Hi3rd: Achievement Hunter

It was a long day for Aleph.

Inside the bedroom, that is.

It was the first time he stayed inside his bedroom for five days straight. Time manipulation did its work, thus the outside world only experienced a mere hour.

'Might as well treat it as a reward…'

Aleph likened it to the [Achievement Hunter]'s reward. It was a very satisfying one, to boot.

His sage mode threatened to affect his god-level processing abilities.

Fortunately, it wasn't only his authority that seemed infinite.

He yawned before checking on the lines he previously saw. These were none other than Equilibrium's karmic web.

 It is their way of controlling the universe's balance. It does not only exist in the physical universe, but also places where Aeons reside. Their influence were strong enough to cause the birth of a new Aeon, simply because the said Aeon counters another Aeon.

The matter between Abundance and Hunt was no coincidence. Aleph confirmed it was Equilibrium who pulled the strings from behind, causing Hunt's emergence.

A piece of gray fog covered a section of the web. It did not take long before Aleph's fingers touched it directly.

Immediately, he saw numerous images appear in his mind. From mortals to the Aeons' moves, he saw through them all.

This karmic web spans the entirety of Honkai's world. At least inside this Lostbelt, nothing escaped it.

Without its owner, he adapted it into an unstoppable means of surveillance.

"As expected."

The turbulence underneath did not disappoint him. Aleph saw several Aeons preparing to fight for their agenda.

Elation, for example, wants to screw over the entire karmic web. They sought to break the universe's balance.

The amount of chaos produced in an orderless place did not need to be said. It is something that would make them scream "Peak Cinema!"

There was also Qlipoth. They focused on fortifying the amber walls they had once established. The leviathans—Voracity's kind—they banished threatened to re-emerge into this world.

Part of it was Aha's cooperation, though it was also Destruction's ploy.

Nanook's reason for existence was to see everything fall apart. It was the process that mattered.

They were given the perfect opportunity to see that now.

"What a mess. They did not even have a concrete base camp. It's everyone for themselves."

If Equilibrium does not return, everything will devolve into a shit-show. That was a fact Aleph understood.

"Just a little bit longer. I need to find Bosenmori Mei's traces…"

The amount of effort he did to find Bosenmori Mei was unimaginable. A mortal's one day equated to thousands of years in front of a God. That was how insane their processing speed was.

Had he not chosen to nerf himself and spend 'normal days' often, Aleph would have long become an unfeeling man. Isolated from the world, his mind only thinks of his [interests], if it could even be called that.

Mimicking the "anchors" in Lord of the Mysteries' world was the best choice he made.

"IX is unresponsive. Even if I kill it, they won't care."

Aleph was left with nothing except to look for clues himself.

Fortunately, it was just in time.

As for the answer?

It lied in the real universe.

Several guesses appeared in his mind.

'If it's really as I thought…'

It would be very ironic.

*****

Finality comes indiscriminately.

Nihility loses its meaninglessness. A paradox contradicting their concept. There was something else that could surpass its 'meaninglessness'.

Destruction loses its ability to wreck havoc. Another paradox contradicts them. There was something else that surpassed its 'annihilation'.

…

All concepts lose their meaning.

It is the true end.

There are no beginning beyond;

Only Finality remains.

*****

The situation of the Real Universe remained unknown. Aleph's sole contacts were the people on Earth. His blind spot was the world outside Earth.

Calculating the time, it was roughly fifty thousand years behind this Lostbelt.

'If Finality is doing something big, it is most likely there.'

That was the conclusion he came into. 

He stood in front of an empty lot. The ground was made up of pure gray fog. Aleph is currently at the highest point of the Spirit World.

It remained empty before. 

'This reward… If things are really as I guessed…'

He will confront Finality once and for all.

Naturally, Aleph would not go without any preparations. The biggest backup he prepared was none other than the reward, [Ein Sof].

From what he learned, it was the equivalent of a Sefirot—a Sefirot to his [Infinity].

Lord of the Mysteries also had one named [Sefirah Castle]. It could be considered as a base that gives out a lot of bonuses. Moreover that "base" exists as a 'concept', and as such, it was extremely useful.

His Infinity authority was already strong. If it was further enhanced by a Sefirot…

"There's no use mulling over it."

Aleph did not claim it due to Equilibrium's karmic web. His Spirit World was bound to have upgraded the moment his Sefirot was placed down. It will interfere with the entire universe in a large-scale—to the point Equilibrium's karmic web could get automatically triggered.

It only happens on a world-shattering event. That was how big the commotion Aleph would do.

The moment he 'claimed' it, a small-scale mobius strip appeared atop his right palm. It was decorated with all sorts of colors. These were indescribable to the others' eyes.

Only Aleph fully understands it.

"...Get it. I get it."

An answer was suddenly given to him. The equation was completed. Out of all the quintillion guesses he had, one of them fitted the bill.

The mobius strip reflected in his eyes was, in essence, a reflection of himself. A reflection that showed [Infinity]'s biggest use—potential, in other words.

"Just like a seed… I can grant an entire world with infinite possibilities."

All these times…

Aleph…

He…

"This is why Terminus is hell-bent on giving me that test."

Han Xiao showed it to Aleph. He had the entire control over his world (i.e., universe). He became its supervisor, a regulator.

When it fell to Han Xiao's control, it will thrive and suffer along with Han Xiao.

Han Xiao gained unimaginable strengths, but at the same time, his world became his responsibility.

Terminus…

"He is the controller of this universe..!"

…wanted to pass that position to Aleph.