Ball of Nothing

Hua Tuo held Zero by his hand as they ascended the stairs after crossing the portal at the Ten-Path Crossway. Zero knew that other domains and planes have started building connecting portals for the sake of convenience. However, their current method of travel doesn't seem too convenient. Shouldn't portals be automatic? Zero had only been through portals that opened from one point to another point. Nobody told him that there were portals that required travelling within the portal space!

The Sage God looked confident as he led the way. Zero followed closely behind and wondered how his teacher knew which staircase to take. IN this portal, there were millions of staircases leading to millions of mirrors. Zero had never seen a more confusing hub. These staircases moved at times and if they weren't careful, they would take the wrong flight of stairs.

"Where are we going?" he asked, finally unable to suppress the curiosity.

The Sage God sighed and stopped. They were in the middle of what looked like a neverending flight of stairs. The first time Zero came to Heaven, he used the Great Gods' personal portal. In fact, many Gods who resided in Heaven had a personal portal. Hua Tuo didn't have one after he left Heaven to live on Earth in seclusion. He usually borrowed Buddha's and usually walked over from Nirvana.

"We're going to attend the meeting," he told his disciple.

Zero sighed. "Why can't we fly or use a portal that leads there directly?"

Hua Tuo felt his eyebrow twitch. He wanted to do the same but thanks to the ridiculous security checks and registration now that Zero officially represented Mammon, they had to take the long route. Apart from the residences of Heaven, all other guests had to report before the pearly gates.

Lucifer had his Archangel identity left so the Demon Lord was a special exception. None of the other Demon Lords was attending and as a responsible teacher, Hua Tuo had the task of escorting his student through the labyrinth.

"Not we... you. You can't fly or take a portal because you're representing Hell. There are strict procedures to follow so be careful of what you say. Although everyone else will do most of the talking, you still have to watch your conduct. Those archangels will try very hard to find faults with you."

Zero paled. "Why? I didn't do anything wrong!"

Hua Tuo sighed. "Uriel's prophecies are never wrong. He saw that you were a destroyer of the abyss. Even if the vision was avoided, you cannot be written off as harmless. They still strongly believe that you'll end up destroying the world."

At this, the young doctor didn't comment. It was the truth after all. Zero's ability wasn't creation like Solo's. However, the path of a doctor wasn't one that Zero had chosen carelessly. He might not be able to create things but he could improve them. He could help save lives and improve the cycle that Solo created. To destroy such a beautiful world would be a shame. There was still hope if Zero looked hard enough.

"I'm not going to destroy the world," he told his teacher with seriousness.

Hua Tuo nodded. It wasn't his student's nature to destroy things intentionally. In fact, Zero treasured the value of life very much. He loved creation more than anything else so destroying something that existed pained Zero. While Zero never said it aloud, Hua Tuo knew that he kept the graves of lives he'd taken and things he'd destroyed in his heart. Zero mourned the loss of lives after his chimaera creation. He mourned the deaths of the fishes he failed to save trying to perfect the revival magic. However, Zero didn't mourn the death of animals he hunted for food. Apparently, food had a special category of its own and Zero strongly believed in the cycle of life to support sustenance.

"I know," Hua Tuo said and continued the long climb up the neverending flight of stairs.

It was only two very simple words stated in a matter-of-fact manner like commenting on the passing of the weather. However, for Zero, these two words cemented the faith in Zero's heart that he was more than just the void.

The steps winded and there were lesser mirrors in view as they climbed higher. Zero also understood a little about how the labyrinth worked. Hua Tuo would sometimes go through some mirrors that act as a portal to the higher floors in this maze-like portal world. There were so many mirrors and portals leading to different places and Zero wondered if this is why Heaven is so busy. Each portal that led outside was on a different plane or planet as Hua Tuo explained. The portal at Ten-Path Crossway was one of the latest portals created so it was on the lower levels.

"Once you see the colour start to change from bluish-white to pure white, you will know we're near. It's easy to identify the portal leading to the Heavenly Gates."

Zero nodded. He learnt a few things about accessing Heaven the legal way. Souls that passed the judgement in the Purgatory will be escorted to Heaven. All new souls must register at the Pearly White Gates and are shifted to a garden while their residences were being prepared. Residences in Heaven need not work unless they want to and more often than not. The souls in Heaven must be kept happy by all cost by the cupids and seraphs working. Happy souls in Heaven play an important part in contributing to the mana generation in Heaven. The plane is almost as unstable as the abyss after the huge plate break. The hole in the plane couldn't be plugged and the plane is slowly losing power with the rapid mana drain. The amount of souls entering Heaven in recent years has also decreased significantly. It was a rather worrying thought and Zero didn't know if there was anything he could help with.

Hua Tuo knew that look. He didn't know what his disciple was thinking but the Sage God warned him not to try anything funny.

"Unlike in Hell, these archangels do not tolerate nonsense. Lucifer might be uptight and strict but compared to archangels like Michael, he's a saint," Hua Tuo warned.

Zero looked up. The portal leading to the Pearly Gates can now be seen. "I understand, shifu. I must be escorted at all times while I'm there and cannot eat or touch anything that isn't mine."

Hua Tuo nodded. "Also, be sure to bow to anyone who has more than two pairs of wings or two halos. Also, greet any Gods and Goddesses you see even if they aren't very significant. It's very easy to make enemies in Heaven and the last thing you want is for a God or Goddess to find reasons to curse you."

Zero nodded. "Did Goddess Athena curse the most people?"

Hua Tuo coughed lightly. "You should ask Zeus or Hades that when you see them. It is not my place to answer."

The young doctor bowed. They were finally at the portal. From below, the portal looked big and grand. The mirror glistened with the beautiful scenery of a peaceful garden above a sea of clouds. The image was moving and Zero thought that it might be a real place somewhere in Heaven because of how mesmerising it looked.

"This is it. Do you have the invitation letter?"

Zero pulled Mammon's invitation letter from his inventory with a cheeky grin and waved it. Hua Tuo nodded. He checked Zero's appearance one more time and helped the teen to adjust his bow tie.

"Look smart and don't speak too much. We're going in now."

The teen nodded and stepped through the huge mirror portal after his teacher.

The Pearly Gates were tall and intimidating with the number of guards waiting before it. Zero looked to the right and left but he couldn't see the end of the gate. It was wrought in ivory and gave off a very distinct glow. Zero sensed a heavy magic concentration in the air given off by the gates and raised a brow. Heaven's security system was really on a whole new level when compared to the abyss.

"Halt! State your business!" one guard shouted.

Zero took a look at the heavenly guard and couldn't hide his surprise. Where were the white wings and halo? The guard that spoke to them had two unblinking big eyes, whiskers and scales. Why did he look more like a catfish monster than an angel? Unless the books were wrong, Zero didn't think that the guard was an angel. Perhaps, they had taken a wrong turn somewhere.

"Shifu..." Zero whispered but Hua Tuo was already bowing to greet the strange-looking guard.

"We are here upon invitation to attend a meeting hosted by Archangel Michael," Hua Tuo answered calmly and Zero took a while to realise that everyone was looking at him.

"Ah... I have the letter of invitation," he said and stiffly handed the letter to the guard beside the blue catfish creature. The guard beside was an orange carp and Zero wondered why fishes were guarding the Pearly Gates.

The carp guard nodded and both fish guards let them pass. Once Zero was out of hearing range, he asked Hua Tuo.

"Why are there monster fishes guarding the Pearly Gates instead of angels?"

The Sage God gasped and quickly smacked Zero. "Don't say that! They're direct descendants who share fragments of the horoscope stars. They are Piscean brothers."

Zero made an 'oops' expression and quickly whispered a silent apology. He knew about the Star Guardians and their descendants but never expected to meet them in Heaven. Didn't all the Star Guardians perish in the previous Earth? Some of the remaining descendants were recreated and sent to the new Earth by Tanya but the soul fragments were becoming fewer and rarer. It wouldn't be long before the Star descendants become completely wiped out. Looking at the Piscean brothers, maybe that wasn't the case at all.

"Who else will be here that I have to watch out for?" he asked.

Hua Tuo thought about it. There were simply too many people in Heaven who Zero had to be careful of. Many Gods and Goddesses were egocentric creatures who took offence easily and held grudges very well. Instead of telling Zero who he should watch out for, Hua Tuo decided to tell him who he could trust instead.

Zero made an odd expression. Did he really have so few allies in Heaven? Isn't Heaven a place meant for good people as well as Gods? Why did it seem more dangerous than the abyss? Zero couldn't understand the logic.

"Logic doesn't work very well here," the physician told his student. "The only thing that works here in Heaven is power and authority. If you have power and authority, you gain respect and make the rules. There are no sovereigns in this realm because nobody would be satisfied with whoever becomes the ruler of Heaven. It's not the same as back in Hell where Lucifer is considered the highest authority."

Zero bobbed his head in understanding. Everything made sense now. He wondered why there was so much pride going on in Heaven. Compared to Lucifer, these people looked like they would fill in the spot for Lord of Pride just as good as the ex-archangel. Where were the virtues that he was taught? Shouldn't Heaven be exploding with benevolence, respect, love and patience?

Then, he eyed his teacher. Was this why Hua Tuo left Heaven and Buddha decided to create Nirvana? Was this why the Great Gods decided to live outside of Heaven and worked separately? Was this why the archangels were left in charge of running Heaven in their names? If Zero was in their shoes, he wouldn't want to involve himself too much in the squabbles of petty Gods.

"We're almost there," Hua Tuo told Zero who still had deep furrowed brows.

Zero snapped out of his thoughts and quickly fixed his expression to one of perfected cold indifference. After hanging out with Demon Lords, Zero had to pick up a thing or two from them. All Demon Lords had perfected poker faces and Zero wouldn't lose to them.

"Let's do this," he said and took a step forward confidently.

Hua Tuo watched his student from behind and thought that Zero gave off quite the commanding aura of a leader. The doctor smiled. If Zero were to lead this world to march to a campaign for love and peace, he would be a very successful symbol.