Chapter 7: Rage Against the Machines

A few months later...

Arth is now prepared to gather all the 7 pieces of the Time Cogs in order to stabilize the universe’s proper flow of time and organize this chaotic multiverse.

He knows that he will be brought to unfamiliar places across all points of existence, that's why he prepared himself for a few months after his encounter with The Celestial Witch Sera and The Saint of Last Resorts, Kim Ji-yoo.

Preparing his body and mind on anything that will require him to fight because he realized that one of the mistakes that his other counterparts did is relying heavily on their abilities through his most physically capable variant was outsmarted. That's why he needs to sharpen his mind also.

Arth spent all those months inside of another dimension where he can control it’s space and time separately from the physical universe, here he made the gravity much denser because he was easily put down by the same technique by the Celestial Witch Sera when they fought.

Though it was hard at first for him, he gradually learned how to move inside this pocket dimension. He spent everything for training and learning his time and space manipulating abilities. Making so much breakthroughs on such little time, he learned that he can't just stop time on one place, he can stop all time—but he soon found out that his time manipulation abilities have more to offer, on one instances when he leaves this dimension to take a walk for a while—he noticed that all the flora around him started growing rapidly and dying quickly, he realized that maybe his abilities are going haywire again and he's right; he's actually accelerating time so fast that everything can't keep up with his speed.

An incident occurred when he cut himself while practicing some magic—he noticed that his blood quickly fell in the floor but he hasn't activated his time acceleration yet and then he found out; a segment of time was cut off but he wasn't aware of this, not until now so he spend time learning about this and he found out he can erase a segment of time for about 10 seconds and everyone will not be aware of this but only him.

One time while reaching for a screwdriver, Arth was busy making a machine that will help him later in his journey—he swiped his hand reaching for the screwdriver as it went near his palm, he noticed that he erased the space between him and the screwdriver with just a swipe from his hand—he then realized that his space manipulating abilities isn't just about teleportation or going to one place to another as it can also have some applications for such simple task.

All of these are some of the accidents that Arth encountered while using his abilities and he researched on how to control his abilities more effectively but the answer lies near him; his favorite food, Chili Fries though an ordinary fries mixed with a lot of spices—he noted that some properties of the spices present on such simple food can negates time altering or manipulating effects.

One day, while he was monitoring the map that the Cosmic Hexahedron gave to him—one of the inactive dots, suddenly pops as Arth drops his coffee in shock as one of the Time Cogs has been activated for the first time in months.

“I guess it's time” he stood up as he removed his shirt which was stained with coffee.

Going to his personal wardrobe and taking another plain shirt, he wears it with confidence as he looks at his chiseled and refined body—a result of his extensive training.

Taking his coat in the chair, he leaves his base and into the physical universe for the first time in months.

His base of operation is a diner on the outside but when he entered it, it was his safe haven—something he would call home.

“Let's see” he said as he took the map as the dot is still active. “Into the another world, I guess”

Opening a portal to the location of the Time Cog, Arth arrived in a very unfamiliar world—very different from the universe he came from.

This world is dark yet lights are still present and everything is wet as if it just recently rained.

“What crazy thing does this universe have to offer?” He asked as he started exploring the premises.

Arth is in a city, yet there's no signs of any life anywhere…..but something is keeping track of him.

“Hello, anybody home?” He shouted as his voice echoed throughout the empty city.

He continued walking until he heard something like a metal colliding with another metal, a clank.

“Alright this place is giving me creeps already, all I have to do is find the Time Cog and leave” he whispered then he heard something rushing but not directly to him.

“Whoever or Whatever you are, face me!” He said as then a humanoid machine rushed towards him.

Arth jumped, dodging the machine as he landed on his feet.

“A machine? Where are the people around here?” He asked as the machine was dead silent as it attacked him again.

But this time he summoned a sword made out of light using the same spell he used against Sera. Cutting the robot in half it fell to the ground.

“This is useless, It doesn't even respond to my questions” Arth said as he despawned his weapon.

Then after he said that more robots started rushing to him. He tries to run but the robots are swarming him and he can't even keep up anymore.

He blacked out due to the lack of oxygen thanks to the combined efforts of the collective swarm of robots.

Arth wakes up in an unfamiliar place, he was in a white room deviod of anything but himself.

“Hello?” He said as his voice echoed throughout the room.

“Say hello to yourself,” a voice replied.

“Ummmmm—who are you?” Arth wondered as a mechanical body begun to form in front of him.

It was a faceless being like a doll—devoid of emotions and imperfections.

“I don't have a name—for at least a thousand of years now” the voice replied using the mannequin as its vessel for Arth to interact with.

“You possessed a time cog” he said as he noticed that the mannequin have something illuminating on its chest.

“You mean my heart?” the voice asked “This is my heart—the only thing that powered me and those who captured you”

“Why keep me here? Do I have something that you want?” he replied

“You are a peculiar one—because we've already eliminated all of the human imperfections, we are the final step of evolution” the voice stated “I am perfect”

“Imperfections—is what make us human, you've called yourself the perfect being yet you lack empathy towards life” Arth debated

“Are you challenging me in a debate?” the voice asked.

“I am” Arth declared “If I proved that you are imperfect, you will give me your heart”

“And if I proved that humanity is flawed, I want to know how you ended up here” the voice replied.

This is not a battle of power but a battle of ideology between a man and Artificial Intelligence.

“Humans are flawed, and such beings aren't born perfect while some are born with complications within them” the voice stated

“Most human complications from 100 years ago are technically non-existent now as we've developed vaccines for some of them” Arth rebutted

“Then you're saying that humanity is still flawed and imperfect biologically!” The voice roared as Arth saw that he only had two points.

“Funny to you to say that, for someone that is a non-biological creature” Arth said.

“Now for your point, if you may” the voice replied.

“Humans have dreams, aspirations, ambitions and emotions—something like an apathetic robot like you lack” Arth stated his point.

“Indeed, it is true—I don't possess those abstract concepts but humanity also has these things they call negative emotions like jealousy, fear, sadness, and loneliness” the voice rebutted to Arth.

"Striving for perfection might seem admirable, but it often ignores the reality and value of negative emotions. It assumes that everything must be flawless to be meaningful, which is simply not how life works. Negative emotions, like sadness, frustration, or failure, aren’t signs of imperfection—they’re essential parts of growth. They show us when something in our lives needs attention, pushing us to reflect, learn, and improve. Pursuing perfection also risks suppressing those emotions, which can lead to stress and burnout. By trying to avoid discomfort, you miss out on the balance that makes life rich and meaningful. You can’t fully appreciate joy, success, or connection if you don’t allow yourself to experience and learn from struggle. Instead of chasing perfection, it’s more constructive to embrace life’s highs and lows. Facing negative emotions builds resilience and self-awareness, helping you adapt and grow. Perfection might look good on the surface, but the real beauty of life comes from understanding and working through its imperfections."

“I------can't put out a rebuttal for your statement” the voice said in defeat.

“Those negative emotions you said are flaws in human nature?” Arth said “Those are the key for us humans to learn and improve—in the same case, we are still evolving and yet to declared that you're the perfect being even though you yourself have flaw just like us”

“You are right” the voice said as it used its hand to take the heart that's running it. “You win”

“No, I win” a voice said as an arm punctured through the mannequin’s body.

An individual clad in black armor with a little bit of purple streak took the time cog as he was holding it on his palm.

“Who are you?” Arth asked as the mannequin's body fell, clearing his vision to this individual.

“Are you the most capable version of you?” The individual said with a voice of a man indicating that he was indeed a man behind that mask he used.

“You're the one travelling to different universes killing versions of me?” Arth realized as he asked him.

“Indeed, I am” he declared “Maybe a name will be much easier for you to identify me, so much for someone who has forgotten their name for countless lifetimes”

“The serpent turns, its tail it takes, A ceaseless loop, no end, no breaks. Beginnings fade where endings start, A timeless dance, a single heart. From ash to life, from light to shade, The path is laid. Eternal rhythm, death and birth, A cycle bound to shape the earth.” 

“I am Ouroboros, The Endless Loop” the individual introduced himself to Arth.

“Give me the Time Cog!” Arth, ordered as Ouroboros seems, doesn't have the same goal as him.

“I'm afraid I can't do that, Arth” he replied as he spectated the time cog he's holding “My master have different plans for the universe”

Arth tried to rush towards him but he was stopped by a peculiar purplish beam as he was getting weaker as he knelt in the ground.

Ouroboros is hitting him with a Time Ray capable of speeding up time to someone or something unlucky enough to get hit by it.

Arth's body is crumbling as he becomes an old man in mere seconds.

“Thanks for beating that robot, it made my job a lot easier” Ouroboros said as he opened a portal leaving a cranky old Arth alone in the white room.

“Motherfu—” Arth ragingly shouted as he reversed his aging process after Ouroboros left.

“Who really are you?” Arth pondered in an empty room as he opened a portal leaving this universe empty-handed.

Meanwhile, in a place devoid of time—rocks are floating frozen in the skies, trees don't grow anymore, rivers and other bodies of water have stopped moving.

A portal opens as Ouroboros walks out of it holding the Time Cog he obtained by waiting for Arth to out debate the mannequin and stole it from him.

“I've got 1 of ‘em!” he shouted “6 more to go!”

He was talking to someone or something….on the beyond

Chapter 7: Rage Against the Machines End