I was still processing the whole "you're secretly Omniscient royalty and you need to go have a learning session with a Supreme Entity" situation when another thought hit me that was far more immediate and frankly, terrifying.
Veneri needed five Codices.
I drifted a little closer to Hansel, crossing my arms as I looked between her and Veneri.
"Okay, so… hypothetically, is there actually a method for someone to break through multiple Divinities without exploding?"
Hansel's gaze shifted to me instantly.
"Yes. There is."
Both Veneri and I turned toward her fully now.
"It is a method primarily used by beings who possess more than one Divinity. It was developed after numerous catastrophic failures across various civilizations."
"Failures meaning…"
"Death. Most beings who attempt to create multiple Codices using a single physical and spiritual framework are unable to withstand the strain. Their souls fracture before the second Codex stabilizes."
That… sounded exactly like the kind of thing Veneri would accidentally try anyway.
"Veneri, you possess five Divinities. If you attempt to generate five Codices through your original body, the accumulated strain on your soul and body will exceed survivable thresholds. In simpler terms, you will die."
Veneri didn't flinch. "Noted."
Hansel lifted one hand and projected a series of rotating diagrams into the air. They were models of a humanoid figure splitting into five identical silhouettes, each glowing with a different color.
"To circumvent this limitation, advanced civilizations devised a method known as Splitting. In your case, it would be designated as the Pentarch Ascension. If you had three, it would be called the Triangle Ascension."
The name alone sounded dramatic enough to belong in some ancient prophecy, which meant Veneri was definitely going to end up using it.
"This technique separates the original self into multiple parallel selves. Each one is assigned a specific Divinity. These selves—Pentarchs—will then independently experience the process of Codex creation, preventing your original body from being forced to withstand the burden of five Codices simultaneously."
I stared at the holographic figures as they separated and stabilized.
"So you're saying he's basically going to clone himself into five versions and each one is going to go off and suffer through a Codex on its own?"
"Yes."
Veneri tilted his head slightly, studying the projections. "And when they're done?"
"They reintegrate. Their experiences, growth, and Codices merge back into the primary consciousness."
That… was actually genius. I glanced at Veneri. He looked less excited and more analytical, which was his version of being interested.
"This method is considered foolproof for ascension to the Fifth Enlightenment. It also allows you to develop a deeper understanding of each Divinity individually. Despite your exceptional cognitive capacity, you have not fully comprehended the mechanics and conceptual depth of all five."
She flicked her hand, and one of the holograms shifted to highlight a golden symbol.
"For example, your Justice Divinity is rarely utilized. Its conceptual scope and application remain largely unexplored by you."
"Yeah, I don't really know what to do with that one yet."
"You literally have the power of cosmic law and you just ignore it."
"It's vague," he shot back at me. "With water I can punch people with. Justice is… abstract."
"Is this similar to what I do? You know, when I separate my consciousness to process multiple data streams or act in different places at once?"
Hansel nodded. "Conceptually, yes. However, there are critical differences."
She rotated the diagram again, showing one of the five figures dissolving into light and being absorbed by another.
"If one of your Pentarchs is destroyed in the near future, its existence will not be permanently erased. Its data and capability will automatically transfer to one of the remaining Pentarchs."
"So I don't actually lose a version of myself permanently," he summarized.
"Correct. However, repeated destruction will still cause cumulative psychological and spiritual strain. Also, because you have already linked your Pinnacle and Base Tethers to your Divinities, each Pentarch will manifest Base Tethers aligned with the Divinity they inherit."
He spoke the conclusion himself before she could.
"My Aeterium capabilities are connected to my Water Divinity. So the Water Pentarch gets Body Reconstruction and the rest of the Aeterium Tethers."
"Yes. The other Pentarchs will not have access to those specific capabilities."
That made the projections suddenly look a lot less balanced.
"It is extremely risky, yes. Veneri, even though you will technically remain a Fourth Enlightenment Divine, your divided selves will be significantly weaker individually. They will lack the complete synergy of your unified form."
Veneri folded his arms, staring at the five holographic versions of himself.
"But if it works…"
Hansel finished the thought for him.
"If it succeeds, your understanding of each Divinity will increase exponentially. Upon reintegration, you may emerge stronger than before and with far greater control over your conceptual Overwrites."
"So it's high risk, high reward."
"That is an accurate summary, yes."
I hesitated before asking the next question, even though I already knew it was coming.
"How does he even start this? You don't just wake up one morning and decide to casually split into five people."
Hansel turned to Veneri. "You possess the perfect ability to initiate the process."
"Which is?"
"Body Reconstruction."
I blinked. Of course.
The Tether literally allowed him to dismantle and rebuild his own body and soul structure. If anyone in existence could manually restructure themselves into multiple parallel forms, it was him.
"As the name implies, you can reconstruct your physical and soul like framework. By applying the Pentarch Ascension algorithm during reconstruction, you can divide your essence into five stable, independent vessels."
She stepped closer to him and tapped the side of her head. "The technique is stored within my memory banks. You may absorb it directly."
Veneri didn't hesitate. He lifted his hand and placed it gently against her temple. He activated Memory Extraction. The moment he activated it, I felt it too.
I staggered slightly midair, clutching my head when the memory came to me.
"Whoa—okay, that's… a lot of information."
Veneri pulled his hand back after a few seconds as he processed the influx. Then he exhaled slowly.
"I got it."
And I did too.
Which meant that, whether I liked it or not, I now knew exactly how my beloved was planning to tear himself into five separate beings and send each one off to chase a different fragment of godhood.
I stared at him for a moment before sighing.
"You so realize that this is either going to be the smartest thing you've ever done… or the dumbest."
"That's been true for most of my life."