After assigning the new gods their responsibilities, I turned my attention to the edge of my domain of influence. Reaching out toward the void, the immaterium, as I had come to call it, I felt a sharp, searing pain shoot through my hand the moment it crossed beyond my sphere of influence. I pulled back instantly, feeling my divine essence drain away into the immaterium.
Pain swept over me as grotesque images flooded my mind. One of the creatures turned its gaze toward me and smiled with a toothy, menacing grin that sent chills down my spine. When the visions stopped, my body felt weak. I flew toward the heavenly realm, shaken. Looking at my hand, I saw it appeared aged, as though stripped of vitality. Slowly, it began to recover, but my mind lingered on the grotesque beings I had seen. The one that smiled seemed to have discovered a new plaything in me. A sense of fear took hold of me.
I had believed I was alone in this vast existence, a supreme creator. Now, I was no longer so sure. My gaze shifted to the palaces of the minor gods I had created, and unease crept in.
If I was not the ultimate power, could those five gods rise against me? I thought
I acted swiftly.
"Form!" I commanded. The heavenly realm expanded, and a new land formed high above the existing one. A barrier of divine energy separated the two realms. My palace vanished from below and reappeared in this new land. I fortified it, ensuring that only beings with divine power equal to or greater than mine could enter. None of my creations would reach this sanctuary.
Then, with a wave of my hand, I sealed the potential of all the minor gods, locking their power at their current level. They were too preoccupied with mortal affairs to notice the betrayal. For the first time, I exhaled in relief my shoulders relaxing a bit.
Turning my attention to the mortal realm after stabilizing my emotions, I saw that two millennia had passed. The original thirty villages had grown into five kingdoms, four republics, one empire, and five free cities, each overseeing several villages. Where the Rotanda tribe once stood now rose an imposing city of white marble, home to three million souls.
The multiverse had changed.
Once a boundless system of disconnected planes, it now pulsed with a new force Arcana, an ethereal energy akin to mana. Humankind, ever adaptable, had already begun to harness it. Two paths emerged: the Arcane Arts that involved manipulating Arcana into structured runes around the heart for spellcasting, and the Body Arts, which involved refining flesh, strengthen bones, and amplify the vessel itself using Arcana.
I hovered above this world, i had grown tired of being an observer. Perhaps a stroll through the mortal realm would clear the fog in my mind... perhaps even inspire new paths to power.
With a wave of my hand, a vessel took form before me.
It had Blue hair with white streaks, eyes a brilliant green like jade. The body was made for balance, it had equal aptitude in the arcane and the physical. With a snap, leather armor formed over him, cloth leggings, worn combat boots.
A final breath, and my will descended into the shell.
I drew my first breath in this new body beneath a sky tinged orange by the setting sun. Arcana clung to the air, every breath made it move in and out of your lungs. I sat cross-legged in the center of the forest clearing and inhaled deeply, not just air, but energy.
It surged inward. My bones cracked with subtle adjustments, my muscles twitched and stretched. Arcana gathered at my heart, swirling around it like moths to flame. I opened my eyes hours later, my body felt lighter. It felt more powerful than when I descended here.
Time to walk.
An hour through dense woods brought blood and sweat. Four wolves had learned the limits of their strength the hard way. My boots were soaked in blood, my clothes were torn in places, grime caked across my arms. By the time I reached the little settlement's wooden gates, night had begun to press in.
I pushed through, heading straight to the nearest inn.
A bell jingled as I entered, the warm light of lanterns bathing the wooden interior in gold. A receptionist at the counter looked up and recoiled.
"Good gods, sir, what in the seven hells is that smell?"
I gave myself a sniff. Blood. Sweat. A large amount of dirt. I grimaced. "Ah. Right. I had a.. Rough day."
"No kidding." She pinched her nose. "did you wrestle a bear?" she asked
"Wolves, quiet a few of them ." I said seriously
She gave me a slow once-over. "You're either very brave or very dumb. Arcane master?"
"Maybe. Can I get a room? And... a bath?" I said embarrassed
"Room's easy, ten copper for the night. But the bath's harder. Bathhouses close at dusk, and we don't have that kind of luxury here."
She paused, then looked me over again, as if making a mental calculation.
"Maybe I could help," she added, voice dropping a bit. "Meet me behind the inn in five minutes."
I found myself behind the inn, under a darkening sky. The inn was infront of a grove of trees within the little settlement. She emerged a moment later carrying a large metal basin sloshing with water.
"Here you go," she said, setting it down. "There's a patch of trees over there, you can use them for cover. Call for me when you're done."
"OK, thanks" I said over my shoulder. I eyed the trees with suspicion, they were casting shadows that made it impossible to even see if there was a person standing under them.
The water was freezing, I hissed as I poured it over my head. No soap or heat. Just raw scrubbing and cursing as I tried to rinse the blood from my skin and grit from my joints.
I called for her minutes later in a towel, shivering slightly, hair dripping from the cold water.
She raised an eyebrow. "You look less like death now."
"Thanks." I handed her the basin. "Though I think my soul might still be frozen from all of that" I added
She laughed. "I should charge you for this, but I haven't decided yet."
As she turned to go, I stopped her with a question. "Speaking of charging… how do people earn coin around here?" I asked my eyes darting towards her and the inn door
She smirked. "Ah, rookie question. Arcanists like you usually sell monster parts or scraps to the shops. Fangs, pelts, claws. The butcher pays well if you've got a clean kill. But be careful, there are plenty of swindlers waiting to shave a few coppers off of rookies like you."
She gave me a sideways glance. "Wait… don't tell me. You don't have any money on you, do you?"
I paused, considering whether to lie.
"…No," I admitted with a wry smile.
She groaned. "Unbelievable."
Then, to my surprise, she reached into her apron and tossed me a small coin pouch. "Here. My Emergency fund. It's Just enough to keep you from starving. Im doing this only because I've seen worse greenhorns and let's say they didnt end well."
I caught it mid-air. "are you usually so kind to a smelly stranger?" I asked
"Trust me, I'm not. I just have a soft spot for idiots with nice eyes."
"…Thanks. I think." I said stupidly
"Don't mention it." She smirked again. "In fact, really don't mention it. I've got a reputation to uphold."
With that she opened the door to the inn and gestured for me to enter. She prepared food for me and brought It to the room I was staying in and then bid me a good night.
Later, as I was alone in the modest inn room with the wind howling faintly through the shutters, I lay in bed and stared at the wooden ceiling.
This world's Arcana felt raw, unlike the divine energy I wield in heaven. It was harder to control than divine energy.
However this Arcana will listen to my every whims soon enough.