1 Little Miracles
"Kid, got any idea on what the Multiverse theory is all about?"
Coughing weakly, the child dressed in a hospital gown eyed the very much older man before him. "In a way… I've seen something like that in the comics my grandpa used to read for me."
"Good!" Clapping childishly, the old man motioned. "How about you tell me what you understand about the theory, then?"
"Eh~"
"Come on, humor this sack of undead bones." The old man pressed. "Who knows…? Maybe your answer might be correct."
"Hmm…"
The child crossed his arms akimbo miming the way the people in movies do it.
"Well, alright. But promise you won't laugh!"
"Scout's honor." The old man raised a hand as if taking an oath.
Nodding satisfyingly, the boy said. "The Multiverse theory… Um, it's something concerning multiple universes where there one person could be a plumber and the other a doctor, or like where our world doesn't have magic, but in others magic exist."
"A for effort." The old man smiled, enigmatically. "The Multiverse theory. How to best explain it…"
Looking around, the old man spotted the stairs before he enthusiastically snapped his fingers.
"Hah! How about we use the hospital stairs for an example."
"The stairs?" The boy raised a brow. "What's that got to do with the Multiverse theory?"
"Not much." The old man chirped. "But to be more specific, my example will be based on the mirrors placed at both sides of the stairs intersection. Standing between them both bounces your reflection between them both making it seem like you're appearing multiple times on both mirrors. That boy is the Multiverse theory. You're correct in the sense that there're more than one universes. But wrong when you described them as a multitude. Infinite. Even more than the stars in the dark vast universe… Not like we can see the stars with the way our world is today."
The boy tittered bitterly at the rather morbid joke, raising an arm to clench his hurting chest.
The old man seeing the boy's action, awkwardly coughed.
"Ahem. As I was saying; if there were a sentence to describe the Multiverse theory, it would be – a representation of dreams. A myriad sea of What Ifs? The reflection that you see on the mirror might not actually be your reflection. It could just be another you that is currently utilizing the mirror and miming your actions… An unlimited amount of stories spread across the cosmos. That for me, is the Multiverse theory."
The boy's eyes sparkled in awe at the old man's rather passionate explanation. In a way, the old man's words struck him more than he would ever admit.
Closing his eyes, the boy tried to imagine it. Worlds where he was a king, a hero, a white knight… Worlds apart from this one that brought him only sickness and pain ever since his conception…
But he couldn't.
No matter how much he would love to escape this hospital, ditch this miserable garments, ignore his rather deteriorating immune system… Reality would always blare back with an agonizing pain. This is his (painful) reality, and there is nothing that he could do to about it.
Sighing, the boy glared crossly at the old man.
"While the Multiverse theory sounds cool and all, why bring it up? We're supposed to be playing cards, you know."
"Sorry, sorry." The old man apologized. "Just wanted you to keep that in mind for the future."
"Why should I?"
The old man with white mane beard smiled cryptically.
"That remains yet to be seen."
ᴥᴥᴥᴥᴥᴥᴥᴥᴥᴥᴥᴥᴥᴥᴥᴥᴥᴥᴥ
The 18 year old boy sat on his wheelchair while starring at the acid rain behind the window pane. His respirator was off as he decided that he wanted to allow his mouth to have an intake of fresh air – however fake it may be.
"… ji."
'A representation of dreams, huh.' He commented dryly. 'Wonder where that strange old man could be… What am I saying? He's probably dead. 60's the prime life expectancy even when you're living inside of a geo-sphere. Not like the money's helping me anyways.'
"… inji!"
Sometimes the boy had half the mind to just take off this stupid respirator, get up from the damming wheelchair and experience the life of a normal teenager for just one day...
However brief it may be.
But gramps wouldn't want that. Gramps would want for him to fight for a chance of survival however small the percentage may be… But even gramps was gone.
He is all alone.
Upon feeling the bubbling tension in his chest, the boy hastily put on his respirator letting the purified air flow into his body.
Oh, how he hated this...
"… Shinji. Mr. Shinji!" A feminine voice from behind pulled Shinji's attention towards the light purple haired and red eyes nurse, who was his caretaker.
"Miss. Florence…"
The nurse shook her head bearing a stern expression.
"This is why I wanted you to be in your room. Now isn't a good time for taking a stroll."
Relaxing his chin on top the palm he placed on his wheelchair's arm, Shinji regarded his nurse.
"Despite the fact that the said stroll is within the hospital. A distinguished hospital that boasts of one of the most sanitized premises in the country?"
Huffing, Florence sighed dropping formalities. "Don't be such a smartass, Shinji. It doesn't suit you... Besides, you know your case is different. All it takes is just a simple cold to put you in a near death phase."
Shinji did shiver while smiling.
"Brrr… Not mincing words now, are we."
"Not in your case. I know you don't like that. So I won't bother doing it." Florence said with a smile as she wheeled him towards his room. "By the way, I heard it's shutting down today. YGGDRASIL, that is."
"Y-Yeah, that's right…" Shinji ostensibly replied in a calm tone – though Florence could spot Shinji's arms gripping the wheelchair tightly. "Florence, before this memory of mine fails me, yet again. Please take me back to my room… Believe I still owe one more Boss a solo-kill."
"You got it."
It took only a few minutes later, after they had both taken the elevator to the more exclusive section of hospital did they both stop as Shinji raised a hand for the scanner to open his room door – with a green glint and a beeping sound, they both entered his hospital chamber.
Though just calling it a chamber could be quite the understatement. It was an elite suite – comfortably wide enough for a king sized mattress to be placed in the middle with holographic HD TV set to serve as entertainment.
Though there were other luxuries strewn around, Shinji completely ignored them heading wheeled straight for his bed. Upon laying on it, Shinji produced a pad on his person, tapping upon it triggered a segment of the wall above him to detach into the form of a transparent helmet which slowly trundled downwards.
Shinji weakly clicked his tongue in annoyance at the sluggishness of the machine which elicited a chuckle from Florence who promptly removed the slowly moving helmet from the wall, fastening it on Shinji.
"Thanks." Shinji muttered, making himself comfortable on the king-sized bed.
"It's part of my job's description." Florence replied, while she made the final adjustments. "Alright, preliminary scans have shown that you're good to go... So, see you in some hours, YGGDRASIL's no. 1 player."
"Stop calling me that."
"But it's true, isn't it?"
"…" Pouting, Shinji didn't deign to answer his nurse.
"Link start!"
And darkness overtook him with the sound of Florence's pearly laughter ringing in the background.
ᴥᴥᴥᴥᴥᴥᴥᴥᴥᴥᴥᴥᴥᴥᴥᴥᴥᴥᴥ
The land rumbled in theatrics as the World Boss ⸢Time Titan-Cronus⸥ crashed to the ground with the humanoid monster Player looking on impassively.
[System Announcement to the 9 Realms!]
[World Boss ⸢Time Titan-Cronus⸥ had been defeated by Player 'Lord Azoth'!]
"Whelp, what can I say?" Shinji or rather, Lord Azoth huffed rather smugly. "Cronus wasn't really at my level."
Outfitted in his custom-made Divine Grade set [Mytas Vájrä] – which was a dark jagged armor with a four horned helm and cape with a dark wispy effect, and the [Lævateinn] a fiery sword of the same grade. The fiery crocodile-like demon looked back in confusion before he belatedly realized that he was all alone – his 'partner' is no more with him.
With a despondent sigh, Lord Azoth lifted a hand and dramatically pointed it towards the World Boss.
«Parasitize»
A large spell dome instantly materialized as the Super-Tier Spell took immediate effect. From his cape, dark like veins spread out enveloping the World Boss, consuming him and adding his strength to Lord Azoth's own... Not like it'll matter much anyway.
[For defeating the World Boss ⸢ Time Titan-Cronus⸥ you have earned]
[Divine Grade Item: Earth Ripper (Gauntlet), Batara Kala (Double Axe), Legendary Grade Item: Touting Roar (Firearm), Relic Grade Item: Elysium's Worthy (Armor set)]
[20,000 Star Silver ores, and 350,000 gold coins]
[For being the first to Solo kill the World Boss ⸢Time Titan-Cronus⸥ you have earned]
[World Item: Cruel Reaper (Scythe)]
[Divine Grade Item: Father Time (Helmet set)]
[100,000 Celestial Uranium ores, 25,000 Scarletite ores, and 750,000 gold coins]
Lord Azoth whistled with a sweatdropped emoticon.
"If I had received these drops during YGGDRASIL's golden era, the entire server would have been after my head… Now though, they'll probably see it as a player's last laugh."
The «Parasitize» spell had finished its effect with the World Boss finally disappearing into golden motes of light.
"Now that's done, it's on to that one final place…"
With a dramatic effect of fiery chains wrapping around the 9 foot humanoid heteromorphic, Lord Azoth vanished into the red flames and in its place was a well fitted human in Relic grade armor.
Smiling, Lord Azoth ignored the slight pain in his heart, opening a «Gate» towards a lone mountain-top in Asgard; a realm meant for humans and beast-kins.
It wasn't that he was afraid of being PKed in his heteromorphic form, he just didn't want to risk killing the idiots who might see him as prey – Lord Azoth didn't want to prevent them from seeing YGGDRASIL's end with him.
Closing his eyes, Lord Azoth remised of decade spent playing the game. Candidly speaking, after 3 years spent in YGGDRASIL, apart from its wide customization options, the VR gamed had begun losing its appeal, but...
"Why don't you go out and explore the 9 Realms."
"Eh~ why should I, grandpa? There're other games with better visuals and still the same lore—"
"But not the same freedom… Shinji, or should I call you, Lord Cãmpæ. I assure you that as one who has seen this game from its conception, I know what YGGDRASIL fully offers… Ok, how about a bet."
"Bet? Bet on what?"
"Play YGGDRASIL for 3 more months. This time don't hunker down in the safe zones. Go out; see the world, be the hero we both used to read about or even roleplay as a villain. This VR game… This world is more wonderful that you think. But in case the appeal still isn't there, then I won't fault you for stopping."
"Hmm… Alright, I'll take the bet. But if, no, when I win, we get to play the Galaxy War VR I've been hearing about, ok?"
"… Heh, it's a deal."
[23:50:3]
"You won, gramps." Lord Azoth muttered before standing up and shouting to fake night sky. "You were right all along. I played. I explored… I adventured. YGGDRASIL was all you said it would be and more! You heard me, right?! You won the bet, gramps! I, Lord Azoth admit defeat!"
Breathing heavily, Lord Azoth fell down on lush grass, looking upwards at the twinkling stars which was marred by the countdown timer at his peripheral.
[23:52:16]
Lord Azoth didn't want this to end, but what could he do. Just like how he didn't want his grampa to die, or how he wanted the surgeries or the hellish spams or the sudden seizures or the sudden strokes to stop, Lord Azoth knew there was nothing he could do about it.
This was his painful reality.
[23:58:40]
"But even so..."
The YGGDRASIL player smiled as the fireworks began.
"I'm satisfied. The journey, the discovery, the loss, the victories… All of it. If by the time a YGGDRASIL II opens, and I'm not there to play it. The veterans will remember one Lord Azoth, Hero of the 9 Realms, and a super-tier player… Hahahahaha! Now that's one corny joke I wouldn't want Florence hearing."
[23:59:56]
"Goodbye, YGGDRASIL…"
[23:59:59]
"Goodbye, gramps…"
[00:00:00]
So the world abruptly ended... ... ... and abruptly began.
ᴥᴥᴥᴥᴥᴥᴥᴥᴥᴥᴥᴥᴥᴥᴥᴥᴥᴥᴥ
"Ni-san?"
Lord Azoth opened his eyes, realizing that he was seated on a chair in a room he did not realize.
"Eh?"
Blinking in bemusement, Lord Azoth looked around still seated, taking on the foreignness of the room and of himself.
"Am I still in the game?" He muttered in befuddlement, but then an armored hand went towards his throat in shock. "My voice... What's happened to my voice?"
Rather than a sickly voice, his voice now had a rich yet light baritone to it... Wait, how is he even talking right now? YGGDRASIL never had that kind of feature, and more importantly…
Lord Azoth stilled in preparation before taking in a deep breath, waiting for the lancing pain that usually comes right after… Nothing happened. Rather, Lord Azoth felt his respiratory system continue on as normal, and that wasn't all – he felt powerful, like a limitless well of power is currently coursing through him.
Could this be…?
To test his suspicion, Lord Azoth casted « Self-Viewing» It was a 1st tier spell, one normally used when customizing Avatars and Game Item.
In this situation, it would be a confirmation of his inane doubts.
Feeling an insignificant quantity of something being dipped, Lord Azoth gagged in amazement as a hovering round mirror manifested in reality.
"Ha... Hahahahahah! What the hell is this?!" A handsome white hair teenager bearing heterochromia eyes of sky blue and blood red stared at his new visage in tremor. "My face, my voice, my sickness, and this power… Blazes, could this be some sort of shonen reincarnation?"
"N-Ni-san."
Breaking off from his thoughts, Lord Azoth— no, he isn't in YGGDRASIL, anymore. Shinji lifted his head as he took note of the purple haired girl in his room.
"Saku... Ra?"
Shinji felt like a dam had opened in his head as memories of life he didn't live gushed in. Memories of anger, loneliness, false-pride, resignation, bitterness – it was a life of, in crude words, a boy who was molded into a piece of shit by his surroundings, with the said piece of shit about to do something quite unthinkable to his sister because of some fucking worm's doing.
The same worm that killed his mother right in front of him!
Shinji could feel it – his ⸢ Azi Dahaka Personalities⸥ struggling behind their seals. Each and every one of them carved for blood, and Shinji is inclined to agree with them.
Today, Zouken must die... But first.
Standing up, Shinji headed towards Sakura who responded by shrinking back in fear.
'Ah... I really must have been a piece of shit to her.' Shinji thought as he stopped a few feet away from her. 'I can't even fathom on how I could make it up to her... Really, former me is a dick. Nevertheless, I can still aid her with this.'
"Sakura, I want you to brace yourself."
Seeing the confuse look on her face, Shinji smiled a bit in assurance – even though he knew that this isn't the face she wants to do the assuring.
"I'm putting an end to everything... I know I'm not making much sense, but... Trust me. This is the last time you'd be going to that pit... As of today, I'm ending the Matous. Too many have died for one old worm to live."
«Grand Purification»
A golden beam with the spell symbol of a YGGDRASIL Cherubim enveloped Sakura, its luminesce was such that it lighted up the glooming house with its sacred presence.
From what Shinji could gleam from his past-self memories. Zouken had been dumping Sakura in that worm infested pit for something quite nefarious. Well, he reckons that a 9th tier purifying spell might do the trick, and from the looks of it, it's working.
Shinji promptly caught Sakura who was swaying on her feet and placed her on his bed.
"Ni-san. What did you do?" Sakura weakly asked.
"Something quite out of character." Shinji replied jauntily.
His enhanced senses could pick up the screech that rang out from a corner of the house, in response, Shinji quickly casted «Rift Dome» and «Holy Cowl» to prevent Zouken from escaping. This ends today, and he would not allow even one worm to escape this house.
"Take a light nap, little sis." Shinji muttered, making way for the door. "By the time you wake up, everything's gonna' be alright."
«Veil of Moon»
«Wall of Protection from Curses»
«Sacred Sanctuary»
With the spells in place to put his (non)heart at ease, Shinji pulled out an Epic grade Holy-Type spear from his [ Storage] moving ahead for one last concentration with his grandfather.
"Now that I think about it. We really aren't much different, Zouken."
The left eye blazed in azure flames, while the other sclera tainted black with a gleaming red cornea. Streaking down the later face side were dark veiny marks.
"Let's have a good ole monster PvP, shall we."
