In a realm beyond the celestial plane, where elder dragons and absolute gods of the abyss gather, a lone figure appeared among them.
"Hey, everyone. Yawn..." Xarnt says casually. Unlike the others, he is neither a god nor a dragon—just a human. Yet, he surpasses even the absolute gods and dragons in power, known throughout existence as the Timekeeper.
The gathered deities watched Xarnt in a mix of awe, fear, and disbelief. This was the first time he had appeared in their universe, and none of them knew who he was. No mere human had ever dared to speak to them so casually, let alone radiate such authority. "Timekeeper?" The title meant nothing to them, yet the sheer power emanating from him left even the strongest among them silent.
Elder Dragon Zephyr, her iridescent scales shimmering, was the first to speak. “Mortal, we are eternal gods, creators and destroyers of worlds. Your boldness is… intriguing.” Her voice echoed like distant thunder.
Absolute God Arcturus, leaned forward, his gaze burning like collapsing stars. “Tell me, Timekeeper, what power do you possess that demands our respect?” His voice carried the weight of the universe itself.
"Unlike you, I'm currently managing over 600 universes, while you only govern this one," Xarnt said casually. "But that's not why I'm here. There are 12 anomalies—irregular beings—lurking somewhere beyond the Abyssline, likely on the continents. I still can't believe you gods merged 3,000 worlds into a single massive planet, with each continent the size of an entire world… but whatever."
He leaned forward, his expression turning serious. "These anomalies exist only to destroy, and I intend to eliminate them. However, I know you won’t allow me to interfere directly in your 3,000-continental world, so I plan to send an agent. His strength is just below the irregulars, and I need your help."
Xarnt then grinned, shrugging. "I may be a powerful, but that doesn’t mean I can just ignore your rules. So, I’m here to… what do you call it? Oh yeah—ask for permission. Lol."
The gathered gods exchanged stunned glances at Xarnt’s revelation. Controlling 600 universes? Even for divine beings accustomed to cosmic scales, the idea was hard to grasp. However, the mention of "Anomalies"—destructive entities capable of crossing realms—struck a nerve, threatening the very order they upheld.
Arcturus stroked his chin, his usual confidence tinged with unease. "If these anomalies truly exist, they pose a grave danger. Should they escape our cosmos, the balance of creation itself could be shattered."
Zephyr's eyes darkened, her shimmering scales shifting to a deep, ominous indigo. "Yet allowing a Timekeeper’s agent to interfere in our world… That borders on an invasion. It defies our ancient pact to govern this universe without external influence."
Xarnt saw no need to explain the true nature of anomalies to the deities—they would likely panic if they knew. Fortunately, this universe had a compressed world structure, making it difficult for anomalies to pinpoint the anchor continent. The interconnected continents would naturally stabilize the main world over time.
However, this also meant the anomalies were likely using this world as a base, knowing that the universe’s absolute gods would prevent Xarnt from interfering directly.
"Don't worry," Xarnt reassured them. "The Timekeeper I will send will be reincarnated to fit within your world. I've also removed his Timekeeper abilities. He will be reborn under the blessing of the Absolute Goddess of Reincarnation."
He crossed his arms and continued, "Only we can deal with these anomalies. I know you have a rule against interfering with the world, so consider this a favor—I'm offering to remove them for you."
"As for the Timekeeper I’m sending, you don’t need to worry about his mindset. To put it simply, my soul is split into a thousand pieces to manage different universes, but I alone am the strongest since I am the original, rather, the main body." Xarnt explained.
The pantheon watched Xarnt with a mix of awe and unease, struggling to comprehend the vastness of his power and the weight of his words. The idea of a single being existing across multiple realms and governing countless universes was beyond their understanding.
High Priestess Luminara, the Absolute Goddess of Reincarnation, stepped forward, her radiant robes shimmering with divine energy. "You intend to send a fragment of yourself, stripped of its omnipotence, to be reborn in our world? Such a sacrifice would prove your dedication to protecting this realm."
Celestius, the Absolute Emperor God and ruler of the celestial host, voiced his skepticism. "Even if this 'agent' is bound by the Goddess of Reincarnation, can we truly trust that it will not disrupt our authority or disturb the world's balance?"
Xarnt met their stares with unwavering confidence, his smile unshaken.
"Of course! Haha, they're my agents—if they mess up, I'll know immediately. Our souls are connected," Xarnt said with a grin. "Like I mentioned, my soul is split into a thousand shards, so I can always tell if one of them is slacking off." Then, flashing a playful smile, he turned to Luminara. "Oh, by the way, how about a date, Luminara?" he asked smoothly. "A coffee date would be nice, lol," he added with a chuckle.
The cosmos fell into silence as Xarnt’s unexpected flirtation lingered in the air. The pantheon exchanged stunned glances, uncertain how to respond to such boldness from a mere mortal. High Priestess Luminara’s surprise quickly gave way to amusement, her eyes shimmering with mirth.
She chuckled softly, the sound echoing through the chamber. "Ah, Xarnt, you are certainly daring. But as a divine being, I am forbidden from romantic entanglements with mortals, no matter how charming they may be."
Emperor Celestius cleared his throat, eager to refocus the discussion. "While we acknowledge your... unique approach, Xarnt, the matter at hand remains unresolved. We must deliberate further on whether to grant your request. Present your case, and perhaps we shall reconsider."
"Grant my request, Celestius. I have other universes to handle, and this issue needs to be resolved," Xarnt said, rubbing his brow in frustration. "I'm not even joking, and you don’t have to help him directly—just make sure he doesn’t die."
He sighed before continuing, "Based on multiple timelines and future projections, he’ll complete this mission in a few years. All I ask is that you reincarnate him as one of the 'Ancients,' the race that went extinct in your world. Since Ancients only truly die after fulfilling their purpose, he’ll have the best chance of succeeding."
Emperor Celestius studied Xarnt carefully, his celestial eyes narrowing in contemplation. The request was bold granting an extinct race’s power to a mere agent in exchange for vague assurances about multiversal balance. Yet, Xarnt’s unwavering confidence and the sheer scale of his claim made it difficult to dismiss outright.
Leaning back in his throne, Celestius steepled his fingers before finally speaking. “Very well, Timekeeper. We shall grant your agent the blessing of the Ancients as requested. However, their survival and success are not guaranteed—the path ahead is treacherous, and they must prove themselves worthy of our aid.”
Turning to the gathered deities, Celestius declared, “Pantheon, heed my decree. Bestow the blessing of the Ancients upon this reincarnated soul as a gesture of goodwill. May their trials be swift and their victories echo across the world.”
The divine assembly nodded in agreement, and celestial energies swirled around Xarnt, channeling the extinct race’s power into the chosen vessel. As he felt the surge of ancient strength course through his being, Xarnt directed the energy to one of his soul fragments, sending it into the vast world below. Straightening with renewed confidence, he smirked. “Much appreciated, Celestius. If ever you need a favor in return, you know where to find me.”
"Ah, right! Luminara, I heard you're having trouble with one of your worlds," Xarnt said casually. "As a gesture of goodwill, I don’t mind reincarnating there to fix the issue for you. However, I want you to also reincarnate three of my agents into that world and grant them your blessing. As for me, no need for a blessing—I’ll manage just fine." He then turned his gaze toward Zephyr, Arcturus, and Celestius. "Come to me, Enigma," Xarnt commanded, summoning a spirit weapon. The blade, black yet glowing with radiant energy, pulsed with the combined essence of space and radiance. Without hesitation, he tossed it toward a distant continent, aiming for a great World Tree.
"World Tree of that land, please deliver this to my agent," Xarnt instructed. "Your fates will intertwine, and he won’t remember ever being a Timekeeper. Oh, and one more thing—don’t tell him this sword came from me, lol."
The ancient World Tree sensed the Timekeeper’s essence and extended a branch to receive the spirit weapon.
A soft breeze carried its whisper. “Fates entwined; paths aligned. As the Timekeeper decrees, this blade shall find its destined wielder—an agent unaware of the vast cosmos.”
Xarnt turned to High Priestess Luminara, awaiting her response from his inquiry, but that is a tale for another time. Now begins the story of the Timekeeper’s agent—an enigma reborn into a world of 3,000 continents and an abyssline stretching into the cosmos… A soul reincarnated as Mixarnt.