Philip arrived in a gray world after the flash of light from the [Ring of Bounded Totality]. He felt like he was falling over, like when he first came into his ⟨⟨ World of Absolute Nothingness ⟩⟩
"Huh?! Where am I?!"
Philip asked loudly, but no one answered
'Emily? Are you there?'
「 Yes 」
'Where am I? What did Beatrice mean? Who did she mention? What is this ring on my finger? It looks gorgeous, but why do I have it? I don't remember putting it on'
「 I don't know! You can figure it out, your logic is unmatched anyways 」
'Hm... But do you know anything?'
「 Of course! 」
'Then why not tell me?'
「 ... 」
『 Test 1: Remembrance 』
『 A remembrance is an existence that can be remembered as long as it's existing. It is a concept that can live forever or die immediately 』
'I see... That's why'
Philip looked around once more and saw nothing, except for the grayness of this world
'Fine, I like challenges... I will pass this test!'
Philip declared in his mind as he swiped his right hand above his eyes
「 Shades of Logicity has been equipped! 」
Plates and spikes of [Regenerative Ivory] also grew around the hinge and temple of the shades, across the frame and a little bit on the bridge
This just shows that the feature of the [Regenerative Ivory] where it wraps and support any Variable Artifact equipments when equipped, to suit and allow the artifacts to adapt when Philip is under a harsh environment
Not only will the [Regenerative Ivory] protect the artifacts and provide durability as it will prevent damage whenever it's hit
"I see..."
Philip began speaking through his mouth. He realized that this world or realm is a place that he could feel safe without any other outsiders hearing him, just like the ⟨⟨ World of Imagination ⟩⟩ and ⟨⟨ World of Absolute Nothingness ⟩⟩
"There's nothing here... Just like the World of Absolute Nothingness... But there's something!"
Philip looked around more
"This feeling is familiar... The gray concept that Tenshi created in the Terra Spirit World against Ariii... Fluxewright?"
The [Shades of Logicity] is showing its power that Philip could know what's around him, even if there's literally nothing
"I still don't understand this concept... I just know that it's the median of light and darkness. But doesn't just make it dim?"
Philip made a good point. Between light and darkness are a slight absence of either brightness or darkness. That's called as "dim"
"But, the word dim can only go a long way... If brightness is becoming lower, it's becoming dim, but if darkness is becoming lower... Is it still becoming dim? It's like the same as asking if a cup of glass is half full or half empty when the line of water is at the absolute middle"
There are other concepts that are at the ends of a spectrum that have a different concept in their medium
White and black have gray, hot and cold have warm, same as fire and water, but they are not in the same spectrum since fire cannot turn to water and vice versa
The line of water in the half full and half empty doesn't have a concept that can be defined, not even something the likes of "dim"
But the median of light and darkness didn't have a full concept, only a vague representation, name, term, or label like "dim"
"So, that's Fluxewright, the concept that's absolutely in the middle of light and darkness..."
『 Special condition requirements has been met! 』
『 You have understood a fraction of the concept of Fluxewright! (1/28) 』
"Hm... So, I was right... This should be the World of Fluxewright..."
But before Philip could one hundred percent confirm, he clutched his chin with his right hand
"But that doesn't seem quite right..."
Philip extended his right hand in front of him
"..."
Before he could do anything, a flash of neither bright light and darkness filled his vision. He couldn't process what happened at all and he became blind
"Agh!!"
Philip lost focus and pain coursed through his eyes and into his brain. He subconsciously placed both of his palms into his eyes due to reflex and he poked his eyelids to alleviate the pain slightly
The gray world started to turn into transparent and something unexplainable that cannot be comprehended by current Philip
Despite this, golden light shone through his eyes and through the spaces of his hands
"Fuck! What the hell happened!"
Philip tried to forcefully open his eyes and induce more pain, as well as understand what happened, but he couldn't literally see anything. Not even a bright whiteness nor a black darkness, just nothing like transparency or undefinable grayness
But despite this, his eyes are glowing bright gold in the transparent world
『 Ultimate Title: Hachimahome Vajyaraksa is in effect! 』
Energy instantly boomed around his head and eight different light streaks bursted behind his head. The streaks split into two along their length and opened up to look like eyes
Eight eyes made of different colors of light bloomed and glared behind his head. He looked like a peacock, but instead of feathers, it's eyes
His original eyes glowed brighter with golden light and his vision became clear, but it's still painful across his eye sockets
"So, this is what the Eight Magic Eyes can do?"
「 Just a fraction of it 」
"I see..."
The veins around his eyes started to bulge and pop across his forehead, temples, and cheeks as the eight magic eyes behind his head is bulging like it's looking forward intently and intimidatingly, almost like a blaring Sun
Philip could see what he couldn't see earlier, the true appearance of this transparent world
The transparent could be described as both a static world, similar to when analogue televisions don't get any signal or digital television not having a cable, and oil on water
An unknown movement shifts across the wall or the horizon and changes color from white, gray, and black, like how oil acts above water when it's blown by wind and shone by light
"This is bizarre..."
Philip repeatedly blinked his eyes and tried to absorb the transparent world and comprehend it. The more he blinked his eyes, the more his brain could adjust to the new concept that he's perceiving
"Still... I don't know why I'm here. I didn't cause this change and it just happen... Which could mean that someone else is within this world and caused it..."
Philip turned his head to the left
"If I don't know who or what I'm looking for... I know what could help me"
He extended his right arm in front of him and opened his palm facing upwards
"Original Compass"
The box of the [Original Compass] manifested above his palm and opened the lid. He pushed the compass upwards and it transformed into its advanced form
The three dimensional compass appeared as a sphere. The time dials assembled below the sphere, as well as the realm wheel in the middle of the time dials. The dimensional indicator also apprared above the sphere and it shows a cube. The universe dials also appeared on the box
"The one who I'm supposed to remember..."
The [Original Compass] started to light up and the compass sphere started to rotate. The time dials began to shift back and forth, the realm wheel started to spin rapidly, and the universe dials counted rapidly. The dimensional indicator remained unchanged
After a few seconds, the compass sphere pointed directly in front of him, specifically the x-axis and z-axis pointers. The y-axis pointer kept rotating, meaning that the person he's looking for is just directly in front of him with the same height and zero displacement from either left or right
The time dials all pointed to the right, meaning that he's in the correct time period or timeline. The time dials will only point at the center if he found what he's been looking for
The realm wheel stopped spinning, which means that they are in the correct realm
"Hm..."
Finally, the universe dials stopped counting and showed both dials to be zero
"Both zero? So, this world is not in any universes? It's separate from any universes or the multiverse? But is it right to call this place a world? The realm wheel stopped after all... If only I have a way to tell if the world is true..."
Then, as if Philip's wish was granted, an three dimensional 8-pointed star appeared around the compass sphere and started to revolve around the sphere. The star began to sparkle and release hundreds of sparks until it eventually stopped
The Origin variable started to fill his brain with information that this is the world pylon and the sparks will tell him if he's in the right world in a game of hot or cold. If the world is near, thousands of sparks will be generated, if he's in the correct world, the sparks will stop generating and the star will be glowing instead. If the world exists or it's extremely far away, the world star will generated a single spark everytime
"I see... But the world star is not generating any sparks nor it's glowing... This could only mean that this place is not a world, unlike my World of Imagination and World of Absolute Nothingness... It's a realm!"
「 ... 」
"Which leads me to a conclusion... If the Original Compass contains the variables that I have a mark on, like time, realm, and universe, except for dimension... Does that mean I have the Mark of World?!"
「 ... 」
"The system did say that I obtained some Mark of Variables when I first discovered the Mobiüs Octingenity after all, when the Tenth Negative Exception occured... Isn't that right?"
「 You with the Shades of Logicity is scary... 」
"I don't blame you... Well then, what kind of realm is this? Realm of Fluxewright? No, I don't sense any Fluxewright anymore... There's nothing here. Realm of Nothingness?"
「 !!! 」
"Looks like I'm right... Well, it's time to follow the compass"
Philip just moved a few inches forward when the x-axis and z-axis began to constantly rotate. The time dials also shifted towards the center
"Hm?!"
The [Original Compass] started to retract because Philip already found who or what he's been looking for. The [Original Compass] retracted back into its box form and landed on his palm
"But there's nothing here?"
He flicked his palm, making the [Original Compass] disappear
Just then, he lifted his left hand and looked at the glowing ring on his ring finger with the [Shades of Logicity]
"The Fate Variable... A ring..."
He clenched his hand and closed his eyes. The Eight Magic Eyes behind his head is still wide open
A few seconds later, he could feel heartbeats around his chest, as if he has a heart
"Ring on the left finger... Either just an accessory to look cool, a sentimental object, or I'm married"
「 ... 」
"Remember... Remember... Remembrance..."
「 ... 」
A few seconds later, the [Love Shard] showed itself and slowly hovered in front of Philip. The warm pink light made Philip open his eyes
The [Love Shard] began rotating and spinning slowly, like it's comforting Philip
"Love..."
Philip spread his arms apart and looked at each of his hand. He then subconsciously closed his arms in front of him, as if he's hugging someone in front of him. He placed his hands as if he's clutching a body, specifically arms
Suddenly, an outline of a woman appeared from where Philip was embracing. The outline showed all of her shape, form, and features, but Philip still wouldn't know her
But even if his brain is telling him that there's nothing, his non-existent heart says otherwise
"..."
He felt pain, loneliness, and abandonment. His face started to crumple as if he was about to cry, but the level 1 [Love Shard] exerted its power and released a pink shockwave before he could do so
『 The Void Corsage understands your connection... 』
『 The Red String of Fate understands your destiny... 』
『 The Rings of Bounded Fate understands your journey... 』
『 The Love Shard understands your unmatched, immeasurable, unconditional love that cannot be broken... 』
『 Your human soul understands her importance to you... 』
『 Fate recongnizes her importance! 』
『 The Unbreakable Bond is truly unbreakable! 』
『 Seventh Positive Exception has occured! 』
『 Ultimate Skill: Unbreakable Bond has been obtained!!! 』
『 Ultimate Skill System has been applied! 』
『 Ultimate Skill: Unbreakable Bond will be governed by the Lawyer of Perseverance: Perdissvïnculum 』
『 The Unbreakable Bond that you have with each other is unmatched and immeasurable! Nothing can break it, not even your Twinblades Concept nor Fate Control! 』
『 Ultimate Skill: Unbreakable Bond allows you to never be separated from a concept or existence that you have built a maximum relationship from the Dating Simulator System. Unbreakable Bond can also apply to anything you touch 』
『 Ultimate Skill: Unbreakable Bond - Lawyer of Perseverance: Perdissvïnculum is also given to Tenshi Hikaru 』
"Tenshi Hikaru..."
"P--"
"I remember..."
"Phi---"
"My non-existent heart... It's being weird..."
"..."
"But I like it..."
"Philip"
Finally, Philip heard a gorgeous female voice in front of him. Her voice ticked his ears and gave a warm feeling across his body. He felt calm and satisfied
Energy flowed across his body, into his arms, and into his hands, injecting his power to the person in front of him
『 Unidentified power has been recognized! 』
『 Recollecting instances of unidentified power... 』
『 Yuze Mahikocho's Shift ability has been temporarily empowered! Storm Displacement has been temporarily obtained! 』
『 Lyre Ki's Songstress ability has been temporarily empowered! Songstress Sonar has manifested in the material world! 』
『 Alex Armstrong's Super Strength ability has been temporarily empowered! Extreme Strength has been temporarily obtained! 』
『 Nana Reyroku's Aura Manipulation ability has been temporarily empowered! Aura Grandmaster Mastery has been temporarily obtained! 』
『 Considering unidentified power... 』
『 Scanning... 』
『 Success! 』
The person in front of Philip started to glow brightly and her entire body can be fully seen
"Tenshi... I remember you now... I love you and I'm sorry... You can borrow my power"
Tenshi began to glow brighter. Her Holy Angel form was undone and she became pure white with her eyes being shadowed as void
The blood from her mouth and eyes dissipated as her eyes looked extremely intimidating. The blood, scars, and wounds across her body was also healed
『 You have obtained [Touch of Vitality] 』
『 Tenshi Hikaru has been temporarily empowered! State of Totality has been temporarily obtained!! 』
Philip released his embrace and spread his arms behind Tenshi. The Eight Magic Eyes became wider even more and exerted their power
Meanwhile, as soon as Philip released his embrace, Tenshi lifted her arms to her sides in a curve and raised it above her head. She opened her hands wide and forcefully closed it
A shockwave exploded from her and spread across the ⟨⟨ Realm of Nothingness ⟩⟩, revealing the other seven powerful catalyst transformations; Amatsuka, Jikan, Zenchi, Nashi, Ketsuki, Usu, and Suzu - Void, Timeline, Nigh-Omniscience, Nothingness, Pureblood, Fluxewright, and Imagination
Philip kept his eyes closed and let Tenshi do her job
『 You passed the first test! 』
『 Tenshi Hikaru has achieved peak raw power!!! 』