Gamer of the Multiverse - Book One: Hope & Despair

"Fear not, for thy life wilt not beest one of boredom. t wilt beest one of fantasy! t wilt beest one of sacrifice! And most importantly of all, t wilt beest one belonging to that of The Lord Above. For it is in The Lord Above that we liveth. if 't be true not for that gent, then for what? Unless thee art meaning to telleth me that thither is more out thither than God, Lord Of All That Is Life? And if 't be true that is the case; should thy statement beest true... then what doest that mean for us? Or rather, should I sayeth, for The Lord?" – Quote from The Priest of The Germanic Peoples Temple on Earth 816, Year 1191, about whether there is more out there than The Almighty.

Two figures standing side-by-side marched down a marble pathway, expressions solemn in nature with gazes equally as mournful, though for two separate reasons. The figure on the left was a short man, standing just a few heads shorter than the figure to his right. He had starch white ear-length hair, tannish brown skin, and eyes of a pale blue.

He, along with the figure next to him, was dressed in a toga, though the figure next to him wore a black one in contrast to his white. On his right wrist was a golden bracelet that had seven different markings etched into it, all of which went in counter-clockwise order, going from most prominent to least prominent.

Each marking looked something to the effect of this: A morning star shining brightly, a crescent moon gleaming ominously, a timepiece with cracked glass, a skull with a sword sticking out atop its head, a snake surrounding a sceptre, an apple with a large bite taken out of it, and finally a hand holding onto a coin with its index and ring fingers.

In the man's left hand was a golden staff with a forward-facing halo crafted atop its shaft. It was twice his size, which made it seem cumbersome in his hands. Despite that, he seemed to carry it effortlessly.

His face was wrinkled, and he had a magnificent beard that stretched down to his waist, along with a mustache that seamlessly blended into his beard, all of which matched the colour of his hair. He appeared frail and old, but beyond that, he was powerful—far more powerful than his appearance would let on.

Then came the figure next to the man. Like the man next to him, he was male. Unlike the man next to him, he had crimson red skin, with coal-black horns poking out from the edges of his forehead that rose like goats' horns curling into themselves and flaring out with pointed tips. His hair, much like his horns, was coal-black but had graying highlights interspersed within.

He was tall, foreboding, and teeming with muscle. Physically, he appeared to look like an average strongman, though with less of a gut and more of a refined stomach region, which his toga had covered. Peeking out from underneath his garb was a sole peck, which looked as if it was made of stone. His arms were bulky, and if one looked, one could see veins protruding from them; the same having gone with his legs, which, rather than ending in feet, ended in hooves.

He sported no trinkets like the man next to him. He had left them all back at his home rather than bring them to where they were now. To him, it would have been a waste of time to bring them here, as they were not needed. Not today, anyway.

The man's eyes were an electric yellow, with black sclera, and his face was clean-shaven. Compared to the man next to him, he was the exact opposite. The only thing that they shared in equviliancey with one another was that they were both as strong as each other, though the man in the white toga was slightly stronger than the man dressed in black.

Surrounding them was a hallway crafted out of quartz, as was the rest of the building they were in. There were golden markings of stars, galaxies, and other cosmic entities. Portraits of people of varying genders and ages lined the halls, all with names, dates, and roles on plaques underneath. Pillars erected of quartz kept the fifty-foot-tall roof from crashing down on the two as they continued their trek down the lengthy corridor.

The red-skinned man glanced over at the old man, frowning. "I cannot believe it is happening again," the red-skinned man grimaced, "I thought that you said that we had him sealed permanently last time? Or was that another white lie of yours, much like the other times, father?"

The old man sighed, his eyes reflecting that of tiredness. "We are not having that conversation again, Lucifer. You know as well as I do that—"

"That we can never truly seal him away. Yes, I know," Lucifer interrupted, looking straight ahead, eyes narrowed. "I know…" his voice carried a hint of disappointment and longing, though it was quickly washed away as he grunted. "Then if that is the case then why must we have it continue like this? Especially when it is this close? Would it not be better if we killed it?"

The old man huffed, dismissing Lucifer with a wave of his right hand. "Then that defeats the purpose," the old man replied, voice low and elderly yet powerful and commanding at the same time. Lucifer's eyes gained a hint of aggravation, though he did not say anything. Instead, he continued forward.

As the two finally reached the end of the corridor, they were met with a balcony. And with it, they were able to peer into the distance. While the average mortal soul in the pristine Heavens Above could not see anything if they stood on the Viewing Balcony, both The King of Hell and The Almighty could. It was thanks to them being who they were that they could see however far out into the vast reaches of The Multiverse as they wished.

Over 100 Billion Light Years away, a war was being waged. In the center of The Multiverse, seven warriors clashed against a being of pure darkness given human shape with an army of the dead. Spells were fired, incantations recited, as weapons slashed and hacked away at the hordes with very little progress being made.

The battle was being fought by a party of seven Multiversal Warriors hand-picked by The Almighty, all of whom were safeguarding The Core against the dark entity. An entity that had existed even before The Almighty. An entity that threatened the very fabric of creation. One that, until recently, had no way of ever reaching that goal.

To some extent, it was The Almighty's fault that this was happening. To some, that would be blasphemous, but it was the truth. Had The Almighty not acted out of haste and rashness on that day, none of this would have happened. It had been one of the only times that he had not foreseen what had happened happening. And as a result, something worse came out of it.

The Almighty furrowed his brow, his eyes glowing in blue splendour, whereas Lucifiers glowed a haunting yellow. They were using their enhanced sight to peer out into the battle, worried and tired expressions taking up their visage.

"It's the same every cycle, like a script being acted out," Lucifer commented. "Seven warriors go in to sacrifice their souls to seal a great evil, only for said evil to unleash itself again after a predetermined amount of time, just long enough for us to get another batch of seven to throw back at the beast. It's futile."

"That is not true, Lucifer, and you know it to be," The Almighty rumbled, earning a glare from him.

"If that were the case, it would be dead already," Lucifer snarled as The Almighty huffed, returning to watching the battle. In the time it had taken to talk, the battle had nearly come to a close. A clash between the leader of The Seven and The Fallen One. Sword clashed against sword, spell deflected spell, until finally a chamber was opened, and the final member of The Seven perished, but doing so to open the final lock.

The Fallen One cursed them once again and was dragged along with its vast army of darkness into The Prison Of The Damned before it was launched off into the Multiverse. For another 500 Billion Years, the Multiverse was safe. A million lifetimes for the mortals but a mere blink for The Gods.

"And thus, the cycle continues," The Almighty said, his voice carrying an edge to it. "For balance to be restored, we must have these battles. To see who proves victorious and who controls the Rite Of Creation. The Core. And each time, we win, adapt, and overcome. That is the lesson that we have learned for Eons, and yet you haven't done so. Why is that?"

"Because father. Unlike you, I noticed it adapting each time!" Lucifer retorted, glaring down at the old man, who had turned to face him. Both of their eyes returned to normal, no longer glowing with the infinite power they shared. "It takes Evil to see how Evil works! Have you forgotten that in your infinite span of life, old timer?"

"Perhaps, but even so, I do not see a reason to be upset," The Almighty replied, shrugging his shoulders as he began to walk away. "I shall choose another Seven, and in doing so, we shall prolong its entrapment. Until we can find a way to separate The Fallen One from his chains and restore the balance, this is what we must do."

Lucifer glared at the back of The Almighty's head, stomping toward him with a scowl. "It is an exercise in futility! What if there is no way to separate The Fallen One? What then?! We are better off killing him than trying to save him! If we could, we would've done so by now, don't you think?"

"That is what you believe, Son. But I do not believe that to be the case. Try to live with some hope in that blackened heart of yours, will you?" The Almighty retorted as Lucifer growled. Just as he was about to speak yet again, a flash of heavenly light appeared before The Almighty as another figure joined the group.

The figure was a woman with ginger hair and freckles. Chocolate-coloured skin and similar-coloured eyes with a piercing focus were her most prominent features. Dressed in a red and white double-swathed toga, the woman was a head taller than The Almighty and a few heads shorter than Lucifer. She had a pair of folded-up white feathered wings, and above her head was a golden Halo in the shape of a star.

"Sister…" Lucifer greeted as the woman hummed.

"Brother. I see you came to watch the chaos unfold. How quaint of you," the woman replied, earning a scoff from Lucifer as The Almighty chuckled to himself.

"I do wish you wouldn't antagonize your Brother, Uriel. It is unbecoming of you," The Almighty said as Uriel bowed her head in a silent apology. The Almighty tapped her gently on the head, gesturing for her to raise herself before speaking. "Tell me, what have you come to speak to me about?"

"Yes, I would love to get this conversation over and done with. I have a realm to return to, and a daughter to placate," Lucifer said as Uriel blinked in genuine confusion before her gaze turned into a look of anger.

"You, Lucy? A daughter? Who did you rape for that to happen?" Uriel snarled as Lucifer gained an offended gleam in his eyes.

"You dare assume that I would do that?!" Lucifer roared, fury coating his words as hellfire danced at the corners of his mouth. "I may be The King of Hell, but I am not a monster like the sinners whomst I am torturing, sister," Lucifer growled, only to have the back of his head hit by The Almighty's staff. Uriel was not spared of the same treatment and groaned in response.

"The both of you. Stop acting like infants," The Almighty reprimanded before setting his gaze on Uriel. "And Uriel, that was completely uncalled for. Show your brother some respect. Or need I remind you what we are trying to do?" He said as Uriel glared at Lucifer, ignoring her father's gaze entirely.

"Once a traitor to Heaven, always a Traitor to Heaven. I believe in repentance, Father, but Lucifer? He is bathed in Sin. He will stab you in the back just like he had before! I know it to be true. He even changed his appearance to match the heathens he commands below! I refuse to believe anyone would willingly bed him, let alone stand near him without threat of being harmed!" Uriel spat as The Almighty's eyes gleamed with power, a radiant blue light echoing off of his person as Lucifer took a step to the right.

"That is quite enough, Uriel!" The Almighty bellowed, making The Archangel of Wisdom and Knowledge take more than a handful of steps back, flinching in the process. The power around The Almighty dimmed, his eyes returning to normal as he coughed into his hand. "I have met Lucifer's wife, Lilith. She is quite the treat, if I must say so myself. I was there for the wedding, after all."

"An appearance I hadn't expected but greatly appreciated," Lucifer commented as Uriel balked.

"Since when!?" Uriel exclaimed as Lucifer chuckled to himself. He went to speak a witty response, only to stop when The Almighty raised his hand. A silent sign to keep whatever he wanted to say to himself. Knowing that this argument would continue to go in circles if he didn't keep to himself, Lucifer stayed silent. 

"We are getting sidetracked, Uriel," The Almighty said, lowering his hand. "What is it that you have come to tell us?" He requested as Uriel cleared her throat.

"Right. My apologies, Father. We have received bad news. The sealing ritual, while it has not failed, has somehow been tampered with. The Norns, The Sisters of Fate, and a few others who are in direct communication with Lady Fate, such as Ezekiel and Azazel, have reported back, saying that The Prison Of The Damned will only hold The Fallen One and his armies for 50 Billion Years rather than the expected 500 Billion," Uriel explained as both The Almighty and Lucifer stared with wide eyes.

"This is a joke, yes? Are you certain?" Lucifer questioned as Uriel shook her head.

"I wish I was, Brother. But I speak the truth. Something has happened. We must act now. We need to gather a new group of Seven, and we need to do so immediately. I have already called a meeting with The Appointed Watchers, and they will be converging on The Grand Hall in a matter of days to begin the selection process," Uriel responded as The Almighty stroked his beard in thought, his expression one of perplexion.

"Does something trouble you, Father?" Uriel asked as The Almighty mumbled something under his breath, unintelligible by both Lucifer and Uriel. It was only after he stopped stroking his beard that he responded.

"Yes. A lot is troubling me. Tell the Watchers that I will be there shortly. I must think. Lucifer, return to your daughter and wife. Uriel, go back to your post outside the gates. I have much to think about…" The Almighty said as Lucifer bowed like a showman before a ring of red-hot hell fire surrounded his person, erupting upward in a shower of blazing heat.

For a brief moment, Lucifer's true appearance appeared as a shadow amongst the fire, that being of a top hat and some form of long trenchcoat. Any other details were missed , thanks to the stream of hellfire. After a moment, the hellfire, along with Lucifer, disappeared. Uriel left the same way she appeared, in a beam of holy light, leaving The Almighty to wander the halls of the Great Chapel.

Something had gone wrong. Be it because someone had slipped up during the sealing spell, or be it because The Fallen One had grown wise to their tricks. Neither was the better option, both being equally horrible and vexing. 50 Billion Years was a massive reduction in time. The new Seven would have to be chosen quickly, and in doing so, the quality of character of The Seven would not be considered.

They would not be the perfect soldiers that The Almighty wanted. That was why the 500 Billion Years was needed. So that The Almighty could take his time to pick out of the hundreds of billions of souls who would be sorted and reincarnated into warriors gathered by The Seven for the massive war that would take place near The Core.

It was a long, lengthy process that took a long time to do. He had to weigh their soul before choosing whether or not to reincarnate them under A Watcher or to reincarnate them under a spirit or a lesser God. Sure it took a while, but it usually produced wonderful results. But now, he couldn't. He would have to shunt that responsibility off to The Watchers, something he wasn't a fan of doing. Especially with that one.

It was something he did not do lightly, but it was something that had to be done regardless of his feelings on the matter. Time was of the essence, and with how little time they had, something needed to be changed for the sake of prosperity, and if his sacrificing control over The Seven was what needed to be done, then so be it.

After all, who was he to challenge The Greater Will?

The Greater Will. A formless entity that had given him The Power Of Creation to be The Almighty. The entity that created The Core that they protected with all of their power. The very reason why The Seven were created in the first place, along with the rest of The Soldiers.

While The Almighty was a God, out there, beyond Time and Space, The Greater Will, along with its counterpart The Lesser Mind, had been the very things that had created The Multiverse. The secret puppet masters behind everything that only The Almighty was aware of due to them being his creator. 

It was not The Almighty's place to question their rules. He was but an avatar for them, and he would fulfill what was asked of him.

He and The Watchers had planning that needed to be done. So as The Greater Will and Lesser Mind command of him.