Re:Awakening with Ultimate Power as a Cosmic God

Nova waited until Amari had gone inside, her footsteps slow and dragging with exhaustion. She didn't even glance back as she told him.

"Don't stay up too long!"

Before disappearing through the shop's door. Nova gave a quiet nod she wouldn't see, his eyes lingering on the closed door for a moment longer than necessary.

Once he was sure she was out of sight, he turned and slipped into a narrow alley behind the shop, crouching low and pressing a small device to the wall.

Static buzzed against his ear as he adjusted the frequency, trying to cut through the interference.

The planet's atmosphere was unusually thick with noise, but finally, the connection clicked.

A familiar voice rang out, crisp despite the signal strain.

[You're late.]

"I was busy. What's the status? What did you find?"

Nova muttered.

[Nothing worth our time. Security systems are solid on the surface, but that's it. No planetary core, no active apostles, no trace of divine influence left. This world is dried up, Nova. It's just running on fumes.]

Nyx replied flatly.

Nova leaned against the wall, his brows drawn.

"So it's abandoned?"

[More like forgotten. Whatever power used to live here is long gone. We're wasting resources by staying.]

she corrected.

He exhaled.

"That bad, huh?"

[Yes. Pull out and come back. There's nothing left to protect here, and we're not in the business of babysitting decay.]

There was a pause. The wind outside stirred dust across the alley's floor. Nova didn't respond right away.

Nyx's voice sharpened.

[You're hesitating.]

"I've found something."

He admitted.

[Nova—]

"I just want to observe for a little longer. That's all."

[What could possibly be so interesting on a dead planet?]

Nova smiled faintly, even if she couldn't see it.

"A girl. A village. A power that doesn't belong here. It doesn't make sense. And when things don't make sense, I don't like turning away."

There was a beat of silence, then Nyx sighed.

[You're letting your curiosity get in the way again.]

"Maybe. But you know me."

He said.

[That's the problem. Don't take interest in things that don't matter. It'll slow you down.]

Her tone was cool now, distant.

Nova stared up at the faint stars piercing through the canopy of clouds. "I can't promise that."

The line went silent, the static fizzling into the night.

Nova lowered the communicator, letting the static crackle once before it fell silent.

He slipped the device back into the inner lining of his coat, his gaze drifting upward to the stars veiled behind the faint haze of this world's corrupted atmosphere.

Nyx was right. This planet wasn't worth their time. No core, no god, no apostle—just a hollow structure barely held together by rotting systems and aether so polluted it choked the air like mold.

And yet he lingered.

He moved through the alley in silence, boots barely making a sound against the worn stone path.

He should've already left—back through the veil and into something more structured, more purposeful. But something about the instability here held his attention.

The aether wasn't just weak. It was twisted. Desperate. Acting on instinct more than design. Whatever was left behind here had long since abandoned order.

Even the Queen's presence had confirmed it—her power wasn't her own. It was borrowed, decaying, and wildly unstable.

The door creaked as Nova entered the shop. Quiet. Undisturbed. The kind of place no one would think to look for him. He didn't bother lighting a lamp.

Sliding behind the counter, Nova rested against the wall, letting his thoughts settle. He pulled a small crystal bead from his coat.

A shard of condensed energy, taken from the Queen's chamber before they left. The thing pulsed weakly in his palm—erratic and sickly, like it didn't know what to be anymore.

He turned it between his fingers, watching the flicker of chaotic light inside. Whatever system had governed this world was now fully degraded.

The only reason the palace still stood was because the ones holding it up were too arrogant—or too frightened—to admit it was all falling apart.

There had once been structure here. Maybe even purpose. But now? It was like watching the carcass of something divine slowly rot, kept moving by ritual and memory.

Nova closed his hand around the shard and let his eyes fall shut for a moment.

He wasn't here for the people. He wasn't here to play politics or get involved in petty power struggles.

But if something powerful had once been here—and if it had died—then he needed to know what had killed it.

Because if the same thing was spreading elsewhere…

He sat forward.

"I'll stay. Just a little longer."

He muttered, almost to himself.

Not for anyone. Not for sentiment.

But because something was wrong here. And finding out what that was might matter more than Nyx realized.

Nova was just about to settle into sleep when a ripple passed through the air.

Subtle. Wrong.

His eyes snapped open. The pressure was faint—barely there—but unmistakably foreign. It wasn't just aether. It was targeted. Intentional.

Nova sat up slowly, his gaze shifting toward the wall. The corrupted aether in this town was usually sluggish, like a tired current.

But this? This was sharp. Moving with purpose.

Someone was coming.

His coat was already in his hands by the time he crossed the room. He didn't bother waking Amari or leaving a note.

If this was what he thought it was, she didn't need to be anywhere near it.

He slipped out the back entrance, his footsteps quiet against the uneven stone. The alley was still. The air hung heavier here, like it was holding its breath.

Nova closed his eyes and focused. There it was—just ahead, past the crooked archway. The presence had paused, clearly sensing something off.

An assassin. Probably hired by someone in the palace. That queen didn't seem like the type to let insults slide quietly.

Nova didn't wait for them to strike. He moved first.

His body flickered forward, the corrupted aether around him parting like mist. He didn't call on too much power. He didn't need to.

Whoever this was had already made a mistake coming here.

He landed silently behind the figure cloaked in black. They turned, startled, blade already halfway drawn—but Nova caught their wrist mid-motion.

The assassin's eyes widened just as Nova crushed the joint, bone shattering beneath his grip.

They let out a muffled cry, but Nova was already dragging them into the shadows, silencing them with a sharp twist of aether around their throat.

"Who sent you?"

Nova asked, voice quiet but cold.

The assassin didn't answer, gritting their teeth through the pain.

Nova narrowed his eyes. He didn't care about names. He just wanted to know how far this corruption had spread.

And how many more would come.

The assassin refused to speak, but Nova didn't press further. He could feel it now—layers of binding aether wrapped around the man's mind.

Compulsion seals. Whoever sent him didn't want anything getting out.

Nova let the body slump against the wall, unconscious but breathing. Killing him now would serve no purpose.

He stared up at the dark sky.

First the queen, now this.

It wasn't about pride anymore. Someone was getting desperate. That meant something here was worth hiding—or protecting.

Nova turned back toward the shop, his steps soundless. Whatever was happening, he wasn't leaving until he'd uncovered it.