Single Wish: Rise Of The Omniscient Paragon

"The Universal System?"

When Corey heard the response of Archmage Kael, he was not completely surprised.

Although he was a little bit surprised, since he had his suspicions from the moment he began reading the books of the Archive, his surprise was extremely minor.

'I can't believe I'm before a man who predates the Universal System himself.'

'Although I've met the Paragon Ancestor before, and he's surely far far older than anything I've ever come across. Encountering somebody from my universe who is more ancient than the Universal System itself is something I never imagined to happen to me as a Tier 3.'

'Does the Universal System know about this? Why would there be a trial where it's possible to gain knowledge and information about the times before the Universal System?'

'According to what I read and heard from my brief time in Serithal, it's believed that system trial realms are not truly real places, but creations of the Universal System... They are unique dimensions or realms that the Universal System creates just so that both the talented and untalented can have an opportunity to soar higher on the path to power.'

Corey tapped the table with a slight furrow of his brows, causing Archmage Kael to notice this.

He became more baffled and frustrated.

'This is the first time I'm entering a system trial, but it's obvious that a trial realm is not a place that's created by the Universal System... This system trial was once a thriving world.'

'I don't know if other system trials are like this, but I have a feeling that they might be.'

'But the question remains that why would the Universal System choose to have a system trial where one can obtain knowledge and information regarding the past before the creation of the Universal System.'

'The Supreme Ancestor created the Universal System, which must mean that some Supremes or the Supreme Ancestor himself is in charge of the Universal System.'

'And I'm pretty certain that the Supremes and the Supreme Ancestor would not want knowledge about the era before the Universal System to be known.'

'Speaking of the Supremes...'

Corey suddenly recalled the image of the Supreme he saw in the memory of the past of Virendell.

'Or could it be that the system trials are worlds or places that have been touched or interfered with by the Supremes?'

'What of the Shattered Dimension of the Old Ones? Would that count as a system trial?'

'No.'

'I can't just assume that worlds, realms, and dimensions that have been touched by the Supremes are the system trials.'

'But since the Supreme Ancestor was the being that created the Universal System, then that means that everything that is related to the Universal System is all a plan and creation of the Supreme Ancestor.'

'Even the path to the peak of power.'

Corey suddenly looked into the eyes of Archmage Kael, and hidden behind the anger, frustration, and creation... was desire, greed, hunger, killing intent, death, and madness.

It was somewhat strange and horrifying to see all these emotions hidden in the depths of the Archmage who had been acting like a normal person, but Corey could see the man...

No.

Not the man. But the thing's intentions as clear as day.

Through his ability Soul Perception and his Eyes of Dreams and Nightmares which he subtly switched to at times, he could sense the Archmage's intent toward him.

And none of it was good in the slightest.

'It's a pity.'

Corey shook his head inwardly.

'The man is literally a well of knowledge, and he'll surely be able to tell me about the universe before the emergence of the Universal System. He'll also be able to answer a lot of my questions regarding the universe.'

Sigh

'Unfortunately... He's my enemy, and I can clearly not trust the words of an enemy that is way older than even my great great great great great great grandfather.'

'Who knows what sort of harmful information he might give me if I ask him the questions I truly want to ask him.'

'What a shame truly.'

Corey sighed once again. But this time around, it was loud enough for Archmage Kael to hear.

"Are you toying with me again, boy?"

Archmage Kael's eyes became frigid cold as he stared into Corey's pure white eyes.

"You ask me about some unknown Universal System, and after telling you that I know nothing about such a... system. You remain quiet for more than three seconds?"

"Do I look like somebody you can fool around?"

A dangerous light could be seen in Archmage Kael's eyes, and Corey smiled at him.

"I apologize about that. You see... I was thinking about a few... important issues."

"Like what?" Archmage Kael tilted his head slightly.

Corey smiled. "Like how all this fiasco should just end."

He gestured at his surroundings with his legs crossed.

"You want to devour me. You want my body and my talents for whatever reason only you know of. So why don't we stop all of this, and just fight."

Archmage Kael blinked in genuine surprise, and then he laughed.

He laughed so loud to the point that the tree he was bound to began to tremble because of the power behind the laugh.

Corey's brows furrowed slightly.

"You want to fight me, boy? You? A mere mortal boy?"

Archmage Kael laughed once again, and Corey just smiled in response.

"I admit that you're talented. And I also admit that I'm far from my peak. Way below my peak in fact. But there's no in all of existence that I'll lose to a mere Mortal boy."

"Talents be damned."

Archmage Kael growled with his eyes spewing killing intent and madness at Corey.

"Do you think that the spell you used against the Thirteenth Calamity would be able to harm me?"

"It will not!"

"And I'll rip out your eyes and heart before you're even able to weave a single rune."

Corey's smile remained, and the Archmage's expression could not help but darken at the damned smile of Corey.

"And here I was thinking of making you my disciple."

This time around, Corey's lips twitched, and he could not help but respond.

"You're not worthy."