While the notifications filled up a large block of his vision, it was his lungs that he was worried about. Bit by bit, he felt his body growing more and more tired. Not to mention, Walker had covered himself in his darkness for a good amount of time, losing large portions whenever stray bits of Kinetic energy had struck him on their way to the crystal.
Overall, the naked man covered in old blood wasn’t doing well. But of course, the system didn’t care about that. It had its needs, and it was not partial to his own. He wouldn’t be able to continue his conversation with Ulysses and figure out his oxygen problem until this was taken care of. Still, he knew from experience that the rewards would likely be a big deal, even if the Cosmic Life Engine was the only option he had reasonably found. With a tempered mind on not rushing through the options hastily, Walker looked at the notifications awaiting him.
System Architect found…
…Analyzing…
Strandbinder found…
…Analyzing…
Rewards adjusted
Congratulations Architect Dante!
As the second entity within the Evolver multiverse to directly connect to the greater versi, you’ve received rewards.
…
Congratulations Architect Dante!
As the first entity within the Evolver multiverse to intentionally create your own universe, you’ve received rewards.
…Adapting rewards due to existential information
Please wait
Okay…
While waiting, Walker considered what it had said. While he was initially confused about why he was the first to intentionally create his own universe, it made a certain amount of sense.
The Evolvers, from what he understood, had a machine that did everything for them. He knew that because of the memories he’d seen when watching Kwaya’s life. She’d taken the small amount of Origin the Evolver’s had collected, and somehow repurposed it into creating the center of the Evolver’s multiverse using sign language.
But she hadn’t personally created it. She’d done so using a machine that looked very similar to the Cosmic Life Engine, whereas Walker had created his through Strandbinding. Apparently, the Omniverse had recognized the difference and rewarded him for it. Not that he was going to complain.
But what could they give him for making a Universe?
Omniversal reward for being the second entity to connect to the greater versi:
Congratulations Dante! You’ve gained a medium-sized Territory seat!
A territory seat is a location built for the rewarded using materials provided by the Omniversal order. Each territorial seat may expand in size and scope as the Creater gains further ranks.
Receiving a message from your local Regional seat…
Message received:
Translating…
His screen went blank, taking his vision with it before a symbol appeared. It showed a snake breathing fire on a shield covered in red and orange stripes. The symbol faded a few seconds later, and a group of text took its place.
Hello Architect Dante,
You can call me Governor Xandar, and you’ve found yourself within my provinces.
Please let me know if you have any questions or concerns, or even if you’d like me to drop by at some point for a bit of help.
We of the Omniversal Order are bound to each other in a partnership of prosperity. What helps you, and your growth, helps us all.
Thank you for further expanding the boundaries of possibility within the Omniverse.
Talk soon.
“What in the fuck?” Walker said out loud, momentarily forgetting about his lack of oxygen. All of his experiences up until now had shown him that those across the verses were conniving, needy users of the downtrodden. To find a message from the Governor that was so positive and affirming really threw him for a loop. He didn’t quite know what to think of it. His mental processing was interrupted by the arrival of his second reward.
Omniversal reward for being the first entity to create their own universe:
Congratulations Dante! You’ve gained access to a set of Omniversal systems!
This is the first set of Omniversal systems gifted to a member of the designated Evolver multiverse. In particular, this set of systems is for use by amateur Strandbinders and should not be attempted by those who cannot manage them.
The narrative has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the infringement.
Caution is advised.
Omniversal systems? Wait, it’s a set? Walker shook his head, still thinking, the further ahead I get, the more things drop in my lap.
The Omniverse, so far, was not what he had thought it was. The people, or at least their messages, were kind. The systems were given out based on how much he achieved. In this instance and based on the systems analysis, he was given this particular set simply due to being a Strandbinder.
It made him wonder if perhaps his vision of a meritocratic world was in line with how the Omniverse itself worked. If so, then it was no wonder the Evolvers never tried to branch out and connect with the greater verse. According to Kwaya and her memories, they were ruled by families with some kind of a noble system. Maybe joining the Alpha Protocol’s Council was slightly based on earning it, but it was also based on what power and gains they’d gained from the Creator involved.
It wasn’t real, just a shadow of it.
Overall, this experience had lightened Walker's burden. Against all odds, he found a small spring of hope open up in his heart. If there was the chance that the Omniverse looked at people based on who they were rather than where they came from, everything would be alright.
As the rewards faded, another screen appeared in their place. On it, he saw the planet the Cosmic Life Engine had been building, with a prompt appearing on top of it.
Would you like to place your Territory seat?
Yes/No
With visions of Oxygen appearing in his addled mind, Walker selected yes. A moment later another prompt sprung up.
Where would you like to place it?
The screen faded, and Walker could see the outline of his future planet appear. He moved it a good distance from the machine, still well within the Center and protected from the Kinetic storm outside. Double clicking on the location, he figured the planet would sit itself at that moment, but that was not to be.
Please designate a name for your seat
Conduction selected
Please select where you would like your Domicile
Location selected
The system just kept throwing options at him, one by one. His oxygen level had to be on its last dregs as he found black spots begin to appear in his vision. The more options and selections that appeared, the faster he selected.
Temperate selected
Seasonal selected
Oxygen-rich selected
Stone selected
Color scheme…Barley…Quantum…Magnetic…Random Generation…Automated…selected
Restricted selected.
Walker’s hands dropped from the last selection, his nail beds having a blueish tinge to them. His mind felt like it was moving in loops, trying to parse information that it had already received in an endless cycle as he did his best to maintain a grip on his life. His screen reappeared as he briefly wondered why he didn’t have any clothes on.
All Options are now selected.
Please wait
A planet came into being not far away, a semi-transparent shield encircling it for the blink of an eye. As the shield faded, Walker blearily noted that the colors of the surface had changed. Another message struck his vision.
Congratulations Dante!
Your territorial seat is now ready for your inspection.
Would you like to be transported directly to it?
Yes/No
With the last bit of his strength, he lifted his arm and jabbed yes. A strange feeling surrounded him, and the next thing he knew, a great rush of air came in as he fell to a hard floor. Walker coughed and gasped as air, blessed air, finally reached his lungs. With barely a thought, he had his vault out, stutteringly telling it to take in as much air as it possibly could.
While that happened, he pushed himself up on one arm to take a look around.
Black stone, the color of the sky on a starless night, surrounded him. He was in a large room with a massive vaulted ceiling. Everything was bare except for one massive chair sitting in front of him.
No, that wasn’t right. It was a throne, and that meant he was sitting in a throne room. His throne room. The large chair was big enough to hold a giant and had a series of small steps leading up to it. It, like the rest of the room, was made of stone. But rather than the dark stone surrounding it, this chair was colored in seamless white. He saw no joints, no gaps, just one solid chair waiting for him to sit on it.
Standing up on shaky legs, which he was sure would be fixed as his soul attempted to repair the damage, Walker inched his way toward the steps. Faltering, then with more strength for each stride, the Creator, Strandbinder, Architect, and Contradiction himself walked toward his throne. As he reached the first step, seeming to be only a few inches in height for what would be a long walk to the top, he noticed an emblem engraved into it.
It was the same one the Omniverse had made him create when making his brand. The only splash of color in the room was Walker’s green-closed book with a tree on it, hints of purple found in the thick pages.
With a smile, he took the first step, and as he went to take another, found himself already at the top.
“Neat,” he said to the empty room, his voice echoing across the chamber. The top of the throne held the same symbol, albeit in a much larger and grand fashion.
Walker stepped onto the seat, spun around in place, and sat down, his legs hanging off the side. Kicking his feet a few times to enjoy the feeling of air passing him by rather than the odd smoothness of space, he felt space warp around him. The throne shrunk while he was still sitting on it until it was the perfect size for someone of his height.
Walker shifted one bare cheek to the other as he considered why he was uncomfortable. Then he realized the answer, “Fuck, should’ve asked for a cushion.”
A heartbeat later Walker felt himself lift up a small amount as a padded feeling struck his back and bottom. Looking down and behind, he found two white cushions with his mark engraved on them.
“What the fuck?”
For the first time in a good amount of relative time, Walker used identify.
Identify ability found!
Updating to Omniversal standards.
Please wait
A moment later, the information came in. Although not in a format he was used to.
Name: Architect Dante’s Territorial Seat
Item Type: Enhanced Territorial Seat
Crafted by: The Omniversal Order
Description: A marvel based on the work of Bern Tranman, who created artificially infused furniture that would adapt to the needs of its owners.
Functionality: Contains a minor soul directed to use local resources to rearrange its form and features according to the needs and intentions of its owner.
Limitation: The Seat’s adaptive qualities are limited by the amount of ambient Primordial energy.
Current energy level: Satiated
Walker noted that the information was much more direct than what the Evolver Multiverse gave him. It seems his identify had upgraded, although he wasn’t sure how that interaction would work with the Item system he’d invented. It also furthered the connection his mind was making between the Omniverse and the Multiverse of his birth. The Evolvers had stolen so many things, even names, from the greater verse. And yet, it still felt like their citizens were getting the weakest parts of it.
“Watered down,” Walker said as he scratched his chin.
Walker clicked on Systems and found that it was broken into pieces now. The System Designer in the past had always had a singular purpose, to build systems. But with all of his new upgrades from the Omniverse, everything had shifted. There was now one tab for his already built systems, another that said Evolver Systems, and a last one saying Omniversal Systems.
Walker clicked on Omniversal Systems and found only three options.
The Communications System
The Creation System
The Universal System
“Fuck.”