[Generating the 161,801st Trial: The Supreme Law of Destiny]
The world transformed into an empty void as Maximus found himself facing a woman who gazed at him with a gentle smile.
"The Supreme Law of Destiny, one of the three governing laws," he thought.
Staring into the vast, featureless void, Maximus was clueless about the nature of this trial.
"There will be no trial here; you may pass directly to the next one."
"What do you mean?" Maximus frowned.
"I have already seen enough. I don't need to test you."
As the Supreme Law of Destiny, though she couldn't see Maximus's future clearly, she knew enough to make her decision.
"Then how can I master the Supreme Law of Destiny?"
The trial is not only for the supreme law to test him but also for him to analyze their power to reach ultimate mastery.
"I'll simply pass my perception on to you. No need to sweat over it…"
After all, as the mentor to his daughter, favoring Maximus came naturally.
"Why?" Maximus asked, puzzled.
"It's your daughter; she and I have a contract. If I don't favor you, who will?"
Asha, his daughter, had already asked the Supreme Law of Destiny to go easy on him and perhaps even lend him some aid.
Looking at her beloved protégé, the Supreme Law couldn't refuse.
"I see," Maximus nodded, understanding now.
It seemed his preparations were unnecessary after all.
As she passed her perception of destiny onto him, the trial slowly disintegrated as Maximus was sent on to the next.
[Generating the 161,802nd Trial: The Supreme Law of Will]
"The Supreme Law of Will… the root of all sentient beings," he murmured.
If Destiny was the controller, manipulating the threads of fate, then the Supreme Law of Will was the primal force within every conscious being.
It was because of this supreme law that the Aeon Plane held life, awareness, and sentience.
"Maximus Shadowcrest…"
The entity spoke, its voice deep and resonant.
"To prove your worth, you must bear the will of all sentient beings—their joy, suffering, fear, love, anger, every emotion and dream they hold. You must carry it all."
"Climb the Mountain of Will, crawl if you must, and reach the summit. If you desire the world's recognition, how can you refuse to bear its will?"
With those words, the entity of Will disappeared, leaving Maximus to face the seemingly endless mountain.
Looking up at the mountain before him, stretching beyond sight into the clouds. Maximus took his step, which nearly brought him to his knees.
The pressure—the weight of expectations, the voices of all living beings—pressed into his mind with unbearable force.
Gritting his teeth, Maximus held on, taking each step with overwhelming resolve.
After walking for several kilometers, even his iron will began to waver.
The collective will of all beings gnawed at his own, eroding his sense of self like a cold wind snuffing out his inner flame.
Days passed, then months, then years, and by then, Maximus's eyes were empty.
"The will of the world… it's too heavy for me…"
Bearing the will of everyone? Maximus knew he wasn't that noble.
His heart was devoted to his family and loved ones, and with each grueling step, he was increasingly certain he would fail.
Perhaps only Atlas, the son of the plane with his unrivaled will, could conquer this trial.
But still unwilling to give up, Maximus began to think of a solution.
"The amalgamation of will… the divine will…the will of everyone…"
As Maximus's thoughts converged with the power he had created in the Etherium Realm, his eyes began to regain consciousness.
"That's right; why would I carry the burden of this world?"
"Nothing but you can save you. This world must save itself! Why should I, Maximus, carry burdens that are not mine? How could I be that selfless?"
With renewed resolve, Maximus channeled his will, his hands beginning to conceive a vessel—a container to hold all this plane's will.
Millions upon millions of causality points converged in his mind and hands as he deduced the feasibility of his idea and generated it simultaneously.
The Supreme Law of Will, observing his actions, was taken aback.
"What… what are you trying to do?"
Initially, it had been gravely disappointed in him.
A true savior, it believed, should be selfless, capable of shouldering all the pain and suffering of the world.
Seeing Maximus falter after only a few years, it was prepared to fail him, denying him any further trials.
It cared not for the other Origins of Law, nor did it feel any obligation to coddle Maximus.
The great cause of the Aeon Plane could not rest on the shoulders of a weak-willed, selfish individual.
But hearing his words and witnessing the container taking shape in his hands, the Supreme Law of Will felt a premonition.
"Oh no! Damn you, Maximus Shadowcrest!" Suddenly, the Supreme Law of Virtuality appeared beside it.
"What are you doing here? This is my trial."
"Trial, my foot! This is
virtual world! Look at that monster—he's about to destroy everything!"
"Destroy?" Hearing this, the Supreme Law of Will frowned.
It was still waiting for the Son of Plane to reach this trial. If this virtual world was destroyed, it would disrupt countless plans.
"What do you need?" the Supreme Law of Origin appeared, visibly concerned.
It, too, was anxious about this sudden interference.
Maximus was only a step away from succeeding; any disruption now could be catastrophic.
"I lack energy! This madman seems to be conceiving an embryo of a plane!" the Supreme Law of Virtuality complained.
It had already synchronized the time between the trial and the real world, yet Maximus was still consuming a massive amount of energy.
Looking at the vessel he was creating, causing cracks to virtuality, the supreme law of virtuality grew nervous.
"If it's only energy, then we're willing to help," the voice of the Supreme Law of Destiny sounded. She appeared beside him, accompanied by other Supreme Laws.
"You—why are you all here? Shouldn't this be no concern of yours?"
"Hahaha, we're simply interested in what insane creation this brat is brewing…"