Point of View: Genesis
I felt a slight headache and raised a hand to my forehead.
The news that I would have to face tribulations with every ascension did not sit well with me. Yet, there was a more important question I needed answered.
I stared directly at Loki.
"Loki… what are my chances of survival in the next ascension?"
Elena also watched him closely.
But Loki didn't answer.
Seconds passed.
Too many seconds.
He didn't speak. He didn't even look at me.
The pain in my head intensified. I didn't need him to say it—I could already sense that the numbers weren't favorable… but I needed to hear it.
"Loki. Tell me."
Finally, he lifted his gaze and spoke, clearly reluctant.
"The probability of death is 100%. If you face the next tribulation… we will die."
The silence that followed was suffocating.
One hundred percent.
This wasn't an extreme risk.
It was a sentence.
Elena reacted first.
"That's impossible, Loki. Tribulations never work like that. They're deadly, yes… but there's always a chance. There's always a way out."
I nodded slowly.
"When I created it… I made sure of that."
Loki shook his head gently.
"There's something I didn't tell you. I can now modify the Genesis Records… but only new additions. I cannot alter what already existed before they gained consciousness."
I looked at him, puzzled.
"So… what's the problem then?"
His answer was direct.
"The universe has raised the difficulty of the tribulations to absurd levels. Not just for you, Genesis… no being on the planet can overcome them."
Elena tensed.
Loki continued:
"To ascend to Level 2, the probability of death is 80%. For leaders or key figures of the planet… 95%."
I froze.
Every future ascension was practically an execution.
But Loki wasn't finished.
"And to ascend to Level 3 or higher… the probability of death is 100%."
Something caught in my throat. My hand instinctively went to my chest.
If I still had a human heart, it probably would have collapsed by now.
The silence dragged on… heavier than before.
The universe wasn't just attacking me.
It was blocking the planet's growth.
Condemning us to stagnation.
I took a deep breath.
I couldn't afford to freeze.
I looked at them seriously.
"Then… we will solve this problem."
Elena held my gaze.
Loki did too.
Both nodded.
The planning session lasted days.
Without real rest.
We analyzed limits, failures, hidden possibilities. Every idea was dissected, destroyed, and rebuilt.
If the universe had raised the difficulty…
Then we would rewrite the board.
The idea came when I remembered one of the games I played as a human.
Normally, it wouldn't have been possible.
But by combining our abilities…
It was.
Once we set that in motion, we moved to the next point.
"All right," I said. "With that resolved… the new race. Do you have any ideas, or should I share mine?"
They shook their heads.
I extended a hand.
"I want to create factions on the planet. To add more variety."
Loki tilted his head.
"Factions, Genesis?"
Elena looked confused as well.
I explained:
"I noticed that, although our races are talented, there isn't a single race that is collectively seen as good or evil. All are neutral by nature."
Elena asked:
"And what's wrong with that?"
I answered calmly:
"Our enemies will be varied. We also need variability to defend ourselves better. For example, if a being from a foreign civilization discovered our planet and decided to enter…"
I paused briefly before continuing.
"I would feel more comfortable if the interrogation were handled by an evil race that enjoys torturing and instilling fear… rather than leaving it in the hands of an honest primordial."
Elena fell silent.
Loki spoke:
"That makes sense… but where would you place them? That could easily create chaos."
Elena added:
"And it might not be sustainable in the long term."
I smiled and spread my arms.
"I'll create a new law that allows parallel worlds."
Three floating spheres appeared before us.
"One will be the main world, where the current races will live. The second will be the dark realm, where the evil races will reside. And the third will be the celestial realm, where the good races will dwell."
Both remained silent.
"It will require enormous energy," I continued.
"So I'll create them progressively. One first. The next in the following ascension."
I looked at Loki.
"And I already have a perfect race to start with."
Loki asked with interest:
"Which one?"
"The Abominations. In essence… they are already an evil race."
They understood immediately.
Loki smiled.
"Then we can structure it better. You will be the Guardian—the most powerful existence on the planet."
He pointed to himself.
"I will lead the dark faction."
Then he looked at Elena.
"And Elena will lead the light faction."
Elena paused for a few seconds.
"That will give us operational independence. If you're busy, or absent… we can act."
Exactly.
We would no longer be isolated existences, reacting to the blows of fate.
For the first time since hearing that "100%," I didn't feel fear.
The universe moved first.
But this game…
Was far from over.