Chapter 6: Balancing Creation
"Even marginalized legends, it turns out, have their value."
Lin Yun realized that these seemingly insignificant fragments actually filled in corners untouched by mainstream mythology, making the entire mythological System richer.
Like a large tree, the core orthodox types are the trunk, and the regional variant types are the branches.
And the small, peripheral types are the leaves and flowers; together, they form a vibrant whole.
Just as he finished sorting, Ananke spoke.
"Classification is complete. Creation can begin."
"Based on the 'Sole Necessity,' you should choose one core System and construct a perfectly self-consistent Universe."
"Then, make all myths follow this template."
"This is the safest way, preventing rules between Universes from conflicting with each other."
She stretched out a hand made of light and shadow, pointing to the Olympus fragments.
"Centering on Zeus will surely balance order and vitality."
Lin Yun turned his head, slightly surprised.
"Sole Necessity? But you just said my choice itself is a variable."
"Variables must operate within the framework of necessity."
Ananke's tone carried an unquestionable firmness.
"If Creation loses order, countless Universes will descend into Chaos."
"At that time, the timelines will intertwine and devour each other, and eventually all existence will return to the original Chaos."
"Chronos, as the first cause, must ensure the stability of 'existence.'"
"This is your responsibility, and your destiny."
The Astrolabe around her suddenly accelerated its rotation, and the light became sharper.
"Look, the two branches of Orphism fragments are already secretly undergoing Fusion."
"If we let them continue, new rules might breed that neither you nor I can control."
Lin Yun fell silent.
He understood Ananke's concerns.
As the Goddess of Inevitable Determinism, order and stability were her essence.
But deep down, he could not accept the setup of this "sole template."
"Ananke, have you ever looked at the night sky on Earth?"
Lin Yun suddenly asked.
At the same time, the night sky of Crete Island appeared in his consciousness.
"There are countless stars there, each with its own orbit."
"Some are bright, some are dim, some are huge, some are tiny, yet they collectively form the brilliant Galaxy."
"If there were only one star, no matter how bright it was, the light would be monotonous."
Lin Yun pointed to the fragments on the primordial time line.
"The charm of mythology lies precisely in its diversity."
"The mystery of Orphism and the majesty of Olympus, the wisdom of Athens and the valor of Sparta, the order of the orthodox and the unrestrained nature of the peripheral..."
"They seem contradictory, yet each interprets a different dimension of existence. Why can't we let them all become reality?"
"Because 'diversity' easily slides into 'Chaos.'"
Ananke's light and shadow fluctuated slightly, and the rotation of the Astrolabe slowed down a bit.
"If the rules of different Universes conflict—for example, if Zeus is a good god in one Universe and an evil god in another—this deviation will tear apart the primordial time line, ultimately leading to the collapse of all mythological Systems."
"Do you think those peripheral fragments are safe?"
"They are the most prone to breeding 'paradoxes,' just like that labyrinth fragment from Crete Island, which has already trapped archaeologists from three different dynasties inside."
"Then we can set up 'Closed Loops' within the diversity."
Lin Yun's consciousness grew excited.
A clear plan quickly formed in his mind.
"Each Universe operates according to its own mythological logic, forming a complete destiny Closed Loop from birth to end, ensuring internal rules are self-consistent."
"At the same time, we set up a 'Barrier' between Universes, allowing different rules to avoid interference."
"Just like different civilizations on Earth, each has its own history and culture, yet they exist in the same world."
Lin Yun's consciousness became clearer, and he stretched out his hand, outlining invisible lines in the air.
"For example, we set up exclusive 'Time Barriers' for each Universe, like putting separate covers on different stories."
"This protects the internal logic from interference while allowing them to be neatly arranged on the shelf of the primordial time line."
The rotation speed of Ananke's Astrolabe gradually slowed, and a hint of contemplation showed through the light and shadow.
"How can the stability of the Barrier be guaranteed? Once a loophole appears, the overflow of rules will be harder to manage than the collapse of a single System."
"Reinforce it with 'Cognitive Anchors.'"
Lin Yun immediately responded, pointing his fingertip toward the fragments carrying memories of Earth.
The smell of his mother frying eggs, the light in the library, his mentor's annotations.
"A segment of unchangeable 'Mortal Memory' is embedded in the core rules of every Universe."
"For example, the anchor point for the Athens Universe is the morning light on the Acropolis, the anchor point for the Sparta Universe is the warriors' oath before battle, and the anchor point for the OrphismUniverse is the lingering sound of the lyre."
"These memories carry the warmth of human perception and will automatically repel the invasion of foreign rules, like an immune System."
As he spoke, he picked up the Ionia fragment, which bore the silhouette of Keats. The dewdrop on the fragment suddenly refracted light, projecting a line of poetry into the Void Realm.
"Beauty is truth, truth beauty."
"See, even literary memory can become an anchor point."
Lin Yun smiled.
"Humanity's shared perception of 'beauty' is itself a gentle, cross-System Barrier."
Ananke was silent for a moment, and the Astrolabe on her robe began to rearrange itself.
The originally chaotic stars gradually formed a clear grid.
Different categories of fragments were sorted into their respective squares.
"This 'Closed Loop Diversity' model requires more precise computational power to maintain."
Her tone softened slightly.
"Thus, Chronos's authority cannot be used solely for creation; a large portion of his energy must be dedicated to monitoring the fluctuations of the Barriers."
"I can do that."
The voice transmitted by Lin Yun's consciousness was firm and steady.
He looked at the eager fragments on the primordial time line, as if he could hear the breathing of countless Universes about to awaken.
"Human memory teaches me to weigh options, and Chronos's authority allows me to control the balance."
"It's like standing by an archaeological pit on Crete Island: you must carefully clean the artifacts while also paying attention to your teammates' calls."
"Attending to both is what makes existence complete."
Ananke's light and shadow finally stretched out.
A soft halo appeared on the edges of the Astrolabe grid, as if giving each square a golden border.
"Then let us try."
For the first time, her voice carried a hint of relief.
"But I will embed a 'Thread of Necessity' in every Barrier. Should an irreversible disruption occur, these threads will automatically tighten, pulling the uncontrolled Universe back to its origin."
"Agreed."
Lin Yun extended his hand of consciousness and gently touched Ananke's light and shadow.
In that instant, all fragments lit up simultaneously.
The golden light of the core orthodox types, the colorful halos of the regional variant types, and the dim flickers of the small, peripheral types bloomed within the Astrolabe grid.
They neither interfered with each other nor did they fail to form a grander, more harmonious cosmic blueprint against the background of the primordial time line.
"Creation has begun."
He whispered, his voice carrying both the majesty of Chronos and the warmth of Lin Yun.
On the primordial time line, the first fragment of the Olympus Systemslowly descended into an Astrolabe square.
Golden thunder erupted within the square, but it was firmly contained by the gentle Barrier.
Following closely were the Athens fragments, the Sparta fragments, the two branches of Orphism fragments... the mythological fragments fell into their respective positions.
Countless tiny light spots spilled out from the fragments, taking root and sprouting like seeds in the squares.
Lin Yun knew this was only the beginning.
New fragments would appear in the future, and new Barriers would need to be delineated again.
Just as archaeological work always yields new discoveries.
At this moment, he stood at the entrance to the Multiverse.
With the authority of a Primordial God in his left hand and the memory of humanity in his right, he accounted for all possible beginnings.