Special Knowledge from the Crawling Chaos
[Others are coming. I don't want our conversation interrupted.]
Nyarlathotep said that telepathically, and her grotesque tentacles began writhing once more. In the next instant, I sensed a new space forming around the two of us. I could have dodged into it or shattered it midway... but it didn't feel dangerous, so I let it envelop me.
The empty void transformed into an infinitely vast white expanse. At its center sat a small tea table and chairs, perfect for ordinary humans to sip tea.
"How's this? I reshaped it into something comfortable for chatting."
A human voice rang out. Looking down, I saw a stunning woman with long silver hair cascading to the floor and crimson eyes. I knew instantly—it was the tentacle mass from moments ago... Nyarlathotep.
She'd suddenly turned human? No warning?
"Hmm, I changed my form, voice, and even speech patterns to something you'd find comfortable. Not to your liking?"
Her expression soured with dissatisfaction. Probably because my reaction wasn't great. Well, can you blame me? It was so sudden I was stunned.
Still... this beat conversing as planet-sized monstrosities in some formless void.
...But why a pretty girl...?
Outer Gods like us don't have genders—male or female means nothing. So this was just her reflecting my tastes.
...So that's your type, huh.
Whatever. I quickly shifted into a human form myself—my original Yujin look. Seemed like she wanted a relaxed tea time as humans.
"I like it. Very comfortable," I said, settling lightly into the chair.
"Good, good."
She beamed, clearly pleased. Transforming into human form had tweaked her personality and speech to match a human woman's too.
Damn... up close like this, she was really gorgeous. Back when I was just a regular human, I'd never have dared speak to someone with that heavenly beauty.
She took a sip of what looked like black tea and gazed at me.
"So, tell me. Who are you? Where'd you come from? 'Newly born'?"
Questions came flooding in. But I only had a solid answer for one.
"I still don't know who I am exactly. Just that mortals call me an 'Outer God.' And 'newly born' is literal—I have no clue. I possess info on the entire universe... but nothing on myself or my birth."
Where I came from? That I could answer clearly.
"I used to be human. From my old universe's standards, a 'Terra.' Probably just a speck born in one of the countless universes spanning this interstice."
"I see. So you're retaining the ego of a frail lifeform. Fascinating. Not a constructed self like mine, but your original one."
I'd shared my origins, but Nyarlathotep wasn't shocked—just intrigued.
"How does a frail lifeform's data become a primordial being? Newly born, no less. Not created, just... naturally."
"Data" meant what folks call a "soul"—an energy form holding a life's memories after death. After I died, mine must've flowed here from another universe, turning me into this.
She seemed deeply confused; cases like mine were unprecedented.
Primordial beings like me or her—upper-tier Outer Gods and above—weren't created by others. Lesser ones usually were, crafted by superiors. Even as mere creations, they were interstice natives with universe-defying powers.
So I was an anomaly: uncreated primordial, yet newly born—not eternal from the start. Utterly alien, even among Outer Gods.
Wild.
Whoooosh—
"...?!"
Suddenly, Nyarlathotep lunged at me, her hair shooting out like tentacles to bind my entire body. She mounted me, pinning me flat.
What the hell?! What's this crazy bitch doing?!
"So intriguing! I'd love to dissect you and study every inch... but that's not what you want, right?"
Her eyes screamed she wanted to vivisect me!
"...Try to hold back."
I shoved her off. Her hair-tentacles clung everywhere; it took effort to peel them away.
...Thank god she's human-shaped. If that massive tentacle blob had wrapped me for real...Ugh!
"Well, still a huge gain. Learning you were once a frail mortal human? Massive harvest."
She smoothed her writhing hair back into place.
Again—huge relief she's pretty. Otherwise...
"Your data might've been atypical from the start. Maybe you were always something else, primed to become like us."
Hmm, doubtful. My past life was utterly ordinary. Nothing special.
"Now it's my turn to give you a gift."
Finally. Time for some killer know-how from this ancient Outer God senior.
"You seem limited to knowledge from your birth universe."
True... hadn't visited others yet. Crossing over might grant their laws and info.
"No need to wander. I'll teach you to acquire other universes' knowledge."
Oh? Nice.
Super useful. I could debut abilities unknown there, or hop over for fun experiments with intriguing info.
"Primordials connect to the 'Ultimate Source—yet Sourced from None' to draw knowledge from all universes in the interstice. I'll show you how."
"Ultimate Source—yet Sourced from None"? Paradoxical. Linked to every universe here.
Transcending even Outer Gods... like Azathoth, the mythos pinnacle?
Come to think—our codenames echo Cthulhu mythos Outer Gods. "Outer God" matches too. Maybe connected.
"The method's implanted. Connect and retrieve."
She pointed at my head. Sure enough, unfamiliar knowledge flooded in: Draw an bizarre, never-seen glyph. Utter unpronounceable words in our true forms' tongue.
"■■■, ■■■■-■■■, ■■■■■."
⟨ Archive Access ⟩
And then...
"......"
...Huh? Nothing?
Should've linked to a massive archive, listing countless universes' data. But no.
Yet info poured straight into my mind—bypassing the archive, dumping raw.
Ugh... even for an Outer God, this volume's burdensome. How much? Countless universes' laws, knowledge—listing them would take eons.
"...Insane."
When it ended, I'd gained incomparable info. So much it blurred together.
Seemed different from her instructions—planned to ask, but chalked it up to my weirdness. Whatever; multiversal knowledge acquired. I'd sort it later.
"Looks done. Let's chat again sometime. Talking with you isn't boring like the others. I like it."
She dismissed the space. Back to the twisted void; our forms reverted.
Her grotesque tentacles wriggled as she vanished elsewhere.
...The gap with that beauty is dizzying.