In the end, to make things easier for myself, I decided to just think and act the way I have been, without worrying if I''m being manipted or controlled by some higher existence.


    After all, it was a waste of time and energy, and thinking about it wouldn''t change anything even if I was concerned.


    If it turned out everything was to the will of whoever, then so be it.


    At the very least, by acting how I feel I want to act, I can feel like I am real, even if it is not truly so.


    Descending back to the 12th Floor, I quickly realised it was empty.


    Kolo Tjahn was most likely away researching in a subspace somewhere, so I decided to rest while waiting.


    "..."


    Now in silence, I had only my own, overbearing thoughts to pass the time, and I soon found myself wishing that things could return to being simple.


    Before I found out what I thought was the truth, things appeared overlyplex and far too confusing.


    Then, I reimed my memories about the event of my escape from the yground, and I realised that everything, at least as far as I knew, was a result of the Author''s construction of ''fate''.


    Like gaining closure, although it was maddening, it came with relief.


    In terms of raw quantity, not much time has passed since then―Comparatively, things have changed too much.


    Instead of the Author that has been proimed to be of equal status to any being of any world, the focus has transferred to something much, much greater.


    Then, would it even matter if I ascended from Earth to the Author''s world?


    If all realms beneath that of the highest are equal, then what would the difference between Earth, the Otherworld, and the Author''s world be?


    Originally, I wanted to aim for a world that was ''real''; a world where I wouldn''t remain subject to the whims of an almighty creator.


    But, that all seems pointless now.


    An infinite number of worlds stand between me and the highest existence, with more being created by the day.


    Even if I could climb one or two worlds higher, what would it matter?


    I would never reach the world of the highest existence.


    And then, who knows―perhaps there is an even more unfathomable being that lies even higher than that.


    In the end, it means nothing.


    I thought it was all plotted by the Author, but I now see that wasn''t the case.


    To be precise, I believe it was the Author up until a certain point.


    After that, however―after I found out about the Author''s existence―I felt things start to change, beginning with me being banished to the Otherworld and awakening Reality.


    From that point on, I was no longer acting to the Author''s whim.


    So, instead, was I acting to the whim of the highest existence?


    The world, my life, all that has happened until now, including the very event of me realising the Author''s existence and being subsequently banished here; Was it the thing that was orchestrating everything all along?


    I was inclined to believe so because of the Sage''s words, but whether or not I did, as well as whether or not any of it was even true, made no difference at the end of the day.


    Even if I and everyone else from Earth are born as mere characters in a story, it doesn''t feel as bad as it did any more.


    Because now I know that everyone else in all of existence is equal to me.


    Although, since I have partial dominion over reality, shouldn''t I be more than equal?


    If you think about it, out of infinite worlds and realities, for me to be the only person or creature with that kind of power would be incredibly unlikely.


    And, following that line of thought; though it may be nigh-impossible, to think that, out of infinite worlds, there has not ever been even a single case of someone ascending to the world of the highest existence...


    It sounds mathematically improbable, no?


    So... Maybe I was wrong about it being impossible to reach the highest existence.


    Throughout all of time across every reality, I''m sure there has been at least one creature capable of something like that.


    For example... Yes, something like the Nightmare King.


    The Nightmare King, from what I learnt on the 10th Floor Trial, was a being who could cross all worlds unperturbed, at least those beneath the highest existence.


    But, if there exists something that can even do something like that, then just how much of a stretch is it to think they could do the same to the world of the highest existence?


    If you think about it, a world is just a world, even if it belongs to higher existences.


    ...Perhaps, is that logic the same as what makes all worlds beneath it equal? But then, why would it suddenly stop there?


    I have no idea about the answers to any of this, and it is far tooplex for me to think about for a long time without getting a headache.


    This whole matter reminds me of a theory of the universe I once heard, known primarily as the Simtion Hypothesis.


    In summary, and as the name suggests, it is a theory that posits the universe in which we live as being a simtion crafted by some kind of higher, much more technologically advanced being or species of beings, such as some kind of alien or, more typically, future humans.


    Many subdivisions of this theory delve into varying beliefs regarding all the details, but that''s the fundamental idea. In any case, there is a particr belief I mean to reference here, and that is one of the original ideas of the simtion theory.


    Of course, it''s been a long time so I don''t recall exactly how it was stated, but I can more or less paraphrase.


    If every world that is capable of creating a simtion does so, and then those simtions grow to the point where they could establish their own simtions, and so and so forth, then there would eventually be an incalcble, perhaps nigh-infinite number of simtions.


    Therefore, since the world we live in is not yet at that level of technological advancement―nowhere close to being capable of such a thing in fact―then it can only mean one of two things:


    Either; A, we are living in the original world; Or B, we are living in the very final simtion―the one at the bottom of the chain.


    This is where the hypothesis divides once again, but for the sake of this argument, let''s say that not every simtion gets to the point where the people living within it can create their own.


    Assuming that each world is not limited to just one simtion per, the theoretical number of total simtions stays more or less the same at an immeasurable ''limitless''. Meanwhile, there are an equal number of simtions incapable of creating their own simtion, just like us in our world.


    Considering this, and looking purely at the mathematical probability, then the chances are almost certain that we are living in a simtion.


    Needless to say, this is a bit of an extreme case, and even then there are many holes, but I was simply reminded about it by the current situation.


    Of course, I had never heard anything about moving between worlds in the simtion hypothesis, so it''s not quite the same, but it''s interesting nheless.


    I just wonder; if there was a creature―or perhaps a ''virus'' in the case of theputer simtion hypothesis―that could infect each simtion, erasing them one by one...


    Then, at some point, wouldn''t it eventually reach and infect theputer of the original world?


    Even though it never existed in reality, could a simted virus take out a real-worldputer?


    ...Well, probably not.


    Even if it could, it''s just oneputer, right? Ignoring things like firewalls, you would only have to get rid of the virus with antivirus software to solve the problem.


    The people of the original world might be surprised, but would they be physically affected by it? Obviously not.


    Even supposing that the original world was a world where everything is aputer, a single virus wouldn''t pose much of a threat when it came down to it.


    Well, that''s right; they would surely be prepared for something like that in the first ce.


    So, if that were the case, it would be a bad idea for the virus to do something like that.


    Certainly, it would be.


    Vhum-!


    "Oh, Cee, you''re back. Do you see why we''ve been here for so long now? Haha..."


    Emerging from a portal that materialised from thin air, Kolo Tjahn appeared.


    "Oh, is that a personal magic item? I''ve never seen anything like it before." He nced down at the smartphone in my hand and asked.


    "..." Staring at him for a few moments, who didn''t seem to have realised I had already cleared the trial, I wondered if I should help him out. Ignoring his curious gaze, I put the smartphone in my pocket.


    In hindsight, it was indicated from all the clues stered throughout thest few trials of the tower, and pretty much stated explicitly on the 12th Floor, but the Ancient Sage was someone who had visited Earth. If I am to assume that this smartphone is his, or at least that he was the one to use it and take this video, then it also exins how he knew about me.


    I have already determined the video to be taken in either the future or an alternate timeline, as although it shows a scene that has never urred, both the image of the twins and myself that can be seen in the video look identical to us in our current timeline.


    If the Sage travelled to an alternate timeline, then it isn''t such a big concern and I probably don''t need to care about it.


    However, if he travelled to the future and took this video, then all of a sudden, the story changes.


    Because if the video really is a scene of the future, that means Weinstell will be destroyed.


    And if Weinstell is destroyed, the Wardens are going toe after me again.


    Well, whether the city is ttened or not, they''d probably want to resume pursuing me either way.


    Of course, I don''t think those guys are much of a concern any more thanks to Reality, but...


    "...Kolo Tjahn."


    I called the name of the Archwizard in front of me. It must have been quite sudden as he tilted his head.


    "What''s up? Is something wrong?"


    Looking at him, who knew a lot and yet simultaneously knew nothing, just like my past self, I felt some kind of bizarre kinship with the magician I had met only once.


    Thankfully, I had gotten a much better idea of what to do afterpleting all of the Sage''s trials.


    "You''re gonna help me with something. In return, you''ll be able to clear thest trial."


    Finally, it was time to settle why I travelled all this way to the Magic Tower in the first ce.