[: 3rd POV :]
"Hmmm… so there are twenty factions that we should absolutely take note of?"
The pink haired girl tilted her head curiously while hugging her knees atop Yggdrasil's massive branch.
Even after hearing all twenty names, she still found it difficult to fully imagine the scale behind them.
After all, each one sounded powerful enough to dominate countless worlds effortlessly.
The
man simply nodded calmly.
"That's right."
"And no one should ever underestimate them."
His tone carried quiet certainty.
Not fear.
Not admiration.
But acknowledgment.
Because every single major faction had survived through countless eras of destruction, universal wars, dimensional collapses, and the rise and fall of ancient civilizations.
None of them reached their current position through luck alone.
The man slowly continued.
"Well…"
"The next category would be the Constellations."
The pink haired girl immediately became interested again.
"Constellations?"
"Aren't those just stars?"
The silver haired man chuckled faintly.
"That misconception alone has caused countless beings to die."
The girl blinked.
"…That dangerous?"
The man nodded.
"For ordinary people, stars are merely celestial objects."
"But for the Universe…"
"Stars are far more than that."
All of the sudden, there were ancient illustrations appeared within the air.
Massive constellations stretched across the skies like divine symbols carved into reality itself.
"Constellations are entirely different from factions or Pantheons."
"They are not built through territory."
"Nor are they established through bloodlines or civilizations."
"What makes them special…"
His eyes narrowed slightly.
"…is the fact that their strength depends entirely on Stars."
The pink haired girl quietly listened now.
"And unlike ordinary organizations…"
"Every Constellation represents a Spirit."
The moment those words were spoken, the stars above Yggdrasil flickered faintly.
As though reacting to the topic itself.
The girl looked upward instinctively.
"Spirits?"
The silver haired man nodded.
"Yes."
"Ancient cosmic spirits tied directly to celestial pathways."
"Some govern destiny."
"Some govern death."
"Some govern war."
"And others…"
His voice lowered slightly.
"…govern concepts too dangerous to speak casually."
The atmosphere became slightly heavier.
"Every single Constellation possesses its own spiritual authority."
"And the stronger the stars connected to them become…"
"The stronger the Constellation itself grows."
The girl frowned thoughtfully.
"So they become stronger through faith?"
"Partially," the man answered.
"But unlike the Faction of Believers…"
"Constellations grow through recognition, legends, destiny, influence, and cosmic alignment."
"The more beings acknowledge their existence…"
"The brighter their stars become."
"And the brighter their stars…"
"The stronger their authority."
The girl slowly widened her eyes.
"That sounds unfair."
The silver haired man smiled faintly.
"The Universe itself is unfair."
Then he continued.
"Currently, there are exactly eighty eight recognized Constellations throughout existence."
The girl nearly choked on her mana candy.
"Eighty eight?!"
"That's a lot!"
The man nodded calmly.
"And among those eighty eight…"
"There are twelve that absolutely stand above the others."
The moment he spoke those words, the skies above Yggdrasil suddenly shifted.
Twelve enormous celestial symbols slowly appeared throughout the cosmic heavens.
Each one radiated ancient pressure vast enough to suppress dimensions naturally.
The pink haired girl instinctively stopped speaking.
Because even she could feel the terrifying authority contained within those symbols.
"The Twelve Zodiac Constellations."
The silver haired man's voice echoed quietly.
"The main Constellations every being throughout the Universe must be aware of."
Massive celestial symbols continued glowing across the skies.
Aries.
Taurus.
Gemini.
Cancer.
Leo.
Virgo.
Libra.
Scorpio.
Sagittarius.
Capricorn.
Aquarius.
Pisces.
Each symbol radiated entirely different forms of authority.
Some burned like eternal suns.
Some felt cold and mysterious.
Some distorted fate itself merely by existing.
The pink haired girl quietly stared upward in awe.
"…They feel alive."
The man nodded slowly.
"Because they are."
"The Zodiac Constellations are not merely symbols."
"They are ancient cosmic existences."
"Living celestial authorities."
The girl swallowed softly.
"Are they stronger than factions?"
The silver haired man became silent briefly before answering.
"Strength between organizations cannot be measured so simply."
"A single Zodiac Constellation can influence countless star systems."
"But some factions possess terrifying monsters capable of opposing them."
"Meanwhile…"
His eyes narrowed slightly.
"…Pantheons stand on an entirely different level altogether."
The girl sighed dramatically.
"The Universe sounds more and more impossible the longer you explain it."
The man chuckled faintly.
"That is because you are still seeing only the surface."
His gaze slowly lifted toward the endless cosmos once more.
"Well, next…"
The man slowly closed one of the floating books beside him.
"The next category are beings known as Monarchs and Sovereigns."
The pink haired girl blinked curiously.
"Monarchs and Sovereigns?"
"They sound important."
The man nodded calmly.
"They are."
"And among all classifications throughout the Universe…"
"They are considered some of the most dangerous existences to ever exist."
The atmosphere around Yggdrasil subtly shifted.
Even the surrounding branches became quieter as though the tree itself acknowledged the significance of those titles.
"Although Monarchs and Sovereigns possess different titles…"
"In the end, both represent similar existences."
The man's eyes narrowed slightly.
"Absolute rulers."
The girl quietly listened.
"The difference between them lies within inheritance."
A glowing symbol slowly formed above the man's palm while ancient runes rotated around it.
"A Monarch is a classification capable of passing down its authority, legacy, and powers to a successor."
"When one Monarch dies…"
"Another may inherit their throne."
"The title continues."
"The authority continues."
"The lineage continues."
The girl tilted her head.
"So Monarchs are replaceable?"
"To an extent," the man answered calmly.
"But inheriting a Monarch's authority is not simple."
"Many successors die instantly from incompatibility."
"Others lose themselves completely after inheriting fragmented memories and powers."
"And some…"
His gaze darkened slightly.
"…become consumed by the Monarch itself."
The pink haired girl quietly swallowed.
"That sounds terrifying."
The man nodded once.
"It is."
Then, he continued.
"Meanwhile…"
"A Sovereign is entirely different."
The atmosphere suddenly became heavier.
"A Sovereign does not pass down their authority."
"They embody it completely."
"Their throne belongs only to them."
"And unless they die…"
"No successor can exist."
The surrounding space distorted faintly as his voice echoed.
"A Sovereign stands alone."
"They are singular existences."
"Absolute rulers tied directly to their authority itself."
The girl slowly widened her eyes.
"So if a Sovereign exists…"
"No second one can appear?"
"Correct."
The man nodded calmly.
"That is why Sovereigns are feared."
"Because each one represents an irreplaceable calamity."
The girl looked thoughtful for a moment before suddenly asking—
"So what kinds of Monarchs and Sovereigns exist?"
The silver haired man gave a faint smile.
"Many."
"Far too many."
"But there are several well known names that even ancient beings recognize immediately."
The skies above Yggdrasil slowly shifted again.
Ancient symbols began appearing one after another across the heavens.
"Among the known Monarchs…"
The man spoke calmly.
"These ten are among the most infamous."
"Monarch of Shadows."
"A ruler capable of governing darkness, souls, and endless shadows."
"Monarch of Destruction."
"A being associated with annihilation and collapse."
"Monarch of Frost."
"One who freezes not only matter, but emotions and time itself."
"Monarch of Infernal Flames."
"A Monarch whose flames are said to burn even spiritual existence."
"Monarch of Abyss."
"A ruler tied directly to endless voids and forgotten darkness."
"Monarch of Beasts."
"One capable of commanding ancient creatures and primordial monsters."
"Monarch of Death."
"A terrifying existence governing decay, death, and spiritual endings."
"Monarch of Justice."
"A Monarch associated with divine radiance and heavenly judgment."
"Monarch of Dreams."
"One who governs illusions, nightmares, and subconscious realms."
"And finally…"
The surrounding atmosphere became heavier.
"Monarch of Ruin."
"A Monarch feared even among other Monarchs."
The pink haired girl quietly stared upward in fascination.
"They sound absurdly powerful…"
The silver haired man chuckled softly.
"And those are merely Monarchs."
The girl blinked.
"…Merely?"
Then, the pressure around Yggdrasil increased noticeably.
Because the moment Sovereigns were mentioned.
Even the stars reacted differently.
The silver haired man slowly continued.
"Unlike Monarchs…"
"Sovereigns are far rarer."
"And far more dangerous."
The skies darkened faintly.
"Among the countless Sovereigns throughout existence…"
"These ten are among the most feared."
"Sovereign of Titans."
"A colossal existence capable of crushing worlds physically."
"Sovereign of Apocalypse."
"A being associated with universal endings and catastrophic destruction."
"Sovereign of ."
"One who rules over ancient dragon bloodlines and primordial draconic authority."
"Sovereign of Eternity."
"A terrifying existence connected to endless time."
"Sovereign of the Void."
"A ruler governing nothingness itself."
"Sovereign of Element."
"A being capable of using every known elements"
"Sovereign of Chaos."
"One whose existence alone destabilizes reality."
"Sovereign of Blood."
"A terrifying ruler tied directly to life essence and evolution."
"Sovereign of Infinity."
"A mysterious existence associated with limitless growth and endless expansion."
"And finally…"
The man's expression became noticeably more serious.
"Sovereign of Game."
The moment those words were spoken, the surrounding stars trembled faintly.
Even the pink haired girl felt chills run down her spine instinctively.
"…That one sounds dangerous."
The silver haired man slowly nodded.
"Because it is."
"There are records stating that the Sovereign of Game once consumed an entire dimension into a single collapsing point."
The girl stared blankly.
"…That's insane."
The man calmly looked toward the distant cosmos.
