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♦ Netherworld >> Cloud Island Wilderness >> General ChatTopic: Is the System Administrator Prometheus?
DustyLibrarian (Original Poster)Posted: 5 days ago
Is the System Administrator Prometheus? The idea has been put forward several times before, usually using his more common title, Lucifer. These discussions often end with a locked thread and a lot of yelling. Today, I’m going to boldly risk the same, hoping that by putting the confirmed facts front and center, we’ll arrive at a more rational conclusion.
Let’s hope this works. :fingerscrossed:
Background
During the Golden Age of the Divine Era, Prometheus led the project that created the Heavenly Will[1]. For this, he earned the title “Light Bringer”[2]. At the start of the Silver Age, he tricked numerous people into taking the Oath of Prosecution[3] to avoid the Heavenly Tribulation[4]. A century or two later, he forced the start of the Utopia War by revealing the nature of the oath[5] and how to identify the persons who took it[6] to Heaven’s government.
But the story doesn’t end there. Before his capture, Prometheus famously tore his soul apart creating ‘thirteen evil pieces’[7]. These pieces were distributed to mortal bodies[8], with each emerging 500 years after the other[9]. All this played out approximately 6000 years ago[10].
Now, let’s lay out the pertinent facts supporting or refuting the thesis. If I missed something, give me a shout. And, if possible, provide citations!
Reasons For: - The System was built by someone from the netherworld[11].- Prometheus is known for world-changing ‘Great Works’[12].- The current century is, very roughly, the time we’d expect the Thirteenth Piece to emerge[13].- We have repeated signs of the Heavenly Inquisition seeking out gamers[14][15][16].- The Fate Shift occurred just before Princess Swallows arrived in the CIW[17].- There have been incidents where the Four Immortal Beasts refer to the Great Work[18][19] and the Apostle of Fire[20]
Reasons Against: - The government denies these allegations (see below)- The Heavenly Inquisition often pursues leads that don’t pan out[21][22][23][24].- The Fate Shift’s timing is off by one month to one year[25].
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📌 ► OfficeOfTheGovernor [Posted: 3 days ago] (Official Government PR)
Let’s put these conspiracy theories to rest.
No member of the Cloud Island Government has communicated with the System Administrator. It is the official view of this body that the wild and irresponsible speculations are false.
Please be aware that the CIG takes the threat of foreign powers seriously. We are a small plane with a population of 44,000. A world tree is a highly valuable asset. To ensure everyone’s safety, we thoroughly vet every gamer allowed off world. This policy has no specific relation to Heaven or the Heavenly Inquisition.
While the risk to the Cloud Island Wilderness is real, I remind you that our world has remained hidden for well over two millennia. There is no immediate threat to the people. The government is taking all necessary precautions to ensure our growth and our safety.
Thank you.
► WiseGuy [Posted: 21 hours ago]
@QuestBasher: I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again, the timing doesn’t fit. If the emergence of the System caused the Fate Shift, it should have happened on one of these four dates:
- The Princess’s arrival in the netherworld- The Princess’s arrival here in the Cloud Island Wilderness- The activation of the World Tree as a System node- The arrival of the first gamers in the Cloud Island Wilderness
Instead, the Fate Shift occurred a month before CutestSilverBird reached the Cloud Island Wilderness. CutestSilverBird’s level was less than 300. There is no way any action taken by her at that time could’ve produced such a large shift in fate.
And that isn’t the only issue. The age of the world tree is wrong. We know there are two dream fruits on the branches, which corresponds to an age of around 3000 years. All the world trees gifted to Lucifer have an age above 4000 years, as confirmed by DustyLibrarian.
I think it’s far more likely that the System is a pilot program by the Fey Federation. Possibly by one of the minor courts like Spring or Autumn, who would fear disclosure before they are ready.
@DustyLibrarian: You should add the gifted world trees to the list of reasons for and our world tree’s age to the list of reasons against.
► SongGirl [Posted: 20 hours ago]
It’s super scary to think we might be attacked by a major power. I know we’re getting a lot out of interplanar trade, but I can’t help but wonder, is it worth the risk?
► TrueSoldier [Posted: 17 hours ago]
I can’t give specifics on the dangers that threaten the Cloud Island Wilderness, but I’m firm in my belief that international trade must continue. The System is growing increasingly active here on Earth. That, in my mind, is a much greater threat.
World trees aren’t easy to find. The CIW is constantly moving, making discovery difficult. Furthermore, we have Luna as our fate protector. I have faith that by the time we are found, we’ll be more than strong enough to hold our own.
► KingdomBenedict [Posted: 15 hours ago]
>John 3:16>For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.
Only one in ten souls reach the netherworld, but we know God would never abandon those who have given their faith to our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. So we can come to understand The Kingdom of Heaven is not in this world. Rather, the netherworld is a purgatory, a place for weary souls to rest, waiting to come to terms with their ending.
The true afterlife lies beyond Unus Mundus, where all who hold faith will find salvation.
Thus I say, Prometheus cannot be Lucifer. At most, he is the Devil’s agent. Just as we know the Heavenly Will cannot be God, for God gives his love to all regardless of their sin should they love him in turn, while the Heavenly Will does not so easily forgive those it has judged.
► Npc72 [Posted: 14 hours ago]
WTF? Why do people post crap like that? Sometimes, I wish these forums had a down vote button.
► QuestBasher [Posted: 12 hours ago]
The easiest way to know that FlameKeeper is Lucifer is to type ‘S_lv_rB_rd’ and watch as it comes up as Cutie.
@WiseGuy: I’m not going to argue with you anymore. As far as I’m concerned, you’re putting way too much weight on the timing of events. Events that we have little knowledge of.
Personally, I think the SysAdmin is Lucifer. Not that it matters one way or another. We’ve already established the CIW is fucked if a foreign power finds us regardless.
► Npc72 [Posted: 11 hours ago]
LMAO. How many years ago was that? Cutie. Cutie. Cutie. It never stops being funny.
Honestly, it’s better if the System Admin is Lucifer, because that means we’ll have allies. Of course, the best outcome is still: ‘Actually, The System Admin is Michael.’
► QuestBasher [Posted: 10 hours ago]
Please don’t get me started.
► Npc72 [Posted: 9 hours ago]
I don’t know, @SpitTake had a great argument. - The System Admin is Flame Keeper- Michael uses a flaming sword- The Heavenly Inquisition might be faking its pursuit to throw off the scent- System merit can be considered a second attempt at extending Heavenly Law to the entire netherworld.- All pure gamers are from the Ouranios (heavenly) lineage- When Remiel crossed paths with Cutie in Tartarus, he ignored her
Of course, we all know that can’t be true. Because, if Heaven is behind the System, then Cutie has to be the System Administrator. Cutie is a massive troll. Ordering the Heavenly Inquisition to pursue herself exactly the kind of epic trolling we’d expect.
In which case, which archangel is Cutie really?
► HaremGod [Posted: 8 hours ago]
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📌 ► OfficeOfTheGovernor [Posted: 3 days ago] (Official Government PR)
► SilverLove [Posted: 8 hours ago]
► QuestBasher [Posted: 7 hours ago]
@Npc72 – I just want you to know, this time it’s your fault. Ugh, where’s @SecretProtagonist where you need him?
► ThatFinanceGuy [Posted: 6 hours ago]
Lately, I’ve been thinking about how well the Cloud Island Wilderness would stand up if we were attacked by a major power. The superficial presumption is that we’d lose immediately. But I don’t think that conclusion holds. Weaker countries often succeed in fending off stronger countries (see the Afghanistan vs the US and the USSR).
But can the Cloud Island Wilderness win? After running the numbers, I’ve concluded that: yes, yes we can.
Let’s start with a statement of fact. Military strength relates to a nation’s GDP. The System estimates Heaven’s GDP at around 71 trillion soli. Our GDP is 615 million solid, which is quite a mismatch. Realistically, however, Heaven would only be able to deploy around 1% of their resources in a war against the Cloud Island Wilderness.
That’s 710 billion soli vs 0.615 billion, or a thousand times difference.
However, as a defender, we have numerous advantages. We can engage in total warfare, dedicating 40% of our GDP (0.4 factor) to the war. The defender also has a natural 3 to 1 advantage in most cases, but with the long logistical chain we can guesstimate an actual 10 to 1 advantage. Thus, 710 billion vs (0.615 0.4 10) = 2.56 billion soli.
That’s the adjusted gap in military strength, giving Heaven a 290x advantage. Which is to say, we’d definitely lose under current conditions. But what about the future? To start, we’d need our GDP to grow by about 300 times. Or, more realistically by around 200 to 400 times. At which point, we’d be able to put up a good fight.
Which sounds crazy, until you realize how fast our GDP has been growing.
First, let’s take our GDP per capita. Last year it was around 14,000 soli. This has increased by about 10k in the last 10 years. We can expect it to continue to grow due to technological advancement (minor) and rising player levels (major). In fact, player levels are a major factor here, as gamers gain levels much faster and at a lower resource cost than the average demon or celestial. Currently, my conservative estimate is a GDP per capita of 30,000 soli in 20 years.
Which means our population needs to expand to 90 to 180 times it’s current size to compete with Heaven. Which is to say, we need 4 million to 8 million gamers. That seems long off, but once again, growth applies to this algorithm. Right now, we’re doubling every 2 to 3 years. Thus, in 10 years we’ll have population of around 450,000 and in 20 years around 4.5 million (optimistically) or 4.5 million in 30 years (pessimistically).
So, if the math holds, 20 to 30 years from now, we’ll be strong enough to fend off Heaven, Hell, or the Fey Federation.
Some caveats: The exponential population growth has been slowing. GDP per capita might also slow, though I think an upside of 40k per capita is more likely. The defense force multiplier might be wrong. I haven’t accounted for military quality differentials or a major power going crazy and throwing its entire economy at us. Inversely, these numbers assume we have no military allies and no one engaging in proxy warfare on our behalf.
► Npc72 [Posted: 5 hours ago]
^^^ He did the math. ♫♪Dun, dun, dun♪♬. He did the monster math.
► DrSodium [Posted: 5 hours ago]
This is crazy. Everyone here is crazy. We are not surviving a war against Heaven, Hell, or even a minor Fey Kingdom. We need to stop all interplanar trade right now! Interacting with other worlds only works to help foreign nations find us faster. Seriously, we just had reports about actual angels on Earth and people are treating interplanar trade like a joke!
You idiots are going to get us all killed!
► WiseGuy [Posted: 4 hours ago]
An incredible post, ThatFinanceGuy, but I think you’re a little too optimistic about our growth. We’ll be running into cultivation resource issues well before we hit a population of 1 million. We’re also bottom heavy, with most of our population having only lived in the netherworld for 2 to 3 years.
Still, even if I account for all these concerns, I think 30 years to a fighting chance and 50 years to relative safety is a good metric. And, of course, your analysis doesn’t account for a weaker power like Hell being the aggressor or an individual Fey Kingdom.
As you noted in the end, I think our best bet is to secure an alliance of some sort. But I’m not sure how the Cloud Island Government would get anyone to take us seriously.
► SongGirl [Posted: 3 hours ago]
Thanks, @ThatFinanceGuy, your post made me feel a lot better.
► QuestBasher [Posted: 1 hour ago]
@DrSodium, if there are angels on Earth, stopping our interplanar trade would be the stupidest thing we could do. Per ThatFinanceGuy, our best bet is to outgrow our enemies. You’re basically advocating a policy that would make our enemies find us 1 or 2 years later while increasing the time until we can fight back by 3 to 5 years.
That’s a losing proposition.
Hey, has anyone heard from @SecretProtagonist recently? I don’t think I’ve seen a single post from him in days.
► Npc72 [Posted: 22 minutes ago]
Oh shit, I thought I sent you a PM. SecretProtagonist is dead.
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♦ Netherworld >> Cloud Island Wilderness >> New ArrivalsTopic: Well, I died apparently
SecretProtagonist (Original Poster)
Posted: 5 hours ago
For all those who have been asking, the reason I haven’t been posting for the last two days is because I died. Forgive me for being a little out of sorts, I didn’t expect this to happen for another 40 years. That said, thanks for the worry and, yes, I could use a little help.
To start, does anyone have a link to the Earthside group that aids the recently deceased?
Next, I could use some advice when picking my class. I didn’t spend a lot of time thinking about it while I was living. I figured there would be plenty of time later. Warrior, hunter, mage, anything is fine. I have vampire on my list as well, but I don’t want to run around sucking people’s blood.
Finally, does anyone have a good guide on how to get started in the Cloud Island Wilderness? I read a few tenish years ago, but I haven’t looked at any since. I want to be sure nothing has changed while I haven’t been paying attention.
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► BlueRangerSPD [Posted: 4 hours ago]I think I speak for everyone when I say, I’m sorry for your loss.
The group you’re looking for is: LastRights. Just send them a PM. They’ll need your legal name along with your country of origin. While most souls come from the USA, they do get plenty from up north, down south, and overseas.
Be warned, LastRights charges for their service. You can pay in cloud cash or dollars.
As for how to get started in the Cloud Island Wilderness? I recommend the following threads: - I’m Dead, Now What?- What’s My Class- A Beginners Guide to Making Money
If you’re seriously considering Vampire, I suggest you contact Blood Rose. Blood Rose is a guild dedicated to vampire players. I think we have, what, twenty of them now?
Alternatively, if you’re interested in the hunter class, check out my (Un)official Hunter’s Field Guide.
As a final word of advice, don’t rush. The System won’t kick you out of your pod. You have plenty of time. We’re all here for you. Don’t be afraid to reach out.
► Griffmiss [Posted: 4 hours ago]
Sorry for your loss. I know it’s a poor condolence, but at least we can still talk to each other.
► SecretProtagonist [Posted: 3 hours ago]
It does help, actually. Part of me is still trying to compute the fact I’m dead. Sitting here with the forums in front of me is too much like normal.
@BlueRangerSPD, thanks for the link to LastRights. I know it sounds strange, but I didn’t want to leave all the paperwork to my wife and kids. It’s great to have a lawyer with the System to walk me through it.
► Npc72 [Posted: 3 hours ago]
Well, damn. That sucks.
Looking back, it’s been fourteen years since we joined the forum. Time sure flies. I always knew one of us old timers would die eventually, but I always figured it’d be ResearchKing who went first. I think he’s in his seventies now.
Let me know if you need anything.
Oh, and if you don’t mind me asking, how did it happen?
► SecretProtagonist [Posted: 3 hours ago]
I fell off my ladder while cleaning the gutters. The worst part was watching my wife and daughter rush out to check on me.
My biggest regret is not telling them about the System.
► SongGirl [Posted: 2 hours ago]
Oh, no. That’s horrible. If you need anything, please let us know.
► ZombieMan02 [Posted: 2 hours ago]
Damn man, I guess I’m lucky that no one gave a shit when I kicked the bucket.
Death story time. When I realized the afterlife was real, I figured I’d go out with a bang. First thing I did was load up on debt. Fuck the man! I had it all planned out. I was going to go wild. So, day one, I rented this sweet ride. I was just shooting down the highway, swerving between cars when thump I hit a bump.
You should’ve seen it. I flew right over a bridge straight into a cliff side. Gone, just like that.
Welcome to the netherworld, dude. Good news is, you can start putting on levels. Good luck, because I’ll probably kill you when we cross paths.
► DesperateBowman [Posted: 2 hours ago]
Before choosing a class, you should decide what you want to do with your new life.
Warrior is a good choice for any kind of physical labor job. I’m not just talking heavy lifting, but also labor that requires fine physical control. Blacksmithing, forging, and shaping are just as important as logging and mining.
The hunter class, while highly specialized, is good for casuals. You’ll perform well without practice and the burst DPS is better if you rarely fight. If you’re aiming for a white collar job that’s not magical research, I’d recommend the hunter class.
As for mage, skip it unless you have an invitation to the Moonlight Academy or 3 to 5 skill books dedicated to magic. That said, it’s an awesome class if you’re willing to put in the effort.
► BeastCatcher07 [Posted: 1 hour ago]
Like BlueRangerSPD said, if you go vampire make sure to contact Blood Rose. Also, use your merit points to buy the primordial cultivation feature. I have a vampire friend and he’s very clear that pure carnivorous cultivation sucks.
EDIT: The pun was an accident, I swear.
► QuestBasher [Posted: 19 minutes ago]
Hey, SecretProtagonist. I just found out about your death by following the link Npc72 left. I’m sorry for your loss. I hope everything works out for you and your family.
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► CutestSilverBird [Posted: 9 minutes ago] (Cloud Princess)
@BeastCatcher07 – Obviously! Vampire is a sucky class after all ;).
My Death Story: I was brutally murdered by the United States Postal Service after stealing a letter from a box. Just after my nefarious crime, I was making my way down a suburban street when bam they shot me with an orbital death ray. Yeah, that’s right, USPS has death ray satellites. They use them to disintegrate monsters like me.
Life lesson, don’t steal the mail kids.
PS: I paid your bill with LastRights, SecretProtagonist. In the future, I want you to think about my little gift whenever you call me a troll. ;)
► Npc72 [Posted: 4 minutes ago]
Holy shit. Now that’s some SSS-grade trolling.
► SecretProtagonist [Posted: 37 seconds ago]
We all know how you died, Cutie. There’s more than one starlight witch on the forums. And thanks. Really, thanks.
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“It’s so much fun, doing good deeds just to mess with people,” Sylvia cackled, while rubbing her hands together.
The petite asteri was suspended in a sea of stars, twin rivers of glossy silver floating in the void behind her. To reach the astral world, she had gated to the first layer of Tartarus before opening a second gate out into the dark. This alone wasn’t enough. The coast of Tartarus was still under the System’s interdiction. Thus, Sylvia had endured an exhausting two hour flight to reach her current point.
“The things a girl suffers for an internet connection,” she lamented.
Chuckling, Sylvia snapped the blue window closed. She had rested long enough. It was time to focus on the real reason she’d come out here.
Transcendence.
The System provided little help during the grand mutations. These were obstacles of the soul and the heart. If an alien machine interfered, the final result would be distorted. When a grand mutation reached its resolution, however, it triggered an evolution of the code. The System could safely lend assistance with that.
Sylvia didn’t want to miss that boost. What’s more, the providence she was building might well require the System’s presence.
Which brought her deep into the dark.
She closed her eyes, floating in the emptiness as she sorted through her emotions. Sylvia felt a flutter of anxiety inside of her. Was she ready? Despite everything, she struggled to imagine her ideal. A part of her screamed that she was a fool to come out here. She wasn’t ready.
“Do not hesitate.”
Lord Potami’s warning rang inside her head like a gong.
“The more I fear, the harder it will become.”
Heart firmed, she opened her eyes. Then she emptied her soul. The first item Sylvia removed was the essence core of her Spring Blossom dress. The armor was already donned, transformed by a potion into a pinstriped suit. As the body left her soul, it melted into its shadow. The two parts had become one.
Next came her Starlight Striders, Chrome Tempest, and Resonant Tear. Sylvia stuffed the loose items into a sack she’d tied to her waist. The starry void had its own hazards. One of them was that free floating objects could be carried away by the currents. If enough time passed while her focus was turned inward, it’d be a pain to hunt everything down.
Gold coins, potion bottles, mirror pads, and the Disk of the Depths came after. One by one, the trash and random junk filling her soul was stuffed into her bag. It was only at the end that she let the most important tools emerge: the legendary artifact, Anbaht, and her realm ring array, Hidden Hut. The realm ring array went into the pack. Anbaht remained around her neck. The dark pendant would conceal her during Transcendence.
Flask in hand, she took a deep breath. She was ready. She knew she was ready. There was nothing to fear. Lord Potami believed in her. Emmy believed in her.
Sylvia popped the cork. “Bottoms up,” she murmured.
The witch tipped the bottle back. Dense essence oozed down her throat, turning into an airy fog as it filled her stomach. She gulped, feeling as though she were swallowing gassy slime. Despite its ephemeral character, the potion lingered inside of her like a lump of frigid lead. Psychic energy burbled, laced with the essence of her soul. Her eyes drooped, a wispy dream fluttering at the edge of her consciousness.
To Awaken, the soul was placed in a state between life and death. The conscious mind would rise from the abyss, facing the subconscious. If the two parts of self found unified purpose, the strength of the soul would surge, forcing a grand mutation of the bloodline code.
Transcendence demanded the exact opposite.
Instead of the conscious rising from the darkness of death, the living mind must turn inward, plunging deep into the fortress of the subconscious. Sylvia felt her psyche swell even as the potion dragged her under. Before sleep could claim her entirely, she mustered her will. Then she dove into her own mind.
Darkness.
A bulb flickered.
Sylvia found herself in a broken bedroom. Shattered floors, walls, and ceiling opened up into an infinite abyss. Cheap carpet squished beneath her black, dress shoes, her pinstriped jacket hugging her frame.
She recognized the place immediately.
It was Eric’s room. To Sylvia’s right was her old, twin-sized bed, sheets and covers askew. To her left was a bookshelf, filled with manga, ancient games, and Eric’s old college textbooks. In front was her computer desk, the monitor glowing pure white, the light sharp against the dull yellow cast by the bulb above.
“I thought I’d left this behind,” Sylvia muttered, nudging a dirty t-shirt to the side with her cane.
“You did.”
The office chair in front of the computer spun. Seated within was a dainty figure, her silver hair woven into a French Braid. Navy blue school robes hung on the girl’s shoulders, her tiny figure so slim she’d been all but invisible until the chair turned around.
“Eric’s life no longer belongs to us,” French Braid said. “But his past is our past. He is the root from which we were grown. A root you came here to sever.”
Another presence let out a disdainful huff. Sylvia’s gaze turned to see the heavy set body of Eric sitting on the twin-sized bed. His short, dark hair showed none of the thinning he had suffered in his thirties. His body was robust, with layers of muscle underneath the fat.
“You said you wouldn’t mutilate your soul,” College Eric accused. “Why are you here? You know you aren’t ready. Or do you plan to turn us into that thing.”
The obese man pointed down through the cavernous cracks. Deep in the void were the charred remnants of a different apartment. Hints of the pink wallpaper could be seen, along with ashen dolls and a floating vanity.
Sylvia grimaced.
“Emmy wanted you to stay yourself,” a younger voice chimed. A little, chubby Eric was curled up near the closet doors. “She’s so nice. Why are you planning to betray her?”
The twin-tailed girl sucked in a breath. “I see. You three are my doubts.”
“No, we’re your past,” French Braid countered. The witch’s pink eyes glowed in the bedroom’s dim light. Her legs crossed in a neat but dangerous manner. “You know what Transcendence means. You know what it requires. To transcend, you must shed your mortal origin and embrace a new ideal.”
“The thing you’re shedding? That’d be me,” College Eric spat.
“I don’t want to be a princess,” Young Eric added. “I want to be a hero.”
“As for your ideal?” French Braid continued. “Can you name it? Do you even have the slightest idea what a perfect Sylvia looks like? Face it, the only thing you see is yourself. The closest thing you have to an ideal, is the shallow-minded fantasies you kept on this computer.”
With a sneer, the woman in the office chair gestured to the old tower.
Sylvia’s gaze tightened. Bang! The twin-tailed witch slammed her cane into the floor, interrupting their lecture.
“All of you, shut up,” she snarled. “You won’t drag me down with your doubts.”
“These aren’t doubts. They are rational – ”
College Eric was suddenly silenced when Sylvia drew her hand across the air. Blessed quiet fell on the room, allowing her the chance to think.
“This isn’t a conversation,” she proclaimed, slowly finding her words. “This is my monologue. I’m here to talk to you, not to listen when you speak to me. I’ll start with the simple truth. You three aren’t me.”
College Eric sat up angrily. French Braid sneered. Sylvia thrust out her cane pointing at French Braid.
“Just as you aren’t him,” she continued, her cane swaying from her female clone to her older male body. “Experience changes us. Every day, we wake up a new person. We learn. We grow. Even the body changes, shedding cells as the years pass.”
“Don’t muddy the waters,” French Braid snapped. “The change you are trying to evoke is entirely different from those brought by daily life.”
“Perhaps, but so what?” Sylvia scoffed. “Change isn’t something to be feared. Change can make us better, stronger, smarter, wiser.”
“But you don’t have an ideal,” Young Eric spoke up with a whiny voice. “So how do you know you’ll change into a better Sylvia? I don’t want to be a bimbo. I don’t want to be the doll princess, either. I want to be strong and cool, then I want to conquer the world!”
“You don’t need an ideal to become better,” Sylvia said smoothly. Yes, that was right. She didn’t need an ideal. “People can learn from individual failures and success. They don’t need to idolize someone or something in specific. Take you, for example.”
The twin-tailed girl gestured toward Young Eric with her cane. The chubby ten-year-old perked at the attention.
“I envy your clarity of desire,” she said. “As we grow older, our minds grow deeper. To better obtain what we want, we learn to carve the intermediate steps. No child starts life loving money. They learn to love money because money can be used to buy candy, toys, or video games. Sometimes we learn those lessons too well, and forget money is a means, not a goal unto itself.”
Sylvia’s voice rose, gaining energy as she went.
“But your ignorance? Your flighty dreams? I want none of it,” Sylvia declared. “Conquer the world? Did you even stop to think ten seconds what that’d do to the people living inside of it?”
She turned sharply, thrusting her cane toward College Eric.
“And you!” Sylvia spat. “You didn’t fight hard enough. You didn’t work hard enough. Yes, it was unfair. The world set us on a terrible path, but there were a great many forks on our road. We were just too scared and too lazy to step off the path. I don’t hate you. I understand you better than anyone. We had a lot of good moments and enjoyed a lot of great games. But you know as well as I that we should’ve studied harder. If we had, we would’ve ended up with something more than this!”
She gestured widely to the apartment. As she did, the walls began to shift and crack. The space grew larger by a third. Dirty clothes picked themselves up off the floor before flying into a basket. The numerous wrappers piled up on the old computer desk stood then jumped into the trashcan.
Sylvia turned to French Braid.
“In our first year in the Academy, we didn’t appreciate the gift we were given. Yes, we’d been turned into a girl. Yes, it was unfair and uncomfortable. But we had friends. We had a future. We had Emily,” she condemned, glaring at her younger, female self. “Of all the things I regret most in this life, it’s that I wasted what little time I had with Emily before her soul merged with Esmeralda’s.”
Emmy was Sylvia’s wonderful and beautiful wife. She loved her dearly. But Emily had deserved a chance to experience that love as well. She regretted it. Sylvia regretted it deeply. She would happily endure Charm Club for a full ten years if she had but one chance to share the love Emily had deserved.
“I don’t need an ideal because – ”
Sylvia froze in mid-rant. Goosebumps crawled over her skin, the words on her lips forgotten. She didn’t need an ideal. The twin-tailed witch trembled. Suddenly, the truth hit her like a freight train striking a petite girl foolish enough to stand in a tunnel.
She didn’t need an ideal, because she already had one.
Sylvia had been looking in the wrong direction. She’d been looking outside and forward when she should’ve been looking inside and back. Over the last fourteen years, she had grown. She’d transformed from a cynical fat man into a woman she could respect.
When had it started? Perhaps it was the first night in Orasul Lunii, when she had saved Valerie and Margret. A moment of will, pride, and foolishness engraved on Sylvia’s heart. The figure only grew larger when she stayed with Gavin, Elroy, and Iulian to fight the shamblers when she could’ve so easily fled. Then, on Tartarus, she’d risked her soul to save Belkis from the Duat Dream Drop.
She’d become a hero, a towering figure who faced the darkness, everyone gazing at her back in admiration.
But that wasn’t all. Sylvia had discovered the love and friendship Eric had always lacked. Three friends in the Academy. A shared kiss on Faded Star. Finally, Sylvia had bared her heart and stolen Emmy’s lips in their basement. A different kind of courage, but as a wife and an older woman, she knew that type of bravery was just as important.
Sylvia’s life was a litany of accomplishments. She’d built Swift Brooms, Swift Ships, and the Beginner’s Village. She had built so many things she was proud of. The truth dawned on her. For the last fourteen years, she, Sylvia Swallows, had been chasing her ideal.
“I don’t need an ideal,” she laughed. It was a mad laugh, a happy laugh, a freeing laugh echoing from her heart in an epiphany. “I don’t need an ideal, because I’ve already become it!”
When she spoke, the world thrummed in response. Sylvia could feel something rising inside of her. A clarity of purpose that brought the power of her soul to a crescendo. She’d been expecting a large jump, a huge change to herself. But she’d already made most of the changes necessary for Transcendence. All she had to do now, was to finish what she had started.
“With every step I took in my new life, I conquered my past,” she declared. The dream wavered with the force of her will, the walls of the apartment groaning. “Eric Swallow is dead. The person standing here before you is Sylvia Swallows, a witch, a woman, a wife, a hero, an inventor, a tycoon, and yes, a princess!”
Her shout was a shock wave. The room shattered into splinters. Boards and broken fragments rolled in the dark only to be caught in a growing swirl. The charred remnants of the pink room below were pulled into the storm, soon to be joined by the library, the forest, and the ivory tower.
“I’m not ashamed of who I am,” she continued. “I am proud to be a girl. I am proud to be a princess. I like being cute, and I don’t want to be held down by my past or my fears a single instant longer!”
With her roar, the whirlwind became strangely ordered. Bricks, stone, and lumber reassembled, creating the skeleton of a room far larger. At the center was a king-sized canopy bed fit for two. A walk-in closet took form, filled with beautiful dresses. Some belonged to Sylvia, others belonged to Emmy.
“But I’m not ashamed of my past either,” she said firmly. “You three are the road I walked to reach this future. Your failures are my failures, and those failures are my lessons. Your accomplishments are my guiding light. Every single one of you has helped me grow into the woman I’ve become. A woman who can walk boldly into the future. For that, I thank you. But you are the past. I only need to walk forward. I will never walk back.”
She didn’t wait for their response. Sylvia swept out of the room, a house growing behind her. Nay, an entire world assembled: a long, sandy beach with dense jungle and high mountains beyond. Far to the west, a distant city lingered.
Unseen by her eyes, the image wavered like a mirage. Then it vanished. Darkness crowded around her, white ripples arising on the glassy surface with every step she took. Her clothes flowered, the pink ruffles of Spring Blossom emerging like a butterfly from the lie that was her pinstriped suit. The cane in her hand lengthened, Chrome Tempest reclaiming its full grandeur.
In the deepest, darkest reaches of her soul, there was naught but silence.
But she wasn’t alone. She was never alone. There was a being creeping along the edges of her existence. When the barrier was weak, such as during the moments of death, that entity would intrude upon her, a thief stealing into the center of her soul.
For the first time, it was Sylvia who called out. “Sister, can you hear me?”
Hear me, hear me, hear me.
Her voice echoed in the nothingness. She felt something stir in the distance. A presence drew closer, coils of wire unwinding in the atramentous ocean beneath her feet. The lake was a wall, standing between two souls. On the other side was a sibling that had never been, longing to return to her embrace.
The situation was sad and terrifying.
“Brother, won’t you be with me – be with me?”
“I know you hurt,” Sylvia soothed. “You wish to return to what was. But we are not the same. I am me and you are you. We were just two souls in one body.”
“Brother, let me hold you – hold you.”
“Don’t worry, sister. When the time is right, I’ll let you in,” she explained softly. “And not just for one moment. Forever. We’ll never be one, but we can be closer. Our souls can touch, brushing against each other to fight the loneliness. But there is one thing I have to correct. I’m not your brother, little brat. I’m your big sister now, so you better start calling me Big Sis Sylvia, or you’re in for a beating.”
Sylvia glared down at the pool of dark. Wires pushed against the surface, trying to pierce through with childish need. She could feel the murmur of the System’s intent, a terrible longing. A soul, once torn, would always strive to become whole. When Lucifer had taken from young Eric the spirit of his twin sister, he’d erred in the direction of Eric’s safety, leaving many fragments behind.
Those pieces had long since been absorbed into her soul, leaving no distinction. Thus, the longing left behind could never be resolved. But that didn’t mean it couldn’t be tamed.
Sylvia drew in a long breath. She had the will. She had her ideal. Now, all she needed to do was build her foundation.
“Everything I am is thanks to the System.”
Long ago, she’d accepted that truth. Yes, she had worked hard for what she had. She’d braved many dangers. But, without the System, none of those efforts would’ve borne such delicious fruit. Life wasn’t the product of a simple arithmetic like A+B. Instead, outcomes came from the multiplication of A * B, making it impossible to say which component was more important.
“Knowing this, it is fitting that I turn my crutch into ingots and use it to reforge my bones.”
Taking one last moment to school herself, Sylvia sang. Thousands of runes poured from her lips. In alchemy, there was a branch of production called synthesis. By chanting a code, a mage could speak a substance into existence.
What she built was something entirely different.
With her will, Sylvia wove an endless stream of golden thread, spinning sequences of runes into greater sigils. The glyphs curled into giant clumps, becoming shimmering instruments floating in the black sky. The runes she spoke belonged to a chain she knew well. It was the same sequence she’d imprinted upon every dungeon. A System kernel set for a node in the System’s network.
Slowly, piece by piece and gear by gear, the machine was assembled. As the runes piled up into the millions, the great construct showed signs of life.
Sylvia skimmed over the results to ensure there were no mistakes. Then she took a step back.
“Come, sister. I know it isn’t what you wanted, but it’s the closest thing I can offer.”
The lake beneath her feet rippled, a cascade of concentric circles that filled the black abyss with glimmering white. Ps-pshh, pshh! Water thrashed as wires ripped through the surface, the cords rising up like the heads of an electric hydra. Copper glinted, sharp needles extending from every tentacle’s tip.
Like snakes, they struck.
As a forest of vines shot toward her, Sylvia raised a hand. Water burst from the lake’s surface, catching the cords in a serpentine swirl. Forcefully, she shifted the direction of the attack. Instead of striking her, the cords punched into the gold shell she’d created.
C-c-c-click.
Every single one of them found a prepared socket.
“Sister – sister, sister – I can feel you,” the child’s cry was soft and full of wonder. The wires wormed, hoping to dig deeper. “Be with me – Be with me. Stay with me – Stay with me.”
“It’s okay, you can stay as long as you want,” Sylvia offered. “We were always meant to be together. Though, I can’t promise I’ll always be within reach.”
The witch let out a breath. She could feel the System, like a happy child poking around at the edges of her soul.
“As for me,” she murmured. “It’s time to sever my mortality.”
The world rippled. Beneath the golden machine, a white circle expanded. Then another. And another. More and more, until the sea of darkness transformed into an ocean of pure white. Runic threads flared. The machine turned, gears and components whirling to life. Suddenly, a thick golden pillar shot down from the contraption, piercing into the ocean of self. A chain of threads spread through Sylvia’s soul in dense, geometric patterns.
She closed her eyes. She could feel it. Something within her was changing. Transcendence had begun.
Unheard and unseen, the System’s monospaced font scrolled in her heart.
System Services Resuming
New module found.… connecting… connecting
Connection success!
Modeling changes… complete
Collating simulated results…… done!
Resuming GUI services.
Echoing results to Sister… (づ๑ ᴗ ๑)づ
Ding.
Evolution Complete!
You have successfully finished your second grand mutation, Transcendence. Thanks to this action, your primary class path has evolved from ‘♥Magical Girl ♥ Galactic Sylvia♥’ into ‘Astral Princess’.
An astral princess is a lovely witch whose power and beauty inspires the envy of every girl in the cosmos. Embrace your cuteness and show the world your grace and elegance. Let your regal figure shape every lady’s fashion and ideal. Become the inspiration in women’s hearts!
…
Sylvia’s lips quirked. Then she snorted a laugh.
“I’m not even angry,” she said. Then she paused. “But the new class name is lacking.”
Eyes narrowed, she made a small tweak. Then, with a happy smile, her gaze turned to the next window.
New Class: ☆Astral Princess☆* +250 Hp/Mp* +25 all Physical Attributes* +45 all Magical Attributes
Your Tier has advanced, increasing your influence on the world:* +30% all fundamental attributes
Due to the mutation of your code, the following traits have emerged:
Trait: Great Galaxy Core (replaces: True Cosmic Core)* 120% Hp* 175% Mp* +50% Affinity and sensitivity* -20% Chaos spell costs
Nether cores support the stability and function of the phantasmal body. Every core represents a vital organ, the loss of which may result in death. Compared to the common core, this one provides enormous mana capacity, enhanced ether exchange, all with a moderate buff to lifeforce and ki.
Due to its elemental alignment, your galaxy core also improves your compatibility with the chaos domain elements. This provides a large increase to ether affinity and sensitivity with regards to chaos. You also gain the ability to nature, catalyze, or transmute chaos elements at will.
Finally, when using any chaos domain spell, the mana cost will be reduced.
Trait: Dungeon Administrator (replaces: Digitized Soul)* 5x digital processing speed* Local Administrator* System Node* Dungeon Attunement* Dungeon Travel* Dungeon Power
Your soul has been fully digitized and can now serve as a minor node in the System Network. This digital self attaches to your psychic core, with dense nerves extending throughout your local System kernel. All local processing is subject to your will, giving you absolute, irrevocable control over any System activity taking place in your soul.
In fact, your intellect is so heavily digitized, that your mind now resides as much in your soul as in your body. Therefore, even while dead, you’ll retain half your intellectual capacity.
System Node
You have sufficient processing resources to support the System activities of Level/10 gamers. So long as you provide this service, you are entitled to one virtual merit per month for every gamer you support. Virtual merit points can be used to purchase many system features but do not count as part of the lifetime merit earned. System activities hosted on your soul will be encrypted for privacy reasons. Attempting to violate that privacy may result in you being removed from the trusted node list.
Dungeon Attunement
By expending 2000 experience points, you may attune any dungeon core to your soul. From then on, you’ll be able to communicate with that dungeon core via Unus Mundus using a spiritual wave length. This communication is very difficult to block or intercept and allows a bandwidth according to your Spirit attribute. Currently, you can achieve a 387k baud transmission rate under standard conditions.
Furthermore, while near or attached to an attuned core, you may borrow the dungeon’s processing power to achieve full intellectual ability even while dead.
Note: If the dungeon is owned by the System, you’ll be charged cloud cash for all consumed dungeon resources.
Dungeon Travel
After eschewing your phantasmal body, you may fast travel to any dungeon to which you’re attuned. This process takes roughly 1 minute on-plane and 24 hours if the transport is interplanar. Any attuned dungeon can produce a husk to support your rapid resurrection. Production of husks must be queued and may incur a price in cloud cash.
Dungeon Power
While within Level meters of an attuned dungeon, you may borrow mana and blood resources from that dungeon. This will increase your mana, hp, and ki regeneration rates by 50% so long as the dungeon has sufficient resources to supply you.
“Just the two traits?” Sylvia questioned. Her pastel pink eyes shifted to the next window. “Oh, I see how this works. Now that I’ve reached Transcendence, I’m allowed to pick according to my preference.”
System Guided Evolution Unlocked!* Evolution Points: 3
Your soul has conquered your founding code, allowing for the smoother integration of new code snippets. Therefore, the System can now provide guided evolution. Please choose your desired traits from the System Evolution Interface. Be aware that only during a grand mutation can ‘2 point’ traits be selected.
Warning: All evolution points must be assigned before completing Transcendence. If your preferred evolution has not been chosen in the next: 1 hour, 58 minutes, 16 seconds, the System will select an evolutionary direction for you.
She set her evolutionary choices aside for the moment. First, she wanted to review what she’d gained.
At the start, was the prize of every grand mutation, the advancement of her core. Sylvia’s new heart provided a huge leap in hitpoints and maximum mana. Furthermore, her compatibility with chaos domain elements had increased. Gate would cost less mana, chaos ether would gather faster, and fate-based wishes would be more easily detected. She could even transmute chaos ether, with her core acting like a six element staff. With space dust alone she could fuel void, realm, law, causality, and fate magics.
Convenient.
The real meat of her evolution, however, was digitized soul. This was the foundation of Sylvia’s providence and the result was magnificent. Dungeon ddministrator boosted her digital processing speed by a large factor. Never mind Doom, she could probably run some rather advanced Earthside games on her local System. Her digital control, sensitivity, and awareness had likewise undergone a major improvement. She could, quite literally, feel everything happening on her server rack as though it was part of herself.
Including the actions of her rambunctious twin sister.
CutestSilverBird: (¬_¬)Pandora: (｡•́ •̀｡)Yaalon: ( ´･･)ﾉ(._.`)LonelyAsh: ???
The core of the new trait, however, was what came after. Sylvia would now retain most of her awareness when dead. Even better, she now had a clear escape route thanks to the dungeon travel feature. Without highly specialized spells and soul jars, she couldn’t be captured.
Of course, it’d be foolish to assume she was invincible. The netherworld had thousands of years of history. She wasn’t the first immortal who was tricky to catch.
“But it’s those virtual merit points that are the tastiest,” the silver-haired girl said excitedly. Why, that benefit alone would increase her monthly take by almost 50%. “I’m going to buy so many skill books in the future.”
Enough of review for now. She had a couple of traits to pick.
The System Evolution Interface listed traits from every bloodline submitted in the last fourteen years. Sylvia could even claim abilities like grace, swiftness, monstrous strength, brutality, and tough hide which were better fit for warrior-class gamers. There were also a plethora of nice traits for a witch like herself such as: mana aligned bones, keen senses, deep reservoir, mystic attunement, rapid intellect, and ether affinity.
“Putting aside everything else, I absolutely have to start with this one,” Sylvia said, noticing a particularly enticing morsel.
With the tap of a button, she snagged Advanced Elemental Palace at the cost of 2 evolution points.
Ding!
Trait: Advanced Elemental Palace (replaces: Improved Elemental Palace)* 25% Max Mp* 10.0 ether/second recovery
An elemental palace breathes and stores raw ether of a chosen element. This ether can be used during casting, increasing the efficiency of magic. Mana may also be natured or catalyzed to the corresponding element even when ether is not present.
As a biological organ, the elemental palace grows with the User. It can also be destroyed by your foes, representing a minor vulnerability. Ether recovery increases with Magic: Mysticism and the local ether density. It may also be enhanced through supporting traits.
Compared to the improved palace, the advanced palace can be aligned with any of the 24 elements regardless of domain.
To be transformed, an elemental palace must be first closed. Once closed it may be opened with the desired element.
Elemental palace was a core piece of Sylvia’s build. Better yet, with her extra palace trait. it was a buy one, get one free situation. The greater ether storage and gathering rates were nice. The core benefit, however, was easy access to two advanced primordial elements.
Very nice.
“For my last evolution point, I’m thinking keen senses or mystic attunement,” she mused.
Sylvia wanted a trait useful on and off the battlefield. The hunter class’s keen senses trait fit the bill. Sharper eyes were very useful during research. Mystic attunement served a similar purpose, though the enhancement in this case was specific to magical intent.
“Let’s go with mystic attunement,” she decided, tapping a button.
Ding!
Trait: Mystic Attunement II* +15% Dominion* +10% Mysticism* A moderate sense of magical intent
Your soul and body are attuned to the mystic energies of the world. You can summon and control greater amounts of energy and better dominate the local ether as needed. Your senses are better tuned to the secrets of the world. In particular, you’ll find yourself sensitive to the intent hidden within every form of magic.
“Now, let’s bring this to an end.”
Turning her gaze to the golden machine, Sylvia spared one last happy glance at her attributes.
Name: Sylvia Swallows Class: ☆Astral Princess☆Lv: 1362+210 Exp: 11,782 / 13,630Hp: 2,740 / 3,497 Mp: 7,776 / 9,577Str: 105 Mag: 385Vit: 105 Spr: 387Agl: 205 Wit: 385
Strength: 80+25Force: 676%Scaling: 205%
Vitality: 80+25Toughness: 676%Resilience: 205%
Agility: 180+25Celerity: 346%Precision: 305%
Magic: 340+45Dominion: 2452%Mysticism: 534%
Spirit: 342+45Integrity: 2142%Resolve: 487%
Wit: 340+45Awareness: 462%Capacity: 485%
-oOo-
Distribution of Demons
The following is the standard distribution of demons, fey, and celestials within the three major powers. Hell and the Fey Federation have rather similar ratios. Heaven, on the other hand, has a very unusual distribution resulting from its strict caste system.
Obstacles to Advancement
Various factors determine how far a soul in the netherworld will advance. Three play a particularly strong role: talent, wealth, and ambition. In Heaven, a second factor applies, which is government permission.
The majority of all demons, celestials, and fey are unconsolidated or first consolidation. Souls of this level live for around 500 to 1000 years. As such, the 10% to 15% of the Hell and Fey Federation populations that are unconsolidated are simply persons who have yet to complete their first consolidation. That is to say, they are children.
As for why there are such long delays, this is because low talent individuals often screw up their first couple of advancement attempts, forcing them to transmigrate before proceeding.
Upon reaching the first consolidation, the biggest obstacle to advancement is ambition and talent. Many immortals simply decide that their current cultivation level is ‘good enough’. This attitude is particularly common among those with an innate talent rating below 40%, as reaching the second consolidation demands a lot of time, effort and money.
Similar attitudes appear in the second consolidation, with Awakening being out of easy reach. Awakened demons, by contrast, can usually reach the third consolidation with effort. But many decide that they are already sufficiently elite.
By the time immortals reach their third consolidation, the majority of those remaining are full of ambition. Talent, however, remains an obstacle. By contrast, pretty much everyone who reaches Transcendence has the full trinity of talent, wealth, and ambition resulting in high rates of carry through into the fifth and sixth consolidations. Only Apotheosis remains as a major roadblock.
After reaching the arch level, the size of the soul becomes a problem. Due to taking part of the world into one’s being, the soul becomes stretched. This sharply limits growth, leaving only a handful of persons physically capable of reaching the seventh or eighth consolidations without killing themselves.