The Newt and Demon-8.87 - Connection Established
[System Reboot]
Rebooting system…
Calculating…
Removing local system-based attachments…
Establishing connection with Grand System…
ERROR: Connection expired. Establishing…
Elapsed time: 1 cycle.
Message (Grand System): Incompatible. Recommend reconfigure.
Reconfiguring…
Elapsed time: 5 cycles.
Message (Grand System): Errors persist. Resolve.
Resolving…
Elapsed time: 3 cycles.
Message (Grand System): Acceptable errors. Establish long-term resolution… Adjusting… Accurate solution found, estimated time to completion: 500 cycles. Report planets, lifeforms, system, purpose.
[Report: Iaredin]
Size: 4,000 planetary distance units.
Population: 0
Features: Mana-rich environment, landmasses and oceans, world anchors.
Description:
Iaredin, originally a world planned for integration into the Grand System, was home to several sapient lifeforms. These include the vulbet, maeth, human, tapu, and elven races. Currently, the surface of the planet is devoid of life as this unit reforms its features. Mana instability is great, showing no signs of release anytime soon. Infusion of Grand System (celestial) energies reveals decent progress to a stable world.
Iaredin is the most important planet in the system, representing the Anchor World. This unit plans to invest many resources into its stability.
[Response]
Recommend redoubling of efforts to stabilize. Next.
[Report: Tero’gal (and Tol’bak the moon)]
Size: 10,000 planetary distance units (Tero’gal), 4,000 planetary distance units (Tol’bak).
Population: 500,000 (combined, fluctuating).
Features: Thrones of Power (Dreamer, Dreamwalker), varied landscape, powerful mana presence, Gates.
Description:
Two worlds under the authority of the Dreamer and Dreamwalker, these planets represent the first in several in the Middle Realms. The creation of these planets was done so by the effort of the Dreamer and Dreamwalker through use of Ascendant Authority, a now-defunct sector feature, and the combined will of a soul-bond. Both worlds have prospered, revealing the tenacity of the people settled here. This unit’s estimation is that both Tero’gal and Tol’bak will continue to be the most stable worlds in the sector.
[Response]
No recommendation. Existence of “Middle Realms” acceptable as per Grand System designs. Next.
[Report: Erradon]
Size: 8,000 planetary distance units (curious to note. Read below).
Population: 80,000 (diminishing due to war).
Features: Throne of Power (Herald), landscape copied from Iaredin, intense mana, one-way gates.
Description:
Erradon is a troublesome world. The creator, Fenian (originally Ivaran), is an idiot. This unit is unsure if he was aware, but he created a world of war. This world exists for the purpose of making people stronger, which means everyone is fighting all the time. Currently, the planet is on fire. Not figuratively. 25% of the current land mass is burning. Originally, the world was created in Iaredin’s image. But as the worlds reset, Erradon grew, making the landscape skewed. This unit is unsure how to proceed, since the owner is too stubborn to listen.
[Response]
Do not invest resources. Let it burn. Next.
[Report: Khahak]
Size: 15,000 planetary distance units (strangely large).
Population: 1.5 million (growing due to stability).
Features: Throne of Power (Arbiter), Arbiter’s Citadel, massive cities, central hubs, incredible organization.
Description:
This unit doubts there is a better example of a well-run planet than Khahak. The owner, Khahar (Formerly Yuri), has prepared his people well for this task. He has established massive cities, large trading hubs, industrial zones, administrative mastery, and more items than can be listed here. Everyone on this planet is cared for. Dungeons are regulated and cleared with brutal efficiency. This unit cannot be more satisfied with this world. The planet also has a moon, which is currently not in use.
[Response]
Interesting. No action required. List more relevant details.
Unauthorized duplication: this narrative has been taken without consent. Report sightings.
[Report: Antalis and Telbaris]
Size: 3,000 planetary distance units (each).
Population: 10,000 (diminishing due to lacking resources).
Features: Almost none. 𝘧𝓇ℯℯ𝑤ℯ𝘣𝓃ℴ𝓋𝑒𝑙.𝑐𝘰𝑚
Description:
There are people on the moons of the mortal world. This unit has no record of how they got there, other than the current “Emperor of the Moons,” Uharis Banetouched. Somehow, this man has learned, on his own, how to cultivate celestial energy and has been gathering power. This unit is unsure how to contain him, since he grows in power even now.
[Response]
Seal passage from the moons.
Report completed. Please stand by while Grand System injects establishment protocols.
***
Theo, Tresk, Khahar, and Fenian all felt it at the same time. Something pulled at them, dragging them through space and forcing them into something. The alchemist was the first to resist, but he could do nothing. The intensity of the pull was unlike anything he had experienced and his willpower was crushed like a bug underfoot. It took only a few moments for the change to happen, and before he knew it, he was standing in a massive, white marble room with almost no features. The only thing in sight were torches that burned on the walls, and the flickering light they cast.
“I’m gonna puke,” Tresk said, falling to her knees.
“Oh, it wasn’t so bad!” Fenian said with a laugh. He looked around, tapping his chin in confusion. “Ten years? We had to wait ten years for this?”
Khahar walked through the space, studying every surface. “This was expected. Perhaps not 10 years, but we’ve had a good time… right? Time to get back to work.”
Theo yawned, finding it all a bit boring. He wouldn’t even lie to himself. This new life, a life where he wasn’t required to do almost anything, was lovely. He didn’t want it to stop. “I’ve got a date with a hammock. If we could speed this up a bit.”
The group walked around the space for some time, but nothing happened at first. Finally, all felt something racing through their chests. Theo let out a laugh when a message finally appeared.
[System Reset Completed]
Removing all cores…
Resetting personal level to 1…
Adding core exception for Dreamwalker’s Core…
Setting Dreamwalker’s Core to Level 100…
Adding core exception for Tara’hek Core…
Setting Tara’hek Core to Level 100…
Establishing connection with local Voidspace…
Establishing connection with local Twilight.
Establishing connection with distant Voidspace… ERROR, DENIED.
Authority established. Please get to work, Dreamwalker.
“My gods… I’m so weak,” Fenian said, releasing a heavy sigh.
Khahar flexed his hands, smiling to himself. “I can feel my connection… How about you guys?”
Theo reached out with his senses, something he hadn’t done for 10 years. It was different. He wasn’t using his willpower to do it, but the core itself. He could use it more freely, and soon found his mind locked onto the void… Or was it this new Voidspace? It felt different, like a series of rooms sprawling on toward the horizon forever. He took one step toward those spaces, and felt himself falling toward it. The alchemist stopped before accidentally teleporting.
“My connection is back,” Theo said, gritting his teeth. “I can travel through the void again.”
Tresk’s eyes went a milky color, a smile spreading across her face. “I can see dreams again!”
Fenian vanished for a moment, and returned an instant later. “I can teleport to the mortal world. Only Shards, apparently. Oh, this room is called the ‘Meeting place of the Throneholders.’”
“Not the best name,” Khahar grumbled. “I guess we’re supposed to meet here. Everyone has a teleportation power, right?”
The group took a moment to confirm. Everyone could teleport to their own planet and the meeting place. Theo and Fenian could teleport other places, and Khahar was certain he had conditional teleportation based on his position as the Arbiter.
“Ah, finally,” Khahar said, shaking his head. “I can petition the gods.”
“Really?” Tresk asked. “Tell them I want a pony on my world.”
“Just one pony?” Fenian asked.
“Okay. Maybe two.”
“I’ll request quite a few things.” Khahar’s eyes were locked on something in the middle-distance. He was clearly interacting with a system screen.
Theo couldn’t remember the last time he had seen one. The reset message he got after teleporting was the first one he’d seen in ten years, he realized. Before that, he saw messages every day. It was such a strange sensation that he didn’t know what to do with himself. He had known this was where it would come to. All that work he had done brought him here. This was the end of his old road, and the start of a new one.
“We gotta get some furniture,” Tresk complained. “Look at this place. All barren and boring. I’m not hanging out in a secret base unless it has a decent sofa.”
“Agreed,” Fenian said. “I’m bringing along a bed. My planet is currently on fire, which you can imagine isn’t pleasant.”
“Your plan is to live here?” Theo asked, raising an eyebrow. “Interesting strategy.”
“Oh!” Fenian said, clutching his hand over his chest. “What’s that?”
Something had appeared in the center of the room. Theo cocked his head to one side. It was a bulletin board with quite a few sheets of paper pinned into the surface. He approached, reading through a few of them before letting out a soft laugh. “A mission board. Seriously?”
“What, we’re supposed to fix all these things?” Tresk asked. “Someone with nightmares. Another guy with nightmares. Dream demons. Eldritch entities.”
“Mine are all about the mortal world,” Fenian said. It seemed as though no matter which paper anyone plucked from the board, the moment they touched it the text changed to suit their role. “Oh, they all have rewards.”
Theo’s missions were all about the new Voidspace, which meant he would be working with the god Void for a while. Void was an okay guy, so he didn’t mind that much. But the volume of work wasn’t something he was looking forward to. Then again, this was the price of power. They had all signed their lives away to protect the planet, and now they’d have to pay the price. The alchemist didn’t mind, although he guessed he wasn’t much of an alchemist anymore.
“There we go,” Khahar said. “I sent a list of things to the gods, and we’ll see if they respond. The system gave me a message saying they’d be busy for a while. Apparently there’s a decent war going on.”
“Cool. Five seconds into the new world, and they’re all killing each other,” Tresk said. “I’d expect nothing less.”
“We all have a lot of work to do,” Khahar said, standing up tall. He was their leader, in a way, so Theo paid attention. “This is the end of many years of planning, so we can’t screw it up now. Everyone here knows what they signed up for, so I don’t wanna hear any bitching, okay?”
“Yes, sir!” Theo and Tresk said at the same time. They both shared a smile. The Tara’hek was growing stronger yet again.
Fenian produced a snappy salute. “Let’s do it!”
“Right,” Khahar said, pulling a paper from the board. He read over the sheet before frowning. “I don’t know how it happened, but a space worm is attacking Erradon.”
“That was fast,” Fenian said. “First I’m hearing of this.”
“Fenian, Theo, I think this one goes to you,” Khahar said, holding the sheet out. “Do you have something to work on, Tresk?”
Tresk waved her sheet through the air. “Yep. Eldritch monsters are attacking people’s dreams on your planet. Something about a cult.”
Khahar snapped his fingers. “I knew there was a cult… Okay. Everyone has their tasks. I know we’ve been hanging out for a decade, but we need to get to work. If you have any trouble, we’ll meet back here.”
“Let’s do it!” Tresk shouted. Then she sat on the ground, her eyes going milky again.
“Giant worms,” Fenian let out a contented sigh. “Sounds fun. I’ll meet you there, Theo.”
Nodding, Theo turned to watch Khahar vanish. With Tresk busy with dreams, he stood alone in their new meeting room. He studied the cracks between the stones, watching as the light flickered through the area. Things had been hard. He’d seen a lot since he arrived on Iaredin. Now he bid farewell to that world and the life it helped create. With a sincere hope in his heart, he fell through reality and arrived in a strange environment.
As Theo pressed forward, trudging through unfamiliar swampland, he couldn’t help but wonder. What would the next generation do for the sector? What kind of people were still waiting in the queue? And what plans did people like Kuzan and Leon have? Who would write their story, and who would be there to read it?
There was only one way to find out.
