Endless Chaos – Chaos Void Plane
The Path of Knowledge
Chapter 5 – A Fragment of Divinity
The tiny crystal resting in Arin's palm shimmered faintly under the artificial sunlight.
It was small—smaller than a grain of rice—but the energy contained within it felt strangely profound.
Arin stared at it quietly.
"So this is divine power…"
The Chaos Wonder Artifact of Knowledge floated beside him, scanning the crystal with thin lines of light.
[Energy Structure Confirmed: Proto Godhood Crystal]
[Origin: Faith energy condensed through altered belief structure.]
Arin closed his fingers slightly, feeling the warmth radiating from the crystal.
It was not overwhelming.
But it was unmistakably powerful.
"This fragment escaped the system," Arin murmured.
Normally, the Godhood Crystals formed by believers were instantly taken by the unseen collector—the hidden God of Belief.
But this one remained.
Because the belief behind it had changed.
Not devotion.
Not worship.
But curiosity.
Observation.
Knowledge.
The artifact spoke again.
[Conceptual divergence detected.]
Arin nodded slowly.
"That symbol altered the nature of their faith."
Instead of worshipping an unknown god, some villagers had begun directing their attention toward the idea of observation.
Even though they did not fully understand it.
Belief had shifted slightly.
And that shift had created a new type of divine energy.
Arin looked down at the crystal again.
"If enough people believed in knowledge…"
His mind raced ahead.
A completely different path to power.
Not through faith in a god.
But faith in understanding itself.
Behind him, the villagers continued their prayers.
More and more of them had begun noticing the new symbol on the pillar.
Some pointed at it curiously.
Others whispered among themselves.
One young villager even knelt directly before the symbol of the eye.
Arin watched carefully from a distance.
The artifact recorded everything.
[Belief distribution changing.]
The golden faith energy above the pillar began shifting again.
Two streams formed.
The first stream continued flowing upward, disappearing into the invisible river controlled by the God of Belief.
But the second stream—
The one linked to the symbol of the eye—
Remained nearby.
Arin's expression grew thoughtful.
"The system can't collect what it doesn't recognize."
The artifact confirmed his theory.
[Faith structure outside original belief pattern.]
Arin smiled faintly.
"So the God of Belief only collects energy that fits his system."
Anything outside that structure…
Was invisible.
Or at least ignored.
Which meant Arin had just discovered something extremely important.
A loophole.
Arin turned away from the village and climbed back up the ridge overlooking the settlement.
He needed distance to think.
Once he reached the top, he sat down and opened his hand again.
The small crystal glowed gently.
"Artifact, analyze its properties."
The cube began scanning.
Moments later, a small projection appeared in the air.
[Proto Godhood Crystal – Knowledge Variant]
[Energy purity: low]
[Concept stability: weak]
[Estimated divine value: minimal]
Arin chuckled softly.
"So it's weak."
But that didn't bother him.
Even the largest stars began as small sparks.
"What happens if I absorb it?"
The artifact paused.
[Possible outcomes:]
[1 – Conceptual insight.]
[2 – Minor enhancement of cognitive processing.]
[3 – Structural integration with Path of Knowledge.]
Arin raised an eyebrow.
"Sounds interesting."
But he didn't act immediately.
Instead, he asked another question.
"Is it dangerous?"
The artifact responded calmly.
[Risk level: extremely low.]
That was enough for Arin.
He lifted the tiny crystal and slowly brought it toward his forehead.
The moment the crystal touched his skin—
It dissolved.
A warm pulse of energy flowed into his mind.
Arin closed his eyes.
For a brief moment, his thoughts became incredibly clear.
The chaotic impressions he had gathered since arriving in the Chaos Void Plane suddenly began organizing themselves.
Patterns formed.
Connections appeared.
Void energy currents.
Faith structures.
Conceptual anchors.
It was as if his mind had become sharper.
Faster.
Then the sensation faded.
Arin opened his eyes again.
The artifact immediately spoke.
[Cognitive processing improved.]
[Conceptual sensitivity increased.]
Arin let out a slow breath.
"That was… useful."
It wasn't a dramatic change.
But it was real.
Even a tiny fragment of divine energy could enhance his mind.
If he collected more…
He could evolve his understanding far beyond ordinary limits.
Arin looked toward the small village in the valley below.
The villagers continued their daily routines.
Completely unaware that they had just helped create something entirely new.
Arin smiled faintly.
"They think they're praying."
"But they're actually participating in an experiment."
The artifact pulsed softly.
[Path of Knowledge progressing.]
Arin stood up.
The discovery he had just made was only the beginning.
If belief could be redirected…
If new concepts could produce new forms of divine power…
Then the entire faith system of the Chaos Void Plane could eventually be studied.
And perhaps even rewritten.
Arin looked toward the distant horizon.
Far away, invisible rivers of faith continued flowing toward the hidden God of Belief.
But now…
One tiny current had changed direction.
And that current belonged to Arin.
He turned away from the village.
"Let's continue."
The artifact floated beside him.
[Next objective?]
Arin smiled.
"More knowledge."
And with that, he began walking deeper into the endless Chaos Void Plane.
Unaware that somewhere far beyond the horizon…
Something had already noticed the change.
End of Chapter 5