Chapter 763: Celestia’s ‘Hunger’
"So let me get this straight. You want me to shut it off and bring it here? And how exactly is that supposed to help with my Cosmic Superiority problem?"
Lucifer gave Arthur a look that seemed to say the answer to the question was obvious.
"To transform an Apex World into a harsh environment that leaves you with one of two options: either you forcefully evolve to adapt to the cosmic energy, or you die."
He said it so casually that Arthur had to double-check to make sure he hadn’t misheard.
"Evolve or die, huh?"
"How else did you think it was going to happen? There’s no magical artifact that turns you into a Cosmic Being at the push of a button."
Arthur certainly didn’t believe such a thing existed, and even if it did, he’d be more than a little wary of using it. Power that came too easily always carried a price, and the potential side effects weren’t something he wanted to gamble on.
Still, he hadn’t expected Lucifer’s proposed solution to be a life-or-death scenario.
"It’s a simple and effective solution," Lucifer remarked, as though trying to justify his approach.
"With no guarantees and no known record of success," Arthur replied flatly.
"No known record of success in artificially created environments, you mean."
Lucifer’s little correction implied that people had indeed achieved Cosmic Superiority, but only in naturally occurring environments like the kind he intended to replicate with the Seed Engine.
"I would’ve liked to get it myself, but right now, there’s something far more important I need to take care of in another universe."
Lucifer turned away as he spoke, lifting his fist and slowly clenching and unclenching it.
’Excellent as it is, this Homunculus body has its constraints. If I get that, I’ll regain ’Life’ and overcome those limitations.’
"Where are you going?"
Arthur’s voice came from right beside him, snapping him out of his thoughts.
"To collect a debt of life."
That was all Lucifer said, but it was more than enough for Arthur to understand that someone was about to get scammed.
Putting a price on life was one of the biggest dilemmas since the dawn of time.
If someone saved you and later asked for repayment, it was nearly impossible to gauge the exact value of what you owed since they could always pull the classic, "So your life is only worth this much?" card.
Most people weren’t shameless enough to affirm that.
Arthur, however, had no illusions about Lucifer’s capacity for such tactics. He was absolutely certain the man would milk the debt for all it was worth.
"Get your things ready. I’d take you with me since Kriwon is on the way to my destination."
"When are you leaving?" Arthur asked.
"I’d like to say ’now,’ but with Lostvayne in its current state, it’s probably best to avoid passing through any Inter-Universe Cosmic Gates until the hibernation ends."
Lucifer, much like Arthur, kept a lot of things stored in his subspace, or rather, pocket dimension, allowing him to travel anytime and anywhere without needing to prepare.
When he said he could leave ’now’, he genuinely meant it.
And though Arthur could have gone with him, leaving the Universe without letting Cattleya know would only stir up unnecessary drama when he returned, and that was a headache he’d rather avoid.
With that in mind, Arthur left the 3.5D Domain and made his way back to the Royal Palace on Aeturn.
The moment he entered, however, he sensed far more presences than usual.
’I’m pretty sure the party ended last night, so why are there still so many people here?’
When he stepped into the Hall where the crowd had gathered, he instantly remembered the answer to that question.
’Ah, right. It’s a new year, so Grandpa’s holding a meeting with the Nobles.’
That thought crossed Arthur’s mind just as hundreds of Devildom nobles turned their gazes toward him, moments before they all stood and bowed.
Arthur acknowledged them with a light nod, before teleporting across the Hall to where his mother was seated.
"Mum, we need to talk. It’s about that Cosmic Superior plan."
"What about it?"
Cattleya already had a feeling she wouldn’t like what was coming next, and her instincts didn’t let her down.
"I plan to head out soon. Anytime within the next one to seven days."
The moment those words left Arthur’s lips, Cattleya grabbed him by the arm, and the two of them vanished, reappearing in her bedroom within the palace.
Immediately, she rapid-fired three questions.
"Where? Why? How?"
"A universe called Kriwon. To retrieve a World Engine. Lucifer is carrying me along."
Arthur answered the three questions in the same rapid rhythm they had come, before adding a follow-up to the last.
"He’s actually heading somewhere else. I don’t know where, but Kriwon is on the way, so he’s dropping me off there."
Cattleya’s expression instantly darkened. For a moment, she tried to recall if she’d ever heard of the Kriwon Universe before, but the name didn’t ring any bells.
Seeing her face darken, Arthur sighed and added, "Come on, Mum, it’s not like I’m heading to Draco Sirus just yet.
But I would be heading there within a week of returning from this Kriwon place. Until I head to Kriwon, I’ll mostly be in Varona, so I just came to let you know."
The moment she heard those words, Cattleya immediately realized what was really happening. Arthur wasn’t here to ask for permission to leave the universe like the last time, he was simply informing her that he was going to.
Sounded similar, but they couldn’t be any more different.
Cattleya’s expression didn’t change, but Arthur didn’t seem bothered. He just conjured a Cosmic Gate and said,
"I’ll be fine, mum. Not every universe has a sentient planet trying to kill me, after all."
And with that, he stepped through the gate, vanishing from the Royal Palace.
◇ ◇ ◇
Arthur decided to head to Varona and begin testing his newly acquired powers.
Or at least, that was the plan.
However, when Layla and Nicole came to let him know they were about to return to their home planets, they found him sprawled face down on the grass in the Royal Palace garden in Aeturn.
The sight had both girls blinking in confusion for a good ten seconds.
"...what the hell?" Layla finally asked, voicing what they were both thinking.
Arthur replied in a strained voice, "Help...me...up..."
Layla eyed him skeptically, wondering if he was just messing around or pulling another prank.
Nicole silently walked over and tried to lift him off the ground, but her eyes widened slightly as she realized that, even with her strength as a Transcendent Realm existence, she couldn’t fully lift his body.
Seeing the surprised look in Nicole’s eyes, Layla moved in to help, her brows furrowing as she felt the unusual heaviness in Arthur’s arms.
"Why are you so heavy?" she asked.
"Gravity."
"Yeah, obviously," Layla muttered, rolling her eyes. "I mean why are you heavier than usual?"
"That’s the problem. I messed up with my gravity manipulation," Arthur said.
Between the two of them, they managed to get him onto a nearby bench, which creaked under his weight and dented slightly the moment he dropped onto it.
Layla wiped the light sweat that had formed on her brow from that little exercise, before speaking.
"If your gravity manipulation is the problem, then just turn it off."
"I wish," Arthur sighed. "But I need a certain amount of energy to do that, but I don’t have any energy right now."
"...what?"
Layla blinked, confused. She couldn’t understand what Arthur was saying meant. As far as she knew, he was a Half-Deity, an existence with enough energy to blow up one of the moons orbiting Aeturn.
Where did all that energy go?
Without her even needing to voice the question, Arthur explained, "Celestia absorbed everything."
And thus, the reason for his current state.
While Arthur had been testing an idea he suddenly had for semi-permanent commands with his Anti-Divine Gravity Authority, which would work even if he had no energy, Celestia suddenly sucked every bit of his energy—his magic, his divinity, his anti-divinity—and even used his body as a conduit to draw in ambient cosmic energy.
It all happened in a matter of seconds.
In mere moments, the vast energy reserves Layla knew him to have were siphoned into Celestia to strengthen the sword.
With his own body still under the effects of a heavy gravity multiplier, the sudden loss of energy caused him to collapse on the spot.
That was the state Layla and Nicole had found him in.
"That sounds rough," Layla said.
"It is," Arthur groaned. "Now I have to wait for my energy to recover while hoping she doesn’t absorb the little bit that recovers the moment it—fuck."
The second he cursed, they all understood.
"She absorbed it, didn’t she?" Layla asked.
"She absorbed it all," Arthur confirmed, his expression twisted like he wanted to cry.
Nicole silently raised her hand and patted his head in a clear attempt to comfort him. And though Arthur wanted to lean into it, he held himself back, reminded of just how heavy he currently was.
Both Layla and Nicole had been sweating a bit after carrying him only 20 meters. For context, the average Transcendent could casually lift up to a billion tons.
That said a lot about the bench he was sitting on, that it had only dented slightly under all that weight.
As Nicole continued gently patting his head, Arthur glanced sideways and said,
"Right, Layla, you said you were going to focus on your law comprehensions, yeah? And Edward and Esna are off to Onerth for whatever.
Then I guess that leaves Nicole..."
Before Nicole could even ask what he meant, Arthur tilted his head slightly, turning to look at her as he asked, "You wanna follow me outside the universe?"
Nicole’s hand froze mid-pat, her expression shifting to one of stunned confusion.
"Wait... what?"
She finally found her voice, her eyes wide with a shock that made complete sense, considering what she’d just been asked. Even more so since it would be her first time venturing beyond the universe, if she agreed.
Arthur elaborated, "I have to head to another universe called Kriwon to retrieve a World Engine. I was hoping someone would tag along, but virtually everyone’s busy."
While Nicole silently processed his words, Layla chimed in.
"A World Engine? What are you going to use that for?"
"Terraform Apex planets."
Arthur’s casual response left Layla staring at him in silence.
’This guy always says the craziest shit in the most casual tone...’
Then she asked, "So terraforming planets is going to help you with your Cosmic Superiority issue?"
Arthur nodded slightly. "It’s going to create the kind of environment that’ll help. Or at least...that’s what I was told."
Told by who?—is what Layla almost asked on reflex, but she managed to stop herself before the words left her mouth.
