After two wars, Lastnine decided to do something. Meanwhile, Jasmine, in spirit form, and Mary were playing together, chasing each other, when suddenly the black water's surface trembled, and a creature emerged from the lake. It was the creature Lastnine had said he would deal with, and with its sharp eyes, it stared intently at Jasmine and Mary. Jasmine prepared to use his abilities, but Mary stood in front of him, creating countless weapons of light with a determined expression and said:
"Come at me, and I'll show you what a true mage is."
But a red dagger shot downward, creating an explosion that obscured everyone's vision. When the smoke cleared, Lastnine stood in the center, having created a shield around Jasmine and Mary on one side and the creature on the other. Lastnine said:
"Stop, no fighting."
Lastnine then picked up his dagger, stored it in his pocket dimension, and explained:
"Maybe you two aren't used to this creature, but from now on, get used to it. As I said, this creature's name is Jacob, and it will carry out the tasks I assign in your place when things go wrong. It will also protect you two."
Mary looked displeased, but Jasmine's face lit up at the idea of a new companion. Lastnine looked at the creature and snapped his fingers. An advanced suit of armor flew over and equipped itself onto the creature, which then bowed before Lastnine and awaited his orders. Lastnine smiled and said:
"Find the things I need from the data I provided, Jacob."
Upon receiving the command, Jacob immediately flew off, piercing through the shield Lastnine had created and leaving the world to begin its search. Lastnine turned around and said:
"Hey, you two, how about exploring the world? You haven't done that yet."
Jasmine and Mary looked at each other, then at Lastnine, and both nodded with smiles. Lastnine grinned and said:
"Then get ready, because we're leaving tomorrow—no fighting, don't worry, I've prepared everything."
Both were excited, and Mary pulled Jasmine along, flying to another world to prepare. Lastnine watched the energetic kids with some joy and went to prepare for the next day.
Meanwhile, in a desolate world where everyone and every creature had been mercilessly slaughtered, the people there, driven to madness, were no longer human but had become bloodthirsty creatures consumed by desire. Torturing the weak was a common occurrence—crushing heads, humiliating, severing limbs, mutilating genitals, using human skin as clothing, stabbing with rusted steel, cutting bodies in half while keeping them alive, burning, forcing people to eat vomit-inducing substances and then eating the vomit again, and countless other forms of torture. In a tower, Jack and a woman with the same name sat on chairs made of human bones, killing their subordinates as casually as eating a meal. Although Jack and the woman had been resurrected, it was only temporary, as the erasure effect still lingered. Fortunately, someone had helped them retain their bodies for now. Jack slammed the table in anger and said:
"I can't believe he reduced me to this! I'll find him and make him pay! This is a disgrace!"
The woman, equally furious, said:
"You know that if Jam hadn't saved us, you and I would've been erased into nothingness long ago! You should be grateful!"
Jack shouted:
"Shut up, Alice! I don't need him!"
Both fell silent and trembled in fear as a surge of energy emanated from Jam. He laughed and said:
"Stop arguing. We all escaped, but don't get too arrogant. We still have a bigger plan."
Jack and Alice nodded silently. Jam continued:
"We need to find some things. So, do you want to search with me?"
As Jam explained, he carelessly killed a subordinate nearby, letting out a casual "oh" before continuing with his plan—a plan that would change the nature and personalities of Jasmine and Mary.
Back in the world where Jasmine, Mary, and Lastnine were, Jasmine, in spirit form, and Mary were picking out beautiful outfits for their adventure the next day, along with some food and cooking supplies. Jasmine, floating freely in his spirit form, wasn't subject to others' scrutiny, while Mary walked beside him with a bright smile, buying supplies. They didn't need to worry about money since old man Lastnine had given them enough to buy an entire city. They chose beautiful outfits for themselves. Jasmine, despite being a spirit, still had his abilities and used his reality manipulation to create an outfit: a white hooded jacket with fur trim, a white shirt, a jacket with a green stripe running down the sleeve, black shorts, and sandals. Mary wore a long white hooded coat with fur trim that reached her back, blue shoes, and long black pants. They continued shopping and stopped at a souvenir stall. Jasmine asked:
"What should we get for the old man? After all, he's helped us a lot."
Mary thought for a moment and spotted something. She walked over, paid for it, and returned to Jasmine with a smile, holding out a keychain shaped like an eagle—a symbol of pride. Jasmine smiled and said:
"Oh, life is full of 'meaning.' Everything has meaning when we realize it. Meaning isn't just in words; it's in actions and the things around us."
Mary teased:
"Since when did you start sounding like the old man?"
Jasmine blushed as Mary leaned closer, stammering:
"Maybe it's because… the old man really means something to us…"
Mary paused, nodded, and said:
"You're right. Every time we were in danger, the old man saved us. And you're about to get a new body thanks to him. Everything he does has no benefit for him, yet he still does it…"
Jasmine and Mary suddenly noticed people staring at Mary strangely, as she seemed to be talking to herself. She remembered Jasmine was in spirit form, blushed in embarrassment, and ran off. Jasmine laughed and floated after her.
Meanwhile, at Lastnine's location, in his own dimensional space, he was choosing an outfit for the occasion—something he rarely wore. He donned a black suit with a white dress shirt, black gloves, black leather shoes, black sunglasses, and a black fedora hat. Lighting a cigarette, he took a deep drag and looked at the scenery around him. When he turned off the energy surrounding him, the view became even more beautiful. He wondered:
"I wonder how those two are doing with their preparations."
Lastnine sat down as Jacob landed behind him, carrying the items Lastnine had requested: an interdimensional gate, a "deep" ore with infinite durability, a green liquid, a broken holy sword, and thousands of other items too numerous to list. Lastnine was impressed by Jacob's efficiency. He offered Jacob a meal, and the two sat down to eat in silence until Lastnine spoke:
"You know, Jacob, I came from a world where I was once a citizen and the greatest mage. But then something changed my life. She betrayed me, did things I couldn't bear, and along with a god, tried to kill me. I was transported to a void, filled with emptiness. But now, this world is full of color. I just hope those two kids don't end up like me."
Jacob sat beside him, letting Lastnine lean on his shoulder. Lastnine explained how the multiverse worked—each world independent, expanding infinitely, with countless branching timelines. Each world was a concept, its information shaping everything within it. Worlds were laws, worlds were their own scripts. Jacob absorbed the information quickly as Lastnine continued.
Back with Jasmine and Mary, they arrived in another world filled with massive but gentle creatures. They spotted a medium-sized, highly aggressive dragon. Mary used her abilities to create a rope of light, pulling the dragon. She laughed and said to Jasmine:
"Let's take this one back as a souvenir for the old man."
Jasmine nodded and helped pull the dragon along.
Meanwhile, Lastnine stood up and said:
"Jacob, I think it's time to make something meaningful for those two. Want to help?"
Jacob nodded obediently, and they began working together.
After two hours, Jasmine and Mary finally tamed the dragon. They rode it through a portal to Lastnine's dimension, where Lastnine and Jacob were waiting. Mary commanded the dragon to land, and they slid down its massive body, which stood 123,948 meters tall and stretched 1.239472931873e+ meters long. As they reached the ground, Lastnine teased them with a grin:
"Well, look at this, the couple's wearing matching outfits now?"
Mary and Jasmine blushed and shouted in unison:
"Shut up, old man!"
Lastnine laughed and said:
"Alright, alright, I'll stop. But what's with the dragon?"
Jasmine grinned and boasted:
"This is the dragon Mary and I caught as a souvenir for you, old man."
Mary nodded and handed Lastnine the eagle keychain. Lastnine smiled, attaching it to his gun, and said:
"Thanks, you two. I really appreciate it. But I've got gifts for you too."
Mary and Jasmine looked intrigued as Lastnine snapped his fingers. Jacob brought their gifts. Jasmine received a katana, despite not knowing how to use it yet. Mary got a staff with a spear and an orb filled with energy in the center. Lastnine said:
"Get used to them, you two. Jasmine, I'll personally train you in swordsmanship after this trip. Oh, and the katana's name is up to you."
Lastnine suddenly remembered something, ran off, and returned with Jasmine's broken sword from the previous battle, now repaired and imbued with fire and strength. Jasmine took it and said:
"Infernus, my sword."
Lastnine smiled and said:
"I found it next to you, so I had it fixed."
Tears welled in Jasmine's eyes as he said:
"Thank you, old man. I thought I'd lost it forever. Thank you."
Lastnine chuckled and said:
"Don't thank me too much. Just think of it as a keepsake."
The five of them—Lastnine, Jasmine, Mary, Jacob, and the dragon—sat down to eat together (the dragon devoured 127,263 large portions of food).
Meanwhile, in the world ruled by Jack, Alice, and Jam, Jam suddenly had an idea and said:
"Hey, why don't the three of us go have some fun?"
Jack looked at Jam and said:
"Are you insane?"
Jam laughed and said:
"I'm crazy enough to think so."
Alice, sipping tea on the side, said:
"I think it's a good idea. We can enjoy things we haven't before and, at the same time, track down those three to settle the score."
Jack, hearing this, laughed, slapped Jam's shoulder, and said:
"Why didn't you mention the plan sooner? Alright, let's do it!"
Jam grinned and said:
"Good, then get ready."
The two others nodded and teleported to another world to gather supplies. Jam looked out the window, pulled out a scythe made of bone, and with a single swing, split the entire world in half. Those caught in the swing were killed and corroded to death. Jam laughed and said:
"Lastnine, I can't wait to kill you!"
He shouted excitedly and put away his scythe.
Meanwhile, Alice and Jack went shopping together, their wealth amassed from killing others. Alice spotted a store with beautiful clothes and dragged Jack inside. She saw a stunning outfit and put it on: a black dress paired with black gloves, black stockings, and black high heels. Jack wore a black suit jacket, a white dress shirt, black pants, glasses, and brown shoes. As they paid and left, they overheard people talking about a girl who was seen talking to the air that morning, matching the description of someone they were looking for. Alice didn't hesitate, approached them, and extracted plenty of information about the girl. She turned to Jack with a smile and said:
"I think we've found that trio."
Jack looked at Alice with sharp eyes and said:
"Show me where they are. I'll kill them all."
Alice stopped Jack and said:
"Have you forgotten we're on a break with Jam? Let's deal with them after the break."
Jack was annoyed but agreed, and they began heading back.
Meanwhile, in one of the countless higher realms above the lower worlds, a man dressed in black, identical to Lastnine, stood with a woman using an observation orb. The woman said:
"There's that stupid, weak, pathetic ex-boyfriend of mine, darling. Why haven't you dealt with him yet?"
The man replied:
"Don't worry, my love. When the time is right, I'll kill him and bring his head back for you to trample on, alright?"
The woman laughed and said:
"Yes, darling~."
Lastnine sensed something intruding and fired a bullet, shattering the orb. The woman screamed in rage:
"That vile man dared to destroy our orb?!"
The man calmed his lover and said:
"Don't worry, I'll make him pay in full, and we'll take everything he has."
The woman calmed down and said sweetly:
"You promise, darling~?"
The man replied:
"I promise, my princess."
When Lastnine looked at the object, his emotions flared as it was a tracking device from his old world, and he knew who was behind it. He shouted in anger:
"That bitch Aurora and that bastard Ademis! You think you can spy on me and take everything I have?! Oh, you've made a big mistake! I'll find you and make you pay in full!"
Jasmine, Mary, and Jacob grew worried, seeing Lastnine angry for the first time. Lastnine realized the kids were still there, calmed himself, and whispered:
"I swear on myself and my last shred of honor, I will kill you both and wipe out every last trace of your lineage, sparing no one."
He turned to face the kids and said:
"I'm sorry for that outburst. It was because I felt intense emotions seeing this object, but I hope you understand."
Jasmine, Mary, and Jacob nodded, and Lastnine smiled and said:
"You kids go to sleep. I'll be up a bit longer."
The three nodded and went to rest. Lastnine stood there, staring at the object. He couldn't forget, nor did he want to, because he wanted it to fuel his drive to live meaningfully. Everything that happened to him had meaning, every person born had meaning, every action and every deed in the world and by him and others had meaning. No action was meaningless; it was just that the true meaning behind actions wasn't always clear. He reflected for a while and entered the boundless void of his own dimensional space. He wondered if losing those memories would mean he was no longer himself, but that didn't matter anymore. He had the kids and the creatures accompanying him on this journey to find true meaning. He smiled as dawn broke, knowing he wasn't alone, and neither were others. He had things to protect, unfinished business to attend to. He couldn't let his past consume him, nor could he let it fade, for it was a reminder of his weakness. So, he needed to become stronger, stronger than himself, to transcend even at the cost of his very origin. He wouldn't give up, for he was Lastnine—the one who nullifies everything.