Cosmic Ruler
Chapter 491 - 491: Fate XI

His aura expanded violently, golden and abyssal energy intertwining, pushing against the warrior's absolute defense. The moment the resistance wavered—he acted.

—𝘊𝘙𝘈𝘊𝘒—!

Aiden twisted his blade, sending a shockwave of spatial rupture into the warrior's arm. The force was too much—even for a divine construct.

—𝘚𝘏𝘈𝘈𝘈𝘈𝘒—!

The warrior's entire forearm shattered, divine essence spilling from the wound.

Aiden didn't hesitate.

He vanished.

—𝘍𝘞𝘖𝘖𝘚𝘏—

Reappearing above the warrior, he raised his weapon, its twilight glow blinding.

"𝘉𝘦 𝘦𝘳𝘢𝘴𝘦𝘥."

And then—he struck.

—𝘚𝘏𝘈𝘈𝘈𝘈𝘒—!

The warrior's halo cracked. Its form began to dissolve, fragments of golden light peeling away into the void.

Yet, before it faded completely, it spoke one final time.

"You… are beyond fate itself. You have passed the Trial of Power."

—𝘉𝘖𝘖𝘖𝘔—!

With that, the warrior vanished. The battlefield reconstructed itself, the shattered bridge reforming beneath Aiden's feet. The golden gate ahead pulsed, unlocking the path forward.

[Trial of Power – Complete.]

[Reward Obtained: Divine Soul Fragment.]

Aiden exhaled, rolling his shoulders. "One down. Two to go."

From ahead, the mysterious figure in white observed him with quiet amusement.

"You wield destruction as though it is an extension of yourself."

Aiden smirked. "Yeah? That a compliment?"

The figure merely gestured toward the next gate.

"The next trial awaits—The Trial of Will."

Aiden's golden eyes gleamed. He had broken the Abyss. Defied fate. Crushed the Trial of Power.

What could possibly break his will?

He stepped forward.

The second trial began.

Trial of Will—The Breaking of the Mind

—𝘞𝘏𝘖𝘖𝘖𝘖𝘔—

The moment Aiden stepped through the second gate, reality itself warped.

The solid bridge beneath him vanished. The golden skies faded into blackness. The divine energy surrounding him collapsed into silence.

And then—

He was alone.

Completely.

No battlefield.

No enemies.

No allies.

No light.

No sound.

Just endless, suffocating emptiness.

[Warning: Trial of Will Initiated.]

[For this trial, you will be stripped of all power. Only your mind remains.]

Aiden felt something shift within him.

His aura flickered. His Martial Spirits dimmed. His authorities fell silent.

His sword—gone. His scythe—gone. His energy—gone.

For the first time in what felt like eons, Aiden was… powerless.

"What…?"

His voice echoed in the void, yet there was no response.

Then, the whispers began.

"You are nothing."

"You have always been nothing."

"Your power was never yours to begin with."

"You stole, you cheated, you consumed—"

"And now, there is nothing left of you."

Aiden's breath slowed. His mind sharpened.

This is the trial. This is what it wants.

The Trial of Will wasn't a test of strength.

It was a test of identity.

A test to see if Aiden could exist without his power.

The void shifted. Memories surfaced.

Painful ones.

—𝘚𝘏𝘈𝘈𝘈—

A vision of his past battles played before him. The countless enemies he had slain. The monsters he had become to survive. The moments he had crossed the line between justice and ruthlessness.

"You are not a hero."

Aiden exhaled. "I never claimed to be."

"You are not even real."

A flicker of doubt stabbed into his mind.

Am I real?

He clenched his fists—only to realize…

He had no body.

The void had taken everything from him. His strength. His form. His abilities.

All that remained was his mind.

The whispers grew louder.

"Without power, you are worthless."

Aiden laughed.

A deep, genuine, defiant laugh.

"Is that all you've got?"

The void shuddered.

"You are weak."

"You are alone."

"You are nothing."

Aiden smirked.

"Damn right I'm alone. I always have been."

"Damn right I'm weak. That's why I keep moving forward."

"And yeah, I started with nothing. But I made something out of it."

His will did not break.

And that was the mistake the trial had made.

—𝘊𝘙𝘈𝘊𝘒—!

The void fractured.

A single golden light pierced the darkness.

[Trial of Will – Completed.]

Aiden felt everything return.

His power. His body. His soul.

He opened his eyes to find himself back at the golden gate. The mysterious figure stood before him, watching him with silent approval.

"You did not falter."

Aiden grinned. "Yeah, well. You guys are gonna have to try harder than that to break me."

The figure gestured toward the third and final gate.

"Then prove it. The Trial of Purpose awaits."

Aiden's smirk faded slightly. Purpose.

A test unlike the others.

A test that would ask him the most dangerous question of all—

"Why do you fight?"

With a deep breath, he stepped forward.

The final trial began.

Trial of Purpose—The Question That Must Be Answered

—𝘞𝘏𝘖𝘖𝘖𝘖𝘔—

The moment Aiden stepped through the third gate, the world changed again.

This time, there was no battlefield. No divine arena. No enemies.

Instead, he stood in the middle of a vast, endless plain.

Golden grass stretched as far as the eye could see, swaying gently under an unseen breeze. The sky above was neither divine nor abyssal—just a peaceful, endless blue.

Aiden frowned. "This is different."

Then, a voice spoke.

Not the voice of an enemy. Not the whispers of the Abyss.

His own voice.

"Why do you fight, Aiden?"

Aiden froze.

A shadow appeared before him, slowly taking form.

It was him.

A mirror image. But not the warrior he had become—this was a younger version of himself. The boy he had been before the battles, before the power, before the bloodshed.

Aiden clenched his fists. "...Is that what this trial is? A damn therapy session?"

The younger version of him simply stared.

"You've fought endless battles. Defied fate itself. Killed those who stood in your way."

"But why?"

Aiden said nothing.

The question seemed so simple. He could have given a dozen answers.

For strength. For survival. For revenge.

But as he opened his mouth to speak—

Nothing came out.

The younger version of him stepped forward, golden eyes piercing into him.

"You don't even know, do you?"

Aiden's hands trembled. Not with fear. But with frustration.

Why do I fight?

He thought back—

To the day he first picked up a blade.

To the moment he first tasted power.

To the times he killed without hesitation.

Had it all just been… instinct? Momentum? Had he ever actually chosen?