The scroll settles into position and waits for the inked quill to permit the start.

Ignoring the immovable scrap, I tried to stretch as far as I could. But it was not as if I could divide myself for a longer time or longer distances, which resulted in me being unable to stop the impractical sculpture.

The management, who had just left, were not quick enough to react, even when I shouted to them to stop him.

Standing in front of a massive wall of enthralling gothic art, adorned with an ocean of candles—each one having melted and pooled at its base—Amber paused to ink the scroll and then stepped back.

Calmly, three candles began to light themselves—a meager trio in a sea of darkened wicks.

All eyes in the hall were glued to the spectacle. An event so small, something everyone has seen every day for decades, and yet, it left everyone mystified.

I couldn't care less about the reason for everyone's behavior, because even I didn't realize that my collectives were completely free of any stickiness.

A brief moment of silence enveloped the hall. Breaths were held, tremors were absent, and the tranquility remained unbroken, except for the gentle flicker of dim light, accompanied by the crackling of the glass on the vaulted ceilings.

"Can someone tell me what is going on? Why do I see candles being lit?"

Sir Parch Ment, who had been giving instructions, turned his attention to the light of the premonition. Our leader, who has always watched over us, could understand that something like this might happen.

"......Are ...Are you all..."

The sound, now stripped of its stoicism, made me realize that skipping all the job titles was a mistake on my part. And when it comes to Sir Parch Ment... I really shouldn't have downgraded his title to leader. Instead, I should have mentioned him as...

"Are you all lunatics really that stupid?!!!"

Dictator Sir Papyrus S Parch Ment. The man above existence.

"Who do you think has been paying you all?! Who do you think has been running this place without trouble since the beginning of time?! Who do you think is taking care of you all?! Who do you think you should all follow?!"

Each frustrated word he spoke sent shivers through the fortress, causing it to quake in fear. The floor caved in, drawing everyone toward the center as if to throw us all in front of the martinet himself.

"Who?!!!"

A parasitic capitalist. A man who is a real piece of work.

"Who was that?!"

Oh-!

"I just can't– Here's a verdict! This mistake has cost you all a decade of paid holidays!"—Hm? That's only ten days—"No transportation costs"—Hm. I sleep in the office—"No bonuses"—You never gave any—"And no more free coffee thrice a day!"

Noooo!!! Not my grande white chocolate, mocha frappuccino, with caramel sauce, chocolate chip, hazelnut syrup, and extra-whip espresso!!! Ambeeer!!!

Even with the hall packed with lunatics and dim surroundings, it was easy to find the yellow turd. I grabbed him by the shoulders and leaned on his face.

You essence of idiocy, all this–! How do you plan to satisfy me with my tedious work?!

"But, Sen expectations... No one ask Amber for nothing*sniff*... Amber want to*sniff*"

Don't try to guilt trip me, Amber! I eat the kingyo sukui (goldfish scoops) on the way back, not because I am hungry or bored, but just because I feel like it!

"With...poop...?"

Yes. With the poop.

"Now then, let us hurry and send the avatars into the Macrocosm," said the Dictator.

Ahhh! I hate this! I hate this job! I hate this life!

"Since the Avatars are absent, I will force the perpetrators to take responsibility."

I shake Amber in horror, trying to get her to say something.

"O-only three..."

Only three? So what? I was the first one to hold that and–

"But..."

Please, Amber, don't utter a word! If you did I'll make you wish–

"Wish!"

Yes, I'll make you wish I hadn't etched some disgusting design on your plain, smooth, conical head.

"No! Wish! Backside!"

Wish! He came! And that too with the required number of slav– avatars!

"Hmmm... I will see to it that those responsible are dealt with later. For now, these three should do it," said our leader before he left the hall.

The three naive sla– members were led into the furnace.

This narrative has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. If you see it on Amazon, please report it.

Haa... and with that, everything should be settled.

The glass ceiling became lifeless, the furnace extinguished, and in an instant the silence was restored. There were no sighs or whispers, the only sound was the soft flicker of three candles, indicating the number of avatars requested.

Peace. Unrequested, yet essential.

I surrendered to relaxation, my gaze wandering over the captivating gothic artwork as the weight of all the premonitions that had driven me to the brink of baldness from anxiety had finally come to an end.

Ah... I can finally– Wait, why... Why won't the candles go off...?!

*A click*

F*******!!!!!!

What I felt was like a snap of a finger. Just as the snap of a finger demands attention, things begin to fall into place.

The broken record began to play the Mozart melody once more, as the ocean of dark wicks lit up one after another with a soft woosh of a wind, illuminating the astonished expressions of everyone in the ruined hall.

The arched ceiling began to glow once again, and the voice declared, "No time to horse around. If you want to volunteer, just raise your hand. Whoever is willing will have their next month's salary doubled!"

A few hands (or sorts) were visible over the horizon of the line of sight, and in an instant they began to burn in green and gold flames.

Extra pay? Seriously? ……Stop pretending to help us get gold or floating gold! Forget about the sperm whale shit (floating gold), it can't even get goat shit!

"And as the situation stands, I will let you all use [: Base Limited] instead of [: Set Limited]. But be careful to use it only when unnatural forces force you to!"

'Base' instead of 'Set'?! When has that ever happened?! Never! This is too good to be true. I know this system was invented for times like this, and even with restrictions, we can run amok! But... But... But, even 'Unlimited' will not get me motivated right now.

"The numbers are insufficient. I will resort to using force without hesitation."

Then don't ask in the first place, stupid-ictator!

Prompted, nearly everyone in the hall, likely throughout the entire nexus, was engulfed in vibrant green and gold flames.

The screams that filled the hall didn't care about anyone's plight. Chaos and stampede needed less of a reason to take birth.

For once I feel lucky today! I must hurry before I get caught up in this mess!

That was the thought that clouded my reasoning when I was spared from the barbaric natural selection. I glided as recklessly as I could, with the sole intention of reaching an uncertain safe haven.

The atmosphere was dreadful enough to remind me of my forgotten, hateful days as an avatar.

The flames of sanctification wasted no midnight oil, as if every ember burned with purpose, reshaping the very essence of those engulfed. Like a pipe organ diffusing varied melodies in different keys, each individual was bellowing and transmogrifying at a dizzying pace.

One coughed up black widows, which in turn proceeded to skin him.

One had festering slugs dangling from every orifice, including the ones on his skin.

One rose from the ashes, only to be reignited and reduced to cinders once more, each cycle altering his appearance.

One was crushed by unseen forces, spilling his neon blue blood on another one nearby, who feasted on the ever-growing malformed eyes that appeared on his body.

One developed a massive bubbling abscess on his back, which gradually consumed him, expanding beyond imaginable limits before erupting in a grotesque torrent of viscous fluid.

A few recognizable scorched faces came my way, mingled with haunting cries of anguish from strangers. I steered clear of them, continuing on my path, but I couldn't help but stop for a brief moment when one familiar figure caught my eye.

Clark! Good to see you unharmed! Let's get out of here!

"I finally understand..."

I wrapped some clusters around his hand in an attempt to drag him out, but hearing such a strange remark put a halt to my efforts.

"I think I might have an idea of what's going on..." he said softly, gently easing my grip and stepping back.

"What's unfolding and what's about to unfold is neither as trivial as the creation or destruction of a trillion stars that occurs daily, nor is it as monumental as the big bang."

His voice grew with curiosity, laced with a touch of excitement.

"Can you understand what I'm trying to say? Th-This particular thing, phenomenon, event, this event... it's beyond the realm of what we can predict! This is not something that will happen once in a lifetime."

As much as I would like to flee, I found myself unable to do so. Hearing his voice was calm enough to make me stand tall, not out of obligation, but out of sheer curiosity. No amount of interruptions from the surroundings was enough to break this trance.

"This is something that will happen once in a... never. Never," he concluded.

Or so I thought.

With no hesitation, I leapt forward as fast as I could when I saw him gripping the base of his helmet, but a powerful force yanked me back.

"The reasoning of predictability is being toyed with.

The testament of existence is being rewritten.

The boundaries of purpose are being fractured intentionally," Clark went on.

Trying to break free of the tug, I looked behind me, only to be met by a heavy, brightly burning mammal asking, "Buddy, iz tha' you?" Ignoring it, I reached out my collectives, engulfed in green and gold flames, to stop Clark.

"Change…

Change is being forced.

Change is being demanded," he declared, slowly turning the helmet, which reflected a sinewy red hand, covered in blood, reaching out to him.

No amount of shouting from bloodied, salivating jaws was enough to stop his madness. His voice grew louder, not because of the movement of the helmet, but because of the slowly dwindling crowd in the hall.

"Don't miss this change.

Don't miss what's about to unfold.

Don't let go of this blessed happening."

It felt as if I was the last soul to be spirited away, as if fate had destined me to be the final witness.

"Make sure to witness... this beautiful miracle."