Omniscience in Marvel 168

168

…

Leucadius reappeared in Gaia's dimension as the familiar touch of its vast energies washed over him while he glanced around. He could feel the subtle shift in the atmosphere, a slight ripple in the fabric of space, telling him exactly where Gaia and Oshtur were.

A slight crackle of energy coursed through the air as he launched himself into the sky, propelled by sheer force, his figure cutting through the dimension with ease.

A few moments later, Leucadius landed softly, his gaze immediately drawn upward. Before him was a sight that made even his omniscient mind pause.

The sky was dominated by an enormous light screen, so massive that it literally spanned the heavens.

On it, an animated series played out as Gaia and Oshtur, perched together, had their eyes locked on the screen, utterly absorbed in the spectacle.

Leucadius stood there, his brow arched in genuine disbelief.

The two elder gods, whose power was unparalleled, had reduced themselves to mere mortals, glued to some animated series like children.

He felt a mix of amusement and slight frustration bubbling within him.

'Perhaps I should not have given them an Unlimited Access to the Divine Web.' He thought before clearing his throat with a dramatic cough, he waited for them to acknowledge him. But they didn't—no turn of the head, no flicker of recognition.

Gaia was grinning, her fingers tapping lightly against the ground as Oshtur muttered something under her breath, too distracted to notice the world around her.

Leucadius' eyes narrowed. This was getting out of hand.

But just as he was about to do something about it, a surge of energy enveloped him, and within an instant, the scene vanished, replaced by an entirely different part of Gaia's dimension.

The sudden shift caused Leucadius to stagger slightly before regaining his balance, his posture straightening with a bemused smirk tugging at the corner of his lips.

Despite his control over Power and Space, the fact that he could be moved already proved the elder Gods stronger.

Leucadius muttered under his breath. "The elder gods have turned into otakus, haven't they?"

He exhaled deeply, regaining his composure. Raising a head to the sky, he projected his voice across the realm, his tone as steady as ever. "Once I'm done here, I'll be leaving and returning to Heaven for a while."

Silence fell across the space, stretching for what felt like an eternity.

Just as he began to think he had finally gained their attention, the world around him shifted once more and without warning, Leucadius was yanked back to his previous location, landing with a soft thud on the ground.

His expression betraying a mixture of amusement and disbelief.

Oshtur turned to him with a wide grin, her eyes glinting with mischief. "You scared of that massive hunk of metal or what?"

Leucadius sighed, rolling his eyes in exasperation. "I trust that my preparations over this millennium haven't been in vain."

There was no reply, save for the faint sound of Gaia giggling under her breath. Leucadius turned his gaze to the sky, watching the screen flash with another episode.

"Are you two seriously this obsessed with a cartoon?" he asked, unable to hide his amusement. "Really?"

Oshtur didn't even bother looking at him. "When you've seen everything the universe has to offer, you take your fun where you can get it."

Leucadius crossed his arms, smirking as he looked down at the elder gods. "I guess that's one way to pass the time while the world burns."

Gaia's smile never faltered as she leaned closer to the screen, captivated by whatever was playing. "Well, when you've lived through everything, you don't have to worry about the world burning. And besides, it's just so cute."

Leucadius rolled his eyes, but deep down, he couldn't help but feel a sense of understanding.

Even gods, no matter how powerful, needed their distractions.

With a final glance at the light screen and the two gods, he let out a long sigh.

"I'll need you both to focus when you're finished with your little obsession," he muttered, vanishing in an instant, already deep in thought about the looming threats on the horizon.

The sky continued to play, uninterrupted, as the two elder gods remained completely absorbed in their animated world.

…

The sun dipped low, casting long shadows across the halls of Kamar-Taj.

Inside, the Ancient One stood at the center of a circular room, a group of masters surrounding her in attentive silence.

"Today, we dive deeper into the studies of advanced magic," the Ancient One began. "You've all mastered the basics: simple portals, illusions, and basic elemental manipulation. But advanced magic demands more. It requires understanding the balance of energies and how they interact with the fabric of reality."

The assembled masters, each a seasoned practitioner in their own right, nodded in acknowledgment. Their faces were stoic, but the glint of curiosity in their eyes betrayed the excitement of the lesson ahead.

The Ancient One held out her hand, and with a single word, the air around them shimmered, distorting the space between them as a translucent sphere formed above her palm, rotating slowly, displaying a map of the planet.

"This is a lens through which we view the interdimensional layers," she continued, her fingers moving with slow precision, guiding the flow of energy. "To move through them with skill, you must learn to shift your perception. Only then can you bend reality as needed."

A young master, his robes adorned with symbols, raised his hand cautiously. "But how do we remain grounded when everything around us is in flux? Isn't there a danger of losing ourselves within the layers?"

The Ancient One's gaze softened, a faint smile touching her lips. "A wise question. The key to remaining grounded is to understand that the layers are not separate from us. They are extensions of the very forces that govern the universe. The trick is not to dominate them, but to flow with them. Imagine the wind—it is both powerful and elusive. You cannot grasp it with force, but you can ride it."

She raised her hands, and in the air before her, glowing symbols began to shift and twist, forming a web of interconnected forces. "What you see before you is the manifestation of the four fundamental aspects of magic - time, space, energy, and matter. You cannot manipulate one without affecting the others."

Master Kavi, his brow furrowed, raised his hand. "But isn't it difficult to control all of them at once? I've only managed to grasp one aspect before the others start to destabilize."

The Ancient One smiled slightly. "Indeed. That's why you must learn to focus on the underlying principles that connect them. Magic is not just about bending reality to your will. It's about understanding the forces that already exist in the universe and working with them. Time flows, space stretches, energy shifts, and matter forms. All of them are interconnected. When you change one, the others will respond."

She lowered her hands, and the symbols dissolved into the air.

The Ancient One's expression remained serene as she continued. "Power alone doesn't guarantee mastery. An apprentice may harness a large amount of energy, but it is often uncontrolled, raw, and lacking in direction. A master—" she gestured toward the group, "—moves beyond that. We don't just move energy. We direct it with purpose. A master understands the layers beneath the surface of each fundamental force."

She extended her hand, and the air around her shimmered and a ball of energy appeared, crackling with power. With a small gesture, it condensed into a perfect sphere, smooth and controlled before destabilizing and reconstructing into a hand fan before returning to its pure spherical form.

"Notice the difference," she said, letting the ball hang in the air for a moment before dissipating it. "An apprentice may throw this energy around, but a master weaves it, shaping it into something greater than its base form. You are not simply summoning power—you are guiding it, folding it to your will with an understanding of its nature."

Another master, a younger practitioner, stepped forward. "So, it's about understanding the forces before you act on them?"

"Exactly," the Ancient One replied. "It is not always about brute force. The universe may be vast, but it is not chaotic. The laws are interconnected. To manipulate one force without consideration of others is to invite instability."

The room was silent except for the soft murmurs of concentration as the masters attempted to manipulate the magic.

The group continued, each working silently through the complexities of advanced magic. After a time, the Ancient One raised a hand, signaling the end of the session.

"Remember, magic is not just about willpower," she said, her voice soft but firm. "It is about understanding the way reality responds to your presence. If you act without respect for that balance, you will only cause chaos."

The masters bowed, their expressions a mix of determination and quiet admiration.

As they filed out of the room, the Ancient One lingered for a moment, deep in thought. She had barely turned to leave when the air around her shifted—an unsettling ripple passed through her.

Before she could react, she felt herself pulled. The space around her twisted and contorted, and in an instant, she was hurtling through the Mirror Dimension.

She barely had time to steady herself before a force guided her through the shifting walls of reality, pulling her toward an unknown destination.

In the blink of an eye, she was standing in the radiant expanse of Eden. The air was thick with an unfamiliar energy. The sky shimmered with an almost unnatural glow.

"Master," she called while straightening herself, her gaze immediately locking onto the figure standing before her.

Leucadius smiled as if he had been expecting her. "I hope I didn't interrupt anything too important. I need your help with something."

The Ancient One's brow furrowed. She didn't need to ask what it was. Whatever it was, it was something she was surely capable of since he asked. "I've been waiting for this, I suppose."

Leucadius's expression softened. "There's no time to waste. Let's get to work."