My current theory is that Outside Kellhus conditioned the ground to get mortal Kellhus salted to complete the paradox. Kellhus is still seen speaking with a voice he doesnt know so that's at lease one agency unaccounted since he'd know Ajokli. So Kellhus was tricked by his future self because he obviously would have no reason to believe a voice telling him to salt himself. I just believe that if we assume Kellhus is a Ciphrang, which seems a safe bet, that it's axiomatic for him to start doing what he does in the Outside since... that's what he does and he can't *NOT* do it. Now he can do it in a place where time doesn't exist and he'd actually be a Ciphrang or even God since the first page of the first book.
I'm loving this idea. At the end of TUC he says he is the Absolute. As far as I can tell, being the Absolute means you have no darkness that comes before to rule you. The only way that seems achievable is to be a god capable of acting throughout time. Kellhus wanted to attain the Absolute, and did so (in his mind), and that essentially means he became his own darkness that comes before. It's a pretty huge mindfuck to have Kellhus' "nemesis/benefactor" throughout the series be himself after he has reached the Absolute. I'm not sure what it means for the next series though, is Outside-Kellhus going to give a damn about the world being shut? Hasn't he already reached his final goal?
I feel like that is Ajokli talking there though.
Even if all that was true, it doesn't matter. Why? Yatwer thinks she's absolute with her White-Luck, and how did that turn out? Ajokli thinks he's absolute with his plans, and how did that turn out? What makes Kellhus immune to this pitfall? Every major player so far that has thought themselves absolutely assured of victory, all the way back, has been wrong. Moenghus, Xerius, Conphas, Cnaiur, Aurang/Aurax, Cujara Cinmoi, Nil Giccas, The Consult, Titirga, Inrilatas, Maithanet, Proyas, Achamian, Esmenet, Zsoranga...
Why is Kellhus special? What makes him the one who deserves your belief? After all, he spent literally all of TGO trying to convince you (reader/proyas) that he was just a thing. Yet you still can't shake that feeling that he must be good and right because... well because that's how stories work, damnit!
Pick anyone who was sure they were on the winning side that hasn't lost everything (or nearly) for their certainty. At the very best you could say that so far the New Dunyain Consult represent the winners in this game of 'certainty makes righteous and the most righteous win'. They survived the calamity at Ishual, they beat the Consult, usurped Aurang/Aurax, defeated Kellhus and Ajokli.