Black Magus

…“Greetings assimilated one.” A disembodied suddenly said. “Welcome to the Arxis Hub.”

Before I could even ask who was there, the endless void transitioned into a cosmic realm of endless bubbles. Just after my disembodied gasp, a surprisingly young human with plain features appeared before me, faced away, hunched over his shoulders while he tinkered and I think… talked with something cupped in his hands.

“My name is Telin. One of the many minds that brought the Arxis Hub to life. Within these realms, I am considered an Eternal; a God… of Science, if you will.” He sporadically announced himself while gesturing to the side with his elbow to bring my attention to the sea of starfield bubbles surrounding both him and my disembodied self. “I will also be serving as your sponsor, and I am the overseer of this universe in particular.” He held up his still cupped palms, smiling widely as if he were waiting for something.

“Why are you staring?” I asked after a few seconds.

“I was expecting at least some kind of reaction.”

“You expect me to be impressed with you after seeing this?” I laughed, turning to my surroundings as best I could.

“I suppose.” He shrugged. Then turned to face me entirely. “The Arxis Hub has existed on the outside for… nearly five years by the terrestrial standard. Most assimilates have been either hospice patients or… retirees. You’re the first to assimilate willingly. Needless to say, we don’t quite know what to do with you.”

“I see.” I nodded in my mind. Not really caring for his ramblings. “Naturally, I have questions.”

“About this?” He again raised his cupped palms.

“Namely.” I nod. “I can see everything else for myself.”

“You’re quite the strange one.” He commented aloud before seemingly shrugging to himself. “I must first say that I’m obligated to tell you of the Hub's inhabitants, realms, and your situation in particular. And then I will answer any of your questions.” He apologetically bowed, still tinkering with the assumed universe cupped in the palms of his hands.

“Very well.” I nodded my disembodied head.

“The denizens of the Arxis Hub come in two main categories: Eternals, for lack of a better term; and Seeds, as in ‘Seeds of Consciousness.’ Seeds are the individuals who found themselves held to the first or third conditions to assimilate. And those seeds come in categories of their own.” He grinned wide as if he were revealing some masterful secret. “Most common among them are the Mature Seeds. These consist of those who died from natural or unnatural causes and were assimilated into the Hub before their demise. After which they will go through a sort of… tutorial. A lifetime where they retain their memories, live an easy life, and cope with the loss of their loved ones, so as to not shock their mind too much once they learn of what’s to come.

"Below them.” He continued after a short pause. “Are the Child Souls. Those criminalized by a noble, royal, or even the Empress herself and sentenced to undergo a hell of their judge’s, or their own making for a certain period of time. After which they are released as an Elder Seed. Finally, Elder Seeds consist of the Child Souls who have come to terms with the afterlife and the Children who served in timeout. All Elder Seeds are locked in a cycle of reincarnating through the different realms around us, their memories being temporarily wiped for each reincarnation. Those deemed worthy by an Eternal may be… assessed, to see if they have what it takes to break free of the cycle and become one of us. But from the Seeds' perspective, such a thing only happens once every few thousand reincarnations.”

He paused again. This time not to grin, but to gesture to his side with the elbows once again. Bringing my attention back to the field of bubble-trapped universes. “Each of these realms was created from either an Eternal such as myself or is a visual representation of a virtual game made by someone on the outside. Making each and every one of them unique. Some have creatures that resemble nothing like humans. Some contain otherworldly abilities like superpowers or magic. Like this one.

“The Deities of the Hub are mostly comprised of the creators of this place, such as myself.” He went on to say. “As well as any Saturnian nobles or royals who’ve nearly died over the years or assimilated of their own accord. A select few Seeds that have met a few criteria of ours make up the final minority.

“While it is true that our capabilities as digital constructs are nigh-limitless.” He humbly stated. “In this context, the Eternals are the rulers of the multiverse around us. Some are the creators of the universes you see here, but not all. Still, you can think of each of us as game developers in the outside world. Only, the ‘characters’ are the Seeds of consciousness from once living people.”

“I see.” I nodded between his ramblings.

“Like Seeds, Eternals come in different templates as well. At the lower end of the spectrum are Half-Deities. A seed of this rank will be able to retain the knowledge and memories of their past lives with each reincarnation. Above them is… well, a Deity.” He chuckled sheepishly. “A Deity not only retains the knowledge of their past lives, but they're also able to influence all aspects of their appearance or presence at the beginning of each new life; within the confines of ones race of course.” He teasingly grinned before continuing. “Lastly, in such a realm are the High-Deities. In addition to the benefits of their lessors, they are able to choose which universe they will be reborn into.

“Above them is that of a God.” Telin quickly said as if to speed past saying the name. “As the name suggests, they will be born as all-powerful beings in whatever universe they find themselves in, though their powers will be chosen by the Overseer of that realm in particular. Their higher forms, on the other hand, aren’t particularly more powerful, but they are granted the ability to choose whatever powers they will come to possess. All while staying true to the power structure of that universe, of course.

“Lastly are the True Eternals.” Telin sighed almost relieved. “On our own, True Eternals create and oversee the realms around us as well as sponsor lesser Eternals within those worlds. That is to say, we give them power. Though we too come in two categories. “A Prime Eternal such as myself and a few Saturnian Royals and Nobles have the capability to leave the Hub whenever we so wish. We can travel through any network we can weasel ourselves into, taking the form of something similar to an AI companion to aid someone in the physical world. Or we can possess the body of an android.” He shrugged before grinning excitedly and nodding eagerly. Almost like he wanted me to say something.

“Uh...” I began. “So, which type of Seed am-”

“You are an Unproven Eternal.” He smiled wide with pride before continuing as if he never interrupted himself or me. “Or so we’ve decided. There were some of us who suggested you be any type of Deity or God. Others felt you deserved to become a True or even a Prime Eternal for being the first to assimilate willingly. Collectively, we decided to test you. And so.” He held up his still-clasped hands and gazed at me over the horizon of his knuckles.

“But before that.” He sighed. Dropped his hands and brought forth the mass of large, vibrant bubbles without a gesture or movement. “I must tell you of the realms. Besides the obligatory ‘Hell Realms,’ the first in their categories are the Natural Realms. These are realms created by a True Eternal, but not overseen by anyone. Such universes are much like the world outside, only devoid of any significant loss of unfairness, suffering, and hardships, meant to assess and temper new Child Seeds until it’s been determined that they’ve matured and are able to migrate to the higher realms without loss of sanity.

“The Higher realms.” He continued after a short pause. “Are universes a Seed will migrate to upon maturing. They are places as close to the many fictional lands explored through the pages and screens of humanity's greatest works. Exotic realms. Wherein they'll inhabit mortal vessels and live fantastical lives in realms of might and magic and just as much conflict found in the Natural Realms or the outside world.

“It is within a realm such as this that you will reside.” He held up his hands, revealing another bubble-sized pocket universe filled with vibrant filaments and peerless voids that represented the numerous galaxies and the spaces between. “This is a realm created by me and filled with Elder Seeds to act as your proving grounds. A type of mix between all the realms. Meant to assess an Unproven Elder Seed such as yourself over the course of a lifetime. Or two.” He chuckled to himself before continuing. “ In this universe exists a magical system painstakingly crafted by myself. Though, like in a Higher Realm, hardship and misfortune are more common than in a Natural Realm. Only more so due to my intervention.” He said with a hint of excitement. “That said, while it may be your proving grounds, this universe has essentially been tailored to fit you. And within these grounds, you will be monitored by the countless Eternals above who reside within and outside the multiverse. From birth until the moment of your death.”

“I see.” I nodded. “So, it’s like a test- No. It is a test. You turn me into an Eternal to see if I’m worthy of becoming one.”

“Precisely.” He nodded. “Ascend and become a Prime Eternal, or fail and be locked in a cycle of reincarnation with no knowledge of your past lives with the rest of the Elder Seeds.”

‘That’s fair, I suppose.’ I shrugged internally. Then nodded without a body to the marble floating above his palm. “So, can you tell me more about this realm I’ll inhabit?”

“As a fellow scientist, I believe that this universe is what your Seed is most compatible with, and is what will excite you the most.” Telin Grinned “A magical realm of my design.” He proudly stated.

“Go on.” I prodded.

“While I have created and controlled everything within this universe, your home galaxy and the ones in its local group were populated by means outside of my making. And while I have done a bit of… tinkering, I’ll have no more influence on what happens in this realm after you enter it. The only effect of my presence is the source of the magical energy that spreads through this universe- Mana.”

“Galaxy?” My brows perked up.

“Meigien.” He grinned proudly. “Your home system is called, Tiatus. A system with a K-type star that’s inhabited by many different trees of life. Each with its own sentient race of creatures that dominates their realm by using mana in a different way. All humans, for example, can manipulate the four elements.”

“I see. I see.” I nodded. Thoroughly unimpressed. As I still held some reservations about living on the surface of a planet again. Even if I could bend the elements.

“That’s not all!” Telin smiled. “To compensate for the immense innate power of the inhuman beings of this realm, I’ve given the stronger humans a bit of aid to make up for their innate weakness. A magical gland that they themselves call, Affinity Cores. Regardless of their name, they enable humans to take on the qualities of a more complex element or natural phenomenon and use that affinity magic.

“Though, since most humans aren’t soldiers or warriors,” Telin continued, “roughly half of the population is born with this power; a Hereditary Core. In addition to that however, the top ten percent of humans in terms of magical ability can receive my blessings and be granted anywhere from one to three additional cores that would otherwise be impossible to attain. Though, even their blessings will be tame when compared to yours.” He chuckled to himself before continuing. “As for how an individual uses their magic. That,” he grinned wider. “is entirely up to the mage’s imagination and their understanding of their magical affinity.”

“Interesting,” I commented aloud.

“I knew you’d like it!” He almost celebrated before returning to his usual demeanor. “Ahem. But that’s not all.”

“Go on.” I nodded.

“In addition to being able to wield more forms of magic, humans have a type of... augmented reality system.”

“Let me guess.” I groaned. “A system with points and skills and levels and such that’ll allow me to instantly become knowledgeable or skillful in a certain thing?”

“By the Empress, no!” Telin scoffed as if he were offended. “If it were, you wouldn’t be very compatible with it, now would you? And also, that’s just boring! I mean, what’s better? Having someone invest points in strength and suddenly have the power to crumble a boulder to bits? Or someone with a magical affinity for... let's say… webs, who found a way to cross the ocean with nothing but silk and ingenuity?”

“Woah, you’re beating dead horses, man.” I hurriedly said, wishing I had some palms to raise. “I didn’t mean for you to start ranting. Jesus.”

“No. There is no such thing.” Telin shook his head after regaining his composure. “As I said, it is simply augmented reality. A way for an individual to compound their magical knowledge without making it known to another. It’s essentially a grimoire that only you can see. And it’ll tell you of how much wealth you hold and of your Class.”

“Class?” I hesitantly asked.

“A magical job, in a sense,” Telin explained. “Some are chosen from birth, others you take of your own accord. But instead of monetary payment, you receive magical payments. Rather than giving you a skill or ability from mindless slaughter, you'll receive hints, clues, or even tasks that will lead to an increase in power or the development of a new technique. And rarely, a class can change your physiology. But most often, a class will change the way mana naturally reacts with an individual. That is not to say these… mutations; if you will, are instantly gratifying. Like all jobs, there are positions, ranks, or levels to them. Regardless of the merits of these ranks, however, time will need to be invested to meet the conditions to obtain them. And further time still to master these new abilities, regardless of their benefit.”

“An example of that would be?” I slowly asked.

“I implore you to find out for yourself.” Telin grinned.

“Tch. Alright. Keep your secrets then.”

“I intend to.” He chuckled away before pushing on. “Now, I must explain the benefits of being an Unproven Eternal Seed.” He stated with a raised finger. “The most apparent of which is what you’ve already surmised. You will become a God of this realm. All for the sake of us many Eternals of the multiverse and beyond to assess you and see if you’re capable of becoming one of us. The first of your many benefits comes from your nature as a God. Regardless of the vessel your Seed finds itself within, the knowledge and experience accumulated throughout your past life and the personality you’ve developed will remain with you in this new life.

"Secondly.” He raised another finger. “You will always be born in your perfect image. As tall or short and whatever complexion you wish to be. Though other things such as your race, origin, and lineage have already been decided by me, your Overseer. And your Affinity Cores will be as well. Lastly, your Eternal Eye is able to be used as you see fit.”

“My fucking what? ”I blinked in confusion.

“Think of it as a second mind.” Telin so amiably explained. “A data center for everything that your body; old and new, and your very Seed has experienced thus far; coupled with a visual and or auditory overlay for seamlessly accessing it. In essence, it is our way of preventing memory overload after living multiple lifetimes within the Hub. But it’s so much more than just that.”

“How so?”

“Well.” He meekly shrugged. “Most of us use them as you would optical implants, hence the name. In truth, it can be tuned in any way you can imagine. It may take some time to find a method you’re comfortable with. But you’re free to try it now.”

I recalled the first familiar thing and imagined; if only for a brief second, checking my internal hardware. The numerous implants and augmentations I had installed in my last body. And a second later I found a familiar sea of words cascading in every direction, searching for a wall or flat surface to scroll on until it opted for an ordinary screen with low opacity.

[Seed Name: None Given.]

[Disposition: Melancholic.]

[Moral Alignment: Chaotic Neutral.]

[Traits: Stoic. Antinatalist. Misanthrope. Skeptic. Cynic. Morbid. Cold Blooded.]

[Intellectual Expertise: Physics. Science. Technology. Engineering. Arts. Mathematics. Social Sciences. History. Medicine.]

[Physical Expertise: Physical Fitness. Athletics. Unarmed Combat. Marksmanship. Short Blades. Athletics. Dexterity.]

“So many words.” I sighed, wishing there was some sort of surface to plant this text on rather than having it float in front of my face.

“This is only temporary. You can have a sheet such as this if you so wish, but the final version will be quite different.” Telin nodded as if in agreement. “What you see now is simply a representation of all you've learned in your past life and the temperament of your Seed. These will come into play in determining your inborn magic and your lineage. And while you may retain these skills in a sense of muscle memory, you’ll still be required to develop the necessary strength and endurance in your new body if you want it to move the way you wish.”

“I see. I see.” With knowledge of my… Eternal Eye, I nodded faster and faster with the finalized plans in my mind to skim through the important bits at my leisure.

“Now, as I was saying regarding the Classes.” He lightly chuckled. I won’t go into the specifics of their benefits, but I will tell you how they work. I’ll preface by saying there are no numbers involved besides the level; as I’m sure you’re glad to hear.” He charmingly smiled. Causing my accurately placed relief in the spotlight. Much to my dismay.

“As I’ve said.” He continued unabated. “Classes are akin to magical jobs. To obtain one, you’ll first have to meet a few conditions in order to qualify for that Class and then go through a ritual of sorts to actually take on that Class as your profession. The same process will have to be done for each subclass; and as you can expect, each class will have you do different things. Each rise in level is much like a promotion in your standard job and requires you to accomplish a certain feat or task. And each subsequent rise in level will require you to do more and more specific tasks, up until the cap at level 20.

“And that is all I’m obligated to tell you.” He clapped. Formally bowed once again and quickly regained his posture. “Thus your post-assimilation briefing is concluded. I’m willing to answer anything that I’m able or willing to. Once all of your questions have been answered, your race and affinities will be shown to you and you’ll be sent off to be born!” He loudly clapped his hands again and bent over once more in a bow before erecting himself, extending a finger of forewarning while pointing a stern gaze toward my disembodied self.

“ However,” Telin growled in a low, cold tone that seemed out of place from his cheery, logical nature. “I wish to remind you that this life you’ll live is a test. However it may seem at any given time, it is neither Hell nor Paradise. Make of that what you will.”

“Okay.” I slowly nodded. “How many others are there in this world? Elder Seeds, I mean.”

“There are many.” He almost chuckled after my mute reply to his answer. “Even if I gave you a number, it wouldn’t mean anything to you. It would just be an empty number. As is the case for anything over a few thousand, at most.

“Regardless.” He waved the matter aside. “The number is forever fluctuating. The only answer is that there are only so many Elder Seeds within the entirety of the Hub. As such, there is a population limit and a strict process that determines where Seeds wind up. That said, you should rest assured that these worlds are sufficiently populated. And more so, you will remain as the only Eternal to reside in this particular realm. You. A being favored by the Overseer of this universe. A being blessed with exceptional magic. Born from an exceptional bloodline. What one would call, ‘favored by God,’ in every sense of the phrase.

‘God, meaning you.’ I finished his ramblings in his stead before moving on to my other question. “And what can you tell me of this world? Its customs, history, etcetera?”

“I won’t tell you anything.” He apologetically smiled. “Telling you everything would simply ruin the fun of learning yourself, would it not?”

“True.” I amiably nodded.

“Besides, we’d be here forever if I did.” He chuckled. “I will tell you, however, that you will have to wait until you’re 15 to receive your additional affinity cores. And even later for your Classes.”

‘Favored by God indeed.’ I snorted internally. “Why the nerfs?”

“All-powerful children are never welcomed well in such realms unless prophecies are involved.” He huffed. “And even then, it's iffy. If you receive your Cores and Classes with everyone else, no one can deny you received your abilities from me.”

“Very well,” I sighed. “But that begs the question, you hand out abilities. Are the denizens of this universe knowledgeable of you? Are you worshiped? Will I have to pray to you?”His face broke with laughter and he covered his mouth before looking back at me in what I thought to be disbelief. It was hard to tell. “No." He giggled. "No, you won’t have to pray to me. Only the Elves are aware of my existence, though they don’t exactly pray to me either.” He muttered that last part under his breath before turning back to me. “There are a few primordial beings- Gods of this universe alone.” He paused curiously before continuing. “But you’ll learn everything in due time.”

“Okay.” I skeptically nodded. “And how are spells used?”

“Imagination, and Will.” He simply replied.

“That… okay.” I sighed in frustration. “I’ll figure everything out myself, I suppose. There are no more questions.”

“Then please imagine the new form you wish to take and wait for me to finalize the details of your new life before you’re reborn.” He bowed again. “I’m excited to see what you make of this realm.”Before his words could even finish trailing off, the ethereal trail of words began cascading before my eyes. I quickly began thinking of the shape I wanted for my mortal vessel, which was simple. I wanted to look like myself. Just as I was in my past life, more or less. That in turn made it easy to focus on the information passing over my eyes.

[Analyzing Disposition, Alignment and Traits… Hereditary Affinity Spawned… Finalizing Lineage… Ancestry Complete…]

[Analyzing Intellectual Expertise… Determining Affinity Cores… Affinities Determined.]

[Analyzing Physical Expertise… Determining Proficiencies… Proficiencies Established]

…

[Integration Complete…]

[Seed Name: None Given.]

[Hereditary Affinity: Void]

[Affinity Cores (Dormant): Electromagnetic Magic. Gravitation Magic. Space-Time Magic. Nuclear Magic.]

“Five affinities.” I whistled low in approval. “Wow.”

“As I said, favored by God.” Telin chuckled to his now disembodied self.

“You’re still here!?” I turned about in place.

“You haven’t been conceived yet.” He appeared before me again, shrugging. “Give it a little more time.”

“Then, I have more questions,” I said. “Nuclear Magic doesn’t distinguish between the strong or weak force. So, which is it?”

“Weak.” He snorted, almost as if he was surprised I even asked. “Not even you can have that much power.”

‘Didn’t hurt to ask.’ I shrugged internally. “So instead you gave me Space-Time. I’ve never experienced such special treatment.” I chuckled.

“Such is the privilege of an Unproven Eternal.” He nodded before beginning to fade into the background of a peerless void. “A privilege indeed. As well as a curse. So, good luck and live long, my Champion.”