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OPI Chapter 284: Bargaining with the Universe
🕑 Added 2025-01-30 19:14:38 +0000 UTCA completely white space.
"Wow, hello. We finally met~"
When that voice echoed in his ears, Imu's heart sank. In his perception, there was no sign of any presence around him.
With an impassive face, Imu slowly turned around. His eagle-like, sharp golden eyes coldly scanned the strange entity that appeared in his field of vision.
There were two particularly strange aspects of this entity.
First, its appearance: a silhouette outlined by a black mist, with a core in the form of a white sphere about the size of a basketball. The only thing visible on the surface of that sphere was an open mouth, showing a row of teeth.
Second, its presence: it was right in front of him, but his perception told him that there was nothing there.
For someone like Imu, who was used to having everything under control and even reading other people's thoughts with ease, this feeling was uncomfortable.
"I suppose you must be the Truth that the theory of alchemy speaks of, right?"
As a transmigrant, Imu had long since deduced that if there were alchemists and philosopher's stones in this universe, then there must also be a Gate of Truth.
"Interesting... You're the first one who doesn't start by asking where he is or who I am."
"Not bad."
"I am the Truth. I am also the essence of this world, of the universe, of divinity, of everything, of the only..."
Imu frowned slightly after hearing such an introduction. In a critical tone, he raised his doubt: "Is that all? I think it would sound better if you added something like 'I am you' at the end."
The white sphere seemed to go blank. Three white question marks appeared on its surface, outlined by the same black mist.
Certainly, Truth, whenever he met an alchemist, used to end his speech with an 'I am you'.
After all, alchemists came from his own universe. It was easy for him to read them completely, to know every single thought, memory, and even the structure of their bodies.
But with Imu...
Not only was he not from his own universe, but Truth could not read anything about him at all. Not his thoughts, not his memories, not his body structure.
That made him uncomfortable.
"I think the reason you said we finally met just now must be because of the dimensional gate I control, right?"
"And the reason why you didn't come looking for me the moment the Dimensional Gate opened must come down to two possibilities."
Imu did not wait for a response and continued with his analysis.
"Either you were cautious and preferred to observe first... or you couldn't contact me directly. Or maybe both."
"Considering how I ended up here, I'd say you need the alchemist to activate the transmutation circle in order to draw his consciousness into this space and communicate with him."
Truth listened to him in silence, perplexed.
Something didn't fit.
He was supposed to be the one who brought Imu here. Shouldn't he be in control of the situation?
Worse yet, everything Imu said made sense, and Truth found no way to refute it.
"I just..." The Truth tried to pick up the thread of the conversation, but Imu interrupted him again.
"Well, now that you have me here, what are you going to do? Are you going to try to take the Dimensional Gate from me by force?"
"No... Wait. If you were really as powerful as you say or if you had the ability to take control of the Dimensional Gate from me, you would have done it already. It wouldn't make sense for you to be listening to me all this time."
"Which means you can't actually take it away from me. That's why we're here, to negotiate with me, isn't it?"
The fact that Imu was talking so much in an unusual manner only meant one thing: he was nervous.
"Uh... Something like that. I just want..." Truth finally saw an opportunity to speak, but before he could finish his sentence, Imu interrupted him again.
"Although that's strange too. The Dimensional Gate has been there all along, always open. If all you want is to go through it and enter another world, you could do so at any time..."
"Unless..."
Imu's eyes sparkled with insight as he watched Truth floating in the air.
"Unless, for some reason, you can't go through the Dimensional Gate directly. Then what are you really? A projection? An avatar?"
For the first time in the entire conversation, Imu felt more relaxed.
The Truth did not seem hostile.
To confirm his suspicion, Imu summoned his Star Map, hoping to find some clue in it. However, this time, there was no answer.
Truth was silent for a long moment. Only when he saw that Imu didn't say anything else did he open his mouth to ask. After all, being interrupted so many times had left him feeling uneasy. "Are you done?"
"Yeah." Imu nodded calmly.
"Well, the general situation is as you described. Indeed, I want you to allow me to pass through the Dimensional Gate to enter another world and access unknown knowledge."
After saying this, Truth felt, inexplicably, a sudden relief.
At the same time, he was happy that he could finally speak a complete sentence.
"Why?" Imu asked puzzledly: "The Dimensional Gate is open out there, you could walk through it at any time."
"Because that gate belongs to you. According to the principle of equivalent exchange, I need your consent and to offer you something of equal value in return." The Truth responded.
"I see..." Imu understood that what bound Truth was nothing other than its own fundamental rules.
Imu felt even calmer, and, for the first time, he gave a slight smile. "Well, what do you plan to offer me?"
"I can allow you to gain knowledge equivalent to what I will receive by crossing the Dimensional Gate. In addition, I will grant you a method to use alchemy without relying on transmutation circles or the energy of the movement of tectonic plates."
"In other words, I would become a Stigma Alchemist."
"That's right."
Truth smiled widely, showing a row of perfect white teeth. He was sure that Imu would not refuse the offer. After all, who in their right mind would turn down such an opportunity?
But to his surprise, Imu merely glanced at the massive stone door behind Truth, the surface of which was covered in intricate patterns and symbols. Then, with a cold tone, he replied, “I reject it.”
"Huh?" Truth was stunned.
However, Imu, as calm as ever, explained, "We just met. How do you expect me to trust you and enter a completely unknown place just because of a few words?"
Truth looked at him helplessly.
"But you already know that I am the Truth. Besides, you are in my domain. If I really wanted to hurt you, don't you think I would have done it already?"
Imu didn't even flinch. "Saying that you are the Truth is just a statement of yours. Just because you say it doesn't make it true. Or don't you know about the existence of lies? I'm sure you know better than anyone how they work."
With a carefree attitude, he continued, "You dragged me here by force, so I had no choice. But if I decided to enter that door of my own free will just because of a few words from you, then I would be a complete idiot."
"But if they don't go through the door, how will I pass on the knowledge? If I don't, our deal cannot be completed." Truth sighed and then, in an annoyed tone, added: "Aren't you supposed to be the big boss of the World Government? What a coward you are!"
Imu looked at him unfazed. "That's precisely why I must be so cautious. As for our deal, we can renegotiate it. You can offer me something different."
Truth sighed, frustrated. "Okay... So tell me, what do you want?"
"I want you to submit to me."
The atmosphere in the completely white space froze in an instant after Imu's words.
Truth seemed unable to believe what he had just heard. After a few seconds, he replied coldly, "I thought you were someone wise and rational… But it turns out you're just another arrogant presumptuous man."
Imu wasn't bothered by the answer. Instead, he looked at him curiously. "Isn't the knowledge of a new world, no, considering the countless future worlds, the almost infinite knowledge of the universe… not enough of a price for you to submit?"
Truth immediately understood that Imu had misunderstood the situation. He curved his lips into a smile. "I see you have misunderstood something," he said. "Tell me, do those worlds and that knowledge belong to you?"
"No." Imu shook his head thoughtfully, then added, "But if it weren't for me allowing you access through the Dimensional Gate, you would never have been able to enter those worlds or come close to that knowledge."
"That means I only need to pay a price equivalent to the use of the Dimensional Gate. Because the only thing that truly belongs to you is the gate. What is not yours… you cannot use it as a bargaining chip." Truth responded calmly. "And if it's just about access to the Dimensional Gate, that's far from enough for me to submit. After all, I am the embodiment of the truth of a universe… the whole, the unity of the cosmos."
"If that is the case, then I refuse to allow you passage through the Dimensional Gate." Imu wasted no more time arguing, for it was clear that his interlocutor would not yield. He then added, "However, I can offer you an equivalent exchange for knowledge of other worlds that you do not know about."
Truth fell silent upon hearing Imu's response.
Imu did not want to make a single definitive deal.
He would not allow him to cross the Dimensional Gate and freely absorb the knowledge of other worlds. Instead, it would be Imu who would carry the information and exchange it with him again and again.
For Truth, this method was ridiculously inefficient.
But for Imu and the World Government, it was the optimal way to maximize the value of Truth and maintain absolute control over the situation.
Faced with such an unequal proposal, Truth felt the urge to reject it.
However, he feared that if he refused outright, Imu might completely cut off any chance of a deal.
"This is just one of the forms of exchange I can offer you."
"Oh?" Truth looked intrigued. "What else do you have in mind?"
"I can agree that you can enter other worlds through the dimensional gate and then absorb the knowledge of these worlds as you wish, but you have to exchange it with some promises that you must keep." Imu revealed his plan, although he was still hesitant in some aspects.
"What promise?" Truth was curious.
In a calm voice, Imu replied: "First, you must promise that under no circumstances and in no way will you endanger or hinder me, the World Government, or the Starfish World."
"Wow..." Truth scoffed. "You're too shy, almost ridiculously paranoid. But tell me, if you said you don't trust me before… how can you trust my promise?"
"I don't trust you." Imu nodded without hesitation. "But having you swear this doesn't hurt me in the slightest. If your promise is false, nothing will change."
"But if it turns out to be true, then I will have a guarantee of absolute security."
"As for the knowledge you acquire, as you yourself said, it never belonged to me nor is it under my control, so there is nothing to regret."
There was something else that Imu didn't say out loud. After all, this was the Titan World, not the Starfish World. Allowing Truth to enter here didn't pose much of a risk.
Moreover, he had already been here for more than two years. It wouldn't take long for him to fulfill the conditions of Star Destiny and completely subdue this world under his control.
And seeing that Truth could not take away either his Star Map or his Dimensional Gate, but had to negotiate with him…
That meant that, in the face of the Star Map, Truth had no power whatsoever.
So if Star Destiny were to cover the Titan World, who would really be in control here? That would be an uncertain question.
Therefore, this exchange did not seem like a loss to Imu at all. On the contrary, both sides achieved their own goals.
"Alright." Even Truth had to admit that this was an effective way to get Imu to lower his guard a bit and achieve mutual benefit. "You mentioned the condition for the first time earlier. So, the next gates… will they also require me to make some kind of commitment?"
"That's right." Imu nodded again with a smile and replied, "When you need to cross the second Dimensional Gate, I want you to make a promise: to be willing to fight with all your might for me at any time."
"I see you still haven't given up on the idea of making me your subordinate." Truth let out a mocking laugh.
"It's not submission, it's just finding a guardian for myself." This time, Imu shook his head firmly. "After all, in the future I will inevitably encounter other beings like you. If by then I still haven't grown enough and the other party is not as reasonable as you, it would be a catastrophe."
Truth thought for a moment and finally agreed that it made sense. Imu's logic was sound. "Okay."
"But I must warn you: I am not very skilled in combat. If that day really comes, I can only do my best."
"Okay." Imu was already more than satisfied. For him, this was more valuable than any knowledge he had ever gained.
"Okay, now you can make your first promise. Go ahead."
A few minutes later.
In the completely white space, only Truth and that huge stone door remained. He looked at the place where Imu had been and let out a light laugh.
His mood was excellent.
After all, he was about to gain new knowledge within a new universe. And in the future, there would be more universes and even more knowledge waiting for him. How could he not be excited?
However, this only increased his curiosity about the Dimensional Gates under Imu's control. His Power of Truth was completely ineffective against them.
In fact, he had already tried to launch a test attack against Imu before, but the Star Map blocked it without a sound.
Outside…
Imu reappeared in the garden, his expression turning serious as he read the latest notification from the Star Map.
[An information link has been detected between the Starfish World and another world within another star region. After verifying the origin, it has been determined that the information terminal is coming from the star region to which the Teigu World belongs. Do you wish to isolate the connection?]
"So that was it… That Truth can not only communicate with me through alchemy, but also with the alchemists within the Starfish World…"
Imu pondered silently.
When the Truth dragged him into that white space, the Star Map did not issue any alerts. Perhaps that was because the Titan World was not yet under the coverage of Star Destiny.
Without that coverage, the insulation function did not exist.
And now, Truth was trying to secretly communicate with the alchemists of Starfish World…
He was probably planning to manipulate one of them to gain special knowledge of that world ahead of time. However, he did not expect that the Star Destiny function would detect it.
"My, how greedy this Truth is. He has barely gained permission to enter the Titan World, and he is already stretching out his hands to other worlds…"
Imu let out a cold laugh. At the same time, he gave a direct order to the Star Map.
Starfish World was his main base. How could he allow someone to infiltrate it and spy on it at will?
"Isolate the connection!"
