities. "Would I be able to match the heavens?" Kayden asked, cutting through Thoth’s expression.
Kayden had no real idea how strong the heavens actually were. Were there gods capable of reaching their level? He didn’t know, and he had no idea how to find out. But he had never heard of any being capable of challenging the heavens.
In his universe, he had received that title. But Thoth was saying that he could reach the highest level of a god. So, were the highest-level gods beings capable of matching the heavens? There was also the possibility that the heavens were simply an organization of gods controlling some universes, and Kayden’s limited knowledge made them seem far greater than they actually were.
"No," Thoth answered without much thought. "The heavens and high-level gods are on two entirely different levels. It’s like comparing a grain of rice to the infinite universe." Thoth paused to think. "Actually, even that is not a proper comparison."
At that moment, Kayden caught a small glimpse of just how vast the heavens really were, and even then, it was too much for his mind. He had no idea how powerful a high-level god truly was. Could one be as strong as Yan? Kayden doubted it.
The god of false gods was strong and an insane genius. He had been able to reverse the timeline in a mind-blowing display of power. But even so, he was not a ten-ray mage, nor was he a god capable of traversing universes as if it were nothing.
"How does Yan compare to these gods?" Thoth answered without hesitation.
"He represents 10% of the size of a universe, and the other 90% would be the high-level gods. He wouldn’t even be able to move an eyebrow before being killed." Kayden had already expected something like that.
"Why did I receive the title of Challenger of the Heavens if I’m not truly capable of challenging them with my path?" Kayden asked, a deep frown on his face.
"You have potential," Thoth began to explain. "As a tenth-realm mage who has surpassed the limits of your universe, that means you would be capable of surpassing the limits of a high-level universe if placed in the right environment."
"I see." Kayden didn’t need Thoth to elaborate much more.
In the end, his mind had been correct. Everything boiled down to potential. The path he had chosen was immensely strong, with insane potential. But Kayden also had the potential to become something even greater. He had the potential to go far beyond. And the heavens had sent him this message. In the end, it was about not settling for less.
"Any advice?" Kayden was lost for the first time in a long while.
"Your path is the answer. It is the foundation. The remaining laws are just additional things. But… the mana lifeforms—study them." Kayden was surprised.
At that moment, there were two possibilities. Thoth was deceiving Kayden to achieve a greater goal for himself—that had happened before. But Kayden doubted that was the case this time. Kayden was the greatest potential of this universe, and there was no doubt about it. All his feats proved it.
And the second possibility?
Thoth was truly telling Kayden the truth.
"Thank you, I still have a lot of time, but at the same time it’s nothing." Kayden had already completely lost track of time, he could have spent a few million years in this place or a few tens of billions.