A dizzying sensation of disorientation later, Roy and Aiwass returned to his world. Though only the two of them had departed for the world of Campione, their return brought an additional companion—Athena.
The experience of traversing worlds was not particularly pleasant, though hardly painful or unbearable. Given Roy's current adaptability, it took mere seconds for him to regain his composure.
"Roy, do not tell me this is the world you hail from."
Athena's clear, melodious voice reached his ears, laced with faint traces of confusion and astonishment.
Roy, who had been keeping his eyes closed to process the sensation of world-crossing, now opened them. Even he was momentarily stunned by the sight before him.
"No, this isn't my world. This is the interior of the 'ship' that facilitated our journey between worlds."
"'Ship'?"
Athena sounded slightly puzzled.
Roy saw no reason to keep her in suspense and promptly relayed the theories he and Aiwass had formulated about this 'Mysterious Ship.'
Before Roy stretched the same boundless white mist he had encountered when first crossing into the Campione world. Now, as he returned, the mist gradually dissipated, revealing its true form—an endless expanse of cosmic space, with countless stars and planets traversing around them. Beyond these celestial bodies, numerous cosmic phenomena unfolded.
Standing in this realm of darkness yet infinite radiance, Roy and Athena appeared as if they were supreme deities gazing upon the vast tapestry of creation.
"This sight is identical to when I left the 'Toaru' world on the first layer. Could this universe be the 'Campione' world itself?"
The spectacle was utterly overwhelming. Even though Roy had wielded power in the Campione world capable of splitting mountains and boiling seas, even though he had once incinerated human history and briefly attained the strength to pierce planets and reverse stars—standing here before the boundless cosmos and the multiverse, he still felt infinitesimally small.
Roy steadied his emotions and scanned the cosmic expanse. Sure enough, not far to the side, he spotted another set of pristine white jade steps ascending upward.
Layer upon layer, level after level—the first world was that of magic prohibition, the second was the realm of Campione, and now, ascending yet another step to the third tier, journeying toward the next world. Just how many layers did this mysterious space possess? Was it truly a structure, or some arcane spell manifesting in the form of a 'castle'? And what sight would greet him upon reaching the summit?
Roy felt a mix of bewilderment, anticipation, and fear.
This phenomenon far surpassed his comprehension—condensing entire universes into mere inches of space, allowing the master of this 'ship' to traverse freely between them. Each layer even fulfilled certain desires of its master to some degree. The sheer depth of its mystery was overwhelming.
"The Divine Ascent!"
Roy murmured, gazing at the pristine white jade staircase before him.
"Is that the name of this place?"
Athena, who had never witnessed such a mystifying and vast spectacle, stood beside Roy in a daze. Her hand drifted through the endless sea of stars, creating the illusion that she could nudge the cosmos into motion with a mere touch.
"Just a name I gave it. Its true original name remains unknown to me."
Roy exhaled, finally regaining his composure. After all, he was once the supreme ruler of his domain, possessing an indomitable will.
"Roy, having seen this sight, I finally understand what it means to be a frog at the bottom of a well. Compared to this power that encapsulates the universe within a mere span, the so-called Heretic Gods are as insignificant and powerless as ants."
Athena's amber eyes grew solemn as she uttered this heartfelt sigh.
Then Roy turned his gaze to her.
Her silver hair cascaded softly over her delicate shoulders, her petite frame clad in a chiffon dress, her flawless skin like unblemished jade. Her bare feet tread upon the cosmos, her night-dark eyes reflecting the myriad stars of countless universes. She was breathtaking, utterly mesmerizing.
Yet Roy wasn't admiring Athena's beauty—her form and allure had long belonged to him, molded and claimed by his touch. The reason he looked at her was because he sensed an uncanny resonance between Athena and this layer of The Divine Ascent, as if she had become its master.
Though 'master' might be an overstatement. Roy still held absolute control over this 'ship,' but it was as though the vessel itself was a series of 'Golden Palaces,' each layer a throne, and Athena had been granted dominion over this particular tier.
"No wonder I had a premonition earlier—that before leaving a world, I must take someone with me. It's as if the one I bring becomes the guardian of that layer, a presence akin to a 'protector.'"
Roy frowned as he spoke.
Then he glanced behind him, where Aiwass stood in quiet contemplation.
"It feels like playing a game. I cleared this stage, so I gained the ability to take someone with me and make them the 'boss' of this layer. In the previous world of magic prohibition, I didn't achieve 'clearance,' so I couldn't take anyone, nor did I feel compelled to."
"...Athena is my connection to the world of Campione. Her presence here signifies my ownership of this world!"
Roy pondered for a moment, expressing his perception of this place in his own way. Though he called it a game, it was certainly no mere game—it just bore some resemblance to gaming mechanics. Even its underlying systems and principles remained beyond his full comprehension.
Aiwass, however, had delved far deeper than Roy could imagine. With a complex expression, she gazed at this world and spoke: "...Roy, have you ever considered that if this is a microcosm of the Campione universe, you might attempt to seize control of it here? It would be akin to claiming ownership over an entire cosmos. And if each layer represents a universe, then by bringing them all under your grasp, you would command countless worlds."
"...By that logic, once you've mastered multiple universes, you'll have accumulated enough experience to no longer rely on this 'vessel.' You could achieve control on your own—from one to infinity—and truly become the sovereign who unifies the multiverse."
"Therefore, I suspect that this 'ship' must be a tool created by someone so great that even I cannot comprehend—a tool meant to control and manage the multiverse!"
Aiwass's tone grew increasingly grave, and even she, like Roy, felt a trace of fear in her heart.
Faced with the unknown and the great, any rational being would harbor fear alongside awe, for fear is, in essence, a mechanism of self-preservation.
Roy's heart stirred as he envisioned the scene Aiwass described, and he couldn't help but suck in a sharp breath.
To grasp the mechanisms of a universe, granting one the power to manipulate a singular cosmos, then linking countless worlds and universes above and below—achieving the infinite multiverse!
Rather than calling it a 'ship,' Roy suddenly felt this thing was more akin to a 'throne'!