Ten Lucky Draws: I Became OP

Chapter 285: The Beacon Across Realities

[A/N: Dimensional Rankings are similar to Universes, however there are only nine of them.]

While the Originat finally stepped back into the multiverse, a certain action by Ash had already begun its rippling effect.

Far from the multiverse Ash was accustomed to… something eerily resemblant to the World Stele’s back on Elaris could be seen. However, at the top in bright white words read: Cosmic Stele.

It looked nothing more than a typical slab of rocks that was cracked beyond belief.

The Stele was no mere monument though; it was something that was present in every Lower/Middle/High Dimension… well it should’ve been. It was a relic from the dawn of existence that displayed the names and statuses of all nine Lower Dimensions.

Why?

Well, it was a simple but constant reminder of the cosmic hierarchy and the endless competition between them. On the cracked steele, nine dimensions were listed in descending order of perceived power.

Power in this case… it meant the collective strength every single inhabitant.

And currently all the strongest beings across reality and dimensions had their eyes on the ninth spot that had been glowing brightly for the last few days.

For countless Cycles now, the ninth dimension had been scratched out… or in other words thought to be destroyed. Yet now here it was… The weakest Dimension appearing eons later…. Reading:

Dimension Nine – The Architect

[A/N: When I say Dimension I mean Lower-High Dimension in totality. The Cosmology picture in the discord should help with visualization. Just picture nine of those structures, each looking different though.]

—-

In Lower Dimension 8, there laid a universe that was named, The Forging Expanse.

This place was home to all things forging in this Lower Dimension, whether it be races specialized in such things or regular old blacksmiths.

On a world that was literal anvil, it didn’t have the typical ground as it was some forged steel.

The air thrummed with the constant clanging of hammers on anvils, and the roar of new weapons, artifacts, and more being brought into existence.

This was a place of unyielding creation and war—where strength was forged in fire and tested in blood, and weakness was hammered out like impurities in steel.

The strongest faction in Dimension 8—the Anvil Lords—had gathered around a miniature Stele in their grand war-hall. They were towering figures clad in armor forged from the bones of slain cosmic beasts.

Their hammers were the size of mountains, eyes glowing with the red flames. Led by Lord Pike, an immense brute with skin like iron and a beard of molten steel that dripped sparks with every word.

This faction… they had dominated this dimension for cycles, crushing rivals while also being the epicenter of all artifacts.

Pike stood closest to the Stele, massive arms crossed over his chest, staring at the glowing list.

“This Dimension should have been long destroyed… forty-five cycles ago.” He muttered as it didn’t make sense for an entire Dimension to suddenly pop back into existence.

Especially the Ninth Dimension…. it had been around for hundreds of cycles, yet it had never moved from the ninth spot. As he looked over the stele the doors opened to the war room.

CREAK

One of his lieutenants—stepped entered, hammer resting on her shoulder.

“Lord Pike… the hunter’s mark as responded. We’ve traced Vane’s trail—it points there.” She gesutured towards the one glowing name on the stele.

BOOM

Pike grunted—fist slamming against the Stele with a impact that echoed through the forge-world.

“We’ve chased that rat across realities for too long. Nearly thirty cycles now… and he somehow ends up…. there?!”

Another lord laughed, deep and rumbling.

“The Cosmic Stele doesn’t lie. The Ninth Dimension has never been much, we will kill their guardians. We take Vane, and destroy the Dimension even more.”

Pike nodded—turning to the assembled Anvil Lords, voice booming like a war-horn.

’I’m sure they’d bring me to the Middle Dimension as well, if I accomplish this.’ He smiled as he roared.

“Prepare the Fleets! We set out for the Ninth Dimension immediately!”

The hall erupted in roars—hammers slamming against anvils in rhythmic thunder, forges flaring brighter as weapons were prepared.

While the Anvil Lords moved setting out for invasion. The little green and blue sphere, the main playing stage well… It was moving on a board that no one had ever seen.

—-

Earth, it was beyond any normal spectacle one might have guessed.

By now it was obvious that had never been quite a world…. and especially one that was made for mortal humans. Even with that being the case, the mystery of Earth ran far deeper than what that suggested.

That’s because Earth itself was a Paradox.

When Ash transmigrated from Earth, it was year 2025… and since then going strictly based on the outside time, about seven thousand years had passed.

Yet it was year 2026 for the world of Earth.

In other words, only a year… nearly two, had passed on Earth since Ash left. This all stemmed from the fact that it wasn’t truly a world at all but a damaged dimensional gate. By it being damaged it obviously didn’t operate in its proper way.

And that wasn’t all that played into the Paradox of Earth….

—-

The ’world’ looked exactly as it always had—familiar, almost deceptively ordinary.

Blue skies stretched above rolling green hills and dense forests, rivers winding lazily through valleys, mountains rising in the distance with snow-capped peaks catching the afternoon sun.

Cities still stood—Tokyo’s skyline gleaming under clear skies, New York’s streets bustling with life. At first look one might think not much had changed at all. There were no ruined buildings. No collapsed infrastructure or any true signs of a world that was draped in mystery.

Well, aside from people flying around and all the usual fantasy things.

However, there was also no hum of electricity. No roar of engines. No scent of oil or exhaust… and even technology seemed have to been replaced.

Instead, the air thrummed with mana—so dense it was almost visible.

Trees swayed without wind; leaves glowed with healthier hues.

The ground itself pulsed faintly beneath bare feet, as though the planet was breathing—alive, aware, saturated with mana hundreds of times purer than any other place in the Lower Dimension.

It was obvious that the world had awakened due to Ash’s transmigration.

Kaguya Shin descended slowly toward the tallest tower in what had once been called the Himalayas—now it was a tower of black adamant and glowing white that pierced the clouds.

It had been quite a while since she was sent here by Kagami, yet all the time nonsense made her stop tracking her stay here at all…. It was because time just moved entirely too slow for her.

Her mirror-fox tails swaying gracefully behind her, silver-white fur shimmering in the dense mana. Her kimono of shifting fabric flowed around her lithe form as she floated downward, violet eyes calm yet watchful.

It was odd, because this tower it could be considered older than the mountains themselves. After the world’s awakening… it simply shot up from the ground.

Inside, the chamber was vast—circular, domed ceiling lost in soft white light, walls of the same black adamant veined with glowing white. At the center stood, a round obsidian table, and around it sat the three top experts of Earth.

All of them were at the Peak of Cosmic Overlord.

[A/N: How they ranked up so fast? Well, aside from such high mana purity… there’s something else, it’ll be shown towards the end or beginning of the next Chapter.]

Leading them was a man that had changed quite a bit.

It was Aster, the clone of The Eternal Deceiver

He was tall, composed with silver hair falling to his shoulders, eyes a deep, knowing orange. He sat at the head of the table, fingers steepled, presence radiating quiet authority.

To his right sat a stern woman with short-cropped black hair and piercing gray eyes, her armor of living crystal.

To his left a broad-shouldered man with a scarred face and a mane of wild red hair.

Kaguya landed lightly at the edge of the table—nine tails folding neatly behind her.

Aster didn’t look up—voice calm, measured.

“The Apocalypse has been active for nearly two years now. When I arrived a year ago… humanity should have been long lost.” He said as he stood and walked to a window.

“These new races are manifesting daily—beast-kin in the forests, dragons in the mountains, demons in the deep oceans…. and us Humans have managed to outgrow them all.”

The stern women leaned forward—gray eyes sharp.

“We must thank the Records… all us Humans have awakened things that are beyond anything those other races have even known to exist. We have the full authority to proceed as we see fit.”

Darius nodded in agreement.

“I say we call for a World meeting with the leaders from each race. We will set some ground rules and law… I think they would rather that then going to war with us.”

Aster finally lifted his gaze—orange eyes meeting Kaguya’s.

“Any updates?” It went without noting that, Earth being placed back in it’s proper state… well it eventually was noticed by them.

Kaguya’s nine tails flicked once.

“I’m still unsure of what happened. However, it seems as if distant stars have appeared around us.”

The chamber fell into thoughtful silence—only the faint hum of the tower’s runes and the distant roar of mana storms outside filling the air.

Aster turned back to the window.

“Alright, call for the World meeting. Set it for a month… in the meantime we will understand just what the stars appearing in the void means.”