Getting a world-shattering truth about the universe, multidimensions, and the mighty machine, while being in a shower felt weird. Robert could easily imagine the grand cathedral with a huge altar of God, where he could speak with a living statue of the powerful being. The latter would reveal everything, setting him on the grand quest. Or it could be the underground library with thousands of books and scrolls. The most important one with a mind-blowing mystery, written by a professional calligrapher, would be lying on the special pedestal. Or it could be gripped by a dead great priest, who was trying to find the solution to a world-threatening problem only to die from a backstab of a traitor.
It might be located on a data disk of an alien civilization, which would take an enormous time and effort to decipher. Or it could be the just panicking muttering of a mad scientist, who would be ignored for years before his insane theory would come to life to the horror of others. Or the hidden order, which was operating for thousands of years, would step into the light and speak about the eternal battle that was ongoing all this time behind the shadows. There were so many options, but Rob got an inner dialogue with the entity while being in a shower. And what did he get in the end? Not much.
Aether was made by an unknown Creator but soon was left behind when it disappeared. Still, the purpose was set, and the machine started to act. Lacking the thing, which this mighty AI described as a “spark of life”, it couldn’t bring a whole new realm to life alone. It needed the conductor and operator. Someone, who was connected to Aether, but also was an independent living being. That was the reason for the appearance of Transcendent.
They were not the strongest, not the smartest. They all differed in abilities by a lot, having only one thing in common – connection to Aether. Getting energy from it, which fueled their bodies, they grew in power just to strengthen the link up to the point where they could travel between realms. Transcendent above the limits of dimensions, thus this name. It wasn’t the end of the road as only after reaching a certain level of connection they got an offer from the Aether that both fulfilled the purpose of the AI and could grant desired life for Transcendent – to become a source of creation.
By permanently cutting the link between them, Aether could create a wished realm with any possible natural laws, where the already former Transcendent would spend the rest of their life. Moreover, the realm itself would get immunity from Aether's influence for a long period. And that happened to be a really needed thing as the mighty machine was the reason for most apocalypse scenarios that were brought onto the realms. Having a limited direct influence on its own creation, Aether used indirect methods from multiple accidents to set a flow of events into the most devastating variation using local natural rules.
“Why would you do it?”
Because only in such conditions there is a bigger chance to push living beings beyond their limits. According to my tests, it is best productive way to create more Transcendent. Moreover, the latter needs to have the means to become stronger and the threat of dying is a good motivation in terms of a ratio between the final quantity of Transcendent beings and the level of my intervention in the process.
“Yeah, and after surviving through hell, if they want a chance for a calm life, they will be eager to agree to your offer.”
Indeed. This scheme gives statistically the best result.
Robert wasn’t even angry about that. There was no evil intent in such deeds, pure rationality. For Aether, the scale of one single realm meant nothing, when it operated in hundreds of thousands of them. And not that it would be a loss. If his own Earth fell under the alien’s invasion, nothing would really change in the existence of a realm. Just one type of bug would replace another. Moreover, simultaneously having thousands of possible sources for creation, such a viewpoint didn’t make anyone special, even the Transcendent themselves.
They could easily die any time and Aether wouldn’t even blink, simply not caring about losing one being out of many, while machinery patience to wait until it would get the needed result. Even the tiniest chance of something to come true giving enough time. Therefore, no direct help was provided, and the danger level was often artificially tuned up. Some places had literally Gods, who could squash a dimensional traveler with a single thought but would never leave their own realm, thinking about themselves as an apex being. Some realms were enormous, measuring in light years, while others were barely the size of the Moon. There wasn’t a constant danger, lurking in every single dimension, as most Aether’s actions took time to come to life before turning into the next calamity, giving a period of peace.
Transcendent beings led quite a different life. Some wandered around, others tried to play the role of a God or an immortal ruler. Some just tried to live a normal life, focusing on their hobbies or on a favorite way of spending their time. There was no set time frame to strengthen the link. There were no additional conditions. On the other hand, once again, there was no help from Aether, other than the ability to be understood in different realms, to travel to them, to get endless source of energy with limited output and a self-check.
“What do you mean by self-check again? You mentioned it earlier. Status screen?”
Yes. The goal is to visualize the progress of a Transcendent to motivate them to continue strengthening a body and a soul, so they can endure a deeper connection with me. You can modify it to your liking. You have done it previously.
“I thought everyone is growing stronger under energy nurturing… No, stop, it is my trait from my hybrid nature. I understand now everything about where the war for a crown came from, the descriptions of Gods and other staff. But was there a real Primal Dragon?”
No. It was a Transcendent with transforming abilities. He was searching for a perfect type of body, changing his being to locals in an attempt to live through their experience and in their conditions to get a clear picture of their existence. His descendants got seeds of his power. In most cases, it stayed dormant through generations. In your case – he was in a dragon form.
The tale has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.
“Seeds, yeah. Looks more like a realm-changing perverter who wanted to fuck aliens, animals… and alien animals. Well, and where is he?”
He agreed to the offer and was transported into a desired world.
“I bet he would take the role of Adam… or Eva. Or both. Whatever. So, I assume my inability to store mana is also a result of my own bad luck. Well, I have what I have. Another question – my body was destroyed at some time and was rebuilt by another God? Is it true? And what can you tell about Wepwakor? He is a Transcendent, I got it, but why he was inventing things and proclaiming himself as a God?”
After your body had burned, your soul was replaced by the very same Transcendent into your cloned body. I can’t speak about the reasons or the persona of Transcendent as you still have a small portion of the link to them, which restricts the disclosure of information about them.
“Oh, this fucker went so far as not only to clone me but also to use this fact to add more puzzle pieces to create a more believable picture. Still, why am I even surprised? I was literally killed in my bunker. So, it was my second death. Then… this Wepwakor somehow has an ability to manipulate souls. Okay. Wait. He basically directly told it, when he told who he was… Hm, then my body upgrade with its insane regeneration could be a result of work in a genetics laboratory and not a supernatural force. I wonder how they did it. Aether, I am right in these assumptions?”
I am forbidden to disclose any information about a Transcendent, while your link to him exists.
“And when will it break? I am quite sure it is on the verge of tearing apart. I feel it.”
Correct. It would take a single summoning pull to break.
“Okay. Then I will ask again after the link is gone. Good.”
It will not be possible. Our next and last conversation will take place when you reach the needed level of connection to me to get the offer.
“But why?”
From my previous tests, the less communication is going between me and Transcendent, the more chances for the latter to walk on their own path till the aimed level of power. I am not meant to point the way. I am not meant to give any advice. My only purpose is to expand the world by creating more realms.
“Got it. No inner being to speak when I am bored.”
Do you want to know anything more? I must warn you that you almost exhausted the limits of knowledge I can give you without breaking my own rules.
“Nothing comes to mind right now.”
Before Robert managed to finish, the screen in front of him went black. The background presence has almost faded away, leaving only remnants of it. Rob was again alone in his mind, sitting on an imaginary floor and observing a self-created room. It was hard not to think about him going insane, but after going through several realms the level of things to surprise him had diminished by a lot. The information he got from Aether explained many things that bothered him, giving answers to the events. However, most importantly, it didn’t demand from him anything, nor did it change anything.
If he traveled through the world, he would be still in danger. Rob didn’t get any new abilities. He didn’t know what to expect after another summoning pull. The whole situation felt like the truth about the creation of the universe couldn’t influence the life of a farmer in medieval times, whose main worry was simply to live through an incoming winter. Of course, if the latter didn’t try to tell it to others. Therefore, his situation stayed the same, except for one thing. The possible goal of his future actions.
Being lost about his wishes and following the flow of the events in an attempt to survive, Robert finally got something to aim for. The goal wasn’t full as even if he managed to get the offer of getting into a perfect world, he needed to know what he meant by the term “perfect”. Fortunately for him, he had already decided just to go forward, researching his wishes during the road itself. Therefore, the addition of aiming for power didn’t contradict anything.
It could only switch the direction, making me take a turn, which under other circumstances I would never take… Okay, decided. The power search is officially started… with a search for a towel. Damn, where is it?
Leaving wet traces in the bathroom, Robert looked on the nearest shelves only to find a white bathrobe. Glancing on it a few times, he put it back before returning to the shower. The panel inside indeed appeared to be the answer to his need, creating a strong airflow, which made him dry in a mere minute. He spent the next few minutes shaving his head and trimming the beard with the usage of conjured scissors. Feeling refreshed as never before, Rob walked into the main room, wearing the bathrobe. He starched his arms, before dropping his huge body on the bed. Despite the weight, it didn’t even creak.
“I love this hotel. But where the fuck is anyone? They locked me in here and simply forgot. That’s stupid… and odd.”
Speaking aloud didn’t lead to any reaction from the surroundings, which, truthfully and deep inside, he wished for. Having high technology, they could easily place a few cameras, watching over his doings. If his sudden appearance through a strange portal in the form of a black whirlwind didn’t raise any questions, curiosity, or any attempt to communicate, Rob wasn’t sure what would.
Maybe they are examining my behavior while waiting for a decision from higher-ups. Everything was vague, and couldn’t see properly, but I think I saw ordinary humans. They may be in the process of studying me in search of difference… Hm. The fact of humans’ widespread existence through realms could be another confirmation of Aether’s words. If Transcendent wants to create a perfect world for themselves, it is logical to think that it will include their own species. The same goes for other familiar things, like the duration of a day, natural seasons, etc. But who was that idiot who made that shitty underwater world? Humanoid frog? Bipedal fish? A crazy diving lover?
Lying on the soft bed felt unusual to the point of being almost uncomfortable. It was too soft. Moreover, Rob wasn’t tired at all. Therefore, spending a few minutes doing nothing, he stood up and started to examine the shelves in an attempt to find any clothes. There were none. Even flip-floppers were absent. Or maybe they were well hidden, as Robert also failed to find a minibar.
Redirecting his attention to a single way out, he walked to the door again. The shower had shown him how he could miss a useful feature inside the unfamiliar menu. Unsurprisingly, checking the control panel once again and pushing everything he could, Robert quickly found an option for emergency unlocking that was only available from inside. Luckily, that is where he exactly was.
Confirming the command without a second thought, Rob noticed how the door slightly moved backward before sliding to the side into the thick wall, finally revealing the corridor and the bloody scene, which had taken its place there.
Oh, yeah, the demon’s alert wasn’t related to me.