Chapter 2: Queen's Universe

The entire Universe rippled and exploded in sync with the overwhelming emotions that afflicted Alm's mind. He closed his eyes and delved deep into the celestial laws that governed existence, scouring his memories for any fragment that could contradict his conclusions.

The memories of the final battle against the hero and his group emerged in his mind. The sacred sword gleamed in intense gold as if the whole world was lending its power to him, further fueling the hatred in Alm's chest.

Alm relived the agony of his defeats, his failed attempts to overcome the hero. Even with power multiplied after absorbing two-thirds of the Universe's life, he repeatedly failed. Every meticulously devised plan, every precise calculation, all crumbled before the circumstances. Variables he thought he had eliminated arose in unexpected ways.

"Yes, in the final battle, the power I reached surpassed even the will of the heavens," Alm murmured, his voice laden with grim recognition.

"But in that final battle, the sacred sword seemed to glow with a different strength, something new and unknown to me. That power plunged me into despair, for it shouldn't have been possible for it to become so strong... yes... that power came from another universe altogether."

The facts lay before him, unquestionable and unforgettable. Those golden runes were indeed manipulating the laws of that Universe. However, as he had eliminated all forms of life, those runes had lost their influence over the laws. The reconstruction he performed brought with it a new attempt at rune influence, an attempt to alter cosmic will once again.

Alm understood that he, too, was supposed to have been susceptible to those golden runes. However, he was not. Obviously, that only happened because his soul wasn't from this Universe to start with. Otherwise, he would have been just one more of those puppets controlled by the golden runes.

Alm struggled to calm his mind, reminding himself of his new nature, no longer confined by mortality. His perception extended beyond the physical bounds of that Universe. His divine senses guided him toward the consciousness behind those golden eyes.

"Another universe..."

"Now, I can faintly sense when I focus in any direction, not just one, but millions of other universes."

His eyes glowed with intense red, reflecting his thirst for blood and vengeance. "You dared manipulate the lives of everyone who inhabited here... I will come after you, no matter where you hide..."

Time and space unfolded before him, and in the next second, he was in an empty area where no mortal had ever been. Nothing could be seen through it, only infinite emptiness stretched on the other side. However, when he attempted to take a step forward, a cosmic barrier of infinite power blocked his way; that was the barrier separating the universes.

Alm concentrated his Qi to the absolute limit. Everything around the Universe seemed to distort in the face of this intense manifestation of power. Finally, he launched an attack forward.

*BOOM!*

The apocalyptic and deafening attack echoed as the few rocky and lifeless planets within the Universe exploded into cosmic dust.

However, to Alm's surprise, the barrier that held him back remained unchanged and intact. His power came from a Divine Emperor who was above any mortal, but it still wasn't enough.

"What was the true power behind this existence that controlled the laws and all life of another universe?" A cold shiver ran down Alm's spine as he considered the magnitude of the enemy. It was clear that even he, at his actual level, was still nothing compared to the owner of the golden eyes.

Yet, in the following moments, his darkest instincts stirred. He would rather face death than give up. His life held no value; what mattered was bloodshed and destruction. His memories and malevolent inclinations surged with full force, permeating his entire being. A black and abyssal Qi began to radiate around him.

The kindness that had once again started to sprout in Alm's heart after countless years lost in the void was instantly suppressed. The hatred for the being that ruined his life was in full bloom, ready to do anything to get its revenge. It was not time to revert to his past young, happy self. The demonic Alm was all he needed at the moment!

However, in the next instant, his black eyes abruptly dimmed. Without him activating any power, an infinite tide of billions of celestial runes surrounded him from all directions. Alm was stunned, bewildered by the sudden change. "What's happening? The laws... are acting on their own?"

The runes were the supreme manifestation of celestial laws. Each cultivator followed a specific path throughout their life, symbolized by a single celestial rune. When they reached the pinnacle of this path, it became evident that all the runes and paths of the Universe converged into a single unity. All the trajectories led to the same destination: Celestial Laws.

The runes quickly formed a vortex the size of countless galaxies as Alm watched in astonishment. He had always believed that laws were inert and unchanging, mere rules that arose at the beginning of world creation. However, this perception was being challenged. The laws had their own consciousness, a will that went beyond his understanding.

He instinctively tried to move, but suddenly, he felt his body freeze. The dark and empty world suddenly lit up intensely, blinding his vision. Alm couldn't even move a finger as he clearly felt his soul and body invaded by the will of the heavens.

The sensation of fragmentation and separation continued to course through his consciousness as if he were being dismembered into different parts of himself. A deep pain originating from his own soul intensified, surpassing all the pains he had ever experienced over infinite years. It was an agony beyond human understanding, a pain that transcended the limits of mortal existence. And then, in an instant, his consciousness was engulfed by darkness, and he was lost in the absence of sensation.

An immeasurable period slowly passed... finally, Alm's eyes opened again.

Alm slowly rose, his eyes scanning the void and darkness around him. Although everything seemed empty, a strange sensation enveloped him as if he wasn't alone.

He tried to explore the world around him through his senses. However, when he focused his Qi to circulate through the meridians of his body, something strange happened.

He didn't sense the familiar presence of the meridians...

Astonishment seized him, and he looked at what should have been his own body. "I... I don't have a body? Did I die?"

Now, Alm was just a wandering soul, floating through the cosmos without a physical body. He was beyond mortality; his essence transcended the limits of existence and became something divine, something that couldn't be naturally destroyed. A tormenting question arose in his mind: "How did the celestial will, which never moved or revealed itself, decide to act in this direct manner?"

Suddenly, a voice strangely similar to his own resonated in his mind. "I... I know a bit about that."

Alm froze in place, astonishment overtaking his emotions. Who was there? He frantically turned his gaze in all directions, but a strange sensation accompanied him in every movement.

"Uh-huh... I'm not exactly in a physical place." The voice continued, and Alm sensed a presence beside him. Focusing his attention, he was met with a sight that left him even more perplexed.

It was himself...

In his perception, the image was identical to himself... or not! There was a subtle difference. He seemed younger... no, not exactly young.

That was... Bruno... it was the appearance he had when he lived on Earth!

Alm contemplated that young face and innocent gaze, incredibly familiar, and felt his mind waver. Both were spirits now, and he noticed a thin silvery thread connecting to Bruno. His gaze followed that thread and realized it extended to himself, linking them through their spiritual navels.

"I understand your confusion," Bruno's voice continued, "But as strange as it might sound, I can assure you that I am Bruno and, at the same time, I am Alm. I am you, and you are me!"

"When I woke up, I saw you unconscious beside me and felt exactly what you felt. And we were both still in our own Universe."

"What do you mean? Aren't we in our own Universe?" Alm quickly looked around, but emptiness surrounded them, devoid of light and life. Without his meridians to capture Qi, he couldn't fully sense his surroundings, but even with just his visual sense, he couldn't determine exactly where they were. After all, in every Universe, there were dark regions completely devoid of stars and light.

Bruno waited for Alm to turn his attention back to him and continued the explanation. "Only the celestial laws enveloped us when I woke up, but in my mind, information began to emerge as if something was desperately trying to communicate something."

"An image appeared: a feminine figure with white wings, emitting an immortal Qi beyond anything we've witnessed. But... in her eyes shone that golden aura clearly."

"That figure is known as the Immortal Queen. When we reached the Divine Emperor's Realm, we felt that the celestial laws were like an open book, right? However, that figure was far beyond that; the celestial laws were mere playthings for her."

"The Queen had reached a point where her dominion began to affect other universes. Her control quickly extended to countless places, and her laws dictated the minds and lives of countless mortal races."

"But, as we both found out just before we were about to lose our consciousness at the barrier separating the Universes, the celestial laws have their own consciousness. On Earth, we used to call this consciousness God, remember?"

"This dominant figure called Immortal Queen became a threat to all celestial laws. And in a last act of desperation, the Celestial Laws, or Heaven's Will, if you prefer, created a chance for survival. Our reincarnation initially occurred through celestial will, and our memories of Earth were preserved as well."

"It was a gamble, a gamble that repeated across thousands of universes under the Immortal Queen's control. However, we were the only ones who managed to grow strong enough to fight against the Queen's dominion in our own Universe, to the point of destroying it."

"So, as a last resort, and probably the last effort before being dominated, the celestial will intervened, bringing us to the main Universe. This is where the Queen resides and concentrates all the Qi from countless universes for her own use."

As Bruno spoke, Alm listened with growing incredulity, and images of the Immortal Queen and information about her flooded his mind as if they had always been there, leaving him even more stunned.

With an exasperated tone, Alm finally addressed Bruno. "So, who the hell are you? Why do you look so much like my past self?"

Bruno made a peculiar expression and answered, "Well... I don't know that... when I woke up, I just felt that you were me, and I was you. However, even though I remember everything we both lived through, I no longer feel hatred or rage within me."

Alm let out a sinister laugh in response. "What kind of joke is this? Do you think you can fool me with just that?" A dense, abyss-like black aura emanated from Alm's spirit as if he were the embodiment of cruelty and malice.

Bruno remained calm and continued. "I had some suspicions, but now, seeing you, they've become even clearer."

"The heavens will split our soul. We are both Alm and Bruno. However, you represent the wicked and diabolical part, while I am the good part that existed within us. The part that you suppressed for all those years. The entire Yin and Yang of our existence were divided into two consciousnesses... what a problematic situation."

"Hahahahahahahah! How ridiculous! I might be just a soul, but I'll never allow someone to impersonate me. You've read my memories and even tampered with them... you have nerve..." Alm said with a bloodthirsty gaze.

Suddenly, space split into waves of darkness resembling underworld tentacles. A devilish claw lunged toward Bruno.

*BOOM!*

The cosmic void seemed to light up as a white, pure sun ignited. On the other side of this sun, a dark mass akin to a black hole collided with it, engaging in a clash of forces.

Bruno huffed and spoke, "You're irrational and impulsive... no, we are. I am you, after all. We just ignited our spiritual power to the max and looked around."

Even with a sinister expression, Alm began to notice something strange after failing in his attempt to get rid of Bruno, so he continued to listen.

"Your entire being seems to be composed of the deepest Yin. In my case, it's the opposite; I am the Yang," Bruno persisted.

"Even after absorbing all the life of the Universe, we couldn't fully convert our power into Yin or Yang. In the end, we had to maintain the balance between them, but that resulted in unleashing a power beyond the laws. My suspicions are being confirmed," Bruno concluded, and both of them reduced their influence.

"It still sounds ridiculous. Doesn't matter; if we're in the Queen's Universe, I'll hunt her down! You can do whatever you want," Alm said, turning around and running in a direction. Who cares if Bruno is another him. As long as he can get revenge on the Immortal Queen, everything else simply doesn't matter.

However, the silver thread that connected them stretched... and when it was several dozen meters away, Alm's vision went blank. A mental pain similar to what he had felt earlier struck his mind, a pain of his soul fragmenting. The result was the same: he simply faded away.

"Idiot... well, I am too..." Bruno sighed.

***

In every Universe, there is a central point from which everything originated in a cosmic explosion, and the celestial laws were established. As time goes on, these celestial laws strengthen, and life emerges in every corner. The foundations of these laws are nearly identical across all universes, allowing some races to exist in almost all of them.

As galaxies form closer to the central area of origin, the world's Qi becomes denser and purer. This results in the classification of worlds based on their Qi levels. Worlds with higher Qi are known as "Divine," those with average Qi are called "Ascendant," and those with such weak Qi that they can't support cultivation are classified as "Mortal."

On a sunny day on an Ascendant-class planet, the pair of divine spirits descended slowly from the deepest cosmos. Alm, with a somber look, no longer suspected Bruno. However, he couldn't ignore Bruno's presence; the latter served as a constant reminder of the naivety that led them into darkness.

"We need a body for cultivation. The safest bet would be to enter the body of a recently impregnated woman who doesn't have a soul yet. With our divine souls, we won't lose memories, but we'll have to start cultivating from scratch. Not that it's a problem, it will just take a bit longer before we go after that Queen," calmly explained Bruno to Alm by his side.

"An insignificant planet like this, we might as well go to one on the divine level," retorted Alm sharply.

"In the divine world, people's realm and spiritual perception are much higher. It will be very risky, as we are just spirit entities without Qi now. We might be able to fight against them, but spiritual power represents our life and existence. It will eventually fade, and in that moment of weakness, we might be forced to reincarnate, possibly without memories," Bruno countered.

"Don't be a pathetic coward! We've faced far more dangerous situations in the past and survived," Alm snapped. "But still, this average place holds some acceptable inheritances. It won't be so bad to consume everything that exists here."

"Psh... we're not going to do anything villainous again. Let's just reincarnate into a good family. The Queen knows of our existence from another Universe. However, she has no idea we came to her Universe instead. She probably doesn't even believe it is possible for us to do it. If we raise baseless suspicions, we might get killed before acquiring the power to fight."

"You pathetic coward!" Alm concluded as they approached the fertile and vibrant ground.

Bruno could sense Alm's slight excitement. He felt the same; after all, both had spent an infinite period in the solitude and emptiness of the cosmos. However, this villainous version would never admit anything of the sort.

Both could clearly feel various cultivators converging in one place. It was a sprawling, lush fortress, likely belonging to a small or average clan.

As they calmly entered the depths of the clan, Bruno felt the presence of everyone nearby with caution. He didn't want to risk being discovered; although those with low cultivation levels couldn't see them, someone powerful would detect their presence.

"Some of the young women here seem promising... they're not pregnant, but we can influence them to... you know," Bruno spoke.

"Let's examine everything slowly," Alm replied.

Both arrived at the central and imposing building of the clan. Bruno was starting to suspect Alm's intentions but decided to proceed.

As they climbed through the building, in the area where rooms were located and where the most influential members of the clan probably resided, the two spirits entered a room with a significant Qi fluctuation.

Upon entering, the sight shocked Bruno. Immediately, he recalled strange news he had heard about serial killers on Earth. In that dark room, he found about five women tied to pillars, their gazes disturbed, and clothes torn. It was like witnessing the captivity of a rapist.

In the center of the hall were two individuals. A young, chubby man was kneeling, his expression a mix of anger and fear. Next to him was a middle-aged man exuding seriousness and authority.

The middle-aged man was the strongest being in the entire clan, clearly the patriarch. He was speaking with extreme fury, and it soon became clear what was happening.

"This useless bastard, a weak youngling from a powerful clan, kidnapping women to satisfy his desires. I'd take great pleasure in torturing him slowly..." Surprisingly, it was Bruno who said this.

Alm scoffed and observed the distance between them and the patriarch. It was about five meters; the distance was perfect.

As Bruno fixed his gaze on the chubby young man with a desire to kill, Alm's dark Yin Qi flared.

Bruno looked to the side and saw Alm lunging forward. His surprise soon turned to shock as he understood his intentions. Alm wanted to enter the patriarch's body and forcefully take control, killing the original soul. It was a simple demonic technique for someone who had followed the nefarious path in the past.

"No, you idiot!" Bruno shouted with his soul, though only he and Alm could hear or understand what was happening.

Alm grinned and continued his advance. "Reincarnate into a good mother? Don't be ridiculous; let's just possess this body."

Bruno's anger grew; he didn't want to kill an innocent to save time. He wanted to live righteously in this new chance and maybe find happiness again. Immediately, he turned and ran in the opposite direction of Alm.

Alm was only a meter away from the patriarch, who hadn't noticed anything and was reprimanding the chubby young man.

Alm unleashed the power of his soul to the maximum, initiating the technique of bodily possession. However, when his fingers were just half a meter from the patriarch, he felt the silver thread in his abdomen stretch almost to the limit.

He turned abruptly and saw Bruno at a short distance opposite him with a furious look.

Bruno then turned and continued running in the opposite direction, and Alm felt his soul and mind consumed by intense pain. He gritted his teeth and forced his way toward the patriarch, equally furious. Naturally, that made Bruno feel just as much pain as Alm.

Suddenly, the silver thread reached its limit. Alm was only a few centimeters from the patriarch. Both Alm and Bruno felt the world spin when an infinite force from the laws suddenly pulled them toward each other.

*BOOM!*

They both collided violently, feeling their consciousness fade for a few seconds. Soon after, they felt their bodies sinking into something dense and soft.

Minutes passed, and their minds began to clear. Until they heard something above them.

"YOU USELESS BASTARD!! IF THIS HAPPENS AGAIN, I'LL PUNISH YOU PERSONALLY BY PUTTING YOU IN THE DUNGEON!"

"Hmm?" Both looked up and saw the middle-aged man looking at them.

"What?!" Until they both simultaneously looked down before seeing a round, chubby body and felt the smell of sweat running down their own 'new' skin.