The physical world could not accommodate Aeons' true bodies. The weight of their 'existence'—the complexity of their information—was so heavy they could only reside in higher-dimensions. The greater the number of 'vectors', the more their existence could be accommodated.
It was for such a reason that every single Aeon, if not all, could only "project" their bodies in the form of various images. This makes their true locations erratic.
Aleph could only plan things in this way.
First, he presented himself as an Emanator of Nihility to others. He would then leave small clues that would suggest he was not one. When he met Xianzhou's upper echelons, they were bound to use Divination to predict and control the damage that may be caused by him. It was the usual precaution done to beings of high level.
Unsurprisingly, they would use Erudition's assistance in doing so. They would find Aleph's existence a 'key target', whether it was his descent ten years ago with Terminus' influence or something else.
By then, the connection between them was established. Finding the other becomes a trifle, more so when Aleph took account of his unexpectedness.
Countless possibilities flashed within the crimson red eye—one of them being this.
"..."
Erudition followed Terminus' acts of speaking by not speaking.
'The Cocoon is built different…'
Moments like this made him remember his worthwhile rival. The lack of empathy amongst other Aeons emphasized their ruthlessness in the eyes of the living.
"{What do you seek?}"
"The Astral Express. Nihility. Imaginary barrier. Paths."
When facing the universe's greatest search engine, Aleph had no qualms in putting forward his demands.
"You acted disrespectfully first. This should be treated as compensation of sorts."
Erudition fell silent.
Moments later, it let out a ray of light. It was the equivalent of the [Database]-type rewards that he received from the Achievement Hunter. The ray of light turned into an old-fashioned key. Its entire body was made of a transparent crystal that continuously refracted light akin to a kaleidoscope.
'This part is settled. It went smoothly.' He thought before looking at the robotic eye that floated in nothingness. 'I should end this well.'
"I want to make a deal." Aleph opened his mouth and spoke. "Give me the details that you have on Finality. I will give you mine."
Nous did not react too much and calculated everything. It didn't take long for his response to come.
"{Accepted.}"
Complex information appeared atop Aleph's palm. It manifested in the form of a rhombus-shaped crystal. It contained an indescribable light within, emanating the authority of [Infinity].
Swoosh-!
It flew to the robotic eye's direction. At the same time, a ray of light was sent to Aleph. A similar looking key was formed, but this time, it was made of pure darkness. The two keys sunk into his palm before turning his back away.
Before Aleph left, he said something:
"Feel free to announce my existence to whomever seeks it."
An instant was all it took for the surroundings to revert to their state of nothingness. The crimson red eye returned to its previous state of calculating every possibility within this explored universe.
*****
Earning Nous' attention and striking a deal was only a part of Aleph's plan.
'The fluctuation of void… Our speculations are right.'
An endless tree made of bright orange lights was reflected in his eyes. He was still in his True Form state. The instant he returned to the 'physical world' was the time the signs of an Aeon's birth increased sharply.
Subsequently, he could feel a certain force slowly locking onto him.
'The Tree… It regulates the world from it.'
Strangely enough, the expected hostility and aversion he predicted from both the Tree and the Sea did not appear. The answer became apparent after a brief thought.
'It should be Terminus' thing.'
Aleph began paying attention to the rejection force around him. It was the exact reason why Aeons could not reside in this dimension. Continued residence would result in the destruction of a world. The sheer weight of their existence could do such a thing.
Hence, the Imaginary Tree regulates them. This force of rejection forces them to go to dimensions with higher vector count so as to accommodate them.
'It's gradual since it is the first time. I need to make things count.'
Unbeknownst to time, the kaleidoscope-like key appeared in his hand. He pushed it towards the void before rotating it clockwise.
Bam-!
Rumble-!
A burst of kaleidoscope-like light burst forth. It created an aurora borealis in the midst of the dark void. More colors appeared as they glittered. It was nothing short of a phenomenon of a star's explosion, but with pure light.
'...I see. The Imaginary Barrier was anchored on the Tree itself. It was so firm the Aeons can't do anything about it. As expected, it matches the time after Kiana's embrace.'
The Cocoon of Finality set up a barrier around the Solar System. It isolated the solar system to the influence of Aeons outside. Only when Kiana finished her embrace did this barrier presumably break down, thus allowing entry of the Masked Fool, Sparkle. The Messenger of Remembrace also interacted with Kiana herself in this instance.
'It leverages on the Tree to form such a firm barrier… As expected. It's not related to Terminus.'
The rumors of the Cocoon's involvement with Terminus could now be dismissed as nothing but Enigmata's shenanigans.
The firmness of the barrier did not daunt him. He pointed his right hand towards it in a grasping motion.
Hum-!
Buzz-!
The sound of thunder appeared throughout the cosmos. It was the same streak of white light that carried an unimaginable amount of power.
The incalculable kilometers of distance between his position and the solar system seemed meaningless in the face of absolute power. The Door authority allowed him to traverse distances with a thought. Nihility's Null could turn the gap between them into nothing.
At this moment, Aleph felt how it was to possess a myriad of abilities. The options presented in front of him became extremely vast.
Under the brilliance of the indescribable light…
Crack-!
…an infinitely miniscule gap appeared on the insurmountable barrier.