I gazed at the awestruck forms of the people who had worshiped me before they even knew me. They were entrapped in the midst of a potent lightshow, and the more of the light I radiated they saw, and the more of the shapes within the lights they gazed at, the stronger the effects my powers would have on their hearts. It was so exciting that it made me want to do it more. For a moment my mind turned inward. 

The black artifact that currently rested inside of the private, extra-dimensional space that I accessed whenever I utilized “Inventory” was something I was tempted to take out and use. If I used it exclusively as a sort of endless prepaid debit card then I’d be underutilizing it, given the potent resources that it was supposedly linked to. 

If the letter written by Alphor was to be believed, then the tiny card in my “Inventory” was supposedly linked to extra-dimensional storage spaces and vaults filled with the wealth, technology, armies, and artifacts of ancient civilizations who were devoted to my ancestors. If I really wanted to acquire more power… I was sure that by utilizing “Emanation” and other powers on the armies I could speedily acquire a large force with which I could do things like conquering Earth, and begin to take over the rest of the solar system. 

Truthfully… I didn’t particularly want to do anything like conquer the entire omniverse, but since the option appeared to be on the table, I wouldn’t have minded doing something like conquering parts of Earth, and then perhaps the rest of the solar system. And I was the official leader of no less than three dozen megaworlds, which were going to be things I focused on in the near future, once I was established here on Earth and was beginning to accumulate followers.

While I was lost in thought, I began to intentionally dim the light show my followers were currently enraptured by. As the lights faded my followers began to recover from the stupor they were in while they were stuck in the lights. I watched sense and awareness begin to return to their eyes, and began to smile. 

As my followers began to recover more fully from the impact of my potent usage of “Emanation”, I chuckled and opted to at least investigate whatever was lurking on the other side of the strange and arcane black artifact that I possessed. I reached into my “Inventory”, and upon doing so felt the item in my possession react to my intentions. The instant that I would have touched the card to pull it out I instead found myself in a wholly different space.

---

The instant that I should have touched the card and pulled it out of my “Inventory” the card reacted to my will and instead pulled me to the entrance to a grand museum. I went from standing in the middle of a gazebo to standing in what appeared to be some sort of reception area, complete with what I recognized as modern, almost American-looking seating, and a single reception desk behind which stood an eerily human-looking robot. Upon noticing me the machine turned and smiled at me, beckoning me forward. 

“Good morning! I take it you are…” The machine began, before its almost perfectly human-looking eyes flashed and the thing scanned me. I felt it beginning to learn about me, almost as if through a facsimile of my “Visual Psychometry” power. 

“Antonio Lopez?” It asked, a split second after it scanned me. I chuckled and approached the thing, all while nodding at it. 

“Excellent! We have been waiting a very long time for you.” The machine informed me, and even as I gazed at it I watched it send out a message to the inhabitants of the extra-dimensional space where the artifacts, technology, wealth, and armies of the most pious civilizations of the ancient past were waiting to be collected. And off in the distance, I heard the sounds of sudden and excited motion begin. 

“Please, my lord… Come right this way.” The machine urged, motioning for me to step past it and into the museum proper, all while smiling at me as it spoke. I did as it asked, and nodded at it as I walked past the thing. 

As soon as I stepped past the reception desk I felt the world around me change. The room behind me disappeared, but the robot did not, and I found myself standing in the middle of an utterly gigantic chamber, one larger than some planetoids.

I turned and gazed at my surroundings, with a look of reverential awe plastered on my face. I was standing in the middle of an enormous showroom, one of literally millions in this strange museum, and all around me were enormous, potent vehicles, as well as crews for them, made up of human-looking immortals capable of telepathically controlling the vehicles they were bound to. And they looked at me as boldly and eagerly as I looked at them, smiles as readily visible on their faces as one was on mine.

“Good morning Lord Lopez!” Some of the crews around me uttered in unison, their voices forming a harmonious chorus. The robot, studying my face, also began to speak.

“Lord Lopez, this room is one of countless showrooms you have here that are packed with all manner of unique vehicles. There are tanks here capable of destroying countries, and boats that can do things like move at the speed of light.” The robot informed me, proud of the technology on display in this room. As I gazed at it, my mind filled with schematics for the technology on display before me, and I felt my truly immense knowledge growing. 

“These vehicles are all well and truly yours, and there are countless other rooms just like this, most of them are actually larger than this one, to explore. They are not even 0.0000000000000000000000001% of the total items left behind for you by ancient civilizations.” The robot explained, and I heard an unmistakable note of pride in the creature’s voice. As it spoke I continued to glance around, and saw the hard working crews focused on continuing to maintain the vehicles throughout the area. 

“Where would you like to go next, my lord?” The robot asked, gazing at the back of my head as I continued to turn around and study the room’s contents. Eventually though, I smiled and began to speak. 

“Hmm… Let us go see a room filled with some of the soldiers left behind by the ancients.” I replied, and as soon as I spoke the room we were in blurred and began to change. A split second later we found ourselves inside of a grand command deck overlooking a vast, flat, room filled with an uncountable number of fully robotic beings who were beginning to power on. 

“That is one small squad, perhaps a quarter of a tenth of a percent of one of the armies left behind for you to inherit and use.” The robot informed me, a smile beginning to appear on its face, even as the other robots began to slowly but surely come to life. The robot was not lying, but I knew that in the room I was gazing at there were more robots than were humans, cats, dogs, and rats, put together, on Earth. 

“Not every army at your disposal is robotic, and even most of the robotic armies located in this extra dimensional space look organic. That said this specific squad and the army it is a part of are meant to be dispatched to places where things like subtlety are unnecessary. You would dispatch these soldiers to places you intend to conquer or are determined to protect, without regard for things such as public opinion, or any other such emotional considerations.” The robot explained, sounding surprisingly excited at the prospect of me utilizing the warriors before me. 

I studied the robots that were continuing to come to life silently, and when some of them were fully turned on, powered up, and ready to receive orders, I was surprised to detect magical energy radiating off of them. 

“They can use magic? Incredible…” I uttered, in awe of the machines, causing my companion to begin to laugh gently, but not mockingly.

“Yes! Remarkable things, aren’t they? They were created by scientists who studied the intersection of magic and technology, back when your ancestors were still alive. Most modern machines struggle to blend magic and technology, but your technology does not and will not.” The robot explained, awe audible in its voice as it spoke of its fellow robots.

“Would you like to use magic?” I asked the robot, my form of incredible intelligence and wisdom making the question an almost rhetorical one. The robot chuckled, demonstrating its advanced wisdom and emotional capacity. 

“Of course I would. Magic is… incredible. But I was designed by a modern corporation” The machine uttered, honestly. I smiled and without even looking at my companion, silently activated my “Power Architect” ability.

---

“Power Architect” was, in all likelihood, going to be my favorite power to utilize in moments like this. With it I could freely design powers, ranging from boosted capabilities so subtle that they only barely qualified as powers, to superpowers as planet-shakingly potent as Superman’s, and give them freely to my minions, worshipers, and servants. 

While I stood next to the machine that was guiding me through the truly vast extra-dimensional museum, I began to slowly and smoothly design a single potent power. 

In the back of my mind, I began to “Put together” the different things someone would need to be able to use magic on their own. Using my “Power Architect” ability was more freeform than using my “Emanation” ability, since my “Emanation” ability was, at a glance, far more powerful than my “Power Architect” ability, due to what it could do, vs what “Power Architect” did. 

I was slowly but smoothly mixing abilities such as “The power to generate magical energy”, “The ability to sense magic”, “Knowledge of spells”, “The ability to increase one’s pool of magical energy through continual usage of magic”, and more together. I was doing this to be kind, but this was also potent practice for me. 

All in all, it took me a few moments to compose a “Singular” ability that was a proper “Magic” superpower. Once it was done I smiled and silently bestowed it upon the robot who had dutifully guided me through the museum.

---

The instant that I gave the robot the ability to use magic its eyes widened as its body began to surreally glow. It turned to me, and opened its mouth as if to speak. And then it closed its mouth. And then opened it again. And promptly shut it again. It took the thing three tries before it actually spoke.

“I… Lord Lopez…” The robot stammered, still unable to really process the knowledge that was infusing its circuitry and its programming. 

“This is… A wonderful gift.” The thing finally exclaimed, before exhaling in shock and joy. My smile only widened as the machine spoke to me. 

“I am a generous deity.” I replied, before shrugging my shoulders playfully at the advanced robot. The robot silently accepted the remarks, and its human-like lips began to twitch upwards in delighted joy. 

“So… This is what a small portion of my armies is like?” I asked, rhetorically, as I turned my attention back to the machines in front of me. Each of them stood between nine and fifteen feet in height, and with a glance, I could tell that every part of them were fully and worryingly armed with all sorts of potent, enemy-destroying weaponry, ranging from plasma cannons to guns that filled destructive nanites at enemies. My robotic companion nodded at me and I sensed its excitement at the prospect of them actually being used. 

“Master… Your armies wish to be commanded. Your technology cries out to be in your hands. Your artifacts yearn to be utilized in the pursuit of your will. Even I wish for a chance to enter your universe and to be an instrument of your will. It is in my programming, it is my prime directive. I urge you to utilize the things here to pursue your goals.” The robot whispered, sincerely. 

“We care not for the specifics of your aims. We do not wish to question you, or to do things that would suggest that we are on your level. We only seek to be instruments you use in pursuit of your goals.” The machine continued, speaking to me honestly. 

If I ordered the armies in this museum to wage war on every other living being I sensed that they would eagerly enact my will. I also sensed that they would just as eagerly obey me if I told them to invade the countless Hell-dimensions throughout the omniverse and be shining champions who championed the destruction of evil throughout existence. What they wished for, more than anything else, was to be commanded by me. 

The artifacts, technology, wealth, armies, and more located in this vast museum had languished here for an unbelievably long amount of time. This place existed to please and equip me, but as a consequence of that since I had not existed for a very, very long time this unique storage facility had not been visited for an unfathomable amount of time.

“I… I am still not sure of what my goals should be.” I confessed, still needing time to adjust to the reality of my new circumstances. My uncertainty towards my own goals was a weakness of mine, one that I needed to address, but to be fair to myself I don’t think anyone could really blame me for not automatically adjusting to this absurd situation. 

“I want to direct… my forces.” I continued, opting to speak more grandly, to try and get “In character” as it were. 

“But the truth is that I legitimately don’t know what I want to do. I know that you and the others who are a part of my faction may want to feel as though I’ve always been this mythical ‘Living God’, but the truth is that I haven’t. At least not in the ways that matter.” I stated, bluntly. 

“I don’t have this sweeping ambition to conquer all of existence, or even to create a new omniversal faith that centers around myself and maybe includes other deities, if I chose to add other gods to my faction, or to cause others to undergo their own apotheosises.” I uttered, surprisingly powerfully.

“Until today I have lived my life, and been, a normal human. And beyond that I was one that was raised in America’s foster-care system. I didn’t get into my university because I was a mythical deity, I got it because I was a good student who consistently did my best. And now, now that I’m finally out of the foster-care system and in a good college, I’m discovering that I’m a deity, one whose ancestors were worshiped all over the omniverse, the supposed ‘Totality’ of existence?!” I exclaimed, emotions seeping into my voice as I spoke, and by the time I reached the end of that declaration there were tears of light and darkness in my eyes.

“Master…” The robot whispered sympathetically, revealing a fair amount of emotional intelligence. After a moment I recovered my composure and shook my head.  

“That said… What you’ve said isn’t wrong. I can sense that the beings and objects in here wish to serve me. It is such a powerful emotion that I can almost taste it.” I stated, once I had recovered from my outburst. 

“I…” I began, a second later, as I considered what my first goal should be. I held the “I” for a moment, before settling on a goal that I actually kind of liked. 

“I wish to know all things. Even the mysteries not yet known to the part of me that is constantly utilizing ‘Worldmind’. And to do that I shall indeed make use of the resources here.” I proclaimed, powerfully. 

“My first command as the Arisen Lord and the True Inheritor shall be for you and other non-combat robots in this museum to begin to categorize and quantify the resources available to me in this space. For the moment it is the primary priority you all have that shall take a long time.” I uttered, speaking to my robotic companion. The robot’s eyes widened in delight and emotion filled them as it realized that it finally had a task to do. 

“As for the others, the armies and their potent technology…” I muttered, taking a second to think about the truly vast resources at my disposal. 

“I… I command my militaristic forces, at least those here in the museum, to begin to prepare expeditions to be sent to worlds throughout the solar system.” I stammered, my mind filling with vivid pictures of thousands of different timelines that I was on the cusp of setting in motion.

---

One of the powers I possessed was the “Causality” power. That power was a vivid one that gave me the ability to peer into the future, and into the past, freely. It was, in essence, a prediction power that gave me the power to alter the future, and also the power to know what the future would bring. It was vividly activating in the back of my mind, filling my mind with pictures of the future and alerting me to the ways that my actions here would forever change history. 

With the “Causality” power, fate itself was potentially subservient to me. I knew that with it, if I really wanted to, I could do incredible things with tremendous subtlety. I could do things like alter fate so that a technological glitch shuts off a number of computers at a critical point in history, or even cause a computer virus to mutate and evolve into something capable of causing nukes to be launched. 

Fortunately, that was not something I wanted to do. All I wanted to do was allow the future, for now, to play out organically. And part of that, at the moment anyway, meant ignoring the part of my mind filled with visions of the future.

---

“And also…” I uttered, before spontaneously summoning the members of the cult devoted to myself to the command deck. The lot of them appeared in front of, around, and behind me, and they were all momentarily stunned. 

“Good afternoon you all.” I uttered, a serious look and smile on my face as I spoke.

“We have a fair amount of work to do. I have decided that the first real objective of mine that I will follow will be to transform this solar system into a potent base of operations. One from which I can begin creating my own factions, organizations, and potentially, my own true cult.” I informed them, causing their eyes to fill with a fanatical fire. 

“I am going to become the god of this solar system. And to do that, I think I will need your help.” I explained, smiling all the while. 

At that particular proclamation, a number of faces lit up. The faces that lit up the most were those of Alphor, his daughters, and Titania. And I knew that they would do anything it took to help me achieve this goal. Their excitement made me smile, and filled me with a fervent sort of excitement of my own.