Acceptance.

INTERMISSION

Cole sat at the steps of my throne his gaze locked on me, his elbows resting on his thighs while his palms supported his head. The gray that was his eyes held a spark within it that normally interested me.

Now it made me cautious.

What was Cole?

A U.I. What kind of power did he wield? I had always suspected him of being more than he said. After all his earlier actions of turning my sword to sand, appearing and disappearing as he wished, and knowledge of most of my deeds in the game I wasn't naive enough to think him weak. He was certainly intelligent and after this scam, I could now peg him as sly.

The true question though wasn't how powerful, or not he was. Nor was it what or who he was.

The true question was, what made a U.I. decide that she, out of everyone was someone to teach and make deals with? That was even if she was truly the only player he spoke with.

What was his drive, his motives? What, was Cole's endgame?

The boy cleared his throat as he squirmed uncomfortably under her gaze. It made her wonder if it was an act if everything was an act. While she couldn't help but doubt the tale he'd given her she could not wrap her head around what Cole would desire to accomplish.

This was a guy that could beat her. And she had given her all into that fight while he barely reacted. And she was acclaimed as the strongest of the one hundred creator gods. While she found that truly questionable it for now was a fact.

'What would a being of his level seek to gain from such childish games? Is he just like Loki who loves mischief or just like Loki when he has a grander plan?' Hilde shivered at the thought of it being the latter.

She knew that having him leave was unnecessary. It also meant she would lose out on the opportunity to learn from him. Funnily now, Hilde felt that whatever he sought to teach her was something she didn't want him approaching the others with.

So there was only one thing she could do now.

"Are you done accessing all viable options of taking me out?" he asked his face stretched into a smile. "I'm sure you know now that having me leave is useless and more rewarding to have me around".

The girl's blue eyes widened, her movement freezing for a moment.

"Not to worry. I'm not evil or anything like that. At the moment it looks like my actions may be interpreted as such to you, it's quite understandable." he rose and took a few steps close. Hilde found herself itching to backpedal away but held herself to the spot.

"I assure you. You will see the light at the end of the tunnel". He smiled again, this time more genuine. His gaze went to the stump as he scratched his right shoulder again. " I see".

"Why?" the question made him pause. His eyes dilated, a spark quickly lighting through his gray eyes. His steps halted for a moment.

"Creator players received the best setting and yet also the worst responsibility. " he shook his head. "I wonder what things will be like when Eternity ends. What things will evolve to when all that remains are the towers of what was? Tell me, Helen, do you believe this reality will ever see the light of true eternity?"

Hilde frowned, obviously, not understanding anything the boy had said.

"Your gods spawn, die, and respawn. A cycle of life and false death. It gives shackles that repress what it truly means to do battle." Cole sighed then turning he walked with little steps to the foot of her throne.

"When true death comes, one's mental tenacity is what draws the line between the simply courageous and the tempered." His steps halted, his head turned slightly so his left eye locked on her, the gray orb reflecting the fires that blazed from the bowls all around.

"Which will your universe have when Time absconds?"

"Your words make little sense. All I want is a why and the how."

Cole shrugged before sitting back at the stairs. "If this helps to mend our trust, then fine." he continued before she could say a word. "Life is now a cycle of beginning and end. When something dies it dies." His gaze locked on her in expectation yet he made no move to let her speak.

"Within the one hundred universes this cycle is flawed. Some would think. It matters not. What does interest me and benefits you, is the consequences, the end result of every action. With all protections gone, all hopes or thoughts of immortality laid bare and erased. Only then can the true self be exposed, only then can this center be fixed, sharpened, or discarded."

She frowned as he halted his eyes having a sparkle of both interest and the dimness of fatigue.

"How does this cycle continue?"

Cole frowned then shook his head. "Wrong questions but understandable." He vanished. Hilde fisted her left palm in annoyance at this.

"A ring is circular. A planet is spherical, one a perfect sphere the other not, yet both a continual loop. Connecting in an endless cycle. Yet a break, a wound shatters this perfect sphere." Hide found him by the window his attention outside.

"You wish to fix the sphere. To amend all the losses. Some are possible, while others... " his head tilted as his words froze. "... either way, to fix a sphere the piece must return." he shrugged.

Her mind was working at speeds that would make a mockery of any other human mind. His words were processed and picked apart before finally, her brain halted.

"Mind you, melted iron, remains iron but is never the same". His last words made her thoughts halt before her lips parted to speak.

"Yet a sword remains a sword. Steel remains steel. A soul remains a soul. Impurities, cracks or more do nothing to change this," she rattled off to herself audibly. The boy had a slight tug on his lips before his serene face returned.

"I don't know why, or what all this is for?." she addressed him. The boy turned locking eyes with her.

"I can't trust you now or anytime soon, which means I won't be listening to anything you say. But, I believe you owe me a lesson. After all the preparations to gain your treasures have been made." She walked slowly yet regally up to the male.

"I won't ask what your plans are for. I doubt I would gain the answers and I can't force it out of you. But, I need you and for some reason you need me." she squinted at him as he remained unmoved either in body or expression.

"What, you know I'm right. I mean you've shown yourself capable of just getting it yourself. But yet you stick around and urge me on. There's ninety-nine of us out there yet you stayed behind even after that" She waved her left hand to the window after remembering her lack of a right arm.

Cole remained impassive.

"You need me, I won't be arrogant to think it due to my strength or level. But whatever the reason I know you need me. Keep your secrets all I ask is to repay me for the mess you caused."

He finally moved turning back to the window.

"Very well. Amendment to the deal. A bit of help since Eternity still exists within this multiverse. Things maintain a cycle. But, their paths never follow the same road, their interest remains in following the cycle yet not in following the strict path. But things are easier with a nudge." he turned with a Cheshire grin.

"Who best to nudge her creations?"

He vanished before Hilde could make a statement, yet she knew that while all his words had made little sense it still had an effect. The creator goddess exhaled a large breath.

'At least I know what to do.'

Sitting on her throne of stalactites she reviewed everything. There had been no stream from her since she entered the battle, too rushed to make any. Something she was glad of since Cole remained an entity she deigned to keep hidden.

The next matter was the issue of the Gods and Devils. With this war, an unplanned truce would be forged or not, it was less her concern and more the gods. Fortunately, they would be too busy surviving to think it through. The restrictions of Ayarat already lifted let her move through the realms and the Gods into Taursa.

'I'll have to add more dungeons in all the realms. Stressful work. ' she shook her head at that.

The next issue was less of hers and more of First to take care of. Yet she wondered how he truly would arrange it all. Finally were the last two issues at hand. First was how to as Cole said fix the sphere. The next was the physical problem that was her hand.

Her eyes looked down on the arm as it weaved into place summoned from her inventory. The arm was still as fresh as it had been like it was just cut from her shoulder. She wondered if it would even rot in the game.

[Organic Part] - [Arm of the Creator goddess]

[ABSOLUTE]

The severed right limb of the creator goddess. Lost in defense of her universe. This item can be used for crafting or life evolution.

'I wonder' she mused before sending back to her inventory.

The last issue quickly crept into her mind. This was an issue that had been plaguing her even as she fought the chaos entity. Cole fortunately had given her insight into what to do.

The more she thought, the more the puzzle unravelled until the last piece slotted into place in her mind.

Hilde sat up straight as she pondered. Her will probed the system seeking information on what she desired. At first, there was resistance just as she expected, then like a thin glass breaking, she felt her will slipping into an entirely different section of the system.

Hilde leaned back as she went through all the information on the system. It was all things that had never been available to creators before. From universes to realms, planes, and even pocket dimensions. Then there were insights for different powers and for types of several things, there were instruments she could use for easier access to her worlds. Even a custom section to implement any type of system.

This meant a lot. This ruined everything that all the creators had done. Now it all depended on what a creator made, what ideas they had, and their plans. Hilde rubbed her fingers into the side of her head.

'Hopefully, this can aid in what needs to be done' she mused.

Clicking on the custom section she watched as the throne room vanished before her. Now she stood in a white room seated on a chair with a table before her. On it was a book opened to its first page.

Surprisingly she realized that she knew exactly what to do. She shut her eyes and thought of what she wanted. After a little while she looked at the book. The first page was now filled with writing done in black ink.

[God Rebirth System ]

- Divine souls lost are returned to the Star River after a true death.

- Vestiges of their being are withdrawn and scattered into the mortal realm and (dependent on the god's birth site) the Divine or Soul realm.

- Fallen gods reincarnated as mortals will always feel the subtle pull of their vestiges.

- Vestiges of their being once claimed and combined into one can aid the soul to ascend back to its place as a god.

- Vestiges can be claimed by others as well who are compatible with them.

- Parts of Vestiges claimed can be used as powerful legacies.

- In the case where a soul is fragmented, each part can ascend without the other, or in case of a meeting either consume one or the other to become the dominant mind.

- Rules are subject to screening by the Absolute.

[Apply to Universe Star Rings]

[Yes /No]

This was it. The grace her gods needed to return. A smile lit up on her face as she applied it. Surprisingly there was no sound or visual effect of its application. Hilde smiled as she spotted a new prompt in the book.

[Submit to System Market]

[Only creators who have found this section can see the submitted products]

[Price will be assigned by the system depending on the effect the submitted idea has on the universe.]

[80% Royalty paid to owner]

It was expected so Hilde didn't bother about it. Her attention was on the other ideas she could implement here. A grin lit up her face as she imagined all the things she could do now.

"Do I tell the other players of this or not?"