GREED: ALL FOR WHAT?

He also can't create powerful avatars that can distance themselves from him anymore since he sacrificed all his crowns. He is all the firepower he has at his disposal.

He is not a demon king either, and he has lost both the recognition of the abyss and the benefits of one. But he is not useless. He is a Demonic Spark, an actual, albeit not orthodox, divine spark. So even though he has lost the support of the abyss, he feels it is a worthy exchange for the ability to create Authority with cosmic energy.

Legion has always wanted to gain the ability to create Authority and they were right about its abilities. Unfortunately, they didn't break any tenets of the void universe now that they have achieved it. What's worse is that he can't create the Authority of the Void Universe.

The Authority of the void universe is what Soverick has termed True Authority. It is similar to the kind of Authority he gained when he sacrificed his crowns to the crown of dominion. It is an Authority that anyone can use, but it is more powerful than what he had because it is useful to world gods too.

At least that's what Soverick thinks. He came to that conclusion from the little they have gleaned from the Supreme Law of Order. But it is only a conjecture. They haven't confirmed it yet.

But even if True Authority doesn't exist, Aeternus hasn't broken any laws of the void universe because divine sparks are part of the Order of the void universe, and divine sparks can create Authority.

They believe that if True Authority exists and divine sparks can produce it, then Aeternus's inability to create the Authority of the Void Universe is because he is not an orthodox divine spark.

As he is, he still can't use the law matrix. If he can't do that, there's no way the void universe will allow him to share its power.

Legion is only disappointed and unhappy. They are not discouraged because, even though they didn't get any reward from the void universe for this achievement and they can't create the Authority of the Void Universe, they have gained knowledge and a new understanding of the void universe. They finally know with certainty what Authority truly is right now.

Authority is the permission from a powerful being to use the power of that being. It is the right or status granted by a stronger being to another. And its foundation is the power of Will.

The Will of the void universe grants those on the path of perfection Authority while the Will of the abyss grants demons Authority, and the Will of the realm, through the Will of the plane, grants gods Authority.

That knowledge is something Legion has been wrong about for a long time. It is because they have been confused by the similarity between the Authority of the three paths.

They inspected godhoods, crowns, and even concepts and found that they contained aspects of the supreme law of Order, or, in the case of demons, the Supreme law of Chaos, given form through cosmic energy. So they thought they could make Authority themselves.

They had Cosmic energy, and they had the comprehension of the Supreme Laws, but they were unable to make it because they lacked the critical ingredient, which is the Will.

Anyone who acquires Authority has the right to share in the power of the one who granted it to them. But they need permission to have that right, so without the Will of the source of power, Authority cannot be created.

That's how the gods gained their power. They are able to subvert laws without comprehending them because they have the permission of the Will of the void universe, through the Will of the realm, through the Will of the plane, by virtue of faith from believers.

Anyone who gains this permission can do a lot of things they shouldn't be able to do. Including banishing the law matrix in their divine kingdom and suppressing those on the path of perfection or using godhoods to hide from the wrath of the void universe in the case of the Phoenixes.

The gods gained this permission through the spark of power that the realm possesses and by the recommendation of believers. Aeternus also has a spark of power. Even though he can't control it, his mark of sin can still produce Authority.

Aeternus can make Authority now even without the Will of the void universe. He can substitute the Will of the Void Universe with his own will. It will cost cosmic energy, and he will have to provide the energy that those who wield it will use.

This is how CARNAGE created the Vampire race. The Authority it created was the heart of Carnage. It is now that Legion understands the full impact and significance of Ragnarok's act of taking the Authority of a demon god for himself without permission, despite being vastly weaker than the demon god.

It made Aeternus think to himself, "The shard of power is truly powerful. Maybe I can use it to steal the Authority of the void universe. If Ragnarok can do it, maybe I can."

Helios advised, "Maybe you shouldn't try it until you are world ender."

The other clones were quick to discourage Aeternus from that action. They are greedy, but they are not that greedy. Ragnarok did steal the Authority from CARNAGE, but he almost died after. His spark of power didn't save his life after the deed was done. This means he still needs power before he can attempt to steal from the void universe.

Legion-1 said to him, "At the very least, you have to be able to steal from the Will of the realm before you try the Will of the void universe. If you fail, we can at least leave the realm and never return. We can't leave the universe, so you will have to hold off on your plan."