The universe was too vast, destined to be unimaginably vast.
A tiny 100% of matter had been optimized with extreme efficiency into an endless number of parallel universes—their dazzlingly varied selves, along with countless battles and adventures.
Afterward, he heard more interesting things while chatting with the old man.
For example, in this Cosmic Era, even the sun and moon overhead had sealed away the greatest fiends.
One was the moon, sealed with time.
The other was the sun, sealed with space.
It was incomparably ingenious.
The Old Man chattered on without end.
"Ever since the birth of the multiverse, this world has been one great tribulation. No one can escape the karma hidden in the darkness of fate. The moment we were born, we gained causes within the multiverse. What awaits us may only be the effect of several versions of me leaving just one behind."
"Ah, this universe... laughing as it watches the mortal world shed so many tears," he recited.
Atabia rose and nodded, setting down the tea money in his hand. "What a marvelous story."
"Wait." The Old Man suddenly became solemn, and said with slight anger, "Though I've lost my spirit, I haven't fallen so far as that. This time, we'll each pay for our own tea."
"Fine."
After bidding farewell to the stubborn old man's endless muttering, Atabia continued onward, touring the surrounding worlds. Along the way, he encountered travelers from other dimensional universes and heard all kinds of marvelous stories.
These were things he had never been able to see before.
The roadside teahouses of the previous era had been filled with stories of the All Heavens World. Now, however, the travelers spoke of their parallel-universe selves and the infinite possibilities of time.
And there were only five parallel universes so far.
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