Power of Runes Chapter 531: Nexus Event (2)
Previously on Power of Runes...
Nexus Event.
It was an event where several possible paths of Fate converged upon a single point, creating a moment where one change could send the future in a completely different direction.
Such events could be born from a person, a decision, a discovery, a conflict, or even something as simple as a chance encounter, but once a Nexus was formed, the event itself would begin pulling together countless possibilities around it, causing the lives of the people connected to it to change in ways that might never have happened otherwise.
For those directly connected to such an event, escaping its influence was almost impossible, because regardless of how far they tried to move away from it, their actions, choices, or even mere existence could still become part of the chain of events surrounding that Nexus.
And right now...
One such event had appeared before Ash.
The notification remained suspended before the clone, as he was too shocked to see something like this appear before him.
**
[Nexus Event Detected.]
[A Major Event capable of causing significant changes to the current flow of Fate has been detected.]
[Although you are free from the restraints of Fate, the beings and existences connected to you through your Soul remain deeply intertwined with its flow. Therefore, this particular Event, already connected to your existence, cannot be avoided.]
[Do you wish to use your accumulated Chaos to influence the outcome of this Nexus Event in your favor?]
→ [YES]
→ [NO]
[Note: It is currently uncertain whether the Nexus Event can have its outcome altered.]
**
Ash stared at the notification in a dazed state.
"I think I finally know where my unease was coming from... I never would have expected it to be a Nexus Event."
The words left his mouth quietly as his gaze remained fixed upon the floating window, because although he had encountered countless strange things since coming into this world, he had never once seen anything like this appear before him, and the more he thought about it, the stranger the whole thing became.
"So things like this really do exist in reality?"
A faint smile of disbelief touched his face.
"I honestly thought something like this only existed in theories, something powerful people talked about because it sounded impressive, but I never expected it to be actually real."
Even after everything he had experienced, every strange ability he had obtained, every powerful existence he had met, and every place he had reached, nothing had ever presented itself to him as a Nexus Event.
And that naturally brought another question to his mind.
Ash’s gaze remained on the window as his thoughts slowly wandered through his own journey, returning to the person he had once been before entering this world, someone weak enough that surviving a single serious confrontation would have been impossible, someone who knew nothing about mana and had no idea that existences capable of ruling entire Dimensions even existed.
Back then, he had been a nobody.
There had been nothing about him that should have made Reality care.
Yet now, standing in the middle of the Realm of Eden, he was surrounded by things that would have once been impossible for him to even imagine, and the more he thought about everything he had gone through, the more a strange realization slowly formed.
His gaze lowered slightly.
He had changed.
Not just in strength, but in the weight his existence carried.
He was an Anomalous Existence, evolved using the Universe as a material itself.
His actions had already begun affecting entire Realms.
His clones had caused enough chaos to shake the balance between Heaven and the Abyss, and his existence had become connected to countless people, powers, and events that could influence the course of the world around him.
Perhaps a Nexus Event could have always existed somewhere.
Perhaps they were constantly happening throughout Reality.
But before, they simply had nothing to do with him.
Now, things were different.
The thought came naturally.
Then another thought followed.
It was a strange way to measure growth, because strength was usually something that could be seen, something that could be tested against another person’s power, but this was different.
He was starting to become someone whose existence itself could affect larger events.
Someone who could stand close enough to the turning points of Reality for them to reach him.
And somehow, that realization felt satisfying.
A faint grin appeared across Ash’s face.
No matter what the Nexus Event was connected to, no matter whether it would bring trouble, opportunity, or something far worse, the fact that it had appeared before him was already interesting enough.
But the best part was that he wasn’t being forced to simply stand there and watch.
He had been given a choice.
He could interfere.
He could push the event toward another outcome.
He could take whatever Fate had prepared and throw a little Chaos into it.
Ash’s smile widened slightly as he immediately brought up the interface of [Chaos Harbinger].
**
[Title: Chaos Harbinger]
[Effect]:
Current Accumulated Chaos:
**
Ash stared at the number for a moment.
He had watched the percentage of accumulated Chaos rise rapidly when he first started creating chaos and destruction, but as the disturbances continued spreading throughout the Realms, the rate had gradually slowed, as though the more Chaos he created, the harder it became to accumulate another meaningful increase.
25%
That was where it had finally stopped.
Ash wasn’t certain whether 25% would actually be enough to influence something as important as a Nexus Event, and the notification itself had already admitted that whether the event could truly be prevented remained unknown.
But standing there and wondering wouldn’t give him an answer.
There was only one way to find out.
Ash selected [YES].
The moment his choice was made, the accumulated Chaos began dropping.
25.000%.
20%.
15%.
10%.
5%.
1%.
0%.
The entire reserve disappeared before his eyes, and after that, the notification simply vanished without giving him any further explanation.
Ash remained standing, staring at the empty space where the notification had been.
For a few moments, he said nothing.
He had originally thought [Chaos Harbinger] was simply another title that would make his luck better, something that would increase the chances of fortunate coincidences appearing around him whenever he created enough disorder.
But now...
He released a huge sigh of relief.
Whatever had been altered, he had no way of knowing yet.
But for the first time, he was beginning to think that [Chaos Harbinger] might be far more useful than he had originally imagined.
**