Vaustaris was a funny world. Gravity worked only when it wanted it to work. At least that's how Hildelith saw it.
She got the impression from watching Molliwag take to the skies that Vaustaris was more than happy to part with his scaly butt. It was entertaining to see how the winds helped the dragon ascend and escape Vaustaris' atmosphere.
She chuckled before squatting. Whispering, she patted the ground.
"Look after yourself, little one. I will return shortly". Hildelith thought she was acting excessively, making the game feel more than it was. However, there was nothing she could do to stop it. She simply loved this place.
She sat in a lotus position, mentally canceling her incarnation, and vanished like the wind.
Hildelith scowled as she opened her eyes to see her actual body, feeling uneasy all over. She was shown several things at the same time that had been evading her in her mortal incarnation.
The categorization of nothing for her race had not altered. Rather, nothingness could give rise to something. Just like she could remove the nothingness from something and add nothingness to something she had become an amalgamation of all the races. But unlike expected had body had not been altered to look like all the races. Rather she could unlike her mortal body alter or adjust her Godform to change at will or a specific body part she wanted.
The wings of an Argonne, the blue skin and lithe size of an Elosas, the height of a Lomrie, the enduring body of an Ember, the strength and speed of an Argat, the combat structure of a Sunforged or even their rivals the Moonborn. Even the evolved capabilities of breathing underwater weren't exempted.
Her race of Nothingness made this possible.
"I knew this was the right choice". A large pair of wings rose out of her back attached by thick muscular tendons and flexible bone growing out into the ginormous wings they were.
Her eyes sharpened giving her the peculiar keen eyesight of the Undule. She realized that depending on what characteristics she chose from her racial selection she would have an improvement in stats.
Until she removed that specific characteristic. It was like a buff without a cooldown.
"Oh. I wonder what the others will think when they realize they should have synced their characters?". her laughter reverberated through Origin. She turned her skin to gain the texture of the Embers while adding the lithe forms of the Moonborn and the general inner structure of the Sunforged.
At that very moment, she resembled a powerful deity but there was only one figure to see her.
Molliwag stopping right beside his mother could only look her over his interest peaked at the weird limbs and additions that were not there before.
He had to float in wait while his mother giggled continuously while new limbs or skin tones appeared and disappeared.
The dragon was almost dozing when Hilde finished and tapped him. Motioning for him to follow. Together both ascended out of the mortal realm and into a beautiful place of colors.
Hildelith watched Molliwag's eyes widen at the golden bands of the rings, take in the colors of the dream realm, the misty blue of the spirit realm, the tapestry of stars from which they had just ascended, the golden glow of the divine realm and above it a large ball of Sol.
She watched him take in the Star River flowing endlessly. Then she spoke two words that made the NPC's eyes water.
"Welcome home son".
*****
Helen stretched once she was out of the pod. The hiss of the pod released the accumulated steam in it while she got out and made a beeline for the bathroom.
It was currently past noon, meaning she was late for her online exam. Something Helen hoped would both work out and not work out. Like everyone else, she too wanted to go to college especially when it was the prestigious High Coven Institute.
Of course, that depended on all of her, both exam-wise and trauma. She could either enlist for online courses or attend physical classes.
Helen got out of the bathroom refreshed. Dressed in her top and shorts she headed down to the kitchen to find it devoid of life.
A note plastered to the kitchen had a message for both her and Dester instructing on food and not staying too much in the game.
Her eyes went to the upper right side of the house where Dester's room was. While she felt tempted to get him, her temptation to have a bite from his plate was higher.
Lunch consisted of microwaved balls of paratti. A rolled-up vegetable sandwich that was more a knockoff of the ancient Italian pizza than anything else. It was just rolled up.
Halfway through the meal, Dester descended. His footsteps carried into the kitchen and then froze. Helen didn't need to understand why.
Standing there staring like a deer caught in the headlights Dester was frozen. Both siblings locked gazes for a long moment before Dester's eyes drifted to his quarter-eaten plate.
While he considered his next step while his stomach grumbled Helen couldn't help but smile at herself. She'd come a long way in such a short time. The memories were there, yes. Those were impossible to remove but it was almost like seeing the UI, her babies, Molliwag, and then talking with Doctor Zoyla had put things in perspective.
She exhaled. This was good. She knew it was. "Don't be a bum I'll make you another. Just too hungry".
Both siblings ate while she tried to cook up something to add to the eaten meal. "So what's up in your universe?".
She shrugged at his question. "Just brought Molliwag back to the Lunar Castle. He's better than before".
"That's wild". He grumbled. "If only everyone knew to keep theirs alive".
"You've gotten past that location?".
"Yeah. Was quite the existence. An Eldritch" he shivered. Helen chuckled.
"Sorry you didn't know". He shrugged. "Eh doesn't matter. Once I'm done with carving up my worlds I'll be close enough to your settings".
"You've not carved your world yet?". She seemed surprised at this.
"Actually, I could have, I'm one of the faster sets but after everything you told me, pfft. No way I'm gonna do this all half-checked". He tapped the table.
"I'm working out the kinks for my Universe System. Still figuring out a name".
Taking a seat next to him legs folded up while munching on the paratti she wondered.
"So, like what's its name. Best to pick something good or you'll end up naming your system without knowing". He nodded at me.
"I guess so".
"See, I was wondering?". He looked at me with a thoughtful eye.
Did you know this text is from a different site? Read the official version to support the creator.
"Hmph".
"What you told me about how Akasha described you and her kept echoing in my head. Got me thinking and imagining. What if..." He drew it out and then sighed.
"No, sounds stupid".
"Let's hear. Who knows?". He looked at me. Shrugged and then turned fully to face me.
"So Akasha is like the energy that controls the machinations of all existence in your universe while informing you and keeping records". He tapped his arm again.
"Talk!".
"Okay okay. Back in the old times when religions were rampant, they had the Abrahamic god. See, this guy was like three in one. Him, the Spirit, and the Son. It was kinda cool. Then we had the Greeks. Zeus, Poseidon, and Hades. Then the Indians. We had Shiva and the other two who formed a Trinity with him. He was the destroyer, one the Creator, and the other some Wisdom thing".
His eyes were focused now as he spoke. "What if we do the same. You have Akasha, your force of spirit and knowledge. Then there's you as a Creator god with unimaginable power. Power that brings destruction. I saw your video". I rolled my eyes at him.
"What's the last?".
"Well, a Creator". I frowned.
"Hear me out". He sighed. I was thinking. You create a god body to join the Alpha players as a god. You get to watch and learn how they master and use their powers and more. You parade as the goddess of creation. Even more, since you are the actual goddess of creation it's easier for you".
"You could leave crumbs and drops for those searching for the Creator and man..."
"The shock when they realize I was always there". She chuckled. "It's cool".
"So you'll figure it out?".
She paused and looked at him. "You don't know if it's possible to be a god and Creator at the same time, right? You want me to figure it out, you moron". She lashed out at his arm and he ran from the table.
"You're the smart one, you can do it. Go Hildelith". He vanished up the stairs. As annoying as it was, not annoying at all, it was an exciting endeavor to undertake.
*****
Scrolling through the forum opened up several things. Some had Helen's mouth open while others gave her a meh reaction. But it was her game page or channel that had her mostly surprised; her mouth opened in shock.
The number of subscriptions she had gotten from that video was surprising. The gifts even more. Then there were the comments that were still slowly trickling into her page. Not as buzzed up as before but definitely there. She'd never actually sat down and focused on seeing it. Dester mentioning it had made her curious.
Helen wondered why all these folks were here and not watching someone else, maybe the first on the leaderboard or something. Considering her fans she decided to ask them if her video was really that good.
[@Hildelith(Creator79✋🕳️ )]- Was the video that good?
The comments halted for a minute. The sign she'd been noticed. The next second it exploded with various comments.
[@Lollipop] - She's here.
[@Bankai] - The Video. You mean Thee Video.
[@CryoLad] - I always wanted to ask too about that. When's the next stream, your followers are starved please make more.
Helen slowly pushed away from the desk, eyes wide. The comments flooded with many questions about the next stream but it seems the OG commenters weren't online. Most of these new guys were requesting information and others asking for more streams.
Helen wordlessly picked up her phone but before she could do anything with it a ping came.
∆Big bros - I see you've met your fan base.
Helen, confused, tilted her head and then looked back to the laptop screen before responding.
∆Helen - You are on my page.
∆Big bros - If I'm not a fan of yours who would be? Now care to give me big brother privileges? Oh right, sorry I already got those. Hehehe.
Helen shook her head with a smile. It was one thing she appreciated about Dester. Unlike her parents who went about like she was a fragile egg, Dester didn't give a damn or at least he didn't act the same with her. While they barely saw or met physically he was sure to text her and not once had he shown her pity. He'd known she'd disliked having their form of contact back then be ruined.
∆Helen - Did you actually kill your boss in the Lost World?
∆Big bros - Yes. why?. It was a difficult fight but not impossible it was almost too easy.
∆Helen - That's because you were not meant to kill it. Anyway, that's passed. Just do well to find your core fast and don't anger the being in the world core he's very powerful. (Secret).
∆Big bros - the player that..you know. the other day
∆Helen - He's not a player. but he's male so.. yeah
∆Big bros - okay. Noted so I'm punching him.
∆Helen - Do so at your peril. Srsly don't. I doubt your arm would even survive. He turned my sword into sand when I attacked him at our second meeting.
∆Big bros - I'm guessing that's not something we can do. You didn't put that in the records you make of your activities.
∆Helen - To each other? Unlikely. At least not yet. And know that's for things that I find important. Also, you already know how to create custom races for your first world. There should be benefits. Lastly, I don't know much and this should be hidden amongst only us. We players get these things called the Tome that I mentioned before.
∆Big bros - Yeah, figured that out once I saw it. Im guessing it's like something only we get. It'd be so annoying for the other players. What were the devs thinking?
∆Helen - We'll see soon enough. Also, something else.
∆Big bros - Keep talking.
∆Helen - Get ready to be amazed. You can get shards from the Unknown. The shards I believe can be used to level up skills and forge things. Even without the game system, I believe.
∆Big bros - I disagree with whoever thinks you got your first position on the leaderboard via luck. This is a lot to take in. And luck would hardly carry you this far.
∆Helen - Rewind. First position. I'm still there. How? I've barely done anything since I made Vaustaris.
∆Big bros - You just told me a lot of hows. Take care of me, little sister.
∆Helen - Just checked. WTF. Damn. That explains the streams.
∆Big bros - If you were last and still had this sort of content then your subscribers would be the same. They came due to your rank. But it's obvious why they stayed.
∆Helen - Uh huh. Seems I should take this streaming thing seriously. Now I think of it I had lots of things that they would have loved to see.
After explaining a few minor things to Dester she looked back to the stream where the commenters were now bashing each other, some blaming the others for her silence.
(@Hildelith(Creator79✋🕳️ ) - I'll be streaming soon. Stay tuned.
And then without waiting to see their reaction, she left the forum and shut down the Holopad and stretching.
"Let's get on with this". Standing, she was at her pod in seconds.
Lying prone in the pod with the helmet set and pipes attached, her eyes shut as she logged back into Creator Online, the liquid flowing into the pod and around her, settling her body comfortably.
*****
Having an older Administrator was mind-settling for Hilde. She figured this was why most of the players would create Adolescent gods instead of infant ones.
Though, of course, she didn't know if the dragon choosing to make his abode with her in the nothingness was gonna be fine considering his size. So she decided to remedy that.
Staring at the new mountain ranges attached to the lunar castle. Like a backdrop with the lunar castle at its front and center. The mountains were huge, very huge. Easily enough to accommodate two of Molliwag's current size.
The dragon was gone with a roar of glee that he wouldn't admit. Flying sharply into the mountains and jumping from one to the next. Shaking her head at its childishness she made one last glance at everything before she mentally called up her Akashic Records. The racial change hadn't been the only thing that had come after Akasha detected the seven new races of Vaustaris. Not even the system had something new to say about it. In bright red letters that evidently differentiated itself from Akasha, a prompt came.
> [FEATURE UNLOCKED]
> [ACCESS VIA STATUS PANEL]
Hilde already suspected what the new feature would be. Not its details but what option in her status panel needed unlocking.
[Welcome to the Akashic Records Creator 79] [Position - Absolute]
[SCREEN 1]
[Host - Hildelith 'Fearghal' Ironstone]
[Moniker - The Warrior One]
[Feats - Creation's Witness, Motivated, Source Point Creator, Striking Out]
[Titles - One of the Speakers, Ender of the Beginning] [Entity - Creator 79]
[Race - Nothing]
[Racial Type - Primordial Nothingness Entity]
[Level - 16(780/1600)
[Health - 24/24]
[Core - One -Spark]
[Karma - #]
[Cultivation Base - Null]
------
[Equipped - Hera's Gown, Cloak of the Absolute, Crown of the Supreme, Atlas Belt, Boots of Hermes]
> [Shop]
> [Eye Of The Worlds]
Hildelith for the first time received nothing tangible upon tapping upon this option. Not a new interface for a shop or something physical. Instead, something burned softly on her left palm.
It was the diagram of an eye etching painlessly onto her skin. The upper part of the eye was non-existent while the eye itself attempted to break out the top.
Hilde stared at it for a moment curiously. What was its function? Intent flowed into the mark. Everything stilled and like a spark of flammable material, the eye ignited. A roaring mix of colorful fire blazing up from it and over her palm.
Hildelith screamed even as the fire rushed, spreading out and consuming her. Screaming with the panic of the expected pain, the flames rose over her head till she was a human torch. Her scream was gone suddenly, snuffed out instantly as the fire burned her to nothing. With a flicker, it too, vanished leaving nothing in the space where she once stood.