Places of reverence. There were many, however, those that could truly gain the praise of all, surely only one held such high regard. A little place beyond the stars, the myriad heavens.
A place of joy and worship, where all beings immortal come to frolic under the sun; to live a life of eternal solitude.
Never in this world had anything been eternal, reverence comes and goes with time, hence this place revered falls revealing itself as something new, a battlefield of the Gods.
Ragnarok, an event held sacred throughout all time, so much so its very name was shrouded in secrecy. Corruption of time; the end of all life.
Immortal and unceasing, that was a God. However, this war neared its end. For even in times of true chaos, geniuses emerge; true oddities free from all worldly restraints make their way into Heaven.
From a blood-bath of Gods, and mortals, amidst the insanity in the center of it all, buried underneath the corpses of Gods' plentiful. A mortal digs his way out.
With his hand clenched, something laid hidden from the world. Hiding within grasp, a divine weapon sought by all, yet harnessed by only one. A weapon unique from all, being neither a sword nor a staff, but this weapon of unimaginable strength truly when revealed it was nothing more than a pebble that shined ever so brightly under the sun's grace.
True killers of Gods. Beneath a pebble aloof, and a boy distant, a river of blood. A grave-yard nearing completion, for now in the heavens only two entities remained an adolescent boy treading over a mountain of the dead, and the one veritable god.
A battle of the ages, a war to last an eternity. However, now, an adolescent boy of mortal descent with a single pebble in hand stood the tallest. With eyes clear as day he locked onto a target, a withered old man holding his knees in terror, shaking dearly for his life.
This miserable old man, with tears running down his face, and bloodied hands, was none other than the veritable god.
Horrifying, nay, it was soul-shattering, to see God in such pain, all throughout the world, no matter the realm, even in hell, as mortals viewed from afar. With each impending moment, with every forthcoming second, tears fell.
Pushing forward, forcing their way into the heavens, just to block a single attack, but they could not, truly they were weak there was nothing they could do now, but watch as a boy with his arm stretched back moved.
This was the end.
Yes, he moved, his arm at least, flung forward and his hand opened releasing a pebble.
Soaring off into the distance, it flew.
Flying, yet unmoving. Slow that was the word, traversing hundreds of millimeters per second this was the pebble. Unreliable... That's all they could say, such a move, that pushed forward, soaring mere millimeters a second, yet there was no mistake, the end was here, although slow, although unreliable, no existence had ever escaped this pebbles sight.
On the faces of many, a darkened expression, even God was not free from such degeneracy, his face being a pitch back. Just thinking, his mind raced, just trying to comprehend an answer for freedom. To mind millions of unorthodox ways to dodge appeared, but as soon as they came, they disappeared.
Divine weapons, existing only to kill Gods. There was no mistake. A pebble unmoving, yet with each forthcoming movement, space tore from sheer pressure. There was no escape.
Stunned. Before their very eyes, this pebble that moved a snails speed had disappeared, exiting existence.
A pebble that could transcend time... The entire world watched in complete silence. No one dared to even whisper, or take a breath.
Running around in circles, God was in panic racking his brain, but he thought of nothing. Genius ruins all, intellect corrupts the soul. Millions of ideas came with each second, yet all hope was lost, his brain overloaded, God turned into a beast mindless, and in a panic, he turned running for his dear life.
Truly, for this world dying there was nothing left. Breathing in deeply, all life sat back and sucked in a few cold mouthfuls of air. For what they saw next broke them. Appearing into this world once more, this pebble pierced the fleeing God's skull, shot through his brain, tore apart his soul, and flew out into the unforgiving.
The death of God, the world was no longer, everything now ends. From this moment on, time ceased to move, and all life perished.
Miraculously one roams separate from all, a mere pebble in a world destroyed floats through time, mourning to itself, "Reincarnation... If I knew it would be like this I wouldn't have died... Ahh, perhaps I should have ascended after all."
"Well, I guess I had no opinion on such a matter. Considering I ascended, after meditating for 500 years, however, who would have thought, I would end up taking the wrong turn, instead of a Budda, I became a pebble..."
"To think because I wished to live a life aloof on Earth, trying my earnest to escape worldly matters, I'd end up being reborn a pebble... Ah, how sinful that agony runs deep, and sloth was my only failure."
. . .
An immense secret untold throughout time. How a pebble could ever gain sentience was foreign to even Gods. The rules of thick, and the blood-shed deep. Surely such insanity could only lay hidden beneath a mountain of lies, and the coffins of those who ventured out to uncover them.
Drifting through the emptiness of space a pebble reminisces of the past.
"Since the beginning of time, I was here; I knew not of life, nor speech, but here, separate from all, I reigned king."
"Through time I was born, and through time, I perished, in my first life I appeared as a rock, in my second I appeared as a stone, and in my third, I appeared as a Human."
"Human life was tough, having lived most of my years on the streets."
"Often in life, I found myself running away. At each sign of hardship, every time the roads grew tough, and my future uncertain, I always took the painless way out, however somewhere in life, I stumbled upon him, that man of mysteries. The man I would soon call my master."
"A bright old monk, with a smile so grand it would dull even the sun."
"When I was down in the dumps with no insight in life, he walked up to me when no one would, lending me a hand, and with a grin ever so bright, he spoke of something insane. On that fateful day, he said, 'Did you know that with time even a pebble can gain sentience?'"
It reverberated, ringing constantly, his master's voice. It was immortal. Ringing and ringing he would say with a smile ever so bright, and a heart lusting for the unknown, "Did you know, that once in the past, a stone reigned immortal king?"
"Did you know, that a rock, once destroyed the myriad heavens, simply because the Gods disturbed its resting place?" With each word, his eyes glowed; with the purity of a child, undoubtedly no lie had ever been told.
Such a monstrosity, he couldn't escape it. His master's voice tormented him for an eternity. Scared of immortality he was reborn but cursed he entered his fourth life a pebble, something inanimate.
The endless cycle continues once more, from first as a rock, to his second as a stone, to the third as a human, and finally, his fourth as a pebble. However, he never minded it. A life without worry, living aloof, free from all worldly restraints, that was all he wished.
Drifting endlessly, he could only contemplate what was to come. Just what the unknown had in store for him next?
And just what his master was trying to tell him back then?
Just what?...
Encompassed by nothingness, a pebble falls asleep.
Millions, perhaps even generations countless pass by. The world reborn, time begins once more, ticking and ticking away as it always has.
A world new, without boundaries or borders, in this world a rule never explored. A world where all could cultivate, freely.
In this factor, the two words split. In the present, all that mattered was time. Given enough of it and even a drop of rain or an ant could ascend into immortality.
From such insanity, a single pebble watched as the world went by, but only four caught his eye and only four were carved into eternity.
100,000 years ago, he wrote of an aged housewife that ruled the world.
50,000 years ago, a documentation of a twig that took over the sea.
30,000 years ago, a chicken ascended.
12,000 years ago an Ant transcended into a dragon.
In such a world, what would you do?
Appearing into this world lawless where all wander around doing as they please.
Within this world shrouded in mystery would you rise to the heavens, or would you fall conceding your life to live as mere cannon fodder?
Everyone born before you was already ahead, and your ancestors were already Gods, how would you catch up?
In the world of old, traversing all of history, there were only 3 that rose to escape mortal restraints, respectively they were star gazing immortal, aloof sunshine, and reverend bamboo.
Crazed men of that world long gone. A woman that lived only to gaze at the stars, another that lived only to lie beneath the sun's grace, and a man that planted himself in the ground to become a bamboo.
Each of them, the representation of sloth, putting no effort into cultivating. Growing strong, whilst sleeping, developing whilst aloof. The true meaning of talent displayed itself here.
Outliving all their foes, with no effort, living a life blessed without thought, reaching Godhood without effort. However, amongst them all lied an outlier, all three figures had one thing in common, they each possessed a simple gray-colored pebble.
But who would have thought each god of that world had the help of a simple pebble?
. . .
A young scholar traverses the mountains, with his head held high, and his strides long.
He was determined, the wilderness vast and chaotic, yet he pushed through relentlessly.
Attracted by the allure of treasure, none could escape.
In the corner of his eye, something glimmered, and with a single glance from this boy, a small pebble of unimaginable beauty revealed itself to the world.
The attraction of treasure unique. A pebble of myriad colors, in mere seconds a complete transformation, from a scholar determined for greatness, eyes clouded in flames, and a smile cruel.
Closing in, he had forsaken hope. Greed devours sanity. For simple self-gratification, for treasure, he runs, and sprints, grasping at what was before him, at this rock of countless colors.
"Young one, it seems your body will be mine next, I thank you for your sacrifice," afar a voice rang.
Grasping treasure dearly, his ears were blocked. Lusting for treasure, he heard nothing and saw only wealth.
From high above a voice rang out, "Meteor punch!"
A pebble plummets to the earth.
A pebble, yet the impact was immense. Landing directly against his head, it shot straight through his skull and lodged itself within his brain.
Dazed, the boy laid spasming on the ground and frothing from the mouth.
"Meteor punch!? Ahem... I mean, it seems my foolproof plan has finally succeeded. After 12,000 years of waiting, this human body is mine for the taking. I knew humans were like birds, only forsaking pride for treasure and wealth."
Struggling and wreathing, this human would not give in. His head split, but he screamed a mouthful of words, "I refuse it! My life has only just begun, I Gong Fu Yong refuse to die to the meager trap of someone nameless!"
Once more the voice rang out, "Destiny sent you in front of me to give me a chance at life. Rejoice, the next God shall be you, or rather it shall be me."
Laughing maniacally, the voice commanded, "Rank 1 skill: Infestation, activate." A pebble enters the brain and devours all life.
From one move, Gong Fu Yong's end had already come before he even took a moment to defend himself. Greedy devoured him. Thus into the distance, this scholar's soul dispersed, and his body claimed under the ruling of a pebble overlord.