What do you mean he’s going to die? Not connected to his Monolith?! Oh for, ugh… NIHIL.
Caster’s mind stirred to life, his body-less soul floating in the void.
YOHG! What have you done? Attacking one of our own is explicitly against the charter. Or have you joined Yellow and Dreamer, and wish to be purged from this Cycle?
Not at all. I had to that’s why I warned you. If I had not acted and freed his body from the manipulation of the Agency, they surely would have figured out our plot and killed him later on – for good. Might I say that you may have overlooked giving him his full birthright and left half of his skills inside his Monolith.
If Caster had eyes, he would have tried to open them. Instead of eyelids opening, he could only clarify how his surroundings ‘felt.’ It was more like having a sense of magical echolocation than actual sight.
Left it inside his… mmm… I see. Fair enough.
Please, allow me to guide Carter to his Monolith. I do not wish to keep his allies, or enemies waiting.
That voice… I’ve heard it before…
He is ‘Caster’ now. You know the rules. Carry on.
Wait… I know that voice too… Caster thought, but he didn’t dare think any harder.
He could feel that he was on the verge of passing out again. It was better for him to be calm and breathe – though he couldn’t breathe. He had no lungs, and there was no air. No… anything. It wasn’t total nothingness that surrounded him, but darkness. An unexplainable void that took on a form of its own.
Of course.
“Where… where am I?” Caster said, without a mouth. It wasn’t words but thought that came out. The vibrations of words pushed out to one direction, where the grey boxes came from.
This, my old friend, is the Cosmic Center, where the sacred Monoliths of the Elder Gods lay in wait. The Monoliths are what the Elder Gods use to channel power to their Avatars from outside this reality. You are here because your physical vessel has perished. In other words, congratulations on completing your first incarnation! Also, congratulations on becoming the first human to ever pass the Rite of Ascension and become an Avatar! I wasn’t able to congratulate you before your… what did Spooky call it? Oh! ‘Hazing trial life,’ began.
“What? I don’t…” The grey boxes’ words swirled through his mind.
He couldn’t focus. Who was the voice that spoke from that black box? Then, he remembered. That voice belonged to the skeleton-man, Spooky.
“Let me out of here!” Caster began to struggle. Even without a body, his ‘movements’ felt slow and sluggish.
You are not being restrained. You are failing to control your own Essence’s movement due to being disorientated after your last incarnation’s death.
Oh, that’s right. I died. But then how am I alive?!? Wait…
“I remember your voice. You were the Mimic that killed me!” Caster’s senses focused. He tried raising his hand to charge his Disintegration Ray, but he had no hands to raise.
It is true, I did destroy your corporeal form. But as you can see, your Essence is very much alive. I meant you no harm, only to free you from the hands of your captors. Your two companions may have seemed like decent people, but they were both agents of the Agency. That organization is controlled by the insanity of the Old Gods and must not be taken lightly.
“Funny. That’s what they said about the Elder Gods.”
It is good to see that your cleverness remains. Due to the circumstances, limited time, and the restrictions placed on my ability to share the details of your training, I will make this as swift as possible. I am not asking for your trust, and you can at anytime leave through your Monolith to return to Perdita inside your new physical vessel.
Caster ‘turned’ around, his magical sight moved away from the grey boxes, and toward a structure behind him. It was purple, violet, and magenta. In the center was a ball of the darker purple color. It strobed and hummed gently, like a dying, corrupted sun. Surrounding it were three tripod-like legs that connected at a shared base just below the center ball. Each limb resembled an identical crystal, its colors sleek and sharp. He could not tell if the structure was the same size as himself, or as big as the moon. With a whole new slew of questions, he ‘turned’ back to the grey boxes.
I am Yohg. When you saw the ‘blue boxes’ that was the system itself at work. Those boxes are a default mechanical function of this world that all living things within Perdita always have access to. But when you saw the ‘grey boxes,’ it was me giving you as much additional relevant information that I could offer at the time. If you can remember, you’ve seen me many times already in your journey. That is because I’ve taken it upon myself to be your guide. If you desire, I will continue to assist you. I tried freeing you from the Agency’s grasp earlier but in my defense, the city Mainhelm is the territory of many Old Gods and New R’lyeh overwhelmingly sides with a fallen Avatar, the Great Dreamer. I didn’t dare enter either city without a great army of my own… which I lack.
“I see…” Caster said.
I have no idea what’s going on. But he doesn’t seem hostile. And the grey boxes did help me before. Is he telling the truth? What about Spooky? Are the Old Gods and the Agency the bad guys? Caster continued in thought. I know, I can do the same thing with this ‘Yohg’ guy I did with Spooky. Just go along with it, watch my back, and sometime in the future, I’ll be able to figure out what’s going on.
“That makes sense. I knew something was off about them. But if you’re an Avatar too, why are you helping me? I thought we were supposed to be fighting for power or something.”
Superb question. I, as the Avatar of the All-Knowing, do not desire to take control of the Broken Throne, nor have an army, nor any significant following. Even memory of my existence is small – and for good reason. I am forgotten by man and Old God alike, and those that do know of me, do not see me as a threat. Which I must admit, I am not. I simply exist to observe and record, not to rule. I am a scribe, not a lord. It is the most efficient method I have tested to date for collecting the maximal amount of Data.
He sounds like a way more hardcore version of me.
“Okay. Well, nice to meet you, Yohg. I’m Caster.
I know.
He’s going to do that a lot isn’t he?
Sorry, I couldn’t help myself!
“Since we don’t have a lot of time, why don’t you give me a crash course on… how I’m supposed to be an… Avatar? Did I hear you right?”
Unauthorized duplication: this narrative has been taken without consent. Report sightings.
Indeed. Alas, I am unable to share the details, but in your past life, you were able to impress the highest Avatar of our ranks with your capabilities through your cleverness. As I said, you were the number 1 selection for my Elder God’s Avatar position. Luckily for me, instead, Spooky did something that hasn’t occurred in countless cycles, if ever in the history of time. He created an entirely new, infant Elder God - that you would be Avatar to - to assist us with combatting a few power-hungry, runaway Avatars that refuse to play by the rules of the cosmos. You agreed to assist us with defeating them, and in turn, humanity would be spared and would reincarnate in their same forms during the next Cosmic Cycle.
“That’s… a lot of lore to take in. Can I read about it later?”
Absolutely!
“So, what do I do from here?”
Data suggests that the most efficient option would be for you to return to Perdita, and start a new City-State made up entirely of allies wholeheartedly devoted to your cause. It is the same strategy the Old Gods of Perdita used, and each time it has had remarkable results!
I’ve never heard someone get so happy over statecraft and geopolitics.
“So, I just… talk to people and ask them to join me in fighting the Old Gods and the runaway Elder Gods?”
Exactly! The immense power generously afforded to you by your Elder God through the Monolith will give you more than enough awe-inspiring power to command feeble terrestrial minds. Remember those ‘Elder God Tier’ abilities and skills your minion vessel was created with? Here, look inside your Monolith. I believe this one is called the Zz’Wrath. You’ll see what I mean.
Yohg’s grey box seemed to gently push Caster’s formless Essence into the ball that hovered between the tripod of crystals that was his monolith. Inside the structure, he could see things. See things as if he possessed eyes.
There was a planet that slowly revolved in the middle, though it was no bigger than his head. He narrowed his eyes and realized it was the planet of Perdita. He could even make out the names of the cities ‘Mainhelm’ and ‘Boyerton.’ To his right, was a mirror-like structure. It was a reflection. Staring back at him, was his old Minion body. Caster smiled and waved to himself. But the mirror didn’t follow his movements at all. The Minion body only stood, like a lifeless doll.
“What’s wrong with my body?” He asked.
That is not your body. It is the design of the vessel you desire to transmit your Essence to. Think of the body more like clothes than your actual body. You can be any creature that you so desire, though most Avatars choose the one every time for recognizability’s sake. Once you do, the Monolith will give you nothing more than simples clothes, the rest of the items you collect will be up to you to store in safe locations, as you will still drop them on your vessel’s death.
“Like how Spooky is a skeleton?”
Precisely.
“So, I don’t have to be a Minion anymore? I can just choose to become a human now?”
Yes.
Hmm… now that I can make the choice, I don’t know if I want to become a human. I don’t feel like I’ve ever been one before.
“Is it possible to mix and match?”
If you think it, it shall be.
Sweet. Mirror on the wall, make my next body a Minion-human hybrid. Surprise me with the rest.
On command, the mirror began to form the shape of a humanoid, but black smoke filled the screen up as if it were attempting to hide what it had created for Caster - a literal surprise.
Oooooo, randomizer. Interesting choice!
“So did I just point to where I want to go on the planet and then start…talking?”
Yes. Though, one more thing. The Skills and Abilities you received during your first incarnation weren’t complete or fully revealed. If you look up, you can see you have two additional Skills.
Caster ‘looked’ up. There, he saw the familiar blue box that made up his Stat sheet. His numbers were all the same, though his items were missing. He looked at his Abilities first. Scaling Strike was the same, but there was a huge change to his laser beam.
Primordial Disintegration Ray: Fires a beaming torrent of pure energy from the user’s hand. Deals 100 initial damage, then stacks additionally for +100 damage per second. Requires Level 0 Arcane. Cost 2,000 mana initially, then stacks additionally for +100 mana per second. 10 second casting time (Reduced by 1 second per 10 Arcane levels). Everything destroyed by this Ability is collected as Data and can be used by the caster.
As you can see, Primordial Disintegration Ray also allows you to learn the condensed, critical information inside whatever it is that you destroy. For instance, the logs in the cabin wall you destroyed. You’ve had this aspect of the ability since you started, but for some reason, the system never clarified, so I’ve taken the liberty of writing it down for your sake. Try remembering Data surrounding them. You’ll see what I mean.
He’s right. I can tell that they did come from the Hullwood forest, just like Elenore said. I can tell what makes them so sturdy. Something about ‘Celestial Water’ in the root? This is insane!
“That's super good to know, thanks Yohg.”
Weird to think that the guy… thing, that just murdered me a couple of minutes ago might just be my new best friend.
Caster looked at his Skills. His old two were still there and unchanged, but two more had been revealed.
Banner of Command – Caster cannot take damage from non-Occult sources (though he can still be affected by them). Elder God Tier.
Zz’Wrath, the Monolith – Caster’s Essence is not in his Avatar's body, but in the Monolith. As long as the Monolith exists, Caster cannot truly die. When his current Minion Avatar dies, he will immediately respawn from the Monolith. Elder God Tier.
Caster had no words for how strong these powers sounded.
Banner of Command is the reason why you took no damage from the Gulper Parasite on your route to New R’lyeh. And Zz’Wrath is why you are not dead. You’ve had both of these, but Spooky thought it would be funny if you believed you were a mortal during your first go. I must say it was slightly amusing.
I don’t think my death was a laughing matter, but maybe I’ll change my mind next time.
“Well, I guess the best way to learn is to do. I’ll see you on the other side.” Caster looked at the map, trying to decide on where to ‘drop in’.
Agreed. Remember, at the moment the power of your Monolith is small and infantile in comparison to the other Avatars of the Elder Gods and even the Old Gods. You must grow your own individual power, yes. But it’s even more important to grow your influence and control by growing your list of allies, followers, cultists, worshipers, slaves. Anything or method that you believe will bring your closer to invincibility on Perdita.
“Cultists?!? Slaves!?!”
Ha! you really are the reincarnation of your predecessor. Few, if any, Avatars would ever turn away from such depraved practices. I am glad to see our lost hope is one of decency. But remember, this is a dangerous game, Caster. A war game between the Elder Gods to decide who will sit on the Broken Throne and decide the fate of this dying universe. Time is short. If you wish to better the world and the lives of the humans within it, you will have to defeat both the Old and Elder Gods vying for the Throne, by any means necessary.
And with that, Caster nodded. Slowly realizing the weight of his task.
What did I do in my last life to get myself into this?
He touched the map of Perdita, and a flash of white overwhelmed his sight.
You have been granted another life. Be more careful this time!