"There are downsides to everything; there are unintended consequences to everything."

~ Steve Jobs

POV - TAD

I made my decision. Go big or go home. And since I didn’t know where home was, well, that just left going big. Easy, hardly a life changing call. And I wanted my pie.

[Ding!]

Straightaway I could tell that this was not a ding to let slide, the sort of notification that, while interesting and informative, was not really critical. Like those infuriating ‘Commiserations’ telling me of Stats I had missed out on or my fluctuations in Luck. No this was one where it was imperative I take notice. I was not so much a fool, though I was really craving that pie and it was a much harder call, but I wisely pulled up the notification.

CONGRATULATIONS SOVEREIGN!

You have claimed the Dominion and as your claim is undisputed you have been recognized by the System as the absolute Sovereign of this Level.

You now have full access to all Administrative, Economic, Defence and Diplomatic menus.

Ascend and Expand your Dominion to other Levels.

* Subjects: 0

* Population: 1

Would you like to refine your Title at this time?

Default Title: Sovereign Tad Blank of the First

Hahaha, I sniggered. I must be like the weakest Sovereign in the history of forever. I was like Robinson Cruso except instead of a deserted island I was ruler of a deserted universe. Enough daydreaming already, there were more important things to consume my attention. Something had obviously gone wrong somewhere with whoever was here before and I did not want the same to happen to me. Wondering what had happened to the previous inhabitants I turned my mind back to the more important consideration of what sort of pies might be available.

Another insistent ding. Arrggghhh. It was a conspiracy of pie deprivation.

Please confirm your Title

Sovereign Tad Blank

YES. NO.

Glitch no!

That was lame. I didn’t want to have my name linked to this feeble ass rulership. It would make me a target. I looked around. Not that there was anyone here to target me. But still. It was the principle of the thing. I hadn’t done anything to earn this. It was stupid.

I looked at the previous notification. Zero subjects. One population. That would be me. Zero, one. Hmmmm. Wasn’t that like a binary cipher? I smiled; cipher was an old way of saying zero or nothing. That fitted in with my stupid blank last name. Hah, and it also was a code. It concealed meaning. Haha. And when you said someone was a cipher it meant that they were a nonentity, with no influence. That fitted too. I liked it. I entered my new regal title.

Please confirm your Title

Sovereign Cipher

YES. NO.

Hmmmm. It would be cooler with a ‘y’. And it needed a ‘the’, as well. I amended my proposed ennobled appellation.

Please confirm your Title

The Sovereign Cypher

YES. NO.

Ha. I shrugged. It wasn’t like there was anyone here to see it anyway. I confirmed the proposed change and turned my attention back to the more important matter. Mince and cheese or bacon and egg? Or something more fancy?

Another notification appeared. This was different. I didn’t even get a choice about viewing it. Lucky I wasn’t in a fight or something. That would be unfortunate.

CONGRATULATIONS

The Humanese Polity has its first System confirmed Sovereign.

The Sovereign Cypher has subdued the Level 1 Dominion of Oreol and has been recognized and acclaimed for this significant feat.

A new Path of Ascension has been opened. Take advantage of this remarkable achievement and join the celebration.

All hail to the new Sovereign:

The Sovereign Cypher, long may he reign.

To commemorate this milestone the System announces the Year of Ascension. All purchases at all System Shops throughout the entire Humanese Polity are now eligible for a 50% discount (rounded up) on all purchases for one year.

Did you know this story is from Royal Road? Read the official version for free and support the author.

Spend and Ascend. Glory awaits!

Argh! That was a System wide broadcast. Or hopefully just a Humanese one. And that was a great bonus. And just in time for my pie buying spree. This was excellent.

And I would get a celebratory beer too.

I pulled up the Shop Menu.

At last.

THE NEARLY SUPREME COUNCIL, HUMAN POLITY

There was a moment of shocked silence. Then all manner of confusion broke out as the various Rulers of Humanity surged in disarray. A Sovereign. That was unthinkable. It went against the very tenets of democracy. Humans were all equal. Just some were more equal than others. And those more equal ones, on the whole, were here. Or at least a representative was here.

And power was not something one just gave away. It was something sought and fought for. And dearly so. The council was the cumulation of Human Power. The very peak. Drawn from every Level the Rulers of Cities and Regions and Sectors came, and with voting rights in proportion with their holdings, they steered the direction of Humanity. But never a complete Level. No. In fact the amount of voting rights an entire Level would generate was staggering. Even just Level 1. This was a complete power shift. Forget the concerns of an unknown ‘Tad Blank’ disrupting Humanity’s position within the wider System dynamics. This was an attack on the Council’s own position and authority.

“Order!” Grant was hoarse. “Order I say.” Bang, bang, bang. Stupid gavel. He needed a bigger hammer. The hullabaloo continued unabated.

“I call a recess! The council shall reconvene in two hours time. Clear the room.”

At least someone was listening this time, as the Council Guard threw the doors open and started ushering and accompanying the still fiercely verbose Council Members from the Chamber.

“This is preposterous! Unacceptable. It should well be impossible. I hold complete authority over two Cities on Level 1. And I have ceded no power or standing. I reject this so-called Sovereign.”

Random sound bites carried as the debate continued unabated.

“It is an attack I tell you. An attack. Yes, an attack!” A discrete mumble. “No! An attack. An economic attack. They have halved our tax intake. Did you not read? A 50% discount. For a year! Just when we need a higher income, what with the Minotaurs posturing for war.” The speaker was not calmed. “Who cares! I’m not buying that. I’m taxing it. And now my tax take will be halved.”

“That is an ominous name I tell you. Cypher! Obviously they have something to conceal. This is dodgy in the extreme. What is their House Name? Are they not proud of their accomplishment? Their heritage? I say this is a scam. A scam I say madame”

There was going to be some considerable upheaval as this new participant entered the fray. Just when unity was so important, the fragile balance the Council had painstakingly eked out over the last 500 years was once again on a knife edge.

Grant Devi sighed.

Yet another day at the office.

AN UNNAMED RED SHIRT, OUTSIDE THE LEVEL 1 LIBRARY

Well, this was a bit different. A high level busker. A remarkably funny one too. The disparity of threat and action was indeed comedic. For all the System he looked like a professional goon. A thug. A bruiser. And yet his demeanour was decidedly feminine. Dainty. Almost genteel even. It was a great juxtaposition. And the poor low level crowd didn’t know what to make of it. Jimmy Li turned aside from his task of trying to determine what had caused such disarray in the ranks of the Azure to behold this strange sight.

Even now, the thug had selected a member of the audience to help in the skit. Some sort of freeze frame. And the Skills the brute had were impressive. He was now sneaking up on his terrified nominee who was visibly trembling as he stood there facing away. Everytime the poor volunteer turned around the thug would freeze, in the most unlikely of positions which he was then able to hold indefinitely. No matter how fast the poor chap turned, there was never any movement. And the thug was getting closer and closer. The volunteer was a white as a sheet. It was a wonder he hadn’t collapsed where he stood. The crowd were firmly on his side too. Shouting at him to turn, to catch this miscreant. To no avail.

Just as it was reaching the climax of tension, Jimmy noticed another disparity. A spectator not caught up in the intensity. With a slight smile she was, at most, bemused. At complete ease despite the unspoken menace that permeated the scene. He frowned. [Inspect] Level 5. This was most strange.

The Brotherhood of the Chivalrous Fist was convinced there was an opportunity to make inroads on the dominance of the Azure and he was their closest associate. He had been tasked to descend, observe and report. It was a task well beneath one of his stature he felt. He was in the mid 30’s. Considerably higher than anyone else here. He frowned, except for the street performer, where his [Inspect] just returned double question marks. If he was the Azure agent then Jimmy would run, he had to be at least in the 60’s as Jimmy’s [Inspect] was good up to Level 59, fifteen levels above his own level.

No. It wasn’t the street performer. But that Level 5. She looked somewhat familiar. Yes, she had the look of an Azure, uppity and entitled that they were. He straightened the cuffs of his lovely red shirt. Here was the opportunity he needed to impress and move up the ranks. He would wait until the skit was completed and the crowd dispersing and then make his move.

MERCY TAIT

And here was Sledgrick. It was bemusing, watching him entertain the crowd. Mercy hadn’t picked this in a million Sundays. It was most refreshing really, compared to the normal shenanigans an unemployed thug would enmesh themselves in. She settled in to watch as he froze once again, this time with just part of one foot on the ground, the rest of his body in an exaggerated tiptoe, both arms flung out in an absurd caricature of menace. Hah. With a flourish Sledgrick finally reached his victim and, with a curtsy, he then applauded his help and the crowd. As the crowd dispersed Sledgrick shared half the proceeds of his hat to the poor volunteer for being a good sport.

Mercy's [Threat Awareness] suddenly flared. With a spin she [Moved]. A level 34 assassin! Feeling the sudden predatory intent Mercy acted without hesitation. [Redirection]. [Divert Attention]. [Fade].

Mercy revelled in the feeling. This was what life was about. She hadn’t realised how settled she had become. But here, now, against an opponent nearly seven times her Level, she was thrilled. [Relocate], [Dash], [Conceal]. She could see the assassin looking around in disbelief. He had lost her. Now, it was her turn. [ShadowDart], [Critical Strike], [Double Backstab], [Critical Hit]. Just as her shadow clad daggers were coming in with a vengeance on each side of the assassin’s collar bones a System wide notification appeared. Arrggghhh! She dismissed it without reading and the disabling blow she had planned morphed into a more terminal one [Flurry of Blood]. She shredded his neck with one dagger. [Piercing Stab]. Her other dagger slammed into his temple. A little under three seconds had passed.

The already dispersing crowd fled as a body dropped to the ground. Mercy turned and looked at Sledgrick. “It’s a blue sky day.” Sledgrick straightened and looked down at her. Mercy smiled. “You are family Sledgrick. We do not abandon our own. Ever.”

“Come, there are tales to be told, work to do and people to avenge ourselves on.”

With a start, Sledgrick smiled back at her as his [Minion] Skills came back on line. It was not the grin of a brute. It was the smile of a lady. Huh, Mercy sighed. How come he was able to do that while she couldn’t?

“Be a dear Sledgrick and clean this up please.”

Scooping up the body he slung it over his shoulder, he triggered his prize Skill, [Sanitation]. The blood splatter and various stains were cleaned up as if they had never been there.

“Excellent! Let's discuss recent events as we make our way to dispose of the evidence.” She patted his arm, pulling up the notification that had disturbed her.

“Ohhh! This feels like Nigel too!"

"How wonderful!”