POV: Shin (Skeletal Deity of The Cycle)

My hands remained clasped in front of me as I casually looked around the table, only ever meeting Statera's eyes. Those eyes...I grinned inwardly at Statera's earlier display, remembering the way the being easily saw through all of our attempts to hide our own domains, and then completely baffled everyone but the Deity of Beauty with her own. Even now, as Statera struggled against her eyelids as they grew ever heavier, I was unable to sense what her domain was. It was vexing to say the least, but at least I was getting more and more on her personality. Statera had already fallen asleep a few times throughout the course of the meeting, hinting at a very short attention span.

Well, even I will admit that the information the Great One was giving didn't appear very interesting. There were small nuggets of information contained within, but I, for one, wasn't too interested. The Emperor, however, was, and was clearly showing off his leadership abilities as he directed the conversations and information given with only a few well-placed comments. He was in total control of the information given and received, and no matter how hard the others tried, he dominated the conversations.

Other than myself and Statera, everyone else appeared vested in the meeting. I, for one, much more enjoyed the chance to analyze my fellow Origin Deities' personalities rather than whatever information was being given. My "plus one," Ze, was handling that bit for me. As my personal assistant, she had access to information every other being in my universe did not...even knowing of my own existence. Most beings considered Ze to be the pinnacle being in my universe. It was quite fun blowing the minds of those who did manage to get powerful enough to learn of my existence, though that number only amounts to two, including Ze.

"Of course we should push further into the Void. Pushing the barrier further into the emptiness of the Void would give our universes more room to grow, and therefore speed up the process of being full-fledged universes." MR-10, the pyramid with a nasty attitude hidden beneath its monotone voice, droned. Murmurs of agreement rippled through the crowd, but I just frowned when I looked at Statera, who was likewise frowning and suddenly completely aware.

"That's stupid. The Void is...dangerous. Things...lurk in the Void, things capable of....death." The mortal behind Statera spoke, narrowing her eyes at the collection of deities. I, for one, was wholly unsurprised that Statera had brought a mortal to the meeting, sensing that the deity was as whimsical as she was mysterious. I wouldn't label her as powerful like the others do, however. To my senses she would probably rank in the middle of all the beings present, with the top spot going to the Emperor, surprisingly. It was just...every time I tried to look at her, I could only imagine a vast ocean...seemingly simple on the surface, but filled with uncountable mysteries beneath.

"You're just a mortal. We are origin deities. We are able to do things you mortals would never be able to dream of, much less be capable of. The Void poses no threat to us." Nyxteria deadpanned. Statera stood then, and all eyes fixated on her.

"No. I agree with her. While not a certainty, mortals do have a tendency to take after their deities...and that happens to include fears. What mortals fear is the unknown; what the unknown translates into for us origin deities is the Void." Statera said coolly.

"Hmph. There's nothing in the Void - it is, in the truest sense of the word, empty. There is nothing for us to fear from the Void." The Emperor said cockily. I couldn't say whether I agreed with him or not, after all I had never truly ventured out into the Void, and the Great One had hinted at dangers that lurked within the Void, but I wasn't too certain what could be lurking in the first place. It was a Void, as the name implied. What could lurk within that wasn't a deity? Statera sighed and stood up, slipping her left arm out of her purple robes, the fabric bunching up under her armpit and revealing her flawless skin.

Then, her arm began to disintegrate. Or, more accurately, the primordial chaos that made up her arm began to flow back into the six balls of condensed chaos that floated behind her.

"This injury has yet to heal after close to one and a half million years," Statera said, watching with very calm eyes as the rest of the primordial chaos vanished, "and was inflicted upon me by one of the beasts that lurks within the Void - a Paradox, asomethingmade ofnothingthat was bent on wiping my universe off of the face of the cosmic map." The injury itself looked grievous. Almost her entire left arm was gone, the injury stopping just at her shoulder. Golden light gently glittered from where her arm ended, showing that it was slowly healing, while a thin line showed where the injury was previously. It looked as if a quarter of her left breast had been bit off.

Silence reigned, and Statera looked at everyone coolly, those eyes of hers now instilling her own emotions and thoughts into all who met her gaze. I couldn't help but grin inwardly at her, cackling to myself. "It was a freak accident of course," Statera continued, "a rogue spirit managed to find a way through the barrier by using an illusion from a recently destroyed universe. This, in turn, caused a Paradox to be born within the barrier itself. I didn't end up killing the beast, if such a thing is possible, only forcing it out of my universe at the cost of my left arm and a good chunk of the primordial chaos. Then the barrier managed to keep it out, and the Paradox faded back into the Void.

"I was lucky it was a young one, and not one of the ones that threatens to devour all the other universes within the multiverse. By my estimation, they grow bigger and stronger in response to the strength of what they devour or are trying to devour." Statera said, her arm re-forming as she slipped it back into her robes and sat back down. She didn't speak further, and the Great One filled the silence that followed.

Thank you, Statera. Though Paradoxes are not the worst of your worries, and you have a while yet before you truly need to begin worrying about them, it is always good to remain cautious. The position the barrier is in now is meant to minimize risk while maximizing growth potential. Now! Let us move on to the part that won't bore Statera and Shin; the rankings.