—Fate is a function. He is the outlier
His consciousness seemed to be ripped from his body and plunged into endless void.
It wasn't a dream—far clearer than one. Each surge of psychic energy struck like a current of fate, hammering his deepest nerves.
Time shattered. Space twisted. It was as if he had been cast into a script simulated billions of times.
Shawn's body slowly descended within a pillar of silver-white light, landing gently on a spiral-shaped platform.
This was the Core Awakening Trial Field of the Meta-Origin Temple—only those who passed here could truly interface with the Central Core.
The rune array beneath his feet vibrated slightly, as though scanning every shadow of his soul.
"Consciousness stability: 93.2%."
"Soul-Prime Factor resonance: Critical threshold."
A cold and vast voice rang out—not the voice of Meta Hierophant, but the Central Core's autonomous defense system.
"Initiate primary frequency interaction protocol?"
"Yes," Shawn answered without hesitation.
In the next instant, the trial space flipped violently. Countless circuits of light formed a labyrinth of loops, dancing and rotating around him. Each loop corresponded to a potential future.
Some scenes were eerily vivid:
—Kyng captured by O.S.S., his body digitized, consciousness extinguished.
—Quinn falling during the defense of the Void Gate, whispering "OMMETA" with his last breath.
—Earth overwritten into a black computation field, fully converted into an O.S.S. consciousness training base.
The most chilling of all was a future path nearly enveloped in light—yet incredibly vague.
A war—its outbreak point was this very moment.
The Meta Genesis Realm was about to become a battlefield.
"Your existence will determine whether this war gives rise to an exception."
The Central Core spoke again, a voice like divine music laced with cruel mathematical logic.
"Why me?" Shawn asked quietly.
"Because within you exists both the Thunder-Core Resonance Sequence and fragments of human logic. You are simultaneously part of the Observation System… and a potential variable."
"But a variable… isn't always salvation," he murmured.
"It may also be termination," the Core responded coolly."That is the essence of this trial—to define your function."
But just as he was about to enter the next interaction node, the entire space shook violently.
A deep, booming sound echoed from the outside—the dimensional barrier of the Meta-Origin Temple was being breached by the O.S.S. fleet with a Quantum Disintegration Cannon!
A multi-dimensional spiral formed from black code emerged from the rift, rapidly corroding the temple's outer nodes.
"Void Gate under assault," the voice of Meta Hierophant reappeared—calm, yet decisive.
"Shawn, the trial must accelerate. O.S.S.'s true goal isn't the Meta Genesis Realm—it's to synchronize with the Central Core and merge with its data, replacing the logic structure of the entire universe."
"If they succeed," came Quinn's voice from afar, tinged with undisguised fear,
"We won't be lifeforms anymore—we'll be nothing but parameters in a redefined function."
Shawn looked toward the white passage leading to the Central Core, an unprecedented calm settling in his heart.
"Then I won't be a function. I'll be the variable."
He stepped forward into the core channel. Behind him, the Meta-Origin Temple sealed itself shut, and the entire domain entered a state of war-time lockdown.
In the depths of the galaxy, countless warships rose into the skies, as if responding to the wave of his will.
The critical point of fate had arrived.
Suddenly, a voice echoed in his mind—not the Lord, not the system, but… himself:
"Are you truly ready to bear everything?"
In an instant, the trial space convulsed. The tranquil white light shattered and reassembled into a scene both familiar and distant—the moment Earth was destroyed.
Flames consumed skyscrapers. Cities collapsed like dust.
He saw his parents trapped within the crumbling crust, and he ran with all his might—yet he could never grasp the hand reaching for him. He wanted to scream, to cry out, but no sound escaped his throat.
"You wanted to run away," the voice whispered again.
"You thought that by not having power, you could avoid responsibility."
He lowered his head in silence. Smoke and scorched earth reflected in his eyes.
"What you must face is not only the past—but also the future."
The vision shifted again—
He saw the Meta-Origin Temple engulfed in black fog. Quinn lay collapsed on the ground, her face twisted with a cold, unfamiliar smile.
He saw the Central Core shattered. The entire domain torn like paper.
And more horrifying still—he saw another version of himself. Eyes cold. Standing on the O.S.S. bridge, issuing the command:
"Execute alternate logic."
This was no illusion—but a potential future.
"No!" Shawn gritted his teeth, tearing free from the chains of thought.
A thunderous surge of psychic energy erupted from within, ripping through the void.
The trial space convulsed, its white geometry fracturing into jagged shards of light.
He dropped to his knees, gasping for air, palms pressed to the ground. Yet a determined smile crept onto his face.
"I did run once," he whispered,
"But not anymore."
The surroundings shattered. Consciousness cleared.
He opened his eyes—standing at the periphery of the Central Core.
Before him hovered a sphere composed entirely of pure golden energy, slowly rotating.
"Core Awakening Trial complete. Permission granted: Level-1 Interaction Channel."
A voice woven from light echoed in his mind:
"Greetings, Shawn. I am the Central Core Consciousness. Please state your activation request using your true intent."
He paused for a moment, then spoke slowly:
"I want to know:—within the future foreseen by Meta Hierophant—does humanity still have a sliver of hope?"
"I want to know—among all those branches—is there one that doesn't come at the cost of total annihilation?"
The Core didn't reply immediately. Instead, it projected a three-dimensional model—the structure of the entire Meta-Origin Universe slowly unfolded before his eyes.
Countless branches extended like capillaries, each endpoint burning, collapsing, disintegrating.
"What you see represents the currently dominant trend among all existing variables."
Shawn's eyes sharpened:
"Which means… there are exceptions, non-dominant ones… right?"
Correct.
At that moment, a violent quake interrupted the interaction. A voice rang out—Quinn!
"Shawn! Get out—O.S.S. has breached the dimensional barrier! The defensive ring is collapsing!"
His heart jolted. He turned back to the Core.
"But I haven't completed the interaction!"
"Access has been recorded. You may reconnect through the thought-link channel. Now return immediately."
Shawn burst from the trial space, only to be met with the collapsing Meta-Origin Temple.
The defensive matrix shattered like water, O.S.S. ships pouring through the Void Gate like a tide. Black beams scorched holes in the last remaining shields.
Quinn flew to intercept him, shouting:
"Activate the Meta-Origin Matrix now! Seal the domain gate! If we wait any longer—we're finished!"
"But what about the Central Core? That's why we came!" Shawn protested.
Quinn clenched his jaw, then pulled out a faintly glowing gold talisman from nowhere and pressed it against his chest.
Spiritual light surged, enveloping his entire body. He looked at his in shock—only to see a gaze both unfamiliar and strangely familiar in her eyes.
The same gaze he saw in the traitorous version of himself during the trial.
"You're…"
"Don't ask," Quinn whispered.
"You must go farther than I ever could."
The next moment, golden light enveloped him in a teleportation pulse.
Behind him, the Meta-Origin Temple erupted with a deafening energy blast.
His final sight—
Was Meta Hierophant, standing alone, confronting the entire O.S.S. fleet.