It had been a long day. Finally, as his front door closed behind him, Atlas let out a sigh. He slipped the strap over his head and removed his shoulder bag, walking into his apartment. Setting it down on the table, he sat down, flipped open the bag, and pulled out his computer.
College was definitely not what he’d imagined. He’d hoped to make a few new friends, seeing as all of the friends he’d made from high school either moved out of state or had lost contact, but even after the first few weeks he hadn’t really clicked with anyone. His social awkwardness certainly didn’t help, and sometimes it almost felt easier to just let the world pass him by and remain a bystander in the background.
Atlas scoffed at himself. He’d made some reaches outwards, trying to bridge gaps, but after a while he’d fallen back into that old pattern. Tomorrow, he’d definitely put himself out there more, he decided. Well, in a few days actually, seeing as it was a Friday. He’d actually been looking forward to the weekend though.
Looking down at his laptop as it finished starting up, he moved his mouse over to click on the game he’d been playing recently. It was still in closed beta, didn’t even have a confirmed title yet, but he’d been lucky enough to get chosen for beta testing. He’d done beta testing a couple of times before, usually only once the game developers were testing their systems against large numbers of players, but he’d done that for a few big games, so that had probably helped him get chosen this time.
The game was pretty fun actually, Atlas mused as he started the game up again, it was a sort of world creation simulation game where the player takes the place of a Creator God that gets to choose from all sorts of options to create the world of their dreams. He’d set the game to its easiest level.
He had never really understood the hype of playing games at the most challenging levels, but he supposed that some people were in it for the competition, the challenge. He knew that some players played games by skipping the story and going straight to the end game content, the PVP focused, Arena or Battle Royale, type players.
That had never really interested him. He was always the one who dived deep into the lore of a game, getting immersed in the story and characters. That always led to him getting attached and trying to save everyone possible, hence why the easier versions would help him get the endings he wanted.
As the main menu screen appeared, Atlas admired the graphics. It was surprising, actually, seeing as his dinky little laptop was able to run the game with no problems. It didn’t even get the fans going. His friend had told him about this game, before promptly dropping off the map, and Atlas knew of his friend’s extensive gaming rig. That machine probably had no problems either, but it was certainly strange that his laptop could handle it.
There were apparently some Hidden Achievements in this game, but so far nobody had found any, as far as Atlas was aware. The only achievement he’d been able to get was ‘Killing them with Kindness’, an achievement given for being too kind to his creations. Apparently, some strife was necessary to grow as a species. Who knew?
He clicked on ‘Continue’ and the screen switched over to his game. No loading time, huh. Apparently it had some feature where the game continued to evolve while you weren’t playing, seeing as his world was farther along then he’d left it. He decided to see where his people were at, and moved the mouse to select the ‘Reputation’ option. Before he could click on it, however, a message popped up.
[Hidden Achievement Unlocked]
[First Player to achieve World Peace!]
What?
Atlas quickly scanned his computer screen, checking on what had changed. He’d definitely been working towards that goal, but he hadn’t quite reached it when he’d gone to bed the night before. The game was pretty complicated, balancing a lot of different variables in order to keep the peace. It had gotten pretty close to all out war there a few times, but it looks like he’d achieved his goal! And it was a hidden Achievement too!
He zoomed in on the large building where leaders from countries around the world were all shaking hands over the peace agreement. Aw, some of the people were crying from happiness. Well, he’d see how long this peace agreement lasted. Maybe a century or two!
Absentmindedly, Atlas clicked on the Hidden Achievement notification. it showed his rewards below the words he’d already read.
[You have Received Rewards]
[Divinity]
[10,000 DP]
[Do You Accept?]
[Yes] [No]
Oh, neat. He got some sort of Level up and new currency. He clicked yes, and suddenly everything went white.
Covering his eyes, Atlas waited for the light to dim. After a few moments he peeked between his fingers, looking around at the white featureless void that surrounded him.
“Huh.”
That was definitely not what he expected. He thought that maybe there was something wrong with his computer, or someone was shining a searchlight through his window, but there was nothing. He pinched his arm. Ouch. Not a dream then. He didn’t remember being tired, and he can usually kind of tell when he’s falling asleep.
“Hello?” He called, tentatively. No response. Turning, he looked behind him to see a strange looking pedestal. Made from the same white fog, but solid somehow. As he approached, bumps appeared along the top of it, moving to form a familiar shape. A keyboard. Now right in front of it, he could even read the lettering on the keys. The enter key was blinking.
Had he been abducted by aliens? What the hell was going on? Turning again, he looked around. Nothing but him and the pedestal. The enter key continued to blink at a steady pace. Fine, you want him to play this game? He’ll play the game. Facing the pedestal, Atlas pressed the enter key.
An image appeared, hovering above the pedestal. He could only describe it as one of those holographic images you see in fiction. A white background, with black words written on it.
[Would you like to begin the Tutorial?]
[Yes] [No]
Finally, some sort of answers. Atlas clicked yes.
[Welcome to the Beginner Deity Tutorial]
[Would you like this Tutorial in Aural, Visual, Verbal, or Mental format?]
[Aural] [Visual] [Verbal] [Mental]
Maybe if he chose Verbal, he’d get someone who could explain everything to him. He didn’t like the look of Mental, he didn’t want anything messing with his brain. Using the Arrow keys, he selected Verbal.
[Thank you for your selection]
[Please take a step backwards]
Atlas did as commanded. He didn’t want to mess anything up at this point.
[Download beginning in 3]
[2]
[1]
[Now Downloading]
A bright light formed a column in front of Atlas, slightly to the side, pulling in the white fog around them. The mist began to condense into a androgynous humanoid shape. Once complete, a light from the pedestal caught his eye, and he moved to read the screen again.
[Download Complete]
As soon as he finished reading the message, the screen disappeared. Atlas turned to look at the new arrival. They hadn’t moved. He cleared his throat. Their eyes, points of light in the misty void, shot open.
“Welcome to the Verbal Tutorial. I will be your Guide for the foreseeable future.” They said, giving a smile, “Do you have any questions before we begin?”
“Uh, yeah.” Atlas nodded, “Where are we and what am I doing here, to start.”
Their eyes closed for a moment before opening again, “I see, nothing at all has been explained to you. Usually people arrive here with at least a basic understanding. Tell me, what do you remember from right before arriving here?”
“I was playing a game,” Atlas said, “I’d unlocked a hidden achievement and suddenly I was here.”
His Guide tilted its head, “Curious. Usually one only arrives here through a referral. May I view your memories to see exactly what happened?”
“What?” Atlas asked, “I don’t really- That’s kind of- uh, private.” He blushed, stammering.
“I understand that it is an invasion of privacy, which is why your permission was asked for. I promise not to reveal the discovered information to anyone, and I will only look at your recent memories. You may have my Oath on that.” His Guide glowed for a second as they said that.
“Why did you glow?” Atlas asked, curious.
“It was signaling that the Oath was binding. We pride ourselves on our professionalism and secrecy.” They nodded.
We? Atlas wondered. He considered for a moment before sighing. “Fine, this won’t hurt, will it?”
“No, and it should only take a moment.” They nodded before approaching and tilting their forehead to gently touch Atlas’.
This was definitely weird. He could see exactly what they were viewing. Him receiving the game all the way until he was transported here was fast forwarded in his mind.
“Thank you. I have an understanding of what has occurred. Nobody would be able to arrive here without their consent, normally. You received a notification asking if you accepted receiving Divinity, correct?”
Atlas nodded, eyebrows furrowing.
“By clicking yes, you gave your consent to be moved here.”
“What, exactly does that mean? Why would that mean being transported here?” He asked, confused.
“Because of what this place is. This is a place of learning for young Gods. All young Gods are transported here upon receiving their Divinity.”
“So I really shouldn’t be here, huh.” Atlas nodded, grimacing.
“That is not the case.” His Guide shook their head, “By accepting the notification, you were given Divinity. You have become a young God. Therefore you are exactly where you should be.”
What.
“What!?” Atlas gasped, “That can’t be true, that makes no sense! How can someone become a God through a computer?”
His Guide put a hand to their chin, “It is curious. Some God has obviously made it possible, but the purpose for it is unknown.” They shook their head, “But putting that aside, we must begin the Tutorial.”
“But what about my friends, my family?” Atlas asked, “What happens to them? Will I ever see them again?”
“You may see them whenever you like, once you complete the Tutorial,” His Guide replied, “You are allowed to travel between your own realms and the realm in which you were born without restraint.”
Atlas sighed, relieved. He didn’t want to think he’d never see his family again. His parents, his sister.
“Are you ready to begin?” His Guide asked.
Atlas nodded, then said, “Yes,” when His Guide didn’t move.
His Guide nodded, then extended their arm. The screen above the Pedestal lit up.
“This place is called the Crucible of Creation. It will help you in the creation of your first world. As you use the Pedestal, I will answer any questions you may have.”
Stepping up to the Pedestal, Atlas nodded. He looked at the screen again.
[Choose a Primordial Force]
[Mana]
[1000 DP]
[Mana is the underlying essence in all things.]
[Your people will be able to harness said Mana to create Magic,]
[And through casting spells, better understand the world around them.]
[Choosing Mana will create a Magic World.]
[Qi]
[1000 DP]
[Qi is lifeforce, the energy in the body and surrounding nature]
[Your people will learn to use their lifeforce to make themselves stronger,]
[Pushing themselves towards the ultimate goal of Immortality.]
[Choosing Qi will create a Cultivation World.]
[Soul]
[1000 DP]
[Soul is the eternal spirit that resides temporarily in the body.]
[Your people will use the power of their spirit energy,]
[To unleash powerful and devastating individualized abilities.]
[Choosing Soul will create an Aura World.]
[Science]
[1000 DP]
[Focusing on breaking down the world into explainable and established phenomena]
[Your people will discover the very building blocks of the universe itself.]
[They will create fantastic machinery and bold architectural feats.]
[Choosing Science will make a Technological World.]
[Custom]
[2000 DP]
Atlas looked over at His Guide, “What are DP? And what exactly does it mean by Primordial Force?” He asked.
“DP are Divine Points, they are earned through Feats and Achievements. Primordial Forces are the basic fundamental principles that govern the world. You can choose more than one, but it is not recommended for a beginner world. Nor is customizing your own Force. There are more Forces available, but they’re not recommended for beginners.”
He nodded. They really didn’t want him to choose [Custom], huh.
His Guide continued, “Now, if Forces are the fundamental building blocks of the world, then Systems are the ways in which the inhabitants of the world observe and interact with them. There are many different Systems to choose from for each Force, and if none of them satisfy you you can create your own, although that is not recommended for beginners. Please choose from one of our four basic types. You are most familiar with [Science], seeing as you yourself came from a Technological World.”
“Wait, my old world was created this way too?” Atlas asked, surprised.
“All worlds were created this way.” His Guide replied, nodding.
“What happened to the Deity of my world?”
“Unknown. They haven’t been heard from in a long time.”
Turning back to the list, Atlas thought of one more question, “If I click on one of the options, is that permanent? Can I change my mind later?”
His Guide nodded, “It is not permanent, of course. Hit the back button to return to the previous page.”
Nodding his understanding, Atlas turned back to the Pedestal. He spent some time looking over his options. He definitely wasn’t going to pick [Custom] for a first try, seeing as he didn’t want to spend so many of his DP that quickly. And who would try to go big on their first try? That was just asking for failure. Better to learn the rules first before trying anything grandiose.
He wasn’t going to pick [Science] either, but he figured he should look at the options anyway, just in case. Besides what he assumed was his modern Earth System, a few other systems caught his eye.
[Astronautical]
[750 DP]
[At the cost of extra DP, you can achieve space flight early]
[Create an expansive space-faring civilization]
[Explore the farthest reaches of space]
[Steampunk]
[500 DP]
[Leaning into Steam Power instead of the many alternatives]
[Society flies in the skies on giant Dirigibles]
[Victorian-Era technology mixed with futuristic steam]
[Solar-powered]
[500 DP]
[With the power of the sun, society makes great leaps into green energy]
[Paving the streets with solar panels and filling their cities with plant life]
[Gleaming spires covered in greenery positioned to get optimal sunlight]
Switching over to [Soul], he looked at some of the more popular choices. These were definitely interesting.
[Animism]
[500 DP]
[In this World, every stone, every tree, every object, place or creature has a soul]
[By focusing on your own soul wavelength, you can find complementary wavelengths]
[Souls that complement each other make each other stronger, and develop similar abilities]
[Soul Manifestation]
[500 DP]
[A shape lies deep inside of you. Your soul has a true form]
[Soul Manifestation allows the user to summon their soul object]
[Use its abilities to the fullest]
[Spirit Companion]
[500 DP]
[At your birth, another is created alongside you called your spirit companion]
[Its form is a reflection of your inner animal, and it’s capable of speech and special abilities]
[Your spirit companion will grow with you and will live as long as you will]
He exited back out and navigated over to [Qi]. It seemed like most if not all of these work best with the [Karma], [Yin-Yang], and/or the [Five Elements] packages. All of those together would get kinda pricey.
[Body Meridians]
[500 DP]
[Circulate your energy through your Meridians and reap its benefits]
[Jump Higher, Hit harder, and lighten yourself enough to walk on water]
[Push your body to its natural limits using the power of Qi]
[Hand Seals]
[500 DP]
[Using elaborate hand gestures, you can conjure up natural elemental effects]
[With hand seals shaping the Qi to the desired form, nothing is impossible]
[Form your life energy into raw elemental power]
[Elemental Embodiment]
[500 DP]
[By absorbing only one type of natural Qi, a person can use that energy to its full potential]
[Embodying the singular Qi, your body will take on the properties of the element]
[Bring the might of the elementals down upon your enemies]
There were also some really intriguing Force combination worlds. To start you picked which Forces you wanted, then by increasing and decreasing the amounts of each you get different combinations. Atlas found a few different [Science] ones he liked.
[+ Science and - Magic: Supernatural]
[1500 DP]
[A Technology World on the surface, everything seems normal]
[But in hidden places and behind closed doors, you’ll find all sorts of mystical secrets]
[- Science and +Qi: Superpower]
[1500 DP]
[Just the next step in the natural cycle of Evolution]
[Your modern people begin to develop strange and amazing powers]
[= Science and = Soul: Temporal Nexus]
[2000 DP]
[As the technological understanding of the soul grows, People learn that with technology]
[It is possible to have your soul leave your body and travel anywhere in time and space]
That last one sounded kind of terrifying, actually. He wasn't sure he wanted his people to have that much power. Anyway, time to get down to business.
[Mana] was what he was probably going to choose, and it was fascinating, there were so many systems! [Spell Circles], [Incantation Chanting], [Magical Language], [Empathic Casting], [Runes of Power], and [Astrology], to name a few.
Atlas was able to narrow it down a little, discarding [Empathic Casting]. Who wants people accidentally firing off magic every time they get upset? Not him.
He also got rid of [Astrology]. It was interesting, but probably too complicated for a first-timer. [Incantation Chanting] went next, it just took too long to chant and Atlas wasn’t very good at poetry. He was left with:
[Spell Circles]
[500 DP]
[Memorization is key for spell circles]
[You need to hold the image clearly in your mind in order to cast any spells]
[The more complicated the spell, the more complicated the circle]
[Magical Language]
[500 DP]
[In order to evoke this magic, all you must do is speak the magic tongue]
[The words themselves, when spoken, cast powerful spells]
[Runes of Power]
[500 DP]
[The most basic and powerful magical principles in this world]
[Are all made physical by the Runes of Power]
[By inscribing the symbols, you evoke the elements themselves]
“Hmm, tough choice.” He muttered, looking at the screen with a frown.
“While not recommended for beginners, choosing more than one and combining them is still a viable option,” His Guide said, “There is also the option of purchasing new systems later on, so you do not have to feel pressured to make the perfect choice right away.”
Atlas nodded absentmindedly, “What do you think I should choose?” He asked.
His Guide froze. “I… I- I thin-" Their eyes flashed for a moment, and Atlas was stunned into silence. What was that? Suddenly, they relaxed, breaking the tension, "It is normally not customary for Guides to have opinions, but due to your distressing circumstance the Domain has granted me access to higher forms of thinking."
"Woah, wait, what?" Atlas asked, "You didn't have free will before?"
"No. I still do not. Not exactly. I have been given the ability to form opinions and extrapolate, but I am still a part of the Tutorial and have to follow the Laws of the Domain."
"I see." Atlas didn't fully understand, but it seemed like his Guide got an upgrade!
"Now. about your question. The Domain Laws want me to tell you that Beginners should stick to singular structures and make simple choices, but with my new ability I can help analyze this data better." His Guide nodded, "You were leaning towards the [Mana] Force, correct? Judging from what I saw in your memories, dropping you into managing a Magic World might be confusing to you. You have never used magic before, so it might take some time for you to really understand an entire new system."
"I recommend choosing the dual Force World, [--- Science +++Magic: Game Mechanics]. If not the full package, then at least a [Mana] world with a [Classes] system. As a God, you will be able to equip any class, and will learn magic much quicker."
That was tempting. He looked over the [--- Science +++Magic: Game Mechanics] package.
[--- Science +++Magic: Game Mechanics]
[3000 DP]
Dang, that was crazy expensive! But looking it over, Atlas could see it included quite a few Systems. [Levels], [Classes], [Titles], [Crafting], [Inventory], [Kingdoms], and more.
"That costs a lot," Atlas muttered, "Maybe a Magic World with [Classes] and [Levels]? [Titles] looks like a pretty easy way to earn DP as well."
“I probably would normally warn you against taking [Crafting], as it tends to limit creative potential, but combining [Crafting] with [Classes] creates some interesting effects, so I suggest you get those two together." His Guide remarked, "Also, [Classes] has a rudimentary leveling system built into it, so if you'd prefer something a little more casual (less stat focused) I'd recommend not purchasing both. And using Magic, there are spells that can do things similar to [Inventory], so it ends up being a little redundant. [Kingdoms] is useful in helping your people set up countries quickly, helping them progress faster."
Wow, they were being much more helpful.
Atlas had started creating a list. It was kind of funny how this Pedestal worked a bit like an online shopping list. So far he had:
[Mana]
[1000 DP]
[Spell Circles]
[500 DP]
[Magical Language]
[500 DP]
[Runes of Power]
[500 DP]
[Classes]
[250 DP]
[Crafting]
[250 DP]
[Titles]
[250 DP]
[Kingdoms]
[250 DP]
He'd decided to get all three of the magic systems he'd been eyeing. It would allow for some experimentation, and these systems didn't cost too much. Besides, he had some ideas buzzing.
"You should move on to creating the inhabitants of this world. You can come back to this category at any time." His Guide said.
Atlas nodded, navigating the menu. There were all sorts of creature packs, but the ones he thought were fitting were:
[Dragons]
[100 DP]
[Mystical Creatures]
[100 DP]
[Nature Spirits]
[100 DP]
"I recommend the [Monsters] pack as well." His Guide said, gesturing to the screen.
"Why?" Atlas asked, "Won't that lead to a lot of fighting?"
"Adversity is important for Species growth. It's not easy, but it's necessary." His Guide replied.
"I don't really want to throw them in the deep end without teaching them to swim." Atlas said, "Can't I purchase it farther down the line?"
"It doesn't matter when you purchase something, all purchases will be added to your Domain. It's your choice of when to activate them."
"I see." Atlas said, nodding. He added the earlier three packs and the [Monsters] pack to his list. After a thought, he added the [Adventurers] system as well. If there was going to be monsters, he wanted a system to be in place to fight them.
"You should probably move on to creating the first race. You'll be able to purchase more races later, but for now you need to pick one." His Guide said.
Atlas looked at the Menu. It was a simple fill out form, then the system would name a price.
[Race Name: _____]
[Lifespan: _____]
"Just so you're aware, choosing your own race, Humans, will get you them for free, as a service." His Guide said, smiling faintly.
"Hmm," Atlas said, noncommittally. He was already filling out the form for his favorite fantasy race.
[Race Name: Elves]
[Lifespan: 500 years]
"Don't worry about customization options, those are all available after the Tutorial is complete."
Atlas nodded, as the system named the price of 500 DP. He added Elves to his list.
"Is that everything?" He asked, turning to His Guide.
"Not yet," They said, "One last thing before you complete the Tutorial. I will guide you on activation of your Divinity and Creation of your first Planet."
"Oh," Atlas gulped, "That sounds complicated."
"It used to be, before everything was automated." His Guide replied, "Now the Domain assists with the process, both teaching you to do it yourself and helping you complete it at the same time."
"What exactly is the Domain?" Atlas asked, "You've mentioned it several times now."
"The Domain was created for the purpose of assisting Gods with their duties," His Guide answered, "Thinking of it as an A.I. program would not be too far off."
"Alright, let me just finalize my purchases here," Atlas said, fiddling with the Pedestal's buttons to navigate menu screens, "Okay." His pockets felt a little emptier, having spent not quite half of all of his DP. Turning around, he said, "How do we get started?"
His Guide extended their arms. The white mist swirled around them, forming a vortex with no wind. Soon, in the swirling mist, shapes and colors began to emerge, spinning and whirling and dissipating, gathering together into a small sphere. It hovered in front of Atlas, just within reach. It seemed to glitter, light refracting off of it to form halos of light. He reached a hand out towards it, and suddenly a beam of light shot out of the sphere and connected with his forehead. Atlas cried out, surprised. A warm feeling traveled through him, radiating from his head downwards, down his arms to his fingers and down his legs to the tips of his toes.
"Huh." That was more like an eye exam then a magical awakening. But he could feel it. His body felt different, almost nebulous, and he realized that just by concentrating on it, he could change his appearance. He'd always wanted to be taller, just to hit that six foot mark, so he pulled the mist inwards towards himself and gave himself that last inch of growth.
"I see you've grasped your ability over the aether." His Guide remarked.
"Is that what the mist is called?" Atlas said, "What is it exactly?"
"Aether is raw potential. It's the shape things take before they are created. Here in the God's Realm, everything is made from the aether. By extending your Divinity, you can shape this Realm as you desire."
Atlas nodded, digesting that information, "Okay, so now what?"
"Now," His Guide responded, "You create your world. Before the process was streamlined, you used to have to do everything by feeling about with Divine Energy, and conjuring images out of the aether, but the Domain makes things much simpler. You can do everything quicker by using the Pedestal and screens."
Nodding, Atlas turned back to the Pedestal. It was now showing an image of a dark void. As he placed his hands on the pedestal a message popped up.
[Begin Creation?]
[Yes] [No]
Atlas clicked [Yes]. Onscreen appeared a sphere, a planet floating in space.
Now that he'd gotten a hang of his aether powers, Atlas realized that he didn't need to push the buttons on the pedestal. If he willed it, the screens would make it happen. He spent some time deciding on what his planet should look like.
He ended up deciding on having two continents. One larger, one smaller. He shaped them to look like two upturned open hands. The left one, the larger, had its fingers together and its thumb extended with a hitchhiker's curve. The other, had its fingers loosely spread. Between the two continents, small islands dotted the oceans. There wasn't any option to add plants or anything yet, so when Atlas was done, he turned back to his Guide.
"Done, I think."
His Guide nodded, "Now send your Divine Energy into the Pedestal, and the Tutorial will be comp- c- c-" His Guide froze, stuttering.
Atlas jumped back, looking startled, "Uh, everything alright?"
After what seemed like forever, his Guide broke out of their frozen state, "I need your help."
"What's going on?" Atlas asked, confused and alarmed.
"As soon as the Tutorial is complete, the Guide's purpose is fulfilled and they will cease to exist. This is normally not a problem, as Guides normally are just an assistance tool. But as you requested, I have been given the ability to think. I don't want to disappear."
"Oh God," Atlas said, shocked, "I'm so sorry. What can I do to help?" This was all his fault.
"There are a few ways you could help, but the best way would be to add me to your Pantheon." His Guide explained, "I'm sorry to ask this of you, but the only other way you could help involves risk and might not even work."
"What is a Pantheon?" Atlas asked, still sort of stunned.
"As Gods' Realms grow, it becomes necessary to create sub-Gods in order to handle the workload. These gods answer to you, and are given Dominion over specific Concepts in order for them to better assist."
"Oh, like a Goddess of Wisdom, or a God of War."
"Precisely. While normally new Gods are created from scratch, it is possible for the Creator God, you, to choose someone to give Divinity to."
"I see. How do we do that?"
"You will need to purchase an [Apotheosis] Package, then give me a piece of your Divinity."
"Uh, just rip a chunk off?" Atlas didn't like the sound of that.
"Divinity isn't a solid object. Giving someone a piece doesn't mean you have less. Divinity is like a fire, and you giving me some is like using a spark of your fire to start one for me."
"I see," Atlas was still a little apprehensive, but was willing to try. Stepping back to the Pedestal, Atlas navigated the menu (Thankfully he could save his work.)
[Apotheosis]
[500 DP]
After purchasing it, Atlas returned to his Guide. Standing in front of them, he made eye-contact with them and nodded. He closed his eyes, and reached for his Divinity. Observing it, he saw a glowing orb, resting right behind his forehead. Looking closer, he stopped to admire it for a second. It was pretty, releasing rainbow fractals of light as it rippled outwards. But how to get the spark? He pushed inwards, and a drop welled up beneath it. Just a bit more... Another push, and the drop broke free, falling into his outstretched hand. How exactly that worked, he had no idea, but it did!
He looked at the drop in his hand. It had formed a little pearl of light, rolling about on his palm. "Now what?" He asked, "Do you eat it, or?"
They smiled, "I believe that touching it against my forehead should be adequate."
Stepping forward, Atlas raised the pearl and pressed it lightly against their forehead. The pearl was instantly absorbed, and a light shown in the aether, forming rings of light around his Guide's head.
"Oh," They said, "That's... different." They pulled up some aether to from a mirror, looking at themselves, "I'm no longer restricted by the Domain's laws, either. Hmm."
Their form rippled, and suddenly blonde hair spilled down from the top of their head, reaching their lower back. Color rushed downwards as well, changing their white form to a light tan.
Turning this way and that, they poked and prodded at their body, giving it a curvier more feminine form as a white toga dress draped them from above.
Once they were satisfied, they turned to look at Atlas. He noticed that they'd given themselves green eyes and distinctly Elven ears.
"Much better." They- She? said, smoothing down the wrinkles in the hem of the toga.
"I didn't realize- Why did you decide to change your form?" He asked.
"I wanted to leave that person behind. I wanted to look forward, towards something new. And seeing as you chose Elves as your first Race, I thought it was fitting. As for the gender thing, I'm very familiar with the concept now thanks to your memories. As me being able to make choices is what got us into this mess, I'd better be good at it. And I definitely am, I'm sure that i prefer being female."
Atlas nodded, before pausing, "Now what?"
His Guide looked at him, "We need to finish the Tutorial, and you need to give me a Dominion and a name."
Atlas paused, "Any recommendations for the Dominion?"
"Hmm," She rested her chin on her finger, "Something that would be immediately useful would be Time. Our Pedestal will have a Time Skip function, but it will be clunky and won't be able to go backwards. And hey! I got to keep all of the knowledge I had as a guide! Bonus!"
"How do I give you a Dominion?" He asked, already checking the menu.
"It's under your personal section, there's a tab for Sub-Gods!" She called, having gone back to making little adjustments in the mirror.
He found the personal section, and saw that it had his Dominion labeled as 'Creation'. Clicking the Sub-Gods tab, he filled in the Dominion as 'Time' and after thinking for a moment, put 'Aurora' under name.
"Aww, Aurora? That's sweet of you. After the Borealis or the fairy tale princess?" She said, and when Atlas looked over, she hadn't moved.
"Why can't it be both?" He said, chuckling, "And how'd you know anyway?"
"It's part of the system. The information just popped into my head as soon as you finished writing it." Aurora responded, straightening up. She'd changed the shape of her facial features a bit, and given herself a beauty mark under her right eye. She'd also conjured a black fabric shawl around her waist, pinned together with a small but elaborate Sundial. Fitting. She walked over, and placed her hands on the pedestal, "Now, how about we get this show on the road, shall we?"
"Sure," Atlas nodded, "You said I just have to push my energy into the Pedestal, right?"
'Don't forget to finish designing the world the way you want it before you do. We will be able to change it later, but it will be a pain so try to get it right the first time."
"Got it," He nodded, "I'd already finished before, but I'll give it a once over to be sure." He studied his world again for a few moments, then nodded, "Good to go."
He placed his hands on the Pedestal, pushing his Divinity out through his palms. A second larger screen appeared behind the Pedestal, and the first screen began displaying some words.
[Activating the Crucible of Creation]
The second screen lit up, showing a large explosion of light.
[Genesis Achieved]
Atlas stood in awe, watching as the colors swirled on the larger screen. Suddenly, the Pedestal disappeared, dissolving back into aether. The smaller screen displayed one last message:
[Thank you for completing the Tutorial]
Then it and the larger screen disappeared as well. Atlas looked around, confused, "Now what?"
"Now, we can leave!" Aurora said, "I'll conjure us a door, then we can blow this Popsicle Stand!"
A door appeared in front of them, and they approached it.
"You've been using using a lot of Earth sayings and slang, did you get all of that from my head?" Atlas asked, as Aurora grabbed the handle. She gave it a turn, pulling the door open.
"Remember, I saw everything that happened in your life from the moment you received the game onward."
Suddenly, Atlas was struck with a horrible feeling, "Everything? You mean-"
Aurora turned to him, a grin on her face, "E V E R Y T H I N G.~"
Oh. "Oh dear."
Aurora laughed, grabbing his arm, and said, "Come on, we've got places to be." She pulled him through the doorway and closed the door behind them.
I love it!
Good Job!
Has a lot of potential looking forward to the next chapter.
Just wondering do you plan to have an update schedule or just random updates?
interesting
Looking forward to this!