Chapter 1836: Don’t Give Her Ideas
Lotus didn’t even hesitate before answering. "I need the whole story, right from the start. Even if you have to go back to the foundation of the pantheon, I will just ask the Green Dragon to fill in the details for me."
"Alright, then we will start with the backstory. Are you familiar with the species known as the Ancients?"
Lotus shook her head.
"Are you familiar with Karl’s Pet Sitter spell? The creatures that it creates?" When Lotus nodded, he continued. "Those are a replica of the Ancients. They’re a curious species, in that they didn’t develop naturally.
They were created by a Pantheon of Gods known as the Creators to manage and develop the worlds that they were making in the Mortal and Immortal Worlds.
The Ancients are the first species that most worlds see, the ones that create and place all other life on a planet.
The very first ancestors of everything in existence.
At least on the worlds that they helped create. However, the Creators Pantheon is a relatively young Pantheon by Divine standards. Both the Beast Pantheon and the Dragon Pantheon were fully formed before the Creators came into existence.
Even the first Human Gods were born before them.
The Dragon Gods have no issue with the Creators making worlds, and even giving them Systems so that the residents can grow more smoothly, without overuse of resources. The point of contention is their attitude.
You see, the Ancients view everything that they create as a form of pet. A plaything that exists under their care.
But the Pantheon of Creators is one that believes in order through chaos.
When all things are chaotic, random and in flux, all things are in balance. That is how they manage their worlds. However, with that attitude comes a particular lack of moral relativity. If they restricted themselves, it would throw the worlds out of balance.
So, they don’t.
One of the things that originally caused issues was that they would allow their Ancients to populate worlds with dragons. Dragons born from outside of the purview of the Pantheons.
It is in a dragon’s very genetic makeup to follow their Patron.
Yet, the Ancients found a way to create them. Not a replica, not an imitation as many other spells might create. But real, living, breathing dragons with Divine Souls and a link to their deity.
Then they raised them as pets.
Much like Karl watches over the hatchlings in his Tiny World, the Ancients oversee entire worlds full of dragons who have the link to their Gods, but no real connection, as they are not raised by the faithful.
Already, Karl has managed to summon a lesser form of the Watchers, in the Pet Sitters.
That is not possible for one with purely human bloodlines. Only one who has embraced the power of the Ancients, and embraced the Divine balance of Chaos, could possibly use the spell."
Karl frowned. "Wait... embraced the Divine balance of Chaos... My power matrix is based on the form of a Chaos Dragon, placed in five dimensions. Could that be what is shaping the direction that my power is growing?"
"You made a five dimensional power matrix as an Immortal?"
"It was already based on the Chaos Dragon as a mortal, I just altered it to be five dimensional when I was making my Immortal Spirit. But yes."
The Avatar sighed. "The problem is worse than expected. But yes, that is likely part of what is changing your power, and why the System doesn’t recognize you as being part of any particular species.
The chaos of your innate Immortal Soul is already twisting your presence into something that both must and must not exist.
That is what an Ancient is.
They are not technically living things at all. They are the Divine Power of creation made manifest. Pure Arcane energy, imbued with the spirit of the Divine to emulate a living thing. In a way, they’re almost a mana elemental. But a Chaos Element mana elemental."
Lotus nodded slowly as the Divine Green Dragon she was linked to explained more details for her.
"So, that’s why they’re not fluffy."
The black dragon stared at her for a second. "Yes, that is why they’re not fluffy. Fluff is only one aspect of what makes a species appealing. They are not concerned with fluff because they can make fluff at will."
Now it was Dana’s turn to be stupefied. Was Lotus actually understanding this conversation on a deeper level than any of the rest of them?
Or was she just fluff-obsessed?
"The tentacles are actually really soft when they want them to be. Tessa has them stop me from snacking before bed."
Ophelia chuckled, and Lotus looked shocked.
"It was YOU! I knew it. They told me that it was Tessa, but it was you all along."
"And there hasn’t been a cookie crumb in the bed for two weeks," Ophelia agreed.
"BETRAYAL!"
The Black Dragon Avatar smiled at the lover’s spat. "It’s the existence of the Ancients, and their nature as a chaotic force of neutral creation, that has tilted the opinion of the Black Dragon against Karl.
You see, most of the dragon gods just see more children when the Ancients go wild and make another world full of dragons.
But the black dragon has to clean up their mess, and maintain the balance, while dealing with an entire species of creatures who create life at will, with no regard for balance, reason or moderation."
Dana gave the Black Avatar a sympathetic smile. "That actually sounds a lot like Karl. If he had the power to simply create living creatures, there would be no stopping him."
"Exactly my point. Fortunately, that’s unlikely to happen before he becomes a Demigod. Even the Legends rarely grasp the power of creation."
In Karl’s mind, Cara laughed hysterically. Wasn’t that basically a challenge? If it wasn’t impossible, then it was definitely a goal. Learn to create living things before reaching Divinity. It could be his final partner, something completely unique, created entirely by the Karl as a proof of concept.
It would be glorious.
