Chapter 57 - The Rise Of Ouroboros

MF shuddered, not by the presence of the serpent that eats its tail while also being the very physical manifestation of infinity cycle of life and death itself, but by the thought of doing something that would be ill-advised by most of her brain cells.

She tried to interpret every word that the Ouroboros said. Looking at the probability, she had a chance if she ought to play this humbly.

MF opened her arms to present herself, palms open, eyes closed, smiling with grace. "All things bright and beautiful, all creatures great and small, their journey and the afterlife is the concept that represents you, the almighty Ouroboros. Truly, only few could fathom your great influence within the mortal world.

"The forbidden act that I did was the only way for me to meet with you, but assuming you're mentioning something about 'candidate', won't it mean that you're waiting for someone to be as audacious as you all along?"

MF's legs trembled beneath the dress, her expression was calm but definitely not her mind. Within her head, the council of chibis which represent her train of thoughts were building a shrine for everyone to pray to because there was no way in hell that a puny mortal could try to read and outsmart the being of eternity and infinity!

Or could she? She had tricked the goddess of luck because of her hate and anger fueling her drive and desire to overthrow the gods. But an ancient entity outside of her own understanding? It might be her greatest mistake or her greatest achievement.

Regardless, the reply from the mighty Ouroboros would determine the success of MF's effort.

The universe rumbled once again.

"It seemed like mortals interpreted the act of slaughtering everyone who bore my name to be out of scrutinized furiousness and undying pride. No wonder it took them long enough before they could reclaim their superfluous home from those of the divine.

"I will not give you a reward nor a punishment for donning my name, the reason why I am here was because of those greedy apes before the Judgement Day anyway.

"Flora and Fauna, forced to the boundaries. Par for the course when humanity's sport is tearing down trees, pounding them down into powder for power. They seized bountiful mountains of countless amounts, each ground into compounds bound for the foundries.

"They drowned the sky and burned the seas. Although Mother Nature and I were irrelevant with descendants, such a foul creature was ever so despised because of their trait.

"As a child, seeing all of that was horrifying. Even those who had the power didn't even try to change them, thinking that everything was according to nature and fate and the ants shall do whatever they please."

Hearing the serpent's speech, MF shared the same sentimentality. Maybe it was the reason why the Ouroboros didn't try to change the world despite having the power to create a vast universe-sized private realm.

When a newborn sees its progenitor shun something, they would think that those disregarded beings are peripheral. Their nature affects their dwellers, creating a perilous culture of an unspoken rule.

'Being weak is faulty.'

Then again, it made MF chuckle a bit knowing that the manifestation of an ancient symbol that represented the cycle of life and death to be this sentimental while also bearing a good amount of affection to Mother Nature.

Not to mention, the manifestation of infinity itself, having a time when it was a child, was found to be ironic.

"Despite representing the very means of infinity and eternity, you, the Ouroboros, was a child at some point in your many passing of life?" MF playfully asked.

It might be her feeling, but she felt genuinely confident within this realm than anywhere else. It felt like there was no prosecuting eyes that will judge every movement and decision she made.

"Indeed, as I'm nothing but a former symbolistic rune that ancient civilizations created. Their will is the reason why I'm here."

"But that's not all, isn't it?" MF smirked, tilting her head.

"Just like humans and ants, they will never understand the grand scale of all despite the higher being trying so hard to make them digest the information. Such as those of humans and the gods, or deities if you prefered.

"As I learned the true nature of everything, it turns out that the ascended aren't at the top of the hierarchy."

The universe collapsed as blinding lights engulfed the cosmic dust and galaxies from all directions. The space turned white with MF acquiring the full and unrestricted view of the universe-sized serpent's body on every angle of her vision.

"Only time will tell, experience is the greatest teacher afterall." Ouroboros finished.

"Enlighten me, what do you want me to do?" MF asked.

"You're just like me, but smaller and more prudent. This might be the first time that I possessed faith but I require you to don my name as you ascend beyond the gods."

MF couldn't believe what she just heard, she neither responded nor moved her body due to the denial she was having.

"Any ordinary mortal would gladly accept your offer, but I despise taking something for granted." MF put her hands down. "You know that there is a massive disparity of benefits within the terms you're trying to enforce, right?"

There were a lot of variables that needed to be taken into account. MF assumed that some circumstances had made the Ouroboros to influence the outside more than what it already did.

"I'm old but only a few thousand years older than you. The gods and other beings from another plane try to seek me out. Especially the entity from an unknown digital dimension that you had extracted from trying to appraise you, I can't leave this place yet."

MF had predicted that dilemma. Those so-called 'System' parasites that latched on the lucky bastard's soul is something that shouldn't be shunned.

She then projected her thought into a question, "What are those gods even doing by letting these extra dimensional creatures come to Neamh?"

"Some knew what they were doing, some were blindly following the trend in the hope of gaining more followers and faith. There is a blind war that is happening upon the higher realm as we speak."

"And you want to do something about it," MF said.

"Precisely, but not with haste, my puny friend. You're smart, you know what I'm trying to deliver and that is enough for me to deem you as the perfect candidate. The 'Angel Approval' above your head is the sign of it.

"As much as I want to reveal everything, it will be better if you try to find it yourself.

"So rise!" roared the Ouroboros. "You are neither my champion nor avatar. Neither mortal nor human.

"You're my Ouroboros! We shall don the same name and prove all of creation who mingle with life and death that we exist! We are of the same, your foes are my enemies, and your allies are my comrades.

"So rise up! Ouroboros! Rise!"

MF looked down to the invisible platform she stood on. Clenching her fist, she began changing her posture into a spirited one. Her left arm was upon the ceiling, she gently put her right fingers onto her chest, showing her happiest expression to her new ally.

She realized that all she had been doing had purpose in the bigger picture of her life. Her insurmountable effort to go to the place where she currently was, from hiding behind a barrel while watching all of her loved ones gnawed one by one, from decapitating her humanity to execute those with hubris as a judge, jury, and an executioner.

Everything had led to this moment. The words from Foel echoed in her mind.

'You're not alone anymore.'

MF smile grew wider. As the serpent told her to rise, she preached out her determination with vibrant air.

"Hand in and skin the sinners if they all wish to skim divinity! Burn the innocents for penitence if they preempt the crime! The gods' shivers are my meals, devoured at the end of their prime!

"I'm a protector of the truth, great erector of the new faith! Defectors and objectors can expect a second doomsday!

"Never a lantern has been lit with oh so righteous a spark! When providence claimed these continents, but provided them an ark~"

She bowed gracefully to the sound of her beating heart.. "Ouroboros, at your utmost service. The unbecoming of the dark~"