Leveling up the World

Chapter 1000: Of a Thousand Instances

Everything froze still. Instinctively, Dallion tried to reach out and shatter the yellow rectangle that remained in front of his face. Unlike every time in the past, the rectangle felt hard and solid.

That’s new, Dallion thought as the rectangle floated backwards.

“Rocket, are you okay?” he asked.

The guardian didn’t reply.

“Aqui?”

There was no response from the dragon, either.

Reaching out, Dallion grabbed hold of the yellow rectangle.

“Do your thing, Nox.” He looked at the glowing shape.

It remained completely whole. Clearly, whatever had stopped time, had only allowed him to keep moving. Another interesting fact was gravity, or rather its return. Dallion felt he was being pulled into the seat, though not in the crushing way like during launch.

That wasn’t all that had returned. Using his magic vision, he could see a thick layer of magic outside the capsule. It had spread everywhere, covering it like thick syrup. Strangely enough, that’s where it stopped, as if forbidden to leak inside.

That’s new. Using some of his internal magic, Dallion cast a three-circle opening spell. Eventually, the hatch swung open, revealing an endlessness of orange threads. If Dallion didn’t know better, he’d have thought he had somehow found himself close to the sun. There was no heat coming from outside, although with his spacesuit Dallion couldn’t tell for certain.

As he sat there, the hatch moved away on its own. Someone was inviting Dallion to step outside.

It’s not like you’re giving me any choice, Dallion thought, then cast a flight spell on himself and split into three instances.

Ready for anything, Dallion floated through the opening. The orange threads of magic were endless, flowing around the capsule like strands of honey. A short distance away, floating in the nothingness just like him, was a female figure wearing a glowing yellow robe. Her features appeared human, but at the same time didn’t. Long yellow hair flowed down her slender shoulders, reaching all the way to her ankles.

“Hello, Dal,” she said. “It’s nice to see you face to face at last.”

“You’re the Eighth Moon,” Dallion said, aware of the significance of his statement.

“You can call me Luna.” The woman smiled.

“Luna?”

“It’s a name you’re used to. A lot better than ‘Eighth Moon’.”

She probably was going by human naming conventions. Even so, Luna was better, indeed.

“I’m surprised you made it here.”

“You didn’t think I’d manage?” Dallion floated a few feet closer.

“No one is supposed to make it here. No awakened, at least. The girl came close, but even she just passed by. Astreza was furious, of course, but then again, he was always the most protective of me.”

Maybe the Star’s use of void matter had something to do with it, Dallion thought.

“You know why I’ve come,” Dallion quickly said, remembering that Moons could read thoughts.

“Yes. You want to become part of the world’s life again.”

“I want to become part of Eury’s life,” Dallion corrected. “I can live with no one else knowing who I am.”

“Really?” Luna seemed surprised. “Why would you?”

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“Are you offering to restore everyone’s memories of me?”

“Oh, Dal.” The woman shook her head. “All that traveling and leveling up and you still haven’t realized the key element.”

Luna snapped her fingers. Part of the orange threads moved to the side, revealing the awakened world. It was a lot closer than Dallion imagined, providing a clear view of a massive city. Some might say it was the largest city in the world, and one Dallion could recognize.

“Alliance…” he whispered.

It had changed considerably, becoming a bit wider and a lot taller. The architecture style was a lot more artistic, almost as if they were approaching the equivalent of the human Renaissance.

“Didn’t you ever wonder why you had memories of the time before your awakening?” Luna asked.

“Because I took the consciousness of someone who was born there,” he replied without a moment’s thought.

“Two Dallions?” Luna tilted her head. “Physically identical and sharing the same name? Or do you think that every person in the seven worlds has a copy here? The truth is that there was just you. Everyone else was nothing more than a memory.”

“There never was a Dallion in the awakened world?” How could that be? Dallion could clearly remember his childhood—his non-Earthly childhood. His crush on Gloria, him being bullied by Veil and others… him growing up along with his parents, and later his brother Linner. All that had to be real.

“There only ever was one Dallion.” The woman pointed at him. “You. After your talk with Astreza, when you broke through your first barrier, you brought your past along with you.” She paused. “Actually, no. That’s not correct. A past was created for you based on your aspirations, fears, and shortcomings.”

My entire past was just a memory?

“The past is always just memories—memories for the world. The things that happened before your awakening actually happened; they were just added after the fact. If one were to destroy a castle in their past, a castle would be destroyed to accommodate, at which point the memory would become reality.”

“But only as long as I’m within the realm,” Dallion said bitterly.

“Or after it as well. The guardians of the world make that choice. Just as they create memories for people upon entering, they might choose to erase them after they leave. That’s what rules are for.”

And also the reason everyone, even Star cultists and the physical embodiment of the void abided by those rules. No one wanted to be ejected from the world without a trace.

“Architects are the sole exception,” Luna continued. “When leveling up reality itself, you can no longer remain part of it. The more philosophical would say that the creator couldn’t be his own creation.”

“Why?” Dallion looked her in the eyes. “Why go through all the trouble of creating fake realities and filling them with people that have false memories?”

“False?” Confusion covered Luna’s expression. “They aren’t false. They are just created so you can exist in the world. Your old memories remain.”

Yet, there was no telling how real those were, either. If there was one example of a person’s past being created, why shouldn’t the same be true for all other aspects of life? Had Dallion actually agreed to his awakening? Had he really applied to college? Did he even exist?

Clusters of doubt filled his body. Was Euryale a lie as well? No. She had to be real. Everything they’d been through, all their experiences, weren’t just some collage of events. If they were fake, Dallion wouldn’t have gotten here, far less have this conversation.

“That’s right.” The woman nodded. “That’s precisely why we bring you here. In my world, I and the Moons can recreate anything, but we can do just that. We are incapable of developing on our own. Without new memories and experiences to pour in, there’s nothing that could be built. This place will remain a rock, waiting for others to set foot on it in the hopes that one day it would become something more.”

“You can’t level up.”

The notion was amusing in its absurdity. This whole push for people to defeat their fears and become the strongest in the world was for the Moons’ benefit, as it was for the people involved. No! The Moons relied on it far more than anyone else. Without Architects this place would remain as it had always been—one static scene of which even the participants would eventually lose interest.

“You need me,” Dallion noted, calm returning to his being. “Not just Architects, but people to make everything happen.”

“When the old races inhabited my world, I was confident that they would help me grow. When they stopped and united against me instead, I had no choice but to banish them. It wasn’t because I wanted to, it wasn’t because I was upset. Without growing, I had no reason for being.”

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“And then you cast a spell.”

It must have been the greatest spell of all time. To achieve what she had, Luna must have split into millions, possibly billions, of instances and, in those instances, chosen seven worlds to help her grow. Each world would be responsible for bringing in otherworlders and through them helping the world grow, while she entered a long state of sleep to regain a fraction of her former strength. In all likelihood, she’d never be able to return to what she was, only occasionally freezing time, revealing herself for a fraction of a moment.

That was why she had made the effort to greet Dallion—to explain the power he held. He wouldn’t be allowed to take over the world; the Seven Moons wouldn’t allow it, and despite everything, he’d never be able to defeat them in a direct fight. However, he still had the gift of creation. With a single thought, he could change the history of the world and transform himself into a noble emperor, leader of a new Order, or just an ordinary hunter to spend the rest of his days with his wife in the wilderness. He could do all that and so much more, and the awakened world would accept it.

“I see you get it.” Luna covered the view of Alliance with her magic threads. “You’ll still have to get down there,” she added. “Right now, you’re ten seconds from crashing into the wild forest a day’s flight from the world’s greatest city.”

“Is Eury there?”

“No. You’ll have to find her on your own. With your skills, that would hardly be difficult. I’d give it a week at most. Still, if you need help, you can always ask one of the Seven Moons.”

“I think I prefer to manage on my own,” Dallion replied. “No offense.”

“I understand.”

“It was nice talking to you. I didn’t think I ever would.”

“Maybe there will be other opportunities.” Glowing yellow particles started flowing off of Luna’s figure. “The chances are small, but one can hope…” she continued to fade away, becoming one with the magic threads.

“Time will tell.” Dallion turned around, floating towards the capsule. “Just one thing.” He glanced over his shoulder. “Everyone else lost the will to return the moment they returned to their world. Why am I different?”

“Why?” Luna sighed. “You were always meant to return, for the same reason Euryale didn’t forget you. Both of you are in each other’s world as well as their own. You had no choice but to return.”

“The aria.” Dallion laughed internally. When the creature had emerged from the stone orchid, it had linked both of them together, making them part of each other’s memories. There was no way of telling whether that was a coincidence born purely out of the dedication and strife Dallion had put in order to make Euryale his wife or Felygn had tipped the scales in his favor just a bit. Dallion would never know. All that mattered now was that after eight years, they would finally be reunited once more.

* * *

It was said that after purging out the void and bringing all races back from banishment, the Architect vanished from the world. Not a single soul, even the great emperors, could remember who he was or what he looked like. Yet, they remembered his deeds. Thus, with the Moons’ blessings, each of them decreed that everyone in their domains would live their life as he had: caring, generous, helping human, plant, animal and guardian alike; and in doing so, the great age of the world would continue forever.

Yet just as poetic sagas, historical accounts, and philosophical tomes were written on the matter, rumors spread through the awakened. According to some, it was said that the Architect had secretly returned on a tower of sky silver, ready to accept the challenge of anyone who manages to find him. Should the challengers prove strong or otherwise pique his interest, the Architect would make them his disciples and teach them all the skills he kept hidden from the world.

The rumors were denied and ridiculed by all the rulers, of course, but that didn’t keep awakened from trying, as they had been in secret ever since the start of the new age.

“It must be in the ocean,” a muscular woman whispered in the Ice Hunter’s tavern. “That’s the only place it could remain hidden.”

“Nymphs have been roaming that place for years,” the dryad innkeeper replied in a level voice. That was one of the downsides of running a tavern in the wilderness. Every few weeks, some new awakened would come with a new theory just as bad as all the ones before. “And it can’t be on the mountains, either. The furies would have noticed.”

“No! It’s the ocean,” the woman insisted. “I know of three groups that have gone searching, and all ended up missing.”

“Under strange circumstances, I’m sure,” the innkeeper sighed. “So, how much provisions will you want?”

“One week’s worth.”

“One week?” The dryad scratched his ear. “That might take a day. Two if you want meat.”

The woman hesitated. Speed was of the essence. Yet she didn’t want to spend the next week eating only bread and fruit.

“Two days is fine.”

“Great. Choose a tree to sleep in outside. Payment after I get them for you.”

With a grunt, the woman nodded, then quickly left. At the entrance, she almost ran into another patron of the establishment.

Without skipping a beat, the new arrival split into a dozen instances, passing by the massive woman as if she weren’t there. The execution was elegant to the point that every hunter in the room split into instances as well, if only to see it happen.

“Newbies,” the dryad tossed a flask to the newcomer. “Can’t even split, but have set off for the architect’s tower.”

“You never know.” The newcomer opened the flask and took a gulp. “Maybe she’ll get lucky.”

“If I’d gotten a coin for each time someone said that, I’d be a very rich man.”

“You are a very rich man, Vihrogon,” the other smiled. “If you wanted, you could be living in a palace.”

“My place is here,” the dryad laughed. “After everything, I’ve deserved a bit of calm and quiet. And what about you, Dal? No desire to seek out the Architect? That sounds like something you’d like.”

Dallion smiled. He’d only been back a few days, and his own friend never even knew he was gone. It was better that way, of course. Dallion didn’t want to take on the role of Architect, but he didn’t want to remain forgotten forever. So, a new world memory was created.

“I heard Eury’s been hanging out here. Has she?”

“Funny thing.” The dryad smiled. “She asked me the same thing as well. Anything I should know about?”

“If there was anything to tell, you’d be the last person I’d share it with.” Dallion shook his head.

“That hurt. And after all the times I saved your life.”

“All the times you couldn’t keep your mouth shut, you mean.” Dallion took another gulp from the flask, then tossed it back. “Seriously, when was she here?” Just for good measure, Dallion added a subtle nudge using his music skills.

“You’re no fun. She’s on top of some tree nearby.” Vihrogon put the flask away. “Watching the sunset. She’ll probably be back in an hour or so. You can wait.”

“I prefer to go and find her.”

“Of course you would. Oh, your brother became a hunter’s apprentice. He told me not to tell you, but…”

“And you wonder why I don’t share secrets with you anymore.”

Dallion knew exactly what had happened, of course. His brother had remained non-awakened, yet it was that quality of his that made him ideal for tracking. As long as he was careful, magical animals were unable to sense him. Not even Dallion knew the nature of this unusual gift, but had made sure that a hunter would give him the same chance that Eury had given him at the time.

“Tell her to catch some food. Lots of people have been passing through, so I could use the goods.”

With a single wave, Dallion left the tavern. The moment he did, he instantly leaped up into the air, casting a flight spell in the process. Within moments he emerged above the crowns of the trees of the thousand-foot forest and burst into a hundred instances.

Each looked in a different direction, searching for the magic threads of a gorgon. Then he found it.

“Eury,” Dallion whispered. All but one of his instances collapsed. Feeling his pulse quicken, Dallion darted in the air, stopping a few feet from the gorgon.

Euryale remained as she was, facing the setting sun. The snakes on her head moved about gently. Dallion knew perfectly well that she had seen him; he also knew that it was up to him to make the first move.

“I could change it for you,” he said, taking a seat in the air next to her. “The color of the sunset, I mean.”

“It’s fine as it is,” Eury replied.

Dallion nodded. It had been so long since they’d been apart—far longer for her than for him—and yet now that they were together, none felt the need to say anything. It was as if they had always been together, just not in the same physical space.

“You changed the world’s history,” she said. “It seems I’m no longer the wife of the Architect.”

“You’ll always be my wife.” He took hold of her hand. “People don’t need to know the rest.”

The gorgon smiled.

“Your grandmother moved back to Dherma. She’s taken over matters there.”

“As expected. I’ll go see her. I promised Kraisten to tell her a few words for him.”

And you always keep your promises, Dallion heard Eury’s thoughts.

“How was it there?” she asked. “I saw glimpses, but it seemed too strange.”

“It is strange. Very, very strange and boring.”

She’d find it interesting. Despite everything, awakened had made use of their skills and humanity’s technology to create something this world never would. Should they go there? She’d probably like that, although being a gorgon in a world of mortals wasn’t a good idea.

“Are you able to show me more?” she asked. “For some reason, I feel I miss it.”

The question had caught Dallion by surprise. Upon returning, he had made sure to weave himself into the memory of the world in such a way as to know exactly what the consequences would be. And still, he hadn’t foreseen this reaction.

Even now, the aria shared their thoughts. Just as Dallion had spent months trying to return to the awakened world for Eury, the gorgon has spent years wanting to go to Earth for him. In that time, she had grown both curious and accustomed to the world to such a degree that she felt it closer than the awakened world.

“Miss it…” Dallion repeated, placing his other hand on Euryale’s head.

The snakes moved a bit, unused to the sensation, then quickly relaxed.

“You won’t miss it,” Dallion concentrated.

MEMORY FORGING INITIATED

Realities of two worlds merged in one like a giant tree, leaving Dallion with the power to prune them. Faster than human thought, his fingers moved throughout the leaves, peeling off leaves and branches only to reattach them elsewhere. Unseen and unfelt by anyone, a new history was being sculpted, one that everyone would remember moments from now. There would be no sadness or regret, only possibilities.

Plucking the final leaf, Dallion removed his hand from Euryale’s head. The moment he did, locks of golden-brown hair fell down, covering the rest of her head.

Eury opened the eyes on her face, looking down at her hands: human hands, with the same pinkish complexion that Dallion had. Her panoramic sight hadn’t been impaired, but she could no longer consider herself a gorgon, at least temporarily. But most importantly, it wasn’t Dallion that had caused her to change; he had merely given her the ability to do it herself.

“You won’t miss it,” Dallion said. “Because I’ll take you there.” He embraced her tightly. From here on, not even the Moons would ever keep them separated again. “There and to every other world you want to see.”