Chapter 198: The Pantheon of Infinite Dreams (2)
[Congratulations, you have established a Pantheon.]
[Pantheons — Across every layer of cosmology, a Pantheon reigns as the supreme force of its stage.
No faction, empire, or alliance can ever stand above a Pantheon; the only power capable of matching or surpassing one is another Pantheon.
Their hierarchy is measured in clear stages.
The First Stage consists of World Pantheons, ruled by Gods or Constellations.
The Second Stage consists of Star System Pantheons, ruled by Supreme Gods, Goddesses, or Constellations.
The Third Stage consists of Star Cluster Pantheons, ruled by Astral Gods, Goddesses, or Constellations.
The Fourth Stage consists of Galactic Pantheons, ruled by Cosmic Gods, Goddesses, or Constellations.
The Fifth Stage consists of Galaxy Cluster Pantheons, ruled by Overlords.
The Sixth Stage consists of Universal Pantheons, ruled by a Universal King or Queen.]
[Philosophy / Creed — The Philosophy of a Pantheon is the living path from which all influence flows.
It need not be rooted in battle or conquest; it is simply the truth every member must express and embody.
Creed is the authority granted to members according to their status within the Pantheon, allowing them to draw upon the raw power of that Philosophy.
The higher the status, the stronger the Creed that answers their call.]
[Form the Philosophy of the Pantheon of Infinite Dreams]
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Akasha read each line with a slow, widening smile, the nine swirling purple stars in his eyes catching the soft glow of the Golden Apple Tree.
He turned toward Kalpa’s pure white silhouette and, without hesitation, tossed the dense purple-and-black core into the air.
The small sphere of layered light spun once before the world’s consciousness caught it.
"Go ahead and do your thing," Akasha said, voice easy and almost playful. "The process shouldn’t take long at all."
HUMMMMMM!!!!
A surge of pure divinity erupted around Kalpa the moment the core touched its form, wrapping the white silhouette in a rising column of light that pulsed with deep, rhythmic power.
While the assimilation began, Akasha looked toward Luna and Yume, the same smile still curving his lips, and spoke with his usual casualness.
"Interesting, isn’t it?"
They knew without a doubt he was referring to just one thing, and it was undeniably intriguing. Both women gave a knowing nod.
Luna’s heart-shaped eyes glimmered with quiet amusement as she spoke first.
"I honestly thought she could be the Records," she confessed, her pink-and-purple hair sliding over her shoulder.
"The way she has... eyes and ears everywhere, it does make sense to think so."
Yume’s calm, cool voice trailed after her, blue-streaked hair streaming in the brisk wind that whispered along the edge of the void.
"Right... it feels like Mother Dream becomes more mysterious every time you talk to her."
Akasha let out a quiet sigh, shoulders lifting in a small, resigned shrug.
"Touché."
He turned next to Calista, who still sat on the opposite side of the balcony, and lifted one hand to point upward into the living canopy of the Golden Apple Tree.
Then he gestured broadly at the countless white fruits hanging all around them.
"You’re free to pick an apple," he told her. "Once you eat one, focus on ranking up. You’ll break through."
Calista raised an eyebrow, her expression hinting that she might challenge the claim, but after a brief pause, she decided against calling out whatever game he was playing.
Instead, she rose, stepped lightly across the polished wood, and reached up into the nearest cluster of glowing fruit.
Her fingers closed around a pure white apple. She brought it to her lips and took a clean bite.
HUMMMMMM!!!!
The instant the fruit’s flesh touched her tongue, a cocoon of pure divinity erupted around Calista.
The high wind of Dreamer’s Peak that brushed the edge of the void seemed to hush for a moment, leaving only the deep, resonant pulse of power rising through her body.
At the very same instant, the column of radiance encircling Kalpa blazed once more, flaring so brightly that the polished wood of the balcony reflected its glow, before the light slowly calmed and settled into a serene, steady luminescence.
[Congratulations... Your Pantheon of Infinite Dreams has become Stage Two.]
[You are now the Supreme God of Infinite Dreams.]
[+100,000 Supreme Divinity]
---
As the notifications appeared in Akasha’s vision, the pure white silhouette of Kalpa began to change.
The light folded inward, compressed, and reshaped itself with quiet finality.
When the glow receded, a petite woman stood in its place—delicate of frame, hair cascading in seven distinct colors that shifted like living aurora, and eyes of pure, unmarked white.
In that moment, a rush of knowledge surged into her mind like a sudden, unstoppable tide.
The flow of every current across the Orin Star System, the decrees that governed its six worlds, and the hidden truths that had once been the domain of a vast, ancient consciousness.
She was no longer just the world of Kalpa—she now encompassed the entirety of the Star System.
"Oh... no," She muttered as her pure white eyes widened in shock.
Seeing her new form, Luna and Yume both laughed as they turned to look at Akasha.
His expression remained perfectly straight, nine swirling purple stars unreadable.
He regarded the newly formed woman for a long moment, ignoring the glowing status windows still hovering at the edge of his sight.
He tilted his head just a little, strands of purple-and-white hair slipping over one shoulder, and spoke with a calm, almost dry voice.
"Didn’t I tell you... never to do this again?"
Shaking off the rush of knowledge in her mind, Kalpa’s shoulders twitched ever so slightly, a flicker of genuine fear crossing her face as she clasped her fingers together in front of her.
"S-Son of Stars..." she began, the old title stumbling from her lips even as confusion flickered behind her white eyes.
Even still, she could not sense the star aura that had once clung to him so clearly.
"I didn’t choose this. I truly didn’t. But... It seems... I cannot change back."
In that moment, Ak’s gaze swept over her, quick and precise.
’Based on my desires?’ he wondered, and with a brief scan... he confirmed her words.
Simply put, her status revealed nothing beyond her age and some concealed details.
The Star System’s form was shaped entirely by the desires of the one linked to it, so as long as Kalpa remained connected to Akasha, this would be her appearance.
’Well... at least she’s actually a woman now,’ he mused.
While he felt no particular way about her, he couldn’t deny that having something beautiful to look at from time to time wasn’t unpleasant.
’Good eye candy... yes, good,’ he concluded, noting her age—one hundred and fifty years, an age that mirrored the entirety of the Star System itself.
With a quiet sigh, he let the thought drift away, pushing it to the back of his mind, and turned his focus back to the status menus waiting for his attention.
"Alright... just relax as you have been... we will deal with everything else shortly."
He said as he turned his attention back to his notifications and began configuring the newly opened interfaces of his Pantheon.