The Dark Rebirth of Pandora: Revenge of the Abyss

Chapter 708: Divine Creation

”Oriane, your work truly is remarkable. What do you think of mine?” I say to Oriane as we both observe each other’s universes. I see her perfect and entirely stable universe compared to the small universe I created before becoming omnipotent.

”Your universe is fine, but it lacks many of the laws that govern its existence. Right now, it looks more like a miniature copy of what I created,” she says as I nod in agreement — my fragile creation from the past.

’Should I improve it?’ I already know what will happen if I improve my universe, that universe that started from a mere core and now already has entire galaxies within it.

”Oriane, your work is completely underestimated and misunderstood,” I say, hugging a large sphere that had been resting on a pedestal in Oriane’s room. This sphere is literally the universe where I was ”born” as Pandora, grew up as Pandora, and from which I departed in search of omnipotence.

It is so small, so insignificant, and yet it is still important. My mother, my sister, and everyone I loved back when I could feel love live here. That is why I care for it just as much as Oriane cares for hers.

”Pandora, don’t hug the universe. You might end up frightening someone who catches a glimpse of your divine energy’s shadow looming over that fragile globe,” Oriane says, composed, as I shrink in size, floating with the globe cradled in my arms.

”Come on, don’t be so critical. I like your work. It is the perfect form of balance that no other mortal has ever witnessed.” The reason Oriane created this universe and the goddesses is quite simple.

In the past, I interpreted it as loneliness — that the primordial goddess felt alone, and all the other goddesses also believed part of the reason involved that feeling.

But when I became omnipotent, I understood. We feel nothing. So there is no loneliness that motivates the creation of a universe. That Oriane who wept when criticized by her daughters was merely an avatar for contact.

Oriane literally created a universe because she saw this future and thought to replicate it as a choice — because it was the future where I existed. Even though she left it to chance and I became omnipotent by my own merit, it still began with her seeing me and deciding it seemed like an interesting scenario.

The reason the goddesses exist, the reason a universe was created, and even the reason all their personalities are the way they are... it all happened merely because an omnipotent being, gazing upon infinite futures, chose a random one that seemed good enough.

It is not that Oriane literally chose me. She only chose the possibility of me existing, and I clung to that possibility with tooth and nail when it appeared before me. Everything could still have gone wrong.

”You know, Oriane, as an omnipotent being, I see how many times I failed, and how many deaths I narrowly avoided. My determination kept me alive through all of them — like a cockroach that insists on living even when it could just give up.”

”Your incredible universe, compared to mine, is far superior. The paltry, poorly made universe I created seems so... foolish. But look here — there is an interesting future scenario involving my universe.”

”I wonder... can I make my universe as perfect as yours?” I ask her. She smiles, seeing the same future I do. Another omnipotent being could be born from my universe.

”Of course.” The moment Oriane confirms it, both of our expressions go blank. The person in question just chose the wrong future.

”What a shame. It seems leaving it to chance simply didn’t yield the best scenario. But this one is also interesting. It seems it will be just the two of us for a long time still,” I say to her — not disappointed, but satisfied even with the experience of natural ”failure.”

”Yes, she was so close. If that person had chosen a different street, she would have become omnipotent. The universe and creation as a whole are truly fascinating, don’t you think?”

”Mortals believe only incredible events lead them to grand things... In your universe, a girl nearly became omnipotent. She only needed to keep walking forward down one dark street... Her prudence changed her destiny to something mundane,” she says, spinning a sphere between her fingers.

”Yes... it seems that is how it is. My universe will become better and more stable, but nothing truly grandiose will be born from it. Though even if she had walked down that street, she could have simply died. The street did not guarantee omnipotence — it was only the possibility.” Among infinite universes, the chance of something omnipotent being born is a literally impossible event.

And therein lies the paradox. Nothing is impossible for an omnipotent being. If a being does not overcome the literally impossible, they cannot be omnipotent. That girl failed to overcome the impossible.

Both Oriane and I know when an omnipotent being will be born again. And, incredibly, there are many paths that lead many people to become omnipotent — but every single path crashes against that wall, the ”Impossible,” which must be overcome at least once.

Unfortunately, out of infinite possibilities, there is almost none in which an omnipotent being is actually born. Proof of this is that when I chose to improve my universe, I created the branch that would give someone the chance to be omnipotent.

But when I did nothing more, the person in question failed on her own. It is truly fascinating, because neither Oriane nor I ever have a future in which we create an omnipotent being — since if we created one on purpose, that being would not be omnipotent, because their creation would derive from another superior being.

All we do is provide the bridge. They must be born on their own, if they are to be born. I wonder, out of all the possibilities, when will the next one be born? Who will be the next to overcome the impossible without help from either of us?

”Pandora, your self-questioning is truly amusing, since you already know the answer.”

”Yes, yes, you also know. But let me at least create some suspense... You know, Oriane, it is simply logic. An omnipotent being does not create another omnipotent being, because another omnipotent being that is created would not be omnipotent. Yet being an omnipotent being should be impossible. Therefore, for an omnipotent being to exist, they must be a real omnipotent being.”

”And that is a fascinating paradox from a logical perspective, since omnipotent beings surpass any existing logic. It also answers a doubt many mortals have about us.”

”Why are there so few omnipotent beings? And the reason is as simple as the question itself. Because the bottleneck is not talent. It is not intelligence. It is not power. It is not luck. The bottleneck is that the person must accomplish something that, by definition, should not be able to be accomplished. Most candidates fail. Not because they are weak. But because the impossible remains impossible for them,” I say, as if explaining.

Even though she already knows, putting it into words is equally interesting. When I was not omnipotent, I had many doubts about how I would know when I was omnipotent. And the moment I became omnipotent, I already knew I was omnipotent. There were no doubts about whether I was or not — only a cold confirmation that I was already that which I aspired to be and could now do anything.

”You know, Oriane, it is truly ironic how a simple decision changes everything. Crossing a street can kill you. It can make you meet the love of your life. You could kill someone by accident. You could be a murderer who kills whoever comes from the other side.”

”There are infinite possibilities for the banal act of crossing a street. And if there are infinite futures in that single street, then it is impossible for you to seize the best future, which would be becoming omnipotent. But an omnipotent being has no barriers, so that choice would grant you the correct future.”

”Not because they were predestined to it, or because the street would grant them omnipotence, but because it is the existence of a future path that is right there. I would really love to say I like how that sounds, even though I feel nothing in regard to it.”

”You are right, Pandora. If you had missed school that day when your entire class was sent to another world... you would not be here. Just as various other things you did, if they had been even slightly different, would have completely altered your existence,” she says with a smile.

”Heh... it is truly interesting... The best future is the future that only an omnipotent future being could achieve... Now, enough of this conversation. Shall we go to some interesting scenario? I was thinking of choosing the nurse and patient one. What do you think about being my patient?”

”...A yandere nurse obsessed with me... It sounds horrifying in words. A truly interesting future. Let us see how it plays out!” She accepts as I begin to create the scenario for us to act out this new life. Obviously, still under the rules — we will have no memories, no powers. We will be like two ordinary people until the game ends. And this time, the scenario will not have a flaw we deliberately leave behind to end the game.