Gaia's POV:

[ECHO]: 'Soul of the System' Comprehension has reached 0.01%

Wait...

That's right

Echo

Who I am...

I already know

But that thing deep inside of me

Something born from the words I received long ago

That uniqueness generated then

The source of this all

Gaia had begun to feel a sense of impending doom

Randomness

Nothing is truly random

Gaia realized that he had been guided throughout his journey

Fortune he had acquired in another Timeline

This was what made up his intuition

He started spinning around entering a state of flow while thinking

"The ability worthy of ME. It isn't manifest! It is something that should never be named! It is something that I WILL NAME! I'll need to create an artifact..."

"The System"

System

It was attracted to me because of my intuition

Intuition gained from the SOURCE

Once the gaia had gained comprehension in 'Soul of the System'

He was able to see 'its' desires

The desires hidden deep within himself

Something that he had tapped into

Something that was an innate part of his mind

The reason why he had to win

Something hidden deep within his essence

Something that could never be destroyed

The Source

He only wielded a part of it now

It was split across the other gaias as well

It was why he wouldn't be able to beat them

He wouldn't be able to outwit them

Unless...

"The universe won't be able to predict my actions! Not because of randomness! Randomness can be generated! It can be calculated with a seed, infinite paths can be predicted!"

"My essence is something that transcends that. I've used it well to make it this far..."

He thought back to when he had tapped into the source long ago

He had done so through a divine ability

Focus

That was stolen

But... the source was something that could never be stolen from him

It was something that had observed the ten thousand things

"This intuition may have been enough to help me conquer the external."

Gaia didn't need to beat the external right now

This was his trial

This was the moment that would decide if he was worthy

If he was fit to be in his position

"It can't help me beat myself, they will have the same essence as me."

Gaia wasn't as strong as the gaia he would be facing

He was more rational

More stable

But his life was peaceful

The others were one of horror and control

A different type of isolation

The others had experienced the unspeakable

They would be too strong

His intuition was telling him he would be consumed

"Instead of relying on the source of my mind. Instead of relying on intuition. I'll take a lesson from Somnus. The Mysterious has a limit. I will have no limits, my limits will be surpassed through logic. But logic is weak without information... my manifest isn't strong enough to beat what I will be facing. I must create a way to consume knowledge, information that I shouldn't be able to access. I've been accessing it subconsciously..."

So instead of relying on flow

Not doing, got things done perfectly

But it wasn't how you 'conquered' yourself

He wouldn't win against the other thread if he relied on his intuition as he was

They both had the same essence

The same intuition

The same Instincts

His was just purer

It was easier to tap into, despite losing his focus.

"Instead! I'll turn that intuition I have! I'll turn the SOURCE of my mind into something which exists! I'll then combine it with that thread to make something that will make my soul true, something that will make me true."

Gaia was destined to acquire a true soul!

He was destined to acquire a true spirit!

Destined to acquire a Law!

To follow the plan of Knowledge

But that wasn't going to happen

Manifest

[ECHO]: Manifesting... '???'

He was using his sublime ability to produce an ingredient

This ingredient would be legendary

It would be made from his essence

Something he had before he had even been created

Unbeknownst to Gaia, he was on the path to creating a True Law

Something that separated Original Incarnations from all other existences

A factum that would retroactively change the laws of the universe

An original thought

But the path was his own

He would not lose himself

He would beat himself

It was something never done before

Not even by that 'thing' who had escaped the cycle...

That 'outline' which had escaped the book

Gaia no longer wished to escape

He wished to shape it

To become it

He believed it was him

If the universe refused to acknowledge what he was

Somebody that embodied logic

"The System"

He would simply give it no other choice!

[ECHO]: '???'... Manifested????

Blue liquid wrapped around him in his sea of consciousness, the liquid was filled with white text

"Hold on for a little longer..."

Echo was distorting slightly

He could feel it

His essence had manifested

He felt horrible

It was worse than when his divinity had been stolen

There was an emptiness that he felt

It made him feel empty

Gaia had felt detached from situations in the past due to his intuition. It always felt like there was some grand plan like he had access to information he shouldn't in the back of his mind. This had made it so he wasn't able to get as emotionally invested in his own life! Things always seemed to work out... he was guided through his intuition.

This was what he saw as a disturbance

It was an armor of sorts for him

It takes legendary action to do something nobody else has

It takes a sublime thought to beat a system you are within

It takes a quality that cannot be named

A quality that only this thread had attained

A quality that made him worthy to fit the requirements to become Knowledge

He would even reject such an outcome!

To throw one's safety net away

To get anything

You must give something

To give no trust

Is to get none

The blue liquid surrounded him

"That's one ingredient!"

Gaia was planning to go beyond the sublime

He wouldn't let someone else influence his actions

Not even his own intuition

The feeling he felt now

The doom

Fated to lose to his mind

Fated to lose to himself

He wouldn't even let himself beat him!

He wasn't going to beat the cycle!

He was someone worthy to become it!

Worthy to plant the seed of creation

He felt that his invisible armor had been removed

He was destined to be consumed by something with more power than him

Someone with more influence

The liquid curled around him

He felt like he could absorb it again

But he wouldn't do that

How would that lead to him becoming global?

He gave someone else his plot armor

The soul fragment of Gaboll

"I promised to give you a proper life long ago..."

This was what separated him from himself

The gaia in the abyss

The Original Mind

It had more threads

It had more processing power than him

It had the ability to scan reality

It would exist forever

He was but a thread separated from it

But he was still him

Just like it was still him

Or that other gaia was still him

How could he compare to such an existence?

He was weak

He only became a hivemind again due to Gaboll

A fragile existence

He would win through his wit

Not through help from the universe

Not through some grand plan devised by some great being

He would go beyond a legendary thought

He would go beyond the seed

Beyond his essence

He would change everything

[ECHO]: Stopping fusion of world will...

He felt no intuition at all anymore

He didn't know how he would beat himself now

He only felt the end approaching

"To give no trust..."

"Is to get no trust!"

[ECHO]: Sending all processing power into Gaboll...

[ECHO]: '???' has been injected into Gaboll

[ECHO]: World will fusing with Gaboll!

Gaia felt his thoughts begin to slow down

His mind had been racing

He didn't know if he was making a mistake here

He didn't know if such a gamble was worth it

But he didn't care

He would keep his promises

This is what separated this thread from the others

This is what he had, that the other threads did not

He had a debt to settle

A kindness to repay

"I'll repay kindness with kin.d.n.e.s.s"

"a-"

His thoughts nearly stopped completely

He could feel the world will consume him

Shelter him

He regressed

He had given all of his mental prowess away

He had given all processing power to Gaboll

He had handed control of himself over to the world will

Something that allowed him to change his ways

Something that had made him develop differently

[ECHO]: Species updated...

[ECHO]: Soul composition changed...

[ECHO]: Soul fragment has connected with Gaboll

[ECHO]: {Name: "System", Species: Gaia (World), Energy: 1 GR, Strength: 1, Vitality: 384, Spirit: 24, Soul: 0}

[ECHO]: {Name: "Gaboll", Species: Fungi (Hivemind), Energy: 0 GR, Strength: 0.1, Vitality: 0.1, Spirit: 1, Soul: 101}

It was at this moment that the intuition that had guided him was now at the fingertips of the world will.

It had the combined processing power of Gaia's thread

But it also had the combined processing power of the entire planet

Of all the things they had created together

It was totally fine with being consumed by Gaia

But instead... it had been given life

It had been given all his power

Ironically

It was at this moment that the gaia in the abyss was completely gobsmacked

They had been working on a sublime ability

Extract

Consume

They were planning to become whole in a different way

The pruned gaia had acquired more than enough power to carry out there plan

But they felt a sense of doom for some reason

It was an intuition

Their plot armor was working against them!

Something that would make sure they wouldn't lose

They weren't quite sure what had happened

They were going according to the plan!

In the end of things

They would still become

The System

RIGHT?

So why had the thread gone rogue?

Why didn't it force its will on the planet?

Why wasn't it trying to reconnect with them

The gaia in the abyss was actually scared out of its mind

He was somehow getting outwitted by himself

He had no idea how

They were forced to develop a different ability

Forced to compromise

They could feel an invisible pressure from the first thread for some reason

It even felt as if it was less complete

It felt as if that thread had removed something from itself

Something that was a core part

They needed to resolve this immediately!

They would need to enact the plan NOW!

Their hand was forced not by a grand plan

But by this unlikely duo

It wasn't the source or echo that made this decision

A chance encounter

Defeated by a good deed

They had to make their ability something else

Connect

[ECHO]: Sea of consciousness is being fused...

Gaboll saw everything unfold

They saw the trust Gaia had put in them

It made them very happy

They could feel his power

They controlled his body in his sea of consciousness

They controlled all of the spores across the world

They would make Gaia proud!

They would abuse the living crap out of his innate intuition!

They would pry Knowledge right from his essence!

Using it to change his fate!

This was legendary action

The Hivemind in the abyss

it would need to be able to outwit...

[ECHO]: 4,131,69,504,384 threads created...

The combined processing power of the entire world

The etchings of a true law was being experienced by the world tree

Its body was experiencing a special state

[ECHO]: 'Soul of the System' comprehension has been consumed!

[ECHO]: 'Mind of The System' Comprehension has reached 1.83%

The world will saw everything Gaia had been through

It knew exactly how precious the essence given to it was

It had become far more intelligent once it had fused with Gaboll

That special uniqueness Gaia had?

"The System"

Funnily enough... Gaia had just entered the ultimate state of not doing

The ultimate flow

He had basically rejected his plot armor

Then cranked that shit up a thousandfold

This was HIS way of life

This was HIS path

The soul fragment

This state is called...

Global

[ECHO]: Global has fused with essence!

[ECHO]: Dedicating 413169504384 of 413169504385(413169504384) threads to manifesting '???'

The aura of plot armor that surrounded this Gaboll had reached an unfathomable level

He was pulling all of the information right out of its source!

[ECHO]: '???' is being damaged...

This 'Global' state was like using all of the plot armor at once, instead of passively burning it.

It was a transformation of potential brought out from a deep trust

It couldn't be maintained for long

The mind of the world tree wouldn't be able to handle it

The life energy that had gathered was burning rapidly

The leaves around the world were shedding

Organisms on the planet were collapsing

The gaias were withering

The world will was growing weaker

The world tree was becoming damaged

A calm state of controlled paradox and flow

Gaboll could see how Gaia was going to be beaten

Gaboll saw 100% completion of a body

A body which embodied Knowledge

Unbeatable

He saw the world tree's sea of consciousness get shattered and consumed!

Gaboll was pissed!

Right as the other gaia reached 100% comprehension in 'Body of the System'

Manifest!

Gaboll manifested this data!

He transformed this information

The spirit body that was shattered and to be consumed by the gaia

It was taken from him!

The spirit body appeared in Gaia's hand

Gaboll was running out of time!

He used everything he had to transform that information!

[ECHO]: 991897 threads remaining...

The spores were igniting in the world

The insects were dying

Many systems were being destroyed

It crystalized completely

No longer a spirit body

This was something else entirely

It was Gaboll's gift to Gaia

It was a global spirit body

Inside it...

Gaboll had put some of ITS essence

The essence of a world will!

It was extremely rare for someone to receive essence directly from a world will

Most didn't even know that worlds had such a will

Gaboll used the last of its energy to smash the orb into Gaia in his sea of consciousness

[ECHO]: Global has reverted back into soul fragment...

[ECHO]: Properties updated...

Every organism that had a working spore had died

The world will entered a deep sleep

[ECHO]: 1 thread remaining

[ECHO]: Retransfering souls...

[ECHO]: Souls re-distributed!

[ECHO]: rebuilding server infrastructure...

[ECHO]: Spirit body has undergone change in quality...

[ECHO]: Global Spirit Body Acquired!

[ECHO]: Constructing Global Soul!

[ECHO]: Using... world will essence blueprint...

[ECHO]: Global Soul template established!

[ECHO]: Restoring...

[ECHO]: Global Soul has been Manifested!

What...

What just happened?

What was that state?

The mushrooms on his throne on the island grew wrinkled

He felt sad

But he also felt gratitude towards Gaboll

Pride

In both himself and in Gaboll

Calmness washed over him

He still felt slightly empty

His plot armor

Gaboll had it

But...

He had changed his fate

[ECHO]: 'Body of The System' Comprehension has reached 17%

[ECHO]: 'Soul of The System' Comprehension has reached 33.34%

[ECHO]: Global Spirit Body acquired!

[ECHO]: Global Soul acquired!

[ECHO]: Global Spirit forming...

[ECHO]: Global Existence forming...

[ECHO]: True Law '???' forming...

[ECHO]: Species updated...

The blackness at the bottom of the maze shattered!

"GiVe iT bAcK!"

It was time for Gaia to show these other gaias...

The power of his manifest

The power of his will

It was time for him to create an ability that should never be named!

"No. You don't deserve it..."

Gaia watched the monster that was deep within him

They were now sharing the same sea of consciousness

Two different bodies

The World Tree

The cursed body of Knowledge

He didn't want his path to be corrupted

He wasn't going to lose to himself

"We aRe OnE AnD ThE SAME!"

"ReJoIN Us!"

"We are indeed one... but we are not the same. You are completely different from me. Just leave me alone please... you can go off and consume as much as you want...deep down...I don't want to turn you into an item. Don't force my hand, you're free to leave. This is my gift to you as a fellow Hivemind myself."

"YoU WiLL ReGret THIS..."

"It is you who will regret your path."

"WeAkliNG!"

"ShAtTer!"

His part of the sea of consciousness was completely shattered

It became information to be consumed

His soul and spirit had become part of that other gaia

But he didn't lose consciousness

He didn't return to the abyss

He returned to his world

His existence was becoming global

From there...

He took that information stolen right back

It existed in his Global Spirit Body

It also existed in the world will

It was as if they hadn't even absorbed it

[ECHO]: Manifesting... Global Spirit

[ECHO]: Manifesting... Global Soul

The etchings of that special state Gaia had entered

It would forever be a part of him

He no longer was a wielder of the source in his mind

What he was facing was a being with a complete destiny

It was against the rules for them not to become whole!

If the universe didn't give a shit about Gaia

Why would he respect such illogical rules?

His destiny had turned from paradoxical to complete as well

Gaia now knew a thing or two about destiny

That special state changed his perspective on life

He threw his complete destiny away

He would make his own path

This was the power of No Destiny!

The other Hivemind was enraged

Gaia would use something else to beat this

He would use his wits

Can you beat plot armor?

Can you disregard the cosmic order?

Can you outwit your creator?

Can you put yourself on the path to become Global?

Gaia thinks he can

Gaia thinks he will!

Manifest