But immortality isn't the same as eternity. Even a godlike being can meet their end, say, if a parallel world powering their core collapses in a planet-wide explosion.
In that scenario, even Arceus would likely perish.
True divinity, what they call "Main Deity"-level, transcends not just the limits of a single world, but the constraints of energy itself.
Take Lucius and his Old One Virus, a being rooted in pure conceptual existence. Beings of that level can live forever, but only under one condition: they must remain unchallenged by even higher-tier rules or entities.
If a superior force were to erase the very concept they're built on… even Lucius would be helpless.
As for beings beyond the "God-King" tier, Lucius hadn't encountered any, so he couldn't say much there.
Then he remembered something. A glimpse he once caught deep within the void, something vast, like a swirling galaxy… in the shape of a penguin.
Yes, he could still recall how that "penguin" had effortlessly rewritten the rules of entire planes. Overbearing, absolute. It fit the description perfectly, something that transcended the rules of the entire multiverse.
A Cosmic Sovereign, most likely.
"System. You said the title 'Executor of the Virus Evolution System' equates to a Main Deity. What exactly does that mean?"
[The 'System' is a project initiated by Emperor Nawdorn, one of the Cosmic Sovereign. It was granted Tier-One Clearance.]
[Internally, the system hierarchy consists of: System Binder → System Executor → System Controller.]
[When the Binder evolves into a True Deity, they unlock maximum binder privileges.]
[When they reach Main Deity status, they gain Executor rights.]
[When they attain the God-King tier, they become a System Controller.]
"What about beyond Controller?" Lucius asked.
[There are no official ranks beyond 'Controller' within the System's framework.]
Lucius froze for a moment.
So… the system I'm bound to maxes out at the God-King level?
Then again, it makes sense. The System was built by Emperor Nawdorn himself. As a Cosmic Sovereign, there's no way he'd create a tool that could produce beings on par with him.
And who's to say there aren't hidden backdoors embedded in the System, control protocols known only to Nawdorn? That would mean this gift of power comes with invisible chains.
System, oh System… there's always a catch, huh.
Just as Lucius was contemplating this, a spatial ripple stirred outside. A hidden gate of light suddenly appeared.
It hovered brazenly over the desert, yet strangely, even Hoopa, who stood right beside him, couldn't see it.
Lucius sensed no hostility from the portal. So he simply waited.
A split-second later, a streak of golden lightning shot out of the portal and came to a stop before him. The sheer speed was on par with instantaneous teleportation.
"Greetings, Planetary Overlord," said a man clad in a red bodysuit marked by a golden lightning bolt across his chest.
He landed confidently before Lucius's manifested form, as if he'd never doubted for a second that he'd found the right person.
"Hello, Flash," Lucius replied calmly, his spectral form coalescing into a robed figure.
He instantly recognized the visitor: one of the central heroes of the DC Universe, wielder of the Speed Force, The Flash.
Though Lucius wasn't deeply familiar with DC lore, he couldn't immediately tell which Flash this was.
Barry Allen?
Wally West?
"You seem well-versed in other dimensions, Lord Lucius," the Flash chuckled, hearing his name. "I'm a special envoy from the Celestial Council. I've come to escort you to the Core Mind and brief you on what to expect now that your realm is officially open to the Council."
A Celestial Council envoy? Interesting.
"Alright. Lead the way." Lucius gave a small nod, eyeing the hero with mild amusement. Shouldn't you be off saving Central City? Since when do speedsters take on side gigs?
"Er…" The Flash looked momentarily caught off guard by Lucius's easy agreement, but quickly recovered with a smile. "That portal leads to the Core Mind. Let's head in together."
He activated the Speed Force, transforming into a bolt of golden electricity and vanishing into the portal.
At the threshold, he turned to glance back, only to realize the desert was empty.
"This the place?" asked a voice beside him.
The Flash turned with a start. Lucius was already there, somehow having arrived before him.
Even without invoking time-breaking speeds, there's no way raw velocity could ever outpace a conceptual being.
Lucius surveyed the chamber. It was massive, an ultra-high-tech expanse whose walls and ceiling mimicked the infinite starscape. Countless information bubbles floated around them, each one brimming with data from various dimensions.
"Lord Lucius," Flash said, stepping beside him, "this is your office in the Celestial Council. Every official member receives a domain like this, where you can govern your realm and monitor cross-dimensional data: trades, contracts, missions, major events, and more."
Lucius took a quick look around. The sheer volume of information was staggering, nearly impossible to parse.
A few trade listings caught his eye:
T2-Class Planet seeks large quantities of Gauss-tech weapons. Offering pure Helionite ore in exchange, no upper limit.
T3-Class Planet selling Dwarf-miner slaves. Seeking magical weaponry.
T3-Class Planet offering a subordinate T2-Class Planet for 10 trillion universal credits. Negotiable.
There were also job postings, like:
T3-Class Planet seeks combat team to eliminate "Paintrain Interstellar Pirate Crew." Reward: 1,000 credits.
T2-Class Planet art collective hiring gardeners to plant one billion distinct plant species. Pay negotiable.
Mission board entries, too:
B-Rank Mission: Travel to Claymore Realm. Collect blood from ten Abyssal Demons. Reward: 100 credits.
A-Rank Mission: Assist the Gray-Robed Guardian in the Dragon Age Realm. Target: Slay the Ancient Elf God, Soras the Dread Wolf. Reward: Divine-grade Spirit Magic.
The sheer variety was dazzling.
"Flash, does the Council have members who aren't at divine-tier?" Lucius asked.
From what the System had told him, becoming a Planetary Overlord, or Main Deity, was the minimum requirement for joining the Celestial Council. But these tasks… they didn't require that kind of power.
Planting flowers? Collecting blood samples? Even Hoopa could handle these without breaking a sweat.
"All official members are indeed Main Deities," the Flash explained dutifully. "But not every task is aimed at them. Most missions are available to the open worlds. In theory, anyone in your domain can accept them."
"Ah. That makes sense." Lucius nodded in understanding.
So these missions, trades, and offers aren't for me, they're for my people.
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