It was a simple step, but there was nothing simple in what happened. Aaron's body, spirit, and soul disintegrated instantly upon touching the portal as if they were snowflakes touching the sun. He didn't resist it, knowing that such a process was necessary to become completely compatible with the new dimension. The pain would've driven any mortal mad, but he calmly ignored what he considered mere discomfort.

While going through the portal, he was given a new body, spirit, and soul, all of them at a mortal's levels of power. They appeared as if it were his own body coming out on the other side.

The placement of his consciousness into a new soul made him feel dizzy. It was only natural, for his mind had been synchronized with the soul of an Absolute Immortal and was now put back into a mortal.

It didn't take too long for it to pass though, and when he finally opened his eyes, he saw a new panel floating in front of him. More text kept appearing while he read it.

 

[Visitor Protocol Initiated]

Visitor from outside dimensional boundaries detected.

Erasing memories... Error.

Error recorded. ID #192638176287613

Calculating attributes... Done.

Attribute limit [10] exceeded.

Enforcing limit... Done.

 

[Status]

Name: Aaron Ironblood

Class: -

Level: -

Physique: 0

» Strength: 0 | Speed: 0 | Stamina: 0

Energy: 0

» Type: - | Quantity: 0 | Control: 0

Mind: 10

» Willpower: 10 | Reasoning: 10 | Perception: 10

 

[Finalizing Visitor Protocol]

Setting class [Hero] for visitor... Error.

Error recorded. ID #192638176287614

Removing memory from having seen this Heavenly Message... Error.

Error recorded. ID #192638176287615

Activating visual overlay... Done.

 

When the last line of text appeared, the panel became transparent and the text decreased in size, moving to the bottom corner of his view. A few seconds later, it faded away.

The one responsible for those panels and the game characteristics in the universe was the Cage around the Universal Core. The changes it forced on the Core were unnatural, which caused the latter to suffer.

One such change was that each world in that universe was limited to certain levels of power. The status panel was a surprise, as he hadn't investigated the Cage too hard for fear it would detect his hostile intent. However, the little he had investigated had him expecting his mind's prowess to be limited in this world. He hadn't resisted it to avoid aggravating the Cage, and though unpleasant, at least he knew no one in that world would have a stronger mind than his.

Attempts to erase his memories and force a class on him — whatever a class was — hadn't come from the Cage, but from a kind of spell in the air instead. He resisted those, and there were no negative repercussions for having done so.

"How is he?" asked a male voice.

The king had risen from the throne and was beside the summoner. Aaron took the chance to get a better look at the man, the woman, and everything around him.

The king was fifty years old or so. Tall and thin, he had short grisly hair, brown eyes, wore royal robes and a gold crown, and held a green jade scepter with a dark green stone.

The summoner's hood was up, but from the little he could see, she looked almost forty years old. She was barehanded, and her black velvet robe had several silver mystical symbols engraved all over it, all glowing magically.

The room was spacious, with a high ceiling. Its white walls and columns resembled the ancient Roman architecture from Earth. A large vertical flag — a royal blue griffin on a golden background — hung from the ceiling above the throne that stood on a small dais five steps high.

The exit was behind Aaron, golden double doors protected by two men in plate armor from head to toe. A golden cloak rested on their armor, and both the cloak and the door had the same royal blue griffin as the flag.

Most of the floor covered with silvery tiles, but there was a big round patch of black granite directly beneath Aaron. It was carved with a thirteen-pointed star and several mystical runes, all surrounded by an eighteen-feet-diameter circle and shining with the same silver light as the summoner's robe did.

While looking at everything, Aaron also focused on feeling the surrounding energies.

Spiritual Energy was the most basic energy of the two universes, present in small amounts in about everything. It came from Divine Energy, a much stronger kind of energy, also present in both dimensions.

He didn't know why, but in this world, those two energies had been mixed then divided into nine kinds of energy. Four of them were present in a significant amount in the hall.

Both Qi and Arcane Energy had kept around half the characteristics of Spiritual Energy each, and thus could be found everywhere. However, when it came to living beings, Qi couldn't leave their bodies; it was useful only to strengthen them and give them surges of power. Arcane Energy, on the other hand, could do almost any magical thing, like spell casting. However, it couldn't do what Qi did.

Qi-wise, the king and the summoner had little more than a mortal like Aaron did. The guards had about ten times as much as what the king did.

Arcane Energy-wise, the summoner had about a hundred times more than all others, who only had the bare minimum. Her robe and the summoning circle under Aaron also had a high concentration of it, which explained why they were shining.

The other seven kinds of energy were weaker, specialized versions of Divine Energy.

Psychic Energy, as its name suggested, was present in small amounts in all minds.  The king had some mastery over it if the big amounts of it inside himself were any sign. His scepter had even more Psychic Energy, revealing its nature as a powerful magical item.

Space Energy pertained to control over space itself, and it had been used to open the portal. The summoner had ten times more Space Energy than Arcane Energy, while the summoning circle had thousands of times more than her. Yet, even that wouldn't have been enough to tear open the fabric of reality of two dimensions. Aaron guessed the Core had assisted the portal in bringing him here.

Then, of the five remaining types of energy, Vital Energy could be found in minimum amounts inside everyone, Elemental and Time Energy were in everything, and Nature and Holy Energy could only be found in small particles in the air.

So this was Aaron's new reality: a mortal holding minimal and unusable amounts of energy within himself, inside a summoning circle, surrounded by four energetically skilled strangers, in a room that seemed to have come out of Ancient Rome.

"Greetings," Aaron said and turned to the king. "Answering your question, I'm fine. How about you?"

King and summoner looked at each other before the former spoke to Aaron.

"Hero!" he bellowed. "In the Kingdom of Illyria's name, I beseech you: save us! We're at war! The evil Raletheans march toward us even as we speak, while my brave soldiers sacrifice themselves to protect the nation. Save us! Save us from the clutches of our enemies! Protect us from this cruel fate! Help us, O noble Hero!"

Aaron raised an eyebrow. He had seen poor performances before, but this was pathetic.

To be fair, it wasn't the king's fault that Aaron could see through him. Throughout the universe, there was always someone trying to use someone else. When they did, it was common for them to provide their targets with limited information and appeal for empathy toward life common to most humans. Aaron had witnessed it too many times to fall for it.

"Well... I'd love to help, but first I need more details," Aaron replied. "Who are these Raletheans? And what's the reason for the war?"

His answer stunned both summoner and king. Her mouth opened in a perfect "O," while his eyes widened so much that they almost popped out of his face.

The king turned his face slightly towards the summoner, without taking his eyes off Aaron, and asked, "What was that?"

"I- I don't know," the summoner stammered.

"He is resisting my orders! What did you do wrong?!" the king insisted, raising his voice.

"I don't know!" she repeated, also in a raised voice. "I told you not to do that! I never wanted to abduct a person from another world and erase their memory!" Aaron's refusal seemed to explode the pressure the summoner kept within her. "I didn't train for twenty years as a Shaper to kidnap people!"

"Quiet!" the king shouted back. "I am your king!"

Apparently, that was a good enough reason for her to shut up because she obeyed. The king turned to Aaron and pointed his scepter at him.

"You will obey me." The scepter's stone shone with a green light, as did the king's eyes. "Kneel!"

The king's order sounded like thunder to Aaron's ears. Invisible Psychic Energy came out of the staff and attacked his mind like an arrow carrying a chain of obedience and submission with it.

But when it hit Aaron's mind, it was like the arrow and chains were made of glass, and his mind was pure steel. They shattered into millions of pieces. His willpower was at the peak of the world; he didn't even have to defend himself from such a pathetic attack.

He frowned for a moment, then shrugged and said, "That's it then. I was going to give you a chance to convince me, but feel satisfied that I spare your life after you tried to enslave me. You were partly responsible for my coming into this world, for giving me a new purpose in life; in return, I'll let you live. Consider ourselves even."

As nonchalantly as he was acting, he was actually retreating. He was surrounded in an unknown place, and one person there had already attacked. Though he wouldn't hold a grudge for the king's attack, it would be stupid to remain there. Rather, he had better leave before the others turned violent too.

Or, worse yet, before someone more powerful showed up.

While he felt confident in fleeing from those present if needed, someone slightly more powerful than the summoner could be the death of him. His superior experience would only take him so far. The larger the power gap, the less his experience would matter.

So, without waiting for an answer, he nodded to the summoner, turned around, and started towards the exit.

The circle full of arcane symbols beneath Aaron was a spell in the shape of a magic matrix, also called magic formation. Besides creating the portal, it also prevented the summoned from leaving.

Yet, despite it being a powerful formation when compared to the energy levels of the people present, it was full of flaws to Aaron's eyes. He simply stepped down in the right places, taking advantage of the energetic and structural flaws of the formation, and easily left the circle.

The sorceress gasped in amazement and whispered, "Impossible!"

The king, however, was too angry to notice the almost miracle that Aaron had just performed in front of him. For the Hero to turn his back on the king had been offensive enough, but turning away after saying he was doing him a favor by not killing him?! The king was already stressed enough with everything that was happening in his kingdom, and he would not go through such humiliation! Who was that stranger to disrespect a Monarch?!

"Kill him!" the king shouted.

The two guards took the long swords from their sheaths, the shields from their backs, and advanced toward Aaron, who stopped walking and put his hand behind his back.

"I disregard many things from weak people like you," he said, "but I warn you that anyone who tries to kill me, no matter how pathetic the attempt, finds only death."

They ignored his warning. They could see Aaron's level, he was a mere Inept. What could he do to them?

The answer came after Aaron mentally counted to three, the last chance he gave them.

Martial Arts: Elusive Steps!

He had adapted all his techniques to this world's energies and this universe's Laws. They covered many areas, one of which was martial arts. Now, he was using the martial technique called elusive steps.

It allowed him to flow through the room. He wasn't using metaphysical energy to power his movements, but knowledge. The various secrets of the universe resonated with his every step.

Secrets about the Wind in the air, the Earth on the ground, the Water in the blood, the Fire in the body heat, the Metal in the armor.

Secrets about the Wood in the hilt of swords, the Life inside people, the Death in the guards' bloodlust.

Secrets about Time and Space around and inside everything. The Speed in the world's movement itself.

Those were just a few of the things he considered while moving. There was much more than that, knowledge that was only possible to gain after countless years meditating upon and understanding the mysteries of the universe.

One guard tried to defend himself and the other attacked, but Aaron had already analyzed them thoroughly. Their postures, the position of their weapons, the speed of their actions told him everything he needed to know. They barely started moving, and it was enough for him to adapt his own movement to invade their personal space with ease.

He was no faster than any mortal at peak physical condition, but thanks to his immediate reaction and perfect spatial awareness, there were no unnecessary movements in his actions. A single hair wouldn't have passed through the microscopic opening between him and the shield that tried to bar his way, or between him and the sword that tried to cut his neck.

When he arrived in between the guards, they tried to react, but it was too late. He stretched his arms out, keeping his hands outstretched and fingers glued like blades.

Martial Arts: Blade Hands!

Like slender snakes, his hands didn't attack the guards' armor, but entered through the armpit openings, pierced the shirt below, penetrated deep through their skin, broke a couple of ribs, and crushed their hearts.

He retracted his arms and continued walking with his elusive steps. At last, he arrived at the golden doors of the hall.

The guards could only scream in pain for an instant before falling dead to the ground.

"Today, king, you live," Aaron said in a low voice, but when coming from over the dead bodies of the guards, his words sounded like terrifying bellows to the king's ears. "But let these corpses be a warning. If you order a single man to follow or attack me, I'll come to reap your life."

The guards he had killed were mere dogs of the king, whom Aaron now also wanted to kill. However, acting against the man would be too dangerous. By the summoner's energy levels, he estimated her to be strong enough to hold him down for a few minutes if she interfered. That might be long enough for a powerful hidden expert or even armies of weak warriors to arrive. As a mortal, he would be hard-pressed to kill more than a few hundred before tiring himself out.

Aaron could always come for revenge later. For now, it was better to awe those two and get away before they realized how disadvantageous his position truly was.

He pushed open one of the double doors and left the room.

His passage there left three marks: the two bodies and the print of his bloody palm on the golden door.

Blood seemed to run from the throat of the griffin painted there.