Monarchs of Ruination

Surrounded by white ash, NOX—who had become one with existence itself—remained motionless, still deep in divination, tirelessly searching for a path to revive his family.

Then, something within him stirred.

A force, buried deep within his very soul, awakened.

The sensation was eerily familiar—just like his first awakening.

Then—

[Obtained a Divinity - God of Myriad Emotions]

A mechanical voice resonated within his mind, accompanied by a black holographic display. The voice was neither male nor female, yet NOX instinctively understood—its source was deeply connected to his very soul.

Before he could fully grasp what had just occurred—or even comprehend the concept of 'Divinities'—more notifications followed, flooding his mind in rapid succession.

[Scaling the Divinity...]

[Calculating Duality of the Divinity...]

[Adjusting the Counter/Flaw of the Divinity...]

[Failed to quantify the Divinity!]

The words echoed, their meaning unclear yet absolute.

Each message hinted at a process—some kind of calculation, an attempt to define and balance the power he had just acquired.

And each time—

[Failed…]

[Failed…]

[Failed…]

[Failed to record your Divinity!]

[Your Divinity will be marked as Unrecorded.]

The storm of notifications intensified, their mechanical voices overlapping, the black holographic displays flashing relentlessly before his eyes.

It was an unrelenting onslaught, a tidal wave of messages trying—and failing—to define the unfathomable.

Even as one who had become one with all that exists, NOX found himself overwhelmed.

If even he struggled to process them, then the sheer absurdity of their number, intensity, and complexity must have been beyond comprehension.

With sheer will, NOX forced the voices and screens into silence.

Only then, for the first time since it all began, did he finally breathe.

[The Unrecorded Divinity - God of Myriad Emotions rages at its powerlessness.]

NOX felt an intense [Will] surging from his Unrecorded Divinity, as if it instinctively recognized his deepest desires and emotions.

He could tell that this [Will] belonged to his Divinity, and he could also feel its determination to assist him.

Without a second thought or hesitation, he relinquished his resistance to this [Will]. It was an inexplicable sensation, as though the [Will] originated from within him, yet he couldn't pinpoint its exact source. Trusting this intrinsic force, he allowed the [Will] to proceed with its purpose.

[The Unrecorded Divinity - God of Myriad Emotions is using its Authority to reverse 'Time'.]

[The Unrecorded Divinity failed.]

[The Unrecorded Divinity is being mocked by '??'.]

NOX remained speechless as he sensed his Divinity attempting something as audacious as reversing time itself.

Though its failure was expected, he allowed it to continue acting on its own. Unfamiliar with the full nature and potential of his [Divinity], he chose not to interfere, knowing he had nothing to lose.

Perhaps, through this process, he could uncover its true capabilities.

[The Unrecorded Divinity is exerting its Greed and Voracity Authority upon 'Reality'.]

[The Unrecorded Divinity has failed.]

Throughout the entire process, there were no massive energy fluctuations or laws bending under its will.

Instead, NOX was bombarded with hundreds—if not thousands—of mechanical voices and holographic displays.

His Divinity made use of every skill, trait, authority, and emotion within its grasp, attempting to fulfill NOX's wish in the most effective and flawless way possible, ensuring that there would be no future consequences for him.

NOX had no real grasp of what it meant to wield a [Divinity], nor did he comprehend just how unparalleled his [Unrecorded Divinity] was among all the others in existence.

[The Unrecorded Divinity asserted its traits—'Cunning,' 'Deviousness,' and 'Calculation' upon Reality.]

A surge of emotions welled up inside NOX, deeper and more intense than anything he had ever felt before. Joy, hope, elation—pure and overwhelming. He instinctively knew these emotions came from his [Divinity], a sign of its triumph in accomplishing its goal.

Before he could even process why his Divinity was so euphoric, another series of notifications appeared before him.

[The Unrecorded Divinity has formulated a viable plan to bend Reality to its Will.]

[The Unrecorded Divinity seeks to quantify emotions into points.]

[Awaiting your approval.]

Without hesitation, NOX agreed.

[The Unrecorded Divinity is utilizing the Authority of Creation to forge the Codex for the 'Pathos Emotion System.']

NOX felt neither annoyance nor impatience at his newly born Divinity's actions. Instead, he waited calmly. Time was no longer a constraint—he was time itself.

In truth, he found its efforts admirable. It worked tirelessly, much like his daughters once did.

Speaking of them, NOX had long hidden his little serpents, fearing for their safety.

He did not know if he would survive this day, but at the very least, he wanted to give his daughters a chance—to live, to escape the watchful eyes of the schemers lurking in the shadows.

Yet, even now, he could feel those vile gazes locked onto him.

A question gnawed at his mind. Why haven't they acted yet? What are they waiting for?

Then, a chilling realization struck him.

What if my awakening is part of their scheme?

Paranoia crept into his thoughts. Though he had long sensed his impending ascension ever since merging with existence itself, he could not shake the suspicion that these wretched manipulators had a hand in it.

Perhaps it was the result of a lifetime spent as a puppet in the hands of unseen forces.

His thoughts swirled, attempting to make sense of everything—until his eyes widened in sudden realization.

The Sprout of Existence!

"That little Sprout said I was on the verge of becoming the embodiment of emotions itself… Was it referring to this awakening?" NOX murmured.

Then, another memory surfaced—one that sent a chill down his spine.

Before the Celestial Chain had torn him away, the Sprout had severed a piece of itself and infused its very essence into him. At the time, his mind had been too unstable to fully grasp the significance.

Had that essence been the final catalyst for his awakening?

A dreadful thought took root.

"If that's true… then my deal with the Sprout is still in effect."

The realization filled him with unease.

Now, as an entity encompassing existence itself, NOX could finally comprehend the terrifying scope of that little Sprout's influence.

Had his awakening—his every action—been within its calculations all along?

Before he could ponder further, a series of notifications shattered his thoughts.

[Codex for 'Pathos Emotion System' successfully constructed!]

[Congratulations! You have obtained the 'Pathos Emotion System'!]

The message snapped him back to reality.

His focus shifted. He turned his will toward his Divinity, seeking to comprehend this new system. As the information flooded his mind, his expression turned incredulous.

He rechecked the data—again and again. Yet no matter how many times he verified it, the truth remained unchanged.

His Divinity had created a [System]—a "Golden Finger," as some might call it.

But unlike the typical "Spoon-Feeding Systems" from Dragon Country novels, this one was in an entirely different league.

Its first two primary functions alone were staggering:

First Function: The Pathos Emotion System could quantify and convert the emotions of others into points. There were no distance limitations—as long as someone, somewhere, felt anything toward him, he could accumulate points. The number of points he earned from each individual depended on the intensity of their emotions.

The only restriction? The target had to exist on the same Space-Time axis as him.

Even still, the sheer potential of this ability was mind-boggling.

But the second function was so absurd that even calling it a "cheat" felt like an understatement.

Second Function: Emotion Points Are Omnipotent.

At first, NOX dismissed it as an exaggeration. But as he delved deeper into its mechanics, he found himself in stunned agreement.

Emotion Points were, quite literally, without limits. There was nothing they could not accomplish.

He could perform divinations, create skills, comprehend entire Laws, and even forge new Concepts.

Yet, what thrilled NOX the most wasn't just the raw power of these abilities—it was something even greater.

"You can use points to perform skills and wield Laws without expending Mana."

That meant even a mere mortal, one who had no magic of their own, could still wield unimaginable power—so long as they had Emotion Points.

A person without mana could still conjure [Fireball].

A mere human could summon an asteroid.

With enough points, one could create or annihilate stars and planets.

And with sufficient Emotion Points, a mortal could slay a God.

This second function embodied the very Concept of Creation itself—the power to summon something from nothing.

How could such an ability be anything but Omnipotent?