Chapter 355: Birth of the New Origin Sage (1/2)

While people were watching the image over Argentum's head transform every once in a while into more complete yet more esoteric forms of the Origin, Argentum was still looking at the silhouette in front of him, continuing to expound his understanding over what the Origin was.

”The Origin is the key to starting life itself, and that's something I've already understood after thinking about it for some time,” Argentum muttered to himself as he continued to ponder over the question. ”Though, if I look at it from the perspective of the four foundational elements making up the Lesser Origin, I can interpret it as the four working together in a cyclical manner.”

”Water nurtures the earth, earth gives birth to plants that would catch on fire with enough heat, fire brings forth strong winds, while condensed winds give birth to water…or something along those lines,” he continued as he tried to wrap his head around the concept.

After pondering over these thoughts for a bit more, he could not help but let out a light sigh as he said to himself, ”Although it seems like I've understood the element of Origin from its most superficial to its most detailed features…why do I feel like I still haven't scratched the surface of what Origin truly is?”

”Origin brings forth life…Origin has the four elements worked together in a cyclical manner through co-existence…”

As he started to mutter everything that was surfacing in his mind, his thoughts instantly fixated on one word he had mentioned out of the blue. It was at that moment that a barrier barring him from understanding more of the Origin was broken in that instant, giving him new insights to what Origin was.

”Co-existence…Existence…” While Argentum was trying to ponder more over the word he had in mind, the silhouette in front of him was now changing into a different image. What was a spinning ring a while ago was now turning into something else. Something…spherical.

”Existence…the Origin facilitates existence itself.” With this sentence in mind, Argentum seemed to have gained a foothold over this new understanding of the Origin as he tried to clear it up even more through talking to himself.

”Although it could be said that existence is the same as life, it doesn't work the same way in reverse. Life relies on multiple things for it to occur, but for existence…”

”…there is only one requirement. And that is to exist.”

”For it to be there, is to embody the meaning of existence itself,” Argentum continued to mutter as the spherical silhouette in front of him began to take on more detailed features. At some parts of the sphere, there would be dips that went deeper into the core of the sphere, while at others, it would poke out like a sore thumb.

”Even though it is quite far-fetched for me to say this, I am the Origin.” Feeling that he had expounded enough over this new understanding of Origin, he was now consolidating his thoughts as the spherical silhouette in front of him was gradually becoming more corporeal.

”I am the Origin. The surroundings around me are the Origin. The people I've interacted with are the Origin. The world my feet steps on is the Origin.”

”For the Origin is the reason why everything exists.”

Whoosh!

Just as Argentum had concluded his answer to the question given to him, the spherical silhouette had now turned corporeal, taking on various colors as the sight of a small planet filled to the brim with nature and life could be seen hovering in front of him.

With the blue water taking up most of the planet's surface while the green lush lands took up quite a sizable chunk, he could not help but feel that he had seen this somewhere before. After a while, a memory from Aurus had surfaced in Argentum's mind, prompting him to ask himself, ”Why is Earth the formed image from my understanding of the Origin?”

He then thought about it for a bit, eventually coming to an answer that the word 'existence' was just too abstract to visualize, forcing the heavens to visualize it in a manner that made it easy for him to understand. In other words, the planet Earth was his visualization of the word 'existence'.

”So…what next?” Argentum asked not long after as the small planet slowly revolved around its axis. Not long after, this small planet then zoomed towards Argentum's forehead, subconsciously making him a step back out of surprise. Unfortunately for him, the speed at which the planet was heading towards his forehead was far faster than him stepping back, which resulted in a collision…or so one would think.

Swoosh!

Without any obstructions, the small planet was absorbed by Argentum's body as it hastily made its way to the orb of energy that had formed quite some time ago, melding with each and every strand of the orb as the feeling it gave off became stronger. Sometime later, he also felt that his connection with the four foundational elements had become stronger than ever before.

After a few more minutes, the small planet and the orb of energy had now become as one, turning into a silver orb which housed the same gray energy that made up Argentum's body, though there was a qualitative difference between the two.

Nevertheless, after the transformation process was over, a notification sound resounded in his mind, prompting Argentum to read the notification he had just received.

Ding!

'You have received the passive skill [Lesser Origin Core].'

Just as he was about to identify the skill he had just received, his surroundings started to change bit by bit, eventually returning him back to a spot near the Origin Statue as he slowly opened his eyes.

”Am I…back?” Argentum muttered to himself as he felt that the experience he had just now was quite surreal. But as he continued to look at his surroundings, he noticed that the people looking at him from afar had their mouths wide open as shock and surprise covered their faces. Not only that, but even awe and reverence could be seen written on their faces.

With that, he could not help but think to himself, 'Did I do something wrong while I was comprehending the Origin?'

Fortunately, his curiosity would be satiated not long after he had opened his eyes as Cardis gradually made his way to where he was while he was beaming with excitement. At the very instant Cardis was in front of Argentum, he instantly sent an energy strand to Argentum, surprising the latter as he asked him.

”Do you realize what you just did?”

”Eh?” Although Argentum wasn't expecting Cardis to initiate a conversation with him through an energy strand, he responded back with a strand of his own, asking, ”Did I do something I shouldn't have?”