Hearing the sheer madness of the trial, Maximus immediately began thinking of ways to cheat.
These trials set by the governing laws were simply insane.
If the Supreme Law of Destiny hadn't permitted him to pass, he might still be trapped there.
And then there was the trial from the Supreme Law of Will—carrying the will of the entire world?
If not for his ingenuity, Maximus might still be stuck or even straight out failed the trial.
As if reading his thoughts, the Supreme Law of Origin offered him advice.
"You should focus on nothing but the experience itself. As long as you don't lose yourself, you will pass this trial."
"This is a rare chance, one you wouldn't want to waste. It will lead you directly to the apex, to becoming one of the overlords who control all."
"A unique chance?"
Would fully immersing himself in the trial be beneficial for his future advancement?
Before he could think further, Maximus was transported into one of the mirrored worlds.
Opening his eyes, he noticed the soft shell encasing him.
Breaking free, he was greeted by light.
Looking at his new form, he realized he had become an insect.
"So, this is what it means to experience the life of everything..."
Recalling the Supreme Law of Origin's advice, Maximus resisted the urge to cheat his way out.
Flying, scavenging for food, reproducing—Maximus fulfilled his role as an insect within the ecosystem.
A few days later, he died a natural death.
As his consciousness swirled, he found himself as a flower budding in the sunlight.
Unable to move or see clearly, Maximus instinctively turned toward the sun, seeking warmth.
As the sun and moon cycled through summer and winter, he withered naturally.
Next, Maximus found himself as a mountain.
Without any sensory organs, he discovered he could extend his consciousness to observe the world.
As days, months, and years passed, he watched as his barren mountain form began to be filled with trees and animals, enduring storms and seasons.
If not for the trigger he'd embedded in his origin, he would have been lost in this infinite cycle of lives.
Learning his lesson from the past, where he nearly lost his mind from overusing the system to comprehend knowledge, Maximus created a trigger embedded in his origin.
Saving himself from an existential crisis, Maximus felt a deep, unsettling throb in his heart.
"Just how long will this trial last?"
It had already been tens of thousands of epochs, yet there was still no sign of completion.
With no end in sight, Maximus began contemplating his next course of action.
According to the Supreme Law of Origin, experiencing this trial would be beneficial for his future advancement.
After tens of thousands of epochs, his origin had indeed become more solid and well-defined.
Maximus did not doubt that if he finished this trial without losing himself, his journey to the tier 12 realm would be effortless.
Perhaps, in a few million years, he might even reach the overlord realm.
However, the feeling of being lost, questioning his very existence, filled Maximus with fear.
What if the trigger he had set up within his origin failed?
Even though this was a virtual trial, all the experiences he had were real.
Could he say with certainty that, after returning to his body, he would still be himself?
"No! This is too dangerous!"
Maximus finally decided against completing this trial the usual way.
Though it would undoubtedly benefit him in the long run, the risk was too great to take.
After only tens of thousands of epochs, he was already close to breaking.
What would happen after hundreds of thousands, millions, tens of millions, hundreds of millions, or even billions of epochs?
Given the sheer diversity of life within the Aeon Plane, Maximus could not be sure he would retain his sense of self.
"I can reach the top with my power; there's no need to risk it for this illusory shortcut..."
Deciding against a quick but uncertain path in favor of a rugged but safer one, Maximus finally chose the latter.
Though it might seem cowardly to avoid this challenge, Maximus couldn't afford the risk.
Using his remaining billions of strands of causality, Maximus quickly devised a way to pass this trial without enduring further suffering.
"I, Maximus Shadowcrest, am no coward—just a man who has responsibilities, a family, and a home to return to..."