Chapter 1286: Theras’s Plan 2

"Because he changed more than its functions," Amun answered. "You’re right that the Eternals don’t possess a System in the same way you do.

In the Prime Universe, the System manifests as an interface, something that can be observed and interacted with, but Theras took a different approach with the people of the Seven Realms.

He integrated its functions directly into their bodies, their souls, and their very existence. The System no longer appears to them as something separate because, for the Eternals, it has become part of what they are."

The implication was disturbing. Their strength, their transformation, and even the loyalty that defined the seven Eternal Legions might all have been consequences of a single design, established long before most of them had any understanding of the forces shaping their lives.

"When I discovered what he had done, I confronted him," Amun continued.

"I tried to make him understand what he was doing to our people, but by then, he had already convinced himself that his goal justified every sacrifice. He would not abandon his plan, and I would not stand beside him while he turned our entire civilization into a source of power for himself.

We fought, and the conflict destroyed what remained of our family. Our father was killed by Theras, and I was forced to flee the Seven Realms with one fragment of the System and the sword Prarambh."

He fell quiet for a moment, and I understood that there were parts of that conflict he still carried with him, even after everything that had happened since. When he finally spoke again, his voice had regained its composure, but the bitterness had not entirely disappeared.

"His actions changed the humans of the Seven Realms in ways that could never be reversed. The System’s modifications altered their nature over time, transforming them into the species you now know as the Eternals.

They were no longer simply humans who had received a tool to grow stronger; they had become beings whose existence was tied to Theras and whose fates could be claimed by him.

That connection, combined with the power he offered them, created the absolute loyalty you see today. Every one of the seven Eternal Legions serves him completely, and they believe their purpose is to follow his will, regardless of what he demands of them."

I considered the scale of what Amun was describing. Theras had not merely gathered an army or conquered a collection of universes; he had reshaped an entire species around his ambition, turning countless lives into a resource he could harvest whenever the time came.

The invasions, the destruction, and the endless battles were only the visible parts of a plan that had been unfolding for an incomprehensible length of time.

"And now," Amun continued, "he intends to bring that plan to its conclusion. He will consume the fates of the Eternals themselves, along with those of the Phantoms, the Abominations, and the populations of the universes that have fallen under his control.

The Eternal Universe will be devoured, and the same fate awaits every vassal universe connected to his domain. Every being whose fate he can reach will become part of the harvest, and he believes that by gathering enough of them, he will finally force Fate to accept him as its complete master."

Amun turned toward me, and the look in his eyes made it clear that the final part of his explanation was the one he feared most.

"But there is one obstacle he has yet to overcome, and that is the reason the Prime Universe still matters.

To complete his plan, Theras needs the fourth fragment of the System, which is now in this universe. Without it, he cannot bring the entire process to its intended conclusion. But if he acquires that fragment, the barrier protecting this universe from the full reach of his plan will disappear, and the Prime Universe will be devoured along with everything else."

For several moments, I said nothing. Forty-nine Origins rested within my Divine Core, each one already at ninety percent resonance, yet I had spent three years searching for a way to cross the final boundary and had found nothing. Theras, meanwhile, had spent ages preparing to achieve the same goal through the fates of countless beings, and the retreat of his armies suddenly made far more sense.

He was not abandoning the war because he feared defeat; he was preparing to end it on his own terms.

And if he succeeded in obtaining that final fragment, there would be no universe left for anyone to save.

"The fourth fragment is not merely a missing piece that he needs to complete the System,"

Amun continued, breaking the silence.

"Theras has already incorporated the other three fragments into himself. They have become part of his soul, his body, and his very existence, to the point where separating them from him may no longer be possible without destroying what he has become. Over the ages, he has made them the foundation of his plan, using their combined functions to establish the connections through which he can reach the fates of those bound to him."

His gaze shifted toward me, and the crimson chains surrounding the distant galaxies glimmered as though they had responded to his words.

"He can begin the Fate Harvest with the fragments he already possesses, and that is precisely why he has been able to prepare for so long without the fourth one. However, attempting to consume the fates of entire populations through an incomplete System is an extraordinarily dangerous undertaking, even for someone with his level of power.

The process could fail before it reaches its conclusion, and the consequences would be impossible to predict. He might lose control of the connections he has established, damage the very foundations of his soul, or consume countless fates without gaining enough resonance to cross the final boundary.

The fourth fragment would stabilize the entire process, allowing him to bring the harvest to its intended conclusion with a far greater chance of success. But at the same time, I believe you already understand the power of nullification possessed by the fourth fragment. It can nullify Theras’s connections to those bound to him, preventing him from consuming their fates. That is precisely why he cannot allow it to remain in our hands."

I began to understand why he had allowed the conflict to continue for so long instead of attempting his final breakthrough earlier.

Theras had spent ages building an empire that stretched across multiple universes, and the countless beings under his control were not simply subjects or soldiers to him. They were the foundation of a process that could either grant him Godhood or destroy everything he had spent eternity preparing.