((Hey….isn’t this….thing….considered a fusion of technology and spellcraft already?))
“No? This big thing is more like using magic to power technology, and replacing technology with spells. This isn’t exactly a fusion of the two.”
Zenith, who had just finished dismantling his summer project, was flying at an extreme pace towards a place that is considered the bastion of Earth’s science and technology, The US. After World War III, nuclear waste became commonplace, contamination became an everyday struggle to avoid, and life as one knew it seemed to reach its end. Especially after the NATO was dissolved, and a nearly a hundredth of humanity, some 109 million people, decided to turn to the colonies on Mars, and lock Earth’s space stations to prevent overpopulation on Mars as well. Humanity thought that decision was as good as cementing the extinction of sapient life on Earth.
That was when the US, Russia, China, Japan, and France, came together to form that what is now called the second coming of Humanity, the Union of Gaias. Made a whole lot of propaganda and collected a whole lot of workforce, and finally grovelled beneath the feet of the reclusive council of Sorcerers, begging for help.
Again, Lincoln wouldn’t let them remain within seclusion and let humanity on earth, nearly 3 billion of what was left of the original 10.9 billion people at the beginning of WW III, die out. So they had to work their asses out to restore Earth to its former glory, to a state where humanity could still live without fearing for their lives and the future of their children. Jonathan, another of Zenith’s good friends, thought of doing a little more than just shaping Earth as it had been before World War III.
And so began that project that soon came to be known by those aware of its existence as the Geo Cruise, the construction of a literal Cruise that shipped humanity’s workforce from Earth to the planets of Jupiter, Saturn, and Uranus, gather the vast amounts of virgin untouched resources available within these titanic planets, and transport them back to Earth, all in record time.
And Gregory, another member of the council, and one of the few who like Lincoln cared for life, and has been involved for more than just a while in the intricacies of Nature, took the help of Daniel, an Earth and Magma researching Sorcerer, and Fredrick, one of the few who researched the atmosphere, to convert the barren lands of Jupiter and Saturn into one’s lush with forests, wildlife, and much, much more.
As for those few of humanity that had left Earth to Mars? Well, let’s just say that while the council might have lent a helping hand to Earth’s humanity, that is only because they would feel bad should their home planet die out. They are however in no way to be considered as people that are in any manner kind. No, Sorcerers are as diverse as the stars in the sky, but just like all stars share in common their nature of giving light and heat, Sorcerers have two thing in common, their desire for knowledge and their nature to by any means necessary reach their goals. Yes, Sorcerers are selfish, borderline villainous beings.
And to those of humanity that dared to leave behind their own race’s beings to die, they would show no mercy. In but a moment, the planet of Mars, as the solar system knew it, was disintegrated from existence. And this, served as a representation to those on Earth that knew of the existence of the Sorcerers that have helped stabilise Earth, that those beings from whom they had sought help, were no Angels and Gods, but the spawn of the Devil clothed in human flesh and skin.
After WW III, and the resource crisis that started it, humanity had learnt its lesson, albeit the hard way, and had learnt to be conservative in the use of resources. Not to mention, the population of humanity itself had gone to an all time low, merely 3 billion people. This, coupled with their already advanced technology, and the availability of resources far exceeding their need, helped bolster Earth as a fabulous planet of life.
Even as a third of humanity, now 12 billion strong, now reside in space, and in colonies on the several stable moons of Saturn, with Earth’s moon untouched as a form of respect to those Ancestors that have worshipped it as a God, Earth is a place that nearly every child of human would be taken to visit, to show their young generation all the toils that this fabulous planet had borne through to ensure their survival.
And the original Nations of the Union of Gaias, that had later spread to include the whole of the solar system’s colonies as well, not that extraterrestrial life had been found, have become the centres of Earth’s only existing space stations, except for a military based station in Antarctica. And the capitals of these nations, some of which have been changed, have all become landmarks of Earth. The Great Wall of China, which had been severely damaged in the War, the skyscrapers of the Big Apple, which had been turned to nothing short of rubble, the monuments of the City of Love, that had been burned to the ground, the snowy lands of Russia, that had been turned to green lands of nuclear waste, and the islands of Japan, that had all but been sunk, now hold technology, machinery, documented secrets of old, and most importantly, weapons, that could very well wipe out Earth this time if used.
‘Humanity never learns does it? The council has time and again asserted its guarantee of humanity being the only form of life within the confines of the dimension, which include several trillions of galaxies and nebulae, yet they would not live in peace till they accumulate enough firepower to wipe out a smaller sized planet…*sigh*….’
At the moment, Zenith was heading to US, to New York in particular, where the largest conglomeration of technology resides. And within the confines of the walls of the ‘Headquarters of the Union Of Gaias R&D’ work men and women, and others, who could very well be called the living encyclopaedias of Earth’s knowledge that had been researched, discovered, and invented within its long, harsh history.
“What do you think? Earth’s pretty nice, no?”
((Well….I suppose that without any people having more personal power than the other, fights are less common….and with the people having gone through an age of near extinction, morals are more emphasised….and with the Spell Towers that the…what did you call it again?))
“The Council. Well, rather than a Council, it’s pretty much a place where the hundred odd Sorcerers of a Earth gather every year to discuss….well, alright, I’ll tell you the truth. It basically a gathering of us eccentric people to brag about our achievements, write down the peculiarities of the different worlds and dimensions they visited, think over what kind of absurd summer projects we would make, and wonder which galaxy to create and which to destroy to test out the highly dangerous spells we came up with. That’s it, really. A gathering of a bunch of kids who are excited over their sorcery. Heh.”
((Right….anyway, those spell towers that autonomously work and keep major accidents from happening are simply incredible….I mean, how can they distinguish between an explosion that only seems big but ends up hurting few and an untraceable gas leak that could potentially wipe out cities?))
“Hehe, that’s something that even the council actually worked hard on for once. Even the restoration of Earth or changing the gravity of Jupiter and Saturn to suit the wildlife of Earth didn’t take take as much effort. Those six towers around the planet are the council’s pride and joy.”
((Um…can I…meet the others of the council? Ah, it’s ok if I can’t though. I can guess you don’t want me to since you don’t mention them often….))
To Alice’s innocent question, Zenith couldn’t help but halt midair, as he unconsciously clenched his teeth.
((Wh-what happened!? D-did I say something wrong?))
“No….it’s just….the council….doesn’t exist anymore….I….I’m the only one left….I’ll tell you some other day, alright?”
((Yes…of course….I’m sorry for asking….))
“No….it….”
Zenith suddenly chuckles to himself, trying to recall the last moments of the council.
“No, it’s not a tragedy….I’m just….a little disappointed those idiots chose to die…just cause they felt….they lived long enough…”
Taking a deep breath, Zenith shakes his head to rid himself of his brimming emotions. No longer in the mood to fly, he simply casts another ((Shift)) and disappears, reappearing in the sky of a humongous, dome shaped building in full white.
((Shift))ing again, Zenith appears inside the huge building, right inside a sizeable hall where in several hundreds of people, all dressed in white lab coats, were discussing various seemingly complex equations, problems, and what not. The sudden appearance of Zenith, however, prompted a sudden, and utter silence. Followed by some more silence.
“Now then….time to start I guess.”
Looking at those several tens of people to whom he had stopped time, Zenith grinned as he approached one who seemed to be the oldest among them, before freezing.
“Great, I forgot again….Alice?”
((Yes?))
“I’m going to disconnect us for a moment, but don’t pa-“
((Why!? D-did I do something wrong!? Is it because I asked about he Council!? Please! Please don’t l-))
“Woah there, calm down now. I’m not angry with you. It’s just that I’m about to absorb most of these hundreds of people’s memories, and I doubt you’d be able to manage going through that. You have no experience absorbing foreign memories, do you?”
((Ah, ah, y-yes….I don’t….))
As Alice’s box becomes increasingly red, Zenith shakes his head, wondering how she could appear so indifferent most of the time and yet so frantic to not leave him at times, to the point where just a misunderstanding almost caused her to cry. Sighing, he used a small amount of mana to gently push her existence from within him, before a surprised ‘Ah!’ sounded out and Alice’s voice and box disappeared.
“Now then….first thing first….if I want to make something even better than that Submarine, I need to up my stats…..like a lot….maybe I’ll settle with all of them reaching a trillion? Yeah, based on what Alice told me about the System’s strongest Guardians, that should be enough to make me unrivalled….and enough for my needs as well….but….yeah, as they say, Man proposes and God disposes….though I can probably pummel those Gods to the ground even with my current stats….why don’t I just make it a nice 20 digits instead? Yup, that sounds good.”
Stolen content warning: this tale belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences elsewhere.
And so began another long, long session of training. Though, to the outside world, it seemed no less than a moment when Zenith had finished strengthening up. And indeed, he made sure, all the while chuckling, that his stats were nice and uniform, except for life, which was at ???, and Luck, which he for some strange reason seemed incapable of raising above 8, and brought the rest all the way up to a number that was basically a 1 followed by nineteen 0s.
After that long wait, Zenith shakes his head to once more rid himself of the thoughts of seeing and hearing his beloved, the same thoughts he had to brave through for more than just a few years, and looks at those hundreds of humans in white lab coats that had remained so for far longer than they needed to be.
“Time to start, I guess.”
Walking to that old man whom he had selected initially, Zenith puts his soft, unwrinkled palm on the man’s head full of white hair, and silently casts a spell.
‘((Memoriam Et Reminiscentiam))’
The next moment, large amounts of information flowed through his brain. An amount so large, that those few details of the System that Zenith had gained oh so long ago when he first arrived at Gogam couldn’t even be mentioned. Yet Zenith was vastly different from that time, now possessing a twenty digit intelligence stat, and in but moments, he sorted through the memories and knowledge, no, the old, wrinkled academic’s life, and absorbed all that he had managed to accomplish in his short yet long lifespan in mere seconds.
And then another, and then another. And then another.
From old men with one step in the grave, to young assistants that have yet to even begin deciding on which major to pursue, Zenith didn’t leave a single one in the entire, dome shaped lab behind, soaking in all that he found useful. And it didn’t take long, either, merely a little more than a week. Of course, some may say think a week is quite long as well, but what Zenith had done is gaining the knowledge of what could other wise be called the entirety of humanity’s progress on Earth, it’s research into the ways of nature, and its inventions in trying to mimic nature, and in trying to reshape the world to better suit their needs. Several thousands of years of worth of knowledge and experience and data, and although that is but a fraction of his actual age, Zenith has, understandably, only ever been interested in spellcraft.
Even the other extraneous knowledge he possess, including those based on mathematics, physics, biology, etc…, are things he only sought after, after realising that spellcraft is, in terms even those ignorant of good vocabulary(such as the author) can both explain and understand, the same as what humanity had been doing since the beginning of civilisation, reshaping reality to better suit their wishes. That, in even simpler terms, is the essence of spellcraft, changing, modifying, bending, twisting, destroying, and recreating reality. And to do that, he must first understand the laws of reality that are followed in the dimension he is in, in his case, the Laws of Earth.
‘Finally, I’m done. I can finally hear Alice again….heh….weird, how a 20 digit willpower actually can’t allow me to keep myself from wanting to hear her.’
Shaking his head, and once again realising just how enormous the effect of love can be on a human heart, Zenith ((Shift))s back to the hall he had initially appeared in, and probes around for his beloved.
‘….found you!’
With clear excitement, he pulls her back into himself, unfreezing her from the frozen flow of time.
((Ah…that…felt weird….nn? What is it? Didn’t you say you’d d-disconnect with me? Why am I back? Er..did something go wrong? A-are you alright?...wait, it can’t be…magic backlash!? A-are you hurt!?))
Zenith doesn’t answer Alice for a while, simply because he was trying to appreciate that voice that he had not heard in several centuries now. For indeed, that was how long it took him to raise his stats to what seemed to him a satisfactory amount. That, however, only served to worry Alice more, a rare occurrence considering her usual shy and seemingly indifferent attitude, making him chuckle.
“No my little vixen, I’m already done.”
((Wha- l-little vixen!?))
“You’re just like a vixen, aren’t you? Hiding your feelings behind that box of yours.”
((…*cough*…a-anyway…l-let me check…..your…..st.….a….tu…s…………huh…..I….I didn’t know….that priority guidelines….like me….can hallucinate too…..))
Hearing Alice’s quite mutters, and trying to use his 20 digit wisdom to imagine the kind of expression on her face, Zenith couldn’t help but chuckle once more as he too examined his status.
“Ahh….look at that symmetry in stats….tsk tsk, now if only I understand how to increase my luck…and as for the skills….oh?....I seem to have improved….immensely….”
((User Parameter Display(Status)))
User ID:[Zenith Zero]
User Priority:[Grade-10]
Race:[Human] Age:[Incalculable] Sex:[Male]
Primary Class:[Apprentice Spell Caster:Lv-1/10] [05.65%]
HP:**/** HP Recovery:** /second
MP:**/** MP Recovery:** /second
SP:**/** SP Recovery:** /second
((Stats))
Strength:* Intelligence:* Mana Density:*
Endurance:* Wisdom:* Mana Recovery:*
Vitality:* Willpower:* Mana Capacity:*
Agility:* Dexterity:* Mana Perception:*
Control:* Focus:* Mana Manipulation:*
Charm:* Luck:8 Mana Affinity:*
Life:??? Natural Recovery:*
((System Note:* = 10,000,000,000,000,000,000))
((System Note:** = Incalculable))
((Skills))
[Theory:(Spellcraft) (Magic) (Arcane Runes) (Ancient Knowledge) (Modern Knowledge) Lv-10/10]
[Knowledge:(Animal Life) (Symbiosis) (Technology) (Plant Life) (Medicine) (Robotics) (Construction) (Physics) (Gyrostatics) (Electrostatics) (Bacterial Life) (Cellular Life) (Bio Chemistry) (Bio Technology) (Nano Technology) (Nuclear Technology) (Atomic Science) (Micro Biology) (Physiology) (Psychophysics) (Psychology) (Politics) (Economics) (Matter) (Bureaucracy) (Diplomacy) (War) (Conflict) (Desolation) (Oceanography) (Water) (Planets) (Stars) (Galaxies) (Asteroids) (Meteorites) (Flame) (Scents) (Visions) (Dreams) (Philosophy) (Radiology) (Ergonomics) (Topography) (Meteorology) (Spatial Travel) (Colonisation) (Terraforming) (Optics) (Radioactivity) (Electro Magnetic Radiations) (Organic-Inorganic Chemistry) (Virology) (Communications) (Information) (Abstract Art) (Modern Art) (Modern Crafting) (Cartography) (Ancient Crafting) (Sculpting) (Fossils) (Human Body) (Human Life) (Human Behaviour) (Fear) (Emotions) (Love) (Memory) (Human Brain) (Animal Brains) (Intellectual Similarities) (Sentience) (Sapience) …………………….. Lv-10/10]
[Stat Strengthening:(Strength) (Endurance) (Vitality) (Agility) (Control) (Charm) (Life) (Natural Recovery) (Intelligence) (Wisdom) (Willpower) (Dexterity) (Focus) (Mana Density) (Mana Capacity) (Mana Recovery) (Mana Manipulation) (Mana Perception) (Mana Affinity) Lv-10/10]
[Research:(Experimentation) (Simulation) (Insight) (Perception) (Intuition) (Reception) (Observation) (Patience) (Control) (Estimation) (Graphing) (Curiosity) (Initiative) (Diligence) (Persistence) (Creativity) (Innovative) (Objectivity) (Mathematics) (Calculation) (Caution) (Precession) (Accuracy) (Data Gathering) (Data Analysis) (Systematic Order) (Problem Solving) (Statistical Thinking) (Critical Thinking) (Logical Thinking) (Orthodox Thinking) (Unorthodox Thinking) (Accelerated Thinking) (Pondering) (Meditation) (Prediction) Lv-10/10]
[Language:(English) (French) (Dutch) (German) (Roman) (Latin) (Mandarin) (Chinese) (Japanese) (Korean) (Indonesian) (Hindi) (Italian) (Spanish) (Marathi) (Urdu) (Arabic) (Danish) (Hebrew) (Swedish) (Norwegian) (Portuguese) (Russian) (Thai) (Turkish) (!Xóõ) (Aasáx) (Abaza) (Abellen) (Abenaki) (Polish) (Romanian) (Irish) (Hungarian) (Greek) (Esperanto) …………………….. Lv-10/10]
[Art:(Music) (Sculpture) (Smithing) (Drawing) (Cooking) (Singing) (Dancing) (Poetry) (Instrumental Music) (Cleaning) (Woodworking) (Carving) (Engraving) (Composing) (Designing) (Painting) (Construction) (Planning) Lv-10/10]
((Spells))
[Elemental Grimoires:(Fire) (Water) (Earth) (Wind) (Ice) (Metal) (Poison) (Nature) (Lightning) Lv-10/10]
[Arcane Grimoires:(Light) (Darkness) (Mind) (Body) (Illusion) (Blessings) (Curses) Lv-10/10]
[Ancient Grimoires:(Holy) (Necromancy) (Space) (Time) (Soul) Lv-10/10]
[Lost Grimoires:(Creation) (Void) (Reality) Lv-1/10]
“*whistle*….now that I think about it, with all the debuffs and restrictions in the Dungeon Safe Room, I was practically only growing at one tenth my actual growth rate, huh? Well, I must agree, I really am talented….and this way of skill arrangement is way better too….”
((….w….What….how….I don’t…understand….huh…?...))
‘Ah….she broke huh?’
Listening to Alice mutter the same words repeatedly, Zenith could only sigh before snapping his fingers, and using a now inconsequential amount of mana to ((Shift)) himself and his dear back to Gogam, without even bothering to glance at the flimsy layer of something that tried to obstruct them.
Meanwhile, in the Tower of Gods, Jordan, who had just sat down for a cup of tea, something unnecessary for a Demi god such as himself yet something he personally enjoys, drops his beloved porcelain and amethyst cup to the floor, disregarding the fact that it which had accompanied since the time he was but an elf teenager had shattered to pieces, as he clutches his head with his hands, whimpering in in hopelessness.
‘Three hours! Three hours ago he ripped apart the dimensions with the strength of a level:25,000! And now! His magic is already a tenth as strong as it was when he first came here! And his body and mind are even stronger!’
Jordan, one of the greatest and most powerful among combat oriented Demi Gods, could only pull his hair in frustration, before sighing in both despair and relief.
‘At….at least….he isn’t an enemy….sis….Alice….that’s what he named you right?....little sis….the fate of Gogam…and perhaps even the fate of the multiverse…now rests in your hands, er, heart….please don’t let your man get mad at Gogam….I don’t think even The Abyss can handle him….’
He wondered how the other Demi Gods and Gods would react if they knew that the fate of an entire world, a Rank:A world like Gogam no less, and even potentially that of the multiverse, rested in the heart of a single woman, a Priority Guideline with a Level:10 clearance.
‘Oh wait, there seems to be a change? But level:10 clearance is the highest isn’t it? What change can there be? It can’t be….was she demoted?’
Jordan tilted his head in confusion as he glanced curiously at the change in his sister’s status. Being siblings with a pretty close relationship, the two had decided to share each other’s status, something that was unique to System administered beings such as Demi Gods and Priority Guidelines. Of course, that is not to say that only those that have decided to come under the System can become Demi Gods, beings defined by their level being higher than level:100, but its surely damn difficult to get there without help.
How difficult? Well, look at it this way. Alice had previously mentioned the way experience is calculated, yes? For a level:100 to reach level:101, they would need exactly 1,000,000 times the experience. No more, no less. A perfect number of 1 million. Long story short, one would need to kill exactly 20 million level:100 monsters, or others of the Sentient Races f they wouldn’t mind searching for criminals to kill or become criminals themselves, to level up. And the starting bonus that the System’s employment package includes an unconditional Level up. So yeah, a little over 99.9999999998% of all Demi Gods in the multiverse are under the System.
Especially since not only are the employment benefits unbelievably good, other than having to follow the few commands that the system gives once in a while unconditionally, one can even freely break the contract the moment they reach Godhood, level:1,001 and above.
Anyways, since the time he had become a combat oriented Demi God, and his sis had become a Priority Guideline which, in return for not having a body and having to follow anyone and everyone with a high enough priority, grants literal immortality and invincibility since even the Abyss’ Hive Mind cannot influence a Priority Guideline, there have been few changes to their statuses, other than their contribution increasing.
‘………*deep breaths*……*deep breaths*……..*deep breaths*……..what……..what in the name of the bloody fucking system!?!?’
((User Parameter Display(Status)))
User ID:[Alice Zero]
User Priority:[Grade-???]
Race:[Infinite Tailed Vixen] Age:[0 days] Sex:[Female]
Primary Class:[Zenith’s Wife Lv-1/???]
HP:*/* HP Recovery:*/ sec
MP:*/* MP Recovery:*/ sec
SP:*/* SP Recovery:*/ sec
((Stats))
Strength:* Intelligence:* Mana Density:*
Endurance:* Wisdom:* Mana Recovery:*
Vitality:* Willpower:* Mana Capacity:*
Agility:* Dexterity:* Mana Perception:*
Control:* Focus:* Mana Manipulation:*
Charm:* Luck:* Mana Affinity:*
Life:* Natural Recovery:*
((System Note:* = Incalculable. Can’t be bothered. Just know, a punch should be enough to wipe out a third or fourth of the multiverse. As for the rest, go figure.))
((Skills))
[Zenith’s Heart:Lv-10/10]
((Spells))
[???]
((System Note:Priority Guideline #1z12*9ë3§5 designated ‘Alice’ is no longer a Priority Guideline. Due to the influence of a terrifying Esteemed Entity, Priority Guideline-*cough* *cough*….Esteemed Miss Alice has become a complete and proper living being and the progenitor of the Race [Infinite Tailed Vixen].))
‘……what the hell even happened in the few short hours I spent praying to the System!?’
Moving back from the completely and utterly flabbergasted Combat Oriented Demi God to the perpetrator of this incident, one would need to go back in time, to approximately forty nine minutes ago, to understand what had actually happened, to understand this event which would be later foretold as the beginning of the Era of Spellcraft, as the beginning of the Era of the Lord of Spells, and as the day his first Wife, Alice Zero, was born.
‘Archivius Eon 18, millennia 41, year 27, day 183, Master’s first Wife, the Infinite Tailed Vixen Progenitor Alice Zero, was born.’
And unknown to the multiverse, and even to the System, an old servant, an old and forgotten summer project of Zenith, takes note of this incident, as well as all else that has happened in it’s Master’s and Creator’s life.