Looking at the changing expressions of his vassals as their senses encompassed the universe, Alexander smiled.
He knew what was going through their minds without having to read their surface thoughts.
Moreover, he could feel the waves of respect and awe threatening to drown him.
Indeed, power like that would leave anyone speechless, opening their eyes and minds to the magnificence of the universe.
But more than that, it was the realisation that he had all that power and still stayed the same as he was… mostly.
Alexander patiently waited for his vassals to come to terms with their strength and power before continuing.
"As you can already tell, knowledge comes to you when you need it… and trust me, you're just scratching the surface of the box that is our universe."
"Haha, Existential Paragon, huh." Alex glanced at the barrier magic user as he clasped and unclasped his hands, as if to feel the power flowing through them.
"Gotta say… It still feels like a dream."
Knowing exactly what Lord Mason meant, Alexander added:
"Well, I did make it so that you won't feel any different from before. You don't feel the power flowing through your body because your cores can't hold too much power."
"I see… So it's the same principle as before." Lord Zol muttered from the side. "We channel our essence from you."
"Exactly."
Alexander nodded, walking past Lord Mason to face the gathered vassals. Turning around, he clasped his hands behind him and got to the final parts of his briefing.
Before he even uttered another word, a Veil in the fabric of their universe soundlessly appeared a few hundred meters behind him, drawing the gazes of the vassals.
The Veil Tear quickly assumed the shape of a ring and was a couple of meters in diameter, wide enough for two or three vassals to pass through freely.
"During this undertaking, make sure to send regular updates about your findings. I'll be on standby to see what you see and listen to your reports."
"Yes, Lord Alexander."
The vassals accepted the task with serious expressions, slightly bowing their heads. When they lifted them a second later, determination burned in the depths of their eyes like raging suns.
This would be their first time venturing outside their universe… practically venturing into the unknown.
Nervousness did not begin to describe how some of them felt. Even so, they were ready to give their all to accomplish the mission.
The vassals already knew what to do the moment they stepped outside the boundaries of their universe.
As part of the information they received, they would be moving in teams of two, with each team responsible for investigating a different location in the void.
Staring at the determined looks on the faces of the vassals, Alexander nodded and stood aside, making a clear path to the Veil Tear.
"Good luck."
With those words, the vassals took off, swiftly disappearing into the Veil Tear.
Alexander calmly watched as the last of his vassals disappeared into the Tear. A second or two passed in silence before the Tear closed behind them.
Turning around, Alex faced the direction of the UAC base, which was a couple of light-years away. Naturally, he had no issue seeing that far away.
However, Alexander wasn't simply looking at the base… he was looking through it, through the many folds of space, where the core of the universe mechanically revolved.
With a thought, he melded with the surrounding space and disappeared, reappearing before his beloved, Julia.
But more than that, another version of himself appeared in the folded and hidden space of the base, calmly staring at the core.
With each complete rotation in one direction, the core would release vast amounts of essential essence outward, then spin in the opposite direction and repeat the process.
The essences released melded with the surrounding void, spreading across the entirety of the universe in the blink of an eye, invisible and unseen by all.
And with every dispersal of essence the core produced, natural and magical energies were unleashed into the universe, driving natural processes such as the birth and death of celestial objects, phenomena, and life.
But unlike the quirky personality the core had before, what Alexander was staring at was just a cold and automated machine programmed to do its job.
Of course, it was an efficient system with no issues whatsoever. Alexander could leave it as it was, and there would be no problems.
However, he liked the core better when it had a personality. To him, the core was like a little kid who always wore its emotions when he interacted with it.
Sadly, that will died the moment that entity severed the connection of his universe from the rest of the multiverse.
While staring directly at the core, Alexander raised his right hand as he gathered creation essence in his palms.
He vividly remembered the traits of the personality the core once possessed, his will independently constructing the soul's framework.
The lights of his essence shifted between the hues of emerald and aureate. But more than that, Alexander added other characteristics, imbuing the budding soul with authority over ascension.
The authority over ascension was something the core didn't have before… at least before the madness all began. Even then, reaching it would have been next to impossible.
His universe had not reached its full evolution. It could not support such powerful life forms, as most of that essence was directed toward its evolution, which was a painfully slow process to begin with — most likely would have taken aeons.
But with him here, the universe had all the essence it would ever need in supporting the life forms reach the peak of their cultivation bridge.
Reaching that peak of power would require one to win the approval of the core, as attaining godhood awarded an individual authority over some of the universe's laws or principles.
As for its evolution, he brought it to a close the moment he switched out the Omnisoul's essence with his own — Nullion.
Thinking along the lines of cultivation, Alexander considered a few things about their universe's cultivation bridge.
For one, it was too short and explosive, granting individuals power over celestial bodies within a matter of a few years.
An F-Tier was capable of bringing half a mountain down with one punch, and that was too much power.
Many were the accidents and deaths that occurred in the early years of this universe's power-up system — a well-hidden truth almost lost to time.
'I'll hold off on that… for now.' He inwardly decided, soon bringing the creation of the core's soul to an end.
Alexander focused on the shimmering soul dancing in the palm of his hand and smiled. With his other hand, he gently grabbed the core and brought it closer to the soul.
A moment later, he initiated the fusion process, and the universe's core seamlessly accepted its new soul without a glitch.
The process itself took a few seconds to complete, as the soul had to integrate with the complex polygonal structure of the core.
As the process approached its completion, the universe's core shone with a bright white light that suffused the space entirely, pushing back the darkness of its void.
The lights reached a crescendo and then unleashed a wave of energy that spread through the fabric of the universe, instantly reaching all corners of the universe.
All over the universe, people felt something wash over them, almost like a sudden breeze from nowhere, even when they were indoors.
However, as quickly as the desire to find out what that was, it disappeared, making everyone shrug it off as nothing.
Back at the heart of the universe, Alexander watched with a soft grin as the core happily spun around him like an excited child who had just seen its parent.
It released waves of joy at the prospect of meeting its father, ready to do anything he desired.
"For now, continue doing what you've always done." Alexander expressed as he presented an open palm to the core, watching as it came to settle in, gently pulsing.
The core shared its intent, accepting the instructions of its father. However, said instruction was unneeded, as its primary functions were automated.
"Also, meet your little brother."
Alexander added, sensing the core's confusion. Presenting his other palm, soft bluish lights resembling a sphere of data stream materialised.
[Hello, big brother…]
The universal AI system, network and recorder of all events, thoughts and emotions went silent for a moment.
"Ah, right, you don't have a name."
Alexander swiftly realised the problem. Focusing his gaze on the core, he thought for a few seconds and quickly came up with a name.
Like an excited kid, the core pulsed in anticipation. It had already seen through Xex's nature and expressed its joy in meeting it.
"How about Nuriel…"
Before he could even ask if it liked it, the core shone with a blinding light as it accepted the name without hesitation, branding it on its soul.
"Hehe, Nuriel it is…" He chuckled. "Nuriel… gentle yet cosmic."
[Big brother Nuriel… I'll be in your care from now on.]