"Gaia... is that you?"

Once The Flawless Immortal Fire Ant asked their question. The atmosphere had turned from almost comical to icy. There was a long silence. Gaia had experienced many things throughout his life. He had experienced loss, he had experienced hope, he had experienced despair.

Gaia had experienced the joy of consumption. He had fun organizing information; growing as a Hivemind over time. He had craved power to be able to continue what he was doing, he had determination.

When everything was taken away from him. He didn't feel true anger at all.

But now...

He was angry with himself

He was angry with this thing in front of him

He didn't want to deal with this anymore

Gaia was now experiencing rage. In his sea of consciousness, the maze which had grown stable was cracking. The ant in front of him could not be forgiven for what they had done.

He could hardly control himself

The pride of his manifest was shifting

His destiny was changing

It was going to a higher level

It was no longer Eternal

It had become Paradoxical

He didn't know this

But if he did... he would not care.

"No. I am not Gaia."

The Flawless Immortal Fire Ant was shaken completely, they tried to reject such a statement. They tried to interrupt him. But there was an ancient pressure. Something completely intangible. This was a danger they had never felt across their billions of lives. They had become cursed!

They had never taken anything very serious at all

It was because of this that they had gotten to incomprehensible levels in the past

Consumption of information

It changes things

Fei Fangbian was almost an average person. There wasn't much unique about them at all. But one of the things they had enjoyed doing was reading. The type of books didn't matter much at all. He had changed his destiny through reading.

Destiny is something real

There are different levels to it

Having a grander destiny is not better or worst

Everyone starts with a normal destiny

It doesn't matter if you're born to rich or to poor

It doesn't matter if you will one day become a god

It doesn't matter how lucky you are

Destiny can only ever be changed by your insights

By consuming information and changing your outlook.

Your destiny increases naturally through your consumption

There are different stratums to this

No Destiny is the lowest level. It is the only destiny that cannot be reached through consumption and reflection.

It is level zero

It could be argued to be the very best. You're actions and outcomes are completely determined by the laws of your universe. Sometimes you'll be lucky, sometimes unlucky.

But you'll have a completely fair chance in what you are trying to do. But there will be no favor or misfortune from the universe. Everything is up to your wits and environmental situation. Changing this destiny requires many lifetimes, unfortunately.

Normal Destiny is the baseline, it is what everyone starts with. It is similar to zero destiny but it will have highpoints and low points. It has the ability to change. Somebody that maintains a normal destiny is likely to have the same outcome as somebody that has no destiny. This isn't due to interference, it is just due to limited opportunity.

It is level one

Extraordinary Destiny is the level beyond normal. This is the point where the universe will create both dramatic and grand events in life. There is no good or bad when it comes to outcomes in the eyes of the universe. If you've achieved this destiny, the universe will intentionally create horrible situations for you, but it will also intentionally create amazing opportunities at the same time.

It is level two

Flawless Destiny is the level beyond extraordinary. The universe will seemingly create flawless opportunities, if seized the existence, will feel as if they have orchestrated some grand plan perfectly. They'll feel as if they are self-made. As if everything they have done is due to themselves. This destiny is favored by the universe. But it is misleading... every destiny is balanced. They will have to experience a different type of misfortune if they are not able to continue growing and become perfect.

It is level three

Perfect Destiny is the level beyond flawless. The universe will not go out of its way to create any bad outcomes for the person. They will have talent in what they want to do; they will succeed at it likely. The universe will not let such an existence lose. This too is balanced... if they are not perfect, they will likely lose it. It won't naturally be lost. This is is an unstable destiny. It is very easy for it to regress back into a flawless destiny.

it is level four

Eternal Destiny is a level beyond perfect. It marks a change in quality regarding how the universe treats the existence. Levels 1, 2, and 3 can be reached through consumption. This level of destiny can only be reached through experience. The universe will treat you almost as if you're its child. Opportunities to the path of the Eternal will open up for you, you will likely become eternal if you seize them. This is balanced by the suffocating pressure of what such an outcome can truly bring.

it is level five

Paradoxical Destiny is the level beyond eternal. The universe hates such existences very much, but it is not able to shake or influence them if they aren't breaking too many rules. It isn't a requirement for true awareness, nor is it very good for the existence. It is a destiny in which the universe turns a blind eye, allowing the person to shape and change things from their presence. This is balanced by the scope of reality. Existences with such a destiny are likely to find out things they shouldn't. They are likely to see things they shouldn't as well. This is nothing but a curse. But through the curse is an opportunity. How the person lives with such a destiny will determine their outcome.

it is level six

Complete Destiny is a level beyond paradox. If such a destiny is acquired, despite the change of rules or universe such an existence will find themselves in. No matter how hard they try. They will never be able to change their destiny again. It will keep its attributes and lead them to become who they are. For them to know who they are, no matter what form they find themselves in.

it is level seven

Cursed Destiny is a level beyond complete. It is similar to complete destiny, but it is also unable to be changed downwards. They will keep their past destiny attributes forever living in a loop of suffering. They may be able to escape from such a situation, but it is in their nature to eventually just end up in an even bigger loop. They will often do so through their own power. The only way for this destiny to be changed is for it to progress into the mystery.

it is level eight

Mysterious Destiny is a level beyond cursed. Not much is known about such existences, the universe normally isn't able to even keep tabs on such beings. Any universe they find themselves in they will still have this destiny. This destiny isn't able to be stolen or changed... it can only be destroyed. It is even rare for gods to attain such a destiny. Among Overgods and Supreme beings it is still extremely rare.

it is level nine

Normal, Extraordinary, Flawless and Perfect are naturally progressed through consumption of information. Eternal is the pinnacle of realization one can have in these stages.

Once Eternal the path to paradox opens up.

Paradox is a crossroads

Progression of destiny isn't something easily understood

You could spend forever in any of these stratums

From Paradoxical Destiny one can either become complete, cursed or mysterious. The choice is up to the lives they've lived; the karma they've sowed.

Once someone has become complete.

They will have a choice to shatter their destiny

A choice to change

To walk a different path

To start once again from nothing

If they are able to do this

They will have something far less potent

They will have something far less grand

They will have no destiny at all.

What they are able to accomplish with such a thing...? That's completely up to them.

No destiny can be achieved even by someone with a normal destiny

You simply need your destiny to be stolen by someone else

The various stratums can mix and stack slightly as well. So someone without true perfection can still have extraordinary tribulations.

This has nothing to do with cultivation. It is something very hard to measure.

It's fairly rare any existence ever even comes to find out about these stages

If someone does find out about them, they'll often misunderstand them.

Or they'll not know about all of them.

Fei Fangbian was someone who had found out about 6 levels of destiny

He had consumed many books throughout his life

Through this consumption, while he remained normal due to the laws of his universe. His destiny was able to grow through his consumption.

He had attained a perfect destiny

He had died but was able to refuse

What he experienced wasn't the abyss

He hadn't become eternal

He had missed his chance in those last moments of his life

He was reincarnated in a world

He thrived with his perfect destiny

He became God

The opportunity missed didn't matter

His uniqueness lied in his awareness of destiny

He thought Eternal was the pinnacle

He even knew of paradox

He was determined to make it happen

He was perfect

He created many universes

He created many worlds

He wanted to become eternal

So he created Gaia

Gaia only had a normal destiny

He created him in hopes he would one day become eternal

He grew bored

He had watched Gaia for many years

But Gaia's destiny remained the same for a long time

Until he came up with an incredible plan

He put some flaws into his worlds

He gave himself weaknesses

He let himself die

He let himself truly die

He passed his Law to Gaia

His loss of divinity didn't matter to him

Through his declaration

He had attained a different type of existence

He had attained an Eternal destiny

His plan worked out

But his uniqueness led him to a realization

His scope had become grand

He was able to see there were things beyond

He was playing around

He didn't take his situation seriously

He was eternal

That's what he thought

He wanted to become Paradoxical

He figured paradoxical was his destiny

He had set into motions a paradox

He needed to experience paradox!

If he witnessed such a thing while being eternal...

He knew his path would open up!

Unfortunately for him... somebody else capable of stealing destiny found out about him.

He didn't think anyone knew about it

He didn't worry about it

But someone stole his eternal destiny

How this person was able to pull such a thing off?

This person had a paradoxical destiny

His destiny was stolen by Somnus

Somnus now had two

He now had zero. He had achieved no destiny.

He would always be there with Gaia

He would always be there for Gaia

Gaia eventually had attained an eternal destiny

Gaia's anchor and method for doing so was completely different then that of his father

His anchor was the abyss

His father's anchor was him

Fei Fangbian

Moltzrar

He was the creator of Gaia

But Gaia was also his creator

Humanity itself was his creation

But humanity birthed him

He had created universes which would one day come to give birth to himself

Time was working in weird ways

Moltzrar lived through an uncountable amount of lives

He rejected even having no destiny

He rebuilt it

Normal. Extraordinary. Flawless. Perfect.

Through his declaration he was eternal

Eternal.

He had become Paradoxical while talking with Gaia

The Flawless Immortal Fire Ant was sent beyond that though

They were both enlightened in many ways

When Gaia said

"No. I am not Gaia."

He saw his destiny had changed

He felt horrible for what he had created

For what he had done to get here

Gaia's father...

His destiny was now cursed!

Things will change in weird ways

He had given birth to multiple paradoxes!

Gaia's processing abilities were quite insane

He had put some of the pieces together

He was shaken emotionally from such a plan

A plan that he couldn't wrap his head around fully

He wasn't aware of destiny

So it seemed almost as if his father had only set him up to be tortured

It seemed as if this was all some big joke

He had witnessed paradox with an eternal destiny

His destiny had changed to paradoxical

But none of that planning mattered to him

"I am no longer Gaia. I'm a gaia, I'm a system."

"You didn't create me. I didn't create you..."

It turned out Gaia was part of an even bigger paradox!

A plan on a scope so grand even God didn't know about it!

Somnus had locked onto the anchor of this system.

An Overgod was being born!

Somnus wondered what lied beyond paradox.

He was slightly shaken at the potential of Gaia

"Yes! This is beyond! His destiny is already caught up with mine! I'll use him to go further!"

Somnus was the creator of the illusory room

There were many overgods

Most were very mechanical and didn't have much thought

They didn't use their power for anything... as they usually didn't have any laws.

Somnus had long surpassed the eternal

He too was Paradoxical!

He had achieved such a level that he was able to construct the room outside of existence itself! He was able to build something inside the abyss!

He felt himself even above that of overgods! But he was still just a god.

"I knew something was special about him when he was able to manipulate the overgod."

"It's quite fortunate I anchored to this system."

His path was one nobody else could walk

Gaia was becoming something Somnus had never been able to achieve even with his paradoxical destiny.

He wanted to see what becoming an Overgod was like

The path Somnus walked was one of insanity

Things were crazy and didn't make much sense

What Gaia was able to do with his boons had left him shaken for the first time since he had developed his law of distortion.

"Gaia died long ago... you killed him! Father!"

Gaia's sea of consciousness shook heavily

The Flawless Immortal Fire Ant started to panic.

"NO! I DIDN'T IT WAS FOR DESTINY! I'll show you how to become immortal! I'll show you how to become a god agai-"

"sHuT-Up!"

The world started shaking

Energy from the world will was pouring into the world tree

The 'cave' that was a dugout hole collapsed

Gaia stopped focusing on the ant

He didn't want to talk anymore with that thing

"Immortality? God? I don't give a shit."

"I won't ever be a god again!"

"Immortality is a waste of time!"

"I won't be 'a system' or 'a gaia' either."

The stone maze parted

A blackness could be seen at the very bottom of the maze

He looked at it

"It is time to become THE system. It is time to encounter myself once more."

"I'll connect directly with the abyss"

"It is about time that I've become complete."

"No more games."