NOVEL NEXT Chapter 335: Other Universes
Emperor Building.
Sunlight streamed through the floor-to-ceiling glass windows, casting a warm glow that filled the vast room. The luxurious dark red carpet with golden trim reflected light onto the nearby bar. A crystal bottle filled with red liquid glistened like a ruby, refracting magnificent hues.
Bardi opened his eyes slightly. His expression was indifferent. Under the sunlight, his skin shone like flawless white jade, emitting a faint glow. He was divine, unblemished. His gaze was deep, as if spinning and swallowing an entire galaxy, filled with a beauty that defied comprehension.
He wore his imperial armor, its dark gold radiance exuding endless majesty. His expression was calm and commanding, as if ruling over the cosmos. He sat on a throne dark as obsidian, dotted with glimmering stars, like a seat crafted from the universe itself.
This throne, Hera, and Raven had helped secure through their acquisition of the Guardian of the Universe's knowledge, along with vast magical research, arcane practices, and strange technologies. These would be used to effectively limit the redistribution of Bardi's power across the universe.
Bardi's fingertips gently touched the armrest of the obsidian throne. The full-body emperor's armor embodied sovereign authority. His divine power enveloped the universe. The tips of his fingers, like cold steel claws, produced a crisp ding ding sound as they tapped against the metal.
He was a true god-king, seated amidst the stars. As he contemplated, the universe shifted, galaxies reversed, and celestial bodies perished.
From the memories of the Guardian of the Universe and Zeus, he had come to understand the structure of the universe and part of the Realm of Gods. Initially, Bardi thought that conquering this universe and establishing his rule would be enough to carve out a foothold and secure some influence.
But he hadn't expected the depth of the waters in the Realm of Gods.
The multiverse was pathetically weak—so weak that it shocked Bardi. A One and Only God could destroy countless universes with a single breath.
The Monitor himself was composed of countless cells and strands of hair, each of which spawned a Primal Monitor capable of observing an entire universe. He could assign a Monitor to oversee every corner of the multiverse.
As for the Monitor's true form, its power was beyond comprehension.
Even Trigon, who bore enmity toward Bardi, was bound by treaties forbidding true entry into the multiverse. If not for that, Bardi would already be a memory.
Even Zeus himself, despite his status, could not easily overcome the full might of the Olympian pantheon in the Realm of Gods. If Bardi entered their territory now, he would likely be sealed away, unable to escape.
The Olympian gods, and others like them, were organized into quasi-One God systems. Though they were not One Gods individually, together they formed an interconnected power structure that rivaled or even surpassed a true One God.
"To win… that should mean to win me."
Bardi's eyes shimmered with thought.
When he descended into Zeus's projection, he discovered that Zeus's true self had attempted to send information from the Realm of Gods.
When Zeus had questioned what could possibly be worth "winning over" in the multiverse, it made sense. The multiverse was little more than a granary for many of the One Gods.
Sending information from the Realm of Gods to the multiverse was no easy task. The two domains were separated by the Speed Force barrier. Even One Gods struggled to send information through it, as the Speed Force consumed all things via the flow of time.
Zeus had managed only because he had a projection within the multiverse. Without it, Bardi would have remained unaware of Zeus's intentions.
"Hera."
Bardi sat upright on the obsidian throne, spine straight as a peak. The throne gleamed darkly with the light of distant stars, making it seem as though Bardi were seated upon the cosmos itself.
A projection of Hera appeared. She wore a red evening gown with one shoulder exposed, revealing her porcelain arms. Her expression was serene, delicate, and graceful. Her eyes sparkled with affection and love. She smiled sweetly at Bardi.
"Master, I'm here."
"Head in this direction, open a spatial rift, and collect Mount Olympus."
Bardi transmitted coordinates to Hera. The location was above a Greek city, where the Olympian pantheon had established a dimensional space for Olympus Peak on Earth.
After Bardi descended into Zeus and eliminated the so-called Twelve Olympians, resistance had crumbled. Hera's task was now just cleanup.
"Yes, Master."
Hera bowed slightly and remained in place. Multiple threads of her consciousness were already active, organizing high-tech spatial equipment and deploying available forces to carry out Bardi's orders.
"Hera, list the tasks I need to complete. I may need to go to other multiverses, conquer them, and grow stronger before I can leave this multiverse and enter the Realm of Gods."
Bardi's face was calm and dignified, but inwardly, he was anxious to wrap up everything here.
He needed to visit other multiverses, deploy subsystems, seize other universes, refine them into singular existences, and then absorb them as power. He wasn't seeking parallel universes generated by this one, but entirely different universes.
Like other One Gods, he had to find legendary sources, absorb massive amounts of information about himself, and fortify his essence so that he could pull his cosmic power into the Realm of Gods.
Within the multiverse, Bardi was invincible. But once outside it, he might be targeted, sealed, or disassembled by other One Gods.
Power alone would not blind him. Power without wisdom was useless.
Only by combining strength and intelligence could he truly become strong enough to do as he pleased.
But for now, he needed to settle everything in this universe, locate the frequencies of other universes, and proceed to conquer them quickly.
"Yes, Master."
Hera lifted her gown slightly with a graceful gesture and smiled sweetly.
With a soft motion of her delicate white hand in front of Bardi…
A holographic screen appeared, displaying everything he needed to know, item by item.
Hera stood beside him and began explaining in a crisp, clear voice.
"The Monitor's conspiracy is being calculated by Master. He is controlling events to guide the Anti-Monitor into completing the singularization of this universe."
"The Anti-Monitor has been influenced and is expected to launch an operation soon to destroy the antimatter universe. At that point, Master will refine the universe. Once the parallel worlds are wiped out, the singular universe will be under Master's full control. Observation is ongoing…"
"Multiple subsystems have constructed the cosmic star map. Now we await the Anti-Monitor's next move…"
"The solar system's universal network base station is currently being constructed by Brainiac. Estimated completion time: 17,000 years…"
"The Cosmic Lantern Corps' conquest force is currently taking control of Oa and initiating sector-wide management, spreading Master's dominion across the stars…"
Bardi nodded. Everything was progressing smoothly. Once the Anti-Monitor destroyed the many parallel and antimatter universes derived from this one, and this universe became singular, Bardi would refine it and absorb the resulting power directly.
The Primal Monitor had similar plans. That was why, at the birth of the multiverse, he had guided the creation of the antimatter universe. Secretly, he hoped the Anti-Monitor would destroy all antimatter realms, allowing him to absorb and singularize the positive matter universe.
The Monitor hoped to harvest this universe and elevate himself into a quasi-One God. But unfortunately for him, he remained unaware of Bardi, a true One God. That ignorance would seal his fate.
The mantis stalks the cicada, unaware of the oriole behind.
As for crossing into other universes, Bardi didn't know how long it would take. That's why he wanted to finish everything here first.
Bardi's gaze swept across the projected screen. Every task, large and small, was organized and in place. There were no issues.
Suddenly.
His eyes narrowed.
On the screen, he paused on a name recorded ten years ago:
"Jonathan Kent."
(To be continued.)